An integrated taxonomic revision of Diplotrichus (Coleoptera, Scolytinae) supports a Malagasy origin and single colonisation of South Africa Author Jordal, Bjarte H. text Zootaxa 2021 2021-09-29 5047 2 101 122 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.5047.2.1 1175-5326 5540558 1B6FD2EB-A9BF-46C7-B2A3-5DC5FC78CBF7 Diplotrichus pilifrons Jordal , sp. nov. (Figs, 15, 18, 21, 22) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 7924E72C-BB15-4397-9D71-C4221276E7FC Type material. Holotype female: South Africa , West Cape , Tsitsikamma , Storms River [ GIS : -33.964 , 23.898 ], ex Trichocladus ellipticus 13 Nov. 2006 , B. Jordal , leg. Allotype male and paratypes : same data as holotype (9); South Africa , West Cape , Knysna , Goudeveld [ GIS : -33.913 , 23.948 ], ex Trichocladus ellipticus 13 Nov. 2006 , B. Jordal , leg. (7) . Holotype , allotype and five paratypes in SAMC , eight paratypes in ZMUB , two in NHMW . Diagnosis. Female frons lightly concave, entire surface covered by soft setae about half the length of setae on scapus, setae shorter in centre; antennal club with two distinct and angularly procurved sutures; elytral interstriae with regular row of erect spatulate setae separated in a row by the length of a seta or slightly less. Description, female. Length 1.4–1.8 mm , 2.6–2.8 × as long as wide; colour dark brown. Frons lightly concave, entire surface covered by soft setae about half the length of seta on scapus, shorter setae near middle. Eyes separated above by 2.5–2.8 × the width.Antennal scapus triangular with setae as long as antennal club; the club with two angularly procurved sutures. Pronotum with distinct summit, asperities on anterior half; vestiture mixed hairlike, mainly on posterior half, and scale-like, mainly on anterior half. Elytral interstriae with regular rows of erect and narrowly spatulate setae separated within rows by their length or slightly less, closer on declivity. Protibiae with three apical denticles. Etymology. Composed from the Latin noun pilus in plural, pili , meaning hairs, and the Latin noun frons , meaning forehead, referring to the setose frons in the females of this species. Distribution and biology. South Africa . Collected in the Cape region , in the forests of Tsitsikamma, Knysna and Wilderness. Specimens were dissected from dead branches of Trichocladus ellipticus (Hamamelidaceae) and Maytenus acuminata (Celastraceae) , ranging from 3 to 10 cm in diameter. Mostly male-female pairs were found, with a few cases of bigamous tunnel systems. In one branch with older broods the females were alone with larvae. Broods ranged from 10 to 20 larvae in a Maytenus branch (n=20), while ranging from 25 to 42 larvae in an unknown tree branch (n=12). Females make longitudinal egg tunnels, while larvae make transverse feeding tunnels. Remarks. Four of the South African Diplotrichus species are very similar to each other, the exception being D. widdringtoniae . Diplotrichus pilifrons is most similar to D. gracilis and is distinguished by the angular sutures in the antennal club, slightly shorter setae in the female frons, and by the slightly more spaced interstrial setae which are also has a more spatulate shape. Molecular data unambiguously separate these two species from each other and the other two South African species ( Fig. 7 ).