Afrosmicronyx armipes (Voss, 1962) comb. n.

Figs 2H, 3H, 5H, 6H

Smicronyx armipes Voss, 1962: 352

Material examined. Holotype ♂: [Democratic Republic of Congo] ‘ Holotypus [Red label]’ ‘ Congo belge: P.N.U. Grde Kafwe al. dr. Lufwa (1.780 m) affi. Dr. Lufira. 5. iii.1948. Mis. G.F. de Witte. 1373a’ ‘ E. Voss det., 1954 Smicronyx armipes n. sp. ’ (RMCA). Other material. Democratic Republic of Congo, Upemba Natural Park, 1948–1949, de Witte leg. (1 specimen (sex not determined), MNCN).

Redescription. (♂) Body length 3.1 mm. Colour. Body integument brownish black; vestiture consisting of rounded recumbent scales, isodiametric or slightly elliptical, brown with shades of grayish on elytra. Head. Rostrum slightly shorter than head plus prothorax, moderately and regularly downcurved, densely covered by scales, striate and punctuate in basal two thirds, glabrous and punctate in apical third, transversal furrow at base of rostrum shiny and superficial, head short; antennae reddish, club darker, segments 1 and 2 elongate, longer than 3, segment 1 longer than 2. Prothorax. Slightly wider than long, widest behind middle, almost twice as narrower at apex as at base sides, moderately rounded; integument densely and coarsely punctuate; scales brownish grayish, vestiture with a mix of broadly ovate scales and arcuate setiform scales. Elytra. Sides moderately convex, rounded, widest near middle (ratio w/l: 0.67), base as wide as pronotum in its largest width, humeri raised; striae narrow, interstriae flat wide and shiny, apex of interstria 5 with moderate declivital callosity; scutellum small but visible squamose. Abdomen. Underside covered with pale grayish scales, ventrites 1 and 2 elongate, 1 as long as 2+3 and as 3–5. Legs. Dark brownish, femora clavate, armed with one ventral tooth; protibiae bisinuate, armed with one large blunt ventral tooth near middle, meso- and fore-tibiae slightly bisinuate, thickened in middle. Genitalia. Penis twice as long as wide (ratio w/l: 0.5), sides sub-parallel in basal half, converging in apical half, apex rounded, almost regular curvature in lateral view, slightly greater near middle (Fig. 6H). Female not known.

Life history. Unknown. The holotype have been collected in March.

Distribution. Democratic Republic of Congo.

Discussion. The pronotum, which is almost as wide at the base as the base of the elytra, renders this species very distinct. The very large tooth on the protibiae is also a specific of this species. The paratype designated by Voss is different from A. armipes, as noted by Anderson & Cox (1997). It is a female of A. umbrinus and has been labelled accordingly.