Salsolaius biserratus, Liu & Ślipiński & Pang, 2021

Liu, Zhenhua, Ślipiński, Adam & Pang, Hong, 2021, Salsolaius gen. nov. a new genus of Apalochrini (Coleoptera, Melyridae, Malachiinae) from the salt Lake Way of Western Australia, Zootaxa 5082 (4), pp. 393-400 : 397

Salsolaius biserratus sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 )

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:59CFC055-5A75-46A7-83A1-85A40D5A3F1E .

Etymology. Species name refers to the biserrate antennae of the new species.

Type material. Holotype ♂: ‘WA: Lake Way , ca. 15 km SSE. Of Wiluna 26°45’12.3228”S 120°23’13.5384”E ( GDA 94 ) 19 Aug. 2020 H.L. Clark, B.A. Buzatto ( SLP072 a) Active search—burrow dig/ Western Australian Museum Entomology Reg. No. E 108541’ ( WAM) . Paratypes 2♀: same data as the holotype but ‘ Western Australian Museum Entomology Reg. No. E 108542-108543’ ( WAM) ; 1♂, same data as the holotype ( ANIC) ; 1♂: same data as the holotype but ‘ 18 Aug. 2020 H.L. Clark, B.A. Buzatto ( SLP071 ) Active search—burrow dig’ ( ANIC) .

Diagnosis. The same as diagnosis of genus because of monotypy.

Description. Length 7.7–8.9 mm. Body mostly yellow to brown, head black except anterior part of frons, gular area and mouthparts yellow to brown; pronotum with central area black and pair of sub-lateral spots. Legs with basal part of coxae and femora black, pterothorax with mesanepisternum, mesoventrite and metanepisternum black.

Head relatively large, widest across eyes, slightly narrower than prothorax. Antennae with antennomeres 4–11 asymmetrically biserrate, which are narrower in female; ratios of antennomeres are 1.0: 0.13: 0.72: 0.40: 0.37: 0.37: 0.38: 0.38: 0.35: 0.36: 0.42. Prothorax about 0.7 times as long as wide. Elytra 1.3–1.4 times as long as wide. Sternite VIII in male ( Fig. 2G ) with large median projection posteriorly, tergite VIII ( Fig. 2F ) sub-trapezoid, with broad median incision posteriorly and pair of long anterior struts, bearing dense long setae posterolaterally. Penis ( Fig. 2H ) carafe-shaped, broadest at about anterior third, narrowly rounded apically, apex densely punctrued; inner sac with elongated and sclerotized flagellum, curved on both sides, covered very dense tiny spines

Distribution. Only know from Lake Way of Western Australia ( Fig. 3 ).

Biology. Little is known on feeding habits or life history; all specimens were collected in burrows on a salt lake in Western Australia, not active during the night. Larvae of Notointybia carvicorni were observed to burrow in wood debris and sands in the lab, in which they did the ecdysis. Thus, the burrows in which Salsolaius stays are most likely to be dug by the larvae to protect themselves from predators and/or high temperatures, in which they may also finish the pupation and eclosion.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Salsolaius biserratus gen. et sp. nov. (A–D) holotype, male: (A) dorsal view; (B) ventral view; (C) lateral view; (D) head, frontal view. (E–G) paratype, female: (E) dorsal view; (F) head, frontal view; (G) ventral view. Scale bars 1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Salsolaius biserratus gen. et sp. nov., paratype, male: (A) antenna, dorsal; (B) maxilla, ventral; (C) labium, ventral; (D) mandible, ventral; (E) fore tarsi; (F) tergite VIII; (G) sternite VIII; (H) genitalia; (I) spicular gastrum. Scale bars 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 3. (A) distribution of Sasolaius biserratus gen. et sp. nov. (map was generated in https://spatial.ala.org.au/); (B) habitat.