Austrocyphon papilio, Zwick, Peter, 2013

Zwick, Peter, 2013, Australian Marsh Beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae) 4. Two new genera, Austrocyphon and Tasmanocyphon, Zootaxa 3706 (1), pp. 1-74 : 59

Austrocyphon papilio , sp. n.

( Figs. 192—196 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, 15.38S, 126.15E, CALM site 28/3 4 km W of King Cascade W.A. 12–16 June 1988 T.A.Weir / at light closed forest. Paratypes: WA: 1♂, same data as holotype; 4♂, 1♀, 15.025S 126.55E, Drysdale River, W.A., 3–8.Aug.1975 I.F.B.Common & M.S.Upton [12 additional specimens not studied in detail]; 2♂, 1♀, 14.49S 126.57E, Carson escarpment, W.A. 9–15.Aug. 1975, I.F.B.Common & M.S.Upton, [9 additional specimens not studied in detail]; 1♀, 14.51S 125.50E, Mining camp Mitchell Plateau, 9–19 May 1983 WA, I.D.Naumann, J.C.Cardale ex ethanol; 1♀, 14.52S 125.50E, 4km SbyW mining camp Mitchell Plateau, 9–19 May 1983 WA, I.D.Naumann, J.C.Cardale ex ethanol; 1♀, 16.22S, 126.12 E WA Charnley River 2km SWRolly Hill CALM site 25/2 16–20 June 1988 I.D.Naumann / at light open forest near closed forest margin: 2♂, 1♀, 16.31S, 125.16E, CALM site 25/1 Synnot Ck WA, 17–20 June 1988 T.A.Weir / at light closed forest margin; 1♀, 16.22S, 126.12 E WA Charnley River 2km SWRolly Hill CALM site 25/2 16–20 June 1988 I.D.Naumann / at light open forest near closed forest margin (all ANIC).

Additional material studied. NT: 1♀: Type / Port Darwin 92-20/ 5401/ ( NHML; labelled by J. Armstrong as holotype of an intended but never published new species of Cyphon ; faded, pattern weak).

Habitus. BL 1.9–2.3 mm, BL/BW 1.7. Slender, elytra largely parallel. Head dark brown, pronotum yellowishbrown, elytra patterned in brown and yellow, a pale mark resembling an arrow-head near midlength ( Fig. 196 ). Additional pale spots near the humeral corner and near the tip sometimes less distinct. Greyish semi-erect pubescence. Head and especially pronotum with rough, granular punctures.

Male. T8 a transverse short plate with long thin convex apodemes. Bare except irregular long setae near and along caudal margin. S8 V-shaped (not shown in figure).

Apodemes of T9 strong, straight, scoop-shaped. They support a long caudally tapering tubular sclerite with an oval window near base. It ends in a sharp inwardly curved hook. Right and left sclerites seem to be separate or are only very loosely connected. S9 large, approximately rectangular with triangular front and shallowly concave setose caudal margin.

Pala anteriorly truncate, narrowing caudally towards transverse bridge. Parameroids of exceptional shape, together resembling a butterfly with spread wings. Their caudal connection is only a thin sclerite strip. The foramen widens caudally and is longer than the short trigonium. Centema short, conical, surrounded by spicules.

Parameres thin, sharply pointed, sinuous, diverging from a hairpin-like base.

Female. Apodemes of ovipositor without recurrent branchlet. Apodemes of segment 8 about half as long, anteriorly separate. The prehensor consists of several large, complexly interconnected sclerites but lacks teeth or similar structures ( Fig. 195 ).

Note. The elytral pattern and the coarse granular punctation of the fore body permit the reliable association of the coexisting sexes. Among the Austrocyphon species the possession of a sclerotized prehensor is exceptional.

Etymology. The name alludes to the butterfly-shaped shield formed by the fused parameroids and is a noun in apposition, the scientific name of the swallowtail butterflies.

Figures

FIGURES 192 – 196. Austrocyphon papilio sp. n., male. 192, superimposed genitalia (without S 8, S 9), ventral view; 193, lateral view of sclerite of T 9; 194, S 9; 195, prehensor; 196, habitus (not to scale). Genitalia (all to the same scale) and habitus figures in opposite orientation!