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The genus Elaeidobius Kuschel, 1952 (Curculionidae, Curculioniae, Derelomini) is an Afrotropical genus associated with the male inflorescences of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis Jacq. The activity of species in this genus is critical for pollen transportation and for the fruit set of this economically important palm. In this study, the genus Elaeidobius was revised using an integrative taxonomic approach, combining traditional taxonomic treatment of species and an analysis of sequences of mitochondrial genes (COI and COII). A total of eight species is now recognized: five now formally included within it [E. bilineatus Hustache, 1924) comb. nov., E. kamerunicus (Faust, 1898) comb. nov., E. plagiatus (Fåhraeus, 1844) comb. nov., E. singularis (Faust, 1898) comb. nov., E. subvittatus Faust, 1898)], one transferred here from the genus Prosoestus to the genus Elaeidobius, E. spatulifer (Marshall, 1950) comb. nov., and two newly described species (E. pilimargo Haran & Kuschel sp. nov., E. piliventris Haran & Kuschel sp. nov.). The following new synonymies are proposed: Prosoestus armatus Voss, 1956 = E. bilineatus (Hustache, 1924) comb. nov. and Derelomus uelensis Hustache = E. singularis (Faust, 1898). An illustrated key to the species is provided with photographs of the adult habitus and male genitalia.
Phlyctinus callosus (Schoenherr, 1826) (Curculionidae, Entiminae, Oosomini) is a species native to the Western Cape province of the Republic of South Africa. It is regarded as a key pest of orchards and vineyards. Detailed observations of its morphology and ecology have shown this species to be a complex of closely related species. In this study we describe the species of this complex, provide morphological and molecular diagnostic tools to distinguish between species, and review their distribution and host plant associations. In all, six species are recognized in the P. callosus complex and five are described as new (P. grootbosensis Haran sp. nov., P. xerophilus Haran sp. nov., P. planithorax Haran sp. nov., P. littoralis Haran sp. nov., P. aloevorus Haran sp. nov.). Sequences of the mitochondrial gene used (cytochrome oxidase I, COI) indicated that P. xerophilus Haran sp. nov. might comprise several cryptic species for which stable morphological features could not be identified at this stage. The species of the genus Phlyctinus appear to be primarily associated with various Asteraceae found in humid, sandy and disturbed habitats.
This study reviews the species of the tribe Smicronychini Seidlitz, 1891 found in southern Africa. In total, 18 species are recognized in this region, 12 of them being described as new (Sharpia madibai sp. nov., Afrosmicronyx cycnii sp. nov., A. louwi sp. nov., A. marshalli sp. nov., A. nebulosipennis sp. nov., Smicronyx pseudocoecus sp. nov., S. australis sp. nov., S. drakensbergensis sp. nov., S. gracilipes sp. nov., S. paucisquamis sp. nov., S. san sp. nov., S. similis sp. nov.). The following genera and species are newly reported from this area: Afrosmicronyx Hustache, 1935; Sharpia Tournier, 1873; Smicronyx pauperculus Wollaston, 1864; S. albosquamosus Wollaston, 1854 and S. namibicus Haran, 2018. New host plant taxa and plant associations for the tribe are reported among the families Gentianaceae Juss., Orobanchaceae Vent. and Convolvulaceae Juss. A key to species and images of the habitus of adults and male genitalia are provided.
A new genus of derelomine flower weevil (Curculionidae: Derelomini sensu Franz 2006), Ebenacobius Haran gen. nov., is described to accommodate a clade of species morphologically and phylogenetically distinct from other genera in this tribe. This genus can be diagnosed as follows: protibiae armed with an apical mucro, claws free, eye convexity exceeding the contour of head in dorsal view and forehead with a median furrow. In total, 19 species are recognized in this genus; 14 species are described as new (E. curvisetis Haran gen. et sp. nov.; E. duplicatus Haran gen. et sp. nov.; E. grobbelaarae Haran gen. et sp. nov.; E. hessei Haran gen. et sp. nov.; E. hippopotamorum Haran gen. et sp. nov.; E. kuscheli Haran gen. et sp. nov.; E. mulanjensis Haran gen. et sp. nov.; E. oberprieleri Haran gen. et sp. nov.; E. rectirostris Haran gen. et sp. nov.; E. san Haran gen. et sp. nov.; E. pedi Haran gen. et sp. nov.; E. thoracicus Haran gen. et sp. nov.; E. tsonga Haran gen. et sp. nov. and E. xhosa Haran gen. et sp. nov.), five species of Derelomus Schoenherr (D. atratus Hesse; D. costalis Fåhraeus; D. incognitus Hesse; D. rhodesianus Hesse; D. turneri Marshall) are hereby transferred to Ebenacobius gen. nov. and one species name is placed in synonymy (Derelomus rugosicollis Hesse, 1929 = Derelomus costalis Fåhraeus, 1844 syn. nov.). Members of Ebenacobius gen. nov. seem to develop in inflorescences of dicot plants, with larval stages of at least two species recovered from the flowers of Euclea species (Ebenaceae). A key to the continental African genera of Derelomini and to species of Ebenacobius gen. nov. is provided. Pictures of habitus and terminalia of adults, along with distribution and life history data are also provided for each species.
The weevil genus Cryptolarynx Van Schalkwyk, 1966 is endemic to the Northern and Western Cape provinces of South Africa. The two previously known species of the genus, C. vitis (Marshall, 1957) and C. estriatus (Marshall, 1957), have an aberrant globular body and head shape, which has made it difficult to place the genus into the classification systems of the Curculionoidea. This paper presents the description of 21 new species of Cryptolarynx from South Africa (C. subglaber Haran sp. nov., C. squamulatus Haran sp. nov., C. muellerae Haran sp. nov., C. hirtulus Haran sp. nov., C. robustus Haran sp. nov., C. namaquanus Haran sp. nov., C. carinatus Haran sp. nov., C. variabilis Haran sp. nov., C. pyrophilus Haran sp. nov., C. pilipes Haran sp. nov., C. armatus Haran sp. nov., C. falciformis Haran sp. nov., C. oberprieleri Haran sp. nov., C. spinicornis Haran sp. nov., C. cederbergensis Haran sp. nov., C. homaroides Haran sp. nov., C. marshalli Haran sp. nov., C. endroedyi Haran sp. nov., C. oberlanderi Haran sp. nov., C. san Haran sp. nov., and C. luteipennis Haran sp. nov.) and of one new genus and species, Hadrocryptolarynx major Haran gen. et sp. nov., also from South Africa. A redescription of the genus Cryptolarynx is provided to incorporate the characters of the new species. The plant genus Oxalis (Oxalidaceae) is recorded as larval host for several species of Cryptolarynx and for Hadrocryptolarynx Haran gen. nov., as their larvae develop in the subterranean bulbs of members of the genus, and the egg, larva and pupa of C. variabilis are described. The characters of the Cryptolarynx larva confirm that Cryptolaryngini are an early-diverging group of Curculionidae, with a placement among taxa currently classified in the subfamily Brachycerinae sensu lato, and although their exact taxonomic position remains unresolved, some larval characters, and also pupal ones, suggest a close relationship between Cryptolaryngini and Stenopelmus Schoenherr. Potential use of species of Cryptolarynx in the biological control of weedy South African species of Oxalis is discussed.