Aenigmoronia, Lawrence, 2019

Lawrence, John F., 2019, Australian Nitidulinae: general review with descriptions of new genera and species (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), Zootaxa 4657 (2), pp. 261-290 : 267

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4657.2.3
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0B82344A-CD64-4DC0-B029-4453A1BADB9D
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3800338
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F4375F2C-B604-836D-27E2-D6C0FDD1FDCB
treatment provided by	Valdenar
scientific name	Aenigmoronia
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Aenigmoronia , gen. nov.

Type species: Aenigmoronia echinodes , sp. nov.

Diagnosis. This monotypic genus is similar to several other nitiduline genera exhibiting a type of dual and seriate elytral punctation and vestiture in which 1) megasetae are erect or suberect, more or less thickened, apically blunt and bristle-like or brush-like, and well removed from one another within a longitudinal row, and 2) microsetae form two or more, sometimes irregular rows, each associated with a circular to ovoid pit. Most genera in this group are further distinguished from most nitidulines in the abrupt depression of the anterior metaventrital lobe to meet the edge of the mesoventrite, which is on a lower plane. Included are Atarphia Reitter, 1884 ; Hebasculinus Kirejtshuk, 1992 ; Hebascus Erichson, 1843 , Hyleopocadius Jelínek, 1977 ; Kryzhanovskiella aequilibris ( Kirejtshuk, 1986) ; Kryzhanovskiella pecki ( Kirejtshuk, 1986) ; Lordyrodes Reitter, 1884; Niliodes Murray, 1868 ; Physoronia Reitter, 1884 ; “ Physoronia ” intermedia Kirejtshuk, 2006a , Pocadiodes Ganglbauer, 1899 and Pocadites Reitter, 1884 . In some species, the megasetal rows have become highly irregular and often incomplete, sometimes due to the presence of elytral tubercles. Note that the genera Lordyrodes and Pocadiodes are considered by Kirejtshuk (2006a) to be synonymous with Physoronia . To account for some variable characters, the two species of Kryzhanovskiella are treated separately and Physoronia intermedia is treated separately from other described Physoronia . Aenigmoronia differs from one or more of these taxa in the following respects: 1) vertexal line replaced by a transverse band of linear microcells ( Fig. 34 View FIGURES 31–46 ) (a complete carina in Atarphia , Hebasculinus , Niliodes , Physoronia , Pocadiodes and Pocadites or no carina in Hebascus and Lordyrodes); 2) labral apex simple and truncate (weakly to strongly emarginate in Atarphia , Hebascus , Hyleopocadius and Physoronia ; with median notch in Hebasculinus , P. intermedius , Pocadiodes , and Pocadites ); 3) mandible bidentate without serrate lobe (unidentate in Hebascus and Hyleopocadius ; bidentate with at least one serrate lobe in Hebasculinus , K. aequilibris , Physoronia and Pocadites ); 4) apical labial palpomere obliquely emarginate with two separated sensory areas ( Fig. 40 View FIGURES 31–46 ) (unique to Aenigmoronia ); 5) submentum simple, without longitudinal grooves (with at least weak longitudinal paired grooves in Atarphia , Hebasculinus , Hyleopocadius , P. intermedius , Physoronia and Pocadiodes ); 6) posterior pronotal angles slightly acute (right to obtuse in all but K. aequilibris and Niliodes ); 7) posterior edge of pronotum with broadly rounded to subtruncate prescutellar lobe (absent in Hyleopocadius , P. intermedius , Niliodes and Pocadiodes ); 8) prosternal process distinctly narrower than mid length of procoxal cavity (at least as wide in Atarphia , Hebasculinus , K. pecki , Lordyrodes, Niliodes and Pocadiodes ); 9) sides of elytra narrowly explanate (broadly explanate in K. pecki , Niliodes , and Physoronia ); 10) megasetae thick and brush-like (present only in some Kryzhanovskiella ); 11) mesoventrite with short median carina (carina longer in Hebascus , Hyleopocadius , Lordyrodes, Niliodes , Pocadiodes ; no carina in Atarphia , Hebasculinus , K. pecki , Physoronia , and Pocadites ); 12) axillary spaces moderately large (small to very small in Hebascus , Hyleopocadius , Lordyrodes, Niliodes , Physoronia and Pocadiodes ); 13) distance between mesocoxae equal to or slighty greater than that between procoxae (distinctly greater in Niliodes , Physoronia , Pocadiodes and Pocadites ; distinctly less in Hebascus , Kryzhanovskiella and Lordyrodes); 14) protibial ridge present in male ( Fig. 26 View FIGURES 13–30 , compare with Fig. 29 View FIGURES 13–30 ) (absent in Hebascus , Hyleopocadius , K. pecki , Physoronia , Pocadiodes ); 15) no basal tarsomeres expanded (basal protarsomeres expanded in Atarphia , Hebascus and Pocadites ; all basal tarsomeres expanded in Niliodes ); 16) abdominal intercoxal process truncate (broadly rounded in Hebascus , Hyleopocadius and Physoronia ); 17) penis almost as long as to longer than tegmen (distinctly shorter, except in Kryzhanovskiella ); 18) genital capsule with subapical pit ( Fig. 55 View FIGURES 47–62 ) (absent in all but K. aequilibris and Physoronia ); 19) gonocoxites contiguous ( Figs 63, 77 View FIGURES 63–78 ) (at least apically separated in Hyleopocadius , Lordyrodes, Physoronia and Pocadiodes ); 20) gonocoxites without lateral recurved teeth (teeth present in Hebasculinus , Hebascus , Kryzhanovskiella , Lordyrodes, Physoronia and Pocadiodes ); 21) gonostyli reduced, shorter than wide and lateral ( Fig. 63 View FIGURES 63–78 ) (well-developed and parallel-sided in Atarphia , consisting of a few setae only in Hyleopocadius , K. aequilibris and P. intermedius ; absent in Hebasculinus , Hebascus , K. pecki , Lordyrodes and Physoronia ); Aenigmoronia appears to be most similar to Kryzhanovskiella species, which are also much smaller (2.10–2.65 mm versus 3.50–4.2 mm) with a shorter and broader pronotum and combined elytra.