Nothocyphon longiphallus, Zwick, Peter, 2015

Zwick, Peter, 2015, Australian Marsh Beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae). 7. Genus Nothocyphon, new genus, Zootaxa 3981 (3), pp. 301-359 : 353-354

Nothocyphon longiphallus , n. sp.

(Figs. 149–155)

Type material: 1♂ holotype: “Lam.[ington] Nat. Pk., QLD. 28 Jan–3 Feb., 1963 G. Monteith” ( QMSB, UQIC Reg. #88655).

Habitus. BL 2.6mm, BL/BW ~1.5. Broadly oval, flat. Dark brown, legs a little lighter. Structure as described for the genus. Both mandibles with a tooth, the one on the right side larger. Terminal segment of maxillary palpus missing. Flagellomeres barely twice as long as wide, widened towards apex, segments 10 and 11 missing.

Male. Segments 8 and 9 as for the genus, except S9 small, with two rounded pilose lobes. Basal portion narrow, with unpaired small apodeme (Figs. 149–152). Penis and tegmen thin and unusually long, curving ventrad. Penis with narrow elongate scoop-shaped pala (Fig. 154; very base missing). It supports an extremely short trigonium resembling an open mussel (Fig. 155), and rod-shaped, gently curved parameroids which are several times longer than the pala. Tegmen consisting of two long blade-like sclerites (Fig. 153). Base damaged, some connection between them may be missing. At about 1/3 of total length, each sclerite is on its medial face armed with a flat curved toothed appendage. Parameres with fine sensory pores, especially near the end.

Female. Unknown.

Note. The type is in poor shape. It had been pinned with a minuten pin and was slightly mildewed; it fell to pieces during study. The fragments are mounted on a card and 2 plastic slides on the same pin. Nothocyphon brevihamatus from the New England area in New South Wales has similarly long parameroids but in view of marked differences in other parts it is doubtful if it can be regarded as a close relative of N. longiphallus .

Etymology. The name describes the extraordinary length of the phallic complex.

FIGURES 149–155. Nothocyphon longiphallus , male. 149, T8; 150, S8; 151, T9; 152, S9; 153, tegmen and parameres; 154, penis; 155, detail of the trigonium. All to the same scale, except 155.