Laferollaeus Kirejtshuk, 2022

Kirejtshuk, Alexander G. & Kovalev, Alexey V., 2022, Monograph on the Cillaeinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) from the Australian Region with comments on the taxonomy of the subfamily, Zootaxa 5103 (1), pp. 1-133 : 102-104

40. Genus Laferollaeus Kirejtshuk et Kovalev, gen. n.

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0DE2344E-F64B-4F08-8B1E-7136E8CF7D0F

Type species: Laferollaeus angustissimus sp. nov.

Diagnosis (taking into consideration undescribed species). This genus can be diagnosed after the above key to Australian genera and subgenera and it is distinct from other genera from Australia and surrounding territories in a peculiar set of the characters, including the eyes located in the anterior half of head, base of head behind eyes not or slightly narrowed, antennomere 2 usually markedly longer than antennomere 3, pronotum subquadrangular with more or less rounded and not projecting anterior and posterior angles, abdominal laterosternites V and VI very narrow and subparallel-sided or distinctly narrowing distally, body integument clearly pubescent (sometimes finely and almost inconspicuously pubescent), apex of female pygidium usually finely serrate. This new genus is also characterized by the very narrow and elongate body with subflattened dorsum and not or scarcely striate elytra, pronotal sides rather steeply sloping and very narrowly explanate, convergent antennal grooves distinct and rather long, narrowly separated metacoxae, posterior edge of metaventrite straight, medially gently convex prosternum with flattened process ending with widely rounded lateral angles and truncate apex, serrate posterior edge of male anal sclerite.

Comparison. Laferollaeus gen. nov. shares rather similar appearance with Allenipeplus , Ithyphenes , and Tokocillaeus due to narrow elongate body with diffuse or scarcely striate elytra. Nevertheless, the new genus is rather distinct from these genera in the following features:

– from Allenipeplus in the subflattened dorsum, subflattened and widened prosternal process, slightly elongate apical abdominal segment (not strongly elongate) and lack of paramedian depressions on exposed (uncovered by elytra) abdominal tergites, although the slightly expressed “neck” of head, eyes located in anterior half of head and structure of ovipositor of both generic groups are very similar;

– from some narrow Ithyphenes having the body somewhat reminiscent of Laferollaeus gen. nov., in addition to generic diagnostic characters in the above key to genera and subgenera (frons, antennal grooves, sides of prothorax, tarsi, etc.), in the very narrow and long body;

– from some narrow Tokocillaeus in the eyes located in the anterior half of head, moderately long elytra and abdominal segments (not very long), mentum strongly widened anteriorly (not strongly narrowed), flat prosternal process (not convex), femora modified as in many cillaeines with convex ventral side (not unmodifided nitidulid type), serrate posterior edge of male anal sclerite.

Some representatives of the genera Cillaeopeplus and Paracillaeopsis with the narrow and very elongate body differ from Laferollaeus gen. nov. in the striate elytra with distinctly seriate punctation, and also Cillaeopeplus , in contrast to this new genus, has the usually somewhat wider body, subtriangular head with distinct and short “neck” and basally located eyes, abdominal laterosternites V and VI distinctly widened posteriorly, somewhat more widely separated procoxae and metacoxae, prosternal process subrectilinearly widened to subtruncate apex forming distinct lateral angles (not arcuately widened to widely rounded apical angles), markedly wider femora, and not serrate posterior edge of the male anal sclerite; and Paracillaeopsis also has rather convex upper surface of body with longer, denser and more conspicuous pubescence, narrower apex of the prosternal process and not serrate posterior edge of the male anal sclerite.

Besides, some reminiscence with this new genus can be observed in some narrow and long species of Brachypeplus , Brittonoma and Macrostola , however Laferollaeus gen. nov. has, in contrast to all of them, at least the longer head with eyes located far anteriorly and scarcely raised “neck”, elytra with diffuse punctation and without striation.

Etymology. The name of this new genus is formed from the surname of the outstanding Russian coleopterist, German Shlemovich Lafer, and the common end of generic names “ llaeus ”.

Description (taking into consideration undescribed species). Body small (3.5–6.0 mm long), rather narrow and elongate, subparallel-sided; somewhat subflattened dorsally and slightly convex ventrally. Integument moderately coarsely to finely and moderately sparsely to densely punctured, interspaces between punctures smooth, smoothly microreticulate to alutaceous; elytra with diffuse punctation and without striation; body with fine, short and slightly conspicuous to inconspicuous pubescence, although abdomen more markedly pubescent; pronotal and elytral sides without clear cilia.

Head subflattened and subtriangular, widest at eyes; with moderately large and finely faceted eyes located anteriorly from rather long temples (at least about as long as eyes). Labrum short, transverse and divided into lobes by median suture and with subtruncate anterior edge. Mandibles stout and short, externally curved and with narrow bidentate apices. Antennal grooves distinctly outlined and S-shaped convergent. Mentum moderately wide and somewhat widening anteriorly, and with anterior lateral angles rounded and projecting anteriorly. Pregenal process at hypostomal sinus moderately wide and slightly curved. Terminal labial palpomere short, subcylindrical and slightly longer than wide, truncate at apex; terminal maxillary palpomere moderately long and subconical.Antennae with 11 antennomeres, bearing rather compact 3-segmented club. Pronotum mostly subquadrangular and slightly subarcuate outlines; anterior angles slightly projecting and posterior angles more or less widely rounded; sides gently sloping to narrowly bordered lateral edge. Scutellar shield rather transverse, subtriangular to subpentagonal, with subangular apex. Elytra frequently about 1.5 × as long as combined width, with subtruncate apices and widely rounded at outer apical angles, leaving at least last three abdominal segments completely exposed, sides steeply sloping at base and subflattened at apex. Abdominal laterosternites V and VI moderately or strongly narrow. Spiracles of three preapical abdominal segments rather long and narrow. Three last tergites gently convex. Male pygidium somewhat longer than wide, with very widely rounded to subtruncate apex. Female pygidium slightly longer than wide, without clear serration on posterior edge.

Prosternum medially convex and with subflattened process (not curved along procoxae); process very narrow in narrowest place, rather strongly widened before subtransverse apex and with lateral angles widely rounded. Pro- and metacoxae extremely narrowly separated and mesocoxae moderately separated. Underside surface of mesothorax medially flatly convex (not excavate), but at sides with isolated depressions for receipt of mesofemora. Metaventrite with distinct discrimen in posterior half, posterior edge between metacoxae angularly excised. Metepisterna very narrow, with almost straight inner edge. Male and female hypopygidium widely rounded at apex.

Legs comparatively short. Tibiae usually moderately stout, subtriangilar, meso- and metatibiae widely rounded at outer subapical angles, spurs short and rather stout; outer side of meso- and metatibiae with two rows of spines becoming stout at apex. Femora of usual cillaeine shape, usually rather wide and moderately short, with straight to slightly convex anterior and posterior edges. Tarsi with narrowly lobed tarsomeres 1–3, male protarsi slightly wider than others.

Male anal sclerite slightly exposed from pygidium and with clear fine serration at apex. Aedeagus slightly to moderately sclerotized and of structure characteristic of many cillaeines. Ovipositor moderately sclerotized; valvifer moderately wide, their inner and outer lobes clearly isolated, inner lobes transversely separate at middle; styli located at some distance from acuminate apex.

Composition. Only the type species is described, although some species need to be described in this genus.

Distribution. Australian Region and some undescribed potential congeners are known from the Indo-Malayan Region, at least some new species are planned for describing from New Guinea and surrounding islands.