Ebenacobius oberprieleri 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 : 45-46

Ebenacobius oberprieleri Haran gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AB825DBB-F0CB-42AB-86A3-CBD2DBBE4746

Figs 3G , 5D , 6P

Differential diagnosis

Ebenacobius oberprieleri gen. et sp. nov. can be distinguished by the combination of appendiculate claws and elytra with long erect and curved setae, longer than width of interstriae.

Etymology

This species is dedicated to our colleague Rolf G. Oberprieler who collected all known specimens of this species.

Type material

Holotype REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • ♂; “ SOUTH AFRICA [REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA], C.P [Northern Cape Province]; Richtersveld, Orange River at De Hoop ; 28.16S 17.03E; 650m, 2.x.1991, R. Oberprieler ” “ On Euclea ; pseudebenus ; ( EBENACEAE ) ” “National Coll; of Insects; Pretoria, S. Afr.” “Holotype; Ebenacobius oberprieleri ; Haran 2022”; SANC.

Paratypes REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA – Northern Cape Province • 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; SANC • 1 ♂; same collection data as preceeding; CBGP.

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. 2.5 mm.

COLOUR. Body integument pale brown, head and sometimes prothorax reddish-brown; prothorax generally with 2 longitudinal dark bands on each side of the median line and two dark dots close to the lateral carina near middle of length, all these patterns not reaching basal and apical margin of prothorax, sometimes entirely absent; dark pattern on elytra generally forming a large dot on middle of length of interstriae 2–5 and dots on apical ⅔ of interstriae 6, 8 and 9; dorsum (prothorax + elytra) with long erect and downcurved setae, contiguous, longer than width of interstriae, forming one row on each interstria; each puncture of striae with a minute recumbent, whitish seta.

HEAD. Rostrum slightly longer than prothorax in lateral view, moderately downcurved; underside with a row of setae, as long as 2 nd segment of funicle, integument smooth before apex, not forming an angle or tubercle; in dorsal view covered with recumbent setae, long and contiguous in basal ⅓, short and non-contiguous in apical ⅔; antennae inserted slightly beyond apical ⅓ of length; head capsule densely punctate in dorsal view, with setae mostly contiguous and longer than diameter of punctures, oriented toward a point located on frons between basal margin of eyes; eyes moderately convex, exceeding slightly the lateral curve of head capsule in dorsal view; antennal funicle with first segment 2 × longer than wide, as long as 2–5, 3–7 wider than long.

PROTHORAX. Wider than long (W:L ratio: 1.30), widest near middle of length or in basal ½, slightly narrower at widest point than elytra at humeral angles; slightly convex in middle of length or subparallel in basal ½, moderately converging apicad in apical ½, apical constriction as long as width of funicle at apex; integument densely punctate, space between punctures smooth, shiny, narrower than diameter of punctures; erect setae longer than diameter of punctures; prosternal process absent, integument only raised beyond procoxae.

ELYTRA. Sides slightly convex, widest near middle of length (W:L ratio: 0.74); humeri raised; apex jointly rounded; striae with punctures well aligned, 1.5 × narrower than interstriae; interstriae flat, 9 entirely convex; scutellar shield rounded, glabrous.

ABDOMEN. Underside covered with recumbent whitish setae, contiguous.

LEGS. Profemora moderately thickened near middle of length, profemora with a small internal tooth 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; claws appendiculate internally.

TERMINALIA. Body of penis moderately elongate (W:L ratio: 0.43), 0.7 × as long as apodemes; sides straight, slightly narrowing apicad in dorsal view, more abruptly in apical 1/5, apex acuminate; in lateral view curvature slightly stronger in basal half, width widening from base to apical middle of length, narrowing apicad in apical half ( Fig. 6P ).

Sexual dimorphism

Females can be distinguished from males by their rostrum which is distinctly longer than the prothorax in lateral view (only slightly longer in males).

Remarks

All specimens of this species were collected in a single sampling event at one locality. More variability in colour pattern can be expected if larger series from other localities are sampled.

Life history

All specimens of this species were found aggregated on Euclea pseudebenus E.Mey. ex A.DC. Given that species of Ebenacobius gen. nov. with known host records are generally associated with species of Euclea , this plant is probably the host for the larval stages of this species. Adults were collected in October.

Distribution

Republic of South Africa (Northern Cape 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.