Nothocyphon donnabuangi, Zwick, Peter, 2015

Zwick, Peter, 2015, Australian Marsh Beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae). 7. Genus Nothocyphon, new genus, Zootaxa 3981 (3), pp. 301-359 : 312-315

Nothocyphon donnabuangi , n. sp.

(Figs. 25−28, 169)

Type material: ♂ holotype, 1♂ paratype: 37.43S 145.41E VIC Mt Donna Buang 1200 m N of Warburton 811 26.Jan–11.Feb. 1987 A.Newton & M.Thayer \ wet scler. Noth. cunn. Pyrethrin fogging old fungusy logs ( ANIC).

FIGURES 25–31. Nothocyphon lindensis -group, N. donnabuangi (25−28) and N. imitator (29−31). 25, antenna; 26, 29, cleared extracted male terminalia, parts shown as trasparent; 27, 30, contour of female sternite 7; 28, 31, prehensor. 26, 29 and 28, 31 to the same scales, respectively; 27, 30 not to scale. Abbreviation: nS9, notch in caudal edge of S9.

Additional paratypes: 8 ♂: 37.43S 145.41E VIC Mt Donna Buang 1200 m N of Warburton 811 26.Jan– 11.Feb. 1987 A.Newton & M.Thayer \ wet scler. Noth. cunn. FMHD #87 216 flight intercept (window) trap; 6 ♂: 37.43S 145.41E VIC Mt Donna Buang 1200 m N of Warburton 811 26.Jan–11.Feb. 1987 A.Newton & M.Thayer \ wet scler. Noth. cunn. FMHD #87 219 flight intercept (window) trap ( ANIC, 2 in PZ).

Additional material: 1♀ (presumed): 37.43S 145.41E VIC Mt Donna Buang 1200 m 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. Elongate oval, elytra almost parallel over much of their length. Body flat. BL 2.4−2.8mm, BL/BW ~1.7. Light to dark brown, visibility of pronotal and elytral patterning decreases with degree of overall darkening. Head darkest, labrum and frons between antennae light, rufous. Pronotum with dark band across posterior half. Elytra with a narrow dark loop starting as a stripe behind the scutellum, next to the sutural space. Near 1/3 of elytral length the narrow stripe curves outward and forward without reaching the side margin of the elytron ( Fig. 169 ).

Granular punctures coarser on pronotum than on head but both fine, the impressed punctures on the elytra are much larger.

Male (Fig. 26). T8, S8, and T9 as for the group. S9 deeply and widely divided, each lobe notched and itself divided into two sclerotized pigmented hairy lobes (nS 9 in Fig. 26). A membrane between S9 and penis bears a large triangular field of sharp spinules, tips directed cephalad. Tegmen widely divided into elongate parameres that are shorter than the penis. End of paramere with strip of forward-pointing irregular teeth, the caudal ones largest. Penis slender, pala narrow, its front end truncate. Trigonium apex forked, notch parabolic, deeper than wide, arms of fork gently upcurved, with irregularly serrate outer margin. There is a transverse crest at the base of the fork. The flat parameroids are little longer than the penis tip which they embrace from the outside.

Female (presumed; Figs. 27, 28). Last sternite ending in a slender triangular tip. Apices of rods of S8 separate, enlarged, spatulate. The ovipositor resembles other species in the group, with slender gonocoxites which are about 4 times longer than the tubular style with 2 sensory pegs. The anterior portion of oviduct containing the prehensor is covered with many fine spinules. The prehensor consists of a tongue-shaped sclerite that branches anteriorly. The arms diverge strongly. Along the edge of the structure stand about 11 very coarse teeth. In front of these sclerites a delicate sclerite band delimits a long parallel area leading to the bursal area covered with only minute pores. They are little discs surrounded by a corona of minute radial plicae, together resembling little suns.

Notes. The window trap samples on Mt. Donna Buang contained males of the related species N. horridus , N. imitator , and N. donnabuangi . The syntopic simultaneous occurrence corroborates their status as distinct biospecies. The samples contained only 2 females which by pigmentation and surface structure are tentatively assigned to N. donnabuangi and N. imitator , respectively.

Etymology. Named after the type locality, name formed as though Mount Donna Buang were a name in male gender.

Figures

FIGURES 165 – 173. Habitus of Nothocyphon spp.: 165, N. lindensis; 166, N. taurus; 167, N. taeniatus; 168, N. denticulatus; 169, N. donnabuangi; 170, N. imitator; 171, N. frater; 172, N. frater, lateral; 173, N. taurus, lateral. To similar sizes, not to scale.