Mecyclothorax Sharp

Liebherr, James K., 2018, Taxonomic review of Australian Mecyclothorax Sharp (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Moriomorphini) with special emphasis on the M. lophoides (Chaudoir) species complex, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 65 (2), pp. 177-224 : 177

Genus Mecyclothorax Sharp

Mecyclothorax Sharp, 1903: 243 (type species Cyclothorax montivagus Blackburn by Andrewes 1939).

Cyclothorax MacLeay, 1871: 104 (not Cyclothorax Frauenfeld, 1868; type species Cyclothorax punctipennis MacLeay by monotypy; synonymy Sloane 1903).

Thriscothorax Sharp, 1903: 257 (type species Cyclothorax unctus Blackburn by original designation; synonymy Britton 1948).

Atelothorax Sharp, 1903: 269 (type species Atelothorax optatus Sharp by monotypy; synonymy Britton 1948).

Metrothorax Sharp, 1903: 269 (type species Metrothorax molops Sharp by Lorenz 1998; synonymy Britton 1948).

Antagonaspis Enderlein, 1909: 488 (type species Antagonaspis sculptopunctata Enderlein by original designation; synonymy Jeannel 1938).

Loeffleria Mandl, 1969: 54 (type species Loeffleria globicollis Mandl by monotypy; synonymy Baehr and Lorenz 1999).

subgenus Phacothorax Jeannel, 1944: 84 (type species Phacothorax fleutiauxi Jeannel by original designation; synonymy Liebherr and Marris 2009).

subgenus Meonochilus Liebherr & Marris, 2009: 10 (type species Tarastethus amplipennis Broun by original designation; synonymy Liebherr 2018).

subgenus Eucyclothorax Liebherr, 2018: 12 (type species Cyclothorax blackburni Sloane by original designation).

subgenus Qecyclothorax Liebherr, 2018: 14 (type species Mecyclothorax storeyi Moore by original designation).

Diagnosis.

Moore (1963) diagnosed Mecyclothorax based on: 1, apical palpomeres glabrous; 2, pronotum cordate; 3, male parameres narrowed apically. These characters were chosen to differentiate Mecyclothorax from Neonomius Moore, a genus now placed far from Mecyclothorax in the subtribe Moriomorphina . The first character works well for Mecyclothorax , with the rare occurrence of very short setae on the apical palpomeres, those setae about 0.10 × the palpʼs maximal diameter. Since Mooreʼs pioneering exposition, pronotal shape has been shown worthless for diagnosing Mecyclothorax given the great diversity in shape among the Tahitian ( Perrault 1984, Liebherr 2013), Hawaiian ( Liebherr 2015), and New Caledonian species ( Liebherr 2018). The male parameres differ in configuration among the various subgenera of Mecyclothorax , but as Moore proposed, both right and left parameres are elongate and setose apically ( Liebherr 2018, fig. 5). Other characters that diagnose Mecyclothorax from various other taxa in tribe Moriomorphini , both symplesiomorphically and synapomorphically ( Liebherr 2011a), include: 1, labrum truncate to moderately and broadly emarginate apically; 2, ligula truncate medially between the 2 marginal setae, paraglossae elongate; 3, pronotal base at least moderately punctate; 4, elytral humeral margin smooth, without tooth at humeral angle; 5, female apical ventrite with median patch of 4-5 smaller setae.

Nomenclatural note.

Sloane (1915) described Mecyclothorax ovalis from Manjimup, WA, with label data (ANIC): Manjimup, W.A. / 31.12.13 T. G. S. // Mecyclothorax / ovalis Sl. Type // Holotype [pink label]. The pink holotype label is consistent with those used by P. J. Darlington, Jr. during his curation of the Sloane collection in 1957 ( Darlington 1962: 328). The specimen is mostly destroyed, with only partial remnants of the legs remaining glued to the card. As such, because the holotype specimen can no longer be used to diagnose the species nor the species’ generic placement, a neotype is designated. As this neotype designation is required to stabilize both the concept of this species and the species’ new generic combination, such an action is valid under Article 75 of The Code ( ICZN 1999). Therefore a Neotype male (MCZ specimen deposited in ANIC) is hereby designated: Mullewa, W.A. / Sept. 19 1931 // Australia / Harvard Exp., / Darlington // MCZ // Neotype / Mecyclothorax / ovalis Sloane / det. J.K. Liebherr 2004 [black-margined red label]. These specimens, both neotype and others in the series (MCZ) exhibit densely setose apical palpomeres as well as the small ovoid body diagnostic for Neonomius Moore (1963). The male genitalia conform to the configuration observed in the subtribe Moriomorphina ( Liebherr 2011a), with both parameres broad, parallel-sided with rounded apices, and the right paramere ventrally setose, as observed in the generic type species N. laevicollis (Sloane) ( Moore 1963, fig. 7). Based on these characters, Sloaneʼs species is newly combined as Neonomius ovalis (Sloane), comb. n. Among species of Neonomius , N. ovalis is diagnosable from the sympatric N. australis (Sloane) by: 1, the smaller body size, standardized body length 3.2-3.6 mm for the N. ovalis neotype series - agreeing with Sloane (1915; 451) - versus 5.0 mm for N. australis ( Sloane 1915: 450); and 2, the reddish-brown body color versus "black, nitid; legs piceous-red; antennae reddish ( Sloane 1915, 450)" for N. australis . Neonomius ovalis can be diagnosed from the other two southeastern Australian species placed in the genus - N. laevicollis (Sloane) and N. laticollis (Sloane) - by the apically less convex elytral interval 8, versus the laterally compressed, subcarinate interval 8 characterizing those two species. The type locality for M. ovalis (Sloane) becomes Mullewa. That Moore et al. (1987) did not recognize Sloane’s Mecyclothorax ovalis as a member taxon of Neonomius Moore is based on the lack of any other specimens in the ANIC beyond the destroyed holotype of M. ovalis Sloane, whereas Darlington made this nomenclatural connection, but only for specimens he deposited in the MCZ.

All other names placed under Mecyclothorax Sharp in Moore et al. (1987: 147-149) are treated below.