Saprinus (Saprinus) viridanus Lewis, 1899

Lackner, Tomas & Leschen, Richard A. B., 2017, A monograph of the Australopacific Saprininae (Coleoptera, Histeridae), ZooKeys 689, pp. 1-263 : 163-168

Saprinus (Saprinus) viridanus Lewis, 1899 Figs 585, 586-594, 595-602, 765

Saprinus viridanus Lewis, 1899: 22.

Type locality.

Northwest Australia.

Type material examined.

Saprinus viridanus Lewis, 1899: Lectotype, present designation: unsexed specimen, pinned, final two right metatarsomeres missing, left protarsus missing, final three left mesotarsomeres missing, with the following labels: "N.W. Australia / Macl. Mus. 1899" (written); followed by: "Note / Book / 1221" (printed-written); followed by: " Saprinus / viridanus / Type Lewis" (written); followed by: "G. Lewis Coll. / B.M. 1926-369." (printed); followed by: “Type” (round, red-margined label); followed by: " Saprinus / viridanus / LEWIS, 1899 / LECTOTYPE / des. T. Lackner ‘11” (red label, written) (BMNH). Paralectotype, present designation: ♂, side-mounted, with right protibia broken off, glued to the same mounting card as the specimen, right metatarsomere missing, with male terminalia glued to another triangular mounting card under the specimen, with the following labels: "N.W. Australia /? King’s Sound / Macleay Mus" (written); followed by: "Note / Book / 1221" (printed-written); followed by: " Saprinus / viridanus / Cotype Lewis" (written); followed by: "G. Lewis Coll. / B.M. 1926-369." (printed); followed by: “Cotype” (round, yellow-margined label); followed by: “09-090” (yellow, pencil-written label, added by the senior author); followed by: " Saprinus / viridanus / LEWIS, 1899 / PARALECTOTYPE / des. T. Lackner ‘11” (red label, written) (BMNH). This species has been described from unknown number of specimens and the lectotype designation fixes its taxonomic identity.

Additional material examined.

AUSTRALIA. New South Wales: 1 spec., K.K. Spence coll. (MAMU); 1 spec., Bogan River, no date, J. Armstrong (MAMU); 1 spec., Salt Hole Creek, 38 km NE of Broken Hill, 26.ix.1975, Z. Liepa (ANIC). South Australia: 1 spec., Nichols Bay [=Rapid Bay] (ZMHUB); 1 spec., Coober Pedy, 26.xi.1975, M. Farr (ANIC); 1 spec., 3 miles E of Mundrabilla, Eucla Basin, 22.x.1966, J. Lowry (under decomposed snake on highway) (ANIC); 2 specs., Andamooka Ranges, 29.viii.1948, O.F. Gross (SAMA). Western Australia: 1 ♂, West Australia, 95-64, without further data (BMNH); 1 spec., K.K. Spence coll., no further data (MAMU); 1 spec., Preston Beach, Yalgorup National Park, 32.53S 115.39E, 23.x.1984, J. & N. Lawrence (under dead lizard) (ANIC); 1 spec., Cranmore Park, 11.x.1933, Fouer (in trap) (ANIC). 1 spec., La Grange, 29.vii.1953, N.B. Tindale (SAMA). Northern Territory: 1 ♂, 35 km N of Erlunda, 16.vii.2000, dead kangaroo, M.A. Hielkema (NCB); 1 ♂, 11 km N of Curtin Springs, 25°18'S, 131°56'E, 470 m, 9.-10.i.2009, Sváťa Bílý leg. (NMPC); 1 spec., Wilson Creek, vii.-ix.1971, 19.08S 130.09E, J. Hodgson (ANIC); 1 spec., MacFarlanes Bore, 5.viii.1970, S. Parker (ANIC); 1 spec., ca. 85 km NW of Yuenmundu, 22.15S 131.48E, 29.vi.1970, S. Parker (ANIC); 2 specs., “Wunarah”, near Turnoff, 19°59.4'S, 136°38.3'E, 8.-11.ii.2007, 270 m, D.J. Cook (QM); 1 spec., Barkly Roadhouse, 1.8 km SE, 230 m, 19°43.2'S, 135°50.4'E, 8.-10.ii.2007, D.J. Cook (dung pitfall trap) (QM); 1 spec., McDonnell Ranges, Capt. S.A. White (SAMA). Queensland: 1 spec., N. Queensland, Blackburn’s Coll., no further data (SAMA).

Biology.

Found on carcasses, collected also in a dungfall trap; not common.

Distribution.

Australia: New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, and South Australia (Fig. 765).

Remarks.

This is a rare, sporadically collected species.

Re-description.

Body length: PEL: 5.80-6.70 mm; EL: 3.70-4.10 mm; APW: 1.70-1.90 mm; PPW: 4.80-5.10 mm; EW: 5.30-5.50 mm.

Body (Fig. 585) rectangular oval, convex, elytra with stark green or dark blue metallic luster, pronotum darker, piceous black (occasionally with dark green hue); legs, mouthparts and antennal scape castaneous brown; antennal club black.

Antennal scape (Fig. 586) black, slightly thickened, punctuate, dorsally with several long, strongly sclerotized setae, ventrally with numerous much finer and shorter setae; antennal club large, circular, covered with dense short sensilla intermingled with sparse longer erect setae; sensory structures of antennal club (Fig. 587) in form of four large oval sensory patches on ventral side of the club, vesicles not examined.

Mandibles rounded, outer margin carinate, with several short setae, mandibular apex acute, sub-apical tooth on left mandible obtuse; labrum finely and sparsely punctuate, convex, with deep median depression; labral pits present, each with two labral setae; mentum medially with deep notch, surface around it on each side with two long, strongly sclerotized setae, lateral margins and anterior angles of mentum with much shorter denser setae; maxillary and labial palpi thin, elongate; terminal segments of labial and maxillary palpi thin, several times its width, about twice as long as penultimate segment; other mouthparts not examined.

Clypeus (Fig. 586) medially flattened, sloping down laterally, finely punctuate; frontal stria complete, straight, well-impressed; supra-orbital stria carinate; frontal disc (Fig. 586) punctuate, punctures deep and coarse separated by their own to several times their diameter; eyes convex, well visible from above.

Pronotal sides (Fig. 585) on basal half only moderately narrowing anteriorly, on apical half strongly narrowing anteriorly, apical angles obtuse, pronotal depressions present, rather large and deep, anterior incision for head deep; marginal pronotal stria not complete, not reaching basal pronotal angles posteriorly, carinate, slightly distanced from pronotal margin, visible along its entire length from dorsal view, behind head weakened, with tiny median angulate projection; pronotal disc laterally with a band of deep dense variously sized and shaped punctures (occasionally punctures confluent) originating in apical pronotal angles reaching basal angles of pronotum, punctation slightly continuous along pronotal base, but not reaching antescutellar area; rest of the pronotal disc with only scattered microscopic punctation; pronotal hypomeron setose; scutellum very small, visible.

Elytral epipleura with sparse fine punctures; marginal epipleural stria complete; marginal elytral stria well impressed and carinate, continued as complete (weakened) apical elytral stria which is connected to sutural elytral stria. Humeral elytral stria weakly impressed, inner subhumeral stria present as short median fragment (occasionally the two striae connected); four dorsal elytral striae 1-4 present, in punctures, first and second in more coarse punctures than third and fourth (occasionally third or fourth stria shortened apically or even evanescent) surpassing elytral half apically (length of elytral striae varies); fourth (or even third) dorsal elytral stria sometimes intermittent or even missing, basally not connected with sutural elytral stria; sutural elytral stria well-impressed, in fine sparse punctures, abbreviated on basal sixth, apically connected with apical elytral stria; elytral disc punctate, punctures fine, round, separated by their own to several times their diameter, becoming denser apically, usually punctation absent on fourth elytral interval (occasionally punctures absent also on third and even second elytral interval), punctation weakens basally, around sutural elytral stria elytral surface almost glabrous.

Propygidium (Fig. 588) densely punctate, punctures separated by their own to twice their own diameter; pygidium (Fig. 588) with similar, less dense punctation, punctures round, separated several times their diameter.

Anterior margin of median portion of prosternum (Fig. 589) almost straight, rounded laterally; marginal prosternal stria present laterally; prosternal process slightly convex, sloping down on anterior fourth, surface between carinal prosternal striae almost glabrous, with scattered microscopic punctation, surface laterad of carinal pros ternal striae setose, cuticle near united apices of carinal prosternal striae slightly depressed; carinal prosternal striae carinate, almost parallel, not united in front (Fig. 589); lateral prosternal striae carinate, short, in setae, apically attaining carinal prosternal striae at about four-fifths of their length.

Discal marginal mesoventral stria (Fig. 590) weakly impressed, widely interrupted medially and shortened laterally; disc convex, with sparse microscopic punctation; meso-metaventral sutural stria absent; meso-metaventral suture fine, thin; intercoxal disc of metaventrite convex, with slight longitudinal median depression; disc of metaventrite for the most part almost smooth, with scattered microscopic punctation, along posterior margin several rows of fine punctation appear; lateral metaventral stria (Fig. 591) well impressed, shortened; lateral disc of metaventrite (Fig. 591) slightly concave, with large deep punctures separated by about their own to twice their diameter; metepisternum (Fig. 591) with similar punctures becoming much sparser on fused metepimeron; metepisternal stria present, deeply impressed.

Intercoxal disc of first abdominal ventrite completely striate laterally; disc along basal and lateral margins with shallow punctures of various sizes; rest of sternite glabrous.

Protibia (Fig. 592) dilated, outer margin with three large triangular teeth topped by triangular denticle, followed by one very low tooth and one microscopic denticle; setae of outer row regular, short; protarsal groove deep; anterior protibial stria complete; setae of median row shorter and much sparser than those of outer row; two tarsal denticles present near tarsal insertion; protibial spur bent, growing out from apical margin of protibia; anterior margin of protibia ventrally with single (occasionally two or even more) short denticle; outer part of posterior surface slightly obscurely variolate, separated from glabrous and narrow median part of posterior surface by an indefinite stria bearing several setae; posterior protibial stria complete, bearing almost along its entire length dense row of strongly sclerotized setae; inner row of setae double, setae dense, shorter and finer than those of posterior protibial stria.

Mesotibia (Fig. 593) slender, outer margin with a row of about seven long denticles growing in size and girth apically, another row of much shorter sparser denticles situated on anterior surface of mesotibia; setae of outer row regular, thin, shorter than denticles; setae of median row even shorter and finer; posterior mesotibial stria shortened apically; anterior surface of mesotibia sparsely punctuate; anterior mesotibial stria almost complete, terminating in single tiny denticle; mesotibial spur stout; apical margin of mesotibia anteriorly with two (occasionally more) short denticles; inner margin of mesotibia with dense row of short setae; claws of apical tarsomere slightly bent, longer than half its length; metatibia (Fig. 594) more slender and longer than mesotibia, in all aspects similar to it, but denticles on outer margin much shorter and sparser.

Male genitalia. Eighth sternite (Figs 595-596) fused medially, apical third laterally with several microscopic setae, vela present, densely setose; eighth tergite and eighth sternite fused laterally; eighth tergite (Fig. 598) only slightly inwardly arcuate apically. Ninth tergite (Figs 599-600) typical for the subfamily; tenth tergite rounded apically; spiculum gastrale (Fig. 599) gradually dilated on most of its apical half, ‘head’ deeply arcuate medially; basal end dilated, faintly inwardly arcuate. Aedeagus (Figs 601-602) parallel-sided, with parameres fused along their basal two-thirds (roughly), on apical third aedeagus narrowing apically; basal piece of aedeagus short, ratio of its length: length of parameres 1: 4; aedeagus slightly curved from lateral view (Fig. 602).