Revision of the enigmatic South African Cryptolaryngini (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), with description of a new genus and twenty-two new species

Julien M. Haran; Adriana E. Marvaldi; Laure Benoit; Kenneth Oberlander; Riaan Stals; Rolf G. Oberprieler

doi:10.5852/ejt.2023.877.2151

European Journal of Taxonomy (Jun 2023)

Revision of the enigmatic South African Cryptolaryngini (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), with description of a new genus and twenty-two new species

Julien M. Haran,
Adriana E. Marvaldi,
Laure Benoit,
Kenneth Oberlander,
Riaan Stals,
Rolf G. Oberprieler

Affiliations

Julien M. Haran: CBGP, CIRAD, Montpellier SupAgro, INRAe, IRD, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
Adriana E. Marvaldi: CONICET, División Entomología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Laure Benoit: CBGP, CIRAD, Montpellier SupAgro, INRAe, IRD, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
Kenneth Oberlander: H.G.W.J. Schweickerdt Herbarium, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Plant Sciences Complex, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0024, South Africa
Riaan Stals: South African National Collection of Insects, Agricultural Research Council, Private Bag X134, Queenswood 0121, South Africa
Rolf G. Oberprieler: CSIRO Australian National Insect Collection, G.P.O. Box 1700, Canberra, A.C.T. 2601, Australia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2023.877.2151
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 877, no. 1

Abstract

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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.

Published in European Journal of Taxonomy

ISSN: 2118-9773 (Online)
Publisher: Consortium of European Natural History Museums
Country of publisher: France
LCC subjects: Science: Zoology; Science: Botany
Website: http://www.europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt

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