Melyronyxa pubescens ( Blackburn, 1891 ) Gimmel & Leschen, 2023

Gimmel, Matthew L. & Leschen, Richard A. B., 2023, Melyronyxa, a New Genus of Lophocateridae from Australia (Coleoptera: Cleroidea), The Coleopterists Bulletin 77 (1), pp. 49-57 : 55-56

Melyronyxa pubescens ( Blackburn, 1891) , new combination

( Figs. 4, 5 , 7 , 10, 13 , 14 )

Peltonyxa pubescens Blackburn 1891: 113 (original description).

Type Specimen. Syntype. Female, with the following label data: “T. \ 3649 \ Al. [handwritten on specimen card] // Type \ H.T. [red-bordered circular label] // Blackburn \ coll. \ 1910—236. // Peltonyxa \ pubescens Blackb. [handwritten label] // [QR code] \ NHMUK015014025” ( Figs. 4, 5 ) (deposited in BMNH).

Additional Specimens. AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: Bogan River , J. Armstrong (11, ANIC) . South Australia: Brookfield Conservation Park , campsite, 34°21′S 139°29′E, 3–12 September 1991, pyrethrin fogging mallee, J. Lawrence, T. Weir, W. Dressler (2, ANIC) ; Brookfield Conservation Park, Site 7, 34°19′S 139°32′E, 3–12 September 1991, under mallee bark, J. Lawrence, T. Weir, W. Dressler (1, ANIC) .

Diagnosis. See Diagnosis of M. monteithi .

Redescription. Very similar to M. monteithi except for the following characteristics.

Total length 2.1–2.8 mm. Dorsal color medium brown; dorsal setae about as long as antennal club width, yellowish-brown. Antennomere 9 nearly twice as long and nearly as wide as antennomere 8 ( Fig. 7 ). Transversely oval glandular area near anterior edge of gulamentum in male with raised rim, with distinct tuft of long setae centrally, setae longer than width of glandular area. Elytra together postero-dorsal paired projections of tegmen long, sausage-like, setose apically and ventrally, setae equal on both surfaces, shorter than projections. Median lobe in morphologically lateral view ( Fig. 10 ) stout, arcuately curved less than 90°; apex narrowly rounded with weak ventral tooth, subapical sinuation present ventrally.

Distribution. Known from central New South Wales, southeastern South Australia, and the Victorian Alps (type locality) ( Fig. 14 ).

Biology. One specimen was collected from “under mallee [ Eucalyptus L’Hér. ; Myrtaceae ] bark”. about 1.7–1.8 times as long as wide. Male genitalia with basal strut of tegmen ( Fig. 13 ) much shorter than sheath portion of tegmen, barely extending beyond sheath portion, not flared anteriorly;

Figures

Figs. 4–5. Melyronyxa pubescens, syntype. 4) Dorsal aspect; 5) Labels. Photos by Keita Matsumoto, © Natural History Museum, London.

Figs. 6–8. Characters of the head of Melyronyxa, new genus. Antenna: 6) M. monteithi, new species; 7) M. pubescens. Head capsule, ventral aspect: 8) M. monteithi, new species (arrow indicates gular pit).

Figs. 9–13. Male genitalia of Melyronyxa, new genus. Median lobe, lateral (apex at right): 9) M. monteithi, new species; 10) M. pubescens. Tegmen (apex up): 11) M. monteithi, new species, ventral; 12) Same, lateral; 13) M. pubescens, lateral. Scale bars = 100 μm.

Fig. 14. Distribution map of the two species of Melyronyxa, new genus. Star = M. monteithi, new species; circle = M. pubescens. The New South Wales and Victoria records are approximate.