Figulus boileaui Bomans, 1986

Monte, Cinzia, Zilioli, Michele & Bartolozzi, Luca, 2016, Revision of the Australian species of Figulus MacLeay, 1819 (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), Zootaxa 4189 (3), pp. 447-484 : 449-452

Figulus boileaui Bomans, 1986

( Figs. 1–7 )

Figulus boileaui Bomans, 1986: 10 ; Bomans 1989: 15; Maes 1992: 36; Moore & Cassis 1992: 9; Krajcik 2001: 9; Krajcik 2003: 73; Maes 2014; Schoolmeesters 2015.

Type material. Figulus boileaui Bomans (♀): “Para- / type [printed]”, “Australie [printed]”, “ex coll. / Boileau [printed]”, “5047-a [handwritten]”, “H.E. Bomans / BMNH (E) / 1999-248 [printed] \ 405047·1 [handwritten]”, “ Boileaui [handwritten]”, “H. Bomans det., 1974 / Figulus / boileaui n.sp. [printed, handwritten]”, [NHM]; Figulus boileaui Bomans (♀): “Para- / type [printed]”, “Australie [printed]”, “ex coll. / Boileau [printed]”, “5047- b [handwritten]”, “H.E. Bomans / BMNH (E) / 1999-248 [printed] \ 405047·2 [handwritten]”, “H. Bomans det., 1974 / Figulus / boileaui n.sp. [printed, handwritten]”, [NHM].

Diagnosis. Figulus boileaui is most similar to F. regularis , from which it can be distinguished by the shape of labrum, which is broad, short, and slightly convex at the anterior margin instead of strongly protruded and subtriangular; by the medial groove on the pronotal disc, which is deep and lanceolate instead of superficial; by the microreticulation of pronotal disc, not present in F. regularis ; and by the different shape of the male genitalia.

Redescription. Measurements: size range (n = 17): TL: 13.0– 16.50 mm; PL: 3.75–4.58 mm; EL: 7.92–8.66 mm; PW: 4.09–5.7 mm; EW: 4.2–5.68 mm.

Male ( Fig. 1 ). Body elongate, with subparallel sides, black to dark brown, glossy.

Head: transverse, about twice as wide as long, medially slightly depressed. Frontoclypeal region slightly concave at the anterior margin, smooth, with dense, small punctures, larger posteriorly and with two small glossy areas situated before the eyes. Labrum wide, short, shallowly convex or feebly bilobed at the anterior margin, with long, golden setae. Vertex slightly concave in the middle, inclined anteriorly, with two small circular elevations between eyes. Two slightly elevated, longitudinal carinae are present along the inner margin of eyes, more elevated and thickened anteriorly. Eyes large, divided into two parts by the canthi, the upper part smaller than the lower, with distinct facets. Canthus protruding, larger anterolaterally, rounded laterally and evenly rounded or more angled behind upper surface slightly depressed, with dense and coarse punctures on its surface. Head surface punctate; with superficial, large punctures on vertex, denser between longitudinal carinae and circular elevations, small punctures on frons and lateral margin of canthi, minute punctures on longitudinal carinae. Mandibles slightly shorter than head, outer margins rounded, apices slightly blunted and feebly curved upwards; outer margin slightly carinate dorsally; internal margin of the right mandible with a moderately developed basal tooth and a medial tooth more developed; internal margin of the left mandible with a moderately developed basal tooth, a medial tooth and a preapical slight angulation. Antenna with 10 antennomeres, with scape about as long as the remaining antennomeres; club of last three antennomeres, which are flatter and broader than the remaining antennomeres of the funicle. Mentum subrectangular but anterior margin slightly bilobed ( Fig. 2 ), with two smooth oval concavities medially, divided by a narrow process of base and deeply undercutting a small irregular swelling on each side. Surface of mentum with strong punctation, each puncture with a long, golden seta in the middle.

Thorax: pronotum slightly wider than long with subparallel sides; anterior margin slightly convex, from strongly to moderately elevated, with a blunt median tubercle; lateral margins slightly convex near middle; posterior margin slightly bisinuate; anterior angles with a broad horizontal rim; posterior angles rounded, with slightly crenulated margins. Deep, longitudinal, medial groove on pronotal disc lanceolate with dense, large, circular punctures. Surface of pronotal disc microreticulate with sparse, minute punctures. With SEM the surface appears formed by subcircular facets feebly impressed that give to pronotal surface a semi-matt appearance. Subcircular facets stretch gradually and disappear towards sides ( Figs. 6–7 ). Pronotal surface with large punctures on the anterolateral angles and lateral margins; some with a short, golden, curved seta in the middle; patch of large close punctures at basal 2/3 of sides and sparse minute superficial punctures on disc. Scutellum long, wedgeshaped, smooth surface. Elytra about twice as long as pronotum. Base concave, subparallel sides, apex evenly rounded. Humeral angles acute, with a small tubercle. Elytral surface glossy, with 9 visible subparallel striae, the dorsal striae deeper than the lateral striae, which are formed by superficial punctures. Each stria consists in a row of large punctures well separated from each other, except for the first stria, where the punctures are confluent in a deep groove, with the exception of the distal part, where the punctures are well separated from each other. The first stria is the only one reaching apex. Striae 2 and 3 with punctures large and less deep towards the declivity, there stria 2 curves outwards, where it may converge with stria 7 or 9; stria 6 slightly broader and deeper than striae 3, 4, and 5, each one ending with some superficial punctures towards declivity. Interstriae much broader than striae, slightly more convex basally. Elytral lateral margins strongly punctate, with short, erect, red setae; elytral apex slightly punctate. Wings present. Legs thin and straight. Protibiae with strong apical fork and a long, strong spur internally at apex; lateral margin usually with 4‒5 small subequal teeth. Mesotibiae with four acute apical teeth, and 2 apical spurs, 1 larger than the other; outer dorsal margin with strong submedial tooth, preceded by a variable number of smaller teeth; outer ventral margin with a variable number of small teeth. Metatibiae with 4 acute apical teeth, and 2 apical spurs, 1 larger than the other; lateral margin with strong, submedial spine preceded by a smaller spine. Prosternum subpentagonal in shape behind the coxae; surface with large and deep punctures at its anterior edge and with punctures smaller medially and at posterior edge. Metasternum smooth, with a long, superficial, medial groove, deeper at posterior edge.

Abdomen: first abdominal ventrite with mixed large annular and simple punctures at base, each with short seta. Ventrites 2‒4 smooth, with large and deep punctures along the anterior margin and with sparse, minute punctations along the posterolateral margins; last ventrite with a few large punctures, finer on the external margin.

Male genitalia: penis tubular ( Figs. 3‒4 ), in lateral view strongly curved at base, then almost straight; largely concealed by a dorsal lobate, translucid, membranose extension of the basal piece. Permanently everted internal sac long and broad, colorless or yellowish, tapering towards apex in a very slender helicoidal flagellum ( Fig. 5 ). Parameres ( Figs. 3‒4 ) shorter than basal piece, with marginal fringe of setae entirely enclosed in the cuticle (not represented in figure). Basal piece ventrally largely membranous, dorsally sclerotized with a little translucent, elliptical cuticular area ( Fig. 3 ), entirely lying in the basal half. Two long, slender struts run almost throughout the length of basal piece, from base to articulation of penis.

Female. All external morphological characters as in male.

Female genitalia: hemisternites elongate, apically with long, golden setae surrounding the styli, anteriorly broad until about half of their length then tapered towards the base; outer and medial edges almost straight or slightly curved outwards, the latter widely separated basally; styli slender with apex straight, about 2× longer than wide. Bursa copulatrix represented by a slight expansion of the wall of spermathecal duct near junction with the median oviduct. Spermathecal duct short, widened where it joins bursa copulatrix, then gradually tapering and ending in a bulbous, pear-shaped expansion that is proximally colorless then pigmented for its total length.

Intraspecific variation. The examined specimens do not show significant morphological variability.

Additional material examined. QUEENSLAND: 1Ƌ, Annan River Crossing, 15°31'S, 145°13'E, 19.I.2003, at mv light, open forest, A.Ewart, 11283 ( QMB) ; 1 specimen, Mount Baker’s Creek, Mackay , northeastern Queensland, 7.II.1965, mangrove, to light, E.C.Dahms ( QMB) ; 1Ƌ, Cairns, Clark 1908, W.W.Froggatt Collection ( ANIC) ; 1Ƌ, Cairns , 17.X.1971 ( MSNM) ; 1Ƌ, Cooktown , northern Queensland, 19.V.1929, COL-85976 ( NMVM) ; 1 specimen, Mt Carbine , northern Queensland, 10.II.1975 ( GTC) ; 1 specimen, Mount Cook National Park , 15.29ºS, 145.16ºE, 11-12.X.1980, T.Weir ( ANIC) ; 1Ƌ, 1♀, 50 km W of Mount Garnet , northern Queensland, 14.II.2010, J.Hasenpusch, R.de Keyzer Insect Collection, K 293261 and K 293262 (AMS) ; 1 specimen, Heathlands , 11°45'S, 142°35'E, 15–16.I.1992, at light, T.A.Weir & I.D.Naumann ( ANIC) ; 1♀, Ingham , northern Queensland, 8.V.1963, G.F.Bornemissza ( CMC) ; 1 specimen, Kamerunga , northern Queensland, 10.X.1971 ( MSNM) ; 2ƋƋ, Lake Placid , northern Queensland, I.1968, JAGB ., J.G.Brooks Bequest 1976 (ANIC); 1Ƌ, Weipa, Hibberd Point , northern Queensland, 5–8.II.1975, at mv light, G.B.Monteith Collection ( QMB) .

Distribution. Australia: northern part of Queensland.

Natural history data. Based on label data, adult specimens were mostly collected in January and February, but there are also records of October. Some specimens have been collected at normal electric light, other ones at mercury vapor light. The larvae and host plant(s) are unknown.

Remarks. The holotype and two paratypes are preserved in J.P. Lacroix’s collection (Paris). Unfortunately, his collection has been inaccessible since his death in 1989 (S. Boucher, MNHN, personal communication).

Figures

FIGURES 1‒5. Figulus boileaui Bomans. 1, dorsal view of adult (scale bar: 5 mm); 2, mentum; 3, male genitalia, dorsal view (scale bar: 0.5 mm); 4, male genitalia, lateral view; 5, apex of flagellum (scale bar: 100 µm).

FIGURES 6‒7. Figulus boileaui Bomans. 6, microreticulate surface of pronotal disc (scale bar: 100 µm); 7, detail of microreticulation (scale bar: 50 µm).