Deretaphrus puncticollis Lea, 1898

Lord, Nathan P. & McHugh, Joseph V., 2013, A Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Deretaphrus Newman, 1842 (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea: Bothrideridae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 12) 67, pp. 1-107 : 48-49

Deretaphrus puncticollis Lea, 1898

( Figs. 8–9 , 14 , 46 , 52 , 54 , 77 , 122–123 , 160 , 172 , 178 , 234–235 )

Deretaphrus puncticollis Lea, 1898: 549 . Carter and Zeck 1937: 200–201.

Diagnosis. This species can be readily distinguished from congeners by the nearly glabrous antennae, the shape of the submentum, the densely punctate pronotal disc with large, deep punctures, the pronotum with a weak median longitudinal depression, and elytral interstitial intervals 3, 5, and 7 moderately carinate, with the carina on intervals 3 and 5 meeting near apex. It most closely resembles D. bucculentus but can be distinguished by the elytral interstitial intervals 3 and 5 curving inwardly and merging near the apex (or nearly so), and the lack of prominent, angulate supra-ocular ridges that conceal the eyes from above.

Redescription. Length 5.5–8.8 mm. Width 1.6–2.6 mm. Body elongate, parallel, dark red to black; dorsal surface glabrous, moderately shiny; ventral surface moderately shiny, glabrous except for minute setae that arise from punctures. Head: In dorsal view, slightly narrowed anteriorly; without laterally expanded supra-ocular ridges; eyes visible from above; punctures small and dense except sparse along posterior margin. Frontoclypeal suture distinct, arcuate anteromedially, with a weak median impression. Clypeus distinctly narrower than head. Anterior margin of clypeus broadly arcuate. Submentum shape as in Fig. 52 ; triangular, fused to subgenal braces, without paired setose pits; anterior margin arcuate, strongly produced anteroventrally over oral cavity, mentum completely concealed. Antennal groove well-developed, punctate internally. Antenna sparsely setose, setae shorter than half the length of the segment from which it arises; segments 3–8 with a single transverse row of short setae. Antennal club segments 9 and 10 with 2 transverse rows of short setae, 1 row at midline with sparse setation, the second row arising near apex of the segment. Penultimate segment with a single median transverse row of short setae. Antennal club distinctly asymmetrical, leading edge of club segments much more inflated than trailing edge. Dorsal surface (external face) of mandible with median setose groove. Thorax ( Fig. 77 ): Pronotum elongate, tapering to base, widest near anterior margin; dorsal surface rugose; anterior margin straight; anterior angles pronounced; base narrower than elytral bases; posterior margin weakly sinuate; posterior angles with small denticle; lateral margin with incomplete carina, forming a distinct raised border in dorsal view. Pronotal disc with large, dense punctures, each bearing a minute seta. Pronotal median longitudinal depression welldeveloped; depression wide, gradually becoming more shallow anteriorly; sparsely punctate near base; bordered on either side basally by a small keel; base closed by posterior margin of pronotum. Hypomeron sparsely punctate, punctures larger than found on pronotal disc; lateral walls nearly vertical. Prosternum flat medially, strongly deflexed at lateral margin. Tergosternal suture more or less straight. Elytra ( Figs. 122–123 ): Elytron convex; interstitial intervals 3, 5, 7, and 9 carinate for entire length, shiny; intervals 3 and 5 merge to a point near elytral apex; intervals 3, 5, 7, and 9 with micropunctures at crest bearing minute setae. Apical elytral margin of elytra slightly flanged, flange sinuate. Basal elytral margin with intervals 3 and 5 each ending in a knob-like protuberance; protuberance of interval 5 merges with finger-like callosity on the elytral shoulder; callosity distinctly forked. Legs: Femur and tibia with short, sparse setae; inner face of tibia without distinct fringe of setae. Tarsus sparsely setose except for 2 pockets of dense setae on the ventral surface at the apex of tarsomeres 1–3. Abdomen: Ventrite V simple. Aedeagus: Phallobase as in Fig. 160 . Tegmen consisting of paired, subtriangular plates at middle; plates narrowly touching medially. Basal piece with short anterolateral struts; struts slightly curved anteriorly. Parameres moderately elongate, slender, rounded apically, distinctly separated and individually articulated to phallobase, internal lateral margins arcuate; paramere sparsely setose with short setae at apical and lateral margin; paramere with external margin more heavily sclerotized, interior with a lighter and less-sclerotized reniform area; dorsal surface of paramere with very small, short subtriangular process; process thickest at base, curved, less than 1/4 the length of the paramere, apex slightly swollen; processes narrowly separated, diverging. Penis as in Fig. 172 ; elongate, thin, more or less straight; apex narrowed and pointed; base slightly expanded, bearing long, slender, paired anterior struts. Penis unicolored.

Variation. Size and coloration vary within the species. In some, interstitial intervals 3 and 5 do not quite merge with one another near the apex of the elytra, but nearly so.

Distribution. Australia: New South Wales and Queensland ( Fig. 178 ).

Biology. Fifty-four of the 58 specimens [QMBA 46–80, ANIC 254–267, SAMA 138–143] of D. puncticollis were collected from within the earthen pupal chambers of several rose chafer scarab larvae, Trichaulax philipsii ( Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae : Cetoniinae ). The larvae of D. puncticollis parasitized the scarab larvae. After feeding, the Deretaphrus larvae spun and attached dozens of silken cocoons to the host ( Figs. 7–9 ).

This is the largest series of a single Deretaphrus species ever collected.

Remarks. Lea (1898) did not mention the number of specimens examined. In order to stabilize this name, a lectotype is here designated from the syntype series of Deretaphrus puncticollis .

Type Locality. Queanbeyan , New South Wales .

Type Material Examined. L E C T O T Y P E ( Figs. 234–235 ) ( SAMA, card-mounted) label data: “ puncticollis Lea TYPE Queanbeyan [in Lea’ s hand] // 9561 Deretaphrus puncticollis Lea N.S. Wales TYPE [handwritten in black ink, “ TYPE ” written in red ink on right side of label] // S. Aust. Museum specimen [red label]” [ SAMA 277 NL, examined]. Sex not determined.

Additional Material Examined (58). AUSTRALIA: NEW SOUTH WALES: Muswellbrook ( ANIC 268 NL); Urbenville, 25 km. S ( QMBA 46–80 NL, ANIC 254–267 NL, SAMA 138–143 NL). QUEENSLAND: Clermont ( AMSA 25 NL, AMSA 61 NL).

Figures

Figs. 6–11. Deretaphrus biology. 6) Series of D. viduatus depicting size variability; 7) Pupal cell of Trichaulax philipsii; 8) D. puncticollis, pupal cocoon mass (with emerging adult) attached to larva of T. philipsii; 9) D. puncticollis, with pupal cocoon; 10) D. xanthorrhoeae, pupal cocoon; 11) D. viduatus, pupal cocoon with silken threads and smooth external surface.

Figs. 14–15. Deretaphrus species pupal cocoon. 14) D. puncticollis, 50X; 15) D. viduatus, 70X.

Figs. 44–47. Deretaphrus species, antenna showing setal density. 44) D. erichsoni, right antenna; 45) D. interruptus, right antenna; 46) D. puncticollis, left antennal club; 47) D. interruptus, left antennal club.

Figs. 48–53. Deretaphrus species, head capsule, ventral view, showing setae and shape of submentum. 48) D. ignarus;

Figs. 54–56. Deretaphrus species, morphology. 54) D. puncticollis, prosternum; 55) D. erichsoni, right protibia and protarsus; 56) D. erichsoni, right mesotibial spurs.

Figs. 75–81. Deretaphrus species, pronotum. 75) D. parviceps; 76) D. piceus; 77) D. puncticollis; 78) D. rodmani;

Figs. 118–123. Deretaphrus species, elytra, dorsal and lateral views. 118–119) D. parviceps; 120–121) D. piceus;

Figs. 158–164. Deretaphrus species, phallobase. 158) D. parviceps; 159) D. piceus; 160) D. puncticollis;

Figs. 165–172. Deretaphrus species, penis (left: dorsal view; right: lateral view; phallobase, to scale with penis). 165) D. boliviensis; 166) D. bucculentus; 167) D. gracilis; 168) D. hoplites; 169) D. ignarus; 170) D. oregonensis; 171) D. parviceps; 172) D. puncticollis.

Figs. 177–178. Distribution of Deretaphrus species. 177) D. aequaliceps, D. erichsoni, D. iridescens, and D. ocularis;

Figs. 228–236. Primary type specimens and specimen labels of Deretaphrus species. 228–229) D. piceus, lectotype, MNHUB; 230–231) D. bakewellii, lectotype, BMNH; 232–233) D. thoracicus, lectotype, BMNH; 234–235) D. puncticollis, lectotype, SAMA; 236) D. rodmani, holotype, WAMP.