Papuacyphon darwini, Zwick, Peter, 2014

Zwick, Peter, 2014, Australian Marsh Beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae). 6. Genera Calvarium Pic, Papuacyphon Zwick, and Ypsiloncyphon Klausnitzer, Zootaxa 3846 (1), pp. 1-41 : 14-16

Papuacyphon darwini , n. sp.

( Figs. 43−49 )

Type material. Holotype ♂: “[South Australia] K[ing]. G[eorge]'s. Sound C.Darwin 87−42 \ Cyphon fenestratus Bl. Id. by A.M.Lea slight var. I have series connecting with typical form” (coll. Blackburn, NHML). Paratypes 1♂ 1♀: “ Type \ Albany, W. Australia J.J.Walker \ G.C.Champion Coll. B.M. 1927−409“; 1♂: “Yanchep 32 mls N of Perth 13- 23.11.1935 \ Paratype \ W. Australia R.E.Turner B.M. 1936−28“ ( NHML; J. Armstrong had labelled the specimens as types of a new species of Cyphon which was, however, never described). 1♂ [left elytron missing]: “Garden I. W.A., Lea [print] \ “ Cyphon fenestratus Bl Garden I; W. Aust [handwriting]”; 2♂ [together on one card, one with projecting genitalia, the other dissected, slide on pin], 2♀[originally on one card]: “Swan R Lea” ( SAMA). 1♂ 1♀: “John Forrest NP [31.8858S, 117.9437E] 8km E Midland WA 7 Sept. 1959 J. Armstrong“ ( ANIC).

Habitus. BL 2.1–2.9 mm, oval, BL /BW ca 1.6. Uniformly yellowish brown with infuscate antennal flagellum. Antennae short, flagellar segments about twice as long as wide at apex.

Male. T8 with pecten and a fringe of long socketed setae. Plate covered with single microtrichia, except on a strip in front of rear margin. Microtrichia extend far forward in the middle, between this extension and the apodeme occurs on either side a semitransparent bare round area. Apodemes slightly curved, connected by a backwardarching thickened antecosta ( Fig. 43 ). S8 large, Y-shaped, the arms support large weakly sclerotized areas with some setae ( Fig. 44 ). T9 with weak apodemes connected by a thin forward-arching antecosta. Plate completely membranous, hairless, no defined shape; in side view, the anus is exposed and projecting ( Fig. 45 ). S9 (not shown) consisting of two parallel apically separately rounded weak sclerites with long apical pilosity, central region membranous and bare.

Penis with long triangular pala supporting a spine-like trigonium with long convergent basal arms, and curved parameroids. Parameroids basally thick and convex, the narrower distal part is externally concave and ends in a small blunt hook to which a colourless membrane attaches. The tegmen consists of two strong parallel sclerites anteriorly connected by a delicate transverse arch. The sclerites support lateral parameres, and the uncifer in the middle. The soft parameres lie alongside the basal two thirds of the penis, apex with a group of forward-pointing teeth ( Fig. 46 ).

The uncifer ( Fig. 47 ) is an approximately square small sclerite with two very long horn-like paramedian styles, two complex lateral movable hooked sclerites, and a pair of dark paramedian swellings surrounding a basal opening and in side view resembling a semi-tube that supports the penis. The hooked sclerites attach to the front corner of the square central sclerite by a sinew. The basal arm of the sclerite is strongly curved and in some preparations could be mistaken for a hook. Distally each sclerite supports a pair of large hooks which point dorsad.

Female. Ovipositor typical of genus, slender, gonocoxa very long, slender, conical, gonostyle a short tube with small apical sensilla ( Fig. 48 ). Apodemes of S8 anteriorly connected in an arch. Prehensor typical of the genus, with massive armature. The divergent toothed ridges ( Fig. 49 ) are located between two fields of curved membranous folds, between them lies the wide base plate of a delicate oval sclerite ring. The transverse sclerite on the opposite side of the gonoduct is a heavily sclerotized bracket with four large dark teeth. The duct to the receptacle is on one side armed with a short series of large transversely oval sclerites ( Fig. 49 ).

Note and etymology. The Australian species is known only from the southwest corner of the continent. Its male genitalia are similar to the Papuan species (e.g., the median process supporting the penis closely resembles P. horridus Zwick, 2014 while the armature of the parameres resembles, for example, P. minax (Klausnitzer, 1980) and P. klausnitzeri Zwick, 2014 ) but details clearly distinguish them from all congeners. The sleeve-like structure found inside the ovipositor of the New Guinean species was not observed in P. darwini . The toothed armature of the prehensor is stronger than in the other species. In two specimens the structure usually called bursella in the literature (following Nyholm 1969) contained an elongate spermatophore and is a seminal receptacle. For the other taxa I lack evidence and continue using the term bursella.

This species is named for its earliest collector, Charles Darwin. During his travel with the Beagle the ship anchored in King George's Sound for 8 days, beginning 6 March 1836 (Darwin 1839).

Figures

FIGURES 43 − 49. Papuacyphon darwini, n. sp., male: 43, T 8; 44, S 8; 45, T 9; 46, penis and tegmen with uncifer, dorsal view; 47, uncifer. Female: 48, tip of ovipositor; 49, prehensor. Figs. 43 – 45 and Figs. 46 – 48 to the same scale, respectively. Abbreviations: pa, pala; pd, parameroid; pe, paramere; t, tegmen; tr, trigonium; u, uncifer.