Paragnetaria, Gimmel & Leschen, 2022

Gimmel, Matthew L. & Leschen, Richard A. B., 2022, Revision of the genera of Picrotini (Coleoptera: Cryptophagidae: Cryptophaginae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 62 (1), pp. 61-109 : 102-103

Paragnetaria gen. nov.

( Figs 67 , 80 )

Type species. Paragnetaria slipinskii sp. nov., by present designation.

Diagnosis. This genus is easily distinguished by the combination of the antennal club composed of two antennomeres ( Fig. 80 ) and abdominal ventrites 1 and 2 connate. Additionally, the body is densely setose, there is a short antennal groove beneath the eye, there are no platforms, knobs or glabrous spaces on the pronotum, though the lateral carinae possess distinct setigerous tubercles, and the elytral punctation is confused. The tarsal formula, at least in the female, is 4-4-4, though this is very difficult to observe in dry-mounted specimens.

Description. Length 1.20–1.69 mm. Body form fusiform, elongate (undescribed species) to stout ( P. slipinskii ; Fig. 67 ), prothorax narrower than elytra, shining dorsally, with dense decumbent setae and with abundant medium-length to long, suberect to erect setae dorsally; unicolorous. Head with tempora present, at least one-fourth length of eye; vertex with temporal depression present immediately anterior to ridge; band of reticulate sculpture present. Frontoclypeus not projecting laterally; raised portion of frons between antennal insertions not constricted, slightly wider than antennal club. Transverse ridge above antennal insertions absent. Eye small, rounded, contacting antennal cavity; interfacetal setae present. Antennal club consisting of 2 antennomeres; antenna inserted into small cavity; antennomere 9 almost imperceptibly wider than 8, much narrower than antennomere 10. Mandible with apex bifid, subapical serrations absent. Maxillary palpomere 4 subequal in length to slightly longer than 3; palpomere 4 narrowly conical, almost subulate. Gena with a short, broad antennal groove just ventral to the eye, open posteriorly; genal spines blunt, obtuse and poorly developed. Gular sutures absent. Pronotum not explanate and not constricted at base, narrower than elytra, widest at about middle; anterior angles present, slightly projecting anterior to cervical foramen of prothorax, without a distinct flat glandular surface or platform; lateral carina present and complete, lacking crenulations, but with several distinct setigerous tubercles, with lateral glabrous space present but small, width of lateral bead wider than discal puncture and narrower than antennal funicle; disc without impressions; paramedial carinae and paralateral plicae absent; posterolateral angles sharp, about right or slightly obtuse. Prothoracic hypomeron fused to prosternum, suture between them not evident. Prosternum with anterior margin on same plane as disc; prosternal process with pair of weak, convergent carinae coming to narrowly rounded point at apex, process slightly expanded apically, broadly rounded and crenulate with minute setae; procoxal cavity without anterolateral notch. Scutellar shield clearly visible, transverse to obtusely triangular. Elytron without humeral tooth; subbasal and subapical impressions absent; subapical gape present; punctation confused, dense and weakly impressed; vestiture dual with numerous moderately long, suberect to erect setae present laterally and on disc, decumbent setae uniformly directed straight posteriorly, not forming undulate pattern. Hind wing vestigial. Mesoventrite with mesoventrital cavity shallow, glabrous, and flanked by sharp carinae. Mesanepisternal pit present, glabrous. Metaventrite with short postcoxal lines; discrimen absent, posterior notch of metaventrite absent. Metendosternite with anterior tendons approximate. Tarsi 4-4- 4 in female [male unknown]; tarsi moderately slender, tarsomere 4 as wide as preceding tarsomeres in lateral view; pro- and mesotarsomere 3 setose; mesotarsomere 2 not or weakly lobed, with few setae; mesotarsomeres 1–3 equal; mesotarsomere 4 longer than mesotarsomeres 1–3 combined. Abdominal ventrites 1–2 connate, suture between them present but poorly marked, with medial calli absent and lateral calli present, intersegmental crenulations present; ventrite 1 with intercoxal process broadly rounded, with long, acuminate postcoxal lines; medio-basal thickenings of ventrites 3–5 absent; apex of ventrite 5 without crenulations. Abdominal spiracles on segment VII with openings present and larger in diameter than spiracle VI, texture granulate and atrium rounded and saclike.

Remarks. There are at least two species of this genus, both occurring in Australia. They differ externally by the elytral length, but are otherwise quite similar. None of the specimens we dissected were males; additional material is needed to describe the aedeagus and confirm that the 4-4-4 tarsomere character state is also present in the male.

Etymology. The generic name is derived from a combination of the Greek prefix “ para- ”, meaning near, and Agnetaria , a picrotine genus that it superficially resembles. The gender is feminine.

Biology. Members of this genus have been collected using a variety of methods, including sifting and Berlese of leaf litter, pitfall traps, and, oddly for species with vestigial hind wings, Malaise and flight intercept traps.

Distribution. Australia.

Included species (1). Paragnetaria slipinskii sp. nov.; one additional undescribed species from Australia.

Figures

Figs 64–72. Habitus of species of Picrotini. 64 – Ostreacryptus n. sp. 4 (Australia: NSW, Tas, Vic); 65 – Ostreacryptus n. sp. 5 (New Zealand); 66 – Papuacryptus striatopunctatus sp. nov.; 67 – Paragnetaria slipinskii sp. nov.; 68 – Picrotus thoracicus Sharp, 1886; 69 – Picrotus n. sp. 1 (New Zealand); 70 – Thortus amoenus (Broun, 1912); 71 – Thortus ovalis Broun, 1893; 72 – Thortus n. sp. 1 (New Zealand: Auckland Islands). Scale bars = 1 mm. Abbreviations: pc = paramedial carina.

Figs 77–81. Characters of Picrotini. 77–78 – detail of pronotum. 77 – Chimaerocryptus johnsoni sp. nov.; 78 – Odonotosomatula carltoni sp. nov. 79 – pronotum and base of elytra, Humerocryptus n. sp. 1. 80 – antennal club, Paragnetaria slipinskii sp. nov. 81 – eye, Cryptothelypterus pteropilosus Leschen & Lawrence, 1991. Abbreviations: pp = paralateral plica.