Prionocyphon (Watts, 2014)

Zwick, Peter, 2016, Australian Marsh Beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae). 9. The relations of Australasian Ypsiloncyphon species to their Asian congeners, additions, mainly to Petrocyphon and Prionocyphon, and a key to Australian genera of Scirtinae, Zootaxa 4085 (2), pp. 151-198 : 179

The Prionocyphon bidentatus- group

Diagnosis. T8 with short apodemes, plate covered with slender microtrichia and series of long setae along rear edge, no S8. T9 with slightly longer sinuous apodemes converging towards the bare, soft, unpigmented plate. S9 bilobed with long setae, plate supported by an oval sclerite ring. A longitudinal crest or keel on the pala seems to be the fundamental modification from which the individual patterns evolved.

In the present group, the tegmen and parameres surround the penis like a capsule or pouch; see also P. urbanus above. The styles are weak triangular plates with microtrichia along the caudal edge, up to the tip. In two species the pala is wide with a midrib. In the other two, a strong unpaired rod is all that remains of the pala. Caudally the pala articulates with three pairs of processes of doubtful homology. In the descriptions, the largest pair is provisionally called genital hooks (gh), another probably represents prosthemes or the divided trigonium itself (pr), the third the parameroids (pd) ( Figs 70–72 ). The centre of the genitalia is occupied by the eversible endophallus which is wide but has no visible armature. Its tip may be divided into a pair of phallic lobes (pl; Figs 75, 76 ). From the description, P. microflavidus Watts, 2010b possibly belongs in this group.

Figures

FIGURES 69 − 72. Male genitalia of Prionocyphon cacatua n. sp. (69 − 71) and P. laurae n. sp. (72). 69, 72 genital situs, undissected; 70, tegmen, parameres and genital hooks; 71, penis. 70 − 72 to the same, 69 not to scale. Abbreviations: gh, genital hook; pa, pala; pd, parameroid; pe, paramere; pr, prostheme; st, style; te, tegmen.

FIGURES 73 − 76. Male genitalia of Prionocyphon bidentatus n. sp. (73, 74) and P. serratus n. sp. (75, 76), overview (73, 75) and detail of penis (74, 76). Abbreviations: gh, genital hook; pa, pala; pd, parameroid; pe, paramere; pl, phallic lobe; pr, prostheme; st, style. Upper and lower scale apply to upper and lower figures, respectively.