Matthewsianus olliffi ( Blackburn, 1902 ) Kirejtshuk & Kovalev, 2022

Kirejtshuk, Alexander G. & Kovalev, Alexey V., 2022, Monograph on the Cillaeinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) from the Australian Region with comments on the taxonomy of the subfamily, Zootaxa 5103 (1), pp. 1-133 : 107-109

43. Matthewsianus olliffi ( Blackburn, 1902) , comb. nov.

Figs 32 , A–D

Brachypeplus Olliffi Blackburn, 1902 ; 302; SA, “Eyre's Peninsula”;

= Brachypeplus insignis Lea, 1925: 415 , syn. nov.; WA, “Cue”.

Notes. The both lectotypes were studied about 30 years ago and the synonymy of Brachypeplus olliffi and B. insignis was established. Few years later two females, quite distinct from Brachypeplus olliffi (= B. insignis , syn. nov.) were found and for them a new species is here proposed. In order to check the formerly established synonymy the authors asked Ben Parslow (SAM) and Dmitry Telnov (NHML) to compare pictures of species with the type specimens. The redescription of this species was done on base of the type specimens of B. insignis .

Type specimens examined: Australia, SA: lectotype of Brachypeplus olliffi here designated, male ( BMNH)— “7159 P. line T”, “Australia Blackburn Coll. B.M. 1910-236”, “ Brachypeplus Olliffi Blackb. ”; WA: lectotype of Brachypeplus insignis here designated, male ( SAM) and 1 paralectotype, female ( SAM)—“ insignis Lea , Type, Cue.”

Diagnosis. This species differs from another congener ( M. polinae sp. nov.) in the more subparallel-sided body with completely and partly transversely rugulose (without punctation) integument of dorsal surface (not punctured and with sparse small tubercles only on the distal part of elytra and ventrite 1 as in M. polinae sp. nov.), much shorter labrum, rectilinear temples (not arcuate as in M. polinae sp. nov.), strongly convergent antennal grooves, markedly longer antennae with wider and angularly outlined anteriorly scape and subcircular club (not with scape gently expanded anteriorly and elongate oval club as in M. polinae sp. nov.), clearly narrower pronotum with sides widely sinuate at posterior angles and markedly narrower explanate (concave) lateral stripes, nearly arcuately emarginate anterior pronotal edge (not trapezoid-like emarginate as in M. polinae sp. nov.), elytra somewhat shorter and subtruncate at apices (not widely rounded as in M. polinae sp. nov.), narrow subtriangular tibiae (not widened along outer edge), and also in the considerably shorter ovipositor.

Description of lectotype of Brachypeplus insignis (male). Body length with abdomen 6.7, body length without abdomen 4.1, width 2.0, height 1.0 mm. Body flattened to shallowly concave from above (especially along pronotal and elytral discs) and rather convex from below; reddish with brownish distal half of elytra (almost blackish); almost mat. Upper surface usually with moderately dense and moderately conspicuous yellowish pubescence, and longitudinal rows of somewhat longer hairs on elytra, underside with finer and sparser and less conspicuous hairs; pronotal and elytral lateral edges shortly but distinctly ciliate.

Head integument microgranulate, with extremely dense very small tubercles (as fine as eyes facets). Pronotum with small tubercles (as fine as on head) arranged in somewhat clear transverse rows and forming fine transrugosity, and also some coarser granules (tubercles) scattered. Above sclerites of uncovered abdominal segments with small tubercles (finer and and so dense as those on pronotum and elytra) and with scattered coarser tubercles (also not so coarser than those on pronotum and elytra).

Head somewhat shorter than distance between eyes and somewhat depressed, with anterior edge of frons truncate, moderately small eyes having transverse diameter much smaller than scape width, with temples subrectilinearly directed to head base. Labrum very short and with trace of median suture. Mandibles moderately short, stout and with bidentate apex. Antennal grooves distinct in outlines and arcuately convergent, with minimal distance between them smaller than width of mentum. Terminal labial and terminal maxillary palpomeres subcylindrical to subconical and more than 2.0 × longer than wide.Antennae markedly longer than head width, with scape subangularly expanded anterior edge and subcircular club composing one fourth of total antennal length.

Pronotum slightly transverse (about 1.5 × as wide as long), widest before middle, subflattened on disc and gently excavate and very widely explanate along sides (about as widely explanate as width of scape); anterior edge nearly arcuately emarginate and anterior angles rather projecting; posterior angles slightly projecting and with more or less distinct tip; posterior edge slightly bi-emarginate. Scutellar shield more than 1.5 × as wide as long, subpentagonal and with blunt apex. Elytra slightly shorter than their combined width, with subtruncate apices, moderately steeply sloping along sides and narrowly explanate at lateral edge, leaving last three abdominal segments completely exposed. Abdominal laterosternites V and VI nearly 3.0 × as long as wide at their posterior ends. Three last tergites medially convex and with weak depresions at lateral sides. Pygidium transverse (almost 1.2 × as wide as long), very widely rounded at apex.

Prosternum with gently convex median portion and with subflattened process (not curved along procoxae); process strongly widened before nearly transverse apex (about as wide as mentum). Distance between mesocoxae somewhat greater than that between metacoxae and about as great as that between procoxae. Metaventrite with distinct discrimen along entire length and its posterior edge arcuately emarginate. Abdominal ventrite 1 about 2.0 × longer than ventrite 2, ventrite 3 somewhat longer than ventrite 1, ventrite 4 about as long as combined length of ventrites 2 and 3. Hypopygidium somewhat longer than ventrite 4 and subtruncate at apex.

Femora of usual shape, pro- and mesofemora about 2.0 ×, but metafemora nearly 3.0 × as wide as corresponding tibiae. Tibiae subtriangular and somewhat narrower than antennal club; two distinct borders along outer side of meso-and metatibiae bearing dense and short setae. Protarsus almost 0.5 × as wide as protibia, meso- and metatarsi about 0.3 × as wide as corresponding tibiae; claws narrow and long.

Male anal sclerite with subtruncate apex. Aedeagus well sclerotized. Tegmen about 3.0 × as long as wide and rounded at apex. Penis trunk almost 2.0 × as long as wide, arcuately narrowing in distal half to rounded apex.

Female. Paralectotype of Brachypeplus insignis . Body length with abdomen 6.2, width 1.9 mm. Pygidial and hypopygidial apices widely rounded. Ovipositor moderately to weakly sclerotized with rather pigmented apex; its gonocoxites comprising almost 0.4 of entire length, lateral lobes slightly sclerotized and about 0.3 × as long as gonocoxites in general, outer outline of gonocoxites clearly concave at end of lateral lobes; inner lobes behind lateral ones narrow to parallel-sided; with moderately long styli located subapically.

Distribution. This species in known from Australia: Cue (WA) and Eyre's Peninsula (SA).

Figures

FIGURE 32. Matthewsianus oliffi comb. nov., A–C: lectotype of Brachypeplus insignis (now Matthewsianus) from WA (after ALA 2021) (“…Cue”) and D: paralectotype of B. insignis from WA (“…Cue”), female, orig.; A: body, dorsal; B: tegmen, ventral; C: penis trunk, dorsal; D: ovipositor, ventral. Scale bars: a = 1.0 mm to Fig. A and 0.5 mm to Fig. D; b = 0.5 mm to Figs B and C.