Afrosmicronyx dorsomaculatus ( Cox, 1997 ) Haran & Perrin, 2017

Haran, Julien & Perrin, Hélène, 2017, Revision of the genus Afrosmicronyx Hustache (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Curculioninae), Zootaxa 4365 (2), pp. 132-148 : 141

Afrosmicronyx dorsomaculatus ( Cox, 1997) comb. n.

Figs 2F , 3F , 5F , 6F

Smicronyx (Afrosmicronyx) dorsomaculatus Cox, 1997: 12

Material examined. Ethiopia, Harar, 20.vii.1909, (1 ♂, MNHN, Ober. coll) . Mali, Dogo , 18.vii.1950, at light , G. Remaudière leg., Mission in « boucle du Niger », « Afrosmicronyx sp. n. » (1 ♀, MNHN, Hoff. coll) . Mauritania, Trazza , 10.xi.1958, J. Mateu leg., « Afrosmicronyx sp. n. A. Hoffmann det. », (1♂, 1 ♀, MNHN, Hoff. coll). Holotype locality . Niger ( Anderson & Cox 1997).

Redescription. (♂) Body length of examined specimens 3.6–3.8 mm. Colour. Body integument black to reddish brown; vestiture consisting of rounded recumbent scales, slightly elliptical, scales dark brown to whitish brown, forming a black area roughly located on basal 4/5 of interstriae 1 to 4, contrasting whitish areas laterally and apically, a whitish elongate patch at base of interstria 3. Head. Rostrum slightly longer than head plus prothorax, thin, regularly downcurved, scarcely covered by scales and coarsely punctate at base, punctures and vestiture less dense at antennal insertion, smooth at apex, bearing 3 dorsal carinae visible near antennal insertion, transversal furrow at base of rostrum shiny and deep, head short, almost glabrous; antennae reddish, segments 1 and 2 elongate, segment 1 much longer than 2, slightly longer than 2+3. Prothorax. Isodiametric, widest slightly behind middle, moderately narrowed at apex, sides moderately rounded; integument densely and coarsely punctuate; scales dark brown, paler along a narrow longitudinal strip, mostly visible near scutellum, vestiture with a mix of dark broadly ovate scales and pale arcuate setiform scales. Elytra. Sides moderately convex, subparallel in basal half, rounded in apical half, widest near middle (ratio w/l: 0.65); humeri raised; striae narrow, interstriae flat wide and shiny, apex of interstriae 5 with moderate declivital callosity, followed by depression; scutellum small but visible squamose. Abdomen. Underside covered with whitish scales, ventrites 1–2 elongate, 1 as long as 2+3, and as 3–5. Legs. Reddish, femora clavate, armed with one ventral tooth; pro- and mesotibiae straight, fore-tibiae slightly bisinuate, protibiae armed with one small ventral tooth in basal third, sometimes only thickened. Genitalia. Penis short (ratio w/l: 0.63), sides sub-parallel in basal two thirds, converging apex in apical 1/3, apex rounded, curvature in lateral view regular ( Fig. 6F ). A detailed description of this species is provided in Anderson & Cox (1997).

Life history. The larvae develop in stem galls of Striga gesnerioides and to a lesser extent in fruit galls and seed capsules of S. hermonthica ( Anderson & Cox 1997) . Adults have been collected in February, April, July, September, October and November. Females are distinguished from males by their more pointed ventral tooth on tibiae, by their slightly longer rostrum, which is glabrous in apical half.

Distribution. Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria ( Anderson & Cox 1997) but also Ethiopia, Mali and Mauritania.

Discussion. This species is distinct by its contrasted white bands on the sides of the elytra, which are less sharply defined in A. mirei sp. n. Specimens examined were successfully identified as A. dorsomaculatus based on this striking feature, but also based on the morphology of the penis as reported in the original description ( Anderson & Cox 1997). In this study, the holotype and some paratypes are said to be deposited in the BMNH, but we did not succeed in finding this material in the collections of that institution.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Habitus of species of Afrosmicronyx. A. Afrosmicronyx giganteus (Hustache), neotype ♀. B. A. quadrituberculatus (Hustache),lectotype ♂.C.A.sopubiae(Marshall),lectotype ♂.D.A.angolanus (Hustache),holotype ♂.E.A.maerens (Marshall), lectotype ♂. F. A. dorsomaculatus(Cox), specimen from Sudan (♀). G. A. mirei sp.n., holotype ♂. H. A. armipes (Voss), holotype ♂.I. A. madagascariensissp.n., holotype♂. J. A.umbrinus(Hustache) lectotype ♀.Scale bars (A to J): 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 3. Head and prothorax in lateral view of species of Afrosmicronyx. A. Afrosmicronyx giganteus (Hustache), neotype ♀. B. A. quadrituberculatus (Hustache), lectotype ♂. C. A. sopubiae (Marshall), lectotype ♂. D. A. angolanus (Hustache), holotype ♂. E. A. maerens (Marshall), lectotype ♂. F. A. dorsomaculatus (Cox), specimen from Sudan (♀). G. A. mirei sp. n., holotype ♂. H. A. armipes (Voss), holotype ♂.

FIGURE 5. Ventrites of Afrosmicronyx spp.. A. Afrosmicronyx giganteus (Hustache), neotype ♀. B. A. quadrituberculatus (Hustache), lectotype ♂. C. A. sopubiae (Marshall), lectotype ♂. D. A. angolanus (Hustache), holotype ♂. E. A. maerens (Marshall), lectotype ♂. F. A. dorsomaculatus (Cox), specimen from Sudan (♀). G. A. mirei sp. n., holotype ♂. H. A. armipes (Voss), holotype ♂. I. A. madagascariensis sp. n., holotype ♂. J. A. umbrinus (Hustache), lectotype ♀. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 6. Penis of Afrosmicronyx species, dorsal (left) and lateral (right) view. A. Afrosmicronyx giganteus (Hustache), specimen from Cameroon. B. A. quadrituberculatus (Hustache), lectotype. C. A. sopubiae (Marshall), lectotype. D. A. angolanus (Hustache), holotype. E. A. maerens (Marshall), lectotype. F. A. dorsomaculatus (Cox), specimen from Mauritania. G. A.mirei sp.n., holotype.H.A.armipes (Voss),holotype.I. A.madagascariensis sp. n., holotype.J.A.umbrinus (Hustache), specimen from Cameroon.Scale bar = 200 µm.