Ebenacobius turneri Haran & Benoit & Procheş & Kergoat 2022, gen. et comb. nov.

Ebenacobius turneri (Marshall, 1935) gen. et comb. nov.

Figs 3H, 5F, 6Q

Derelomus turneri Marshall, 1935: 139.

Differential diagnosis

Ebenacobius turneri gen. et comb. nov. can be distinguished by the combination of appendiculate claws and elytra with distinct but recumbent setae, as long as or shorter than width of interstriae. This species is very close if not conspecific with E. atratus gen. et comb. nov. (see remarks section). The two species have been distinguished based on vestiture of elytra (Guillermo Kuschel unpubl. data), the interstriae bearing a row of long, erect piliform setae (short, not or slightly raised squamiform setae in E. atratus).

Type material

Lectotype (here designated) REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • ♂; “ Aliwal North,; Cape Province [REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, Eastern Cape Province]; Dec. 1922.” “S. Africa; R.E. Turner. Brit. Mus; 1923-45” “ Derelomus; turneri, Mshl; Cotype ♂” “Lectotype; Ebenacobius; turneri; (Marshall, 1935); Haran des. 2022”; NHMUK.

Other material examined

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA – KwaZulu-Natal Province • 1 ♂; R617, 25 km east of Bulwer; 5 Oct. 1986; W. Wittmer leg.; SANC • 1 ♂; Quachas Neck; 30°09′36.0″ S, 28°40′48.0″ E; 30 Dec. 2018; J. Haran leg.; on inflorescences of Searsia sp. (Anacardiaceae); JHAR02026; CBGP. – Northern Cape Province • 1 ♂; Pniel, 5 km south of Barkly West; 28°35′ S, 24°32′ E; 13–15 Dec. 1984; R. Oberprieler leg.; SANC. – Limpopo Province • 1 ♀; D’Nyala Nature Reserve Ellisras District; 23°45′ S, 27°49′ E; 10–14 Nov. 1986; B. Grobbelaar leg.; SANC. – Mpumalanga Province • 1 ♀; Vaalkop near Morgenzon; 26°51′ S, 29°40′ E; 21 Sep. 1985; R. Oberprieler leg.; beating Diospyros lycioides (Ebenaceae); SANC. – Western Cape Province • 1 ♂; North Uniondale, North Side Kammanasieberge; 33°32.348′ S, 22°58.613′ E; 22 Oct. 2019; R. Borovec leg.; FFWS. – Gauteng Province • 1 ♀; Pretoria, hill inside of town; 25°41.507′ S, 28°12.534′ E; 3 Dec. 2017; R. Borovec leg.; general sweeping (grasslands) and beating of shrubs and trees; FFWS. – North-West Province • 3 ♂♂; West Sannieshof, Barberspan Dam; 26°32.611′ S, 25°35.735′ E; 29 Oct. 2018; R. Borovec leg.; FFWS • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; 4 km east of Vryburg; 26°57.603′ S, 24°46.583′ E; 29 Oct. 2018; R. Borovec leg.; FFWS.

Remarks

In the syntypic series of Derelomus turneri Marshall, 1935 housed at NHMUK, a male with a label referring to the type locality and bearing the label “ Derelomus turneri Mrsh. Cotype ♂ ” was identified. As the description does not refer to a specific holotype, this specimen is here designated as the lectotype for this species and labelled accordingly. Other specimens of the syntypic series were labelled as paralectotypes of Derelomus turneri. The name Derelomus turneri is most probably a junior synonym of D. atratus gen. et comb. nov. The lectotype and all the specimens of D. turneri examined correspond exactly to the description of D. atratus made by Hesse based on a single specimen. The only difference lies in the density of scale cover on the dorsum, but the examination of large series of specimens shows that this feature is quite variable at a locality, ranging from narrow and golden to wide and whitish. The actual synonymy could not be made in this study as the holotype of E. atratus is currently lost (see remarks section of that species).

Life history

The host plant of this species is unknown, it was recorded once on Diospyros lycioides Desf. from the family Ebenaceae. This species was collected in the same sampling event with E. grobbelaarae gen. et sp. nov. and E. rectirostris gen. et sp. nov. Adults were collected from September to December.

Distribution

Republic of South Africa (Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West & Western Cape Provinces).