Cionus latruncularius, Caldara & Košťál, 2023

Caldara, Roberto & Košťál, Michael, 2023, A Taxonomic Revision Of The Afrotropical Species Of The Weevil Genus Cionus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Zootaxa 5288 (1), pp. 1-98 : 51

25. Cionus latruncularius sp. n. ( Figs 25a–f )

Type locality. Uitkyk Pass (Western Cape, South Africa) .

Type series. Holotype, male “ RSA Western Cape 905 m Cederberg, Uitkyk Pass 32°27.78’ S 19°10.926’ E 17.x.2019 R.Borovec lgt. / General sweeping (grassnetting) of vegetation in fynbos” ( NMPC) . Paratypes: same data as holotype (2, MKCS; 1, RBCS; 2, RCCM); “ RSA Western Cape 948 m 15 km E Citrusdal beating 32°37’563 S 784 S, 19°08’198 E 34.589 E, 26.x.2011 R.Borovec lgt.” (1, RBCS) ; “ RSA Western Cape, Aurora Mts. , 850 m, 32°43.784 S, 18.34.589 E, 10.xi.2016, R. Borovec lgt.” (1, RBCS) ; “ RSA Western Cape 1828 m Ceres Waboomberg 33°15.187’ S, 19°27.57’ E 15.x.2019 R.Borovec lgt. / General sweeping (grassnetting) of vegetation in fynbos” (1, RBCS) ; “ RSA Western Cape 222 m Stellenbosch Jonkershoek NR 33°58.437’ S, 18°56.222’ E 13.x.2019 R.Borovec lgt. / General sweeping (grassnetting) of vegetation in fynbos” (2, RBCS) .

Diagnosis. Head between eyes distinctly narrow. Pronotum with conical sides and two moderately pronounced protuberances. Elytra brown, covered with grayish scales, with numerous spots of dark scales on odd interstriae, with striae not visible. Claws in male unequally long.

Description. Male ( Figs 25a–b ). Body: robust, moderately elongated. Head: rostrum stout, short (Rl/Rw 3.66– 3.73, Rl/Pl 1.20–1.26), black; in lateral view weakly curved, of same width from base to apex; in dorsal view parallel-sided to apex; with sparse, recumbent, elliptical, moderately short (l/w 3–5), grayish scales in basal 2/3. Head between eyes distinctly narrow, 0.25× as wide as rostrum at base. Eyes very slightly convex.Antennae blackish brown, inserted between middle and apical third; scape long (l/w 12); funicle moderately shorter than scape, S1 moderately robust, moderately more robust than and slightly longer than S2, 2.0× as long as wide, S2 twice as long as wide, S3–5 transverse, slightly wider than long; club oblongly oval, moderately shorter than funicle, uniformly pubescent. Pronotum: black, with dense, more or less small, unevenly arranged deep punctures, completely hidden by dense, recumbent, moderately long (l/w 5–7), rectangular, intermixed dark brown scales additionally with whitish scales forming median vitta and covering pale sides; conical, distinctly transverse (Pw/Pl 1.60–1.66), widest at base, with rectilinear sides, weakly convex on disc, with two distinct small lateral protuberances; in lateral view in basal half moderately, in apical part more markedly slanting. Prosternum: anterior margin distinctly emarginated. Scutellar shield: heart-shaped, densely covered with moderately elongated, imbricate yellowish scales. Elytra: brown, moderately elongated (El/Ew 1.15–1.22), subrectangular, widest in basal half, somewhat wider than pronotum (Ew/Pw 1.70–1.74), humeri distinct, rounded, sides slightly rounded, moderately convex on disc; interstriae slightly convex, with small, shallow, irregular punctures completely hidden by recumbent, rectangular, grayish and blackish scales, latter ones forming numerous quadrate to rectangular spots on odd interstriae; striae with moderately deep punctures, 1/3 as wide as interstriae, completely hidden by grayish scales similar to those on interstriae. Venter: mesosternal process weakly convex, not emarginated. Metasternum densely covered exclusively with uniformly elongated, rectangular brown (at sides) and white scales, without hair-like scales. Metasternum] and ventrites with dense, irregular, moderately deep punctures completely concealed by moderately elongated scales, median part of V1–2 with shallow impression covered with suberect, hair-like pale scales; V1 1.5 × as long as V2; V1+2 5.4× as long as V3+4, which are 0.9× as long as V5. Legs: femora dark brown, with robust sharp teeth; tibiae dark brown; tarsi brown, onychium slightly shorter than T1–3 combined; claws connate in most their length, one claw 2/3 as long as other. Penis: Figs 25d–f , its body with very slightly convergent sides, broadly tapered at apex, apex with shallow incision. Flagellum robust, long, bifurcated at base.

Female. Rostrum longer (Rl/Rw 3.57–3.62; Rl/Pl 1.35–1.40) and slightly thinner ( Fig. 25c ). V1 and V2 without impression. Claws more clearly separated, of equal length.

Variability. Length 3.7–4.2 mm. The type series shows a certain variability in the color of integument, which varies in mature specimens from light brown to dark brown.

Etymology. The Latin adjective intends to emphasize that the pattern of elytra with alternating white and black subquadrate spots reminds a chessboard (in Latin “ tabula latruncularia ”).

Remarks. This species may be confused with C. histrio , with which it shares the very narrow head between eyes, the shape of the pronotum and the pattern of the dorsal vestiture. It clearly differs by the shape of the elytra, which are distinctly longer and less convex on the disc, shorter and thicker rostrum and femora more robust. It is also similar to C. pustulatus and C. nubilosus in the general habitus. The most distinctive character versus these two species is a very narrow space between eyes.

Biological notes. No data are available.

Distribution. South Africa (Western Cape).

Figures

FIGURES 25–26. FIGURE 25. Cionus latruncularius sp. n. a: body in dorsal view (male), b: body in lateral view (male), c: rostrum in lateral view (female), d: penis in ventral view, e: penis in lateral view, f: apex of penis in dorsal view. FIGURE 26. Cionus limosus sp. n. a: body in dorsal view (male), b: body in lateral view (male), c: rostrum in lateral view (female), d: penis in ventral view, e: penis in lateral view, f: apex of penis in dorsal view. Not to scale.