Endaeus staminicola Haran 2026, sp. nov.

Endaeus staminicola Haran sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 4BAA0393-917C-4074-BFCA-42D3210B5A28 Figs 3–4 Differential diagnosis Endaeus staminicola Haran sp. nov. can be distinguished from other Afrotropical Endaeus by its uniformly dark brown integument, its comparatively short rostrum, as long as prothorax in lateral view and its comparatively narrow prothorax (W:L ratio: 1.33) with the basal margin only a little wider (1.2 ×) than the apical margin. It is very close to E. vicinus Marshall, 1958 from Angola, but differs by the sides of elytra only moderately convex and the length of rostrum (shorter than prothorax in lateral view in E. vicinus). The body of penis is diagnostic between these species, in E. vicinus it is shorter (W:L ratio: 0.37) and the pointed apex is truncated. It is also related to Endaeus carinifrons Marshall, 1933 but the later species is distinctly longer (4.8 mm) and exhibits contrasting transverse pale brown shadings on elytra. The COI p- distance with the latter species ranges from 16.6 to 17.6%. Etymology This species is named in reference to its association with the phalanges of its host, structures resulting from transformed stamens. It is a combination of the Latin term for stamens (‘ stamina ’) and the suffix for inhabiting (‘ colo ’). Type material Holotype GABON • ♂; “GABON, Parc Nat. des / Monts de Cristal / 10.xi.2023; L. Benoit coll. / JHAR07054- 01; 0.412 10.259 [0°24′43.2″ N, 10°15′32.4″ E] / Allanblackia floribunda; Collection-Cirad / Holotype; Endaeus staminicola; Haran 2026”; CBGP, JHAR07054-01. Paratypes GABON • 1 ♂; Parc National des Monts de Cristal; 0°24′43.2″ N, 10°15′32.4″ E; 10 Nov. 2023; L. Benoit leg.; emerging from fallen flowers of Allanblackia floribunda Oliv. (Clusiaceae); HNG, JHAR0754-02 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; NHMUK, JHAR0754-03 • 6 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; CBGP, JHAR0754-04 to JHAR0754-09 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; CBGP, JHAR0754- 10 • 3 ♂♂, preserved in ethanol; same data as for preceding; CBGP, JHAR0754-11 to JHAR0754-13 • 3 specs, preserved in ethanol, sex undetermined; same data as for preceding; TUA, JHAR0754-14 to JHAR0754-16 • 10 larvae, sex undetermined, preserved in ethanol; same data as for preceding; CBGP, JHAR0754-17 to JHAR0754-26. Description Male BODY LENGTH. 2.8–3.1 mm. COLOUR. Body integument dark brown to reddish brown; vestiture of elytra made of recumbent yellowish setae, truncated at apex, as long as ⅔ of interstriae width, generally aligned in one row on even interstriae and two rows on odd interstriae, and of narrower, shorter and recumbent setae, not aligned on interstriae, forming dense and homogeneous background cover; vestiture not concealing integument. HEAD. Rostrum as long as prothorax in lateral view (1.10 ×), moderately downcurved; underside straight in apical ¾; in dorsal view with 5 longitudinal carinae only visible in basal ½, covered with recumbent setae in basal ½, apical ½ almost glabrous, with few scattered setae; antennae inserted at apical ⅓ of length of rostrum; head capsule with minute punctures, covered with recumbent setae oriented toward interocular fovea; eyes slightly convex, moderately exceeding lateral curve of head capsule in dorsal view; antennal funicle with segment 1 slightly longer than wide, slightly longer than 2, 3 isodiametric, 4–6 wider than long, 6 distinctly separated from club, ½ as wide as club width, bearing ring of erect setae reaching middle of length or apex of segment 1 of club; scape as long as funicle + segment 1 of club, widening at apical ⅓ of length. PROTHORAX. Wider than long (W:L ratio: 1.33), widest near middle of length, sides rounded, apical margin 0.8 × as wide as basal margin; integument dull, space between punctures 2–3 × as large as diameter of punctures, finely reticulate; setae as long as space between punctures, oriented toward middle of median line. ELYTRA. Sides slightly convex, widest near middle of length (W:L ratio: 0.83–0.78); humeri raised; elytra jointly rounded at apex; interstriae striae 2–3 × as wide as striae, slightly convex, 5–6 moderately but distinctly raised at apex; interstriae 10 with a widening from base to level of metacoxae, middle of widening as wide as interstriae 9 at same level; scutellar shield rounded, isodiametric, almost concealed by setae. ABDOMEN. Underside covered with recumbent and contiguous whitish setae. LEGS. Profemora thickened in middle of length, bearing acute tooth and 6–8 erect setae located at distance from apex of tooth and apex of femora equal to length of seta; protibiae downcurved in basal ½, external margin straight in apical ½, internal margin bisinuate, carinate, apex with mucro similar in size to claws; meso-tibiae armed with mucro, on meta-tibiae mucro reduced to small spine; tarsal claws appendiculate, only with smooth internal thickening on metatarsi. TERMINALIA. Body of penis elongate (W:L ratio: 0.26), about 2 × as long as apodemes, widest near base, narrowing from base to apical ⅓ of length, sides subparallel or slightly convex in apical ⅓, apex acuminate, bearing erect setae laterally; in lateral view curvature moderate, regular; internal sclerite 0.5 × as long as body of penis, forming asymmetrical bifid fork (Fig. 3C). Female Females can be distinguished from males by their rostrum which is longer than the prothorax in lateral view, with the underside distinctly downcurved. Life history The larvae of Endaeus staminicola Haran sp. nov. mine the phalanges, the flower receptacle and the pedicel of male flowers of Allanblackia floribunda Oliv. (Clusiaceae; Fig. 4A–C, 4E). Eggs are laid in shallow oviposition holes made by females on these structures and larval development takes place in feeding galleries (Fig. 4C). Several larvae can coexist in one phalange and in the receptacle, and a single male flower can host up to 10–15 individuals of this species. The larval development is mostly saprophagous, as it continues on the leaf litter in the declining abscised flowers (Fig. 4B–D). Pupation takes place in the host’s tissues, in the galleries formed by the larva (Fig. 4E). Adults emerge about two weeks after pupation. Large populations of adults were found during the day on post-anthesis flowers fallen to the ground, up to six individuals were collected on a single flower, but most flowers contained only one individual when sampled (from 10 am to 3 pm). It should be noted that at time of collecting, the flowering season of A. floribunda was ending, which may have caused specimens to concentrate on the last available flowers. This species was not collected by the UV light traps set up in the vicinity of the population recorded. At the sampling site, Endaeus staminicola was found on fallen flowers with Endaeus carinifrons, a species developing in seeds of Allanblackia sp. and Pentadesma sp. (Marshall 1933, Clusiaceae). Distribution This species is only known for the type locality in north-west Gabon (Estuaire Province). The host A. floribunda is distributed from Benin to the Democratic Republic of Congo (WFO 2024). Remarks The population used to describe this species shows an unusual degree of morphological variation for the intraspecific level in Endaeus. Several specimens exhibit more downcurved protibiae (Fig. 3D–E), more or less downcurved rostrum and great variation of the ratio of elytra (W:L ratio: 0.78–0.83). Uncorrected COI p- distance ranged up to 2.2% in this species (four specimens sequenced). However, this divergence is not associated with stable morphological features and all male specimens dissected have the same penis morphology. These divergences possibly reflect a process of recent reconnection of formerly isolated populations, as has been reported in other weevil lineages in Central Africa (Haran et al. 2021).