Pallodes beccarii Grouvelle, 1906

Lawrence, John F. & Kirejtshuk, Alexander G., 2019, Review of the Australian Cyllodini (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae), with descriptions of new taxa, and notes on the genus Macleayania (Nitidulini), Zootaxa 4544 (3), pp. 301-334 : 328-330

Pallodes beccarii Grouvelle, 1906

( Figs 13–14, 18–19 , 39–40 , 48 , 58 )

Pallodes beccarii Grouvelle 1906: 328 . Type locality: “N lle Guinée: Hatam” (MCG); Kirejtshuk 2008: 119.

Pallodes gestroi Grouvelle 1906: 329 . Type locality: “Nouvelle Guinée: Andai” (MCG); Kirejtshuk 2008: 119. Syn. nov.

Pallodes misellus Grouvelle 1906: 329 . Type locality: “Nouvelle Guinée: Andai” (MCG); Kirejtshuk 2008: 119 (syn. of P. gestroi ).

Diagnosis. Compared to the relatively large number of unnamed Pallodes in Australia, this species may be distinguished by the dark dorsal surfaces and contrasting light ventral surfaces. The heavily sclerotised and deeply, broadly emarginate tegmen also separate this species from P. nigroapicalis and at least some other undescribed Australian Pallodes .

Description. Length 2.3–3.2 (2.73 ± 0.25, n = 12) mm. Body broadly ovate and moderately convex: body length/elytral width 1.20–1.36 (1.27); greatest depth/elytral width 0.45–0.66 (0.58). Head, pronotum, scutellar shield and elytra usually black; pygidium, ventral surfaces, legs and antennal funicle yellow; antennal club darker; teneral specimens not yet emerged from host fungus may be various shades of yellow to reddish-brown. Dorsal vestiture very short and not visible at lower magnifications; ventral surfaces with very short to moderately long, fine hairs, very dense on abdominal ventrite 5 in male. Head 0.93× as long as wide. Eyes 0.36× as long as head width. Temples 0.30× as long as eye, straight. Vertexal line absent. Frontoclypeal suture distinct, very weakly curved. Clypeus 0.33× as long as wide at base, sides converging to truncate. Labrum about 0.17× as long as wide; anterior edge weakly, broadly rounded with very weak, broad impression at middle. Antennal scape 1.73× as long as wide and 1.63× as long as pedicel; antennomere 3 about 2.0× as long as 4; club about 0.73× as long as antennomeres 3–8 combined and 1.26× as long as wide; terminal antennomere 0.8× as long as wide. Mandible strongly, abruptly curved at apex, which is obliquely bidentate and dorsally serrate; mola well developed with many transverse ridges; prostheca an elongate membrane, narrow basally, widest apically, lined with hairs; base of mola, ventrally with densely pubescent lobe. Apical maxillary palpomere 2.00× as long as wide, subcylindrical with truncate apex. Mentum about 0.43× as long as wide; sides diverging from base to subapex, then converging to form a pair of angulate projections on either side of truncate apex; apical labial palpomere about 1.33× as long as wide, cylindrical with blunt apex. Genal ridges sinuate, converging to about middle of eyes, then straight to just behind eyes; anterior genal process subtruncate. Pronotum 0.36–0.44 (0.40)× as long as wide, widest at posterior third; anterior edge deeply emarginate forming distinct almost right anterior angles; sides obliquely explanate; lateral margins narrow, not visible for their entire lengths from above; posterior edge more or less evenly curved laterally, but sinuate on either side of short prescutellar lobe; disc strongly, evenly convex; punctation very fine and sparse, the punctures usually separated two or more diameters; interspaces sculptured with fine beading, producing a dull sheen. Prosternum 0.53× as long as mid length of procoxal cavity, weakly convex, with short, broad anterior projection; prosternal process 0.29× as wide as mid length of procoxal cavity, not curved behind coxae, with truncate apex and short vertical wall. Scutellar shield 0.36× as wide at base as pronotum, with subacute apex; punctation slightly coarser and denser than that on pronotum. Elytra 0.85–1.00 (0.91)× as long as wide and 2.19–3.00 (2.57)× as long as pronotum, sides steep and lateral edges not visible from above; apices broadly, independently rounded, usually exposing pygidial apex; disc with nine rows of very small, somewhat irregularly aligned megapunctures with scattered, very fine punctures in between them; interspaces distinctly sculptured with fine microtubercles forming wavy lines and producing dull sheen. Epipleura strongly oblique, broader anteriorly, gradually narrowed posteriorly and extending to posterior edge of ventrite 4. Anterior edge of mesoventrite on slightly different plane than metaventrite, with short, low median carina, its posterior edge slightly elevated (in ventral view) and broadly emarginate to receive anterior process of metaventrite. Mesocoxae separated by 0.31× longest longitudinal diameter of mesocoxal cavity. Metaventrite slightly convex, shortest distance between meso- and metacoxal cavities 0.28× greatest width of ventrite; without discrimen; axillary spaces well-developed, postcoxal lines deviating from posterior edges of mesocoxae at about mesal fourth, extending posteriorly to about middle of metaventrite; posterior edges of mesocoxal cavities joined by fine, anteriorly curved line near base of anterior process of metaventrite, which is broadly rounded at apex. Metanepisternum 5.5× as long as wide, widest near anterior end and narrowed posteriorly. Metacoxae separated by 0.35× mid length (shortest diameter) of metacoxa. Protibia moderately strongly expanded apically, its outer edge densely lined with short serrations; outer apex rounded, with eight long, dark, spines. Mesotibia ( Fig. 58 ) very strongly expanded, 2.5× as long as wide, widest at apical fifth, where it is more or less angulate, its outer edge lined with short, acute, spines, becoming somewhat thicker near apex; metatibiae slightly expanded to apex, which is sharply angulate, outer edge lined with setae and moderately long, acute spines. Anterior faces of meso and metatibiae each with longitudinally oblique setal row. Basal protarsomeres and mesotarsomeres expanded and lobed; metatarsomeres simple and metatarsus about as long as metatibia. Abdomen with ventrite 1 at lateral third 0.6× as long as ventrite 2, with intercoxal process narrowly rounded at apex and without postcoxal lines; ventrites 3 and 4 each slightly longer than the one preceding it and 5 about 1.78× as long as 4; ventrites 2–5 each with one fine anterior transverse carina and a more prominent transverse carina at about middle; apex of ventrite 5 broadly rounded in female, weakly biemarginate and densely setose in male. Pygidium with straight basal carina, its apex broadly rounded in both sexes. Tergite VIII (anal sclerite) in male apically rounded. Tegmen ( Fig. 39 ) 2.12× as long as wide, sides subparallel, apex deeply and broadly emarginate, forming a pair of widely separated, slender, apically truncate lobes; basal strut about 0.33× as long as body of tegmen with subtruncate apex. Penis ( Fig. 40 ) 0.75× as long as tegmen, 2.14× as long as wide, parallel-sided with subtruncate apex; basal strut twice as long as body of penis, very slightly expanded and truncate at apex. Ovipositor ( Fig. 48 ) 1.51× as long as wide, flattened; paraprocts 0.73× as long as gonocoxites, which are 1.43× as long as their combined widths, gradually narrowing to subacute, subcontiguous apices, with extremely small gonostyli at apex not visible under lower magnifications.

Types. Lectotype of Pallodes beccarii here designated, male ( MCNG) and 1 paralectotype, female ( MCNG), “N. Guinea, Hattam, VI.1875, Beccari”, “ Pallodes Beccarii Grouv. ”; lectotype of Pallodes gestroi here designated, female ( MCNG) and 4 paralectotypes, females ( MCNG, ZIN), “Nuova Guinea, Andai, Ag, 72, L.N.D’Albertis ”, “ Pallodes Gestroi Grouv. ”; lectotype of Pallodes misellus here designated, male ( MCNG) and 1 paralectotype, male ( MCNG), “Nuova Guinea, Andai, Ag, 72, L.N.D’Albertis ”, “ Pallodes misellus ty. Grouv.”

Notes on synonymy. The type specimens of the names synonymised were described in the same publication ( Grouvelle 1906) and two of them ( Pallodes gestroi and P. misellus ) from the same locality. In addition, the type specimens of Pallodes gestroi are females and those of P. misellus are males. Grouvelle (1906: 330) pointed out that the latter series are somewhat different in body size, sculpture of dorsal integument (punctation and microreticulation) and density of punctation on pygidium. The examination of the type specimens shows that all differences are within the range of variation of other congeners (length of the type specimens of P. beccarii is 3.6–3.8, P. gestroi is 2.9–3.0 and P. misellus is 2.6–2.7 mm). The lectotype of P. beccarii (male) has wider and more triangular mesotibia than that in the types of P. misellus (male).

Specimens examined. QLD: Keatings Gap, Cooktown, 28–29.vi.1982, fleshy fungi, S. & J. Peck (12, ANIC, CMN, ZIN); Lake Barrine N., 750m, 31.vii.1982, SBP97, rainforest rotted bark litter, S. & J. Peck (1, ANIC) ; Mt. Finnigan S1, 30km S of Cooktown, 400m, 1.vii.1982, SBP56, litter & fungi, rainforest, S. & J. Peck (1, ANIC) ; Mt. Finnigan , 30km S of Cooktown, 350–400m, 30.vii.1982, S. & J. Peck (1, ANIC) ; Mt. Spec S2 (18°55’S, 146°10’E), 880m, 10.i–6.ii.1995, flight intercept traps, M. Cermak (1, ANIC) ; Peeramon Scrub (17°19’S, 145°37’E) 9.xii.1995, Pyrethrum trees, G. Monteith (1, QMB) ; Tully River Crossing, 10km S of Koombooloomba Dam, 750m 4–5.i.1990, GB. & S. R. Monteith (1, QMB) . Indonesia: Irian-Jaya , Testaga, 1100–1300 m, 30.iii.1993, A. Riedel (4, SMNS, ZIN) .

Distribution. Indonesian and Papuan New Guinea, northern QLD.

Biology. Specimens from Keating’s Gap were collected in fleshy fungi.

Figures

FIGURES 12–23. Habitus: 12, Gymnocychramus bicolor sp. nov. (4.0 mm), dorsal; 13, Pallodes beccarii Grouvelle (3.0 mm), dorsal; 14, same, ventral; 15, Pallodes nigroapicalis sp. nov. (2.8 mm), dorsal; 16, same, lateral; 17, same, posterodorsal; P. beccarii, dorsal, teneral (2.5 mm); 19, P. beccarii, ventrolateral; 20, Macleayania vesca (Olliff) (3.3 mm), dorsal; 21, M. amphotiformis (Reitter) (4.2 mm), dorsal; 22, same, ventral; 23, G. bicolor, lateral. Fig. 20 from Lawrence & Ślipiński (2013). All figures © CSIRO, Australia.

FIGURES 24–42. Tegmina, ventral and penises, dorsal, with tegminal strut and penile strut deleted: 24–25, Camptodes aff. humeralis (Brullé): 24, tegmen; 25, penis; 26–27, Coxollodes loriai (Grouvelle): 26, tegmen; 27, penis; 28–29, Cyllodes ruficeps (Reitter): 28, tegmen; 29, penis; 30–31, Cyllopallodes limbatus (Reitter): 30, tegmen; 31, penis; 32–34, Gymnocychramus bicolor sp. nov.: 32, tegmen; 33, penis; 34, endophallus; 35–36, Gymnocychramus politus Lea: 35, tegmen; 36 penis, showing endophallus; 37–38, Macleayania amphotiformis (Reitter): 37, tegmen; 38, penis; 39–40, Pallodes beccarii Grouvelle: 39, tegmen; 40, penis; 41–42, Pallodes nigroapicalis sp. nov.: 41, tegmen; 42, penis. All figures © Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg.

FIGURES 43–49. Ovipositors, ventral: 43, Coxollodes loriai (Grouvelle); 44, Cyllodes ruficeps (Reitter); 45, Cyllopallodes limbatus (Reitter); 46. Gymnocychramus bicolor sp. nov.; 47, Gymnocychramus politus Lea; 48, Pallodes beccarii Grouvelle; 49, Pallodes nigroapicalis sp. nov.

FIGURES 50–58. Various structures: 50–51, junction of mesoventrite and metaventrite: 50, Cyllodes ruficeps (Reitter), showing large metathoracic lobes; 51, Cyllopallodes limbicollis (Reitter), showing small mesothoracic lobes (arrow); 52, Coxollodes loriai (Grouvelle), mesoventrite, showing large procoxal rests separated by pair of diverging carinae; 53, Pallodes nigroapicalis sp. nov., mesoventrite showing short median carina and lack of procoxal rests (arrow points to curved line connecting mesocoxal cavities); 54, P. nigroapicalis, anterolateral portion of metaventrite, showing postcoxal line and axillary space; 55, Cyllodes ruficeps (Reitter), base of tegmen, showing highly reduced, broadly rounded strut; 56–58, mesotibial apex: 56, Coxollodes loriai; 57, Pallodes nigroapicalis; 58, Pallodes beccarii (Grouvelle). Figs 43–49 © Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg. Figs 50–58 © CSIRO, Australia.