Deretaphrus antennatus Lord and McHugh

Lord, Nathan P. & McHugh, Joseph V., 2013, A Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Deretaphrus Newman, 1842 (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea: Bothrideridae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 12) 67, pp. 1-107 : 20-21

Deretaphrus antennatus Lord and McHugh , new species

( Figs. 4–5 , 60 , 88–89 , 143 , 173 , 189–190 )

Diagnosis. This species can be readily distinguished from congeners by the strongly asymmetrical antennal club consisting of very angular segments and the apical margin of antennomere 11 concave and distinctly pointed along leading margin. It most closely resembles D. carinatus new species. In D. antennatus , the pronotal median longitudinal groove is more weakly developed and not interrupted, the interstitial intervals of the elytra are less strongly carinate, the antennal club segments bear intermittent setae, the anterior apical angle of antennomere 11 bears a patch of minute, erect setae, the antennal club segments are strongly asymmetrical (with medial apices strongly angulate), the head lacks laterally expanded supra-ocular ridges, the eyes are evenly convex, and the apex of abdominal ventrite V is truncate (flattened) and not excised dorso-medially to produce a small point.

Description. Length 8.9–9.8 mm. Width 2.5–3 mm. Body elongate, parallel, dark red to black; dorsal surface glabrous, matte to slightly shiny; ventral surface moderately shiny, glabrous except for minute setae that arise from punctures. Head: In dorsal view, narrowed anteriorly, dorsal surface subtriangular; without laterally expanded supra-ocular ridges; eyes visible from above; eye evenly convex; punctures fairly dense. Frontoclypeal suture distinct, slightly sinuate medially. Clypeus distinctly narrower than head. Anterior margin of clypeus subtly arcuate, nearly straight. Submentum shape similar to Fig. 48 ; narrowly separated from subgenal braces, anterior corners produced into rounded lobes, without paired setose pits; anterior margin straight, strongly produced anteroventrally over oral cavity, mentum completely concealed, only apices of palpi visible, if at all. Antennal groove well-developed, impunctate internally. Antenna appearing glabrous except under high magnification, segments 3–8 with a single transverse row of minute setae, setae much smaller than the segment from which they arise. Antennal club segments with intermittent setae, apical angle of antennomere 11 with patch of minute, erect setae. Antennal club distinctly asymmetrical, leading edge of club segments much more inflated than trailing edge, trailing edge of club segments straight. Dorsal surface (external face) of mandible without median setose groove. Thorax ( Fig. 60 ): Pronotum large, slightly impressed medially, distinctly tapering to base, widest near anterior margin; dorsal surface convex, deflexed near anterior and posterior angles; anterior margin straight; anterior angles rounded; base narrower than elytral bases; posterior margin weakly sinuate; posterior angles with small denticle; lateral margin arcuate, slightly to moderately sinuate, with incomplete carina, forming a distinct raised margin in dorsal view. Pronotal disc with large, deep, round to oval punctures. Pronotal median longitudinal canal present, weakly developed, not interrupted. Hypomeron sparsely punctate, punctures large, round, and deeper than punctures of pronotal disc. Lateral walls strongly deflexed, subparallel. Prosternum flat medially, strongly deflexed at lateral margin. Tergosternal suture more or less straight. Elytra ( Figs. 88–89 ): Elytron slightly flattened dorsally. Elytral interstitial intervals with row of micropunctures near apex; intervals 3–7, 9 raised for entire length, shiny, interval 8 raised only near apex; even raised intervals not as long as odd, ending before apex; odd raised intervals nearly extending to apical margin; interval 3 more strongly raised near apex; interval 4 more strongly raised in apical half. Basal elytral margin with intervals 3 and 5 each ending in a knob-like protuberance; protuberance on elytral interval 5 merges with finger-like callosity on elytral shoulder. Legs: Femur and tibia with short, sparse setae; inner face of tibia with 2 small rows of short, stout setae. Tarsus sparsely setose except for 2 pockets of dense setae on the ventral surface near the apex of tarsomeres 1–3. Abdomen: Apex of ventrite V slightly to moderately truncate or flattened. Aedeagus: Phallobase as in Fig. 143 . Tegmen consisting of paired, transverse plates at middle; plates narrowly touching medially. Basal piece with short anterolateral struts; struts slightly curved anteriorly. Parameres moderately short, broadly rounded, widely separated and individually articulated to phallobase, internal lateral margins arcuate; paramere sparsely setose with short setae at apical margin; dorsal surface of paramere with long, curved process; process thickest at base, narrowing apically, slightly longer than half the length of the paramere, apex curved, pointed; base of process with small swelling bearing a few stout setae; processes moderately separated, parallel medially. Penis similar to Fig. 169 ; short, moderately thick, slightly curved; apex narrowed and pointed; base slightly expanded, bearing short, paired anterior struts. Penis bicolored, lighter in basal 1/3.

Variation. The general sculpture of the pronotal disc is slightly variable. In some specimens, the pronotal disc bears only a hint of a median longitudinal depression. In others, the median longitudinal depression is distinct posteriorly. The punctures of the pronotal disc are also somewhat variable in depth. The apex of abdominal ventrite V slightly to strongly truncate (flattened).

Distribution. Known only from Western Australia ( Fig. 173 ).

Biology. One specimen was collected “in nests of Tuterus.” It is unknown what “Tuterus” refers to.

Etymology. The epithet antennatus (L.) refers to the characteristic shape of the strongly asymmetrical antennal club.

Remarks. A holotype and three paratypes are here designated.

Type Locality. 25 miles north of Carnarvon , Western Australia .

Type Material Examined. H O L O T Y P E ( Figs. 189–190 ) ( WAMP, pinned) label data: “ W.H. Butler 22.10.1965 25 Miles Nth Carnarvon W. Australia. [handwritten] // Western Australian Museum Entomology Reg. no. 65227 [yellow label]” [ WAMP 45 NL, examined]. Sex not deter- mined. PARATYPE ( WAMP, pinned) label data: “ W.H. Butler 22.10.1965 25 Miles Nth Carnarvon W. Australia. [handwritten] // Western Australian Museum Entomology Reg. no. 65228 [yellow label]” [ WAMP 46 NL, examined]. The abdomen of this specimen was dissected [glued to a card] and pinned beneath the specimen. Sex not determined. PARATYPE ( WAMP, pinned) label data: “ W.H. Butler 30.V.1964 Barrow Is. W. Australia. [handwritten] // Western Australian Museum Entomology Reg. no. 65229 [yellow label]” [ WAMP 47 NL, examined]. Female , abdomen and genitalia dissected and in glycerine in vial below specimen. PARATYPE ( WAMP, pinned) label data: “Tambrey in nest of tuterus 3.8.58 [handwritten] R.P. McMillan. // Western Australian Museum Entomology Reg. no. 65231 [yellow label]” [ WAMP 49 NL, examined]. Male, abdomen and genitalia dissected and in glycerine in vial below specimen .

Figures

Figs. 4–5. Deretaphrus antennatus, live specimen from Barrow Island, Western Australia (Image credit: Pia Scanlon, Dept. of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia).

Figs. 57–65. Deretaphrus species, pronotum. 57) D. aequaliceps; 58) D. alveolatus; 59) D. analis; 60) D. antennatus;

Figs. 88–93. Deretaphrus species, elytra, dorsal and lateral views. 88–89) D. antennatus; 90–91) D. boliviensis;

Figs. 140–148. Deretaphrus species, phallobase. 140) D. aequaliceps; 141) D. alveolatus; 142) D. analis;

Figs. 173–174. Distribution of Deretaphrus species. 173) D. alveolatus, D. antennatus, D. parviceps, and D. rodmani;

Figs. 183–191. Primary type specimens and specimen labels of Deretaphrus species. 183–184) D. aequaliceps, lectotype, BMNH; 185–186) D. alveolatus, holotype, SAMA; 187–188) D. analis, lectotype, SAMA; 189–190) D. antennatus, holotype, WAMP; 191) D. boliviensis, holotype, USNM.

Figs. 48–53. Deretaphrus species, head capsule, ventral view, showing setae and shape of submentum. 48) D. ignarus;

Figs. 165–172. Deretaphrus species, penis (left: dorsal view; right: lateral view; phallobase, to scale with penis). 165) D. boliviensis; 166) D. bucculentus; 167) D. gracilis; 168) D. hoplites; 169) D. ignarus; 170) D. oregonensis; 171) D. parviceps; 172) D. puncticollis.