Onicotis auritus ( Murray, 1864 ) Kirejtshuk & Kovalev, 2022

Kirejtshuk, Alexander G. & Kovalev, Alexey V., 2022, Monograph on the Cillaeinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) from the Australian Region with comments on the taxonomy of the subfamily, Zootaxa 5103 (1), pp. 1-133 : 115-117

47. Mature larva of Onicotis auritus ( Murray, 1864) , comb. nov.

Figs 35 , A–E

Notes on larva. The specimens (? paralectotypes) were collected in Queensland (see above—NHML—“ Queensland, Australia ”, “Sharp Coll., 1905–313”). Two dry specimens of this species were accessible for study. One of them was wetted and soaked in heated solution of KOH for study and preparation of the pictures. Structure of larva show primarily generalized features characteristic of representatives of Nitidulidae , Cillaeinae and Cryptarchinae . In contrast to larvae of known larvae of Brachypeplus , larva of Onicotis auratus comb. nov. has the coxae and abdominal segment IX with long setae.

Preliminary description of mature larva. Body length of one dry larva 7.2 mm. Body of another larva soaked in KOH 8.7, width of abdomen 2.0, height 1.8 mm. Head capsule length 0.4 and width 0.9 mm. Body rather elongate, milky (dry larva reddish) with somewhat darker (yellowish) head and dorsal transverse plates or stripes of slight sclerotizaton on each thoracic and abdominal segment, also with heavily sclerotized mandibles, urogomphi and microtubercles on sclerotized plates. Each transverse stripe medially narrowly interrupted and bearing more sclerotized subconical microtubercles (granules) outlining stripes or plates; granules becoming larger on abdominal tergum IX. Cervical region membranous. Sides and dorsal surface of head, thoracic and abdominal segments with rather sparse, short and thin pale setae. Spiracular tubes rather short. Head capsule dorsally weakly and coarsely wrinkly with labrum widely subtruncate at anterior edge and separated by suture from frons, frontal sutures not expressed, stemmata slightly visible (not pigmented). Antennae 3-segmented and with one conical sensory appendix on apex of antennomere 2. Mandibles with acute apex and with multidentate inner edge. Pregomphi represented by rather short and comparatively thick sclerotized projections and urogomphi composed of three short projections with forced apex. Legs moderately sclerotized, with femur markedly thicker and longer than tibia and moderately curved tarsungulus.

Figures

FIGURE 35. Onicotis auritus, mature larva, orig. A-E: specimen from QLD (“Sharp Coll…”); A-B: dry larva; C-F: larva wettened and soaked in boiled solution of KOH; A, C: body, dorsal; B: ??? D: head and prothorax, dorsal; E: legs, lateral; F: two apical segments of abdomen, dorsal. Scale bar = 2.0 mm for Fig. A; = ~1.4 mm for Fig. B; = ~1.7 mm for Fig. C; =~ 0.7 mm for Figs E and D; =~ 0.5 mm for Fig. F.