Agyrtodes crassus Zwick, 1979

Seago, Ainsley E., 2009, Revision Of Agyrtodes Portevin (Coleoptera: Leiodidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 7) 63, pp. 1-73 : 21-22

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1649/0010-065x-63.sp7.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B58B2216-0CFA-41C6-8141-7024E65ECF85
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039887BA-FFF3-C058-92BD-82E5EC3F93CF
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Agyrtodes crassus Zwick
status

Treatment

Agyrtodes crassus Zwick View in CoL

(Figs. 2, 39, 59, 79, 101)

Agyrtodes crassus Zwick 1979: 10 View in CoL . Holotype: male, labeled ‘‘ Mt. Tamborine ,

south Queensland, 30.xii.1951 C. Oke’ ’ ( NMV) .

Distribution. Australia: eastern New South Wales; eastern Queensland ( Fig. 101 View Fig ). Material examined listed in Appendix 1.

Diagnosis. Large body size, broadly ovoid, nearly round in dorsal view; color deep reddish-brown with two dark brown longitudinal markings on elytra and a median dark marking on the pronotum; apical maxillary palpomere swollen, basally much wider than penultimate segment. Another Queensland species (described here as A. globosus Seago , new species) is similarly large and roundbodied, but is uniformly dark brown and lacks the expanded maxillary palpomeres of A. crassus .

Redescription. TBL 5 2.5 mm, EW 5 2.0 mm PNW 5 1.8 mm, HW 5 0.65 mm. (TBL variation: 2.5–2.7 mm).

Body size larger than all other described Australian Agyrtodes ; convex but with lateral margins of elytra very slightly explanate. Body (Fig. 2) nearly round in dorsal view, elytra tapering behind to a blunt point. Dorsum covered with loose vestiture of long golden hairs. Ringlike color pattern of dark brown maculations on deep red-brown dorsum, with longitudinal dark streaks on elytra converging in distal third and median dark spot of pronotum typically split medially and flanked by two smaller lateral spots (Fig. 2; see Zwick 1979, Fig. 14). Shape of median pronotal dark spot variable, fused into a single dark patch or longitudinally split into two discrete bluntly triangular patches.

Head narrow, shining, with deep, closely spaced punctures and loose, disordered vestiture of golden hairs. Eyes large and protuberant. Epistomal suture present, without stem. Clypeus subquadrate, barely wider than long, deeply punctate. Labrum rectangular, longer than that of other Agyrtodes , with shallow, narrow median cleft in distal margin. Mandibles normal, with dense pore fields dorsally. Maxillae with galea short and slender, bearing weak apical brush of short, curving hairs; lacinia broad, spore-brush with distinct, parallel rows of small, curving spines. Maxillary palpi with apical segment greatly enlarged, more than 3 3 as long and 1.3 3 as wide as subapical palpomere. Labium with four thick, pointed, digitiform sensilla-like structures along anterior margin of ligula; labial palpi 3-segmented with sparse array of minute setae. Antennae ( Fig. 39 View Figs ) extremely slender, elongate; periarticular gutters widely exposed, intersegmental joints elongate. First two segments light yellow-brown, segments 3–10 reddish brown, apical segment light brown. First two segments expanded,.2 3 as wide as stem antennal segments; segment 3 slender, cylindrical, slightly longer than subsequent three segments. Segments 4–6 subequal in length and width, segment 7 narrowly triangular, segment 8 slender, parallel-sided, 2 3 as long as wide, segments 9 and 10 triangular, broadly expanded apically, segment 11 ovoid, nearly round.

Pronotum transverse, slightly convex, with deep, coarse punctures, vestiture sparse. Lateral margins curving in dorsal view, tapering smoothly but abruptly from wide posterior margin to narrow anterior margin. Anterolateral angles bluntly lobed, resting smoothly against head in repose. Hind angles triangular, sharply produced, not lying flat against elytral bases.

Elytra strongly convex, sharply pointed behind, slightly explanate with markedly carinate lateral margins. Longitudinal strial impressions present, shallow basally, deeper distally, with deeply punctate interneurs in apical third; sutural striae and striae adjacent to lateral margins impressed and punctate along entire length of elytra. Transverse strigae present, conspicuous, bearing stiff golden hairs. Epipleura broad, concave, with shallow setiferous punctures. Scutellum large, flat, finely punctate, without vestiture.

Prosternum short; hypomeron smooth, concave. Procoxal cavities roughly triangular, rounded medially, pointed laterally, with trochantins exposed. Procoxae separated by low median prosternal carina, coxal cavities scarcely closed posteriorly. Mesosternum short, transverse; median carina low, lightly sclerotized. Mesepimera usually small, shorter and much narrower than mesocoxae, bluntly elongate, subovoid in shape. Mesocoxal cavities large, pointed laterally. Metasternum flat, scarcely bulging laterally, medially constrict- ed, deeply punctate throughout. Metepisterna wide, elongate, bluntly quadrate at apices. Metacoxal cavities narrowly triangular. Abdomen short, broad, sterna normal, terga lightly sclerotized.

Legs robust, sparsely pubescent, uniformly reddish-brown. Claws and female tarsi simple, tibial armature normal. First three protarsomeres of male broadly expanded and bearing tenent setae, basal tarsomere subequal in width to tibial apex. Male mesotibiae faintly incurved in distal half. First mesotarsomeres in male very slightly expanded laterally, not elongate, with dense pad of tenent setae.

Male genital segment ( Fig. 59 View Figs ) smoothly tapering distally, deeply cleft, apically setose; pleurites pointed apically, anterior apophysis short, weakly sclerotized. Aedeagus ( Fig. 79 View Figs ) with median lobe simple, slender, tapering, entire distal half pointed; basal piece short. Parameres simple, uniformly slender, not extending past apex of median lobe, bluntly rounded at apices, with long, straight hairs on interior faces. Endophallus armed with two very large, curving, thorn-shaped sclerites, an elongate patch of small teeth, and an elongate patch of smaller spines.

Female terminalia normal, coxites slender, styli equal in length, half as wide as coxites, terminal setae longer than styli.

Natural History. Collected by flight intercept traps, sifting fungi and associated leaf litter, and by pyrethrum fogging on fungusy logs in Nothofagus and rainforests.

Notes. Agyrtodes crassus possesses a number of characteristics not found in other Agyrtodes : the dilated apical maxillary palpomere, deeply punctate pronotum and constricted, elongate antennal articulations are apparently unique to this species. Although Paragyrtodes candens Scymczakowski possesses a similarly expanded third palpomere, this is not likely to be homologous to that found in A. crassus .