Gymnanthelius clypeatus (Deane) Deane, 2004

Perkins, Philip D., 2004, A revision of the Australian endemic water beetle genus Gymnanthelius Perkins (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae), Zootaxa 585, pp. 1-39 : 7-8

Gymnanthelius clypeatus (Deane) new combination

( Figures 2 , 10 , 18 )

Ochthebius clypeatus Deane, 1931: 171 .

Type Material. Holotype (male): Australia, Victoria, Alps [labels: "Alps Victoria"; " Type 3653"]; deposited in the MVMA.

Diagnosis. Recognized by the cupreus coloration, the dull or weakly shining pronotal reliefs, the elytral punctures in series, and each elytral puncture with four minute shining granules, two each at anterior and posterior margins, and the metasternum with small shining glabrous area basomedially. The elytral granules at the margins of the punctures are unique in the genus.

Description. Holotype 1.73 x 0.79; head length 0.39, width 0.50; pronotum midlength 0.43, maximum width 0.59 just behind anterior angles; elytra length 1.08, maximum width 0.79. Form moderately ovate, transversely moderately convex. Dorsum dark brown to piceous, pronotum sometimes with cupreous reflections, legs lighter than dorsum.

Eyes moderately large, in dorsal aspect 10 convex facets in longest series. Clypeus and frons reliefs coarsely densely punctate, punctures on basal 0.5 of clypeus largest, c. 2x eye facet, interstices generally dull, 0.5– 1 x puncture diameter, punctures on apical 0.5 of clypeus much finer and sparser, interstices strongly shining; each puncture on disc with short very indistinct recumbent seta, laterally on clypeus setae denser and more apparent. Frons reliefs with interstices between punctures dull, effacedly mcr.; interocular foveae large, each nearly as wide as distance separating them, outer margins gradual, inner margins abrupt, bottom with vaguely 8­shaped pit. Area between interocular foveae flat on discal part. Ocelli large, slightly oval, each wider than separation from eye. Labrum in male anteriorly produced in two reflexed lobes separated by U­shaped median emargination, each lobe slightly longer than last maxillary palpomere, setae distinct on disc, laterally forming narrow fringe; in female lobes shorter and less distinctly reflexed. Mentum finely punctate, interstices shining.

Pronotum anterior margin evenly arcuate between produced anterior angles, hyaline border well developed. Lateral depression four times as wide anteriorly as posteriorly, side emarginate before tooth­like posterior angle. Lateral hyaline border well developed, anterior extreme nearly attaining anterior angles, continuing in rather uniform width along sides, widest just behind lateral depression, in dorsal aspect margin oblique to midline, nearly straight except slightly indented opposite posterior extreme of lateral depression. Lateral fossulae deep, inner margin abrupt, outer margin obsolete; without anterior or posterior pit. Disc transversely only moderately convex, gradually widening from anterior to about middle, then sides converging but only very slightly so to base; densely coarsely punctate, punctures c. 1.5x eye facet, interstices dull, effacedly mcr., c. 1x puncture diameter. Median groove narrow, slightly constricted in middle, each end tapering and not attaining respective hyaline border. Anterior foveae very shallow, indistinct, punctate, each slightly wider than median groove at same level, separated from median groove by c. 1x fovea width. Posterior foveae absent or location only faintly indicated by slightly denser punctures.

Elytra widest at middle, sides regularly arcuate; explanate margin in male narrower than, in female as wide as metatibia, declivous, surface flat or only slightly transversely convex, origin just behind anterolateral angles, becoming obsolete near posterior 0.2, without discernable setae. Apices in male separately narrowly rounded, in female conjointly sharply rounded. Transversely quite convex, posterior declivity rather abrupt. Series 2–3 terminating beyond summit of posterior declivity, 1 and 4 attaining apices. Serial punctures large, c. 2x eye facet, deep, longitudinally separated by c. 0.5x puncture diameter, each with four minute shining granules, two each at anterior and posterior margins, each puncture also bearing indistinct short recumbent seta which just attains base of next seta in series. Intervals shining, weakly transversely rounded, width c. 0.7x puncture diameter.

Metasternum dull and hydrofuge pubescent except small basomedial area shining and very sparsely pubescent; disc flat and with shallow midlongitudinal impression. Abdominal sternites (microslide): 1–4 dull, completely hydrofuge pubescent, 5–7 shining, sparsely pubescent; 1–2 laterally bearing sparse spiniform setae; in male sternite 7 narrowly midlongitudinally glabrous, otherwise bearing dense long tapering setae, apical margin truncate; in female sternite 6 glabrous in basal 0.5, apical 0.5 with sparse setae, sternite 7 disc with dense tapering setae, glabrous laterally and narrowly basally, posterior margin truncate. Apical tergum in both sexes with margin bevelled, apicomedially very shallowly emarginate, margin bearing setae on either side of emargination. Tibiae moderately stout.

Aedeagus: Length 0.30 mm.; mainpiece slightly sinuate, apex symmetrical, wedgeshaped; distal part of internal tube suboval to oval; parameres with longer seta of distal pair very long, three times as long as shorter seta, curving ( Fig. 10 ).

Distribution. Currently known from the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, and Victoria ( Fig. 18 ).

Material examined (717). Australian Capital Territory, Angle Crossing, Murrumbidgee River, sandy mudflats at edge of river, elev. 595 m, 35° 34' S, 149° 6' E, 15 October 2000, N. Porch (NP 13) — (3 ANIC); Casuarina Sands on Murrumbidgee River, coarse sand, gravel and roots (Casuarina) at edge of riffle zone of large river; Casuarina riparian forest, elev. 475 m, 35° 19' S, 148° 57' E, 21 July 2000, N. Porch (NP 69) — (37 ANIC); nr. Canberra, 35° 22' S, 149° 5' E, 28 March 1965, M. E. Bacchus (MEB 219) — (18 BMNH); Paddy's River, 35° 29' S, 148° 59' E, 16 January 1969, M. E. Bacchus — (3 BMNH); Paddy's River, nr. Murray's Corner, 35° 25' S, 148° 57' E, 3 April 1965, M. E. Bacchus (MEB 231) — (2 BMNH); Uriarra Crossing on Murrumbidgee River, quartz gravel and 'micro' mudflats at receding edge of large flowing river, elev. 445 m, 35° 14' S, 148° 57' E, 14 October 2000, N. Porch (NP 18) – (9 ANIC); New South Wales, 9.5km NE of Bredbo, 35° 56' S, 149° 9' E, 28 December 1973, Z. Liepa — (1 ANIC); Allyn River, 32° 8' S, 151° 27' E, 1–30 October 1926, H. J. Carter — 1 male (1 ANIC); Ballalaba Bridge, Shoalhaven River, waters edge of gravel bar at margin of flowing river, elev. 690 m, 35° 24' S, 147° 37' E, 22 July 2000, N. Porch (NP 65) — (25 ANIC); Bemboka River at Greens Crossing, 1km N. of Bemboka, gravel and sand of small sandbank at edge of river, elev. 195 m, 36° 37' S, 149° 34' E, 9 April 2000, N. Porch (NP 28) — (227 ANIC); Bowman River near Gloucester, 31° 55' S, 151° 52' E, 5 January 1982, E. Britton — (1 ANIC); Cabbage Tree Creek, Canberra­Coast Road, 33° 24' S, 150° 38' E, 18 April 1967, E. Britton & S. Misko — (1 ANIC); Goodradigbee R. nr. Brindabella, 35° 14' S, 148° 44' E, 11 December 1973, Sue Britton — (1 ANIC); Khancoban Creek, Khancoban, elev. 304.8 m, 36° 9' S, 148° 12' E, 1 April 1965, M. E. Bacchus (MEB 230) — (10 BMNH); Numeralla River at Numeralla, waters edge of gravel bar at margin of flowing river, elev. 730 m, 36° 10' S, 149° 20' E, 9 April 2000, N. Porch (NP 26) — (213 ANIC); Oberon, 31 km NW, from creek bank, 33° 30' S, 149° 41' E, 17 November 1991, T. Gush — (1 ANIC); Shoalhaven River, Ballalaba Bridge, 35° 34' S, 149° 37' E, 2 February 1991, P. M. Hammond — (2 ANIC); Victoria, Avon River, at Weirs Crossing, WNW. of Stratford, cobble­bank of large river in farmland, elev. 15 m, 37° 57' S, 147° 3' E, 7 November 2000, N. Porch (NP 12) — (22 ANIC); Cann River, 12.5km NNE. of Cann River, gravelly cobble­bank of moderately large river, elev. 120 m, 37° 28' S, 149° 10' E, 10 April 2001, N. Porch (NP 24) — (4 ANIC); Cann River, 12.5km NNE. of Cann River, wet gravel at edge of river flowing through pasture, elev. 120 m, 37° 28' S, 149° 10' E, 8 September 1999, N. Porch (NP 67) — (34 ANIC); Den of Nargun Creek at Mitchell River, Mitchell River National Park, muddy sand and gravel at edge of small creek pools in riparian rainforest/dry sclerophyll forest, elev. 55 m, 38° 42' S, 147° 21' E, 7 November 2000, N. Porch (NP 21) — (47 ANIC); Genoa River at Genoa, u/s of old highway bridge, gravel at edge of small river flowing through pasture, elev. 10 m, 37° 28' S, 149° 35' E, 10 April 2000, N. Porch (NP 25) — (26 ANIC); Healesville, Dandenong Ranges, 37° 39' S, 145° 32' E, 1–30 December 1968, C. Watts — (1 SAMA); Lake Glenmaggie at Glenmaggie bridge, sandy margins of large resevoir, elev. 75 m, 37° 53' S, 146° 44' E, 1 December 1999, N. Porch (NP 39) — (1 ANIC); McKillops Bridge, Snowy River, gravel at edge of large and rising river; dry sclerophyll forest, elev. 185 m, 37° 5' S, 148° 23' E, 6 November 2000, N. Porch (NP 16) — (9 ANIC); Mitta Mitta River­Snowy Crk. Junction, 36° 30' S, 147° 26' E, 3 November 1976, A. A. Calder — (2 MVMA); Rainbow Creek, Cowwarr­Seaton Rd., NMV Survey, Dept. GRES T23, no. 3, 38° 0' S, 146° 46' E, 18 February 1977, unknown — (1 MVMA); Stratford, 37° 57' S, 147° 4' E, 7 November 1997, C. Watts — (3 SAMA); Tambo River at Miller Access Road, S. of Ensay, sandy mud of small backwater pool of river flowing through pasture, elev. 210 m, 37° 23' S, 147° 50' E, 16 December 2001, N. Porch (NP 82) — (5 ANIC). Representative specimens deposited in MCZ, MVMA, NPC and QMBA.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Gymnanthelius clypeatus holotype. Dorsal and lateral habitus.

FIGURES 10 – 13. Gymnanthelius, aedeagi of holotypes. — 10. G. clypeatus. — 11. G. opacicollis. — 12. G. lamingtonensis. — 13. G. cupreus.

FIGURES 18 – 21. Gymnanthelius geographical distributions. — 18. G. clypeatus. — 19. G. cupreus. — 20. G. lamingtonensis. — 21. G. porchi.