Notosaprinus irinus (Marseul, 1862)

Lackner, Tomas & Leschen, Richard A. B., 2017, A monograph of the Australopacific Saprininae (Coleoptera, Histeridae), ZooKeys 689, pp. 1-263 : 47-53

Notosaprinus irinus (Marseul, 1862) Figs 219, 220-227, 228-230, 231-239, 757

Saprinus irinus Marseul, 1862: 443.

Type locality.

Australia.

Type material examined.

Saprinus irinus Marseul, 1862: Lectotype, present designation: ♀, (genitalia extracted and lost; specimen’s mounting card was pencil-marked with a female sign; probably not the original mounting card of Marseul), side-mounted, both protarsi, right mesotarsus, left metatibia and right metatarsus missing, with the following labels: "22a / Saprinus irinus m. / N. Holl. / T. Dré” (pink, round label, written); followed by one more identical label; followed by: "MUSEUM PARIS / irinus / COLL. / De MARSEUL 1890" (pink label, printed-written); followed by: “TYPE” (red-printed rectangular label); followed by: " Saprinus irinus / Marseul, 1862 / LECTOTYPE / des. T. Lackner 2014" (red label, written) (MNHN). This species has been described from an unknown number of specimens and the lectotype designation fixes the identity of the species.

Additional material examined.

AUSTRALIA. New South Wales: 3 ♀♀, Richmond River, 1909, collector unknown (BMNH); 2 ♂♂, Richmond River, without further data, Coll Van de Poll (MNHN); 1 ♀, Gerroa, 29.xii.1974, H. & A. Howden (MNHN); 1 ♀, Sydney, without further data (MNHN); 2 specs., N.S. Wales, without further data (MNHN); 1 spec., Chichester S.F., Allyn River, 32.08S 151.27E, T. Weir leg. (ANIC); 3 ♀♀ & 2 ♂♂, Lots, Caparra, 14.iii.1993, S. Watkins leg., under dead cat (ANIC); 1 spec., Mosgeil, without further data (MAMU); 1 spec, Route: Sydney to Mt. Abundance, thence to Maranoa and the Warrego; from there to Nivelle river, back to the Warrego (S., Centr. and W. Queensland, Hely’s Expedition 1852) (MAMU); 1 ♀ & 1 spec., Sydney, without further data, Griffith (SAMA). Queensland: 1 spec., Cairns, 7.ii.1927, no collector (BPBM); 1 spec., Queensland, Challenger exp., no further data (BMNH); 3 ♀♀, Mackay, Queensland, Turner, no further data (BMNH); 3 specs., Ewan Road, 8 miles W of Poluna, 18.i.1970, J.G. Brooks leg., fish lure (ANIC); 1 spec., Atherton, 26.iii.1965, Bornemisza leg. (ANIC); 1 spec., Thorton Range, Daintree, 12.-18.vii.1982, S. & J. Peck leg. (ANIC); 2 specs., Cape Tribulation, 40 km N of Daintree, 10 m, 18.vii.1982, S. & J. Peck leg. (ANIC); 2 specs., Kuranda St. For, 360 m, 27.-31.vii.1982, S. & J. Peck leg. (ANIC); 3 specs., Mount Mee, 7.5 km SW, 27°05'S, 152°42'E, 12.x.1991, Tom Gush leg., under dead snake on the road (ANIC); 4 ♂♂ & 7 ♀♀, Mt. Gavial, 3 km SSW, 18.xii.-14.iii.1999, 23°37'S, 150°28'E, D.J. Cook leg., vine forest 320 m, intercept trap (QM); 1 ♀, Tallebudgera Valley, 420 m, 4.-28.iv.1997, 153°18'E 28°14'S, D. Cook leg., carrion baited pitfall (QM); 2 specs., Brisbane valley, near Ravensbourne Nat. Park, 25.xi.1973, K. McDonald leg. (QM); 3 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂ and 3 specs., Baily Knob summit, 6.xii.1998-6.ii.1999, 17°39'S, 145°30'E, 1100 m, Monteith & Cook leg., intercept (QM); 3 specs., McAfee’s Lookout, 27°26'S, 152°53'E, 300 m, 18.x.1999, G.B. Monteith, under dead goanna (QM); 7 specs., Fraser Island, Yidney Scrub nr. VB52, 1.-2.xii.1975, G. Thompson & A. Slater (QM); 1 spec., Russel R., at Bellenden, Ker Landing, 5 m, 24.x.-9.xi.1981, Baited window trap (QM); 1 spec., Mt. Tamborine, 27.x.1957, S. Breden leg. (QM); 1 spec., Kirrama Range, Douglas Creek Road, 800 m, 10.xii.1986-11.i.1987, Monteith, Thompson & Hamlet leg., flight intercept trap (QM); 1 spec., Kroombit Tops, 65 km SW from Gladstone, 1000-1100 m, 22.-26.ii.1982, open forest, Monteith, Thompson & Yeates leg. (QM); 1 ♀, Mt. Blackwood, 590 m, 21°02'S, 148°57'E, 18.xi.1992-mid iv.1993, D. Cook & G.B. Monteith leg., intercept traps and pitfalls (QM); 1 spec., Maalan Road, 2 km S of Palmerston Highway, 17°36'S, 145°42'E, 7.iii.-15.v.1995, 750 m, Monteith & Hasenpusch leg., intercept trap (QM); 1 spec., Stone Creek, 17°28'S, 146°01'E, 100 m, 1.xi.1995-6.ii.1996, intercept trap, ground level (QM); 11 specs., Mt. Tambourine, xii. 1919, H. Pottinger leg. (QM); 1 spec., Gayndah, Masters (SAMA). Western Australia: 1 spec., K.G. Sound [probably King’s Sound; due to the uncertainty of exact locality not shown on the map] (MAMU).

Unknown localities: 2 ♀♀ & 1 spec., Australia, without further data (BMNH).

Biology.

A common species found on carrion and often collected by flight intercept traps.

Distribution.

Australia: Coastal regions of Queensland and New South Wales, the single record from Western Australia, is, due to the uncertain locality not shown on the map (Fig. 757).

Remarks.

This species is sexually dimorphic: males have a conspicuous median projection on the labrum, strongly curved metatibia, and sixth abdominal ventrite has a median elevation.

Re-description.

Body length: PEL: 4.25-6.20 mm; APW: 1.50-2.25 mm; PPW: 3.25-4.75 mm; EL: 2.75-3.85 mm; EW: 3.75-5.00 mm.

Body (Fig. 219) rectangular oval, convex; cuticle shining; pronotum dark brown with bronze metallic luster, elytra with blue metallic luster; legs, mouthparts and antennae castaneous brown; antennal club black.

Antennal scape (Fig. 220) slightly thickened, imbricate-punctate, with few short setae; antennal club (Fig. 221) round, depressed dorso-ventrally, without visible articulation, entire surface with dense short sensilla intermingled with sparse longer erect sensilla; sensory structures of antennal club (Fig. 230) in form of four rather large sensory areas on ventral side and one vesicle situated under internal distal margin.

Mandibles (Fig. 228) punctate, with rounded outer margin, curved inwardly, mandibular apex acutely pointed; sub-apical tooth on inner margin of left mandible small, obtuse; labrum (Fig. 229) convex, densely punctate, depressed medially, in males with large median projection, in females without such projection, with two shallow labral pits, each with single short labral seta; labral fold inconspicuous; terminal labial palpomere elongated, its width about one-third its length; palpal organ minute, but present on both labial and maxillary palpi; mentum (Fig. 222) sub-trapezoid, anterior margin medially with deep notch (Fig. 222) surrounded with two long setae, lateral margins with several shorter setae; disc of mentum imbricate, with several sparse microscopic setae; cardo of maxilla on lateral margin with few short setae; stipes triangular, medially with single long seta, another long seta present laterally; lacinia without lacinial hook (=uncus); terminal maxillary palpomere elongated, its width about one-fourth its length, approximately twice as long as penultimate.

Clypeus (Fig. 220) punctate, narrowed anteriorly, depressed laterally; frontal stria widely interrupted medially (Fig. 220), prolonged onto clypeus, supraorbital stria absent; frontal disc (Fig. 220) with coarse and dense punctures; two vague depressions present on posterior half; eyes large, convex, well visible from above.

Pronotal sides (Fig. 219) moderately narrowing anteriorly, apical angles obtuse, pronotal depressions deep, rather large; marginal pronotal stria complete, carinate; disc of pronotum laterally with a band of coarse and dense punctation, not reaching posterior corners, between it and pronotal margin thin impunctate band present; pronotum medially almost smooth, with scattered microscopic punctation; along pronotal base two to three rows of coarse punctation present; pronotal hypomeron glabrous; scutellum small, well visible.

Elytral humeri slightly prominent, impunctate; elytral epipleura with scattered fine punctures; marginal epipleural stria fine, complete; marginal elytral stria nearly straight, in deep round punctures, continued as complete apical elytral stria. Humeral elytral stria vaguely impressed on basal third; outer subhumeral stria well impressed, thin; inner subhumeral stria erased by coarse elongate wrinkles; dorsal elytral striae 1-3 completely obliterated by coarse longitudinal wrinkles, fourth dorsal elytral stria deeply impressed, straight, shortened apically, present only on basal third of elytral length; sutural elytral stria shortened on basal sixth, well-impressed, apically connected with apical elytral stria. Elytral disc between elytral humerus and fourth dorsal elytral stria along elytral base with very coarse and dense elongate wrinkles reaching apically approximately one-third of elytral length, surface between this coarse band and fourth dorsal elytral stria creating a glabrous band, only with vague row of sparse punctures; surface between fourth dorsal elytral stria and elytral suture on basal third creating a glabrous triangular ‘mirror’ (= polished area); elytral surface otherwise with deep coarse and dense punctures becoming somewhat sparser and finer apically and towards elytral suture; elytral flanks glabrous.

Propygidium (Fig. 223) completely exposed, laterally with depressions, punctate, punctures separated by up to twice their diameter, interspaces finely imbricate; pygidium (Fig. 223) longer than broad along median line; laterally with moderately dense punctures becoming sparser medially, interspaces finely imbricate; carinate laterally.

Anterior margin of median portion of prosternum (Fig. 224) straight; marginal prosternal stria present only laterally; prosternal process flattened, glabrous, antero-laterally large coarse punctures present; both sets of prosternal striae absent.

Anterior margin of mesoventrite shallowly emarginate medially; discal marginal mesoventral stria well impressed, complete; disc of mesoventrite smooth; meso-metaventral sutural stria absent; meso-metaventral suture well impressed, thin; intercoxal disc of metaventrite glabrous, longitudinal suture of metaventrite deeply impressed, area along lateral metaventral stria and posterior margin with fine scattered punctation; along basal margin of metaventrite a band of coarser and denser punctures present; lateral metaventral stria shortened, straight; lateral disc of metaventrite (Fig. 225) slightly concave, with dense large setigerous punctures, interspaces finely substrigulate; metepisternum + fused metepimeron (Fig. 225) comparatively widened, with sparser and finer punctures, punctures not setigerous, interspaces substrigulate; on fused metepimeron punctation somewhat sparser, interspaces glabrous; lateral metepisternal stria complete, deeply impressed.

Intercoxal disc of the first abdominal ventrite almost completely striate laterally; disc with fine scattered punctation; sixth abdominal ventrite in males with distinctive median semicircular projection.

Protibia (Fig. 226) slightly dilated, outer margin with about three large distal teeth topped by stout triangular denticle, followed by four–five much smaller denticles diminishing in size in proximal direction; setae of outer row regular, short; protarsal groove deep; anterior tibial stria shortened apically; setae of median row much shorter and sparser than those of outer row; two apical denticles present near tarsal insertion; protibial spur well developed, bent, growing out from apical margin of protibia; apical margin of protibia ventrally with a single short denticle (occasionally there can be more than one denticle present); outer part of posterior surface (Fig. 227) of protibia smooth, only with several scattered shallow punctures, separated from glabrous median part by vague boundary and an undulate row of short sclerotized setae; posterior protibial stria complete, with moderately dense row of short, well-sclerotized setae; inner margin of protibia with double row of well-sclerotized lamellate setae growing in size and girth apically.

Mesotibia slender, outer margin with two rows of short denticles growing in size apically; setae of outer row regular, dense, about as long as denticles themselves; setae of median row shorter, regular; posterior mesotibial stria shortened apically; anterior surface of mesotibia almost smooth, with scattered shallow punctures; anterior tibial stria complete, terminating in two tiny inner ventral denticles; mesotibial spur rather long and thick; claws of apical tarsomere bent, longer than half its length, each mesotarsomere ventrally with two long, well sclerotized setae; metatibia in males more curved than in females, slenderer and longer than mesotibia, in all aspects similar to it, but denticles on outer margin much sparser.

Male genitalia. Eighth sternite (Figs 231-232) fused longitudinally; vela with single row of sparse short setae; apex of eighth sternite laterally asetose; eighth tergite and eighth sternite not fused laterally (Fig. 233). Tenth tergite (Fig. 234) comparatively large, elongate; ninth tergite (Figs 234-235) longitudinally fused medially; spiculum gastrale (Figs 236-237) abruptly largely expanded on apical third, basally only slightly expanded, triangular. Aedeagus (Figs 238-239) thickened, constricted before apex; basal piece of aedeagus short, ratio of its length: length of parameres 1: 4; parameres of aedeagus fused almost along their entire length with only a small apical circular opening for median duct; aedeagus only slightly curved from lateral view (Fig. 239).