Loranthophila, Lawrence, John F. & Slipinski, Adam, 2013

Lawrence, John F. & Slipinski, Adam, 2013, Loranthophila, a new genus of Australian Lyctinae (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) associated with Mistletoe, Zootaxa 3737 (3), pp. 295-300 : 295-298

Loranthophila gen. n.

Type species: Neotrichus acanthacollis Carter and Zeck 1937 .

Diagnosis: This genus appears to be a member of the bostrichid subfamily Lyctinae , although it differs from other lyctines in certain respects. Lyctine features include the following: 1) antennal club 2-segmented (3 -segmented only in Cephalotoma Lesne ), 2) anterior edge of pronotum on same plane as posterior edge and anterior portion of pronotal disc not curving ventrally, 3) prosternal process complete, meeting the postcoxal projections of the two hypomera and closing the procoxal cavities externally, and 4) intercoxal process on first abdominal ventrite broad and apically subtruncate. Feature 2 refers to the lack of the hood-like pronotum of Dinoderinae and Bostrichinae . This type of prothorax also occurs in the subfamilies Dysidinae , Psoinae , Polycaoninae and Euderiinae and also in the family Endecatomidae , sometimes included in Bostrichidae (Ivie 2002; Borowski & Węgrzynowicz 2007). In all of these groups the antennal club is 3-segmented, procoxal cavities are externally open, and the abdominal intercoxal process is either acute or almost absent. Loranthophila may be distinguished from other lyctine genera by the following combination of features: 1) vestiture consisting of erect, flattened, longitudinally-ribbed, scalelike setae, usually forming fascicles, short, broad, and longer, slender, decumbent setae, which are longitudinally subdivided and complexly lobed, and flat, circular scales; 2) lateral portions of frontoclypeal ridge not produced to form clypeal and frontal lobes; 3) labrum declined just beyond base, so that apex is on a different plane than the anterior edge of the clypeus; 4) apex of labrum broadly rounded and not emarginate; 5) lateral pronotal carinae absent; 6) anterior portion of pronotal disc slightly elevated, produced forward and slightly concave; 7) posterior portion of pronotal disc with median groove; 8) elytral punctationsomewhat linear in arrangement, although the puncture rows are not all clearly marked; 9) elytra each with short, longitudinal endocarina at about middle and close to lateral edge; 10) radial cell of hind wing with a distinct lumen; 11) tarsomere 5 shorter than 1–4 combined, 12) tarsomere 1 distinctly shorter than 2; 13) ventrites 1 and 2 connate and 14) suture between ventrites 1 and 2 distinctly curved.

Description: Length 2–4 mm. Body ( Figs 1 A–B) about 3.0–3.4 times as long as wide, more or less parallelsided, moderately convex; color dark reddish-brown to black, with antennae and palps reddish-brown; dorsal surfaces relatively smooth and shiny but almost completely covered by flattened white and grey scales and short, broad, decumbent scale-like setae plus fascicles of erect, greyish-brown to dark brown, ribbed, clavate setae; ventral surfaces clothed with white, ribbed, clavate setae, long and decumbent on pterothorax and abdomen, shorter and suberect on legs and antennal funicle. Head moderately declined, slightly longer than wide; posterior edge above occipital foramen produced at middle to form acute process; median occipital endocarina moderately long. Lateral portions of clypeus and frons not raised. Clusters of erect, ribbed setae behind and above eyes and on frontoclypeal region. Frontoclypeal suture slightly curved, not deeply impressed. Labrum declined just beyond base, forming an angle with clypeus, strongly transverse with subtruncate apex ( Fig. 2 D). Antennae ( Fig. 1 B) relatively short, not extending beyond middle of prothorax, 11-segmented with small, compact 2-segmented club; scape slightly shorter than pedicel; antennomere 11 ( Fig. 1 C) about as long as 10, widest at base and gradually narrowed apically. Mandibles large, unidentate, asymmetrical, with well-developed retinaculum on left mandible and oblique carina on right one, basal molae large, flattened, with overlapping, oblique shearing surfaces; prostheca small and membranous. Maxillary lobes lightly sclerotized and densely setose at apex; apical maxillary and labial palpomeres fusiform. Gular sutures narrowly separated but not contiguous posteriorly, diverging anteriorly; corpotentorium broad. Pronotum about 1.12–1.22 times as long as wide, widest anteriorly, with sides converging posteriorly, narrower at base than combined elytral widths; anterior edge produced forward to form subtruncate lobe, so that anterior foramen is highly skewed and prosternal length less than half pronotal length; lateral carinae absent; posterior edge straight; disc flattened posteriorly with elongate, median groove, elevated anteriorly, with short, broad impression; three small deep pits in transverse row near posterior edge; clusters of erect ribbed setae laterally and around perimeter of anterior impression. Prosternum ( Fig. 2 A) slightly shorter than mid length of procoxal cavity; prosternal process slightly narrowing to about middle, expanding slightly to just behind coxae, then slightly narrowing to subtruncate apex. Notosternal sutures incomplete. Procoxae globular and slightly projecting. Procoxal cavities at middle separated by about 0.25 times mid length of a cavity, broadly closed externally and internally. Scutellar shield abruptly elevated, posteriorly subtruncate. Elytra about 2.17–2.44 times as long as combined width and 2.52–2.83 times as long as pronotum, parallel-sided, with short, longitudinal, endocarina at about middle and close to lateral edge, which fits into a groove near the posterior end of the metepimeron; disc somewhat flattened anteriorly, strongly convex posteriorly; punctation forming indistinct rows; with numerous small clusters of erect clavate setae; epipleura very narrow and incomplete. Mesoventrite moderately long, with slender prothoracic rest at anterior edge. Mesoventral process narrow, slightly overlapping broad metaventral process. Mesocoxal cavities closed laterally by meeting of meso- and metaventrites. Metaventrite elongate, with short discrimen; exposed portion of metanepisternum long and narrow; metepimeron slightly exposed. Metacoxae separated by about half a transverse coxal diametrer, extending laterally to meet elytra, each with secondary mesal articulation. Metendosternite with long, straight lateral arms and very short anterior process bearing well separated anterior tendons. Hindwing ( Fig. 1 D) 2.55 times as long as wide, with apical field about 0.35 times total wing length. Radial cell with reduced lumen, shorter than wide, oval and oblique; cross-vein r3 absent; r4 complete. Basal portion of RP moderately long, apical extension well developed, extending almost to wing margin. Medial spur extending almost to wing margin. Medial field with 2 free veins, a stub of CuA and a well developed AA3. Anal lobe well developed, separated by deep, notch-like embayment. Femora not inflated; trochanterofemoral joint slightly oblique. Outer edges of tibiae lined with clavate setae; outer apical angle of protibia with curved tooth and inner apical angle with large, curved spur. Abdomen with ventrite 1 more than 1.5 times as long as 2; ventrites 1 and 2 connate and suture between them distinctly curved ( Fig. 1 E); intercoxal process truncate. Sternite VIII in male with spiculum relictum; anterior edge of segment IX in male with narrowly rounded subgenital plate. Aedeagus relatively small; parameres straight, slender and apically setose, broadly overlapping phallobase and about 2.25 times as long; penis about 1.20 times as long as a paramere, with short anterior struts attached to base of parameres. Sternite VIII in female with long, articulated spiculum ventrale; ovipositor more than 8 times as long as wide, lightly sclerotised except for baculi; paraprocts more than 4 times as long as coxites, which are weakly subdivided with well-developed apical styli.

Distribution: Tasmania and the southeastern part of the mainland as far north as Bundaberg in southern Queensland. If there is a close association with Loranthaceae , it is likely that the species is more widespread. Etymology: Loranthaceae , family of mistletoes + phileo (Greek, to love); gender: feminine.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Loranthophila acanthacollis (Carter & Zeck): A, habitus, dorsal; B, habitus, lateral; C, antennomeres 3 – 11; D, hind wing; E, abdomen.

FIGURE 2. Loranthophila acanthacollis (Carter & Zeck): A, prothorax, ventral, with right leg and coxa removed; B – C, section of elytron showing scales at two different magnifications; D, head, dorsal; E, antenna.