Austrocyphon aculeatus, Zwick, Peter, 2013

Zwick, Peter, 2013, Australian Marsh Beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae) 4. Two new genera, Austrocyphon and Tasmanocyphon, Zootaxa 3706 (1), pp. 1-74 : 41-43

Austrocyphon aculeatus , sp. n.

( Figs. 125–129 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, Black Mtn, light trap, ACT, 15. 10.65 M.S.Upton. Paratypes: 1♂, same data as holotype; 1♂, same locality, 1.3. 68 M.S.Upton; 1♂, 21.xi.65 E.Britton (all ANIC).— NSW: 1♂, Bingara NSW x- 14-26-47 / Pres. By J.R. Slevin collector; 1♂, Orange N.S.W. J.Armstrong (both ANIC). 1♂, Cyphon adelaidae Blb. N.S. Wales 8799, Tamworth N.S. Wales 11.92 Lea / Cyphon adelaidae Blb. N.S. Wales 8799 ( SAMA).— QLD: 1♂, 24 ml. SW by W of Kingaroy, Q. 26.44S 151.31E, 21.xi.1968, at light, Britton & Misko ( ANIC). 1♂, Mt Mee 10-9-28 H.Hacker / Cyphon fenestratus Blackb. Id. by J.Armstrong colour var. ( QMSB; UQIC Reg. #88683, T169577); 1♂, Broken R, Eungella Qld. 10 Dec. 1961 McAlpine & Lossin (AMS, K249536). 1♂, Carnarvon Gorge Q. 24.v.–2.vi. 1954 ( QMSB, T169577; upside down on old card, together with 3 ♀ sp).— VIC: 1♂, Ballarat District, Vic. / Cyphon fenestratus Blackb. Id. by J.Armstrong ( NMV).

Habitus. BL 2.2–3.2 mm, BL/BW ~1.7. Similar to A. adelaidae but often bicolourous, sides of the anterior 2/ 5 of the elytra pale, the space near suture and remainder of elytra dark brown, sometimes entirely dark brown.

Male. Resembles A. adelaidae but lateral rods of T9 not clubbed, ending in a simple elongate point, subterminal spine very small. S9 caudally distinctly notched.

Trigonium well defined, slender, apex with narrow claw-like centema. Parameres rather massive, common base long, apices distinctly hooked.

Female. None of the females taken with males of A. aculeatus has distinctly bicolourous elytra but several are faded or in poor shape.

Note. The Eastern sibling of A. adelaidae , distinguished by genitalia and often by its bicolourous elytra. According to present knowledge the two close relatives are widely disjunct.

Etymology. From the Latin aculeatus , provided with a needle, in reference to the needle-like subterminal spine of T9.

Figures

FIGURES 121 – 129. Austrocyphon adelaidae (Blackburn) (121 – 124) and A. aculeatus sp. n. (125 – 129), males. 121, penis; 122, tegmen and parameres; 123, S 9; 124, T 9. 121 – 124 to the same scale. 125, T 8 and S 8; 126, sclerites of T 9; 127, penis; 128, apex of S 9 and tegmen with parameres; 129, enlarged penis tip, not to scale. 125 – 128 to the same scale.