Eucinetus similis, Lawrence, 2019

Lawrence, John F., 2019, New species of Eucinetus and Noteucinetus from Australia (Coleoptera: Scirtoidea: Eucinetidae), Zootaxa 4668 (2), pp. 151-182 : 164-165

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4668.2.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DDEB92E2-3F1B-463F-B68C-4C3E282279FF
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/E52C87D7-3D36-FF97-FF74-4F272E4AF90C
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Eucinetus similis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Eucinetus similis sp. nov.

( Figs 20–22 View FIGURES 13–23 , 49 View FIGURES 34–51 , 63 View FIGURES 52–72 , 87 View FIGURES 73–88 , 111 View FIGURES 104–118 , 134 View FIGURES 133–148 )

Diagnosis. This species differs from E. bicolor , E. bicolorellus , E. brindabellae , E. dorrigo , E. limitaris , E. minutus, E. protibialis , and E. tasmaniae in having a longer and narrower metanepisternum, less sharply acute scutellar shield, an internal eye notch and hind wings. It differs from E. nebulosus and E. tropicus in having a more elongate and narrow body (more than 1.9 times as long as wide; elytra together more than 1.57 times as long as wide) and the apical maxillary palpomere widened and obliquely truncate apically, and from E. lorien in having the head red, the apical maxillary palpomere less than 1.6 times as long as wide and less strongly, obliquely expanded apically, and the third antennomere much shorter than the fourth.

Description. Length 2.70–3.10 (2.93 ± 0.16) mm; body 1.91–1.98 (1.95) times as long as combined elytral width; greatest depth 0.69–0.75 (0.70) times elytral width. Colour of head, pronotum and scutellar shield red; elytra black; undersurfaces mostly dark brown or black; legs and antennae yellowish-brown. Head 0.97 times as long as wide; distance across eyes 1.44 times distance between them; inner edge of eye with distinct notch. Labrum 0.63 times as long as wide; sides weakly curved, converging beyond middle and slightly emarginate apically. Antenna about 1.6 times as long as head width behind eyes; 3rd antennomere 0.65 times as long as 4th; 11th antennomere 1.39 times as long as 10th, 2.0 times as long as wide, with subtruncate apex. Mandibular mola well developed. Galea about 2.0 times as wide as lacinia at middle, distinctly widened and broadly rounded at apex. Apical maxillary palpomere 2.05 times as long as wide, widest subapically and obliquely truncate at apex. Apical labial palpomere subulate, 1.87 times as long as wide, with aciculate tip relatively short. Pronotum 0.34–0.50 (0.42) times as long as wide; prosternal process narrowly rounded at apex. Scutellar shield 0.21 times as wide as pronotum, 0.88 times as long as wide, with subacute apex rounded at tip. Elytra 1.62–1.73 (1.65) times as long as combined width and 4.45–7.08 (5.62) times as long as pronotum; elytral punctation and vestiture as in Fig. 87 View FIGURES 73–88 . Hind wings fully developed. Metanepisternum 1.46 times as long as mesepimeron, 2.7 times as long as wide, asymmetrically quadrate with moderately straight inner edge curved at each end, straight outer edge, and oblique apical edge. Metacoxal plate with outer edge about 2.75 times as long as posterior edge, which is minutely, emarginate near its mesal end. Outer (acute) mesotibial spur in male 0.39 times as long as first mesotarsomere; inner spur of equal length, parallel-sided with a blunt, cleft apex. Meso- and metapretarsal claws each with about 3 very weak teeth and with a slender, pubescent accessory lobe almost as long as claw. Parameres at about middle 1.43 times as wide as penis at same point, straight, not at all curved, with apex asymmetrically acute, with rounded outer side and straight inner side. Penis with sides gradually converging to subacute apex.

Types: Holotype, ♁: “ 35.22S 148.48E, Piccadilly Circus 1240m, ACT Feb. 84, J. Lawrence, T. Weir, M.-L. Johnson,coll. / flight intercept window/ trough trap ” ( ANIC type #25-067879). GoogleMaps

Paratypes. ACT: Blundell’s Creek , 3 km S Piccadilly Circus (35°22’S, 148°50’E), 850m, 11.1984, flight intercept window/ trough trap, T. Weir, J. Lawrence, M. Johnson (1, ANIC) GoogleMaps ; Piccadilly Circus (35°22’S, 148°48’E), 1240m, ii.1984, flight intercept window/ trough trap, T. Weir, J. Lawrence, M. Johnson (1, ANIC) GoogleMaps ; Wombat Creek , 6 km NE Piccadilly Circus (35°19’S, 148°51’E), 750m, ii.1984, flight intercept window/ trough trap, T. Weir, J. Lawrence, M. Johnson (2, ANIC) GoogleMaps ; NSW: Kosciusko N. P., 4.1 km W Dead Horse Gap (36°32’S, 148°13’E), 1500m, Euc. pauciflora woodland, 9.xii.1986 – 14.ii.1987, flght intercept (window) trap, FMHD #86-645, A. Newton, M. Thayer (1, ANIC) GoogleMaps ; VIC: Mt. Donna Buang , N of Warburton (37°43’S, 145°41’E), 1200m 810, Noth. cunn. Wet sclerophyll, 26.i–11.ii.1987, FMHD #87-216, flight intercept (window) trap, A. Newton, M. Thayer (1, ANIC) GoogleMaps ; TAS: Sandpit For. Reserve , S of Orford (42°43’S, 147°50’E), 200m, 915, Euc. globulus w/rainf. understorey, 17.i– 2.ii.1993, FMHD #93-45, ex window trap (1, ANIC) GoogleMaps .

Distribution. Montane regions of the ACT, southeastern NSW, eastern VIC and TAS.

Biology. All specimens were collected in flight intercept window/trough traps.

Etymology. Derived from the Latin similis , like or resembling, referring to the similarities to E. lorien .

Note. The differences between this species and E. lorien are relatively minor ones, and it is possible that the two forms represent northern and southern populations of a single widely distributed species, comparable, perhaps, to E. stewarti (Broun) in New Zealand.