Australotarsius grandis Solodovnikov & Newton

Solodovnikov, Alexey & Newton, Alfred F., 2009, Australotarsius — a new genus of the rove beetle tribe Staphylinini from Australia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae), Zootaxa 2033, pp. 49-57 : 53-54

Australotarsius grandis Solodovnikov & Newton , new species

( Figs. 1 , 3–17 )

Type material. Holotype: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 3, “Boar Pocket, 13-dec-1969, J.G. Brooks, at light” [17°12’S, 145°37’E] [FMNH-INS 0 0 0 0 0 36 001]( MVMA). Paratypes: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: 2ƤƤ, same data as in holotype ( MVMA, FMNH); 3, 2ƤƤ, “Boar Pocket, N.Q. 13.12.69. J.G. Brooks, at light, 649 / Brit. Mus. 1970-641 / Quediina new genus sp. 1 det. A.F. Newton 1989” ( BMNH); 3, same data ( ZMUC); 233, Ƥ, “Boar Pkt. Rd. sm. N. Gillies h’way. N.Q. 13.12.69, J.G. Brooks, at light / Boar pkt. N.Q. 12/69 G.B. / Q. 694 / J.G. Brooks Bequest, 1976” ( BMNH); Ƥ, same data ( ZMUC); 3, Ƥ, “Boar Pocket Rd. 20. 5 m. N. Gillies Highway N.Q. 13.12.69, at light, Q. 694” ( ANIC); 3, same data ( ZMUC); 233, “W. of Ravenshoe, Atherton Tab., Q. [Queensland] c. 3000’, Feb. 58 Darlingtons [P.J. Darlington Jr., wife & son] / Quediini Gen. A sp. 1” [17°36’S, 145°29’E] ( MCZ, FMNH); Ƥ, “Byfield, N. of Yeppoon, Darlingtons [P.J. Darlington Jr., wife & son], Nov. 57 [XI.1957] [22°53’S, 150°38E]” ( MCZ); New South Wales: Ƥ, “New South Wales, Crowdy Bay Nat. Pk., Kylie Beach camp area, ca. 35 km NE Taree, 26-dec-1990, D.A. Pollock & L.A. Reichert, coastal scrub, u-v [31°49’S, 152° 40’E]” ( FMNH).

Description. Measurements (n=5): HL: 1.25–1.35; HW: 1.85–2.05; PL: 2.10–2.30; PW: 2.45–2.60; EL: 2.90–2.95; EW: 2.80–2.95.

Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Size of the body 13–14 mm. Brown, glossy, with entire body covered by moderately dense setae-bearing punctation; elytra more densely setose than head and pronotum; setae on the abdomen longer and stouter than those on head, pronotum and elytra; all body parts, in addition to even general setation, also with a few large conspicuous macrosetae in regular arrangement.

Head transverse; eyes distinctly longer than tempora; neck constriction distinct at sides only, dorsally indistinct; no nuchal ridge. Antennae: antennomere IV about as long as antennomere II; antennomere V slightly shorter than antennomere IV; antennomeres V–IX gradually becoming shorter towards apex of antenna, each longer than wide; antennomere X distinctly short, wider than long, about 2 times as short as antennomere IX.

Pronotum slightly wider than long, widest at about its middle, with broadly rounded anterior and posterior angles, the former somewhat protruding anteriad. Pronotal disk without any dorsal or sublateral conspicuous macrosetae, only with large lateral seta latero-anteriorly, close to pronotal lateral margin.

Scutellum as setose as elytra. Elytra distinctly longer and wider than pronotum.

Abdomen: tergites with metallic iridescence; tergite VII with whitish apical seam.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 16, 17 ): median lobe apically rounded; paramere slightly asymmetrical, entire, apically obtusely pointed, with four pairs of apical setae and two fields of numerous sensory peg setae on its underside near apex.

Comparison. Australotarsius grandis strongly differs from A. tasmanicus , the second known species of this genus, by the following complex of character states: neck constriction developed only laterally, dorsally obliterated; last segment of the maxillary palps relatively longer and with narrowly truncated apex; antennomere X at most half as long as antennomere IX and slightly shorter than antennomere XI; prosternum glabrous with only a row of short setae along its anterior margin; and aedeagus with an entire and slightly asymmetrical paramere. Finally, A. grandis is much larger than A. tasmanicus .

Distribution and bionomics. The species is known only from three localities in northern Queensland and one locality in New South Wales (for details see Type material). Nothing is known about its bionomics. The largest sample (15 specimens) was collected at Boar Pocket in Queensland at light. The single specimen from New South Wales was also attracted to ultra-violet light, in coastal scrub. It is noteworthy that despite the fact that the rainforest rove beetle fauna in Queensland and New South Wales has been relatively well sampled during recent decades, no specimens of Australotarsius have turned up among samples from sifted leaf litter, in flight intercept traps or in samples obtained by low-scale pyrethrum fogging of dead mossy logs. Probably Australotarsius is confined to some other special habitat, like for example stream edges. It may occur in drier scrubby bush or other non-forest landscapes, which were sampled less frequently by collectors looking for mesophilous beetles.

Etymology. The species name “ grandis ” is the Latin adjective for “large”, of masculine gender. It refers to the relatively large size of the species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Australotarsius grandis (1) and A. tasmanicus (2), habitus. Scale bar 5 mm.

FIGURES 3 – 11. Australotarsius grandis, details of structure. 3, labrum, dorsally; 4, maxilla, left, ventrally; 5, labium, ventrally; 6, mandible, right, dorsally; 7, prothorax, ventrally, left leg removed; 8, head capsule, latero-ventrally; 9, anterior tarsus, left, dorsally; 10, meso- and metathorax, ventrally, left middle leg removed; 11, meso- and metathorax dorsally, right elytron removed. Scale bars 1 mm.

FIGURES 12 – 19. Australotarsius grandis (12 – 17) and A. tasmanicus (18 – 19), details of structure. 12, hind wing, right; 13, abdominal sternites II + III, ventrally; 14, male terminalia (abdominal segments IX, X), ventrally; 15, female terminalia (abdominal segments IX, X), ventrally; 16, 18, aedeagus, laterally; 17, 19, aedeagus, dorsally (parameral side). Scale bars 1 mm.