Beutelius reidi, Escalona & Lawrence & Ślipiński, 2020

Escalona, Hermes E., Lawrence, John F. & Ślipiński, Adam, 2020, The extant species of the genus Omma Newman and description of Beutelius gen. nov. (Coleoptera: Archostemata: Ommatidae: Ommatinae), Zootaxa 4728 (4), pp. 547-574 : 556

Beutelius reidi sp. nov.

( Figs 8–9 , 93 )

Holotype: Australia, NSW, Oaky Creek NR, S. end of Melville Range in reserve, halfway up W side of range; 31°06’57.0”S 150°37’42.0”E; 17.xi.2001 – 8.xii.2001; G. Carter; ICMAD1 /101/102 pit trap, ♂ (K182215, AMS).

Diagnosis. Body elongate, clothed with ribbed scales. Head subquadrate. Temples present. Gulamentum anteriorly slightly depressed to accommodate labial and maxillary palps. Antennae filiform shorter than head and prothorax combined. Prothorax 0.7 times as long as wide (PL/PW), without lateral pronotal carinae; notopleural and pleurosternal sutures present. Elytra in dorsal view with lateral sides with scattered white scales ( Fig. 8 ). Male protibia without setose excavation at basal third. Parameres with subapical, mesal notch with narrow opening ( Fig. 93 ).

Description. Length: 5.7 mm. Body 2.8 times as long as wide (BL/EW), somewhat flattened, clothed with black and white ribbed setae. Head projecting and moderately elongate, median length of visible portion about as long as greatest width (HL/HW); narrowed behind eyes, temples present; antennal insertions concealed; surface with microsculpture; vestiture mainly brownish-black, frons covered white ribbed setae. Antennae moderately short, shorter than head and prothorax combined; antennomere length/width ratios, 1: 1.1, 2: 1.0, 3: 1.6, 4: 1.0, 5: 1.0, 6I: 1.0, 7: 1.0, 8: 1.0, 9: 1.0, 10: 1.0, 11: 1.4; antennomeres 1–5 with white ribbed setae, antennomeres 6–11 with finer, yellowish-brown hairs. Clypeolabral apex irregularly crenulate. Outer surfaces of mandibles with scales at the base and fine setae towards the apex. Apical maxillary and labial palpomeres with sensorial cavity larger than a setal puncture.

Prothorax 0.7 times as long as wide (PL/PW), widest near the anterior third, sides curved; pronotal vestiture consisting of brownish-black and white ribbed setae, the former concentrated on posterior borders, disc convex, posterior edge barely sinuate. Scutellar shield quadrate and mainly covered by white scales; prosternum and propleura covered with white ribbed setae. Elytra about 2.0 times as long as wide (EL/EW) and 4.3 times as long as pronotum (EL/PL), widest near middle; humeri well-developed; sides barely rounded, and apices separate and rounded; disc somewhat flattened above and gradually declined laterally; epipleura moderately narrow with three rows of white ribbed setae, its margins bordered by tubercles; punctation densely seriate; vestiture of suberect to decumbent dark brown ribbed setae and white ribbed setae, the latter distributed as follows: few at the humeri, along suture at basal fourth, near middle, a pair of patches at posterior third, and along suture near apex; edges with an irregular patch of white ribbed setae in basal third and scattered scales towards apex. Hind wings well developed.

Legs moderately robust. Basal third of male protibia without setose excavation. Protarsus 0.6 times as long as protibia (TAL/TIL). Mesotarsus 0.9 times as long as mesotibia (TAL/TIL). Metatarsus incomplete (only one metatibia with the first tarsomere remains).

Abdomen with ventral surfaces more or less evenly clothed with whitish scales, except for small bare patches at lateral edges of ventrites 1 to 4, ventrite 5 predominantly with longer, finer, yellow hairs. Aedeagus with penis widest near middle and emarginate at apex; parameres with oval notch near apex of mesal edge flanked basally by slender, apically projecting lobe so that it is narrowly open ( Fig. 93 ).

Comments. This species is similar to B. mastersi and both males lack the basal setose excavation on the protibia. The parameres have the same basic form as B. mastersi but clearly differ in the shape of the apico-mesal notch, which is narrowly open in B. reidi and broadly so in B. mastersi .

Habitat. Melville Range Nature Reserve is an isolated protected area of 843 hectares located 28 km west of Tamworth in the Nandewar Bioregion, Walcha Region, of New South Wales. According to Hunter & Sheringham (2006) the dominant elements of the flora include the trees Eucalyptus crebra F.Muell. , Euc. albens Benth. and Euc. dealbata A.Cunn. , the shrubs Notelaea microcarpa R.Br , Psydrax odorata (G.Forst.) A.C.Sm. & S.P.Darwin and Bursaria longisepala Domin and the understorey is dominated by Aristida ramosa R.Br. , Scutellaria humilis R.Br. , Arthropodium sp., Rytidosperma pallidum (R.Br.) A.M.Humphreys & H.P.Linder , Geranium solanderi Carolin , Dichondra sp. and Cymbopogon refractus (R.Br.) A. Camus.

Etymology. The species name is dedicated to our friend and colleague Chris Reid (AM) for his outstanding contributions to the knowledge of Australian beetles, including spotting this specimen.

Figures

FIGURES 4–9. Habitus. 4–6, Beutelius mastersi: 4, dorsal (♂ 9 mm, VIC); 5, same, ventral; 6, dorsal (♀ 8 mm, SAMA); 7, same, ventral; 8–9, B. reidi sp. nov.: 8, dorsal (♂ 5.7 mm, AM); 9, same, ventral.

FIGURES 85–95. Beutelius spp., mentum: 85–86. 85, B. mastersi, 86, B. rutherfordi (paratype ♂); 87, B. mastersi, mesonotum; 88, B. mastersi, pterothorax, ventral; 89, B. rutherfordi, pterothorax, ventral; aedeagus: 90–95. 90, Omma stanleyi; 91–92, B. mastersi; 93, B. reidi sp. nov.; 94, B. rutherfordi; 95, B. sagitta.