Petrocyphon cataractae Zwick, 2012

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 : 161-162

Petrocyphon cataractae Zwick, 2012

( Figs 21–23 )

FIGURES 16−20. Petrocyphon lacteus n. sp., male. 16, T8 and S8; 17, T9; 18, S9; 19, tegmen; 20, penis. 16, 17 and 18−20 to the same scale, respectively.

Material studied. 2♂, 3♀: 16.40S 145.19E QLD 1.5km N Mt. Molloy 9. Sept. 1992 C.Reid beating gallery rainforest ( ANIC).

A slender species ( Fig. 21 ). Several setiferous granules project over the lateral edge of the pronotum giving it a rough appearance which helped to identify the females.

Female. Segment 8 and ovipositor unmodified. The bursella is covered by many small scales and bears a pair of rings, ca 230 µm in diameter. The strong peripheral ring surrounds a bare floor ( Figs 22, 23 ). The vulvar area contains colourless folded structures, certain patterns recur in different individuals, details remain unknown. At the front end of the vulva lie two small transverse sclerites, each with about 10 teeth (black arrows in Fig. 22 ).

Note. Because of its basally connected parameres I placed P. cataractae in the P. tasmanicus- group ( Zwick 2012). The strong bursal rings surrounding a flat, at best, faintly structured floor support this placement.

Figures

FIGURES 21 − 27. Petrocyphon spp. P. cataractae Zwick: 21, male habitus; 22, female genital situs, arrows point to toothed sclerites; 23, bursal rings of another specimen. P. monga Watts: 24, male with erect genitalia; 25, 26, bursal rings, two focus levels; 27, vulvar sclerite. 21 − 24 not to scale.