Melanterius pungalinae, Pinzón-Navarro & Jennings & Oberprieler, 2017

Pinzón-Navarro, Sara V., Jennings, Debbie & Oberprieler, Rolf G., 2017, Host associations of Melanterius Erichson (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Cleogonini), with a diagnosis and delimitation of the genus and description of five new species, Zootaxa 4298 (1), pp. 1-77 : 21-24

Melanterius pungalinae sp. n.

( Figs. 36–39 )

Description. Size: Length 2.8–3.3 mm in male, 2.9–3.4 mm in female; width 1.3–1.6 mm in male, 1.5–2.0 mm in female. Colour and vestiture: body dark reddish-brown; head, pronotum and elytra sparsely clothed with pale to testaceous, narrow, subspatulate scales, legs sparsely covered with slightly longer whitish hair-scales. Head with large, dense, shallow punctures, vertex shagreened. Eyes large, slightly convex but not protruding, dorsally separated by ca. three-quarters of width of rostrum at base. Rostrum about 1.2x longer than prothorax (slightly longer in female); robust, evenly subcylindrical (slightly flattened), downcurved, dorsal outline slightly set off from head in profile; dorsally with large, confluent (almost groove-like) punctures in proximal two-thirds in male, half in female, distal part glabrous with sparse, much smaller, finely setiferous punctures. Antennae inserted in apical third of rostrum in male, in middle in female; with funicle as long as scape, funicle segments 1 and 2 subequal, each as long as 3+4, club 1.5x longer than wide in middle. Prothorax roundly trapezoidal in outline, at apex 0.6x as wide as at base, length along midline 0.7x of width at base; pronotum densely punctate, punctures large, oval, distinctly rimmed, shallow, each in posterior wall carrying a small, pale seta curved anteriad and exceeding anterior margin of puncture. Elytra 2.75x longer than pronotum, at base as wide as pronotum but across humeri ca. 1.3x wider; striae deep, with elongate, confluent punctures; interstriae ca. 2x broader, slightly convex on disc but costate on sides and declivity, surface rugulose, with irregular row of moderately large, suberect, testaceous setae on either side of midline (costa), interstriae 1 with only a single row of setae. Metanepisterna with a single row of large, shallow, sparse punctures (about a dozen), metanepisternal sutures ventrally fringed with fine white sclerolepidia. Mesoventrite with median process short and broad (transverse), shallowly concave; surface finely rugulose and setose but apunctate. Metaventrite with disc flat, laterally bluntly broadly carinate between meso- and metacoxae; surface sparsely covered with large, shallow punctures each with a longish, erect, whitish hair-scale inserted in anterior wall and curved caudad. Abdominal ventrites 1 and 2 laterally each about as long as 3+4; 1 anteriorly slightly concave in middle in male, convex in female, 3 and 4 with one transverse row of sparse, small punctures each carrying a pale hair-scale. Legs. Sparsely covered with suberect pale hair-scales. Procoxae narrowly separated by a complete septum, meso- and metacoxae separated by their width; femora with small ventral tooth, underside without groove for reception of tibiae; tibiae with stout uncus arising at inner side of apex in both sexes and continuing into large bare flange across tibial apex (forming false corbel), flange at outer angle bluntly produced (forming a broad lobe on metatibiae), setal comb oblique on all tibiae. Genitalia. Aedeagus ( Fig. 38 ) with body of penis elongate (3x longer than broad), sides subparallel, converging towards apex, apex truncate, base ventrally extended anteriad into broad, flat, shortly and bluntly bifurcate process; temones terete, 1.3x longer than body of penis; endophallus with elongate complex of sclerites at base of penis body. Spermatheca ( Fig. 39 ) crescentic, subequal in thickness (thickest in middle); gland large, bulbous, with short, straight, sclerotised duct inserted on elongate, apically slightly inflated ramus.

Material examined (17 ♂, 24 ♀). Holotype ♂: 16°39'35.3"S 137°24'51.7"E / NT: Pungalina, Mystery / Shovel, 7 km track to / Calvert River / 27 June 2012 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // Site 8 / beating Acacia / holosericea // ♂ // ANIC / image // ANIC Database No. / 25 0 67206 // HOLOTYPE / Melanterius pungalinae / Pinzón-Navarro, Jennings & Oberprieler, 2017” ( ANIC). Paratypes (all labelled “ PARATYPE / Melanterius pungalinae / Pinzón- Navarro, Jennings & Oberprieler 2017, in ANIC): 1 ♀: 16°39'35.3"S 137°24'51.7"E / NT: Pungalina, Mystery / Shovel, 7 km track to / Calvert River / 27 June 2012 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // Site 8 / beating Acacia / holosericea // ♀ // ANIC / image // ANIC Database No. / 25 067207 ; 1 ♀: same data except “ ANIC database no. / 25 067622 ; 1 ♂: 16°34'38"S 137°29'19"E / NT: Pungalina, Mystery / Shovel, 17.7 km NE by N / Pungalina Hmstd / 27 Jun 2012 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // Site 7 / beating old pods on / Acacia holosericea // ♂ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067623; 1 ♀: same data except ♀ // ANIC Database No. // 25 0 67624 // ; 1 ♀: same data except “ ♀ // ANIC Database No. // 25 067625” ; 1 ♂: 1632'39" S 13730 '39"E / NT: Australian Wildlife / Conservancy , Pungalina, / Seven Emu Reserve / 28/06/12 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // beating>10 flowering / shrubs plant 77 Site 11 / Acacia producta / DNA 2607 // ANIC Database No. / 25 0 67334 // ♂ ” ; 1 ♂: “ 16°47'29.8"S 137°27'37.1"E / NT: Pungalina, Karns / Creek, 9.6 km SE by S / Pungalina Hmstd / 28 June 2012 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // Site 12 / beating / Acacia dimidiata // ♂ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067626”; same data except “ ANIC Database No. / 25 067627 ; 1 ♀: “ 16°45'25.9"S 137°32'23.7"E / NT: Australian Wildlife / Conservancy, Pungalina, / Seven Emu Reserve, / Lake Jabiru. 29/06/12 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // site 13 – flowering / Phyllodine / Acacia leptocarpa / DNA 2609 // ANIC Database No. / 25 0 63684 // ♀ ” ; 1 ♂: “16°45'25.9"S 137°32'23.7"E / NT: Pungalina, Seven / Emu Reserve, Lake / Jabiru / 29 Jun 2012 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // site 13 / beating Acacia leptocarpa / with flowers // ♂ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067628”; 1 ♂: same data except “ ANIC Database No. / 25 067629” ; 1 ♀: same data except “ ♀ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067630” ; 1 ♂: same data except “ ♂ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067631” ; 1 ♀: same data except “ ♀ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067632” ; 1 ♀: 16°41'22"S 137°24'09"E / NT: Australian Wildlife / Cons. Pungalina, Seven / Emu Reserve / 30.06.2012 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // Fig Tree nr creek. Site 16 / Acacia holosericea / DNA 2613 // ANIC Database No. / 25 0 63470 // ♀; 1 ♂: “16°27'52.3"S 137°33'17.2"E / NT: Pungalina, 32 km NE / by N Pungalina Hmstd / AWC camp near Cycad / Creek 2 July 2012 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // Site 22 / beating Acacia leptocarpa / with old pods // ♂ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067634”; 1 ♂: same data except “ ANIC Database No. / 25 067635” ; 1 ♂: same data except “ ANIC Database No. / 25 067636” ; 1 ♀: same data except “ ♀ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067638” ; 1 ♀: same data except “ ♀ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067639” ; 1 ♀: same data except “ ♀ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067640” ; 1 ♀: same data except “ ♀ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067641” ; 1 ♀: same data except “ ♀ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067642” ; 1 ♂: same data except “ ♂ // ANIC / Image // ANIC Database No. / 25 067633” ; 1 ♂: same data except “ ♂ // ANIC / Image // ANIC Database No. / 25 067637” ; 1 ♂: 16°30'50"S 137°32'08"E / NT, Pungalina, Calvert / River / 04/07/12 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // NT S26 / beating Acacia dimidiata / DNA 4523 // ANIC Database No. / 25 0 63472 // ♂; 1 ♂: same data except “ DNA 4525 // ANIC Database No. 25 063473 ; 1 ♀: 1630'50" S 13732 '08.9"E / NT: Pungalina, Edge of / Calvert River , Rocky side / 0 4 July 2012 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // Site 28 / beating Acacia dimidiata / with old pods // ♀ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067643// ; 1 ♀: same data except “ DNA 2628 // ANIC Database No. / 25 0 63471 // ANIC / Image // ♀ ; 1 ♀: “ 16°29'22"S 137°33'14"E / NT: Pungalina, 5 km N of / Calvert River crossing / 28.8 km NE by N Pungalina / Hmstd 5 July 2012 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // site 29 beating / Acacia holosericea / with old pods // ♀ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067644” ; 1 ♀: 16°44'04.9"S 137°29'22.8"E / NT: Pungalina, Karns / Creek / July 2012 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // ♀ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067645; 1 ♂: “16°47'30"S 137°27'37"E / NT: Pungalina, Karns Ck / 8 July 2012 / S. Pinzón-Navarro beating / Acacia holosericea // ♂ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067646”; 1 ♀: “16°47'30"S 137°27'37"E / NT: Pungalina, Karns / Creek, 9.6 km SE by S / Pungalina Hmstd / 8 July 2012 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // beating / Acacia holosericea // ♀ // ANIC Database No. / 25 067647”; 1 ♀: same data except “ ANIC Database No. / 25 0 67648. Queensland . 1 ♀: “26°32'42.1"S / 150°26’38.6"E / QLD: ca. 13 km SSW of / Barakula / 18/09/ 12 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // Beating green and old / pods Acacia conferta / DNA 2654 // ANIC Database No. / 25 0 63466 // ANIC / Image // ♀”; 1 ♀: “26°52'39.6"S 150°30’20.5"E / QLD: Kogan-Tara Rd / 15 Sept 2013 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // QLD 2 S11 P509 / beating Acacia leiocalyx / DNA 4038 // ANIC Database No. / 25 0 63467 // ♀”; 1 ♀: same data except “ DNA 4039 // ANIC Database No. / 25 0 63465 // ANIC / Image // ♂ ” ; 1 ♂: “27°04'05"S 150°50'25"E / QLD: Kogan-Condamine / Road / 21 Sept 2013 / S. Pinzón-Navarro & D. Jennings // QLD 2 S104 P605 / beating Acacia leiocalyx / DNA 4188 // ANIC Database No. / 25 067320”; 1 ♀: same data except “ DNA 4186 // ANIC Database No. / 25 063469”. New South Wales . 1 ♀: “ 29°01'37"S / 151°29’55"E / NSW: Bruxner Highway / above Dumaresq River / 18 Sept 2013 / S. Pinzón-Navarro // NSW S84 P584 / beating Acacia leiocalyx / DNA 4153 // ANIC Database No. / 25 063468”.

Distribution. The species is known from the Gulf of Carpenteria in the Northern Territory to northern New South Wales ( Figs. 69–70).

Host-plants. The type series was largely collected from Acacia holosericea and A. leptocarpa , with fewer specimens from A. conferta , A. dimidiata , A. leiocalyx and A. producta ( Table 1).

Remarks. Of the other species in the M. costatus group, M. costatus , M. costipennis , M. inconspicuus , M. tasmaniensis , M. vinosus and M. tibialis differ readily from M. pungalinae in having the elytral scales arranged in irregular clusters, not in regular rows on the interstriae, and M. costipennis , M. vinosus and M. tibialis further differ in their much larger size and M. costatus , M. inconspicuus and M. tasmaniensis in their shorter, squatter shape and a prominent carina or process behind the mesocoxae. Melanterius aberrans and M. lamellatus are much larger and have the odd interstriae strongly costate, whereas M. arenaceus and M. squamipennis are much more densely squamose and have confluent procoxal cavities, and M. rufus is more elongate, reddish in colour and with interstriae 3 and 5 conspicuously more densely squamose than the others. Melanterius psittacoides differs mainly in its basally inflated, parrot-beak-like rostrum.

The specimens of M. pungalinae studied segregate into two geographically separate populations, one in the Northern Territory ( Fig. 69) and one in southern Queensland ( Fig. 70 ), with a single specimen also recorded from New South Wales. The specimens of the northern, Pungalina population are slightly larger but not otherwise distinguishable morphologically (including in their male and female genitalia) from the southern ones in Queensland, and we therefore treat both series as conspecific. The species may be distributed more widely between these known populations.

Melanterius pungalinae is named after the type locality, the Pungalina-Seven-Emu Wildlife Sanctuary along the southern coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria in the Northern Territory, where in 2012 the first author participated in a scientific expedition organised by the Royal Geographic Society of Queensland. The name is a Latin genitive of the noun Pungalina.

Figures

FIGURE 70. Known distribution of Melanterius abbreviatus sp. n., M. psittacoides sp. n., M. pungalinae sp. n., and M. tesseymani sp. n. in south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales (single record of M. abbreviatus from Meroo National Park in south-eastern New South Wales not shown).

FIGURES 36 – 39. Melanterius pungalinae sp. n. 36: holotype, male, dorsal habitus (Northern Territory, Pungalina, Mystery Shovel); 37: holotype, male, lateral habitus; 38: male, genitalia (Northern Territory, Pungalina, AWC Camp near Cycad Creek); a, aedeagus, lateral view; b, aedeagus, dorsal view; c, sternite IX, dorsal view; 39: spermatheca (Northern Territory, Pungalina, Mystery Shovel).