Allsortsia, Reid & Beatson, 2010

Reid, C. A. M. & Beatson, M., 2010, 2486, Zootaxa 2486, pp. 1-60 : 5-7

Allsortsia gen. nov.

Type species: Macrogonus maculata Lea 1922 , this designation

Diagnosis

Length 12–13mm; shape elongate-ovoid; dorsum not pubescent; eyes small, gena c. 0.6x eye length; antennae c.0.5x body length; pronotum widest at middle (male laterally produced), and width at posterior angles greater than width at anterior angles; lateral margination of pronotum absent; prosternal process transverse, depressed between coxae, apex bilobed; elytra evenly convex in lateral view, non-striate, without depresssions on disc; male tibiae curved; tibial spurs 1+2+2; claw simple, with slight angulation at base of ventral margin; junction ventrites I and II fused at sides, with some movement at middle.

Description of Allsortsia

Length 12–13mm; body ( Figs 1–2) elongate-ovate, without marked constriction at junction of elytra and pronotum, but head remarkably narrow, c. 0.5–0.6x width pronotum; body moderately to shallowly convex in profile, length 2.8x height. Dorsum shining and smooth, multicoloured, with some metallic reflection, glabrous except trichobothria adjacent to eyes and on each corner of pronotum.

Head ( Figs 1–2, 18): fronto-clypeus smooth, triangular, anterior margin shallowly concave, not depressed between eyes and elevated towards apex; eyes ovate, height c. 1.4x width, inner margin shallowly concave; eye laterally projecting, posterior curvature contiguous with short temples, which are abruptly constricted to parallel-sided head capsule; gena 0.5–0.6x greatest eye length; antennae c. 4.5x socket diameters apart; antennae c. 0.5x body length; antennomere 1 enlarged cylindrical, 2 shortest (c. 0.6x first), 3 equal to 1, antennomeres 6–11 almost parallel-sided, 7–11 longest; antennomeres 1–5 shining and sparsely punctured, 6– 11 dull and densely microsculptured; labrum not densely setose, with 1–2 pairs of median setae and extra setae at lateral margins; mandible with single apical tooth; apical maxillary palpomere elongate fusiform, with narrow apex (both sexes); preapical palpomere triangular, shorter than apical, and of similar width; mentum transverse, width c. 3x median length, but anterior angles narrowly produced.

Thorax ( Figs 1–2, 18, 41, 44): pronotum transverse, width 1.25x length, broadest near middle and strongly contracted to anterior angles; disc with or without depressions; anterior edge deeply concave, posterior medially bilobed, lateral edges convex or medially lobed; anterior partly and base distinctly margined, lateral margination absent; anterior and posterior angles laterally prominent, each with single trichobothrium; posterior angle at same vertical plane as posterior margin of hypomeron; prosternum flat between coxae and head; prosternal process broad and flat, with bilobed apex; procoxal cavities closed by insertion of hypomeral lobes into prosternal process; scutellum semi-ovate; elytra broadest at base, with strongly developed humeri, without median depressions; without distinct striae; elytral epipleuron narrow, width <0.2x elytral width, entirely visible laterally but upper margin effaced before humerus, slightly sinuate, gradually contracted from base to apex, and without setae; mesoventrite entirely visible, with quadrate median process; wings fully developed, with two large subequal cells and 4 longitudinal veins in the cubito-anal region, anterior to the weakly indicated anal fold; metaventrite transverse, width c. 2x length, without femoral plates; all femora fusiform, with base and apex narrowed, without longitudinal keels or ridges; all tibiae round in section, without keels, thin, with abruptly expanded apices; short spur on protibia present, 2 on remainder; all first tarsomeres with ovate patch of modified setae in males, with dense simple setae diverging from midline in females; apex second tarsomere concave; third tarsomere deeply bilobed, lobes c. 1.5x median length; claws simple, without basal tooth.

Abdomen ( Figs 60, 66, 67, 81, 96, 98, 128): pygidium (tergite 7) not greatly thickened, basal half membranous, apical half densely pubescent and punctured, without median groove; tergite VIII not fused to spiracles; ventrite I with triangular intercoxal process and without femoral plates; ventrites I and II not completely fused, with some movement at middle; ventrite V smooth, not medially depressed, and truncate or convex at apex in both sexes, but shorter in male; sternite VIII of male Y-shaped; sternite IX of male Yshaped; male tegmen present, enclosing penis, U- shaped, thinly sclerotised and with slight internal median keel; penis simple, flattened tubular, with basal foramen c. 0.4x length of penis; vas deferens with long thickened sperm pump; female tergite VIII well-developed, sternite VIII with basal apodeme; ovipositor with pair of well-developed paraprocts, enclosed at base by thin baculus, and partly enclosing basal half of palpi, pair of well-defined elongate proctigers dorsal to these; vaginal palpi 3-segmented, apical segment (gonostylus) elongate cylindrical, basal segments (gonocoxite) massive; elongate median ventral sclerite present between gonocoxites; spermatheca hook-shaped; kotpresse present in rectum, as a poorly defined band of elongate spinules.

Distribution and biology

Allsortsia is confined to Australia, where it occurs in the tropical rainforest of north Queensland. The single species is known from two pre-1920 specimens. The biology is unknown, but is likely to be similar to other Spilopyrinae ( Reid 2000) , with an external larva feeding on leaf laminae.

Etymology

Allsortsia is named from the vague resemblance of the type species to liquorice allsorts, a childhood favourite of the senior author. The gender is feminine.

Notes

Allsortsia differs from Macrolema by: head structure, antennal length, sexually dimorphic pronotal shape, prosternal process, elytral sculpture, upper margin of epipleura, sexually dimorphic tibiae, almost glabrous ventrites, vaginal palpi, presence of kotpresse. Allsortsia is similar to Spilopyra Baly 1860 , from which it differs by: anteriorly elevated frontoclypeus, absent lateral pronotal margins, prosternal process medially depressed and apicolaterally lobed, elytra not transversely depressed, reduced spiculum relictum, 3- segmented vaginal palpi. Allsortsia has less in common with the four remaining spilopyrine genera ( Reid 2000).

There is a single known species, redescribed below.