Mesystoechus costatus Carne, 1958

Allsopp, Peter G., 2021, The Australian endemic genera Mesystoechus Waterhouse, 1878, Amblochilus Blanchard, 1851, and Bilobatus Machatschke, 1970 revisited (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Anoplognathini), Zootaxa 4965 (2), pp. 363-374 : 368

Mesystoechus costatus Carne, 1958

Mesystoechus costatus Carne, 1958: 216 .

Type series. Holotype ♂: AUSTRALIA. QUEENSLAND: Too’ba [Toowoomba], 3.i.[19]22 [ QM].

Paratypes: AUSTRALIA. QUEENSLAND: 3♂, same data as holotype, one with Toowoomba spelt out [ ANIC, UQIC] .

Other material examined. AUSTRALIA. QUEENSLAND: 2♂, Bald Mtn. area 3-4,000’, via Emu Vale , 16- 20.ii.1970, G.B. Monteith [ NHML, UQIC] ; 1♀, Bald Mt. Emu Vale, 17.i.1971, G. Monteith [ UQIC] ; 1♂, Bunya Mtns , i.1926, E. Dumigan [ QM] ; 1♂, Bunya Mts , 7.i.[19]26 [ QM] .

Diagnosis. Male ( Figs. 9–10 ). Body 10–12 mm long; head, pronotum, and scutellum black with a green or coppery-green sheen; elytra with the striae pale yellowish brown, costate intervals deep brown; venter and pygidium reddish brown with white setae; legs and prescutellum with yellow setae. Mentum with anterior margin slightly concave. Anterior margin of upper section of clypeus weakly recurved. Anterior margin of pronotum with a few setae near angles. Elytral intervals smooth and strongly costate. Larger claws simple, without a minute tooth. Description by Carne (1958: 216; head of male Fig. 120; right maxilla of male Fig. 116; mentum of male Fig. 117; mandible of male Fig. 118; protibia of male Fig. 119; parameres of male Fig. 121).

Female. Body 14.5 mm long; head dark brown to black, pronotum dark brown, scutellum lighter brown, all without a green sheen. Antennal club shorter than shaft. Upper surface of clypeus with median swelling. Tarsi reduced, shorter than in males. Otherwise like male.

Distribution ( Fig. 15 ). Known only from east of Warwick, through Toowoomba and to the Bunya Mountains in southeastern Queensland. All areas are elevated and have deep kraznosem soils.

Natural history. Adults have been collected during January-February.

Figures

FIGURES 7–15. Mesystoechus species. 7–8, Mesystoechus ciliatus Waterhouse, 1878, male: 7, dorsal view; 8, lateral view; 9–10, Mesystoechus costatus Carne, 1958, male: 9, dorsal view; 10, lateral view; 11–14, Mesystoechus lithgowae, new species, male holotype: 11, dorsal view; 12, lateral view; 13, parameres, frontal view; 14, aedeagus, lateral view; 15, known distribution of Mesystoechus spp. in southeastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales: yellow squares—M. ciliatus; blue triangles—M. costatus; red star—M. lithgowae. Figs. 7–14 photographed by Greg Daniels.