Mecynotarsus canthariphilus, Kejval & Cz, 2013

Kejval, Zbyněk, 2013, Taxonomic revision of the Australian Notoxinae (Coleoptera: Anthicidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (suppl.) 53, pp. 1-98 : 31-32

Mecynotarsus canthariphilus sp. nov.

( Figs 35–37 )

Type locality. Australia, Queensland, McIvor River, 40 km N of Cooktown.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂, ‘ McIvor Rv., 25 mls., N. Cooktown , N. Qld. 6 May 1970 S. R. Curtis // AUST. NAT. INS. COLL. [p; green label]’ ( ANIC) . PARATYPES: 3 ♂♂ 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( ANIC) ; 51 specimens, ‘ Stewart’s Creek , Daintree, N. Q. cantharadin [sic!] lure 15.x.67. J. G. Brooks leg. [p] // AUST. NAT. INS. COLL. [p; green label]’ ( ANIC, 5 spec. ZKDC) ; 11 specimens, same locality label, in addition: ‘ Brit. Mus. 1968-301 [p]’ ( BMNH, 3 spec. ZKDC) ; 1 ♂ 1 ♀, ‘ 15.47S 145.14E Shiptons Flat QLD 17–19 Oct. 1980, T. Weir // AUST. NAT. INS. COLL. [p; green label]’ ( ANIC) ; 1 ♀, ‘W. slopes of Seymour Ra. N. Q., Dinner Ck. Rd., nr. Innisfail ; rainforest at light, 6.xi.66, E. Britton // AUST. NAT. INS. COLL. [p; green label]’ ( ANIC) ; 1 ♂, ‘ 17.16 S 145.54 E Base Cableway Mt. Bellenden-Ker QLD 80 m. 19 Oct. 1981, E. D. Edwards // AUST. NAT. INS. COLL. [p; green label]’ ( ANIC) ; 1 ♀, ‘ 10 km SwbyW Gordonvale Q. 26 May 1980 I. D. Naumann J. C. Cardale // AUST. NAT. INS. COLL. [p; green label]’ ( ANIC) ; 2 ♂♂ 1 ♀, ‘ Kuranda , Queensld. AUSTRALIA XI–1–1950 W. L. Brown, on sand on river bank [p]’ ( DCDC) ; 1 ♂, ‘KURANDA. 26·12 34 [h] // Mecynotarsus phanophilus Lea Det. H. J. Carter [p+h] // AUST. NAT. INS. COLL. [p; green label]’ ( ANIC); 1 ♂ 1 ♀, ‘KURANDA. 26·12·34 [h] // ANIC [h; green label]’ ( ANIC) ; 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀, ‘ McIvor River , 40 ml. N. of Cooktown, 7.v.1970, N. Qld, G. B. Monteith’ ( QMBA) ; 1 ♀, ‘ 15.41S 145.12E Annan R. 3km WbyS of Black Mt. QLD 27 Sept. 1980 T.Weir [p] // AUST. NAT. INS. COLL. [p; green label]’ ( ANIC) .

Description (holotype, male). Body length 2.2 mm. Body reddish brown; legs and antennae pale reddish.

Antero-lateral margins of frons simple. Gular rugules minute and rather scattered. Setation of head evenly short and appressed, dense, finer on vertex, somewhat coarser laterally along eyes and ventrally. Clypeal granules indistinct.Antennae moderately long; antennomeres III–V about 1.7 times, X 1.1 times as long as wide; setation mostly rather short and fine, distinctly coarser on basal 1–2 antennomeres.

Pronotum 1.6 times as long as wide, its lateral margins unevenly shaped, somewhat angled at widest point and then straight to slightly concave while narrowing towards base in dorsal view; posterior collar narrow but distinct. Pronotal horn robust, rather short, moderately wide, its posterior angles obsolete in dorsal view; horn margins armed with 5 rounded lobules on each side; horn crest distinct, clearly raised, long, rather narrow, with coarse, separate rugules on margins; submarginal rugules minute, forming uneven row laterally; 9 median rugules of different sizes, rather densely spaced, minute to coarse. Setation whitish laterally, goldish dorsally, largely appressed and scaly, finer and less distinct on dorsal surface of pronotal horn; scales on pronotal disc of two sizes, longer ones slightly more raised dorsally, both obtusely rounded to truncate apically; erect tactile setae absent; antebasal paired setae short but distinct (somewhat thickened) laterally and absent medially.

Elytra 1.5 times as long as wide; omoplates and postbasal impression absent. Setation similar to that on pronotum, scaly, whitish and goldish to shining cupreous, forming dark markings and mixed dorsally in basal half; scales linear, rounded to truncate apically, very dense, but distinctly spaced, largely rather uniform, but dorsally in basal half with moderately longer and slightly more raised, goldish to cupreous scales originating from coarser punctures; erect tactile setae absent.

Male characters. Sternum VII clearly modified ( Fig. 35 ). Tergum VIII and aedeagus as in Figs 36, 37 .

Variation. Body length (♂ ♀) 1.9–2.6 mm; pronotal horn with 4–5 rugules on each side, and 5–10 median rugules; body reddish to brown black, brownish to cupreous shining setose markings on elytra may be rather distinct (transverse posterior band and apical spot) or vague.

Differential diagnosis. Mecynotarsus canthariphilus sp. nov. may resemble M. amabilis by the finer setation of the dorsal surface of the pronotal horn (especially in the anterior half, being rather scaly only laterally near base of the crest) and the shining goldish to cupreous colouring of the pronotal disc and elytra (longer scales, dorsally). It differs from the latter species by smaller body size, the nearly double setation of the elytra with some longer, more erect scales, and by all of the male characters (cf. Figs 35–37 versus 10–12).

Etymology. The species name is the latinized adjective canthariphilus , -a, -um, composed from canthari- (abbreviated, standing for cantharidin) and the Greek philos (attracted to); named in reference to the means of collection for the specimens.

Collection circumstances. Most specimens were trapped by using cantharidin bait (especially the large series from Daintree), or were taken at light in / near rainforests, or on sandy river banks.

Distribution. Australia: Queensland.

Figures

Figs 33–39. 33–34 – Mecynotarsus bullatus sp. nov.: 33 – tergum VIII and apex of spiculum, 34 – aedeagus in dorsal view. 35–37 – M. canthariphilus sp. nov.: 35 – sternum VII, 36 – tergum VIII, 37 – aedeagus in dorsal view. 38–39 – M. centralis sp. nov.: 38 – tergum VIII, 39 – aedeagus in dorsal view. Scale (0.5 mm): A – Figs 33, 34, 38; B – Figs 35; C – Figs 36, 39; D – Fig. 37.