Eurycyphon perlatus, Zwick, Peter, 2015

Zwick, Peter, 2015, Australian Marsh Beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae). 8. The new genera Cygnocyphon, Eximiocyphon, Paracyphon, Leptocyphon, Tectocyphon, and additions to Contacyphon de Gozis, Nanocyphon Zwick and Eurycyphon Watts, Zootaxa 3981 (4), pp. 451-490 : 473-474

Eurycyphon perlatus , n. sp.

( Figs. 68–73 )

Type material. Holotype ♂: Kirrama St. For. 32km NW Cardwell QLD 800m, 23 June-8 Aug. 1982, S. & J.Peck, SBP45 \ flight intercept trap rainforest ( ANIC); 1 paratype ♀: 17.28S 145.29E QLD BS1 Longlands Gap 2 Oct-1 Nov 1995 L.Umback 1150m Malaise trap ( ANIC). 1 paratype ♂: Bellenden Ker Range NQ, Summit TV station, 1560m, 17 Oct.-5 Nov.1981 Earthwatch/Qld.Museum, Malaise trap, rainforest \ A.N.I.C. COLEOPTERA Voucher No. 83-0586 \ Pachycyphon? [handwritten by CHS.Watts] ( QMSB, T228934; had been previously dissected and mounted, received in poor condition).

Habitus. BL: male 2.8mm, female 3.2mm, BL/BW ~1.4. Shape typical of genus. Head with strong granular pearl-like punctures, pronotum with similar but much finer punctures, elytra with fine normal punctures. Mandibles with slender sharp tip, right one with distinct tooth, left not visible. Antennae long, slender, loosely articulated. Base unmodified, antennomere 3 thinner but barely shorter than pedicel. More distal antennomeres decreasingly slender, L/W-ratio drops from ~ 6 in antennomere 4 to ~ 4 in antennomere 9, tip missing.

Male. T8 large, with strong slightly outwardly curved apodemes that continue onto the plate and are not connected basally. Distal portion of plate and its rounded rear margin densely covered with unordered microtrichia and interspersed minute socketed setae which are only about 1/4 the length of the microtrichia, possibly setiform sensilla ( Fig. 68 ). S8 not observed. T9 as for the genus, of S9 only a small transverse pale sclerite with a few long setae near the shallowly excised caudal edge is seen ( Figs. 69, 70 ). The tegmen is a square sclerite frame supporting the parameres which are large flat divergent tongue-shaped lobes. In the middle of each is a flat outgrowth with straight outer sides ending in a little tip and medially with a shorter rounded corner. Microtrichia along the edges of this structure are the only armature ( Fig. 71 ). Penis ( Fig. 72 ) curved slightly dorsoventrally. Pala parallel-sided, with truncate front edge. The laterally projecting bases of the parameroids have in their widest section a soft external area. Caudally the parameroids taper to a blunt-tipped rod with minute sensilla. The trigonium is a flat apically truncate cone. It is shorter than the parameroids and has baso-medially a sinew-like strip.

Female. Abdominal sternites unmodified. The genitalia in the dissected specimen resisted proper clearing with KOH, details not visible. The ovipositor is unmodified, the long bacula articulate with slender gonocoxites bearing a cylindrical gonostyle with terminal sensilla. Apodemes of T8 shorter than the bacula, of T8 and S8 only the apodemes visible. Those of S8 are shortest, straight, the front ends lie close together. The prehensor is longitudinally folded ( Fig. 73 ). Between two elongate shell-like sclerites lie two elongate bulges, each with a few backward directed hooks. A fringe of microtrichia delimits the modified area in front. An adjacent elongate section of the gonoduct is covered with a pelt of similar microtrichia. The surface of the bursella is densely covered with small and moderately sized circular discs with radiating fine plicae.

Note. Unlike in the previous species there is no doubt that the triangular platelets are outgrowths of the parameres.

Etymology. The name perlatus refers to the pearl-like granular punctures on the fore body and mimics a Latin adjective.

Figures

FIGURES 68 – 75. Eurycyphon spp., V. E. perlatus, n. sp., male: 68, T 8; 69, T 9; 70, distal portion of S 9; 71, tegmen and parameres; 72, penis. Female: 73, prehensor; 68 – 72 to the same scale. E. parvus, n. sp., male: 74, head, with details of palpi; 75, the superimposed terminalia. pe, paramere; st, stylus.