Ebenacobius hippopotamorum Haran, 2022

Haran, Julien, Benoit, Laure, Procheş, Şerban & Kergoat, Gael J., 2022, Ebenacobius Haran, a new southern African genus of flower weevils (Coleoptera: Curculioninae: Derelomini) associated with dicotyledonous plants, European Journal of Taxonomy 818 (1), pp. 1-54 : 41-44

Ebenacobius hippopotamorum Haran gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B47B9BFA-B008-4D25-AC97-14AF75D0C6CA

Figs 3E , 5G , 6N

Differential diagnosis

Ebenacobius hippopotamorum gen. et sp. nov. can be distinguished by the following combination of features: claws simple, prothorax with two dark bands on each side of the median line, reaching the basal and apical margins of prothorax and elytra with minute setae glabrous in appearance ( Fig. 3E ). This species is closely related to E. pedi gen. et sp. nov. and E. tsonga gen. et sp. nov., but in these species bands on prothorax are not reaching the apical margin ( Fig. 3C–D ).

Etymology

The species name refers to the location where the recently collected specimens were found: a dry river bank inhabited by a group of hippos that made access to the flowering Euclea bush particularly delicate.

Type material

Holotype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • ♂; “Rep. of South Africa [REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA]. Mulati [Limpopo Province]; 10.vii.2018 ” “ 23°55’12.0″ S 30°50’24.0″ E; flowers of Euclea natalensis ; J. Haran leg.; JHAR01148 ” “Holotype; Ebenacobius hippopotamorum ; Haran 2022”; SAMC.

Paratypes REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA – Limpopo Province • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 1 spec. (preserved in ethanol); Mulati; 23°55′12.0″ S, 30°50′24.0″ E; 10 Jul. 2018; J. Haran leg.; on flowers of Euclea natalensis ; JHAR01148 ; CBGP • 2 ♀♀; SA Wildlife College , 10 km from Orpen Gate of KNP; 24°01′58.3″ S, 31°11′25.5″ E; 17 Oct. 2000; W. Breytenbach leg.; collected along tar road on flowering Lonchocarpus capassa (Fabaceae) ; SANC.

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. 2.0– 2.2 mm.

COLOUR. Body integument pale brown, head reddish-brown; prothorax with 2 longitudinal dark bands on each side of the median line, reaching basal and apical margin of prothorax; dark pattern on elytra forming interstriae 1, 3 and 5 a spots at base longitudinal bands near middle of length; dorsum (prothorax + elytra) with minute recumbent setae, not contiguous, integument glabrous in appearance.

HEAD. Rostrum shorter than prothorax in lateral view, moderately downcurved; underside with a row of setae, as long as 2 nd segment of funicle, integument forming a small tubercle before apex; in dorsal view covered with short recumbent and non-contiguous setae; antennae inserted near apical 1/4 of length; head capsule coarsely punctate in dorsal view, with minute recumbent whitish setae, shorter than diameter of punctures; eyes convex, exceeding the lateral curve of head capsule in dorsal view; antennal funicle with first segment 1.5 × longer than wide, as long as 2–4, 3–7 wider than long.

PROTHORAX. Wider than long (W:L ratio: 1.30), widest near basal ⅓, slightly narrower there than elytra at humeral angles; sides straight or slightly convex in middle of length, moderately converging apicad, abruptly converging in apical 1/5, apical constriction as long as width of funicle at apex; integument densely punctate, space between punctures smooth, shiny, at most as wide as diameter of punctures; setae of larger punctures shorter than diameter of punctures in the central area; prosternal process absent, integument only raised beyond procoxae.

ELYTRA. Sides slightly convex, widest near middle of length (W:L ratio: 0.70); humeri raised; apex jointly rounded; striae with punctures well aligned, 1.5–2 × narrower than interstriae; interstriae slightly convex, more convex apically, 9 entirely convex; scutellar shield rounded, glabrous.

ABDOMEN. Underside covered with recumbent whitish setae, not contiguous.

LEGS. Profemora strongly thickened near middle of length, forming internal angle beyond middle of length; protibiae with external margin straight, meso- and metatibiae slightly curved outward in apical half; tibiae armed with a small apical mucro, almost indistinct on meso- and metatibiae; claws simple.

TERMINALIA. Body of penis elongate (W:L ratio: 0.33), 0.8 × as long as apodemes; sides subparallel, narrowing apicad in apical ¼ in dorsal view, apex acute; in lateral view curvature slightly stronger in basal half, width expanding from base to apical ¼, narrowing apicad in apical 1/4 ( Fig. 6N ).

Sexual dimorphism

Females can be distinguished from males by their rostrum which is almost straight in lateral view.

Remarks

One of the female specimens from Orpen Gate of KNP shows a distinctly less downcurved and more elongate rostrum. This divergent phenotype exceeds the variability commonly observed in Ebenacobius gen. nov. and in Derelomini in general and could indicate that several closely related species might exist in this species in its current concept.

Life history

Ebenacobius hippopotamorum gen. et sp. nov. was collected on flowers of Euclea natalensis , which is probably its host plant. This species was collected in sympatry with E. rectirostris gen. et sp. nov. on this plant, although in smaller numbers. Adults were collected in July and October.

Distribution

Republic of South Africa (Limpopo Province).

Figures

Fig. 3. A–I. Habitus of males of Ebenacobius Haran gen. nov. in dorsal view (part 2). A. E. mulanjensis Haran gen. et sp. nov. B. E. hessei Haran gen. et sp. nov. C. E. pedi Haran gen. et sp. nov. D. E. tsonga Haran gen. et sp. nov. E. E. hippopotamorum Haran gen. et sp. nov. F. E. incognitus (Hesse, 1929) gen. et comb. nov. G. E. oberprieleri Haran gen. et sp. nov. H. E. turneri (Marshall, 1935) gen. et comb. nov. I. E. rhodesianus (Hesse, 1929) gen. et comb. nov. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 5. A–H. Habitus of males of Ebenacobius Haran gen. nov. in lateral view (part 2). A. E. hessei Haran gen. et sp. nov. B. E. incognitus (Hesse, 1929) gen. et comb. nov. C. E. pedi Haran gen. et sp. nov. D. E. oberprieleri Haran gen. et sp. nov. E. E. tsonga Haran gen. et sp. nov. F. E. turneri (Marshall, 1935) gen. et comb. nov. G. E. hippopotamorum Haran gen. et sp. nov. H. E. rhodesianus (Hesse, 1929) gen. et comb. nov. A–H = not to scale.

Fig. 6 (part 1). A–I. Male genitalia of Ebenacobius Haran gen. nov., penis in dorsal (left) and lateral (right) view.A. E. curvisetis Haran gen. et sp. nov.B. E. rectirostrisHaran gen. et sp. nov.C. E. duplicatus Haran gen. et sp. nov. D. E. grobbelaarae Haran gen. et sp. nov. E. E. costalis (Fåhraeus, 1844) gen. et comb. nov. F. E. thoracicus Haran gen. et sp. nov. G. E. xhosa Haran gen. et sp. nov. H. E. san Haran gen. et sp. nov. I. E. kuscheli Haran gen. et sp. nov. A–I = not to scale.