Brachypeplus kemblensis Blackburn, 1902

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 : 58-62

21. Brachypeplus kemblensis Blackburn, 1902

Figs 14–15 ; 21 , B–D

Brachypeplus kemblensis Blackburn, 1902: 306 ; NSW (“Mount Kembla”);

= Brachypeplus mauli Gardner et Classey, 1962 , syn. nov.: 153; Madeira, Terreiro da Luta;

= Brachypeplus pudicus Kirejtshuk et Guillerfors, 1987: 2 ; Azores, Furnas.

Specimens examined. Type specimens: Lectotype of Brachypeplus kemblensis , male, here designated (NHML)— “7164”, “M. Kembl.” (NSW), “Australia Blackburn Coll. B.M. 1910–236”, “ Brachypeplus kemblensis Blackb. ”; 4 paralectotypes of B. kemblensis (SAM) —“NS Wales”, “ Brachypeplus kemblensis cotype”; holotype of Brachypeplus mauli Gardner et Classey , male (NHML)—“ 8–22.XII.1957, E.W. Classey & A.E. Gardner”, “Terreirodaluta, 876 m, Madeira”, “Brit.Mus. 1964–212”; holotype of Brachypeplus pudicus , male (ZML) and 7 paratypes of B. pudicus (MHF. ZIN, ZMB, ZML) —“P. Açores, Smi, 14.07.1986, Furnas, G. Gillerfors”. Other specimens: Australia, QLD: 33 exx (SAM)—“Mt. Tambourine, Queensland ”, “ Kemblensis ”, “id. By A.M. Lea”; 6 exx (ANIC, ZIN)— “Mt. Tambourine, 12.11.1981, G.B. Cantrell, ex “open” female flowers Alocasia macroryza ( Araceae )”; 2 exx (ANIC)—“Mt. Tambourine, Q, A.M. Lee”; 1 ex (NHML)—“Australia, R.E. Turner, B.MN. 1935–240”, “S E Queensland, Tambourine Mts., 26–29.IV.1935 ”; 2 (SDEI)—“Tam Mts., 11/06", "Coll. Hacker", " Brachypeplus exornotus ty. Grouvelle”; 1 ex (QMB)—“Bellenden Ker Range, N.Q., 1 km S. of Cable Tower 6, Oct. 17—Nov. 5 1981, 500 m, EARTHWATCH/QLD Mus, Baited window trap”; 35 (ZIN)—“ 27.20S 152.46E, Mt. Glorious, QLD, 19– 21.12.1990, A. Kirejtshuk”, “inflorescences Alocasia”; 5 exx (ANIC)—“Black Mountain, Rd Julatten, N QLD, 21 Nov.—13 Dec. 1987, A. Walford-Huggins, rainfor. Interc. trap”; NWS: 8 exx (ANIC)—“Wilson River F.R. Mt Boss S.F., NW Wouchope NSW 16 Jan.1990, G. Williams subtrop. r/f ex Alocasia flowers"; 1 ex (ANIC)—“Kindee”; 5 exx (ANIC)—“ 35.30S 150.18E, Kioloa SF, 15 km NE Batemans Bay, NSW, May & Sept. 86, M.C. Robinson, flight interc. trap”; 4 exx (ANIC)—“War’nga (Wahroonga: 33°43′S, 151°07′E), in cunjevoi flowers, 2–36, H.J. C.” (Alocasia); 1 ex (CMS)—“Clarence R.”; 1 ex (AMS)—“Wilson R. Reserve via Bellangry, NSW, 11 May 1981, B. Day”; 3 exx (NMV, ZIN)—“North Sydney, Narrabeen, 5–03, HJC”, “H.J. Carter Coll., P. 20.4.22”, “ENT - 592”; 3 exx (AMS, ZIN)—“The Island Bellinger R., NSW, 7 Feb. 1980, D.K. McAlpine & B.J. Day”; Azores: 2 exx (collection of Paulo Borges)—Acores, Terceira, “N 1278, Asualva, 9/8/86, Paulo Borges.”

Diagnosis. This species can be easily diagnosed after the above key to Australian species of the genus. This species, Brachypeplus barronensis and B. makarovi sp. nov. are well characterized among the Australian and Tasmanian congeners by the subunicoloured light coloration with darkened distal parts of elytra, slightly pubescent body and slightly conspicuous cilia along the pronotal and elytral sides (traced only with high magnification). See also above the Diagnosis of Brachypeplus barronensis .

Notes on synonymy. The synonymy of Brachypeplus mauli and B. pudicus was established by Audisio (1993). The re-examination of the type series of the mentioned “species” and other Australian species in 1989 and 1990 supported this synonymy formerly proposed and also revealed a conspecifity of the type specimens of Brachypeplus mauli and B. pudicus also with the type specimens of B. kemblensis . A quite moderate variation in the sculpture of integument, length of the penis trunk and tegmen, and also armature of the inner sac of penis was observed among the mentioned type and other specimens. The recent additional re-examination of the pictures made by K. Matsumoto (NHML) of the specimen here designated lectotype from NHML gave no rise to doubts in this synonymization. However, this alone type specimen of B. kemblensis deposited in NHML, which should be designated as the lectotype of Brachypeplus kemblensis , apparently is a not quite mature male with somewhat slenderer and somewhat more mat body.

Addition to description. Body entire length 2.9 – 4.9 mm. Body straw reddish and usually with somewhat darkened distal halves of elytra and antennal clubs; upper surface rather shining (sometimes almost completely mat), with short and slightly to moderately conspicuous pubescence, pronotal and elytral sides with very short and slightly conspicuous cilia (visible only with high magnification).

Head and pronotum with punctures about 2.0 × as coarse as eye facets, interspaces between punctures usually somewhat greater than one puncture diameter and usually obliterately microreticulate. Elytra with longitudinal rows of punctures about as coarse as those on head and pronotum (but frequently coarser) and located in bottom of shallow striae, interspaces between these rows of strial coarser punctures with one row of extremely fine punctures and mostly distinct microreticulation. Underside thoracic sclerites and abdominal ventrite 1 with punctures somewhat finer and sparser than those on head and pronotum, interspaces between punctures on metaventrite and abdominal ventrite 1 obliterately microreticulate to rather smoothed.

Antenna somewhat longer than distance between eyes, with scape about as long as pedicel (antennomere 2) and antennomere 3 combined, 2.0 × as long as wide, antennomere 3 about 1.5 × as long as pedicel and about 2.0 × as long as antennomere 4, antennal club about 0.3 of entire antennal length, about 1.5 × as long as wide. Pregenal processes very wide and with rounded outer apical angle. Pronotum with shallowly bi-emarginate to nearly subtruncate anterior edge and widely rounded anterior angles, usually narrowly explanate sides (about 0.5 × as widely explanate as scape wide) and clearly bi-emarginate base. Elytra with sides somewhat more widely explanate than those of pronotum.

Prosternal process much more than 3.0 × as wide as distance between procoxae and with widely rounded posterior edge of apex. Distance between mesocoxae almost subequal to that between metacoxae and 2.0 × greater than that between procoxae. Abdominal ventrite 3 about as long as ventrites 1, ventrite 2 about 0.5 × as long as each of ventrites 1 and 3, ventrite 4 longest among ventrites 1 – 4. Male pygidium transverse, about 1.3 × as long as tergite VI and subtruncate at apex. Female pygidium slightly elongate, about 1.5 × as long as tergite VI and subtruncate at apex. Male hypopygidium more than 2.0 × as long as ventrite 1 (and about 1.5 × as long as long ventrite 4). Female hypopygidium more than 2.5 × as long as ventrite 1 (and about 2.0 × as long as long ventrite 4).

Tibiae subtriangular and somewhat narrower than antennal club, with outer apical angle not projecting and spurs very short and stout. Male protarsus about 0.5 × as wide as protibia; female protarsus as well as meso- and metatarsi of both sexes narrower.

Male anal sclerite dorsoventrally compressed and with very widely rounded apex. Aedeagus moderately sclerotized. Tegmen 2.0–2.5 × as long as wide, with widely rounded apex, distal half of sides and posterior edge with very short setae (at apex becoming longer and denser). Penis trunk 2.0–2.5 × as long as wide, subparallel-sided part of penis trunk about 1.5 × as long as apical angular one, apex nearly sharply acute. Armature of inner sac of penis frequently represented by diffuse small sclerotized granules concentrated in unclear formations looking like comparatively long clots; in other cases also with one pair of subsemicircular formations directed by ends each to other and with slightly sclerotized transverse sclerite between ends.

Ovipositor moderately sclerotized and moderately narrow; its gonocoxites comprising almost 0.4 of entire length, lateral lobes moderately sclerotized and about 0.4 × as long as gonocoxites in general, outer outline of gonocoxites clearly concave; comparatively narrow apex with rather long styli located at small distance from apex.

Distribution. Australia: QLD, NSW (type locality of Brachypeplus kemblensis : “Mount Kembla”); Portugal: Azores (type locality of B. pudicus: Furnas ), Madeira (type locality of B. mauli: Terreiro da Luta ).

Notes on bionomy. This species seems to use different habitats at least by adults. Jelínek et al. (2016) mentioned inhabitance of its adults under bark of trees, ripening and rotten fruits in Azores and Madeira. Kirejtshuk (1994b, 1997) observed regular occurrence of adults of this species in inflorescences of Alocasia macrorrhyza ( Araceae ), particularly in soft decaying spadix (see also Shaw & Cantrell 1983). At the same time a comparatively long examination of inflorescences with further flotation brought no nitidulid larva. Thus, first author’s experiments gave a base to suppose these inflorescences used only by adults, but their larvae are passing their development in another substrate.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Brachypeplus kemblensis, orig. A, D: male from NSW (“The Island Bellinger…”); A: body, dorsal; D: shoulder part of elytron, dorsal; B, E: paratype of B. pudicus, male from Azores; B: body, dorsal; E: shoulder part of elytron, dorsal; C, F: male from QLD (“…Mt. Glorious…”); C: body, dorsal; F: shoulder part of elytron, dorsal. Scale bars: a = 1.0 mm to Figs A–C; b = 0.5 mm to Figs D–F.

FIGURE 15. Brachypeplus kemblensis, orig. A, D, G, K: male from NSW (“The Island Bellinger…”); A: male anal sclerite and spiculum gastrale, ventral; D: tegmen, ventral; G: penis trunk, dorsal; K: proximal part of inner sac with armature; B, E, H, I, L, N: males and female from QLD (“…Mt. Glorious…”); B: male anal sclerite and spiculum gastrale, ventral; E: tegmen, ventral; H and I: penis trunk, dorsal; L: proximal part of inner sac with armature; N: ovipositor, ventral; C, F, J, M, O: paratypes of B. pudicus, male from Azores; C: male anal sclerite and spiculum gastrale, ventral; F: tegmen, ventral; J: penis trunk, dorsal; M: proximal part of inner sac with armature; O: ovipositor, ventral. Scale bar: = 0.25 mm to Figs A-O.

FIGURE 21. Type specimens of the genus Brachypeplus, A–B, E: pictured by K. Matsumoto; C-D, F: orig. A: lectotype of B. blandus, male from VIC (“Port Lincoln…”); B: body of lectotype of B. kemblensis, male from QLD (“M. Kembl.”); C–D: paratypes of B. pudicus, male and female from Açores (“… Furnas …”); E: body of lectotype of B. wattsensis, male from VIC (Blackburn, 1902: 304: “Watts River district”); paralectotype of B. wattsensis, female from the same series; A–E: body, dorsal; F: ovipositor, ventral. Scale bars = ~ 1.3 mm for Figs A, C and D; = ~1.0 mm for Fig. B; =~ 1.1 mm for Fig. E; =~ 0.25 mm for Fig. F.