Ovolara australis (King, 1865)

Barr, Cheryl B. & Shepard, William D., 2021, A review of the Larainae of Australia with description of seven new species and the new genus Australara (Coleoptera, Byrrhoidea, Elmidae), ZooKeys 1073, pp. 55-117 : 55

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1073.71843
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:18D5AF27-86E5-4D21-BCC5-27D09FB384DA
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/09F7BB68-40E2-5478-99E4-CADEB38EAA93
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Ovolara australis (King, 1865)
status

Treatment

Figs 3 View Figures 1–12 , 23 View Figures 23, 24 , 24 View Figures 23, 24

Type locality.

Parramatta River; 33.7644°S, 151.0076°E; New South Wales, Australia (lectotype deposited in the Australian Museum, Sydney).

Material examined

(114). New South Wales. AUSTRALIA: NSW / Jerrabattgulla Creek at / Ballalaba, E Capt. Flat / 35°38'36"S, 149°36'19"E / 4-I-2001, coll. C. B. Barr (9 EMEC); AUSTRALIA: NSW / 6.4 km ENE of Guthega / 7 I 2001 438 ft / Piper's Creek (WDS-A-1357 on reverse) // William D. / Shepard, leg. (2 EMEC); AUSTRALIA: NSW / 13 km E Braidwood / 3 I 2001 / Mongarlowe River (WDS-A-1345 on reverse) // William D. / Shepard, leg. (2 EMEC); AUSTRALIA: NSW / Deua Nat Park / 4 I 2001 453' / Black lights / S 35°45'00" E 149°54'53" (WDS-A-1346 on reverse) // William D. / Shepard, leg. (2 EMEC); same locality; Deua River (WDS-A-1348 on reverse) (1 EMEC); Australia: N.S.W. / Paterson River Nr. / Lostock Nov. 9 /2001 G. Challet (14 EMEC); AUSTRALIA: NSW / Allyn River / 9 Nov 2001 / G. Challet, leg. (8 EMEC); AUSTRALIA: N.S.W. / Tuross River nr. / Bodalla; Nov 3 / 2001; G. Challet (6 EMEC); Mebbin St. For. / NSW 18km W of / Uki 23-24 Nov. / 1982 J.Doyen (47 ANIC, 2 EMEC); AUSTRALIA: NSW, 2km N Nana / Glen (30°6'3"S, 153°'23.6"E), 11 / November 2006, coll. D. Britton // Weedy river bank / MV lamp, Britton 2006/052 // Australian Museum / K 579954 (1>AM); same data as for preceding; Australian Museum / K 579955 (1>AM); 15 km NE Kyogle / At black light / 20.xi.1984 / D.J.Scambler / Australian Museum / K 579974 (1>AM); same data as for preceding; Australian Museum / K 579975 (1>AM); Bruxner Park, Via / Coff’s Harbour, / 25.ii.1967. N.S.W. / G. Monteith (1 QM); NSW, Eccleston 4 km / N 27/11/95 C.Watts // SAMA / 25-47747 (2 SAMA); NSW, Williams R. / nr Dungog 27/11/95 / C.Watts // SAMA / 25-47748 (1 SAMA). Queensland. Canungra Creek , / 4 ml. S. of Canungra, Qld / 25.XII.1974 / G. B. Monteith (9 QM); Upper Canungra Creek, / via Canungra, S.E. Qld. / 2.i.1973 / I.Naumann (1 QM); NSW [QLD], Cedar Creek / Dayboro 10 km S / 23/11/95 C.Watts // SAMA / 25-47737 (1 SAMA); Condamine R. / Killarney / 6-11-32 / H Hacker (1 QM); N. Pine R. / 23-[illegible]-32 H Hacker (1 QM); Young’s X-ing / Petrie, Q. / 2.X.59 / I.C.Yeo / (1 QM) GoogleMaps .

Differential diagnosis

(n = 114). Ovolara australis (Figs 23 View Figures 23, 24 , 24 View Figures 23, 24 ) can be distinguished from other species of Ovolara by the following characters: Antennae ending in stout, moderately tight, ovoid clubs; pronotum distinctly sculptured, with a shallow, median, longitudinal sulcus at the anterior 2/3 and a broad, median, longitudinal costa at the posterior 1/3; each elytron with an accessory basal stria between striae 1 and 2; male genitalia unique. Ovolara lawrencei (Fig. 25 View Figures 25, 26 ), O. leai (Fig. 28 View Figures 28, 29 ) and O. monteithi (Fig. 30 View Figures 30, 31 ) have elongate antennal clubs and mostly unsculptured, smooth pronota without sulci or distinct costae; O. lawrencei lacks elytral accessory striae. The male genitalia of O. lawrencei (Fig. 26 View Figures 25, 26 ) are the most similar, but the penis of O. australis (Fig. 24 View Figures 23, 24 ) is abruptly constricted at the apex with the adjacent paramere apices rounded, while that of O. lawrencei is tapered and narrow near the apical 1/3 and the paramere inner margins are linear and clasping.

Variation.

The only difference observed among individuals is the degree of pronotal sculpturing, especially the depth of the median longitudinal sulcus. Measured specimens vary in size from 3.3-4.2 mm long and 1.4-1.7 mm wide (n = 30). There is little size difference between males, 3.3-4.1 mm long, 1.4-1.7 mm wide (n = 19), and females, 3.4-4.2 mm long, 1.5-1.7 mm wide (n = 11), with individuals of both at the small and large ends of the size range.

Distribution.

Ovolara australis occurs in New South Wales and south Queensland, Australia (Fig. 3 View Figures 1–12 ).

Habitat, behavior, and life history.

The authors found O. australis adults to be numerous in blackwater streams beneath undercut clumps of emergent vegetation in areas of sluggish flow. The species also has been taken at black light by the authors and other collectors. One female specimen, collected in January, was dissected and found to have 20+ eggs in her abdomen, indicating that January is within the reproductive period of the species.

Associated byrrhoid taxa.

Elmidae : Larainae : Stetholus elongatus ; Elminae : Austrolimnius metasternalis Carter & Zeck, A. spp., Coxelmis novemnotata (King), Kingolus aeratus (Carter), K. quatuormaculatus (King), K. metallicus (King), K. tinctus Carter & Zeck, K. spp., Notriolus maculatus (Carter), N. minor (Carter & Zeck), N. quadriplagiatus (Carter), N. setosus Carter & Zeck, N. spp., Simsonia tasmanica (Blackburn), Simsonia spp. Psephenidae : Sclerocyphon striatus Lea.

Comments.

Ovolara australis , the type species of the genus, was originally described by King (1865) in Lutochrus , a misspelling of Lutrochus Erichson, 1847; it was moved to Ovolara by Brown (1981). The larva of this species has been reared to the adult by Glaister (A.Glaister, in litt.).