Eurycyphon tricornis, Zwick, Peter, 2015

Zwick, Peter, 2015, Australian Marsh Beetles (Coleoptera: Scirtidae). 8. The new genera Cygnocyphon, Eximiocyphon, Paracyphon, Leptocyphon, Tectocyphon, and additions to Contacyphon de Gozis, Nanocyphon Zwick and Eurycyphon Watts, Zootaxa 3981 (4), pp. 451-490 : 471

Eurycyphon tricornis , n. sp.

( Figs. 56–60 )

Type material. Holotype ♂: Australia: N.Qld, Davies Ck 22 km WSW of Mareeba Malaise T. 2.x.-6.xi.1984 Storey & Halfpapp ( QMSB T228759).

Habitus. BL 3.3mm, BL/BW ~1.4. Contour in dorsal view a short regular oval, pronotum much narrower than elytra. Moderately convex in side view, head, pronotum and elytra form one single regular contour line. Base of pronotum curving strongly forward laterally, sides converging strongly. The rounded front corners project almost imperceptably beyond the middle of the straight front edge. Surface with rather long shaggy yellowish setae. Punctures very fine on head and scutellum, barely larger on pronotum, much larger on elytra. Ochre, with diffuse slightly darker pattern excluding the sutural interval: an arch across pronotum, and a zig-zag band immediately behind base of elytra. A more distinct band behind midlength of the elytra forms a triangular rearward extension along the suture. It is separated by an oblique light band from a large spot on the outside of the apical third of the elytra.

Antennae half as long as body, slender, base unmodified ( Fig. 56 ). Mandibles not studied, maxilla and labium as for the genus. Legs unmodified.

Male. T8 similar to the other species but the sclerite arch between the apodemes has an anterior triangular outgrowth, S8 is triangular with faint sclerite ( Figs. 57, 58 ). Segment 9 as for the genus. The tegmen has a wide Ushaped basal sclerite caudolaterally forming two triangular lobes with simple parabolic tip. Between them is a large V-shaped sclerite. A small triangular stylus is present ( Fig. 59 ). The pala has a wide rounded base which narrows caudally. The outwardly curved pointed parameroids stand dorsally from the trigonium base which is narrow. Caudally the trigonium widens to an approximately spherical body with a semicircular basal notch and 3 slender hooks. The short lateral hooks curve slightly outward, the stronger middle one is curved ventrad ( Fig. 60 ).

Female. Unknown.

Note. The shape of the parameroids indicates a close relationship with the type species, but the paramere tip is less complex. The dorsal pattern and the bizarre trigonium are distinctive.

Etymology. The Latin adjective tricornis , three-horned, alludes to the three processes on the trigonium.

Figures

FIGURES 52 – 60. Eurycyphon spp., males, III. E. falcatus, n. sp.: 52, ventral view of tegmen and penis; 53, 54, apex of penis in ventral and lateral views, enlarged; 55, apex of tegmen and parameres enlarged; left half of figure in ventral, right half in dorsal view. E. tricornis, n. sp.: 56, antenna; 57, T 8; 58 S 8; 59, tegmen and parameres; 60, penis in dorsal view. 53 – 55, 57 – 58, and 59 – 60 to the same scales, respectively. pd, parameroid; pe, paramere; st, stylus; tr, trigonium.