Nothocyphon horridus, Zwick, Peter, 2015

Zwick, Peter, 2015, Australian Marsh Beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae). 7. Genus Nothocyphon, new genus, Zootaxa 3981 (3), pp. 301-359 : 353

Nothocyphon horridus , n. sp.

( Figs. 143–148 )

Type material: 1♂, holotype, 3♂, paratypes: 37.43S 145.41E VIC Mt Donna Buang 1200m N of Warburton 811 26.Jan–11.Feb. 1987 A.Newton & M.Thayer \ wet scler. Noth. cunn. FMHD #87 216 flight intercept (window) trap ( ANIC).

Habitus. Oval, BL 2.5–2.6mm, BL/BW 1.6. Brown, head and centre of pronotum dark brown, margins diffusely reddish. Elytra with narrow dark brown sutural seam from the scutellum to near elytron midlength where the band curves outward and forms an anteriorly open semicircle ending at the elytral margin. The granular punctures on the forebody are fine, dense on the head, widely spaced on the pronotum. The dense normal punctures on the elytra are larger but comparatively fine. The semi-erect pilosity is light brown. The short antenna reaches the basal fifth to sixth of the elytron. The base is unmodified, the distal segments are about twice as long as wide.

Male. Middle of last sternite projecting a little, contour angular. Segments 8 and 9 as for the genus ( Figs. 143– 146 ), except the Y-shaped S8 unusually large. Base of S9 not visible. Tegmen and parameres ( Fig. 147 ) exceptionally strongly sclerotized, of unusual shape. Two separate basally slightly scooped curved sclerites converge, meet, and then widen and diverge again. The short apical portion of each bears 3 massive teeth between which rise fine hair-like structures. At the narrow meeting point each paramere has a medial extension connected to its counterpart by a membrane with some anteriorly directed paramedian spine-like sclerite. At this point they seem to be connected to membranes around the penis, details are unknown.

Penis ( Fig. 148 ) long, slender, with parallel sides. The front of the pala is anteriorly shallowly excised and almost twice as wide as the caudal portion. The parameroids and the trigonium originate in the distal third. The trigonium is strongly sclerotized, from a transverse bracket-like base originates a long slender gently downcurved tip. The narrow apically slightly spatulate parameroids are straight and longer than the trigonium.

Female. Unknown.

Note. The species was taken together with N. donnabuangi and N. imitator whom it resembles in the brown elytral band. It differs by the very fine widely spaced pronotal granula, and of course by the exceptional genitalia.

Etymology. Latin horridus , awful, an allusion to the powerful claw-shaped parameres.

Figures

FIGURES 137 – 148. Nothocyphon spp., males. N. esau: 137 − 139, T 8, S 8, T 9 (from top), 140, penis and right half of paramere in ventral view, superimposed (holotype); 141, 142, trigonium of the two paratypes. — N. horridus: 143, T 8; 143, S 8; 145, T 9; 146, 147, the parameres; 148, penis. 137 − 139, 140 − 142, 143 − 146 and 147, 148 to the same scales, respectively. Abbreviations: pd, parameroid; pe, paramere; pel, lobe of paramere.