Cyphopisthes descarpentriesi Paulian, 1977

Ballerio, Alberto, 2013, Revision of the Australian Ceratocanthinae (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea, Hybosoridae), ZooKeys 339, pp. 67-91 : 70-72

Cyphopisthes descarpentriesi Paulian, 1977 Figs 1 A–D, 5B, 6

Cyphopisthes descarpentriesi Paulian, 1977: 263 (description, distribution, biology); Paulian 1978 (key, distribution); Cassis and Weir 1992 (catalogue); Grebennikov et al. 2002 (description of larva and pupa); Grebennikov et al. 2004 (key to larva); Hawkeswood 2006 (summary of published data); Ocampo and Ballerio 2006 (cheklist).

Material examined.

Holotype, sex undetermined, (ANIC) [enrolled specimen, glued on a point]: Queensland, 19.40S, 146.51E, Lansdown Station, Woodstock, 3 July 1974, #54, J.A.L. Watson in gallery of Mastotermes nest / Holotype / Holotype / Cyphopisthes descarpentriesi sp. n. R. Paulian det. / ANIC Database no. 25 062056. Examined paratypes: 2 exx., Lansdown Station, via Woodstock, 10 July 1979, R. A. Barrett, with Mastotermes darwiniensis (ANIC); 2 exx., Queensland, Pallarenda. Townsville, 1.VII.1974, J. A. L. Watson, in galleries of Mastotermes (MNHN, ANIC).

Description.

Size: HL = 0.98 mm; HW = 1.54 mm; PL = 1.63 mm; PW = 2.63 mm; EL = 2.87 mm; EW = 2.63 mm. Overall morphology as in generic description. Reddish-brown, shiny, glabrous (very fine short yellowish setation visible at 50x magnification), sternum, tarsi and antennae reddish-brown.

Head: interocular distance about six times maximum width of dorsal ocular area, punctation dense and impressed, disc with very short transverse comma shaped punctures, each one having a simple small puncture at its interior side, sides of disc with large comma-shaped punctures centrifugally oriented, with opening facing internally, each one having a simple fine puncture internally, anterior portion of clypeus with three to four irregular anastomosing transverse lines.

Pronotum: margin completely bordered, anterior angles angulate, completely covered by large, almost closed, horseshoe-shaped punctures, on disc with a small opening directed anteriad, at sides punctures larger than on disc, with a small opening directed laterad, each puncture having inside a small setigerous pore. Punctation dense: interpunctural distance being less than puncture diameter.

Scutellum: covered by dense horseshoe-shaped punctures with posterior openings.

Elytra: W/L: 0,93. Humeral callus indistinct, two short longitudinal lines starting at humerus and occupying proximal third, sutural interstria indistinct, completely and uniformly covered by impressed large horseshoe-shaped punctures with a small posterior openings, each one bearing a setigerous pore in the middle. Pseudepipleura with longitudinally oriented anastomosing horseshoe-shaped punctures mixed with comma-shaped punctures.

Diagnosis.

Cyphopisthes descarpentriesi is unique among all other known Australian Cyphopisthes in having the pronotum and the elytra completely covered by such large and dense uniform horseshoe-shaped punctures with small posterior openings. All other known members of the genus have remarkably finer punctation and elytral punctation differs from the pronotal one.

Etymology.

Dedicated to André Descarpentries (1919-1998) of MNHN.

Distribution and habitat.

Known from north eastern Queensland coast. All specimens have been collected in open eucalypt woodland, in nests of Mastotermes ( Isoptera ). Termitophily has already been reported for Cyphopisthes ( Ballerio and Maruyama 2010). In the same nests larvae and pupae were collected, subsequently described by Grebennikov et al. (2002). Open eucalypt woodland is a very unusual habitat for a Cyphopisthes , since most species are rainforest dwellers.

Remarks.

The type series contained three different species (two of them new to science and described below). Among paratypes of true Cyphopisthes descarpentriesi in ANIC one specimen had the genal canthus shortened, leaving a distinct gap between its tip and the occipital area.

Paulian (1978) identified as Cyphopisthes descarpentriesi also an old specimen in RMNH, ex coll. Pascoe, labelled "Mus. Godeffroy, Peak Down, Austr./10791/ Synarmostes acromialis Pascoe". Probably the correct locality name should be "Peak Downs" (22°15'S, 148°11'E) in Central Queensland (Federica Turco, pers. comm.). I examined two photographs of that specimen, kindly provided by Hans Huijbregts (RMNH): it is certainly not a Cyphopisthes descarpentriesi , and probably represents a specimen of Cyphopisthes monteithi sp. n. or another species very close to it.