Brachypeplus aff. instriatus 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 : 58

20. Larva of Brachypeplus aff. instriatus Kirejtshuk et Kovalev, sp. nov.

Notes on larva ( Figs 13 , A–D). On the web-site (PaDIL—High quality images and Information tools designed for Biosecurity and Biodiversity) (PADIL 2021) two web-pages contain some pictures with specimens of “ Brachypeplus basalis ” and “ Brachypeplus sp. ” which are very similar to those included in the type series of Brachypeplus instriatus sp. nov. All characters of the specimens available for observation on these web-pages, including very unique and very peculiar male anal sclerite, correspond to those in the type series of Brachypeplus instriatus sp. nov., except for the general body outlines on the pictures of this web-site, which make an impression that the pictured specimens were slenderer than those examined by the authors of this publication from Australia (probably as a result of some deformation of imagines during picturing). In addition to the pictures of adults this web-site demonstrates three pictures of dry mature larva. The contacts with B. Boyd (Diagnostic and Surveillance Services, Biosecurity New Zealand, Auckland), who participated in the preparation of the mentioned web-site, supported the authors’ assumption that the adults and larva collected in the same sample: “P.Q.14.65. Pineapples, AUSTRALIA, 15—May—1978, M.M. Gay” (without more detail). Apparently, it can be admitted that the specimens (adults and larva of “ Brachypeplus basalis ” (female) and “ Brachypeplus sp. ” (male)) on this web-site belong to the species here described as Brachypeplus instriatus sp. nov. or at least any species closely related to the latter. Therefore, it can be possible to consider the pictures of the larva on this web-site as “ Brachypeplus affl . instriatus ”.

The pictures used for the below description are quite informative but not enough for complete study of the mature larva of this species. They show body of the larva only from above and head anterodorsally. The proposed description is regarded as a preliminary one. Larvae of Brachypeplus and cillaeines in general are scarcely known. The alone complete description can be found in Cline et al. (2013), other fragmental data on cillaeine larvae spread in different publications ( Böving & Rozen, 1962; Sagili et al., 2016; etc.).

Preliminary description of mature larva ( Figs 13 , A–D). Body length 5.6 mm (with urogomphi), width 1.0 mm. Head capsule length 0.4 and width 0.5 mm. Body rather elongate, yellow with somewhat darker head and urogomphi mostly because of sclerotization; with abdomen widest, head moderately sclerotized and mandibles heavily sclerotized, also each of thoracic and abdominal terga with one transverse stripe of slight sclerotizaton. Each tergal stripe with sclerotization medially narrowly interrupted and bearing more sclerotized rather small granules outlining stripe and interruption; granules becoming larger abdominal on terga VII and VIII and on abdominal tergum IX they becoming yet larger and looking subcylindrical microtubercles. Cervical region membranous. Sides and dorsal surface of head, thoracic and abdominal segments with sparse moderately long and thin pale setae. Head capsule dorsally coarsely wrinkly with labrum very widely rounded to transverse at anterior edge and separated by suture from frons, frontal sutures not expressed, stemmata not visible (probably not pigmented). Spiracular tubes rather short. Antennae 3-segmented and with one conical sensory appendix on apex of antennomere 2. Mandibles with acute apex and with multidentate inner edge. Pregomphi represented by conical sclerotized projections and urogomphi composed of three acute spines. Legs moderately sclerotized, with femur markedly thicker and longer than tibia and moderately curved tarsungulus.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Brachypeplus affl. instriatus sp. nov., orig. Specimens from Australia captured in New Zealand. A: adult male, dorsal; B: same, lateral; C: anterior part of mature larva, anterolateral; D: body of mature larva, dorsal. Scale bar: 1.0 mm to Figs A–B and D; 0.25 mm to Fig. C.