Pocadius kirejtshuki Cline, 2008

Cline, Andrew R., 2008, Revision of the sap beetle genus Pocadius Erichson, 1843 (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae, Zootaxa 1799 (1), pp. 1-120 : 79-81

Pocadius kirejtshuki Cline new species

(Figs. 27, 68, 111, 154, 233)

Specimens examined. HOLOTYPE ♀ ( BMNH): AUSTRALIA; C.E. Clarke; Collection; B.M. 1957-24 / Katanda; 24-6-38; C.E.C. / Katanda / HOLOTYPE; Pocadius ; kirejtshuki; A. R. Cline des. 2004. 2 PARATYPES ( BMNH): AUSTRALIA; C.E. Clarke; Collection; B.M. 1957-24 / Katanda / PARATYPE; Pocadius ; kirejtshuki; A. R. Cline des. 2004 .

Diagnosis. Distinct from others by: thickened tarsomeres; sides and apex of elytra darker; terminal antennomere enlarged, greater than previous two combined and with sharply pointed apex; apical wall of prosternal process oblique in lateral view; tegmen with elliptical apical fossa and few elongate thick setae; median lobe with prolonged acuminate apex and complex internal structure; spiculum with numerous ridges along apical border; ovipositor with gonocoxal apices abutting distally with numerous elongate setae originating apico-laterally.

Description. Length 4.2mm, Width 2.25mm, Depth 1.35mm. Body slightly convex, surface moderately shining to dull, reddish-brown to dark brown in color, with elytral sides and apex darker. Pronotum and elytra margins with moderately long fimbriae, setae subequal to length of antennal scape. Dorsal and ventral pubescence moderately long, golden.

Head surface with moderately impressed irregular punctures, punctures larger on vertex becoming smaller towards orbits and fronotclypeal region. Large punctures 3–4X diameter of eye facet, small punctures 1–2X diameter; interspaces granular with some microreticulation, slightly shining. Pronotal surface with large punctures equal to large ones on head, interspersed with few small punctures, 0.5 diameter large ones; interspaces granular to finely microreticulate, 0.5–1 diameter apart. Scutellar surface with few shallowly impressed punctures, interspaces mostly microreticulate. Elytral surface with serial rows of small punctures equal to those on pronotum, serial large punctures 2–3X diameter of small ones. Smaller punctures giving rise to semi-erect to decumbent moderately long seta, larger punctures giving rise to a semi-erect to decumbent long golden seta; interspaces narrow between punctures of a row and between different rows. Within a row, small punctures separated by 1–2 puncture diameter, and large punctures by 0.5–1 diameter. Large rows separated by 1 diameter; interspaces slightly shining but variable from granular to finely microreticulate. Pygidium densely punc- tate, punctures equal to large ones on pronotum, interspaces narrow, 0.5–0.75 diameter, granular to microreticulate.

Venter with similar pubescence as dorsum. Mentum with minute shallow punctures, equal to small ones on head; interspaces granular to finely microreticulate. Prosternum and epimeron shallowly irregularly punctate, punctures larger than on mentum, interspaces granular with microreticulate areas, prosternal punctures separated by 1–3 diameters, those on epimeron by 2–4 diameters. Mesoventrite with faint shallow punctures, equal to those on prosternum, interspaces granular, separated by 1 diameter, aggregated near metaventrite. Metaventrite faintly irregularly punctate with minute punctures on disc similar to those on mentum, interspaces granular on disc becoming microreticulate laterally, separated by 2–3 diameters. Abdominal sternite 1 with large faint punctures, equal to large punctures on elytra, interspaces granular to microreticulate, separated by 1–2 diameters. Hypopygidium with moderately deep punctures, similar to those on sternites 2–4, interspaces granular to microreticulate, separated by 0.5–1 diameter.

Head wider than long (W:L = 1.65:1). Antennal club compact, obovate with acute apical point, somewhat asymmetrical with last antennomere longer than previous two combined. Antennomeres 5–8 compact, 7–8 disc-like, 5–6 trapezoidal, and 4 cuboidal. Antennal scape asymmetrical, somewhat hemispherical, 1.9X as long as pedicel. Pedicel barrel-shaped. Antennal segment 3X longer than pedicel. Antennal club large, 0.80 length of segments 1–8 combined. Mentum with anterior angles present, anterior margin with acute apex, overall pentagonal, in lateral view flattened.

Pronotum widest near middle (L:W = 1:1.9), anterior margin broadly concave with central region slightly convex, lateral margins more arcuate anteriorly. Scutellum large, hemispherical, apex broadly rounded. Prosternal process in lateral view with posterior end prominent and slight convexity medially; posterior apical wall prominent and slightly oblique. Mesoventrite extending to midway between mesocoxae, evenly concave for reception of metaventrite. Metaventrite wider than long (W:L = 2.6:1). Metepisternum with slight medial constriction, oblique line dividing anterior 0.1. First abdominal sternite with narrow process between metacoxae. First sternite 2X longer than sternite 2. Sternites 2–3 subequal, 4 slightly larger than 2 or 3. Hypopygidium subequal to sternite 1.

Protibia with apical tooth moderately prominent, slightly longer than tarsomere 1. Outer apical notch absent. Inner apical spine subequal to tarsomere 1 and part of 2 combined. Mesotibia more heavily armed than protibia with dense stiff setae and row of slender spines along lateral edge. Outer apical process robust, larger than protibial process. Inner apical spine equal to tarsomeres 1–2 and part of 3 combined. Metatibia with armature similar to mesotibia.

Male genitalia well-sclerotized. Anal sclerite with apex densely fimbriate (Fig. 27). Spiculum gastrale with wide posterior projecting lateral flanges, medial margins convex, short stiff setae originating from finely ridged apex (Fig. 68). Tegmen narrowly rounded apically (Fig. 111), much longer than wide (w:l = 1:3.1), sparse lateral row of setae visible from median fossa to prior to apex, elliptical shallow concavity in apical 0.33 with few thick setae. Median lobe large and robust but not elongate, 0.45 length of tegmen, apex acuminate and slightly prolonged, apical opening well-developed with large complex internal structure (Fig. 154).

Female genitalia moderately sclerotized. Paraprocts large with sclerotization along median line. Gonocoxite with two basal lateral prominences. Gonocoxal apices with recurved “tooth” absent. Several elongate setae originate from small depressions on gonocoxal apices. Gonocoxal apices abutting in distal 0.33 (Fig. 233).

Variation. Some specimens uniformly brown without darkened elytral apices.

Seasonality/Habitat. Collected in June in wet forests.

Distribution. Known from type localities in Queensland, Australia. The handwritten label depicting “Katanda” as the locality site may be misleading as there are no “Katanda” localities in Australia. Upon closer investigation and discussion with entomologists, the locality is actually most likely to be “Kuranda”, a popular collecting area in Queensland during the early part of the 20 th century (Bellamy, Monteith, and Winterton pers. comm.). There is a “Katandra” locality in Vicotria, Australia, however this is a small farming area. Thus, considering the other type locality is near Brisbane, Queensland, one may conclude that Kuranda, Queensland is the more likely collecting locality.

Notes. No host information available.

Etymology. Specific epithet honors Alexander Kirejtshuk, research scientist at the Zoological Institute in St. Petersburg, an authority on Nitidulidae .