Deretaphrus bucculentus Elston, 1923

Lord, Nathan P. & McHugh, Joseph V., 2013, A Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Deretaphrus Newman, 1842 (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea: Bothrideridae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 12) 67, pp. 1-107 : 22-23

Deretaphrus bucculentus Elston, 1923 , new status

( Figs. 35 , 62 , 92–93 , 145 , 166 , 179 , 193–194 )

Deretaphrus bucculentus Elston, 1923: 212 . Carter and Zeck 1937: 200–201.

Diagnosis. This species can be readily distinguished from congeners by the well-developed, angulate, laterally expanded supra-ocular ridges of the head which entirely conceal the eyes from dorsal view and by the weakly-defined median longitudinal depression of the pronotum. It most closely resembles D. puncticollis and D. parviceps . Deretaphrus bucculentus can be distinguished from D. puncticollis by the carinate interstitial intervals of the elytra being straight and separate from one another near the elytral apex (not curved medially and/or merging). It can be distinguished from D. parviceps by the more densely and coarsely punctate pronotal disc and the median longitudinal depression of the pronotal disc being sparsely punctate near the base, bordered on either side by a small keel or carina.

Redescription. Length 5.5–9.3 mm. Width 1.5–2.8 mm. Body elongate, parallel, dark red to black; dorsal surface glabrous, matte to slightly shiny; ventral surface moderately shiny, glabrous except for minute setae that arise from punctures. Head ( Fig. 35 ): In dorsal view, slightly narrowed anteriorly, subtriangular; with laterally expanded supra-ocular ridges; eyes completely concealed from above; punctures larger (slightly smaller than on pronotal disc), dense except smaller and sparse along posterior margin. Frontoclypeal suture not distinct, subtly arcuate anteromedially. Clypeus distinctly narrower than head. Anterior margin of clypeus nearly straight. Submentum shape as in Fig. 52 ; triangular, fused to subgenal braces, without paired setose pits; anterior margin arcuate and rugose, strongly produced anteroventrally over oral cavity, mentum completely concealed. Antennal groove well-developed, impunctate internally. Antenna sparsely setose; segments 3–8 with 2 transverse rows of short setae. Antennal club segments 9–11 with 2 transverse rows of short setae, 1 row at midline, the second row arising near apex of the segment. Antennal club distinctly asymmetrical, leading edge of club segments much more inflated than trailing edge. Dorsal surface (external face) of mandible without median setose groove. Thorax ( Fig. 62 ): Pronotum quadrate, tapering slightly to base, widest near anterior margin; dorsal surface weakly convex; anterior margin straight; anterior angles rounded but pronounced; base narrower than elytral bases; posterior margin weakly sinuate; posterior angles with small denticle; lateral margin with incomplete carina, forming a distinct raised border in dorsal view. Pronotal disc with medium sized, round punctures, each bearing a minute seta. Pronotal median longitudinal depression present but weak; depression wide, gradually becoming more shallow anteriorly, sparsely punctate near base, bordered on either side by a small keel or carina, closed at base by posterior margin of pronotum. Hypomeron sparsely punctate, punctures large and shallow, each bearing a seta; lateral walls strongly deflexed. Prosternum flat medially, strongly deflexed at lateral margin. Tergosternal suture more or less straight. Elytra ( Figs. 92–93 ): Elytron slightly flattened, not evenly convex; interstitial intervals 3, 5, 7, and 9 carinate for entire length, shiny, straight; intervals 4, 6, and 8 feebly raised. Apical elytral margin carinate; basal margin with intervals 3 and 5 each ending in a knob-like protuberance; protuberance of interval 5 merges with fingerlike callosity on the elytral shoulder. Legs: Femur and tibia with short, sparse setae; inner face of tibia with small fringe of setae. Tarsus sparsely setose except for 2 pockets of dense setae on the ventral surface near the apex of tarsomeres 1–3. Abdomen: Ventrite V simple. Aedeagus: Phallobase as in Fig. 145 . Tegmen consisting of paired, slender transverse plates at middle; plates narrowly touching medially. Basal piece without well-developed anterolateral struts, at most slightly produced anteriorly. Parameres moderately short, broadly rounded, widely separated and individually articulated to phallobase, internal lateral margins arcuate; paramere sparsely setose with short setae at apical margin; dorsal surface of paramere with very short curved process; process thickest at base, narrowing apically, distinctly shorter than half the length of the paramere, apex rounded; processes narrowly separated medially. Penis as in Fig. 166 ; long, moderately thick, slightly curved; apex greatly swollen and bulbous, pointed apically; base narrow, bearing long, thin, paired anterior struts. Penis unicolored.

Variation. The size and color are variable within the species. The pronotal median longitudinal canal is slightly deeper and more pronounced in some, as are the punctures of the pronotal disc. In a few specimens, elytral interstitial intervals 4 and 6 are feebly raised for a short distance. The lateral margins of the pronotum are generally slightly narrowed posteriorly, but in some the lateral margins nearly subparallel. In a few specimens, the laterally expanded supraocular ridges are more rounded and not as distinctly angulate.

Distribution. Australia: New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia ( Fig. 179 ).

Biology. Not known.

Taxonomic Notes. Deretaphrus bucculentus was synonymized under D. puncticollis by Carter and Zeck (1937). After examination of material and type specimens, it is clear that D. bucculentus is indeed a distinct species and is thus here removed from synonymy.

Remarks. Elston described this species from a single specimen.

Type Locality. Murray River , South Australia .

Type Material Examined. H O L O T Y P E ( Figs. 193–194 ) ( AMSA, card-mounted) label data: “TY. [handwritten on card-mount in red ink] // Murray R. S. Australia A.H. Elston // 1167 Deretaphrus bucculentus [handwritten] Elston, Cotype [“Co” is crossed out] // Deretaphrus puncticollis Lea. [in Carter’ s hand] Det. H.J. Carter [label folded] // HOLOTYPE [red label] // A.H. Elston Collection. // Australian Museum K231594” [ AMSA 1 NL, examined]. Sex not determined.

Additional Material Examined (15). AUSTRALIA: NEW SOUTH WALES: Bogan River ( ANIC 251 NL); Narromine ( ANIC 252 NL); Nandewar Range, near Narrabri ( AMSA 60 NL). QUEENSLAND: Bundaberg ( ANIC 127 NL); Gayndah ( SAMA 34 NL); Millmerran ( ANIC 250 NL); Wallaroo ( ANIC 12 NL). SOUTH AUSTRALIA: no locality ( SAMA 189 NL). STATE UNKNOWN: Forest Hill ( QDPI 3–6 NL, QDPI 11–13 NL).

Figures

Figs. 35–41. Deretaphrus species, head. 35) D. bucculentus, dorsal view; 36) D. carinatus, dorsal view; 37) D. incultus, dorsal view; 38) D. parviceps, dorsal view; 39) D. rodmani, dorsal view; 40) D. ocularis, dorsal view; 41) D. ocularis, lateral view.

Figs. 57–65. Deretaphrus species, pronotum. 57) D. aequaliceps; 58) D. alveolatus; 59) D. analis; 60) D. antennatus;

Figs. 88–93. Deretaphrus species, elytra, dorsal and lateral views. 88–89) D. antennatus; 90–91) D. boliviensis;

Figs. 140–148. Deretaphrus species, phallobase. 140) D. aequaliceps; 141) D. alveolatus; 142) D. analis;

Figs. 165–172. Deretaphrus species, penis (left: dorsal view; right: lateral view; phallobase, to scale with penis). 165) D. boliviensis; 166) D. bucculentus; 167) D. gracilis; 168) D. hoplites; 169) D. ignarus; 170) D. oregonensis; 171) D. parviceps; 172) D. puncticollis.

Figs. 179–180. Distribution of Deretaphrus species. 179) D. analis, D. bucculentus, D. hoplites, and D. lateropunctatus;

Figs. 192–200. Primary type specimens and specimen labels of Deretaphrus species. 192) D. boliviensis, holotype labels; 193–194) D. bucculentus, holotype, AMSA; 195–196) D. carinatus, holotype, WAMP; 197–198) D. erichsoni, lectotype, BMNH; 199–200) D. granulipennis, lectotype, MNHN.

Figs. 48–53. Deretaphrus species, head capsule, ventral view, showing setae and shape of submentum. 48) D. ignarus;