Agyrtodes variegatus Jeannel, 1936

Seago, Ainsley E., 2009, Revision Of Agyrtodes Portevin (Coleoptera: Leiodidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 7) 63, pp. 1-73 : 22-26

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1649/0010-065x-63.sp7.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B58B2216-0CFA-41C6-8141-7024E65ECF85
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039887BA-FFF2-C054-92F0-869BECCD96F5
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Agyrtodes variegatus Jeannel
status

Treatment

Agyrtodes variegatus Jeannel View in CoL

(Figs. 3, 40, 60, 80, 99)

Agyrtodes variegatus Jeannel 1936: 107 View in CoL . Holotype (see note): one male, partially dissected, labeled ‘‘Illawarra, N. S. Wales, G. E. Bryant XI. 1908 / R. variegatus Jeannel View in CoL det.,’’ genitalia mounted on slide, labeled ‘‘Slide 20/ Ragytes variegatus TYPE/ Illawarra’’ (BMNH). Paratypes: two specimens (sex not determined) labeled ‘‘Illawarra, N. S. Wales, G. E. Bryant XI.1908 / R. variegatus Jeannel det.’’ (BMNH); one female, labeled ‘‘Illawara N. S. Wales, G. E. Bryant, 30.IX.08, TYPE, A. variegatus n. sp. Jeannel det.’’ (MNHN). Szymczakowski (1966: 13); Zwick (1979: 8).

Notes on Type Material. In his original description, Jeannel states that the

‘‘type’’ (sex not stated) is from Illawarra and deposited in BMNH, then mentions

that four examples are divided among BMNH and NMNH. All four specimens in

this series are from Illawarra; one male ( BMNH) and one female ( MNHN) are labeled ‘‘ TYPE.’’ Because only one specimen in BMNH bears a type label (and is associated with slide-mounted genitalia corresponding to those illustrated by Jeannel in his description) this is presumed to be the holotype .

Distribution. Australia: northeastern New South Wales to south Queensland ( Fig. 99 View Fig ). Material examined listed in Appendix 1.

Diagnosis. This species can be recognized by its comparatively small size and elytral color pattern of four parallel dark, chevroned transverse stripes, accompanied by a dark brown pronotum. Agyrtodes monteithi Seago , new species, from northern/northeastern Queensland, has similar dark transverse stripes, but only three, and a lighter, reddish-brown pronotum. In addition to coloration differences, the two species can also be distinguished by genitalic differences: the endophallus of A. variegatus is armed with two large, wellsclerotized teeth and many small spines, and the aedeagal parameres are short and thin, whereas the endophallus of A. monteithi lacks minute teeth and is armed only with long, sclerotized, fingerlike processes, and the parameres are long, flattened, and armed with many long hairs at the internal faces of the apices.

Redescription. TBL 5 2.1 mm, EW 5 1.3 mm, PNW 5 1.1 mm, HW 5 0.6 mm. (TBL variation: 1.9 mm – 2.1 mm)

Body size small, narrowly ovoid, pronotum dark brown in color, elytra with four transverse dark brown stripes on medium-brown to reddish brown integument. Head reddish-brown, similar in color to paler regions of elytra. Vestiture short and abundant, predominantly gold but darker on dark striped regions of elytra. Color pattern (Fig. 3) somewhat variable in brightness and contrast: reddish-brown and dark-brown stripes may be difficult to differentiate in darker-bodied individuals.

Head broad, shining reddish-brown, covered sparsely with fine, erect golden hairs and small punctures. Eyes large, bulging, hemispherical. Epistomal suture absent. Clypeus fused to frons, narrow; labrum very short and narrow, subquadrate, with weak median notch distally. Mandibles normal; maxilla with slender galea bearing loose, elongate apical hair cluster, lacinia with small, compact, weakly sclerotized spore-brush, maxillary palps slender, elongate, with apical segment long and fusiform. Labium with two very short medial and two long lateral digitiform sensillae along anterior margin of ligula; labial palpi with terminal segment elongate, slender, and weakly curved interiad; last two segments of labial palpi armed with long, stiff, slender setae, without digitiform sensillae. Antennae ( Fig. 40 View Figs ) slender, all segments markedly longer than wide. First two segments light brown in color, expanded, robust; first segment arched; ‘‘stem’’ segments 3–6 slender, subcylindrical, each segment very slightly widened distally. Club segments 7–10 elongate, 8 scarcely so; 7–10 darker brown even in heavily cleared specimens, 11 light brown to yellow. Segment 11 slender, parallel-sided, longer than all preceding segments.

Pronotum short, weakly convex, transverse, dark brown, darkest at disc. Integument shining, punctation so faint as to be scarcely visible. Pronotal vestiture golden, semierect, slightly curled. Hind angles triangular to acute, produced posteriad, transparent.

Elytra convex, narrow, shining; transverse strigae deeply punctate; no trace of longitudinal striae. Color pattern of alternating red-brown and dark brown chevroned stripes reinforced by coloration of elytral vestiture, with short, stiff setae colored lighter gold above red-brown areas of the integument and darker brown above darker markings. Elytral apices dark, but not as markedly so as basalmost stripes. Elytral bases reddish-brown, rarely with a median ‘‘peak’’ from the first dark band on each elytron. Epipleura light-reddish brown. Scutellum reddish-brown.

Prosternum short; hypomeron smooth, concave, light reddish-brown. Procoxal cavities large, globular. Mesosternal carina distinct, elevated, highest adjacent to mesocoxal separation. Mesepimera broadly oval, bluntly rounded at mesocoxal articulation. Mesocoxal cavities oblique, ovate. Metasternum strongly sclerotized, deeply punctate, not convex. Metepisterna elongate, parallel-sided, apically square.

Abdomen normal, male sternum VII with shallow, broad emargination distally. Sternum VIII weakly cleft. Female sterna normal, convex.

Legs short, all femora dorsoventrally flattened and elliptical in shape, tibiae stout with two external, broadly spaced rows of long, robust spines; claws small. Male protarsi weakly dilated, with only first tarsomere slightly expanded, narrower than tibial apex; first three male protarsomeres bearing abundant but not tightly packed patches of tenent setae. Male mesotarsi simple, not expanded, apparently without tenent setae.

Male genital segment ( Fig. 60 View Figs ) broad, rectangular, slightly wider than long; tergite bluntly truncate at apex; anterior apophysis stout, weakly sclerotized, apically truncate. Aedeagus ( Fig. 80 View Figs ) with median lobe wide at base, smoothly tapering to bluntly pointed apex with small papillate process. Endophallus armed with many small, weakly sclerotized spines and at least two large, straight, heavily sclerotized, attenuate spines. Parameres short, narrow, slightly flattened, bent inwardly as if enclosing median lobe; paramere apices with sparse internal patches of short hairs and single apical spine; parameres notdistally expanded or excavate. Basal piece short, scarcely extending beyond base of parameres. Female terminalia small, coxites large and basally connate, styli short, slender, each bearing long apical seta.

Natural History. Collected in malaise and flight intercept traps, sifting litter, near streams and decaying logs, under bark and on rotten wood in Nothofagus and wet sclerophyll forests.