Microdacne lamingtonia Skelley, Leschen & Liu, 2021

Skelley, Paul E., Leschen, Richard A. B. & Liu, Zhenhua, 2021, New Australian Erotylinae with notes on Dacnini (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea Erotylidae), Zootaxa 4948 (3), pp. 363-380 : 371-373

Microdacne lamingtonia Skelley, Leschen & Liu , new species

Figures 18–22 , 30

Diagnosis. A member of Microdacne as defined above, distinguished from the other species with the sublateral sulcus being reduced to row of large punctures, close to the lateral margin, tibiae entirely black, and being from Lamington National Park, Queensland.

Description. Length 2.9 mm; width 1.5 mm. Body, antenna and legs black; except antennal base, antennomere 11, palpi, and tarsi tan ( Figs. 18–20 ); elytra with a basal band not touching suture that leaves no brown spot at base of humerus, band on apical third reduced, vague near lateral margin.

Head broad, dorsal interocular distance = 6.5× ocular width in dorsal view; surface with distinct setose punctures, sparse and fine medially, becoming denser and coarser laterally and anteriorly; clypeus with anterior margin narrow; gena and lateral gula with scattered coarse punctures same size as facets; mentum transverse, width = 3× length; anterior margin of plate bluntly angled at middle. Antennomeres shortly, sparsely setose; antennomere 11 broadly oval, obliquely truncate apically.

Pronotum strongly convex, widest near middle; punctures of central disc coarser than on head, diameter of facet, reduced laterally; anterior margin deeply emarginate next to anterior angle, strongly projecting medially; lateral margin with fine marginal bead; sublateral groove present along medial half as row of large impressed punctures separated from margin by distance> 1/4 diameter of eye, groove not basally connected to groove of posterior marginal bead ( Fig. 30 ); posterior marginal bead strong medially, with few coarse punctures in groove either side of mid-line, groove ends close to posterior angle, not present at posterior angles.

Elytra strongly convex, short, length = 1× width; base nearly straight; strial punctures small, distinct on disc, absent laterally; minute punctures with short setae widely scattered over surface. Prosternal process nearly round, arcuate laterally, narrowing posteriorly, apex rounded, medial knob bluntly rounded. Mesoventrite lateral tubercles moderately separated, distance between them = 1.5× basal width, central concavity broadly rounded. Abdominal ventrite 1 with coxal lines absent, evident only as small angulation on anterior marginal line.

Unique holotype female with normally curved protibial base; genitalia ( Figs. 21–22 ) without notable difference from others.

Material examined. The female holotype of Microdacne lamingtonia ( Figs. 18–20 , 30 ) label data: “[white paper, printed] 28.14S 153.08E / Lamington N.P. / (O’Reillys) Q / 22-27 Oct. 1978 / Lawrence & Weir” // “[white paper, printed] ANIC / Berlesate 655 / rainforest litter” // “[orange paper with camera symbol] ANIC / Image” // “[red paper, printed] HOLOTYPE ♀ / Microdacne / lamingtonia / Skelley, Leschen, Liu” ( ANIC) .

Etymology. The species name is based on Lamington National park, where this species was collected, with the suffix “-ia” meaning “of Lamington”.

Remarks. Microdacne lamingtonia is most similar to M. nardia , a species collected in the same region, but isolated on isolated mountains that surround the Tweed Volcano.Additional materials and males are needed to dispel remaining doubts. However, being flightless and in disjunct mountainous areas, the subtle differences appear solid and these are here considered distinct species.

Figures

FIGURES 18–22. Microdacne lamingtonia sp. nov., holotype: 18–19) habitus; 18) dorsal view; 19) ventral view; 20) lateral view; 21) spermatheca; 22) ovipositor. Scale bars: 18–19 = 1.0 mm, 21 = 0.1 mm, 22 = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 29–32. Microdacne spp., holotypes, anterolateral dorsal oblique view of head and pronotum: 29) M. gloriousa; 30) M. lamingtonia; 31) M. nardia; 32) M. styxia. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.