Beutelius rutherfordi ( Lawrence, 1999 ) Escalona & Lawrence & Ślipiński, 2020

Escalona, Hermes E., Lawrence, John F. & Ślipiński, Adam, 2020, The extant species of the genus Omma Newman and description of Beutelius gen. nov. (Coleoptera: Archostemata: Ommatidae: Ommatinae), Zootaxa 4728 (4), pp. 547-574 : 557-558

Beutelius rutherfordi ( Lawrence, 1999) , comb. nov.

( Figs 12–13 , 19 , 33–37 , 44 , 57 , 71 , 79 , 86, 89, 94 )

Omma rutherfordi Lawrence 1999: 372 .

Diagnosis. Body with spinose tubercles along pronotum and elytra, clothed with ribbed scales. Head with neck region moderately long and exposed. Gulamentum barely depressed anteriorly to accommodate labial and maxillary palps. Antennae filiform, extending beyond base of prothorax. Notopleural suture complete, sternopleural suture absent ( Fig. 44 ). Posterior surface of protibia in male with setose excavation in basal third. Parameres with apical notch small and narrow ( Fig. 94 ).

Description. Length: ♂, ♀ 6.0– 7.2 mm. Body 3.6 times as long as wide (BL/EW), spinose, dorsal surface with uniformly dark brown to black setae and white scale-like setae in the frons, base of pronotum, scutellar shield, forming patterns on elytra and legs, ventral side clothed with white scale-like setae. Head slightly subquadrate, 1.4 times as long as width (HL/HW); neck region distinct, surface with uniform setae but longer dorsally around the eyes and temple, ventral surface covered by white ribbed setae. Frontoclypeus slightly concave, antennal tubercles prominent. Labrum transverse with more or less truncate apex. Gulamentum slightly depressed anteriorly. Mentum 1.1 times as long as wide, slightly narrowing towards the apex, surface concave. Antennae filiform, extending beyond base of prothorax; antennomere length/width ratios (♂), 1: 1.2, 2: 0.9, 3: 0.4, 4: 2.0, 5: 2.0, 6: 2.0, 7: 1.8, 8: 1.6, 9: 1.4, 10: 1.3, 11: 2.0. Apical labial and maxillary palpomeres strongly expanded and securiform.

Prothorax 0.9 times as long as wide (PL/PW), sides of pronotum irregular, pronotal disc convex, depressed anteriorly; notopleural suture complete, sternopleural suture absent ( Fig. 44 ). Epipleura narrow with one row of setae. Posterior surface of protibia in male with setose excavation at basal third. Protarsus (♂) 0.7 times as long as protibia (TIL/TAL). Mesotarsus 0.9 times as long as wide mesotibia (TIL/TAL). Metatarsus 0.5 times as long as long as wide metatibia (TIL/TAL). Abdominal ventrite 5 with posterior edge partially margined. Parameres with translucent apical portion as long as apex of penis, apical notch small and narrow ( Fig. 94 ).

Comments. The general morphology of B. rutherfordi diverges considerably from that of B. mastersi , B. sagitta or B. reidi sp. nov., notably in the slim body shape, dorsal surface with spinose tubercles, narrow prothorax, long antennae, lack of a sternopleural suture, elytra with reduced humeri and pointed apices and projecting metacoxae. In addition, this peculiar species presents a rare case of wing dimorphism in which males are micropterous and females have well-developed wings ( Lawrence 1999). The affinities and placement of B. rutherfordi are not clear and further detailed morphological or even molecular phylogenetic analyses are required.

Material examined. SOUTH AUSTRALIA: 12 km SW of Calperum HS , 14 km WNW of Renmark , 34 o 07’S 140 o 37’E, 7.xi–13.xii.1995, FIT/trough, A. Lambie and K. Pullen (1 ♂, holotype, ANIC) . Brookfield Conservation Park (34 o 21’S 139 o 31’E), 3.xi–2.xii.1991, FIT #2, ANIC 1212 , mallee, J. Stelman and S. Williams (1 ♂ dis- sected, paratype, ANIC) . New Records: Gluepot Res., 9.6 km, W–WNW Gluepot HS, 33 o 44’51”S 140 o 01’07”E, 26.xi–6.xii.2000, Open old growth mallee with mixed shrub, understorey, pitfalls, Gluepot Surv . OM2 A (1 ♂, SAMA-25-038607). Gluepot Res., 10.5 km, E–ENE Gluepot HS, 33 o 45’06”S 140 o 14’48”E, 26.xi–6.xii.2000, Open whipstick mallee with Triodia understorey on sand, pitfalls, Gluepot Surv. LS6 A (1 ♂ SAMA-25-038608). WEST- ERN AUSTRALIA : 7 km N Stirling Range (34°19’S 118° 11’E), 25.xii.1994, L. S. & R. B. Kimsey, WA 122305

(1 ♀, paratype, UCD).

Figures

FIGURES 10–13. Habitus. 10–11, Beutelius sagitta: 10, dorsal (♀ 9 mm, SAMA); 11, same, ventral; 12–13, B. rutherfordi: 12, dorsal (♂ 6 mm, SAMA); 13, same, ventral.

FIGURES 14–21. Omma stanleyi: 14–19. Head (♀): 14, dorsal, 15, ventral, 16, lateral, 17, frontal, 18, mandible, dorsal; 19, Beutelius rutherfordi (paratype ♂): labial palp; 20, B. mastersi (♀): maxilla; 21, O. stanleyi: head, latero-ventral.

FIGURES 33–38. Beutelius rutherfordi (♂): 33–37. 33, head, dorsal, 34, head, ventral, 35, head, lateral, 36, head, dorsal (paratype ♂), 37, antenna. 38, B. sagitta, antenna.

FIGURES 39–44. Omma stanleyi (♀): 39–43. 39, pronotum, 40, prothorax, ventral, 41–42, prothorax, lateral, 43, scutellum; 44, Beutelius rutherfordi, prothorax, lateral (paratype ♂).

FIGURES 56–63. Beutelius sagitta (♂): 56, epipleuron, ventral view; B. rutherfordi (♂): 57, epipleuron, ventral view; O. stanleyi (♀) elytron: 58–60, 63. 58, ventral view with epipleuron, 59, dorsal, 60, internal, 63 dorsal; B. mastersi (♀) elytron: 61–62. 61, dorsal, 62, ventral view with epipleuron.

FIGURES 71–75. Omma stanleyi and Beutelius spp. abdominal ventrites and tergites: 71, B. rutherfordi (♂, holotype); 72, B. mastersi (♀) ventrites; 73, B. sagitta (♂) ventrites; 74, O. stanleyi (♀) ventrites; 75, B. sagitta (♂), tergites.

FIGURES 76–84. Omma stanleyi (♀): 76–78. 76, foreleg, 77, midleg, 78, hind leg. Forelegs (♂): 79–84. 79, Beutelius rutherfordi; 80–81, O. stanleyi, 80, anterior view, 81, lateral view; 82–83, B. sagitta, 82, anterior view, 83, posterior view; 84, B. mastersi, anterior view.

FIGURES 85–95. Beutelius spp., mentum: 85–86. 85, B. mastersi, 86, B. rutherfordi (paratype ♂); 87, B. mastersi, mesonotum; 88, B. mastersi, pterothorax, ventral; 89, B. rutherfordi, pterothorax, ventral; aedeagus: 90–95. 90, Omma stanleyi; 91–92, B. mastersi; 93, B. reidi sp. nov.; 94, B. rutherfordi; 95, B. sagitta.