Rhynchortalia australis, Poorani & Ślipiński, 2010

Poorani, J. & Ślipiński, Adam, 2010, A review of Rhynchortalia Crotch (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Ortaliinae), Zootaxa 2423 (1), pp. 25-43 : 28-31

1. Rhynchortalia australis sp. n.

( Figs. 1 , 18 , 30–33 )

Diagnosis: This species can be identified by the following combination of characters: iridescent green, blue or purplish elytra with yellowish apices, head with deeply concave frons, large quadrate pronotum with distinctly reticulate microsculpture on interspaces between punctures, particularly strong on anterolateral corners, and edge of hypomeral shelf dorsally not visibly projecting beyond anterolateral corners of pronotum. The male genitalia are diagnostic, particularly the penis, with a long, needle–like apex.

Description: Length: 3.5–5.0 mm; width: 2.5–3.0 mm. Form ( Fig. 1 ) elongate oval, elytra tapering towards apices in posterior half, dorsum moderately convex. Head and pronotum bright luteous yellow to yellowish brown, elytra brilliant iridescent green or bluish or violet, rarely blackish with bronzy iridescence, apically yellowish or testaceous. Antennae, mouthparts, prosternum, mesoventrite, legs and abdomen yellowish, metaventrite and metacoxae dark brown to black, abdominal ventite 1 and occasionally mesoventrite infuscate or darker brown, hind legs anteriorly sometimes darker or infuscate, epipleura dark iridescent as dorsum, except apices lighter, testaceous. Head with frons distinctly concave or depressed, punctures fine, uniform, shallowly impressed, separated by 1–3 diameters, interspaces weakly reticulate; eyes with inner margins obtusely emarginate below antennal insertions. Antennae 11–segmented, club loose, 3- segmented, somewhat weakly serrate in some New Guinea specimens. Pronotum with fine punctures, separated by 2–4 diameters on disc, denser on sides and anterolateral corners, interspaces with distinctly reticulate microsculpture, particularly on lateral sides. Elytra with dual punctures, large punctures more widely and somewhat irregularly spaced with closely set smaller punctures separated by 1–3 diameters in interstices, interspaces smooth and shiny in most examples (some New Guinea specimens possess strongly reticulate microsculpture between interspaces), lateral sides with slightly but distinctly coarser, more deeply impressed and closely spaced punctures than those on disc, punctation weaker towards apices. Pronotal hypomeron with a pinnate, shelf–like projection in anterior inner half, anterior edge barely or not projecting beyond anterior pronotal corners, slightly depressed or concave medially. Prosternal intercoxal process distinctly narrowed medially, broader apically, somewhat hourglass–shaped. Mesoventrite with anterior margin weakly emarginate. Abdominal postcoxal lines shallow and narrow, close to coxal cavities. Posterior margin of ventrites 5 and 6 ( Fig. 18 ) broadly emarginate medially, ventrite 6 more shallowly emarginate and apically depressed. Male genitalia ( Figs. 30–33 ) with parameres and penis guide subequal, penis guide cylindrical, broadest around middle, posterior half gradually narrowed, apically conical and narrowly acuminate; penis ( Fig. 32 ) apically narrowed, apex ( Fig. 33 ) greatly elongate, needle–like.

Specimens Examined: Holotype, male: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Iron Range, Cape York Pen., 1–9 June, 1971, G.B. Monteith ( QM) ; Paratypes: same data as holotype ( ANIC) ; ' Eclectus' , Iron Range Qld., 12– 45'45"S 143–17'10"E, 12 July 1997, 20m, G. & A. Daniels, 1 female ( UQIC) ; Iron Range ( NQ) , 24.v.74, A.&M. Walford – Huggins / E. Gowing – Scopes collection, BMNH (E) 2005–4, 1 male ( BMNH) ; NEW GUINEA: PAPUA: W. District, Oriomo Govt. Sta. , 26–28.x.1960 / J. Gressitt, 1 male ( BPBM) ; Wau , Morobe Dist., 1200m, 8–10.I.63/ J. Sedlacek, 1 male ( BPBM) ; Owen Stanley Range , Goilala: Loloipa, I. 16–30.1958, W.W. Brandt, 1 male, 1 female ( BPBM) ; Neth.–Ind.–Amer. New Guinea Exp. , Lower Mist Camp, 1450m, 30.I.1939, L.J. Toxopeus leg., 4 ex on card, with same data except dates 17.I.1939, 28.I.1939, 2 ex. ( NNM) ; same data, 1350m, 22.ii.1939, 1 female ( BPBM) ; IRIAN JAYA: Prov. Jayawijaya , Wamena, Membaham, 23.9.1991, 1500–1800m, leg. A. Riedel, 1 female ( SMNS) .

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the geographic distribution (“austral” – of, pertaining to, or coming from the south) of the species.

Distribution: Australia: Queensland (Iron Range), New Guinea.

Notes: This is the only Australian species of Rhynchortalia described and illustrated by Ślipiṅski (2007), however, the species was not given a name in that publication. Some specimens from Papua New Guinea, and a single specimen from Irian Jaya, are much larger than the Australian specimens and have a strongly reticulate microsculpture on the interspaces between elytral punctures, and the last abdominal ventrite is somewhat more deeply emarginate. However, the male genitalia are more or less identical between specimens from all regions. The hypomeral shelf is not distinctly raised in some specimens, although the raised posterior margin is always distinct.

Figures

FIGURES 1–12. Rhynchortalia spp., dorsal habitus: 1. R. australis sp. n.; 2. R. viridis sp. n.; 3. R. wau sp. n.; 4. R. papuana sp. n.; 5. R. iongai sp. n.; 6. R. moresby sp. n.; 7. R. purpurea sp. n.; 8. R.similis sp. n.; 9. R. anupama sp. n.; 10. R. riedeli sp. n.; 11. R. insueta Crotch; 12. R. iba sp. n.

FIGURES 18–29. Male terminal abdominal ventrites: 18. R. australis; 19. R. viridis; 20. R. wau; 21. R. papuana; 22. R. iongai; 23. R. iba; 24. R. similis; 25. R. purpurea; 26. R. riedeli; 27. R. insueta; 28. R. anupama; 29. R. moresby.

FIGURES 30–56. Male genitalia: 30–33. R. australis: 30. Tegmen, lateral view; 31. Tegmen, ventral view; 32. Penis; 33. Penis apex; 34–37. R. viridis: 34. Tegmen, lateral view; 35. Tegmen, ventral view; 36. Penis; 37. Penis apex; 38–41. R. wau: 38. Tegmen, lateral view; 39. Tegmen, ventral view; 40. Penis; 41. Penis apex; 42–45. R. papuana: 42. Tegmen, lateral view; 43. Tegmen, ventral view; 44. Penis; 45. Penis apex; 46–49. R. iongai: 46. Tegmen, lateral view; 47. Tegmen, ventral view; 48. Penis; 49. Penis apex; 50–52. R. similis: 50. Tegmen, lateral view; 51. Tegmen, ventral view; 52. Penis; 53–56. R. purpurea: 53. Tegmen, lateral view; 54. Tegmen, ventral view; 55. Penis; 56. Penis apex.