Epibrithus boroveci Haran & Hansen, 2025

Epibrithus boroveci Haran & Hansen sp. nov.

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Figs 3 View Fig , 4C–D View Fig , 5 View Fig

Diagnosis

Epibrithus boroveci sp. nov. appears to be somewhat intermediate morphologically between E. pustulatus and E. longicarinatus sp. nov. and can be distinguished from the latter two species by the median carina of ventrite 5 carrying a brush of setae and a penis that is longer than the temones ( Fig. 3C View Fig ). The median carina on ventrite 5 is relatively shorter, and the apical margin of this ventrite less strongly bilobed, than in male E. longicarinatus ( Figs 2E View Fig , 3E View Fig ).

Etymology

This species is named after our colleague and friend Roman Borovec, a weevil taxonomist who has contributed a huge body of knowledge on South African entimine weevils; and collected the paratypes for this species.

Material examined

Holotype

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA – Western Cape Province • ♂; “ REP. OF SOUTH AFRICA; WC. Piketberg ; 26 viii. 2023; S. Hansen coll.” “JHAR06376-01; -32.820 18.665 [32°49′12.0″ S, 18°39′54.0″ E]; Beating fynbos; SAMC ” “ HOLOTYPE; Epibrithus boroveci ; Hansen & Haran 2025”; SAMC. GoogleMaps

Paratypes

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA – Western Cape Province • 15 ♂♂, 4 ♀; Aurora Mts. , 32°41′638″ S, 18°32′350″ E; 715 m a.s.l.; 10 Nov. 2016; R. Borovec coll.; beating trees at night and morning; CBGP ( 1 ♂, 1 ♀); GoogleMaps CMNC ( 1 ♂); NHMUK ( 1 ♂); RB ( 9 ♂♂, 2 ♀); SAMC ( 1 ♂, 1 ♀); SANC ( 1 ♂); TMSA ( 1 ♂) .

Description ( ♂ ♀)

BODY LENGTH. 7.7 mm.

COLOUR AND VESTITURE. Body integument dark red to black; elytral vestiture forming a dense cover of small, round to elliptical (slightly longer than wide) appressed light grey scales; callosities on elytra with tufts of suberect elongate scales, generally darker than surrounding vestiture, base of interstriae 1, prothorax, and head of some specimens, with scale cover less dense, revealing integument.

HEAD. Rostrum longer than wide (w/l ratio: ♂ 0.9), in dorsal view sides wider at antennal insertions than at the base ( ♂ 1.25 ×); frons with scattered scales in basal part; epistome bearing no or 1 pair of setae; forehead with indistinct to distinct median fovea between eyes, distance between dorsal anterior margin of eyes dorsally> width of eye; eyes moderately conveX. Scape 0.77 × as long as funicle, nearly straight; funicle with segments 1–2 elongate, longer than wide (w/l ratio 1: ♂ 0.39; w/d ratio 2: ♂ 0.46) longer ( ♂ 1.22 ×) than 2, segments 3–7 longer than wide (w/l ratio 3: ♂ 0.72) subequal in length, or segment 3 and 7 being slightly longer than 4–6, conical; club spindle-shaped, segment 1 longer than 2, margins slightly sinuous.

PROTHORAX. Slightly wider than long (w/l ratio: ♂ 1.21) in dorsal view, apical margin 0.85 × as wide as at base, sides moderately convex, in lateral view highest point just before middle of length; tubercles have sparse to contiguous scales at base and are largely bare at the apex, revealing integument; median line with a groove not reaching base and apex of pronotum.

ELYTRA. Widest anterior to middle of length (w/l ratio: ♂ 0.63), apeX ovately rounded ( ♂), broadly rounded ( ♀); humeral angles located at 0.12 of elytral length; in lateral view, dorsal line conveX, reaches highest point just beyond middle of length to about apical ⅓ beyond the start of the declivity.

LEGS. Tibiae nearly straight, internal margin of some legs with row of 1–3 black, semi erect spines; apical mucro concealed in a tuft of elongate curved golden-brown setae, distinctly longer and black on metatibiae in male.

ABDOMEN. Ventrites with pearly white rounded to elongate scales, contiguous but not concealing the integument; ventrite 1 intercoXal process 1.37 × metacoXal width ( ♂), in some male specimens bearing a weak median carina visible through scales in apical ½, apical edge bilobate ( ♂) or straight ( ♀) in middle; in male ventrites 2+3 +4 apical edges almost straight to slightly bilobate in middle; ventrite 5 0.77 × as long as 2+3 +4 ( ♂); ventrite 5 wide (ratio w/l: ♂ 1.62) with a shallow cavity in apical ½ of length, bearing a short median carina approXimately ¼ to ½ of length of cavity with a brush of erect grey setae, margin strongly bilobate, vestiture of male ventrite 5 with a bare patch revealing integument either side of the median carina in apical ⅓ of cavity, apeX with brushes of black setae ( Fig. 3E View Fig ).

MALE TERMINALIA. Body of penis long ( 2.44 mm), elongate (w/l ratio: 0.27), widest at base, sides of middle ⅓ slightly concave in dorsal view, converging regularly apicad from apical ⅓ of length, in lateral view downwards curvature strongest just before middle and again at apex, apex with strong downwards curvature, temones 0.91 × as long as body of penis ( Fig. 3C View Fig ). Copulatory sclerite with left arm refleXed outward, curving slightly downward apicad in dorsal view, setae at base approximately ¾ as long as arm, right and left area of body of approXimately equal width ( Fig. 3D View Fig ). Parameres diverging weakly apically; spiculum gastrale posteriorly curved strongly dorsally.

Life history

Collected from fynbos shrub during daytime in August, and from trees during night and morning in November.

Distribution

Mountains around Piketberg and Aurora ( Fig. 4D View Fig ).

Remarks

In the two populations examined, the depth of the median fovea on forehead, the presence or absence of a median carina on ventrite 1 of males, the proportional length of the cavity and apical median carina of ventrite 5 of males, and proportional length vs width of elytra differ. These differences between populations may represent cryptic speciation. Morphological ratio measurements are based on the holotype.

Other species

Material examined

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA – Western Cape Province • 1 ♂; Lemoens Hoek, Heidelberg, C.P.; Nov 1927; K.H. Barnard coll.; Epibrithus sp. n. det. R. Oberprieler, 198*; SAM-COL-A051991 ; SAMC .

This specimen does not match with the genus description above, with fewer and more elongate elytral callosities; truly free claws, a raised dorsal process on pronotum and no elongate metatibial setae in male. The specimen was also collected considerably to the east of other known Epibrithus spp. in CFR. The specimen represents a different and possibly novel genus that can be placed in Oosomini (open corbels, trisetose mandibles, dorsally placed antennal scrobes, and lack of ocular lobes, vibrissae and a humeral callus).

Key to species of Epibrithus Marshall, 1955 View in CoL

1. Cavity of ventrite 5 of male covered in scales across its surface, with an indistinct median carina shorter than ¼ the length of cavity in apical margin; apical margin of ventrite 5 in males weakly bilobed ( Fig. 1E View Fig ). Penis short (< 2 mm), converging abruptly apicad at apical ⅓, with slightly downward curved apex in lateral view ( Fig. 1C View Fig ) ................................... Epibrithus pustulatus ( Marshall, 1955) View in CoL

– Cavity of ventrite 5 of male largely bare of scales in apically, with a distinct apical median carina eXtending ¼ to ½ the length of cavity; apical margin of male ventrite 5 strongly bilobed. Penis long (> 2 mm), converging regularly apicad, with strongly downward curved apex in lateral view ( Figs 2C View Fig , 3C View Fig ) ..................................................................................................................................................... 2

2. Apical median carina in cavity of ventrite 5 of male bears distinct brush of erect setae ( Fig. 3E View Fig ). Body of penis longer than temones. Distance between dorsal anterior margin of eye> width of eye ( ♂) ( Fig. 3C View Fig )...................................................................... Epibrithus boroveci Haran & Hansen sp. nov.

– Apical median carina in cavity of ventrite 5 of male lacks distinct brush of erect setae ( Fig. 2E View Fig ). Body of penis shorter than temones ( Fig. 2C View Fig ). Distance between dorsal anterior margin of eye <width of eye ( ♂) .............................................................. Epibrithus longicarinatus Haran & Hansen sp. nov.

Genetic analysis

Interspecific variation in the 658 region of the COI gene supports morphological species divisions. Uncorrected p- distances of genetic variation in this region are 7.4% and 13.2% between E. pustulatus and E. longicarinatus sp. nov. and E. boroveci sp. nov. respectively, and 14.4% between E. longicarinatus and E. boroveci . The preliminary maximum likelihood tree of the COI region suggests that E. boroveci is a sister clade to E. pustulatus and E. longicarinatus ( Fig. 5 View Fig ). This pattern possibly refers to the isolation of the Piketberg mountain range from the Cederberg range ( Fig. 4C–D View Fig ).