Grandaustralis Hutchinson & Moeseneder

Hutchinson, Paul M. & Moeseneder, Christian H., 2013, Grandaustralis, a new genus and Grandaustralis boomerang, a new species of Cetoniinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from Western Australia, Zootaxa 3669 (1), pp. 17-26 : 18-20

Grandaustralis Hutchinson & Moeseneder , new genus

( Figs 1–8 , 12 )

Differential diagnosis. Only the cetoniine genera Diaphonia Newman, 1840 and Tapinoschema Thomson, 1880 exhibit numerous similarities with Grandaustralis ( Table 1 ).

Type species. Grandaustralis boomerang new species, here designated.

Description. Male ( Figs 1 , 3–6 , 12 ). Head ( Fig. 3 ). Clypeus trapezoidal; anterior margin wider than base; anterior and lateral margins linear, abruptly and greatly elevated above disc; anterior margin of mentum level with anterior margin of clypeus. Antenna with 10 antennomeres; scape globular; club with 3 antennomeres, arcuate, longer than antennomeres 1–7, as long as head. Thorax. Pronotum length and width subequal, densely, coarsely punctate, punctures becoming coalesced apically; base not produced laterally, narrowed, creating approximately parallel basolateral margins, visibly exposing mesepimeron; basomedian lobe weakly produced. Scutellum slightly longer than wide, apex acute. Elytron with indistinct costae which are not raised; subhumeral arch almost linear when viewed dorsally; surface coarsely punctate, punctures often coalesced, forming indistinct striae; bearing sparse, short, erect setae; epipleural pilosity terminating prior to apex. Preprosternum produced into strongly elevated keel. Mesometasternal process ( Fig. 7 ) undeveloped laterally or distally, not reaching anterior margin of mesocoxa. Legs. ( Fig. 6 ). Protibia tridentate; apical tooth and apical spur surpassing apex of first protarsomere. Protarsal claws equal, approximately 4/5 length of protarsomere 5. Mesotibia linear, distally weakly divergent; dorsal surface flat, ungrooved; bidentate, with acute median and premedian teeth; apex bispinose, bearing 2 acute spurs that surpass apex of distal spines, with deep medial notch. Mesotarsomere apices bearing long setae on proximal and ventral sides. Mesotarsal claws equal, approximately 4/5 length of mesotarsomere 5. Metatibia divergent to midlength then linear; dorsal surface flat, ungrooved; unidentate with broad, apically arcuate tooth at midlength; apex trispinose, with shallow arcuate notches, bearing 2 acute spurs which surpass apical spines. Metatarsal claws equal, approximately 4/5 length of metatarsomere 5. Metatarsomere apices bearing a long seta on dorsal and ventral surface of proximal side.

Character Grandaustralis Diaphonia Tapinoschema

Mesometasternal undeveloped moderately to greatly expanded elongate, well developed

process laterally

Abdomen. Sternites in lateral view concave. Pygidial length:width ratio 1:2; surface evenly, broadly arcuate in dorsal view, in lateral view base flat to past midlength then evenly arcuate to apex. Genitalia ( Fig. 8 ). Parameres less than half length of phallobase, basally trapezoidal with a deep, paramedial groove on each side, each paramere parallel to apex, in lateral view linear to apex.

Female ( Fig. 2 ). Differs from male in the following characters. Antennal club shorter, as long as antennomeres 2–7. Pygidium bulbous in lateral view, evenly arcuate from base to apex. Preprosternum with anterior projection. Mesotibia and metatibia with pronounced divergence distally, attaining twice tibial width, teeth longer. Metatibial spurs broader, each with rounded apex. Abdominal segments in lateral view convex.

Etymology. The main distribution of the only known species lies between the Great Southern region of Western Australia and the Great Australian Bight. The genus name is, therefore, a concatenation of Grand for the region and the historical name Australis for the Australian continent.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Grandaustralis boomerang. 1 — holotype male; 2 — allotype female.

FIGURES 3 – 8. Grandaustralis boomerang male. 3 — head; 4 — sensilla trichodia on proximal surface of male antennomere 8. JEOL 6460 SEM, photograph by B. Cribb; 5 — sensilla placodea on distal area of dorsal surface of male antennomere 10. JEOL JSM- 7001 F SEM, photographs by B. Cribb; 6 — legs, a—proleg dorsal view, b—mesoleg ventral view, c—metaleg ventral view; 7 — area of mesometasternal process, ventral and lateral views; 8 — genitalia, dorsal and lateral views.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Grandaustralis boomerang. 9 — collection localities (red dots); 10 — habitat of type locality, south of Ravensthorpe, W. A.; 11 — male flight pattern; 12 — male after landing at Ravensthorpe, W. A.

Tables

TABLE 1. Diagnostic characters between the genera Grandaustralis, Diaphonia and Tapinoschema.

Elytral punctation	deep punctures in indistinct rows	shallow punctures in distinct rows (deep and irregular in D. dispar )	deep punctures in indistinct rows
Male antennal club	large; longer than antennomeres 1–7, same length as head	enlarged; same length or shorter than antennomeres 1–7, shorter than head	enlarged; same length as antennomeres 1–7, shorter than head
Sexual dimorphism extensive and easily visible	yes	yes	no
Clypeus	trapezoidal; widest at apex; anterior margin sublinear and level with apex of mentum; anterior and lateral margins abruptly elevated dorsally	not trapezoidal; widest point not at apex; apex bilobate and surpassing apex of mentum; anterior and lateral margins not abruptly elevated dorsally	subquadrate to elongate; widest point not at apex; apex bilobate and surpassing apex of mentum; anterior and lateral margins not abruptly elevated dorsally
Subhumeral arch in dorsal view	sublinear	shallow to distinctly arcuate	shallow arcuate
Pronotum	widest in basal half, not transverse trapezoidal, length and width sub-equal; basolateral extent of pronotum reduced, not produced laterally, visibly exposing mesepimeron; basolateral margins subparallel	widest at base, transverse trapezoidal (except in D. melonopyga ); basolateral extent of pronotum produced, exposing only extreme apex of mesepimeron (except in D. melonopyga ); basolateral margins convergent	widest at base, transverse trapezoidal; basolateral extent of pronotum reduced, visibly exposing mesepimeron; basolateral margins weakly convergent
Female metatarsal length	approximately same length as metatibia	shorter than or equal to length of metatibia	distinctly shorter than metatibia
Paramere shape	each paramere approximately equal in width over entire length; viewed laterally, arcuate from base to cleft then linear	each paramere widest at base, narrowing medially and widening just before apex; viewed laterally, arcuate to cleft then linear	each paramere narrowest at base, gradually widening to widest point at apex; viewed laterally arcuate to apex
Pygidium viewed laterally	evenly arcuate	subangulate medially	subangulate medially