Calotheca wanati sp. nov.

Figures 3A-D, 4, 5

Type material.

Holotype ♂: Republic Of South Africa: KZN: Ubombo Mountain Nat. Res., - 27.6100S / 32.0802E [27°36'36"S, 32°04'49"E], 110 m, beating, 30.xi.2012, M. Wanat leg. (SANC). Paratypes: Republic Of South Africa: 3♂8♀, same data as for holotype (UWCP); 1♀, ibid, R. Ruta leg. (UWCP); 1♂1♀, KZN: Jozini, 10 km SW, W slope of Ubombo Mts, 27°28'S, 32°01'E, 500 m, 23.i.2006, adults beaten off Allophylus natalensis ( Sapindaceae), E. Grobbelaar leg. (SANC); 2♂2♀, KwaZulu-Natal: Mkhuze Game Res., - 27.6392S / 32.1583E [27°38'21"S, 32°09'29"E], 100 m, camping site, beating, 1.xii.2012, M. Wanat leg. (UWCP); 1♀, KwaZulu-Natal, Sodwana Bay, - 27.5315S / 32.6699E [27°31'53"S, 32°40'12"E], 5 m, swamp forest, site 1, 3.xii.2012, M. Wanat leg. (UWCP).

Diagnosis.

Calotheca wanati sp. nov. is very similar to C. nigromaculata, both in external morphology and shape of the aedeagus and spermatheca. It is mainly distinguishable by: the almost invariable elytral color pattern, with quite small, irregular, light brown patches ( C. nigromaculata is very variable in number, shape, and color of elytral patches, but the color pattern is generally different from C. wanati sp. nov.) (Figs 2A-C, 3A); the first pro- and metatarsomeres in male less enlarged, slightly larger than the distal part of the tibia (distinctly larger than the distal part of the tibia in C. nigromaculata) (Figs 2A-C, 3A); and the female has enlarged elytra (WE/LE = 0.76 ± 0.01 in C. wanati sp. nov.) (WE/LE = 0.73 ± 0.01 in C. nigromaculata) (Fig. 4B). The aedeagus is relatively short in C. wanati sp. nov. (LE/LAED = 2.16 ± 0.01) (Fig. 4C), in ventral view it has a sub-rhomboidal apical 1/4, and the prominent lateral expansions are angulate; in lateral view the median lobe is more distinctly curved apically (in C. nigromaculata, it is more elongate-LE/LAED = 1.92 ± 0.09, with indistict or very indistinct rounded lateral expansions in apical 1/4 in ventral view, and only slightly curved apically in lateral view) (Figs 2F, 3B).

Description of the holotype (♂).

Body elliptical in dorsal view (Fig. 3A), rather convex in lateral view; total length of the body (LB) = 6.40 mm; maximum pronotal width in the middle (WP = 2.98 mm); maximum width of elytra in the basal third (WE = 3.80 mm). Head pale brown, slightly darker along the frontal grooves; antennae pale brown, with antennomeres 6-11 slightly darkened (Fig. 3A); surface microreticulate and densely micropunctate, with evident setiferous punctures on most of the vertex and part of the frons; frontal grooves sinuate, very deeply impressed, extending from approximately the dorsal ocular margin to the inter-antennal space (Fig. 3C); eyes elliptical, clearly elongate; antennae shorter than half the body length (LAN = 2.75 mm; LAN/LB = 0.43); LA: 100:50:61:61:67:67:61:61:64:61:100. Pronotum (Fig. 3A, C) slightly convex, pale brown, punctate lateral stria and part of the margins darkened; distinctly transverse in dorsal view (LP = 1.40 mm; WP/LP = 2.13), sub-rectangular, with sides more distinctly incurved in the anterior third; surface microreticulate and micropunctate, with minute punctation; anterolateral surface with very shallow depressions; punctate lateral striae distinctly impressed, C-shaped, and slightly curved on the disc; some additional sparse punctures along the pronotal margins; basal furrows short and moderately incised; anterior, basal, and lateral margins evenly and finely bordered; lateral margins barely visible in dorsal view; anterior angles distinctly prominent, indistinctly swollen; posterior angles obtuse. Scutellum brown, sub-triangular. Elytra (Fig. 3A) elongate (LE = 4.90 mm; WE/LE = 0.78; LE/LP = 3.50), moderately rounded and indistinctly sinuate laterally, jointly rounded apically; slightly paler than pronotum, with irregular brown patches and brown punctation; lateral margin narrow, barely visible in dorsal view; elytral punctation arranged in single regular rows formed by distinctly impressed punctures; interstriae flat on the elytral disc, with finely microreticulate and sparsely micropunctate surface; humeral calli indistinctly raised. Macropterous. Basal pro- and mesotarsomeres clearly enlarged (Fig. 3A). Underside brown; apical abdominal ventrite without preapical sculptures or impressions. Median lobe of the aedeagus (LAED = 2.28 mm; LE/LAED = 2.15) (Fig. 3B) distinctly sinuate laterally in ventral view; in ventral view it has a sub-rhomboidal apical 1/4 truncate apically, and the prominent lateral projections are angulate; ventral surface with a pair of elongate lateral U-shaped depressions with a wrinkled surface in the apical half; surface distinctly punctate in the apical 1/4; aedeagus curved in the basal 1/2 and distinctly sinuate in the apical 1/2; dorsal ligula short but clearly visible in lateral view, formed by a subtriangular apically truncate median lobe, and two narrower lateral lobes.

Variability.

Males (n = 7; mean ± standard deviation, range): LE = 4.94 ± 0.12 mm (4.75 ≤ LE ≤ 5.10 mm); WE = 3.80 ± 0.09 mm (3.65 ≤ WE ≤ 3.90 mm); LP = 1.45 ± 0.05 mm (1.38 ≤ LP ≤ 1.50 mm); WP = 2.95 ± 0.06 mm (2.85 ≤ WP ≤ 3.03 mm); LAN = 2.66 ± 0.10 mm (2.50 ≤ LAN ≤ 2.75 mm); LAED = 2.28 ± 0.06 mm (2.20 ≤ LAED ≤ 2.35 mm); LB = 6.25 ± 0.22 mm (6.00 ≤ LB ≤ 6.60 mm); LE/LP = 3.40 ± 0.11 (3.27 ≤ LE/LP ≤ 3.53); WE/WP = 1.29 ± 0.01 (1.28 ≤ WE/WP ≤ 1.31); WP/LP = 2.03 ± 0.06 (1.97 ≤ WP/LP ≤ 2.13); WE/LE = 0.77 ± 0.01 (0.75 ≤ WE/LE ≤ 0.79); LAN/LB = 0.43 ± 0.02 (0.38 ≤ LAN/LB ≤ 0.45); LE/LAED = 2.16 ± 0.07 (2.02 ≤ LE/LAED ≤ 2.22). Females (n = 10; mean ± standard deviation; range): LE = 5.43 ± 0.25 mm (5.20 ≤ LE ≤ 5.70 mm); WE = 4.13 ± 0.19 mm (3.75 ≤ WE ≤ 4.30 mm); LP = 1.54 ± 0.08 mm (1.40 ≤ LP ≤ 1.55 mm); WP = 3.14 ± 0.13 mm (2.88 ≤ WP ≤ 3.28 mm); LAN = 2.61 ± 0.18 mm (2.40 ≤ LAN ≤ 3.05 mm); LSP = 0.66 ± 0.04 mm (0.60 ≤ LSP ≤ 0.75 mm); LB = 6.68 ± 0.34 mm (6.05 ≤ LB ≤ 7.10 mm); LE/LP = 3.53 ± 0.11 (3.35 ≤ LE/LP ≤ 3.70); WE/WP = 1.31 ± 0.02 (1.30 ≤ WE/WP ≤ 1.36); WP/LP = 2.04 ± 0.07 (1.88 ≤ WP/LP ≤ 2.13); WE/LE = 0.76 ± 0.01 (0.74 ≤ WE/LE ≤ 0.78); LAN/LB = 0.39 ± 0.02 (0.36 ≤ LAN/LB ≤ 0.45); LE/LSP = 8.21 ± 0.28 (7.93 ≤ LE/LSP ≤ 8.54). Paratypes very similar in shape, sculpture, and color to the holotype. Maximum pronotal width close to the pronotal base in some specimens. Female with basal pro- and mesotarsomeres less enlarged than in male. Spermatheca (Fig. 3D) globosely fusiform basally, subconical at the ductus attachment; distal part distinctly curved and slightly shorter than the basal part, with a distinct, irregularly enlarged appendix; ductus basally inserted, thickset, short, uncoiled, roughly U-shaped.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a noun in the genitive case after Dr Marek Wanat (University of Wrocław, Poland), one of its collectors and esteemed expert of Coleoptera Curculionoidea .

Distribution.

Republic of South Africa (KZN) (Fig. 5). Chorotype: Southern-Eastern African (SEA).

Ecological notes.

Adults were collected in November, December, and January, between 5-500 m a.s.l., on Allophylus natalensis ( Sapindaceae) on one occasion and in swamp forest during a different collecting event.