Khoisan Meregalli & Borovec, 2025
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5646.1.1 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3699C7A0-AFCA-4F24-B676-F5F2E9C90B20 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/057E87A4-FFC5-FF56-FF6D-F89684074AEE |
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treatment provided by |
Plazi |
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scientific name |
Khoisan Meregalli & Borovec |
| status |
gen. nov. |
Khoisan Meregalli & Borovec , gen. n.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:278BA3B3-B1DF-45A6-8326-64F52C25F3EA
Figure 1 View FIGURE 1
Type species, by present designation: Khoisan triarthrus Meregalli & Borovec sp. nov. Gender: masculine.
Diagnosis. Small Cyclominae , less than 2.8 mm long; head bent downwards from longitudinal line of body ( Fig. 1g View FIGURE 1 ), rostrum narrow and long, in dorsal view with basal half densely scaled, scales forming lateral strip extended out of lateral margins before antennal insertion, apical half glabrous ( Fig 1h View FIGURE 1 ), in ventral view glabrous along entire length, excepting basal lateral strip of scales ( Fig. 1d View FIGURE 1 ); underside with a transverse row of spaced small setae ( Fig. 1o View FIGURE 1 ); antennae inserted at midlength or between midlength and anterior third of rostrum; rostrum in lateral view moderately curved, usually more curved at midlength ( Fig. 1l View FIGURE 1 ); scrobes very short, directed towards underside; funicle with 3–5 segments, club with basal segment longer than 2 apical segments combined ( Fig. 1f View FIGURE 1 ); pronotum and elytra tuberculate ( Fig. 1b View FIGURE 1 ); pronotum anteriorly prominent above head ( Fig. 1p View FIGURE 1 ); prosternum deeply excavate to receive rostrum in repose ( Fig. 1c View FIGURE 1 ); tibiae short, without distinct mucro, with a row of subapical spines and 2 spurs ( Fig. 1m View FIGURE 1 ); tarsi with small moniliform segments, segment 3 similar to 2, not lobed ( Fig. 1i View FIGURE 1 ); gonocoxites apically membranous, lacking styli, with fine sparsely scattered setae ( Fig. 1n View FIGURE 1 ); sternite VIII of female with umbrella-shaped plate, translucent, with sclerotized strip along apical margin ( Fig. 1j View FIGURE 1 ). Body incrusted, possibly covered by exudate to which soil particles adhere ( Fig. 1a View FIGURE 1 ).
Description. Body length 1.7–2.75 mm. Body integument pale to dark brownish or blackish, antennae black or funicles with club reddish or yellowish brown; tarsi pale reddish, brown or black. Vestiture consisting of scales of various shape, appressed to integument or suberect or erect, white, yellow, ochreous, brown or black, spatulate, or longitudinally concave, C-shaped in section, often with deep indentation, longer scales often long pedunculate, present on dorsal and ventral part of body, protruding outwards on sides of rostrum, usually reciprocally isolated and not touching one another on unsculptured parts of integument, seldom partially imbricate, thickened or very compact on rostrum, tubercles and humps, apex of elytral tubercles in some species with a tuft of fan-shaped scales; apical and ventral part of rostrum, ventral head capsule, antennal funicles and clubs and tarsi lacking scales; scapes with inconspicuous small appressed scales on anterior side ( Figs. 1t –w View FIGURE 1 ). Dorsal and ventral part of body and legs with sparse narrow long erect setae, mostly inserted on top of tubercles or granules on tibiae, usually dark-coloured; apical glabrous part of rostrum with sparse, short, semi-erect hair-like setae, dorsally, laterally as well as ventrally prominent; antennae and legs with sparse, unevenly scattered, short, hair-like semi-erect setae. Entire body usually incrusted with soil, obscuring scales and details of sculpture ( Fig. 1a View FIGURE 1 ). Integument sculpture when cleaned from soil rugose or smooth, pronotum and elytra with large raised tubercles ( Fig. 1b View FIGURE 1 ). Rostrum long, narrow, almost circular in cross section, almost of same width from base to apex if basal strip of scales protruding outside of lateral margin is excluded from measurement, in males 2.4–3× as long as wide, in female 2.7–3.2× as long as wide (width at base measured including lateral strip of scales); in dorsal view widest at base, here, including external strip of scales, 1.3–1.8× as wide as at apex, in basal half often slightly tapered apicad, with straight or slightly curved sides; rostrum in apical half narrower, usually feebly enlarged apicad, with slightly concave sides, beyond antennal insertions glabrous, unpunctate, smooth to finely shagreened; in middle in some species at place of antennal insertions with slightly curved sides, before and behind slightly constricted. Rostrum in ventral view subparallel-sided along entire length, glabrous, smooth, with raised keel from antennal insertions to underside of head, in basal half distinctly laterally framed by protruding scales; in lateral view in males 0.8–1.1×, in females 1–1.3× as long as pronotum, slightly curved, widest at base, in basal half slightly evenly tapered apicad, in apical half subparallel-sided or tapered. Rostrum posteriorly not dorsally separated from head. Frons and epistome indistinct. Mandibles very small, lacking scales, without mandibular scars.Antennae inserted between middle and apical third; antennal insertions not visible in dorsal view, placed on side of rostrum ( Fig. 1h View FIGURE 1 ), scrobes very short, directed towards underside, in lateral view visible only shortly behind insertion ( Fig. 1l View FIGURE 1 ). Head round, short and broad, insertion curved downwards from longitudinal line of body, underside with transverse row of narrow setae below eyes and through entire underside from side to side, in lateral view flat or distinctly concave. Eyes small, in dorsal view almost flat, in lateral view placed in middle of head.
Antennae short; scapes in repose not reaching eyes, 3.7–6.4× as long as wide at apex, 1.5–2× as long as funicle, in short basal part slightly curved, then straight, slightly evenly enlarged apically, at apex 0.6–1× as wide as club. Funicles with 3, 4 or 5 segments, segment 1 longest. Antennal clubs oval to long spindle-shaped, basal segment at least half as long as club length, in species with 3-segmented funicles with incomplete rows of setae in places of previous sutures after fusion of terminal funicle segments.
Pronotum broadly subquadrate to subtrapezoidal, distinctly narrower than elytra, 0.90–1.20× as long as wide, widest before midlength, seldom at midlength, more or less tapered posteriorly with straight sides, distinctly constricted at about anterior third ( Fig. 1p View FIGURE 1 ). Disc indistinctly flatly granulate or sparsely punctate, with two–four tubercles on dorsum, two at middle and two near base, sides with tubercle before anterior constriction, often another tubercle behind, towards base, and smaller one in lower part, in intermediate position between others; anterior margin in dorsal view swollen, anteriorly hood-shaped, extended above head, in some species with two–four small tubercles prominent anteriorly; base straight to slightly arched, in lateral view with well-developed postocular lobe, lacking vibrissae in dorsal portion. Procoxal cavities contiguous, round; procoxae subglobular, placed at base of prosternum, very distant from anterior margin; anterior margin ventrally deeply arched. Prosternum deeply excavate to receive rostrum in repose. Scutellar shield indistinct.
Elytra shortly oval, 1.0–1.2× as long as wide, 10-striate, integument smooth or slightly rough, striae very small, or with round deeply impressed punctures, as wide as or wider than width of interstriae, usually curved around tubercles; interstriae 2 with tubercle at beginning of declivity, interstriae 3 with two–three tubercles, often with one at base, and in some species with small apical tubercle, interstriae 5 with two-three tubercles, interstriae 7 usually with four, equally spaced prominent tubercles; shoulders obliquely subtruncate posteriorly ( Figs 1b,g View FIGURE 1 ). Apices of elytra visible in dorsal view. Metathoracic wings absent. Mesocoxal cavities circular, narrowly separate, mesoventral process narrow. Metacoxae slightly transverse, laterally not reaching elytral margins, separated by about their width ( Fig. 1c View FIGURE 1 ). Legs short and robust. Femora unarmed, inflated at middle. Tibiae short and robust, straight, with straight internal side, occasionally external side expanded outwards near apex, with granule, apices not expanded mesally or laterally, broadly transversely truncate, with several sparse, short, unobtrusive black bristles or few dark subapical spines and two tiny spurs; mucro indistinct; protibiae 2.3–3.5× as long as wide at apex. Tarsi with first three segments bead-shaped, subequal in length and width, segment 3 not bilobed, onychium longer than segments 2 + 3 together, evenly enlarged apically, at apex slightly wider than others; in some species protarsi shorter than meso- and metatarsi. Claws free, moderately long, distinctly divergent ( Fig. 1i View FIGURE 1 ).
Ventrites 1.1–1.3× as long as wide, smooth, ventrite 1 at midwidth 1.5× as long as 2 and about as long as ventrites 3 and 4 combined, ventrite 5 in males shorter, subtrapezoidal, in females longer, apically rounded. Suture between ventrites 1 and 2 straight or slightly sinuate at middle, fine, other sutures straight, rough. Metaventral process obtuse, about as wide as transverse diameter of metacoxa ( Fig. 1k View FIGURE 1 ).
Male terminalia. Penis moderately short, slightly shorter than or as long as temones, differing in shape between species; endophallus with sclerites short or small, stick-shaped or rounded ( Fig. 1q View FIGURE 1 ). Tegmen with manubrium about twice as long as diameter of slender ring, lacking parameres ( Fig. 1r View FIGURE 1 ). Sternite IX slightly curved, anteriorly enlarged to small, wide, rounded plate; basal arms fused posteriorly ( Fig. 1e View FIGURE 1 ).
Female terminalia. Gonocoxites simple, inconspicuous, weakly sclerotized, slender, elongate, slightly curved outside, evenly tapered apically; short apical portion membranous, narrowly rounded, lacking styli, with short and fine, sparsely scattered setae ( Fig. 1n View FIGURE 1 ). Sternite VIII with moderately long and slender apodeme, Y-shaped, terminating in apical portion of plate; plate umbrella-shaped, in middle portion membranous, translucent, about one quarter of apodeme length; apical margin in short median part interrupted, slender, bearing sparse short setae, with more sclerotized strip along entire length, gradually narrowed, exceptionally connected at middle or connected with Y- shaped termination of apodeme; basal margin membranous ( Fig. 1n View FIGURE 1 ). Spermatheca with regularly curved, slender tapered cornu, rounded corpus, very short, indistinct ramus and short, tube-shaped collum ( Fig. 1s View FIGURE 1 ).
Sexual dimorphism. The rostrum in some species is longer and thinner in females than in males. Ventrite 5 is longer and apically rounded in females, shorter and subtrapezoidal in males. In one species the apical half of the rostrum is reddish-brown in males and darker in females; in one species females have more prominent elytral tubercles, particularly the humeral one, so that the elytra are broader at the base and subtriangular, with the sides sublinearly narrowed apicad, whereas males have shorter tubercles and more regularly oval elytra.
Individual variation. Intraspecific variation mainly concerns size, height of the tubercles and density and colour of the scales. In one species, K. triarthrus sp. nov., the variation in the elytral sculpture and shape and in the form of the scales is conspicuous.
Derivation of the name. The genus name is derived from the indigenous people of southern Africa, living between the Cape region and Namibia, the same region where the new genus occurs. The name Khoisan , or Khoe- Sān, is a catch-all term for those people that do not speak one of the Bantu languages, combining the Khoekhoen (formerly “Hottentots”) and the Sān (formerly “Bushman”) ( Wikipedia 2025).
Distribution. South Africa, native to the Northern and Western Cape, southern and eastern part of the Eastern Cape, near the border with the Free State, where it may be present ( Figures 8 View FIGURE 8 , 18 View FIGURE 18 ).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.