Chortastus camerunus Schaufuss, 1905

Jordal, Bjarte H., 2025, Taxonomic revision of the rare Afrotropical genus Chortastus Schaufuss (Coleoptera: Scolytinae), Zootaxa 5647 (1), pp. 77-84 : 78

Chortastus camerunus Schaufuss, 1905

( Figs 1–4 )

Chortastus camerunus Schaufuss, 1905: 15 .

Type material. Lost during second world war [Hamburg] .

Other material. [ Democratic Republic of the Congo], Stanleyville [Kisangani], Yangambi, 1.IX.1956, J. Decelle, leg. [ MRCA]; Yangambi, 17.VII.1952 K. E. Schedl, leg. [ NHMW]; Ngowa-Kwango, 15.XII.1938, R. P. J. Mertens leg. [ RBINS]. Congo-Brazzaville [Republic of Congo], Sibiti, in lamplight, leg. Endrödy-Younga, 28.11.1963 [ NHMW], new country.

Diagnosis. Body length 5.1–5.3 mm, 2.1 × as long as wide; colour black. Male frons concave on lower half, with one tubercle on each side near upper eye margin, female with frons less impressed, lateral tubercles weakly developed and fine erect short setae over entire frons; elytra near glabrous, with very fine short setae; interstriae slightly elevated from disc to apex, interstriae 3 more strongly raised from posterior disc to apex having a distinct higher tubercle in the middle of declivity.

Distribution: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of Congo, Gabon.

Host plant: Staudtia stipitata ( Myristicaceae ).

Remarks. This species is easily recognized by its large size and tubercles on the declivity, and by the tuberculate impressed male frons. Species status was verified by material identified by Eggers and Schedl and compared to the original description. A neotype is therefore not needed.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Dorsal, lateral, front and posterior view of Chortastus species. 1–3 Chortastus camerunus male, and 4, female. 5–8, Chortastus orientalis female paratype.