Austrocyphon, Zwick, 2013

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 : 188-190

The Austrocyphon tribulator- complex

( Figs 95–98 )

New material studied. 1♂: 11.45S 142.35E QLD Heathlands dump 7June-25 July 1992 P.Zborowski, E.Nielsen Malaise #2 open forest ; 1♂: 11.45S 142.35E QLD Heathlands- Dump site 18 Aug-18 Sep 1992 Malaise Trap P.Zborowski & L.Miller ; 3♂: 13.44S 143.20E QLD 11km WbyN of Bald Hill McIlwraith range 27 June-12 July 1989 T.A.Weir 520m search party campsite / ex light trap . 1 ♂: Bellender Ker NP, QLD 1.5km ENE Broken Nose 28 June 1992 C.Reid beating rainforest vegetation 500m (all ANIC).

Austrocyphon tribulator Zwick, 2013 is a small (BL ~ 2 mm) yellowish to light brown species that is widespread in Queensland. It differs from other members of the A. adelaidae -group by the wide, completely bare plate of T8 and mainly by the X-shaped arrangement of the sclerites representing T9. The basal apodemes converge and eventually meet, and from the meeting point issues a pair of divergent caudal sclerites. In the typical morph, the caudal sclerites are flat lanceolate blades with fine asperities on the surface ( Fig. 95 ).

Some aberrant specimens were recorded when the species was first described. They differed mainly by the narrowness of the caudal T9 sclerites ( Fig. 96 ). Shapes of T8, S9 and the penis also differed but were not uniform among the aberrant individuals from several localities. Some more variations have now been observed ( Fig. 97 ), further increasing the diversity of morphs.

The significance and cause of the heterogeneity are unknown. For the time being the specimens are regarded as members of an unresolved complex, including a single individual (from Broken Nose) whose T9 sclerites have an approximately circular cross section and appear club shaped ( Fig. 98 ).

Figures

FIGURES 95 − 98. Austrocyphon tribulator- complex, morphs of male T 9. 95, typical morph (near Cape Tribulation); aberrant morphs: 96, 97 from Heathlands; 98, from Broken Nose. Not to scale; 95, 96 from Zwick (2013 c).