Afrocosmoderes grobleri (Schedl)

Figures 24, 66, 67, 69, 70, 72, 73

Miocryphalus grobleri Schedl, 1961: 349.

Afrocosmoderes grobleri (Schedl, 1961), combination by Johnson et al. (2020).

Hypocryphalus caplandicus Schedl, 1965: 115, syn. nov.

Material examined. Paratype male: SOUTH AFRICA, Cape Prov., Grootvadersbosch, 13.XII.1956, J. H. Grobler [NHMW]. Paratype of Hypocryphalus caplandicus: SOUTH AFRICA, Cape Prov., Grootvadersbosch, 15.I.1957, J. H. Grobler [NHMW].

New records: SOUTH AFRICA; Knysna, Gouna/Grootdrai [−33.946, 23.054], ex Virgilia oroboides trunk, 6.XI.2006, B. Jordal leg.; same data except Millwood Road [−33.889, 22.997], 7.XI.2006 [ZMUB].

Diagnosis. Antennal funiculus 5-segmented; elytral interstriae with rather long bristle-like setae, ground vestiture mainly hair-like.

Redescription, male. Length 1.5 to 1.8mm, 2.0 to 2.1×as long as wide, color brown. Frons slightly impressed longitudinally on median third; eyes deeply emarginated; antennal funiculus 5-segmented. Pronotum with coarse asperities and hair-like setae on its anterior half. Elytral striae not impressed; vestiture consisting of narrow interstrial bristles increasing in length towards declivity, intermixed with coarse elongated scale-like ground vestiture. Metanepisternum with long, fine setae, on ventrites with fine irregular bristles and finer setae intermixed. Protibiae with 7 lateral denticles on apical two-thirds, metatibiae with 6 lateral denticles on apical third. Proventriculus with apical plate large, divided by a tuberculate medial suture, surface otherwise entirely smooth. Male genitalia with apodemes shorter than penis body, basal sclerites forming a slightly twisted loop, penis apically broadly rounded; spicule a simple curved rod.

Female similar to male except for the last abdominal ventrite.

Distribution and biology. South Africa. Collected several times from Virgilia oroboides (Fabaceae), in the Knysna area in the Western Cape province. Pairs of male and female were found only at the early stage of egg laying (n = 2), whereas females were always alone when larvae had developed (N = 20). Two well-developed broods contained 11 and 13 larvae. This species makes cave-like or elongated tunnel-like caves under relatively thick bark, where eggs are laid in scattered clutches. The larvae will extend the cave and finally make their own feeding tunnels away from the cave.

Comments. The species Hypocryphalus caplandicus is identical to Miocryphalus grobleri. These two species were collected in the same habitat by Grobler, and Schedl probably overlooked the fact that he had already published some specimens as M. grobleri as there are no particularly notable differences between the two.