Undarobius irvini Escalona & Oberprieler, 2021

Escalona, Hermes E. & Oberprieler, Rolf G., 2021, Undarobius, a new genus of cavernicolous weevils (Curculionidae: Entiminae Leptopiini) from the Undara Lava Caves in north-eastern Australia, with an overview of anophthalmic and microphthalmic Australian Curculionidae, Zootaxa 5023 (2), pp. 207-222 : 211-215

Undarobius irvini Escalona & Oberprieler sp. n.

( Figs. 11–13 , 36 )

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2BC48169-7DBE-4E82-94EB-1A72AD5116EB

Diagnosis. Body length 4.0 mm. Elytral setae longer, apically narrow and acute. Body 1.8 × longer than wide, rostrum 1.9 × longer than wide. Prothorax and elytra 0.9 × and 1.2 × as long as wide, respectively. Spermatheca as in Fig. 36 .

Description. General appearance. Body length 4.0 mm, 1.8 × longer than wide. Squamae sparse on pronotal and elytral discs but denser laterally; scape, pronotum and elytra with long, apically narrow and acute setae. Punctures mostly fine, distance between them greater than puncture sizes. Head. Rostrum 1.9 × longer than wide and 1.6 × longer than head in lateral view, oval in cross-section. Position of eyes indicated by small glabrous area. Antennae. Scapes 0.8 × shorter than funicle and club. Funicles with segment 1 longer than 3. Thorax. Pronotum 0.9 × as long as wide with sparse fine punctures. Hypomera behind procoxae 1.5 × longer than coxal width. Elytra 1.2 × as long as wide, disc barely convex, setae long, apically narrow and acute. Legs. Metatibial apex with reduced mucro, visible at high magnification. Female genitalia. Spermatheca as in Fig. 36 .

Material examined (1 ex.). HOLOTYPE, ♀: AUSTRALIA: N E Qld / Mt. Garnet, Undara, 1000 m / 20 May 1985 / F. G. Howarth, D. Irvin // Yarramulla Sta / Taylor Cave // HOLOTYPE / Undarobius irvini / Escalona & Oberprieler 2021 ( ANIC ).

Derivation of name. The species is named for the speleologist Douglas Irvin (Chillagoe Caving Club), collector of the only known specimen.

Comments. This species is so far known from a single female, collected from the deep zone of Taylor Cave ( Howarth 1988). It is noticeably smaller and narrower than the females of U. howarthi , and it can also be distinguished by its longer and sharp-pointed elytral setae. Its spermatheca is narrower and has a longer and more sharply angled cornu, although additional specimens will need to be studied to assess its variability.

Figures

FIGURES 9–16. Undarobius habitus and mouthparts. 9–10, 12—U. howarthi sp. n. (SL 3.8 mm, ♂) 9–10: dorsal, 12: lateral aspect; 11, 13—U. irvini sp. n. (SL 3.8 mm, ♀) 11: dorsal, 13: lateral aspect; 14– 16—U. howarthi sp. n. ♀, mouthparts, 14: labium, ventral view, 15: left mandible, dorsal view, 16: right maxilla, ventral view.

FIGURES 26–36. Undarobius species, structural details. 26–34 U. howarthi sp. n., 26—pterothorax and elytra, ventral view; 27—ventrites, ♂, ventral view; 28—foreleg; 29—middle leg; 30—hindleg; 31—penis, dorsal view; 32—penis, lateral view; 33—sternite VIII, ♀, ventral view; 34—ovipositor, ventral view; 35—spermatheca; 36—U. irvini sp. n., spermatheca.