Austrocyphon curvispina, Zwick, Peter, 2013

Zwick, Peter, 2013, Australian Marsh Beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae) 4. Two new genera, Austrocyphon and Tasmanocyphon, Zootaxa 3706 (1), pp. 1-74 : 36-38

Austrocyphon curvispina , sp. n.

( Figs. 107–110 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, 31,57S 151.25E Polblue Swamp Barrington Tops S.F. NSW 7.Nov.1981 T.Weir / on surfaces at night ( ANIC). Paratypes: NSW: 2♂, Brown Mtn, NSW, 15 Jan. 1969, J.C.Cardale & S.R.Curtis ( ANIC); 1♂, National park - Lea, 8810 N.S. Wales ( SAMA).— VIC: 1♂, Watson'Ck, VIC, Christmas Hills, 25.vi.1988, reared, emg. Viii.1988, R.J.Morley coll.; 4♂, 36.43S, 146.50E, VIC, Mt. Buffalo NP 450m, Eurobin Ck, 830, 12.Feb.1987, A.Newton & M.Thayer / wet sclero. forest, wet leaves, flood debris, forest stream (all ANIC).

Habitus. Body length 2.0– 2.3 mm. Slender, BL/BW 2.0, elytra parallel-sided. Uniformly brown, the pale semi-erect pilosity is strong.

Male. The narrow apodemes of T9 are almost twice as long as the plate. Over the anal area, the unsclerotized middle portion forms a projection of about half segment width which may be bluntly rounded or truncate. Caudal margin frazzled, some fine cuticular asperities also on disc which is otherwise bare. Sides of plate bent under, caudal edge irregularly serrate, medial edge angular or forming a weakly sclerotized short point. S9 is a long unpaired sharply pointed sclerite bent up in caudal fourth. Because of this curvature the sclerite turns sideways in preparations and is usually seen in lateral view ( Fig. 108 ). Its tubular base lacks lateral appendages and setae.

Penis with oval pala with narrow sclerite frame, distal half of penis wider, distinctly offset, not flanged. The membranous window narrowly surrounds the conical trigonium armed with a very wide centema.

Parameres slender, sinuous, sharply pointed struts originating from a common tongue-shaped base. Each strut with a slender anteriorly directed appendage.

Female. Not known.

Note. The shape of the parameres suggests this is a close relative of Austrocyphon quinquespinosus .

Etymology. The name is a noun in apposition describing in Latin the curved spine-like S9 characteristic of the species.

Figures

FIGURES 107 – 114. Austrocyphon curvispina sp. n. (107 – 110) and A. acustropicus sp. n. (111 – 114), males. 107, T 8 and S 8; 108, T 9 and S 9; 109, tegmen and parameres; 110, penis with downcurved trigonium; 111, T 8 and S 8; 112, T 9 and S 9; 113, tegmen and parameres; 114, penis in oblique ventrolateral view, basal sclerite ring of pala torn. All to the same scale.