Australara, Barr & Shepard, 2021

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/47BFA6C2-8BDE-4CFB-B7A7-C4299E45CAFB

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:47BFA6C2-8BDE-4CFB-B7A7-C4299E45CAFB

treatment provided by

ZooKeys by Pensoft

scientific name

Australara
status

gen. nov.

Australara gen. nov.

Type species.

Australara glaisteri sp. nov.

Differential diagnosis.

Australara (Fig. 13 View Figures 13, 14 ) is distinguished by the following characters: Body shape elongate; antennae subserrate, thin, very long; eyes moderately protuberant; maxillary palpi long and robust, apices tapered, sensory areas oblique and narrowly oval; labial palpomere 3 apex with white, digitiform, sensory area; pronotum with two faint, anterior transverse impressions laterad of the midline, basal sublateral carinae absent; prosternum moderately short anterior to procoxae, not extending beneath head; prosternal process spinose; mesoventrite with a narrow projection from the anterior margin containing a slit-like mesoventral cavity to receive the prosternal process; apices of hind tibiae exceeding the elytral apex.

Stetholus species (Figs 34 View Figures 34, 35 - 42 View Figures 41, 42 ), with similarly elongate bodies, are differentiated by the antennae (shorter, distinctly clavate), maxillary palpi (apical sensory area strongly oblique to base of palpomere 4 and widely open); prosternum (very short anterior to the procoxae), mesoventrite (mesoventral cavity large and deep, not within an anterior projection), and length of the hind legs (tibiae not exceeding elytral apices). Hydora (Figs 15B-D View Figure 15 , 17 View Figures 17–19 - 20 View Figures 20, 21 , 22 View Figure 22 ), like Australara , has an elongate body, long hind legs, and similar maxillary palpi, but differences include characteristics of the eyes (hemispherical, very protuberant), pronotum (with basal sublateral carinae), and mesoventrite (mesoventral cavity deep and moderately wide, not within an anterior projection).

Description.

Body elongate; setose, setae longer and more dense on venter than on dorsum. Antenna thin, very long, antennomeres 3-11 subserrate; eye moderately protuberant, subcircular at base; maxillary palpus long and robust, palpomere 4 with apex tapered, sensory area oblique, narrowly oval. Pronotum lightly sculptured with a pair of faint anterior transverse impressions and a pair of elongate basal sublateral impressions. Elytron marginate, shallowly punctate and striate, apex acute. Prosternum moderately short anterior to procoxae, not extending anteriorly beneath head; prosternal process long, spinose, carinate. Mesoventrite with a narrow projection from the anterior margin containing a slit-like mesoventral cavity. Abdominal ventrites 1 and 2 combined much shorter than ventrites 3-5 combined. Legs long, slender, apex of hind tibia extending beyond elytral apex.

Etymology.

From the Latin australis, meaning southern, in reference to the Southern Hemisphere as well as the continent of Australia, plus Lara , the type genus of the subfamily Larainae .

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality in north Queensland, Australia (Fig. 1 View Figures 1–12 ).

Comments.

Described from only three specimens, all males, from one locality. The larva is unknown.

Kingdom

Animalia

Order

Coleoptera

Family

Elmidae