Byrsax crypticus, Telnov, 2023

Telnov, Dmitry, 2023, Genus Byrsax Pascoe, 1860 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) In The Solomon Islands And New Guinea With Description Of A New Species, Acta Biologica Universitatis Daugavpiliensis 23 (2), pp. 163-172 : 168-169

Byrsax pinnaticollis Carter, 1914 ( Figs. 5‒ 6F‒H )

Carter (1914: 234) original description: ‘ Queensland: Cairns’.

Matthews & Bouchard (2008: 292) checklist, list of synonyms.

Genus Byrsax Pascoe, 1860 ( Coleoptera : Tenebrionidae ) in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea with description of a new species

Barana vill. S env., 9°29'5''S 159°58'40''E, 20– 23.iv.2023, 220– 350 m, disturbed lowland rainforest on limestone, leg. D.Telnov.

Type material. Not examined (as of Matthews & Bouchard (2008), there are several syntypes deposited in various Australian museums.

Additional material examined. 1♂ & 1♀ [ BHMN] ( Fig. 5 ): N.QUEENSLAND. Eubenangee. [printed] March 1950 [handwritten] J. G.Brooks. B. M.1950-433. [printed] ; 2♂ & 2♀ [ BMNH]: Australia, NQ Eubenangee iii.1950 G. Brooks [handwritten] // Byrsax pinnaticollis Carter. [handwritten] // E.Gowing- Scopes collection BMNH { E}2005‒4 [printed] ; 1♂ [ BMNH] ( Fig. 5 ): SOLOMON ISLANDS, Guadalcanal Is., Honiara S env .,

Morphology. The studied ♂ from Guadalcanal ( Fig. 5 ) is 5.7 mm long, the ♂♂ from Queensland are 4.1 and 4.6 mm and the ♂ from Kokoda – 4 mm long. Proportionally, the anterior paired pronotal process is more strongly developed in the specimen from Guadalcanal and the area between processes stronger impressed in dorsal and anterodorsal aspect. Head dorsal process touching compound eye, supraocular plica fused to the process, shifted dorsad and positioned above dorsal surface of eye at base of a process, without a gap between process and plica. Antennomeres 5‒10 strongly serrate and asymmetrical, each with acutely angulate median lateral lobe. Antennomere 4 asymmetrical and shortened but without projecting lobe. The flattened and expanded lateral area of basal margin of elytron uneven but not denticulate .

Distribution. Queensland, Australia (‘Cairns’ type locality); Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. First record for the Solomon Islands Archipelago and the Papuan biogeographical region.

Figures

Figure 5. Byrsax pinnaticollis Carter, 1914, ♂ from Guadalcanal Island. A: dorsal view, B: lateral view, C: frontal view, D: dorso-lateral view. Images: D. Telnov [not to scale].

Figure 6. Papuan and Australian Byrsax, aedeagi. A: ventral view, B. biroi, specimen from Kokoda, B: ditto, apicale enlarged, C: ventral view, holotype B. crypticus sp. nov., D: ditto, dorsal view, E: ditto, apicale enlarged, F: ventral view, B. pinnaticollis, specimen from Eubenangee, G: ventral view, specimen from Guadalcanal Island, H: ditto, apicale enlarged. Images: D. Telnov [not to scale].