Pediomorphus semilaevis Will, new species

Zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: BAA4A08B-6AA3-46BA-BC91-669C239241F0

(Figs. 9, 19, 28)

Type Material. HOLOTYPE: Male. // “ 8km ENE of Victoria Riv. Downs, N.T., 12 July 1973 L.P. Kelsey ”// “ U.C. Berkeley EMEC705,255”//, [deposited ANIC, Reg. No. 25-067866] . PARATYPES: NORTHERN TERRITORY: same data as holotype, EMEC705254, EMEC705256, [ANIC]. Katherine, xii.1957, H Demarz; xii.1957, [NHMB]. QUEENSLAND: 60 mi east of Weipa, 25.xi.1974, MS Moulds; Langi Lagoon, Mungkan Kandju NP, 29.vi-5.vii.1998, at light, open forest, EMEC705260, T Weir [ANIC]. Hann R. north of Laura, 18.xi.1982, R Storey and J Brown, EMEC705259, [QDAF]. 70km N. Laura Hann R. crossing, 9.viii.1983, I Titmarsh and R Lloyd, EMEC705258, [QDAF] .

Type Locality and Distribution Range. Type locality is as described on the holotype label. It is a location ENE of the Victoria Downs Homestead, Northern Territory (Fig. 19), approximately located at 16°22’ S 131°03’ E, at about 90 m elevation. The range then extends from northeastern Queensland west to north-central Northern Territory.

Diagnosis. Pediomorphus semilaevis is similar in form and color to Pediomorphus obtusus Will, new species, and P. variabilis . It is typically smaller than both of these species and has distinctly angled pronotal hind angles that are unlike the more rounded form in P. obtusus and much smoother ventrites than P. variabilis .

Description. Size: sbl = 3.9 [3.5–4.2] mm; greatest width across elytra = 1.6 [1.3–1.6] mm. Color: Dorsal and ventral surfaces pale brunneous to almost flavous; legs, mouthparts, and antennae concolorous or tibiae and tarsi slightly darker. Dorsally distinctly and ventrally slightly shiny to moderately dull. Dorsally without iridescence, venter, elytral epipleura, and legs with or without slight spectral iridescent. Head: Dorsal microsculpture not evident at 50X magnification. Clypeal-ocular impressions not evident. Ocular ratio = 1.60 [1.45–1.60]. Eyes relatively large, prominent, with moderate size posterior orbital area, single subocular carina long, sharply defined. Labrum with anterior margin slightly convex. Median tooth of mentum broad, rounded across apex. Antennae long, antennomeres 9–11 surpassing pronotal base. Thorax: Pronotum dorsally with a few very small punctures near base in and around basal impressions, microsculpture not evident at 50X magnification. Pronotum widest slightly anteriad of middle, lateral margins converging to base, not sinuate. Lateral marginal bead narrow and ending just at hind angles; basal margin without marginal bead; anterior angles not prominent, broadly rounded; hind angles obtuse, not denticulate; basal impressions linear, well-impressed, reaching basal margin. Seta at hind angle in marginal bead. Elytra parallel-sided, slightly convex, epipleura in dorsal view not or little evidently sinuate at level of umbilicate marginal puncture 7. Elytral striae finely, shallowly crenulate-punctate. Elytral microsculpture not evident at 50X magnification. Intervals flat. Elytral plica minute. Prosternal process rounded, margined. Prosterna smooth or with a few, fine punctures. Meso- and metasterna coarsely, shallowly punctate. Abdomen: Abdominal ventrites densely, finely, shallowly rugose. Aedeagus: Medium lobe short with thin apical portion in lateral view, tip roundly in ventral view, small field of spines near tip and linear field of spinules at bend in median lobe visible on endophallus in repose.

Etymology. The specific epithet is the Latin masculine nominative semilaevis, which is a reference to the relatively smooth ventrites in these beetles.