Nothocyphon scutiger, Zwick, Peter, 2015

Zwick, Peter, 2015, Australian Marsh Beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae). 7. Genus Nothocyphon, new genus, Zootaxa 3981 (3), pp. 301-359 : 331

Nothocyphon scutiger , n. sp.

( Figs. 77−81 )

Type material: 1♂ holotype: 38.42S 143.34E VIC Bin Rd. 5.8km N of Cape Horn, Otway NP 450m 24 Jan.1987 A.Newton & M.Thayer \ wet sclerophyll forest, at UV light at night ( ANIC).

Habitus. Elongate oval, BL ~ 2.7mm, BL/BW ~1.7 (body broken between pronotum and elytra). Head brown, pronotum with transverse brown central mark, sides and front edge yellow, elytra and scutellum light brown. Punctures on elytra normal, rather fine, although larger than granular punctures on forebody. Pilosity semi-erect, light brown. Antennae slender, flagellar segments about twice as long as apically wide. Right mandible with small tooth, left one sinuous along medial edge.

Male ( Figs. 77−81 ). Segments 8 and 9 as for the genus, except pilosity of T8 unusually short and fine, barely longer and stronger than the microtrichia that cover much of the plate. Penis of unusual shape, the very long anteriorly wide pala narrows in almost straight line. The base of the parameroids is in dorsal view ( Fig. 79 ) concealed by a shield that is along its sides covered by fine backward-directed scales and spines and ends in two sinuous horns between which the tip of the trigonium is seen. The shield arises from the trigonium which in ventral view ( Fig. 80 ) is a small slender triangle. The parameroids diverge from the base but are bent mediad near midlength. Their terminal portion is sinuous and partly membranous. The tegminal complex ( Fig. 81 ) is very wide, the tegmen is a thin sclerite arch. Caudally, the long rod-like parameres take a hairpin bend, the apical portion with a series of moderate spines is turned back by 180°. Between the two parts of the paramere are remains of strong longitudinal muscles. On the outside of each paramere articulates near the base a slender sclerite with a small subterminal tooth.

Two sclerites resembling arched bands (arrow in Fig. 81 ) lie between the parameres. Together, the bands form a ring open at both sides. Both ends of one of the bands are connected by muscles remaining after incomplete clearing in KOH.

Female. Unknown.

Note. The slender sclerite articulating basolaterally on the paramere shows N. scutiger is a member of the auritus -group. The shield-like structure of the penis is exceptional. The homology of the arched bands between the parameres is doubtful.

Etymology. The shape of the penis suggested the name: Latin scutiger , somebody carrying a shield; a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURES 77 – 81. Nothocyphon auritus - group, N. scutiger. Male: 77, T 8, the stippled line delimits the area covered by microtrichia; 78, S 8, T 9 and S 9, superimposed; 79, penis in dorsal view; 80, penis apex, ventral view; 81, tegmen and parameres, muscles remaining after incomplete clearing diagrammatically indicated; the arrow points at a structure of unknown homology. 77 − 80 to the same scale.