Mecynotarsus imitator, Kejval & Cz, 2013

Kejval, Zbyněk, 2013, Taxonomic revision of the Australian Notoxinae (Coleoptera: Anthicidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (suppl.) 53, pp. 1-98 : 50-51

Mecynotarsus imitator sp. nov.

( Figs 62, 63 )

Type locality. Australia, Northern Territory, 9 km SSE of Mudginbarry Homestead, Magela Creek, 12°40′S 132°54′E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂, ‘ 12.40S 132.54E Magela Creek , 9km SSE. of Mudginbarry HS., N.T. 7.xi.72, M.S. Upton [p] // AUST.NAT. INS. COLL. [p; green label]’ ( ANIC). PARATYPES: 1 ♂ 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( ANIC) ; 7 spec., same data, except: 6.xi.72, at light, E. Britton ( ANIC, 2 spec. ZKDC) ; 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀, ‘ Magela Ck. , NT. 9 km SSE of Mudginbarry HS. 6 Nov. 1972 D.H. Colles [p] // AUST. NAT. INS. COLL. [p; green label]’ ( ANIC) ; 1 ♂, ‘ 12.40S, 132.54E Magela Creek , 9 km SSE of Mudginbarry HS., N.T., 7.xi.1972, M. S. Upton [p] // AUST. NAT. INS. COLL.[p; green label]’ ( ANIC) ; 1 ♂, ‘ 12.52S, 132.46E Nourlangie Creek , 6km E. of Mt. Cahill, N.T. 18.xi.72, M.S. Upton [p] // AUST. NAT. INS. COLL. [p; green label]’ ( ANIC) ; 2 ♂♂, ‘ 12.52S 132.50E Koongarra, 15km E. of Mt. Cahill , N.T. 15.xi.1972, M.S. Upton [p] // ANIC Specimen [p; green label]’ ( ANIC). 1 ♀, ‘ 12.06S 133.04E Cooper Creek, N.T. 19 km E. by S. of Mt. Borradaile, 31.v.73, E.G. Matthews [p] // AUST. NAT. INS. COLL. [p; green label]’ ( ANIC); 3 ♂♂ 1 ♀, ‘ AUSTRALIA, N. Territory Nitmiluk National Park, Edit Falls , 37 m alt, 14°10′S 132°06′E, 3.12.2008, St. Jakl leg. [p]’ ( ZKDC, NMPC) .

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

Antero-lateral margins of frons nearly simple (at most slightly raised near insertion of antennae). Gular rugules coarser and ordered anteriorly, as in Fig. 138 . Clypeal granules minute, nearly indistinct. Setation of head vertex mostly fine and appressed, coarser to scaly around eyes and ventro-laterally. Antennae conspicuously long; antennomeres V–VII most elongate, about 2.5 times as long as wide, antennomere II rather moderately shorter than III, antennomere X 1.8 times as long as wide; basal 4–5 antennomeres with coarser to scaly setation, especially antennomere I with some distinct scales.

Pronotum 1.7 times as long as wide, its lateral margins somewhat unevenly convex in dorsal view; posterior collar distinct; surface of pronotal disc with numerous minute granules, several coarser granules scattered also dorso-laterally (near tactile setae). Pronotal horn rather long, moderately wide, its posterior angles at most indicated in dorsal view; horn margins armed with 4 rather long, apically rounded lobules on each side, apical lobule widely rounded and slightly emarginate medially; horn crest distinct, moderately wide, with coarse, separate rugules on margins; submarginal rugules distinct, somewhat unevenly spaced; about 6 median rugules, partly contiguous. Setation whitish to pale reddish, mostly scaly, with some erect tactile setae; scales on pronotal disc of two sizes, smaller scales appressed, truncate to nearly bifurcate apically, larger scales linear, rather subdecumbent and truncate apically; antebasal paired setae present both laterally and medially; about 5 additional tactile setae present laterally on each side (articulated near granules).

Elytra 1.6 times as long as wide; omoplates and postbasal impression absent. Setation scaly, pale reddish, rather uniform, with slight indication of brownish transverse band at mid-length; scales linear, rounded to subtruncate apically, evenly ordered and very densely spaced (surface barely visible); tactile setae absent.

Male characters. Sternum VII moderately produced and rounded medially. Tergum VIII and aedeagus as in Figs 62, 63 .

Variation. Body length (♂ ♀) 2.2–2.6 mm. Pronotal horn with 5–9 contiguous to wellspaced median rugules. Brownish transverse band on elytra mostly vague to absent, rarely distinct.

Differential diagnosis. Mecynotarsus imitator sp. nov. belongs to a small group of species sharing the granulate surface of the pronotal disc. It resembles especially M. nobilis sp. nov. and M. granulatus sp. nov. by the comparatively short and dense setation of the elytra, but differs by the uniformly appressed elytral scales, lack of any tactile setae on the elytra (scales both appressed and subdecumbent, tactile setae present at least basally in M. nobilis sp. nov.), and by the narrower parameres with a strongly elongate, rounded apex, and a small subapical denticle (cf. Fig. 63 versus 56, 83).

Etymology. The species name is a Latin noun in apposition, imitator (= imitator, mimic); named in reference to the external similarity with M. nobilis sp. nov.

Distribution. Australia: Northern Territory.

Figures

Figs 60–66. 60–61 – Mecynotarsus hortensis Lea, 1922: 60 – tergum VIII, 61 – aedeagus in dorsal (left) and lateral (right) view. 62–63 – M. imitator sp. nov.: 62 – tergum VIII, 63 – aedeagus in dorsal view. 64–66 – M. iuvenis sp. nov.: 64 – sternum VII, 65 – tergum VIII, 66 – aedeagus in dorsal view. Scale (0.2 mm): A – Fig. 66; B – Fig. 65; (0.5 mm): C – Fig. 60; D – Fig. 64; E – Figs 61–63.

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).