Austrophaeogala lawrencei, Hsiao & Pollock, 2022

Hsiao, Yun & Pollock, Darren A., 2022, Morphology-based phylogeny of oval palm and flower beetles (Coleoptera: Mycteridae: Eurypinae), with descriptions of new genera and species from Australia, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 196, pp. 677-703 : 691-694

AUSTROPHAEOGALA LAWRENCEI SP. NOV.

( FIGS 3D–F , 6 , 7A, C, E )

Z o o b a n k r e g i s t r a t i o n: u r n: l s i d: z o o b a n k. org:act: 3495491A-9E02-4CFB-87E4-9B0782469E62.

Type material: Holotype, ♂, NSW: ‘Dingo SF NW/ Wingham NSW/ 6. I. 90 // S. G. Watkins/ Collection/ Donated 2001’ ( ANIC).

Paratypes: NSW: 1 unsexed, ‘Wahr’u’ga [= Wahroonga ]/ HJC’ ( ANIC); 1 unsexed , ‘ NSW / Plumley//? Lagriidae / HJC// CARTER/ Collection’ ( ANIC); 1 unsexed, ‘Hazelbrook/ N.S.W./ J. Armstrong’ ( ANIC); 1♂, ‘ Dorrigo, N.S.W. / W. Heron’ ( ANIC); 1♂, ‘ 30.24S 152.57E / Valery NSW / Euc. Plantation / 10. i. 67 at light/ R.S. McInnes’ ( ANIC); 1♀, 1 unsexed, ‘ Bonville, N. S. W. / 30.23S 153.04E / 9. xii. 1968, light/ trap. P.B. Carne’ ( ANIC); 2 unsexed, ‘same locality and collectors, 12. xii. 1968 ’ ( ANIC); 1♂, 1♀, 5 unsexed, ‘same locality and collectors, 15. xii. 1968 ’ ( ANIC); 5 unsexed, ‘same locality and collectors, 16. xii. 1968 ’ ( ANIC); 2♂♂, 3♀♀, 33 unsexed, ‘ Wauchope , NSW. (31.27 S / 152.44 E) 72km. W. on/ Oxley Highway 4. i. 70 / wet sclerophyll, at light/ Britton, Holloway, Misko’ (33 in ANIC; 2 in BMNH; 3 in NMNS); 1♂, ‘ 28.37S 153.21E / 4 km NEbyN of/ Whian Whian NSW / 21 Nov. 1976 / I.F.B. Common / & E.D. Edwards’ ( ANIC); 1 unsexed, ‘ 33.19S 151.21E / 5 km NW of/ Ourimbah NSW / 25 Nov. 1976 / I.F.B. Common / & E.D. Edwards’ ( ANIC); 1♂, ‘ 28 km ENE of/ Marulan NSW on/ Hume Hwy. 24. Nov. 77 / E.B. Britton’ ( ANIC); 1♂, ‘ Wollomombi Falls / 40km E Armidale, NSW/ 1978– 1979 R. Noske’ ( ANIC); 1♂, ‘ Clyde Mt . NSW./ 780m, 18 air km/ SE of Braidwood / 4 Feb. 1981 ( MV)/ J. Powell coll’ ( ANIC); 1♀, ‘ 35.58S 150.09E / Congo, 8km SEbyE of Moruya NSW/ 1 Jan. 82/ M.S. Upton // Window trap’ ( ANIC); 1♀, ‘ Lansdowne S.F. / N. of Taree NSW / 24 Jan. 1982 / G. Williams’ ( ANIC); 1♂, ‘ Lower Bucca SF/ NSW 14 airkm NW/ Coffs Harbour / 18 Nov. 1982 / J. T. Doyen coll.’ ( ANIC)); 1 unsexed, ‘ AUSTRALIA: NSW / 5 km.NE Nerriga / 24.I-4.II.1984 / L. Masner // Dry sclerophyll/ Eucalyptus forest/ MT, 600m. ’ ( CMNC); 2♀♀, ‘ 35.30 S 150.18 E / Kioloa SF 15km NE/ Batemans Bay, NSW / Nov. 86 M. G. Robinson / flight interc. trap’ ( ANIC); 2♀♀, ‘same locality and collectors, Dec. 86 ’ ( ANIC); 1♀, ‘same locality and collectors, Jan. 87, ex malaise trap’ ( ANIC); 4♀♀, ‘same locality, date and collectors, flight interc. trap’ ( ANIC); 1♂, ‘same locality and collectors, Mar. 87, ex sticky trap’ ( ANIC); 1♀, ‘ Mt York NSW/ 18 . I. 87/ S Watkins // S. G. Watkins / Collection / Donated 2001’ ( ANIC); 1♀, ‘AUSTRAL: NSW / Bondi St. For. / Gulf Rd. / S/ Bombala / Jan. 16,1989/ J& R. Bell’ ( DAPC); 1♂, 2♀♀, ‘ Lots 72, 73, 148/ Caparra NSW/ 3 . I. 90// S. G. Watkins / Collection / Donated 2001’ ( ANIC); 1♂, 1♀, ‘same data as holotype’ ( ANIC); 2♀♀, ‘ AUSTR, NSW, Chichester / St. Fr. Frying Pan / For. Pk. 300m ca. 22 kmN/ Dungog 19.XII.1990 / u-v light nr. river// D.A. Pollock &/ L.A. Reichert,/ collectors’ ( DAPC); 1♀, ‘ AUSTR, NSW, Border/ Ranges N.Pk. Sheep-/ station Crk. cmpgrnd/ 375 m 6-8.I.1991 / Pollock & Reichert // u-v light scler. for.’ ( DAPC); 1♀, ‘ Wadsworth Trail / at Potoroo Road / Dingo SF NSW / 18. xii. 1995 / m. v. light ♀ // S. G. Watkins / Collection / Donated 2001’ ( ANIC); 1 ♀, ‘ Rowley’s Rock / Flora Reserve / Dingo SF NSW/ 18 . Jan. 96/ m. v. light ♀ // S. G. Watkins / Collection / Donated 2001’ ( ANIC); 1♂, ‘ Starr’s Creek / Lansdowne SF / NSW 26 .xii.95/ 95:1253/ m. v. light // S. G. Watkins / Collection / Donated 2001’ ( ANIC); 1♂, ‘ AUSTRALIA: NSW / Point Plomer / 11 January 1996 / To Light / J BUGEJA’ ( ANIC); 1♂, ‘ 33.48S 150.22E NSW / Waterfall / 6 Nov. 1998 / A. Leask’ ( ANIC); 1♀, ‘ 37.13S 149.43E NSW / East Boyd NP 54km / SE Bombala / 6 Dec. 2004 – 12 Jan. / 2005 / C. Lambkin, N. Starick // Anteaters Rd. / malaise trap ANIC/ bulk sample 2614’ (ANIC). QLD: 2♂♂, 1♀, ‘ AUSTR, QLD, Brisbane / For. Pk. Mt. Glorious / St. For. nr. Mt. Glor. ,/ village ca. 500 m / 14-15.I.1991 u-v// D.A. Pollock &/ L.A. Reichert,/ collectors’ ( DAPC). VIC: 1♀, ‘ At Light / Brodribb Mill / Orbost , Vic. / 2.2.1971 / C. D. Howick’ ( ANIC); 1♂, ‘ 37.47S 148.44E VIC/ Cape Conran Coastal / Park 24km SE Orbost / 12 Jan.–13 Feb. 2005 / C. Lambkin, N. Starick // malaise trap ANIC/ bulk sample 2623/ heath under forest’ (ANIC).

Diagnosis: This species is similar to its congener in both appearance and genitalic structures, but can be distinguished by the following characters: usually larger body size, c. 7.0 mm (usually smaller, c. 5.4 mm in the new species Austrophaeogala ovipennis ); elongate, nearly parallel-sided, long oval body shape ( Fig. 3D, F ) (pear-shaped body, widened posteriorly in A. ovipennis ; Fig. 3G, I ); slightly thinner body ( Fig. 3E ) (slightly thicker body; Fig. 3H ); more elongate elytra (broader and stouter in A. ovipennis ); pubescence on body surface slightly sparser and shorter ( Fig. 3D, F ) (slightly denser and longer in A. ovipennis ; Fig. 3G, I ); mesocoxal cavities completely laterally closed ( Fig. 7A ) (slightly open in A. ovipennis ; Fig. 7B ); sex patch with setae more decumbent ( Fig. 7C ) (more erect in A. ovipennis ; Fig. 7D ); distribution: mainly New South Wales (mainly North Queensland in A. ovipennis ).

Description: Body length: 4.7–8.5 mm (6.6 in holotype); width: 1.4–3.0 mm (2.2 in holotype).

Male ( Fig. 3D, E ). Body long oval, nearly parallelsided; body brown to blackish brown, colour of antennae, maxillary and labial palps and legs lighter; surface sparsely covered with short, fine yellowish setae, setae on dorsum slightly longer than ventral side.

Head ( Fig.6A ) subquadrate, with frontoclypeal region ( Fig. 6B ) distinctly depressed and vertex moderately convex, frontal furrows shallowly depressed; surface semilustrous, coarsely and densely punctate, with fine, sparse, decumbent yellowish setae. Compound eyes small, globular and prominent, protruding laterally, ratio of eye diameter to interocular space 1:4.0. Clypeus short, flat, broad, distal margin truncate, with some yellowish setae on the distal margin of the disc. Apical maxillary palpomeres ( Fig. 6C ) elongate securiform. Apical labial palpomere ( Fig. 6D ) oval, subtruncate apically. Antennae ( Fig. 6E ) short, barely extending to the posterior angles of pronotum; scape and pedicel robust, antennomeres III–VII filiform, VIII–X filiform to slightly serrate, XI oval, rounded apically; scape and antennomeres III subequal in length, pedicel shorter than antennomeres III, pedicel and antennomeres IV– XI subequal in length.

Pronotum ( Fig. 6F ) transverse, distinctly wider posteriorly, 1.4× wider than head, 0.70× longer than wide; surface semilustrous, coarsely and densely punctate, with fine, sparse, decumbent yellowish setae; lateral margins arcuate, widest near midlength, sometimes with few small, weakly developed tubercles; anterior margin nearly straight; posterior margin weakly arcuate; anterior angles obtuse; basal angles obtuse; disc weakly convex, with paired shallow depressions medially, with paired small, deep posterior foveae, foveae connected by shallow groove along posterior margin. Scutellar shield distinctly wider than long, weakly convex, obtuse apically; surface semilustrous, coarsely and densely punctate, with clustered decumbent yellowish setae densely distributed.

Elytra ( Figs 3D , 6I ) 1.4× wider than pronotum, 2.1× longer than wide, nearly parallel-sided; surface semilustrous, coarsely and densely punctate, with fine decumbent yellowish setae sparsely distributed.

Ventral surface coarsely and densely punctate, punctation on abdomen fine, covered with fine, sparse, decumbent yellowish setae. Abdominal ventrite II ( Figs 6K , 7C ) with sex patch consisting of long, dense, decumbent yellowish setae. Pygidium broadly rectangular, apical margin weakly and widely emarginate medially, sparsely pubescent. Abdominal sternite VIII subtruncate apically, slightly emarginate medially, sparsely pubescent apically.

Legs slender, relatively short. Claws simple, with basal swelling. Male genitalia with median lobe oriented dorsad the tegmen; abdominal sternite IX forming ring-like sclerite. Tegmen ( Fig. 7E ) with basale relatively short, stout, deeply concave basally, sides narrowed distally, 1.1× longer than apicale; apicale approximate basally, becoming widely separated apically, acuminate and strongly incurvate distally. Median lobe ( Fig. 7E ) stout, hastate, divided into broad basal disc and ensiform apex, basal disc and ensiform apex subequal in length; basal disc explanate, produced basolaterally; apex ensiform, tapered apically.

Female ( Fig. 3F ). Similar to male holotype externally. Ovipositor with sides subparallel, moderately narrowed apically. Paraproct elongate, with length 3.3× coxite, 5.4× longer than wide; proctiger with apex rounded; two distinct ventral and dorsal baculi present. Coxites segmented, sparsely pubescent. Styli short, subcylindrical, inserted subapically. Bursa copulatrix sac-like, distinctly rounded.

Etymology: The specific epithet honours John F. Lawrence, one of the lead editors of the Australian beetles book series, for his invaluable contribution to the development of systematic coleopterology in Australia. His expertise and vast knowledge have greatly improved the state of knowledge of Tenebrionoidea and many other taxa in Australia and around the world.

Distribution: This species occurs widely from southern Queensland to eastern Victoria ( Fig. 8 ).

Remarks: Based on label data, individuals have been collected in light traps with activity during the summer season (November to March).

Figures

Figure 3. Habitus of new genera and species of Mycteridae in Australia.A–C, Austroconomorphus slipinskii gen. et sp. nov.: A, holotype male, dorsal view; B, paratype female, lateral view; C, ditto, dorsal view. D–F, Austrophaeogala lawrencei gen. et sp. nov.: D, holotype male, dorsal view; E, ditto, lateral view; F, paratype female, dorsal view; G–I, A. ovipennis gen. et sp. nov.: G, holotype male, dorsal view; H, ditto, lateral view; I, paratype female, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Figure 6. Anatomical details of Austrophaeogala gen. nov. A, head, dorsal view; B, ditto, dorsolateral view; C, maxillary palp; D, labial palp; E, antenna; F, prothorax, dorsal view; G, ditto, lateral view; H, ditto, ventral view; I, elytron; J, prothoracic leg; K, male abdomen. Scale bars: A, B, E, F, G, H, J, 0.5 mm; C, D, 0.2 mm; I, K, 1.0 mm.

Figure 7. Diagnostic characters between Austrophaeogala lawrencei gen. et sp. nov. and A. ovipennis gen. et sp. nov. A, C, E, A. lawrencei gen. et sp. nov.; B, D, F, A. ovipennis gen. et sp. nov. A, B, meso- and metaventrites, with lateral openings of mesocoxal cavities indicated by blue arrows; C, D, sex patch; E, F, male genitalia. Scale bars: A, B, 1.0 mm; C, D, E, F, 0.2 mm.

Figure 8. Known distribution of Austroconomorphus slipinskii gen. et sp. nov. (black squares), Austrophaeogala lawrencei gen. et sp. nov. (red circles) and Austrophaeogala ovipennis gen. et sp. nov. (white circles). Map created with GPS visualizer (see Material and Methods).