Eucyclothorax subgen. n., Liebherr, 2018

Liebherr, James K., 2018, Cladistic classification of Mecyclothorax Sharp (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Moriomorphini) and taxonomic revision of the New Caledonian subgenus Phacothorax Jeannel, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 65 (1), pp. 1-63 : 10-12

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/dez.65.21000
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:73DEE0F3-2BB0-4A21-B445-5E168FE50F54
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/92B4A6E2-A7B1-BD88-4D17-4D9FE634A14F
treatment provided by	Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift by Pensoft
scientific name	Eucyclothorax subgen. n.
status

Treatment

Eucyclothorax subgen. n.

Diagnosis.

Species of this subgenus can be diagnosed by the synapomorphic presence of punctures on the prosternum (Fig. 2D-F View Figure 2 ), and the presence of a distinctly punctate prosternal anteapical groove, or the presence of punctures so deep and large that they obscure any groove (Fig. 2F View Figure 2 ). The pronotal front angles narrow and are not protruded (Fig. 8A View Figure 8 ) in all species except M. curtus and M. nsp. D, in which these angles are little protruded and more rounded (Fig. 2D View Figure 2 ). The paraglossae are generally elongate (Fig. 1D View Figure 1 ), extended twice as far from the anterior margin of the ligula than the distance from their base to the ligular margin; this is reversed in M. punctatus which has shorter paraglossae. The elytral striae are distinctly punctate (Fig. 8A View Figure 8 ), distinguishing Eucyclothorax spp. from species in Qecyclothorax , though not from other Australian members of subgenus Mecyclothorax Mecyclothorax such as M. ambiguus or M. punctipennis . Also, the eighth elytral stria is punctate at midlength in most species (Fig. 2L View Figure 2 )-save M. moorei and M. punctatus -though this punctation is also seen in lesser development in some species of subgenus Mecyclothorax Mecyclothorax such as M. punctipennis . The surface of the basal abdominal ventrites is generally glossy without microsculpture, a synapomorphy, though this is reversed to a microsculptured surface in M. lophoides and M. sp. n. D. In the male genitalia the right paramere is elongate, with only 2-7 setae present on the ventral surface (Fig. 5A View Figure 5 ), and the internal sac bears a dorsal plate as well as a sinuous flagellum (Fig. 4C View Figure 4 ). Finally, the female reproductive tract has the spermathecal duct entering at the juncture of the common oviduct with the bursa (Fig. 6C View Figure 6 ), a symplesiomorphy shared with Qecyclothorax spp. (Fig. 6D View Figure 6 ), some Amblytelus spp. (Fig. 6A-B View Figure 6 ), M. bellorum of subgenus Mecyclothorax Meonochilus ( Liebherr 2011, fig. 12). A helminthoid sclerite is also symplesiomorphically present (Fig. 6C View Figure 6 )

Member species.

All Australian Mecyclothorax species have been examined, with the following species assignable to this subgenus represented in the analysis: M. blackburni , M. curtus , M. eyrensis , M. lophoides , M. moorei , M. peryphoides , and M. punctatus (Table 1 View Table 1 ; Moore et al. 1987, Baehr 2009). Baehr’s (2016) southwestern Australian subspecies M. punctatus peckorum ( Moore 1984, fig. 12) and M. cordicollis (Sloane) complement this list. An undescribed species from Queensland-sp. n. D-will be described in a subsequent publication.

Etymology.

To indicate membership of species of this subgenus in Mecyclothorax , and to reflect the position of this taxon as the adelphotaxon to the remainder of Mecyclothorax sensu lato, the initial syllable “eu” -the Ancient Greek prefix εύ, meaning “proper” or “true” -is combined with the first name proposed for the genus, Cyclothorax ( MacLeay 1871), resulting in the subgenus name Eucyclothorax . Based on the shared nominative masculine terminal syllable thorax, this epithet agrees in gender with the generic epithet.