Theprisa otway Liebherr, Porch & Maddison, 2021

Liebherr, James K., Porch, Nick, Shaw, Matthew, Sinclair, Bronte E. & Maddison, David R., 2021, Systematic revision of the trans-Bassian moriomorphine genus Theprisa Moore (Coleoptera, Carabidae), ZooKeys 1044, pp. 339-373 : 339

Theprisa otway Liebherr, Porch & Maddison sp. nov. Figures 1A , 3A , 4A , 5A , 6A , 7A , 8A , 9

Holotype

♂ (ANIC). 38.39S 143.42E VIC / Haines Junct. 525 m 1.9 km / W. on Turton's, Track / 809 26Jan.-8Feb. 1987 / A. Newton & M. Thayer // wet scler. forest / pyrethrin fogging / fungus logs / Euc. regnans // Theprisa otway sp. n. / measured specimen #1 / det. J.K. Liebherr 2020 // HOLOTYPE ♂ / Theprisa otway / J.K. Liebherr, N. Porch / D.R. Maddison 2020 (black-margined red label).

Paratypes.

Victoria: Otway Ranges [sclerophyll forest approaching rain forest in ravines, some Nothofagus ; logs, stones, drowning; ~ 600 m ( Darlington 1960)], Darlingtons [12-13]-iv-1957 (MCZ, 11); Otway N. P., Elliot R. 5.5 km W Marengo, wet sclero. forest, FMHD #87-262, Berl. leaf and log litter, 38°47'S, 143°37'E, 80 m, Newton & Thayer, 8-ii-1987 (FMNH, 3), roadside, C119 1 km S Tanybryn, road to Sabine Falls, pyr. fogging mossy logs, 38°37.07'S, 143°43.80'E, Seago & Brandley, 28-xi-2006 (EMEC, 1; OSAC, 1), Triplet Falls track, Eucalyptus forest, raking litter, 38°40.235'S, 143°29.690'E, 300 m, Liebherr, 14-ii-2011 lot 03 (CUIC, 1), Turton's, track, 1 km ENE, Seaview Ridge Road junction, Mountain Ash forest, berlesate of deep litter against tree and under treeferns, 38°38.34'S, 143°37.30'E, 505 m, Porch, 15-iii-2019 (MVM, 1; NPC, 1).

Diagnosis

(n = 5). This species is diagnosable among Theprisa spp. by the broad body and the presence of a dorsal elytral seta immediately mesad the third stria near elytral midlength (Fig. 1A ). The pronotum is broad, MPW/PL = 1.38-1.46. The pronotal median base is sparsely punctate medially, with the marginal bead greatly reduced, evidenced only as a broad, slightly depressed area along the medially expanded base, in contrast to the narrowly upraised, distinct marginal bead posterad the laterobasal depressions. Whereas elytral striae 1-4 are crenulate on the disc (i.e., lined by punctures that expand the strial breadth) striae 5-7 are progressively broader and smoother, 6-7 slightly wavering along length but impunctate. In contrast T. australis , T. darlingtoni , and T. montana have striae 1-7 smooth, and T. convexa has striae 1-7 punctate near midlength. Apical abdominal ventrite of male with a single seta each side along margin, female apical ventrite with two setae each side plus a median pair of subapical setae. Standardized body length is 5.9-6.3 mm.

Description.

Head narrow, ocular lobe little projected, juncture with gena very obtuse; eyes small, EyL/OLL = 0.65-0.70, not projected beyond curvature of ocular lobe, 17-20 ommatidia bisected by a horizontal line across eye; antennomeres 2 and 3 glabrous except for one dorsal seta on 2 and an apical ring of setae on 3; antennae moderately elongate, antennomere 9 maximal breadth 2 × length; frontal groove deeply, medially arcuate from anterior supraorbital seta to frontoclypeal suture and continued onto lateral reaches of clypeus, area laterad groove distinctly convex; slightly concave apical labral margin 6-setose, with three smaller setae lining the lateroapical margin; mentum tooth narrowly rounded apically, sides subparallel; maxillary stipes trisetose, the three setae on the base in either a triangle with apex upward, or in an irregular horizontal line; ligula slightly convex apically, narrowed basally, trumpet shaped, its two apical setae separated by three setal diameters; paraglossae elongate, total length 2.5 × distance from paraglossal base to ligular apical margin. Pronotum transverse, lateral margins straight anterad projection defined by articulatory socket of basal seta; basal margin nearly straight, the obsoletely margined median base projected posterad only slightly beyond the lateral beaded margins posterad the laterobasal depressions; median base smooth at middle, ~ 10 small punctures each side mesad deepest point of laterobasal depression; pronotal disc extended to basal marginal bead defining a tubercle that divides laterobasal depression into a median longitudinal groove and a broad lateral marginal depression inside the basal seta; median longitudinal depression deepest just anterad median base, deeply incised to very shallow, broad anterior transverse impression; anterior callosity nearly flat, front margin smooth medially, margined in outer half each side; front angles broadly, slightly protruded, subangulate; lateral marginal depression very narrow from front angle to basal 1/4 of length where it expands to meet laterobasal depression; lateral pronotal seta positioned one setal diameter inside lateral marginal depression. Prosternum medially depressed mesad anterior margins of procoxal cavities, up to 16 punctures present in a transverse band across apical 1/4 of prosternum, ~ 10 punctures each side of prosternum in depressed area anterad coxal cavity; proepisternum smooth, sutural groove with proepimeron smooth and deep. Elytra broadly hemi-ovoid, MEW/EL = 0.81-0.86, convex, sides vertically meeting lateral marginal depression; basal groove arcuate, juncture with lateral marginal depression tightly rounded, a broad, blunt tooth on margin at juncture; lateral marginal depression narrow; stria 8 deep, continuous between anterior and posterior series of lateral setae; apical carina of interval 8 narrowly upraised along stria 7, interval 8 a vertical lateral carina there; subapical sinuation evident, the internal plica visible ventrad deepest part of sinuation. Mesepisternum with ~ 8 shallow punctures in two vertical rows. Metepisternum wider than long, maximum width 1.8 × lateral length; metepimeron fused to metepisternum laterally. Legs gracile, femora narrow, meso- and metatibiae little expanded apically, of consistent diameter throughout apical half of length; metatarsomere 1 elongate, length 0.22 × tibial length, lateral sulci present on mesal and lateral faces just dorsad the ventrolateral setae. Abdominal ventrites 2-6 with 1-2 longitudinal wrinkles laterally; suture between ventrites 1 and 2 slightly curved anteriorly at midlength, ventrite 2 wrinkled within curve; suture between ventrites 2 and 3 complete laterally.

Male genitalia (n = 2). Aedeagal median lobe robust, base broadly open on right side, basal margin thickened dorsad basal opening (Fig. 3A ); median lobe apex broadly rounded, slightly extended beyond ostium with a large apical divot-like concavity at tip, surface of apex densely covered with pits; internal sac bearing a stout flagellum, with apex concavely scooped (Fig. 4A ), a basal articulatory sclerite associated with flagellum; right paramere elongate, parallel sided in apical half with apex narrowly rounded (Fig. 5A ), bearing 12-15 short setae along ventral margin in apical half, 2-4 setae on dorsal surface near apex, though with apex glabrous; left paramere broadest near midlength, apex narrower, parallel sided with rounded tip, ventral margin bearing 2-4 setae in apical 1/3, dorsal surface with two or three setae near apex, and apex with none or one seta; antecostal apodeme of abdominal segment IX rounded distally, the apical juncture of lateral arms broad (Fig. 6A ).

Female reproductive tract (n = 2). Bursa copulatrix columnar, length 1.25 × maximum breadth compressed under microslide cover slip, vagina translucent, broader apical portion of bursa staining more darkly with Chlorazol black (Fig. 7A ); helminthoid sclerite present, rounded apically, not extended beyond juncture with spermathecal duct; spermathecal duct stout, sinuously recurved to meet spermatheca, length subequal to length of annulated spermathecal reservoir; spermathecal gland duct very thin, length twice that of spermathecal reservoir which it joins at reservoir base; spermathecal gland comprising sclerotized stem plus membranous reservoir bearing numerous ductules; gonocoxa bipartite, basal gonocoxite 1 with two apical fringe setae in one dissected specimen, two setae on right gonocoxa and one on left in second dissected specimen, median surface glabrous, membranous ramus present (Fig. 8A ); apical gonocoxite 2 with base extended laterally, lateral margin arcuate, apex falciform; two lateral ensiform setae and one dorsal ensiform present; two apical nematiform setae set in fossa at apical 1/4 of apical gonocoxite length.

Etymology.

The species epithet is the mountain range from which this species is described, and based on current knowledge, precinctive. The epithet is to be treated as a noun in apposition.

Distribution and habitat.

Theprisa otway is restricted to the Otway Ranges (Fig. 9 ), with specimens collected in wet to mesic sclerophyll forest from 80-525 m elevations. The beetles are terrestrial, being discovered via raking litter, in a Berlese extraction of leaf and log litter, and via application of pyrethrin fog to logs of Eucalyptus regnans F. Mueller covered with fungus. The MCZ specimens were collected by the Darlington family in sclerophyll forest approaching rain forest in ravines, with some Nothofagus ( Darlington 1960).

Figures

Figure 1. Dorsal habitus illustrations of Theprisa spp.; range of standardized body lengths indicated A T. otway female B T. convexa female C T. montana female.

Figure 3. Male aedeagus including parameres of Theprisa spp., right, or anatomically ventral view A T. otway B T. convexa C T. montana D T. australis E T. darlingtoni. Abbreviations: ad, apical divot; af, apical face; fl, flagellum; lp, left paramere; mf, microtrichial field; rp, right paramere.

Figure 4. Male aedeagus internal sac in everted condition for Theprisa spp. A T. otway, right view B T. convexa C T. montana D T. australis E T. darlingtoni. Abbreviations: fl, flagellum; mf, microtrichial field; rp, right paramere. Scale bars: 0.5 mm

Figure 5. Parameres of male aedeagus for Theprisa spp., outside lateral view. Right paramere shown above left paramere A T. otway B T. convexa C T. montana D T. australis E T. darlingtoni. Abbreviations: lp, left paramere; rp, right paramere.

Figure 6. Structures associated with abdominal segments VIII and IX for Theprisa spp., dorsal view A T. otway B T. convexa C T. montana D T. australis E T. darlingtoni. Abbreviations: VIII, antecostal apodeme of abdominal segment VIII; IX, antecostal apodeme of abdominal segment IX; sp, spiracle of segment VIII; t, tergite of segment IX. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 7. Female reproductive tract of Theprisa spp., ventral view A T. otway B T. convexa C T. montana D T. australis. Abbreviations: bc, bursa copulatrix; co, common oviduct; dgd, defensive gland efferent duct; gc, gonocoxa; hg, hindgut; hs, helminthoid sclerite; sd, spermathecal duct; sg, spermathecal gland; sgd, spermathecal gland duct; sgs, spermathecal gland stem; sp, spermatheca; v, vagina. Scale bars: 0.50 mm.

Figure 8. Left gonocoxa, ventral view of Theprisa spp., ventral view A T. otway B T. convexa C T. montana D T. australis E T. darlingtoni. Abbreviations: afs, apical fringe seta (e) of gonocoxite 1; ans, apical nematiform setae; des, dorsal ensiform seta; gc 1, basal gonocoxite 1; gc 2, apical gonocoxite 2; les, lateral ensiform setae; r, ramus.

Figure 9. Distributional records for Theprisa spp.: T. otway (black circle); T. convexa (black square); T. montana (white circle).