Cis apodemus Lawrence, 2019

Lawrence, John F., 2019, The Australian Ciidae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea): supplement, Zootaxa 4555 (4), pp. 451-490 : 460-461

Cis apodemus Lawrence sp. nov.

( Figs 1–2 , 53, 74)

Diagnosis. As mentioned above, this is the only Australian species belonging to the Cis compressicornis group. It has some features in common with members of the Cis pacificus group, such as the carinate prosternum, very short, fine dorsal vestiture and paired, apically rounded frontoclypeal plates in the male. The elytral punctation, however, is single and there is no vertexal sex patch in the male. The species is also unusual in being very lightly pigmented, more or less yellow. Given that the type series is relatively short, all specimens might be teneral; however, this is unlikely considering that several undescribed Asian relatives are similarly pigmented.

Description. With characters of the genus. Length = 1.25–1.50 (1.36 ± 0.07, n = 9) mm. Body oblong, almost parallel-sided and moderately convex: BL/EW 1.79–1.90 (1.86); GD/EW = 0.75–0.81 (0.77). Colour of dorsum yellow to brownish-yellow, head and pronotum usually somewhat lighter than elytra; surfaces shiny. Dorsal vestiture single, consisting of very short, fine hairs, which are barely longer than the punctures from which they arise and not visible under lower power. Frons and vertex in female flat, in male concave with broad shallow impression but without vertexal sex patch. Longest eye diameter 0.20 times as great as head width. Frontoclypeal ridge in both sexes incomplete at middle and produced and elevated forming a pair of short, broad, rounded frontoclypeal plates, separated by about two-thirds a basal width, those in male somewhat longer and more hornlike. Antennomere length ratio: 4.00: 3.00: 2.60: 1.60: 1.20: 1.10: 1.00: 2.00: 2.20: 3.80; length/width ratios: 1.67, 1.36, 2.60, 1.60, 1.00, 0.79, 0.56. 0.62, 0.69, 1.12. Apical maxillary palpomere 2.33 times as long as wide, widest near base, sinuate subapically and narrowly truncate at apex. Labial palps separated by 0.2 times basal width of one; ratio of palpomere lengths 1.00:3.00: 1.5, apical palpomere distinctly narrower than preapical one, which is inflated. Male gula 0.45 times as wide as head, densely filled with micropores, except at posterior end, the pores extending anteriorly onto submentum as a broad, apically rounded patch; female gula 0.43 times as wide as head. Pronotum 0.70–0.76 (0.73) times as long as wide, widest at about middle in both sexes; anterior edge strongly, broadly rounded in both sexes; lateral margins moderately broad, clearly visible for their entire lengths from above with smooth edges; anterior angles produced forward and broadly rounded; posterior angles obtuse; posterior edge with very narrow but complete marginal bead; disc evenly convex; punctation moderately coarse and dense, punctures usually separated by one diameter or slightly less; interspaces finely sculptured and more or less shiny. Prosternum in front of coxae 1.12 times as long as mid length of procoxal cavity, strongly tumid with median longitudinal carina, prosternal process 0.75 times as wide as mid length of coxal cavity, subtruncate at apex; procoxal cavities very narrowly open; postcoxal process narrowly acute. Elytra 1.12–1.23 (1.17) times as long as wide and 1.61–1.81 (1.70) times as long as pronotum; punctation single and confused, with punctures distinctly larger than pronotal punctures and more or less evenly distributed, the interspaces relatively smooth and shiny. Mesocoxal cavities subcontiguous, meso- and metaventral processes not or barely meeting. Metaventrite slightly convex; discrimen absent; shortest distance between meso- and metacoxal cavities 1.25 times as long as abdominal ventrite 1. Outer apical angle of protibia produced to form a sharp tooth, in both sexes. First abdominal ventrite 1.37 times as long as 2nd; sex patch in male weakly developed, about 0.21 times as long as ventrite 1, located at middle, circular, without marginal rim. Sides of sternite VIII sinuate and slightly concave, its apex broadly and shallowly emarginate with rounded lateral angles. Pregenital ring subacute and slightly produced anteriorly with a short longitudinal carina. Tegmen (Fig. 53) 2.65 times as long as wide, widest at apical fifth, sides very slightly converging to about middle, then diverging to apical fifth, where they abruptly converge to form a pair of deep emarginations followed by a recurved lobe flanking a rounded and mesally cleft apical lobe; base subangulate. Penis 1.05 times as long as tegmen and 7 times as long as wide, widest at base; sides almost parallel but slightly sinuate subapically and with broad, emarginate apex; base more or less rounded. Ovipositor (Fig. 74) 1.86 times as long as wide, widest at base with sides gradually narrowing apically; paraprocts 0.85 times as long as gonocoxites, longitudinally oriented; gonocoxites 1.67 times as long as their combined widths, proximal lobe twice as long as wide, more or less parallel-sided; distal lobe 1.18 times as long as proximal lobe, gradually narrowed to subapex, then slightly expanded to form lateral tooth at base of obliquely truncate apex; gonostylus 0.11 times as long as distal lobe and 2.5 times as long as wide.

Type specimens: Holotype, ♂: “ 16.03S to 16.05 S, 145.28E QLD. Cape Tribulation area 1–11 May 1992 J. F. Lawrence / Winkler ANIC 1234 leaf & log litter / ANIC image” ( ANIC 25-014987 ).

Paratypes. QLD: Black Mtn. Rd. , Kuranda (16.44S,c 145.34E), 350m, 27.vi.1971, ANIC berlesate 339, rainforest, Taylor, Feehan (1, ANIC) ; Cape Tribulation , 200m, 14.vii.1982, JFL 82-35, Nigroporus sp. S. & J. Peck (4, ANIC) ; Cape Tribulation , 200m, 14.vii.1982, JFL 82-37, unidentified fungus, S. & J. Peck (1, ANIC) ; Cape Tribulation area (16.03–05S, 145.29E), 1–11.v.1992, ANIC 1234, Winkler, leaf & log litter, J. F. Lawrence (1, ANIC) ; Mossman Gorge N. P., 6 km SW of Mossman, 50m , 11.vii.1982, 82-24 JFL, Nigroporus sp., S. & J. Peck; Noah Beach , Daintree (16.09.04 S, 145.26.27E), 10m, 7.i–9.ii.1998, FIT #6, Simon Grove (1, ANIC) ; Thompson Creek , Daintree (16.06.31 S, 145.26.27E), 7–8.xii.1998, log knockdown, Simon Grove (1, QDPC) .

Distribution. Northern QLD.

Biology. Found in basidiomes of Nigroporus sp. and an unidentified fungus.

Etymology. Derived from the Greek apodemos, meaning away from home or foreign and referring to fact that the Cis compressicornis group occurs nowhere else in Australia.

Figures

FIGURES 1–15. habitus: 1–2, Cis apodemus sp. nov.: 1, male, dorsal (1.3 mm); 2, same, lateral; 3–5, Cis bicolorellus sp. nov.: 3, male, unicoloured, dorsal (1.1 mm); 4, same, lateral; 5, female, bicoloured form, dorsal (1.2 mm); 6–7, Cis brachytrichus sp. nov.: 6, male, dorsal (2.1 mm); 7, same, lateral; 8–10, Cis christmasensis sp. nov.: 8, male, dorsal (1.4 mm); 9, female, dorsal (1.5 mm); 10, same, lateral. 11–14, Cis densus sp. nov.: 11, male, dorsal (1.2 mm); 12, same, lateral; 13, female, dorsal (1.1 mm); 14, same, lateral; 15, Cis depressus sp. nov., male, dorsal (1.3 mm).