Austroporus doctus ( Blackburn, 1895 )

Gimmel, Matthew L. & Leschen, Richard A. B., 2020, First report of Austroporus doctus (Blackburn) from New Zealand and description of its larva (Coleoptera: Phalacridae), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 60 (29), pp. 1-8 : 2-6

Austroporus doctus ( Blackburn, 1895)

Parasemus doctus Blackburn, 1895: 212 ; Lea, 1932: 481. Austroporus doctus: Gimmel, 2013: 61 .

Type locality: Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia (according to original description). One syntype examined, card-mounted, unsexed, with the data“T / 5947 / N.S.W. [red handwriting] // Type / H.T. // Australia. / Blackburn Coll. / B.M. 1910-236. // Parasemus / doctus, Blackb. [handwritten]”, deposited in BMNH. Another syntype specimen was apparently mounted on the same card, but was not located (M. Barclay, pers. comm.).

Adult material examined: NEW ZEALAND: Northland: Waiharara, Big Flat Road, 34.919°S, 173.180°E, ex Acacia longifolia , 11 December 2018, leg. Richard Hill (16, NZAC; 2, ANIC; 5, MLGC). AUSTRALIA: Australian Capital Territory: 5 km NE of Canberra, sheltering and in Uromycladium galls on Acacia , 22 August1993,S.Neser(8, ANIC);Wombat Creek, 6 km NE of Piccadilly Circus, 750 m, flight intercept window/trough trap, January 1984, Weir, Lawrence, Johnson (1, ANIC); New South Wales: 3 km S of Mongarlowe, 35°27′S, 149°57′E, December 1987, M.E. Irwin(1, ANIC);Border Range National Park,Lophostemon Falls, ex Acacia melanoxylon , 22 November 1986, C. Reid (1, ANIC); Brisbane Water National Park, Warrah Trig, 21 January 1986, D.B. McCorquodale (3, ANIC); Kioloa State Forest, 15 km NE of Batemans Bay, 35°30′S, 150°18′E, flight intercept trap, February 1987, M.G. Robinson (1, ANIC); Lorien Wildlife Refuge, 3 km N of Lansdowne/ Taree, ex r/f margin, Malaise trap, 18-25 October 1987, G. Williams (1, ANIC); Wild Cattle Creek State Forest, Platypus Flat, 16 November 1982, J. Doyen (13, ANIC); Yuraygir National Park, Station Creek, 20 November 1982, J. & E. Doyen (2, ANIC); Queensland: 2 km SE of Paluma, 18°59′S, 146°09′E, at light, rainforest, 17 January 1970, Britton & Misko (3, ANIC); Ewan Road, ca. 8 km W of Paluma, at light, 8 January 1967, J.G. Brooks (1, ANIC); 13 km NW of Kuranda, 6 December 1982, J. Doyen (1, ANIC); Black Mountain Road, 10 mi N of Kuranda, 8 March 1969, J.G. Brooks (1, ANIC); Cunninghams Gap National Park, 4 km W of Summit, 27-28 November 1982, J. Doyen (1, ANIC); Bunya Mountains, 3 km from summit on Kingaroy Road, 26°50′S, 151°33′E, at light, 6 January 1970, Britton, Holloway, Misko (1, ANIC); 4 km E of Mount Mowbullan, ex low bushes, 18-21 November 1986, C. Reid (1, ANIC); Pine Creek, near Bundaberg, 10 December 1975, H. Frauca (1, ANIC).

Larval material examined (all late instar). NEW ZEALAND: Northland: Henderson Bay , 34.744°S, 173.031°E, ex Acacia longifolia , 11 December 2018, leg. Richard Hill (9 in EtOH, 1 slide-mounted, NZAC; 2 in glycerol, MLGC) .

Adult diagnosis: Austroporus doctus may be recognized among other species of the genus by the relatively small size (1.9-2.7 mm), elytral disc ( Figs. 1 , 3 ) with red V-shaped maculation, hind femur without subapical expansion ( Fig. 2 ), elytra with diffraction grating, grooves around the dorsal margin of the eye ( Fig. 4 ), dense setation on the central part of the prosternum (much denser than on metaventral process), and by the male genitalia ( Figs. 5-8 ). A probably undescribed species of Austroporus from several localities in eastern Cape York Peninsula in Queensland (20 specimens examined, deposited in ANIC) is similar in appearance,but with the red maculation concentrated around the elytral suture and not extending onto the elytral disc, and markedly different male genitalia.

Larva description: Length: 3.46-4.92 mm. Body ( Fig. 14 ) dorsoventrally compressed, with thoracic segments slightly narrower than abdominal segments, all thoracic tergites and abdominal tergites I-VII weakly pigmented; abdominal segment I slightly wider than thoracic segments, narrower than abdominal segment II, segments II-VI about equal in width, segment VII narrower than VI; each abdominal segment laterally rounded and somewhat lobate, widest just posterior to middle; segment VIII elongate, gradually narrowed posteriorly, more darkly sclerotized near posterior margin; segment IX very short, bearing prominent, darkly pigmented, paired urogomphi; vestiture of sparsely distributed long setae.

Head ( Figs. 15-17 ) transverse (about 0.6 times as long as wide), emarginate posteriorly above occipital foramen; ecdysial lines widely separate at base, frontal arms lyriform. Median endocarina weakly indicated, short, unpaired. Stemmata ( Fig. 17 ) relatively large, not well separated, with well-developed lenses, 4 or more on each side, an anterior curved row of two or three, and two lying behind them, located on elevated area. Antenna ( Fig. 9 ) about one-third as long as head width, located on a weakly raised, membranous antennifer; ratio of antennomere lengths 1: 1.8: 1.1; first antennomere 0.88 times as long as wide, second less than 2 times as long as wide and slightly narrower than first; third about 2 times as long as wide and about half as wide as the second; antennomeres 2 and 3 each bearing 3 long setae, positioned in transverse row in apical half on antennomere 2, positioned in small triangle subapically on antennomere 3; sensorium small, elongate-conical with apex acute, on oblique apical aspect of antennomere 2; antennal insertions separated from mandibular articulations by strip of cuticle about half the diameter of antennifer. Frontoclypeal suture absent. Labrum fused to head capsule, strongly transverse, sides arcuate and apex truncate. Mandibles ( Figs. 12, 13 ) symmetrical, short and transverse, slightly wider than long, without accessory ventral process, with two long lateral setae; apex tridentate, middle tooth most prominent, with small accessory tooth at base of ventral tooth; incisor edge with subapical row of serrations; mola sub-basal, relatively small, surface composed of a few small teeth, which do not extend onto ventral surface; inner edge without lobe or setal tuft at base of mola; prostheca absent. Ventral mouthparts ( Fig. 16 ) protracted; cardo and stipes fused to mala; maxillary articulating area absent; stipes slightly elongate, with 2 long setae and a campaniform sensillum; mala ( Fig. 11 ) finger-like, about as wide and as long as palp, slightly curved mesally and apically rounded, with a few stout setae, mesal surface with a distinct groove about half length of maxilla; maxillary palps ( Fig. 11 ) well developed and 3-segmented; palpomere 1 strongly transverse, partially fused to stipes, 2 about 0.7 times as long as wide, 3 about 1.7 times as long as wide, narrowly rounded at apex. Submentum ( Fig. 10 ) with pair of setae and pair of campaniform sensilla; ligula weakly bilobed and covered with micropapillae; labial palps ( Fig. 10 ) 2-segmented and well separated. Hypostomal rods ( Fig. 16 ) long and diverging, extending about two-thirds distance to occipital foramen; gula ( Fig. 16 ) elongate, gular sutures strongly convergent anteriorly, almost meeting near base of labium, gula separated from base of labium by transverse suture. Hypopharyngeal sclerome absent; hypopharynx with central area smooth and devoid of microstructures. Tentorial bridge moderately broad, curved, with 2 slen- der anterior arms attached.

Thorax ( Fig. 14 ) relatively long, about two-fifths as long as abdomen; each thoracic tergum with pair of very long setae on each side, plus two transverse rows of short setae. Legs ( Fig. 16 ) relatively short, about as long as half width of thorax, widely separated, coxae globular, not projecting, not visible from above; pro- ( Fig. 16 ) and mesocoxae each separated by about 2 coxal diameters, metacoxae by more than two coxal diameters; trochanter slightly longer than coxa; femur stout, parallel-sided, apically truncate, with several long setae; tibiotarsus about as long as femur, narrowed apically, with few setae; pretarsus stout, curved with acute apex, with 1 moderately long seta located near middle.

Abdominal segments I-VII ( Fig. 14 ) with tergal plates poorly defined, more or less evenly pigmented; segment VIII ( Fig. 18 ) more strongly dorsoventrally compressed, about 1.5× longer than segment VII, both tergite and sternite VIII more strongly sclerotized at posterior margin, tergite with a small, laterally tapering apical plate extending about one-seventh length of tergite, and with depigmented middorsal line ( Fig. 18 ); segment IX ( Fig. 18 ) with basal portion extremely short, much short- er and more well-sclerotized than other abdominal segments, with tergum extending well onto ventral surface; apex with pair of long, stout, well-sclerotized urogomphi ( Fig. 18 ), diffusely darker than basal part of tergum IX; urogomphi separated by a narrowly rounded emargination; urogomphus straight and gradually narrowed in basal two-thirds, more abruptly narrowed and moder- ately dorsally curved in apical one-third, urogomphus about half length of segment IX. Segment X ventral, membranous and concealed. Spiracles annular-biforous with short accessory chambers and closing apparatus, mesothoracic spiracles located on weak tubercles, those on abdominal segments not borne on tubercles; spiracles on segments I-VII located above lateral tergal lobes, those on segment VIII ( Fig. 18 ) located at posterolateral edges of tergum, facing dorsally.

Comments: We observed four stemmata, but it is possible that the anteriormost stemma ( Fig. 17 ) represents a fusion of 2 of these, and that the true number is 5 for the species. The most recent description of the family larvae mentioned 5-6 stemmata ( Lawrence et al., 2010).

Distribution: This species was subsequently reported by Lea (1932) from numerous additional localities in New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria, Australia. However, some of these specimens may be based on misidentifications of similar, possibly undescribed species. We have verified dissected male specimens from New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory, to as far north as Paluma, Queensland.The New Zealand specimens represent a new country record.

Figures

Figures 1-2. Austroporus doctus (Blackburn),adult habitus.(1) Dorsal,(2) ventral.Scale bars:1 mm.

Figures 3-4. Austroporus doctus (Blackburn),adult habitus.(3) Lateral,(4) frontal.Scale bars:1 mm.

Figures5-8.Austroporusdoctus(Blackburn),malegenitalia.(5)Tegmen,ventral;(6)tegmen,lateral;(7)medianlobe,ventral;(8)medianlobe,lateral.Scalebars:0.2mm.

Figures 14-16. Austroporus doctus (Blackburn),larva.(14) habitus,dorsal;(15) head and prothorax,dorsal;(16) head and prothorax,ventral.

Figures 17-18. Austroporus doctus (Blackburn),larva.(17) head and prothorax,right lateral;(18) tergitesVII-IX,dorsal.

Figures9-13.Austroporusdoctus (Blackburn),larvalstructures.(9)Antenna, latero-ventral;(10)labium,ventral;(11) left maxilla,ventral;(12)leftmandible,ventral;(13) apex of mandible,dorsal.