Austroporus Gimmel, 2013

Gimmel, Matthew L., 2013, <strong> Genus-level revision of the family Phalacridae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea) </ strong>, Zootaxa 3605 (1), pp. 1-147 : 58-61

13. Austroporus Gimmel , gen. nov.

( Figs. 16 ; 39f )

Type species: Austroporus victoriensis (Blackburn) , here designated.

Type material. Olibrus victoriensis Blackburn : holotype, “ T. \ 3626 \ A7. [handwritten in red ink on specimen card] // Type \ H. T. [red-bordered disc] // Australia [underlined with red] \ Blackburn Coll. \ B.M. 1910—236. // Parasemus \ victoriensis, Blackb. [handwritten] // HOLOTYPE \ Olibrus \ victoriensis Blackburn \ det. M.L. Gimmel 2011 [red label]” ( BMNH), card mounted.

Diagnosis. This genus is characterized by having a medially setose prosternum, metaventral process not produced and lobed anteriad of mesocoxae, metaventral postcoxal lines not separated from coxal cavities, metatarsomere I shorter than II, mandible tridentate or simple, with ventral ridge and without retinaculum, and elytra usually with spectral iridescence.

Description. Very small to large, total length 1.4–4.0 mm. Dorsal color completely testaceous to completely black, elytra often maculated with red or orange ( Fig. 39f ). Tibial spur formula 2-2-2, tarsal formula 5-5- 5 in both sexes.

Head. Not constricted behind eyes. Eyes medium-sized to large; facets convex; weak interfacetal setae present; weakly emarginate medially; without or (rarely) with acute posterior emargination; periocular groove present or (rarely) absent; with transverse setose groove ventrally behind eye. Frontoclypeus emarginate above antennal insertion; clypeal apex arcuate-truncate. Antennal club 3-segmented, club weakly asymmetrical, antennomere XI turbinate or constricted on anterior edge only ( Fig. 16b ). Mandible ( Fig. 16a ) with apex tridentate, with dorsal tooth smallest, apex rarely simple; without retinaculum; mandible with ventral ridge. Maxillary palpomere IV fusiform, slender, nearly symmetrical; galea short, rounded; lacinia with two stout spines. Mentum with sides divergent toward apex; labial palpomere III fusiform. Labrum with apical margin arcuate. Gular sutures short, barely evident .

Thorax. Pronotum without obvious microsetae; with quite weakly developed scutellar lobe. Prosternum anteriorly with continuous row of marginal setae, setae flattened at base; procoxal cavity with anterolateral notchlike extension; prosternal process angulate in lateral view, usually conspicuously setose preapically, without spinelike setae at apex. Protrochanter with setae; protibia without ctenidium on kickface ( Fig. 16c ). Scutellar shield small. Elytron often with spectral iridescence; with one sutural stria; disc of elytra often with conspicuous rows of punctures; without transverse strigae; lateral margin with row of tiny, sawtooth-like setae. Mesoventral plate ( Fig. 16f ) notched anteriorly, not extending posteriorly to metaventrite, latero-posterior border obscured medially, forming procoxal rests; mesoventral disc depressed medially, not setose; mesanepisternum with incomplete transverse carina; mesocoxal cavities widely separate, separated by more than half width of a coxal cavity. Mesotarsomere III not bilobed. Metaventral process ( Fig. 16f ) extending to or nearly to anterior level of mesocoxae, truncate anteriorly; metaventral postcoxal lines not separated from mesocoxal cavity margin; discrimen long, extending about halfway to anterior margin of metaventral process; metendosternite ( Fig. 16g ) with anterior tendons moderately separated, ventral process intersecting ventral longitudinal flange behind anterior margin. Anterior margin of metacoxa with emargination sublaterally; metacoxal plate with transverse line; metatibial foreface with apical ctenidium roughly perpendicular overall to long axis of tibia; spurs cylindrical, longest spur shorter than or subequal to width of tibial apex; metatarsomere I shorter than metatarsomere II, joint between I and II rigid ( Fig. 16d ); metatarsomere III not bilobed. Hind wing ( Fig. 16e ) with distinct, ovate anal lobe; leading edge without row of long setae at level of RA +ScP; AA 3+4 very faintly indicated, crossvein to Cu absent; cubitoanal system unbranched apically; CuA 2 and MP 3+4 with distal remnants; r4 developed and connected with RA 3+4; flecks present in apical field just distal to rp-mp2, with fainter curved flecks more distally; long transverse proximal sclerite and additional large triangular sclerite present just distal to end of radial bar.

Abdomen. Abdominal ventrite I without paired lines, with calli; spiracles present and apparently functional on segment VII. Male with aedeagus upright in repose; tegmen ( Fig. 16h ) with symmetrical anterior margin and parameres hinged to basal piece, parameres without medial longitudinal division; penis ( Fig. 16i ) often with complex pairs of endophallic sclerites and spicules, apex truncate; spiculum gastrale V-shaped, with arms free. Female ovipositor weakly sclerotized, palpiform.

Immature stages. Unknown.

Bionomics. Many specimens have been captured in Malaise and flight intercept traps, at blacklights, and a few by beating. A series of A. victoriensis was collected under bark of fire-killed eucalyptus. A few specimens have been collected from fallen eucalyptus branches and moldy grass. One series from Northern Territory, Australia, was taken by beating Ficus . A series of specimens has been taken from Uromycladium galls on Acacia , both in Australia and in New Zealand (outside the native habitat of all three organisms involved). Interestingly, this habitat is identical to that of Phalacrus uniformis (Blackburn) , another phalacrid species introduced from Australia to New Zealand. A number of specimens have been taken from flowers, and the plant species from those specimens with specific host data are Alphitonia excelsa (Fenzl) Benth. (Rhamnaceae) and Acradenia euodiiformis T.Hartley & F.Muell. (Rutaceae) . Many of these records are likely accidental, and a more detailed study of the species and habits of the genus are required to definitively pronounce the preferences of members of Austroporus . However, a large series of an elongate species in Queensland has been collected from flower spikes of Xanthorrhoea (Xanthorrhoeaceae) , indicating more than an incidental relationship between plant and beetle.

Distribution and diversity. A diverse group occurring throughout the Australian region, concentrated east of Wallace’s line, although I have seen a few specimens from Borneo and Thailand.

Included species (33):

Austroporus adumbratus ( Blackburn, 1902) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia) (type!) Austroporus alpicola ( Blackburn, 1891) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia) (type!) Austroporus altus ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Papua New Guinea)

Austroporus apicipennis ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia)

Austroporus australiae ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia)

Austroporus bimaculiflavus ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia)

Austroporus comes ( Blackburn, 1895) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) ( Distribution : Australia) (type!)

Austroporus compsus ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia)

Austroporus discoideus ( Blackburn, 1895) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia) (type!) Austroporus doctus ( Blackburn, 1895) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia) (type!)

Austroporus fulgidus ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia)

Austroporus haploderus ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia)

Austroporus internatus ( Blackburn, 1895) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia) (type!) Austroporus iridipennis ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia)

Austroporus lateralis ( Blackburn, 1891) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia) (type!) Austroporus melas ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia)

Austroporus mitchelli ( Blackburn, 1899) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) ( Distribution : Australia, Papua New Guinea) (type!)

Austroporus modestus ( Blackburn, 1895) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia) (type!) Austroporus moestus ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Papua New Guinea)

Austroporus montanus ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Papua New Guinea)

Austroporus noctivagus ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia)

Austroporus obliquiniger ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia)

Austroporus obsoletus ( Blackburn, 1895) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia) (type!) Austroporus pallens ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Papua New Guinea)

Austroporus pallidicornis ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia)

Austroporus pallidus ( Blackburn, 1902) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia) (type!) Austroporus quadrimaculatus ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Papua New Guinea) Austroporus rufosuturalis ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia)

Austroporus suturellus ( Blackburn, 1891) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia) (type!) Austroporus tasmaniae ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia)

Austroporus terraereginae ( Lea, 1932) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) (Distribution: Australia)

Austroporus torridus ( Blackburn, 1895) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) ( Distribution : Australia, Papua New Guinea) (type!)

Austroporus victoriensis ( Blackburn, 1891) , comb. nov. ( Parasemus ) ( Distribution : Australia) (type!)

Discussion. This genus has been erected to accommodate those species left “orphaned” by the removal of the type species of Parasemus from the Australasian fauna (see account of Olibroporus for details). Although closely related to the New World genera Olibroporus and Pycinus , Austroporus has a number of features that I believe justify its separation from its New World counterparts, and provide evidence of its monophyly (mentioned in diagnosis above).

Etymology. From the prefix austro - (southern or Australian) plus the suffix - porus, in allusion to the related genus Olibroporus . The gender of the name is masculine.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Austroporus victoriensis, male. (a) Left mandible, dorsal; (b) left antenna (scale bar = 0.5 mm). (c) Left protibia and tarsus, dorsal; (d) left metatibia and tarsus, ventral (scale bar = 0.5 mm). (e) Hind wing (scale bar = 1.0 mm). (f) Meso- and metaventrite, ventral (scale bar = 0.5 mm). (g) Metendosternite (scale bar = 0.5 mm). (h) Tegmen, ventral; (i) penis, ventral (scale bar = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 39. Photographs. Megistopalpus simoni, lectotype: (a) dorsal; (b) view of antenna and maxillary palp. Phalacropsis dispar: (c) dorsal. Phalacrus rufoguttatus: (d) dorsal; (e) ventral. Austroporus sp.: (f) dorsal. Platyphalacrus lawrencei: (g) dorsal; (h) lateral; (f) ventral.