Nothocyphon banksiae, Zwick, Peter, 2015

Zwick, Peter, 2015, Australian Marsh Beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae). 7. Genus Nothocyphon, new genus, Zootaxa 3981 (3), pp. 301-359 : 312

Nothocyphon banksiae , n. sp.

( Figs. 21−24 )

Type material: 1♂ holotype: NSW New England NP Banksia Point 22/11/06 CHS.Watts / 597 ( SAMA).

Habitus. Oval, stout, BL 2.6mm, BL/BW ~1.55. Light brown, shining. Centre of head, a narrow strip along front margin of elytra including humeri and scutellum yellowish brown. Sutural interval lighter than rest of elytra. The granular punctures on the head are very fine and dense, those on pronotum little larger. The normal punctures on the elytra again larger but still relatively fine, over 2 diameters apart. The pilosity is light brown to yellowish. Antenna short and stout, flagellar segments only about 1.5 times longer than wide at apex.

Male ( Figs. 21−24 ). The base of S9 is not visible, caudally S9 is indistinctly bilobed, slightly scooped out, the apical setae are unusually small. In the centre rises a sharp caudally pointing hollow tooth. Penis with long anteriorly rounded pala that narrows gradually caudad. The transverse bridge in the distal third of penis supports a U-shaped trigonium. Each of its two lobes is caudally rounded and caudo-medially densely beset with a pelt of spines that are directed medio-caudad. The parameroids are narrow transparent unsclerotized fingers a little longer than the trigonium (left one in Fig. 24 twisted, an artifact). The tegmen is a thread-like sclerite that widens continuously on the sides and supports the parameres. Each paramere is a slender strut with several spines, the subapical spine is largest.

Female. Unknown.

Note. The hollow spine on S9 ( Fig. 19 ) shows that N. banksiae belongs in the N. lindensis species group. The shape of the trigonium and parameres differ much from all other species. The only ♂ was taken together with N. auritus n. sp.

Etymology. Named after the type locality which is itself named after the plant genus, Banksia .

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 24. Nothocyphon lindensis - group, N. taurus (17 − 20) and N. banksiae (21 − 24). 17, dorsal view of male terminalia as extracted from abdomen, superimposed components seen by transparency; semi-diagrammatic, setae of S 8 and microtrichia on T 8 not shown; 18, tips of penis and parameres of another specimen, ventral view; 19, T 9 and S 9 superimposed, caudal edge of T 9 and base of S 9 are transparent, the hollow spine lies between them; 20, prehensor; 21, T 8 and the (inverted) S 8; 22, T 9; 23, S 9; 24, dorsal view of penis and superimposed tegmen and parameres. 18 − 20 and 21 − 23 to the same scales, respectively. Abbreviations: aT 9, apodeme of T 9; hs, hollow spine; pd, parameroid; pe, paramere; tr, trigonium.