Antimerus monteithi, Solodovnikov, A. & Newton, A. F., 2010

Solodovnikov, A. & Newton, A. F., 2010, Revision of the rove beetle genus Antimerus (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae), a puzzling endemic Australian lineage of the tribe Staphylinini, ZooKeys 67, pp. 21-63 : 44-46

Antimerus monteithi sp. n. Figs 1540-42

Type locality:

Australia: Queensland: Springbrook Repeater, 1000m, 28°14'S, 153°16'E

Material examined.

AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Holotype, pinned, genitalia not dissected but aedeagus protruding from abdomen, with labels: "SEQ: 28°14'S x 153°16'E / Springbrook Repeater,/ 3 Oct-31 Dec 1997/. G. Monteith 1000m/ Rainfor. Intercept 5648", "QUEENSLAND/ MUSEUM LOAN/ DATE: Sept. 2004/ No. LE 04.51", "FMNH-INS/ 0000 019 175", "Antimerus/ n.sp. 3/ det. A. Newton 2004"/ "HOLOTYPE/ Antimerus/ monteithi sp.n./ A. Solodovnikov des. 2006", 1♂ in QM. Paratypes:Lamington N.P., Binna Burra, 18.xi.1982, on logs in rainforest (S. Endrödy-Younga), FMNH-INS 0000 019 999, 1♂ in TMSA; Lamington N.P., O’Reillys, Border Trail, 920-1000 m, 960m, 11.i.1991, under bark (Pollock & Reichardt), FMNH-INS 0000 019 142, 1♀ in FMNH; New South Wales: Acacia Plateau & Wilson’s Peak area - Koreelah St. For.,>900m, 28°16'S, 152°27'E, dry subtropical rainforest, exposed slope, 11.xii.1988, pitfall trap AP3 (Smith, Hines, Pugh & Webber), 1♂ in AMS.

Description.

Measurements (n=3): HL: 1.8-2.6; HW: 2.5-3.0; PL: 2.3-2.7; PW: 2.8-3.3; EL: 3.0-3.3; EW: 2.9-3.3. Total length of the body: 13-15 mm.

Head and pronotum black, glossy but without metallic reflection; elytra blue-greenish, glossy, with strong metallic reflection; abdomen and appendages dark brown to black. Disc of head and pronotum without punctuation or pubescence, their surfaces with microsculpture of transverse waves and faint micropunctuation. Elytra with irregular, non-setiferous punctuation, glabrous with only a few long black macrosetae; interspaces between punctures without distinct microsculpture. Abdomen densely and moderately coarsely punctate, without metallic reflection, with brown to black pubescence; interspaces between punctures with distinct transverse microsculpture.

Head wider than long; tempora about as long as eye (in lateral view) forming distinct broadly rounded hind angles. Antennae with antennomeres VIII–X distinctly wider than long, transverse.

Pronotum distinctly transverse, obviously wider than long and about as wide as head; pronotal posterior and especially anterior angles very distinct; pronotum widest in the area near its posterior angles, gradually narrowing anteriad. Pronotal hypomera strongly inflexed, not visible from lateral view.

Elytron longer than pronotum, about as long as wide.

Wings well developed.

Abdominal tergites III–V (first to third visible) with slight transverse impression in basal part; tergite VII (fifth visible) with whitish seam at apical margin.

Male (Figs 40-42). Aedeagus with paramere slightly narrower than median lobe (in dorsal view), distinctly bilobed; lobes separated by deep narrow incision.

Comparison.

Antimerus monteithi is a very distinct species, that can be easily distinguished from any other member of the genus by having completely glabrous elytra and a distinctly transverse pronotum with very distinct anterior angles, giving it a quediine-like appearance.

Distribution and bionomics.

Antimerus monteithi is known from four neighboring localities in the border area between southeastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales (Fig. 55, C, squares). All specimens were taken in the forest at an elevation of 900-1000 m. Two specimens were collected on logs or under tree bark, one by pitfall trap and one at a flight intercept trap.

Etymology.

We dedicate this species to our friend and colleague Geoff Monteith to acknowledge his great collecting effort in Australia, which has made significant material on Staphylinidae from this continent available for study. In particular, he collected the holotype of this peculiar species.