Mecynotarsus regalis, Kejval & Cz, 2013

Kejval, Zbyněk, 2013, Taxonomic revision of the Australian Notoxinae (Coleoptera: Anthicidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (suppl.) 53, pp. 1-98 : 76-77

Mecynotarsus regalis sp. nov.

( Figs 106, 107 , 183 , 207 )

Type locality. Australia, Queensland, 70 km SW of Greenvale.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂, ‘ Qld. Greenvale . 70 km SW at light. 28 Mar - 7 Apr. 1995 A. J. Watts [p] // SAMA Database No. 25-029006 [p]’ ( SAMA). PARATYPES: 1♂, ‘ Australien, QLD Carnavon Nat.P. Sekt.Salvator Rosa I. 97, leg. Wachtel [p; black frame] // Mecynotarsus amabilis Lea det. G.Uhmann 2002 [p; black frame] // compared with type [p; black frame]’ ( ZSMC) ; 1 ♀, ‘ Australien, QLD Carnavon Nat. P. S Lake Nuga Nuga I. 97, leg. Wachtell [p; black frame]’ ( ZSMC) ; 1 ♂, ‘ Boothill Ck. , 80 m S. of Mackay, N. Qld. 24.v.1968. G. Monteith [p]’ ( QMBA) .

Description (holotype, male). Body length 2.8 mm. Body largely reddish brown, head vertex somewhat darker, elytra with vague darker markings; legs reddish, antennae reddish brown.

Antero-lateral margins of frons moderately raised (lobed) near insertion of antennae. Gular rugules rather coarse anteriorly and ordered as in Fig. 138 . Clypeal granules minute. Setation of head vertex mostly fine, appressed, with few long, more raised setae medio-basally, and somewhat coarser to scaly setae around eyes and ventro-laterally. Antennae conspicuously long; antennomere II distinctly shorter than III, antennomeres III–V 2.2–2.4 times as long as wide, X 1.8 times as long as wide; basal 4 antennomeres with coarser to scaly setation, especially antennomere I with linear scales and numerous bristly setae.

Pronotum 1.6 times as long as wide, its lateral margins somewhat unevenly convex in dorsal view; posterior collar distinct; surface of pronotal disc, including dorso-lateral sides, with numerous scattered granules, posterior collar medially with pair of similar minute granules. Pronotal horn rather robust and wide, its posterior angles moderately indicated in dorsal view; horn margins armed with 4 conspicuous, apically rounded lobules on each side, apical lobule simple, widely rounded apically; horn crest distinct, wide, with coarse separate rugules on margins; submarginal rugules minute; 6 median rugules, mostly coarse and wellspaced. Setation whitish to silvery, rather heterogeneous, comprised of very fine bifurcate to somewhat frayed undersetae (covering also base of pronotal horn dorsally), numerous longer and coarser subdecumbent setae and scattered very long tactile setae; subdecumbent setae on pronotal disc linear, rather long and truncate apically; antebasal paired setae present both laterally and medially, somewhat difficult to recognize owing to presence of numerous additional tactile setae (articulated near granules).

Elytra 1.6 times as long as wide; omoplates and postbasal impression absent. Setation whitish to pale reddish and brownish, somewhat mixed and also forming vague brownish transverse band at about mid-length ( Fig. 207 ), mostly scaly, with numerous erect setae; scales linear, rather uniform (not clearly double), appressed, rounded to subtruncate apically, evenly ordered and distinctly spaced (surface visible, Fig. 183 ); tactile setae present, scattered and mostly rather long.

Male characters. Sternum VII moderately produced medially. Tergum VIII and aedeagus as in Figs 106, 107 .

Variation. Body length (♂ ♀) 2.6–2.7 mm. Pronotal horn with 3–6 median rugules. Two specimens from Carnavon National Park have rather conspicuous dark markings on the elytra (brown black transverse band and wide strip on / along suture), and mostly whitish setation.

Differential diagnosis. Mecynotarsus regalis sp. nov. somewhat resembles M. mollis sp. nov. by the longer and sparser setation of the elytra, but differs by the somewhat more robust body, rather conspicuous granules of the pronotum, by the presence of long scattered tactile setae on the elytra, and by the shape of the parameres of the aedeagus (cf. Figs 107 versus 81).

Etymology. The species name is a Latin adjective, regalis , -is, -e (= regal, royal); named in reference to its restricted occurrence in Queensland.

Distribution. Australia: Queensland.

Figures

Figs 104–110. 104–105 – Mecynotarsus pusillus sp. nov.: 104 – tergum VIII, 105 – aedeagus in dorsal view. 106–107 – M. regalis sp. nov.: 106 – tergum VIII, 107 – aedeagus in dorsal view. 108–109 – M. setulosus sp. nov.: 108 – tergum VIII, 109 – aedeagus in dorsal view. 110 – M. speciosus sp. nov., tergum VIII. Scale (0.5 mm):A – Figs 102, 105; B – Fig. 109; C – Figs 106, 107; D – Figs 108, 110.

Figs 177–185. Setation of elytra: 177 – Mecynotarsus kingii MacLeay, 1872 (Shoalhaven River), 178 – M. nobilis sp. nov., 179 – M. obesus sp. nov., 180 – M. parvulus sp. nov., 181 – M. phanophilus sp. nov., 182 – M. pilbarensis sp. nov., 183 – M. regalis sp. nov., 184 – M. speciosus sp. nov., 185 – M. weiri sp. nov.

Figs 202–209. Habitus: 202 – Mecynotarsus magelae sp. nov. (Charnley River), 203 – M. mastersii MacLeay, 1872 (Cedar Creek National Park), 204 – M. obesus sp. nov., 205 – M. parvulus sp. nov., 206 – M. pilbarensis sp. nov. (paratype, Millstream Homestead), 207 – M. regalis sp. nov., 208 – M. weiri sp. nov., 209 – M. ziczac King, 1869 (Newcastle Grain Terminal).

Figs 133–140. 133 – Mecynotarsus setulosus sp. nov., head in lateral view (paratype, Fowlers Gap), 134 – M. excavatus sp. nov., apex of elytra in female (paratype, Aoue-Enga), 135 – M. grandior sp. nov., apex of elytron in male (paratype, Kimberley Research Station), 136 – M. obesus sp. nov., metatibia with tarsus (paratype, Hull River), 137 – M. excavatus sp. nov., male protibia (paratype, Aoue-Enga). 138–140 – head in ventral view: 138 – M. auripilosus sp. nov. (paratype, Kambah Pool), 139 – M. bullatus sp. nov. (paratype, Regans Ford), 140 – M. ziczac King, 1869 (Swain Reefs).