Nothocyphon armstrongi, Zwick, Peter, 2015

Zwick, Peter, 2015, Australian Marsh Beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae). 7. Genus Nothocyphon, new genus, Zootaxa 3981 (3), pp. 301-359 : 335-336

Nothocyphon armstrongi , n. sp.

( Figs. 87−91 )

Type material: holotype 1 ♂: Orange [33.2842S, 149.1024E] N.S.W. J. Armstrong ( ANIC). Paratypes: 19 ♂, 1♀ with the same data (all ANIC). 1♂: Cyphon fenestratus Bl. N.S. Wales \ Mt. Victoria [33.5907S, 150.2550E] N.S.W. Lea ( SAMA).

Habitus. Very similar to other members of the group, contour regularly elongate oval, BL 2.5−2.7mm, BL/BW ~1.6. Body and appendages ochre to light brown, occiput and middle of pronotum darker, humeral area and sutural interval a bit lighter than rest, pilosity pale. The granular punctures on the head are very fine and dense, those on the pronotum a little coarser but wide-spaced, the integument is shiny. The normal punctures on the elytra are much larger, moderately dense, integument shining. Antennae slender, flagellar segments more than twice as long as apically wide.

Male ( Figs. 87, 88 ). Penis and parameres slenderer than in other members of the group, trigonium with longer and narrower caudal portion, apex at best insignificantly widened. Parameroids much shorter than trigonium. Parameres in the form of two separate ventrolateral sclerites with slender basal rod. The plate-like part ends in a long straight dorso-lateral process, the blunt medial corner bears on its upper side a short oblique tooth.

Female. Last exposed sternite (S7; Fig. 89 ) with sparse pilosity, except along edges. Two oblique oval paramedian shallow depressions have fine pores and canals. A small group of distinct pores is seen near the mediocaudal end of each depression. T8 and ovipositor unmodified, rods of S8 anteriorly connected by a sclerite ring.

The prehensor ( Fig. 90 ) is located in a wide anterior section of the oviduct and includes a pair of elongate sclerites which are medially bare but on the outside beset with large curved hooks. Around these spiny sclerites the integument is brownish, with a variety of scale- or spine-like minute acanthae. Further in front, on the opposite face of the duct, lies a thin oval sclerite ring with some small teeth along the sides. The surface of the large bursella is densely covered with minute circular areas surrounded by fine radial plicae.

Note. Occurs further inland than the other species in the group; there is no habitat information for any of them.

Etymology. Named in memory of the collector, the late J. Armstrong of Nyngan, NSW. His interest in Scirtidae is documented by a single publication ( Armstrong 1953) and by numerous “ Cyphon -like” specimens he collected, identified, or even designated as types of new species—but none of these was ever described. Unfortunately, J. Armstrong relied solely on habitus characters. Accordingly, many specimens were misidentified, the intended type series sometimes included several different species. Armstrong's labels never provide details of collection, rarely a collecting date. He mounted many specimens in groups on pieces of card. For example, the present specimens [plus 5♂ of Austrocyphon pictus (Blackburn) ] had been glued onto 3 cards, together on a single pin.

Figures

FIGURES 87 – 90. Nothocyphon amphora - group, N. armstrongi. Male: 87, penis, parameres and S 9 of the male holotype; 88, the same of a paratype. Female: 89, S 7, with enlarged detail of porous area; 90, prehensor, with enlarged detail of one of the toothed ridges. 87, 88, 90 to the same scale.

FIGURE 91. Nothocyphon amphora- group, distribution in SE Australia and variation of the male parameres. C, Canberra; M, Melbourne; S, Sydney. Parameres not to scale. For N. amphora, the two parameres to the left are of a specimen from the Otways, the one to the right of the specimen from ACT.