Deretaphrus ocularis 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 : 40-41

Deretaphrus ocularis Lord and McHugh , new species

( Figs. 40–41 , 73 , 114–115 , 156 , 177 , 222–223 )

Diagnosis. This species can be readily distinguished from congeners by the distinctly reniform eyes, excavated posteriorly by a large, subtriangular cuticular expansion of the head capsule. It most closely resembles D. wollastoni and D. xanthorrhoeae but is easily distinguished by the structure of the eye.

Description. Length 7.2–8.5 mm. Width 2.3–2.8 mm. Body elongate, parallel, dark red; dorsal surface glabrous, moderately shiny; ventral surface moderately shiny, glabrous except for minute setae that arise from punctures. Head ( Figs. 40–41 ): In dorsal view, slightly narrowed anteriorly, subtriangular; with sinuate, laterally expanded supra-ocular ridges; eyes partially concealed from above. Eye reniform, excavated posteriorly by a large, subtriangular cuticular expansion of the head capsule; punctures small and dense except sparse along posterior margin. Frontoclypeal suture distinct, arcuate anteromedially. Clypeus distinctly narrower than head, anterior margin nearly straight. Submentum shape similar to Fig. 52 ; meeting subgenal braces, with large punctures, without paired setose pits; anterior margin arcuate, inflexed anteromedially, strongly produced anteroventrally over oral cavity, mentum concealed. Antennal groove well-developed, impunctate. Antenna appearing glabrous except under high magnification, segments 3–8 with a single transverse row of minute setae. Antennal club distinctly asymmetrical, leading edge of club segments much more inflated than trailing edge. Dorsal surface (external face) of mandible without median setose groove. Thorax ( Fig. 73 ): Pronotum elongate, tapering only slightly towards base, widest near anterior ¼; dorsal surface evenly convex; anterior margin arcuate, wider than head; anterior angles rounded; base narrower than elytral bases; posterior margin weakly sinuate; posterior angles with small denticle; lateral margin with incomplete carina, forming a distinct raised border in dorsal view, terminating anteriorly before the true anterior margin of the pronotum. Pronotal disc with medium, shallow, oval punctures. Pronotal median longitudinal canal present, weakly developed, not interrupted; canal terminating anteriorly near anterior 1/3, very narrow, weakly impressed, widening into a depression posteriorly. Hypomeron sparsely punctate, punctures larger than those found on pronotal disc; lateral walls strongly deflexed. Prosternum flat medially, strongly deflexed at lat- eral margin. Prosternum depressed immediately anterior to procoxae. Tergosternal suture more or less straight. Elytra ( Figs. 114–115 ): Elytron evenly convex; interstitial intervals 5 and 7 weakly raised for entire length, more pronounced near apex; interval 9 merges with apical elytral margin; interval 3 raised near apex. Raised intervals with micropunctures at crest. Basal elytral margin with intervals 3 and 5 each ending in a knob-like protuberance; protuberance of interval 5 joining finger-like callosity on the elytral shoulder; callosity distinctly forked. Legs: Setation sparse; inner face of tibia with 2 prominent fringes of relatively long setae. Tibial crown moderately setose. Ventral apex of tibia with 2 pockets of dense setae that arise on either side of the large, curved tibial spur. Tarsus sparsely setose except for 2 pockets of dense setae on the ventral surface at the apex of tarsomeres 1–3. Abdomen: Ventrite V simple. Punctures on ventrite V smaller and denser than ventrites I–IV. Aedeagus: Phallobase as in Fig. 156 . Tegmen consisting of paired, subtriangular plates at middle; plates narrowly touching medially. Basal piece with short anterolateral struts; struts slightly curved anteriorly. Parameres moderately short, somewhat elongate, rounded at apices, distinctly separated and individually articulated to phallobase, internal lateral margins approaching straight; paramere sparsely setose with short setae at apical margin; dorsal surface of paramere with short subtriangular process; process thickest at base, narrowing apically, about as long as 1/3 the length of the paramere, apex slightly swollen; processes moderately separated, parallel medially. Penis similar to Fig. 169 ; short, moderately thick, more or less straight; apex narrowed and pointed; base slightly expanded, bearing short, paired anterior struts. Penis bicolored, lighter for short portion near base.

Variation. Other than the expected variation in size, this species varies little.In one specimen [ SAMA 188 NL], the pronotal median longitudinal groove appears to be weakly interrupted near the apex .

Distribution. Known only from South Australia ( Fig. 177 ).

Biology. One specimen was collected on a sand dune in “open low Mallee.”

Etymology. The epithet ocularis (Latin) refers to the reniform shape of the eyes, excavated posteriorly by a large, subtriangular cuticular expansion of the head capsule.

Remarks. A holotype and three paratypes are here designated and are deposited in SAMA.

Type Locality. 3 3° 0 2′ 9 3″S, 1 3 5°4 9′6 3″E, Pinkawillinie Conservation Park , 16 km NNW of Koongawa, South Australia .

Type Material Examined. H O L O T Y P E ( Figs. 222–223 ) ( SAMA, pinned) label data :

S. AUST. Pinkawillinie CP 16km NNW Koongawa 33°02′93″ S 135°49′63″E 24 Nov. 1995 J.A. Forrest // S. Aust. Museum specimen [orange label]” [ SAMA 171 NL]. Sex not determined. PARATYPE (♂, SAMA, pinned) label data: “S. AUST. Danggali CP 3km N Tomahawk Dam pitfalls 33°19′39″S 140°42′50″E 24–26 Nov. 96 JA Forrest // S. Aust. Museum specimen [orange label]” [ SAMA 172 NL, examined]. The abdomen of this specimen was dissected [glued to a card, bearing a handwritten “P.T.” and “ ♀ ” symbol]. The abdomen and the genitalia [in glycerin in a genitalia vial] are pinned beneath the specimen. PARATYPE ( SAMA, minuten-pinned to foam block) label data: “S.AUST. dead on Sinclair Gap salt lake 7 Sept. 1996 33.1250°S 137.0522°E P. Hudson // S. Aust. Museum specimen [orange label]” [ SAMA 173 NL, examined]. Sex not determined. PARATYPE ( SAMA, minuten-pinned into foam block) label data: “S. AUST Munyaroo CP, 9.5km SSW Murninnie 33°23′38″S 137°20′33″E 23–30 September 2002 beat MUN002 SEG Munyaroo Survey // Low sand dune, open low Mallee // S. Aust. Museum specimen [orange label]” [ SAMA 188 NL, examined]. Sex not determined .

Figures

Figs. 35–41. Deretaphrus species, head. 35) D. bucculentus, dorsal view; 36) D. carinatus, dorsal view; 37) D. incultus, dorsal view; 38) D. parviceps, dorsal view; 39) D. rodmani, dorsal view; 40) D. ocularis, dorsal view; 41) D. ocularis, lateral view.

Figs. 66–74. Deretaphrus species, pronotum. 66) D. gracilis; 67) D. hoplites; 68) D. ignarus; 69) D. incultus;

Figs. 112–117. Deretaphrus species, elytra, dorsal and lateral views. 112–113) D. lateropunctatus; 114–115) D. ocularis;

Figs. 149–157. Deretaphrus species, phallobase. 149) D. gracilis; 150) D. hoplites; 151) D. ignarus; 152) D. incultus;

Figs. 177–178. Distribution of Deretaphrus species. 177) D. aequaliceps, D. erichsoni, D. iridescens, and D. ocularis;

Figs. 219–227. Primary type specimens and specimen labels of Deretaphrus species. 219) D. iridescens, lectotype labels; 220–221) D. lateropunctatus, holotype, BMNH; 222–223) D. ocularis, holotype, SAMA; 224–225) D. oregonensis, lectotype, MCZ; 226–227) D. parviceps, lectotype, SAMA.

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.