Pristoderus chloreus Turco & Ślipiński, 2012

Turco, Federica, Ślipiński, Adam & Lambkin, Christine L., 2012, Taxonomic revision of Australian Pristoderus Hope (Coleoptera, Zopheridae), Zootaxa 3239, pp. 1-34 : 21-22

Pristoderus chloreus Turco & Ślipiński sp. n.

( Figs 3a , 5a, 7a)

Types. Holotype: Australia, New South Wales: Wiangaree S.F , 28.22S 153.05E, 1050m, 10-12.ii.1983, T. Weir & A. Calder ( ANIC).

Paratypes: same data as holotype (7, ANIC; photographed specimen QM photo PS 1759); Mt Glorious St . For., Sep-Oct.1986, ex Argyrodendron actinophyllum r/f, Y. Basset [ Ga : 27.333S 152.767E] (1, ANIC); Mt Tamborine, 24.xii.28, E. Sutton [ Ga : 27.973S 153.198E] (2, ANIC); Nat. Park,. i.28, H.J.C. [ Ga : 28.256S 153.134E] (1, ANIC); Tamborine Mountain, H. Hacker [ Ga : 27.973S 153.198E] (1, QMBA, T46337); Tamborine Mts, E. Sutton [ Ga : 27.973S 153.198E] (1, QMBA, T46334); Tamborine, 23.4.28, E. Sutton [ Ga : 27.973S 153.198E] (3, QMBA, T46335-6, T 169595); Kenilworth State For. via Kenilworth, 17.iii.1973, G.B. Monteith [ Ga : 26.583S 152.733E] (1, UQIC now at QMBA, T 169596).

Other specimens examined. New South Wales : Acacia Plateau, J. Armstrong [ Ga : 28.382S 152.368E] (1, ANIC).

Queensland: 28.198°S 153.317°E, Mt Gannon , Tallebudgera Valley , 500m, Hand , 29 Nov 10, G.B. Monteith (2, QMBA ethanol coll.); 28.198°S 153.317°E, Mt. Gannon, 500m, rainforest, 29 Nov 2010, 34741, bark spray, G.B. Monteith (1, QMBA ethanol coll.); Mt. Glorious, 16.i.1972, G. Monteith [ Ga : 27.333S 152.767E] (1, UQIC); 28.188°S 153.121°E, Lamington NP, Lahey Mem., 28 Oct–9 Nov 2008, 746m, RF, Malaise, G. Monteith (1, QMBA); same locality, Pyrethrum, 2 Nov 0 9, G.B. Monteith , 18585 (4, QMBA; including 3 in ethanol coll.); 28.188°S 153.121°E, Lamington NP., IBISCA 700 A, 9 Nov–2 Dec 2008, Mal., RF, G. Monteith (1, QMBA); Lever's Plateau, Via Rathdowney , 18.iv.1964, J. Calder [ Ga : 28.211S 152.863E] (1, UQIC); National Park , Jan 1928, Nicholson [ Ga : 28.256S 153.134E] (1, ANIC); Tamborine, 24.12.28 [ Ga : 27.973S 153.198E] (2, QMBA); Mt Tamborine, 5.xi.1962, F.J.D. McDonald [ Ga : 27.973S 153.198E] (1, UQIC); 27.930S 153.206E, Tamborine, Palm Grove , 500m, Pyrethrum , 26 Aug 10, G.B. Monteith , rf, 34522 (1, QMBA ethanol coll.).

Diagnosis. Pristoderus chloreus is similar to P. duvalensis in having the crest along 3rd elytral interval composed of narrow, high, conical, digitiform tubercles not joined to form a costa. It is readily distinct for the large size, body almost entirely greenish, number of lobes on lateral margins of pronotum (7–8), basal tubercle on 5th elytral interval raised and sharply pointed, distinctly explanate elytral edge with protruding teeth, heterogeneous in size, and finally for the median pronotal process strongly sloping in lateral view.

Description. Body length: 9.5–12.4 mm.

Body convex, about 1.5–2 times as long as wide (ratio max length/max width: 1.76–1.77); body vestiture of short, dense, erect whitish setae (slightly longer on tubercles), holding a coat of dirt and possibly micro-algae, thus creating a pattern varying from grey-greenish to light green.

Head transverse; eyes protruding without interfacetal setae; long and fine setae just posterior to eyes; supraorbital carina raised, indented with a distinct upwardly directed, pointed tubercle at posterior end, above the eye; supra-antennal carina distinctly raised, frontal edge indented; antennal insertion frontal, just below the edge of supra-antennal carina; antennae 11-segmented with a distinct 3-segmented club; antennomere I slightly elongate, about as long as III; II subspherical; III distinctly longer than II; IV–VIII from subcylindrical to subspherical gradually decreasing in length; IX–XI distinctly transverse to form a rather loose club.

Pronotum distinctly transverse (pronotal length/width: 0.53–0.56), as wide as elytra; dorsal median process anteriorly prominent but short, not reaching anterior margin of head, just reaching anterior pronotal angles, strongly sloping in lateral view with pointed tubercles on dorsal edge; antero-lateral margins widely lobate (7–8 lobes), expanded posteriorly to form a lateral notch, widely open; two admedian upwardly pointed tubercles in middle.

Elytra less than 1.5 times as long as wide (elytral length/width: 1.20–1.23), sinuate, with distinctly indented margins; strongly prominent tubercles along 3rd and 5th intervals; 3rd interval with tubercles variable in size and shape, indistinctly joined to form a crest, weakly zigzag ; proximal third of crest convergent, reduced to digitiform tubercles; apical tubercle distinctly raised, with edge sharply indented, pointing upwards; 5th interval with basal tubercle larger than others on same interval, with pointed edge; basal tubercle distinctly high, sharply pointed.

Etymology. The name is a masculine adjective, latinised from Greek cloros (= green). It refers to the general body colour of the species, due to the coat of dirt and cryptogams growing on the body surface.

Distribution and habitat occurrence. SE Queensland and NE New South Wales ( Fig. 13 a); upland subtropical rainforest with one record of lowland subtropical rainforest (Kenilworth S.F. in NSW).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Group of P. sa cc ha ra tu s, habitus dorsal: a. P. ch lo reus; b. P. co rn utu s; c. P. duvalensis; d. P. monteithi; e. P. occultus; f. P. saccharatus; g. P. sp in osu s; h. P. tomentosus; i. P. zig zag.

FIGURE 13. Distribution maps: a. P. c h l o re u s; b. P. duvalensis; c. P. monteithi.