Mecynotarsus kingii MacLeay, 1872

Kejval, Zbyněk, 2013, Taxonomic revision of the Australian Notoxinae (Coleoptera: Anthicidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (suppl.) 53, pp. 1-98 : 53-55

Mecynotarsus kingii MacLeay, 1872

( Figs 67, 68 , 121 , 132 , 154 , 177 , 198 )

Mecynotarsus kingii MacLeay, 1872: 305 .

Mecynotarsus kingii: PIC (1911) : 14 (catalogue); LEA (1922): 472 (catalogue).

Type locality. Australia, Queensland, Gayndah.

Type material. LECTOTYPE [here designated; Fig.121 ]: ♀, ‘[orange round label] // K35019 [h] // Mecynotarsus Kingi Macl. W. Gayndah [h] // HOLOTYPE [p; red label] // K 269832 [p]’ ( AMSA). PARALECTOTYPES: 1 ♀, same data as lectotype [mounted on same card] ( AMSA); 1 ♀ ( Fig. 198 ), ‘Gayndah [p] // Mecynotarsus Kingi Mcl [h] // Co-type [p] // 19041 Mecynotarsus Kingi Macl Queensland Cotype [h] // SAMA Database No. 25-028562 [p]’ ( SAMA); 1 spec. [fragments], ‘Gayndah [p] // SYNTYPE [p; red-orange label] // On permanent loan from MACLEAY MUSEUM University of Sydney [p] // Mecynotarsus Kingii Macl. Gayndah [h] // AUST. NAT. INS. COLL. [p; green label] // ANIC Database No. 25 054225 [p]’ ( ANIC); 3 ♂♂ [mounted on single card], the same data, except: ‘ Mecynotarsus Kingi’ and ‘ANIC Database No. 25 054226’ ( ANIC).

Additional material. AUSTRALIA: AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY: 1 ♂, Ginninderra , at light, 19.ii.1975, K. R. Pullen ( ANIC) ; 1♀, Uriarra Crossing , 30.xii.1985, K.R. Pullen ( ANIC) . SOUTH AUSTRALIA: 4♂♂ 1♀, Murray River , A. H. Elston leg. ( AMSA) ; 6 ♂♂ 1 ♀, Adelaide , at beach, xii.1958, C. Watts leg. ( SAMA) . NEW SOUTH WALES: 1 ♂ 5 ♀♀, Bungonia State Park, Shoalhaven River Gorge , 5.–7.x.1985, C. Reid leg. ( ANIC, 1 spec. ZKDC) ; 1 ♂ 2 ♀♀, Moree , 29.xii.1971, B. Cantrell leg. ( QMBA) . QUEENSLAND: 1 ♀, Canungra ca. 75 km S of Brisbane, UV light near creek, 175 m, 9.–10.i.1991, Pollock & Reichert leg. ( DCDC) ; 3 ♀♀, Carnarvon National Park, Sekt. Salvator Rosa , i.97, Wachtel leg. ( ZSMC) ; 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Carnarvon National Park , S of Lake Nuga Nuga, i.1997, Wachtel leg. ( ZSMC, ZKDC) .

Redescription (paralectotype, female, SAMA). Body length 2.8 mm. Body largely reddish brown, pronotal disc distinctly darker, nearly brown black, elytra with rather vague markings, darker medially, especially in basal third, paler reddish apically and laterally.

Antero-lateral margins of frons distinctly raised to somewhat lobed near insertion of antennae ( Fig. 132 ). Gular rugules of different sizes, anteriorly larger, nearly contiguous and ordered similarly as in Fig. 138 . Clypeal granules rather distinct. Setation of head largely short, fine and appressed on vertex, with numerous distinctly longer, mostly raised setae in median line, somewhat coarser, subdecumbent laterally along eyes. Antennae moderately long; antennomeres III–V about twice, X 1.2 times as long as wide; setation mostly fine, distinctly coarser to scaly on three basal antennomeres, with several long, stiff setae on antennomere I.

Pronotum globose, its lateral margins rather strongly, evenly convex in dorsal view; posterior collar narrow but distinct. Pronotal horn robust and wide, subtriangular, its posterior angles distinct in dorsal view ( Fig. 154 ); horn margins armed with 4 and 5 lobules on lateral sides, apical lobule simple; horn crest distinct, wide, with coarse rugules on margins; distinct submarginal rugules somewhat unevenly spaced; numerous median rugules of different sizes. Setation whitish, largely scaly and appressed, inconspicuous on pronotal horn dorsally; scales on pronotal disc of different sizes, widely rounded to truncate apically; antebasal paired setae present laterally and absent medially, numerous additional tactile setae present antero-laterally.

Elytra 1.7 times as long as wide; omoplates and postbasal impression absent. Setation scaly, appressed, evenly developed, whitish and brownish, forming rather distinct markings ( Fig. 198 ); scales shortly oval, subtruncate apically, opaque, densely spaced but distinct ( Fig. 177 ); erect tactile setae absent.

Male characters (paralectotype, ANIC). Sternum VII moderately produced and slightly emarginate apically. Tergum VIII and aedeagus as in Figs 67, 68 ; parameres rather strongly curved in apical third.

Variation. Body length (♂ ♀) 2.8–3.4 mm. Pronotal horn usually with four lobules on each side; median rugules sometimes fused and forming coarse sculpture. Dark markings of elytra vaguely indicated to rather distinct.

Differential diagnosis. Mecynotarsus kingii resembles especially M. pilbarensis sp. nov. by the similar body shape, morphology of the pronotal horn, setation, and the male characters. It can be distinguished by the somewhat prolonged frontal portion of the head, the anterolateral margins of the frons subparallel, distinctly raised to somewhat lobed near insertion of antennae ( Fig. 132 ), and by the apically strongly narrowed and more curved parameres (cf. Figs 68 versus 103).

Distribution. Australia: Australian Capital Territory (new record), New South Wales (new record), Queensland ( MACLEAY 1872), South Australia (new record).

Remarks. MACLEAY (1872) described M. kingii from an unstated number of specimens collected near Gayndah in Queensland. The seven type specimens must be regarded as syntypes, and together represent three different species. At least some of the printed type labels were subsequently added by curators. They are stored in three institutions (AMSA, ANIC and SAMA): AMSA – two females of two clearly different species, one designated as lectotype, the other is very close or even conspecific with M. granulatus sp. nov.; SAMA – a female in very good condition ( Fig. 198 ), conspecific with the lectotype; ANIC – a strongly damaged torso and three males in good condition, mounted on the same label and belonging to two very close species (one of them conspecific with the lectotype, and used herein for description of male characters of M. kingii , the other two probably specimens of M. pilicornis sp. nov.).

Figures

Figs 67–73. 67–68 – Mecynotarsus kingii MacLeay, 1872: 67 – tergum VIII, 68 – aedeagus in dorsal view. 69–71 – M. kreusleri King, 1869: 69 – sternum VII, 70 – tergum VIII, 71 – aedeagus in dorsal view. 72–73 – M. leai Pic, 1942: 72 – tergum VIII, 73 – aedeagus in dorsal view. Scale (0.5 mm): A – Figs 70–73; B – Fig. 69; C – Fig. 67; D – Fig. 68.

Figs 119–125. 119–124 – labels of type specimens:119 – Leptoprion angulatus Krekich-Strassoldo, 1914 (holotype, NCB); 120 – Mecynotarsus concolor King, 1869 (syntype, AMSA); 121 – M. kingii MacLeay, 1872 (lectotype, AMSA); 122 – M. amabilis Lea, 1922 (type series, SAMA); 123 – Notoxus decemdentatus Pic, 1899 (syntypes, MNHN), 124 – M. albellus Pascoe, 1866 (syntype, BMNH). 125 – M. maculatus Lea, 1922, card with type specimens, lectotype marked by ‘TY’ (SAMA).

Figs 126–132. 126–127 – body in lateral view: 126 – Leptoprion angulatus Krekich-Strassoldo, 1914, 127 – Mecynotarsus apicipennis Lea, 1895 (syntype). 128–133 – head: 128 – M. bicornis sp. nov., 129 – M. bidens sp. nov. (paratype, Onheva Creek), 130 – M. excavatus sp. nov. (paratype,Aoue-Enga), 131 – M. exophthalmus sp. nov., 132 – M. kingii MacLeay, 1872 (Shoalhaven River Gorge).

Figs 150–158. Pronotal horn in dorsal view: 150 – Mecynotarsus festivus sp. nov., 151 – M. grandior sp. nov., 152 – M. granulatus sp. nov., 153 – M. hortensis Lea, 1922 (syntype, SAMA), 154 – M. kingii MacLeay, 1872, 155 – M. leai Pic, 1942 (Richmond), 156 – M. magelae sp. nov., 157 – the same (paratype, Carson Escarpment), 158 – the same (paratype, Charnley River).

Figs 177–185. Setation of elytra: 177 – Mecynotarsus kingii MacLeay, 1872 (Shoalhaven River), 178 – M. nobilis sp. nov., 179 – M. obesus sp. nov., 180 – M. parvulus sp. nov., 181 – M. phanophilus sp. nov., 182 – M. pilbarensis sp. nov., 183 – M. regalis sp. nov., 184 – M. speciosus sp. nov., 185 – M. weiri sp. nov.

Figs 194–201. Habitus: 194 – Mecynotarsus festivus sp. nov., 195 – M. grandior sp. nov., 196 – M. granulatus sp. nov., 197 – M. hortensis Lea, 1922 (Fowlers Gap), 198 – M. kingii MacLeay, 1872, 199 – M. kreusleri King, 1869 (Mount Tozer), 200 – M. leai Pic, 1942 (Richmond), 201 – M. magelae sp. nov.

Figs 133–140. 133 – Mecynotarsus setulosus sp. nov., head in lateral view (paratype, Fowlers Gap), 134 – M. excavatus sp. nov., apex of elytra in female (paratype, Aoue-Enga), 135 – M. grandior sp. nov., apex of elytron in male (paratype, Kimberley Research Station), 136 – M. obesus sp. nov., metatibia with tarsus (paratype, Hull River), 137 – M. excavatus sp. nov., male protibia (paratype, Aoue-Enga). 138–140 – head in ventral view: 138 – M. auripilosus sp. nov. (paratype, Kambah Pool), 139 – M. bullatus sp. nov. (paratype, Regans Ford), 140 – M. ziczac King, 1869 (Swain Reefs).