Brachypeplus nypicola Kirejtshuk, 2022

Kirejtshuk, Alexander G. & Kovalev, Alexey V., 2022, Monograph on the Cillaeinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) from the Australian Region with comments on the taxonomy of the subfamily, Zootaxa 5103 (1), pp. 1-133 : 67-69

24. Brachypeplus nypicola Kirejtshuk et Kovalev, sp. nov.

Figs 18 , A–I

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2F32286A-A231-4491-8FAD-B5E1CE19E235

Type specimens examined: Australia, QLD: holotype, male ( ANIC) and 15 paratypes ( ANIC, ZIN)—“Cape York Pen., NQ, Claudie River , 16 Sept. 1974 ”, “in Nypa palm flowers”, “Collr. A. & M Walford-Huggins. ”

Diagnosis. This new species can be easily diagnosed after the above key to Australian and Tasmanian species of Brachypeplus . It is similar to Brachypeplus apicalis , B. dorsalis and B. cuneatus , and, in contrast to other abovementioned species, it has a narrower, more parallel-sided, light and subunicolorous body; shorter antennal club; narrower abdominal laterosternites V and VI; blunt outer angle of the pregenal processes (other these species have acute outer angle of these processes) and widely rounded apex of the tegmen. Besides, Brachypeplus nypicola sp. nov. differs from the first and second species in the shape of pronotum, narrower transverse diameter of eyes, markedly longer labrum, shorter antennal club, shape of apices of both male anal sclerite and tegmen; and also from the third in the smaller body, much shorter antennomeres 2 and 3, much shorter ultimate labial palpomere and comparatively shorter apical abdominal segment. See also the above Diagnosis of Brachypeplus apicalis . Finally, the styli of ovipositor have a small apical projection, making it somewhat similar to that in the ovipositor of Cillaeopeplus temporalibus sp. nov. (see below) which is not usual among Nitidulidae .

Etymology. The epithet of this new species is formed from generic name of palm Nypa and Latin “ cola ” (inhabiting).

Description of holotype (male). Length of body with abdomen 3.9, length of body without abdomen 2.7, width 1.0, height 0.6 mm. Body slightly convex from above and subflattened from below; subunicolorous light reddish, with somewhat infuscate premarginal parts of elytra along lateral and posterior edges. Upper surface usually with moderately dense and moderately conspicuous yellowish pubescence forming on elytra longitudinal rows of longer hairs, pronotal and elytral lateral edges very shortly but distinctly ciliate (visible at high magnification).

Head and pronotum with punctures slightly coarser than eye facets, interspaces between punctures about as great as one puncture diameter, alutaceous to obliterately microreticulate. Elytra with clearly expressed longitudinal rows of distinct punctures in very shallow striae, somewhat coarser than those on head and pronotum (these punctures becoming finer and sparser distally), interstrial spaces between striae with longitudinal rows of much finer punctures, interspaces between punctures smaller than one puncture diameter in striae and somewhat greater beyond them, subalutaceous to smoothly and densely microreticulate. Above sclerites of abdominal segment 5 with almost distinct punctures, interspaces between punctures markedly greater than one puncture diameter, alutaceous; punctation on abdominal segment 6 and 7 becoming finer and partly dislodged by very small tubercles. Underside thoracic sclerites and abdominal ventrite 1 with rather fine and very shallow punctures but punctures on middle of metaventrite almost as coarse as on head and pronotum, interspaces between punctures on metaventrite smoothly obliterated.

Head more than 0.8 × as long as distance between eyes and subflattened, with anterior edge of frons truncate, moderately large eyes having transverse diameter greater than scape width (about two thirds as great as protibial width), with sharply projecting temples. Labrum about half as long as wide, longest at median suture and laterally arcuately shortened to distinct outer angles. Mandibles stout and with short and narrow bidentate apex. Antennal grooves distinctly convergent. Mentum about 4.0 × as wide as long, slightly widened anteriorly and with not projecting anterior angles. Terminal labial palpomere slightly longer than wide, narrowed apically and with oblique apex; terminal maxillary palpomere short, wide and almost cup-liked, moderately long (slightly longer than wide). Pregenal process moderately wide and with blunt apical angle. Antennae slightly longer than distance between eyes, with scape almost 2.5 × as long as wide, pedicel (antennomere 2) markedly less than half as long as scape, antennomere 3 more subequal in length with antennomere 2, antennomeres 4-6 subequal and each markedly shorter than antennomere 2, antennal club suboval and very about 1.3 × as long as wide.

Pronotum moderately transverse (about 1.7 × as wide as long), subquadrate and widest at subparallel-sided posterior half, slightly convex on disc and gently sloping at narrowly (sub)explanate sides (about 0.8 × as widely explanate as width of scape); anterior edge subrectilinear to very shallowly emarginate and anterior angles rounded; posterior angles blunt and with rounded tip; posterior edge very shallowly bi-emarginate. Scutellar shield transverse, subpentagonal. Elytra with subtruncate and widely rounded outer apical angles, moderately steeply sloping along sides and narrowly explanate sides (as narrowly as half of width of antennal scape), leaving last three abdominal segments completely exposed. Abdominal laterosternites V at least 3.5 × as long as wide and laterosternites VI almost 4.0 × as long as wide in their posterior ends. Male pygidium almpost truncate and with very widely rounded at apex.

Prosternum with gently convex median portion and with nearly roof-like process (slightly curved along procoxae); process strongly widened before transverse to widely rounded apex (almost 5.0 × as wide as distance between procoxae). Distance between mesocoxae about 2.5 × as great as and that between metacoxae about 2.0 × as great as that between procoxae. Metaventrite with distinct discrimen in distal 0.8. Abdominal ventrite 1 about 1.5 × as long as ventrite 2 and about 0.7× as long as ventrite 3, ventrite 4 as long as ventrite 3. Male hypopygidium transverse, slightly longer than ventrite 4 and widely rounded at apex.

Tibiae moderately stout, with moderately long and moderately thick spurs and rounded outer subapical angle, protibia about as wide as antennal club, meso- and metatibiae narrower, outer side of meso- and metatibiae with two rows of moderately small and thin setae. All tarsi almost 0.3 × as wide as corresponding tibiae.

Male anal sclerite slightly exposed from pygidium, dorsoventraly compressed, rounded at apex. Aedeagus moderately sclerotized. Tegmen about 2.0 × as long as wide and narrowed at widely rounded apex. Penis trunk much shorter than tegmen, about 1.5 × as long as wide, arcuately narrowed only at widely rounded apex. Armature of inner sac of penis represented by diffuse small sclerotized granules concentrated in unclear formations looking like long clots at its end.

Female. Pygidium slightly shorter than wide, subtruncate and not serrate at apex. Female hypopygidium very widely rounded at apex. Ovipositor moderately sclerotized and moderately narrow, with heavily sclerotized basal edge of gonocoxites and baculi; its gonocoxites comprising almost 0.4 of total length, inner lobes transversely divided, lateral lobes slightly sclerotized and about 0.6 × as long as gonocoxites in general, outer outline of gonocoxites slightly concave before apex, rather narrow apex with short styli located at some distance from apex; styli with a small apical projection.

Variation. The body length 3.2–4.2 mm. The general body coloration rather stable reddish, expression of marginal infuscation on elytra varies from complete absence of infuscation to light brownish. A certain variability is observed in sculpture of integument, particularly in dislodging of punctation by very small tubercles on abdominal sclerites.

Distribution. Australia: QLD (type locality: “Claudie River”).

Notes on bionomy. The type specimens were collected on “Nypa palm flowers” which can be used by adults of this species at least as additional habitat.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Brachypeplus nypicola sp. nov., orig. Holotype, male and paratype, female from QLD (“…Claudie River …”); A: body, dorsal; B: head, dorsal; C: head, ventral; D: thorax, ventral; E: male anal sclerite and spiculum gastrale, ventral; F: tegmen, ventral; G: penis trunk, dorsal; H: proximal part of inner sac with armature; I: ovipositor, ventral. Scale bars: a = 1.0 mm to Fig. A; b = 0.5 mm to Figs B–D; с = 0.25 mm to Figs E–I.