Leptocyphon abnormis, Zwick, 2016

Zwick, Peter, 2016, Australian Marsh Beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae). 9. The relations of Australasian Ypsiloncyphon species to their Asian congeners, additions, mainly to Petrocyphon and Prionocyphon, and a key to Australian genera of Scirtinae, Zootaxa 4085 (2), pp. 151-198 : 191-192

Leptocyphon abnormis , n. sp.

(Figs 99–104)

Type material. Holotype ♂, 8♂ paratypes: 130.9344°E 12.3968°S, NT, Holmes Jungle Nature P., 10m a.s.l., 26 MAR 2014, MV-lamp, Cocking, Su & Zwick leg (holotype and 5 paratypes in ANIC, 2 paratypes in PZ, 1 paratype in SAMA).

FIGURES 99−104. Leptocyphon abnormis n. sp., male terminalia. 99, T8; 100, S8; 101, T9; 102, S9; 103, tegmen; 104, penis. All to the same scale.

Habitus. Similar to L. furcalonga ( Zwick 2015b: figs 76–79). BL 2.6–2.9 mm, BL/BW ~1.8, body flat. Edge of pronotum semicircularly curved between the blunt rear corners, no front corners. Rear edge laterally straight, extending slightly back, between a pair of small pits, towards the scutellum. Head concealed in dorsal view. Elytra parallel-sided. Ochre, pilosity semi-erect. No colour pattern, only terminal antennomeres slightly infuscate. Punctures granular, relatively coarse on head, very fine on pronotum, moderate on scutellum and base of elytra, growing finer further back. Elytra smooth except for a very fine parasutural linear depression.

Head wider than long. Eyes large, lower edge in side view close to subgenal ridge. Supraantennal ridge short, ending where it meets the eye. Labrum transverse. Right mandible with small, left with minute tooth, molar region smooth. Maxillary palpus 4-segmented, slender, last segment about 1.5 times as long as penultimate. The slender straight labial palpus 3-segmented, terminal segment about 1.5 times as long as segment 2. Antennae relatively stout and short, base unmodified, antennomere 3 as long as pedicel, distal antennomeres almost twice as long as wide. Legs unmodified.

Lower side. Subgenal ridge complete, receiving a branch from gular suture, the joint ridge running anteriorly and meeting edge of oral cavity. Prosternal process small, apex slender drop-shaped. Receiving mesoventral groove a small equilateral rhombus. Mesoventral process slender and caudally a little narrowed, coxae separate. Metaventral process short, dorsal face with shallow longitudinal groove. Discrimen long, visible over most of metaventrite. Epipleura narrow. Abdominal sternites unmodified, with fine uniform pilosity, last sternite rounded, not excised.

Male. T8 with short apodemes connected by a transverse bar. Plate in front of bar deeply excised, the resulting lateral lobes with firm medial edge and sharp caudal tips, beset with some asperities and a few very short socketed setae (Fig. 99). S8 (Fig. 100; observed only in one specimen) largely membranous, including two vaguely sclerotized strips along sides. T9 with very long apodemes and soft but complete plate beset with irregular microtrichia on dorsal face (Fig. 101). Pilose portion of T9 visible in notch of T8. S9 large, an elongate rectangle with two setose caudal lobes, a narrowly triangular front end and two anteriorly-directed lateral apodemes in basal third (Fig. 102). Tegmen and parameres (Fig. 103) long and slender. Two slender apparently mobile arms attached to outside where the unpaired dorsoventrally curved base branches into the parameres. Strong rod-like bases of parameres connected by a membrane. Caudally they carry sleeve-like membranes and folds. Tips separate, excavated and curved mediad, externally tips beset with microstructures, possibly sensilla. Penis long and slender (Fig. 104), pala dorsoventrally curved, short, almost circular, anteriorly open. It supports a small weak oval sclerite, probably homologous to the trigonium, and two parallel slender spikes which may represent the parameroids. They are widest near base and before the long slender tip.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The name alludes to the misfit between the generic diagnosis and thoracic structure of the present species, and at the same time to the exceptional structure of the male genitalia.

Notes. Hopefully, future discovery of the female will lessen the uncertainty regarding the placement of the new species.