Prionocyphon laurae, 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 : 181

Prionocyphon laurae , n. sp.

( Fig. 72 , Table 2)

Type material. ♂ Holotype: 15.12S 143.52E QLD Hann R. 73km NWbyN of Laura [15° 33.222' S 144° 26.602' E] 23 June 1989 T.A.Weir ( ANIC).

Habitus. Similar to P. cacatua but a little more slender and the head not quite as large: BL 2.4 mm, BL/BW ~1.75, HCW <70% of BW.

Male ( Fig. 72 ). Similar to P. cacatua but capsule-like complex formed by tegmen and parameres more slender, with oval contour; styles project on the outside. The long curved parameres have a conical tip, outer apical portion with sensory pores. Genital hooks sinuous and appearing more elongate than in P. cacatua . Midrib of pala more prominent, pala truncate in front and waisted in caudal third. Prosthemes regularly curved, not sinuous. Between them the terminal section of endophallus forms a central cone externally flanked by slender parameroids.

Female. Unknown.

Note. The Cape York Peninsula is home to this slender sibling of P. cactua . Prionocyphon laurae is best recognized by the oval tegminal complex, the simple paramere apex, the shape of the pala and the genital hooks. The different position of the styles in Figs 70 and 72 is a preparation artifact, and does not distinguish the related species.

Etymology. Named after the location, Laura, the reference point for the collecting site.

Figures

FIGURES 69 − 72. Male genitalia of Prionocyphon cacatua n. sp. (69 − 71) and P. laurae n. sp. (72). 69, 72 genital situs, undissected; 70, tegmen, parameres and genital hooks; 71, penis. 70 − 72 to the same, 69 not to scale. Abbreviations: gh, genital hook; pa, pala; pd, parameroid; pe, paramere; pr, prostheme; st, style; te, tegmen.