Pristoderus tomentosus Turco & Ślipiński, 2012

Turco, Federica, Ślipiński, Adam & Lambkin, Christine L., 2012, Taxonomic revision of Australian Pristoderus Hope (Coleoptera, Zopheridae), Zootaxa 3239, pp. 1-34 : 28-29

Pristoderus tomentosus Turco & Ślipiński sp. n.

( Figs 3h , 5h, 7h)

Types. Holotype: Australia, Victoria: Sassafras Gap NE Victoria , 9.i.1954, J. Balderson [Ga: 36.602S 147.787E] ( ANIC).

Paratype: Victoria: Gippsland, E.W. Ferguson coll. [Ga: 38.134S 147.469E] (1, ANIC).

Diagnosis. Among species with pronotal process reaching over the head this species is most similar to P. z i g - zag because of elytral crest strongly zigzag , at same level from base to apex. Pronotal process more prominent anteriorly (just reaching the anterior margin of pronotum), slightly sloping posteriorly, lateral pronotal notch very weakly indicated and smaller pronotum (slightly narrower than elytra) will distinguish P. tomentosus from P. z i g - zag.

Description. Body length: 9.0– 11.3 mm.

Body convex, about 2 times as long as wide (ratio max length/max width: 2.05); colour dark brown with a vestiture of short, dense, recumbent golden setae, holding a coat of dirt which forms a uniform encrustation.

Head transverse; eyes protruding lacking interfacetal setae; long, fine setae just posterior to eyes; supraorbital carina raised, indented with a distinct upwardly directed, pointed tubercle at posterior end, above the eye; supraantennal carina distinctly raised, frontal edge indented; antennal insertion frontal, just below the edge of supraantennal carina; antennae 11-segmented with a distinct 3-segmented club; antennomere I weakly elongate; II subspherical; III narrow and longer than I and II; IV–VIII short, subspherical gradually decreasing in length; IX–XI distinctly transverse to form a rather loose club.

Pronotum transverse (pronotal length/width: 0.63–0.70), as wide as elytra; dorsal median process anteriorly prominent, reaching beyond anterior pronotal angles but not reaching anterior margin of head, slightly sloping in lateral view lacking pointed tubercles on dorsal edge; antero-lateral margins widely lobate (5 lobes), expanded posteriorly to form a widely open lateral notch; two admedian upwardly pointed tubercles in middle.

Elytra about 1.4 times as long as wide (elytral length/width: 1.38–1.39), sinuate, with distinctly indented margins; strongly prominent tubercles along 3rd and 5th intervals; 3rd interval with tubercles variable in size and shape, joined to form a crest, strongly zigzag ; proximal third of crest subparallel, ridge-shaped; apical tubercle distinctly raised, with edge entire; 5th interval with basal tubercle larger than others on same interval, with rounded edge.

Etymology. The name of this species derives from the neuter Latin noun tomentum = dense hair, stuffing. Therefore in Anatomy/Zoology the term tomentosus (masculine adjective) has always been used as wooly, pubescent or covered with fine and short setae. It refers to the short and recumbent vestiture of this Pristoderus species.

Distribution and habitat occurrence. E Victoria ( Fig. 15b); no habitat information can be recovered with certainty from label data of the only two specimens available.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Group of P. sa cc ha ra tu s, habitus dorsal: a. P. ch lo reus; b. P. co rn utu s; c. P. duvalensis; d. P. monteithi; e. P. occultus; f. P. saccharatus; g. P. sp in osu s; h. P. tomentosus; i. P. zig zag.