Brachypeplus makarovi 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 : 64-66

23. Brachypeplus makarovi Kirejtshuk et Kovalev, sp. nov.

Figs 17 , A–I

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D5F7BB48-806C-4EFE-B1B2-F0F02A230F5B

Type specimens examined. Australia, QLD: holotype, male ( ANIC) and 6 paratypes ( ANIC, ZIN)—“Milli Scrub, N Q., 3 ½ mi. of Karrabah, rain forest, 26.X.66, F.B. Britton ”, “further specimens in spirit tube № 214” ; 2 paratypes ( ANIC, ZIN)—“Jullaten, N QLD, 10 Sept.—29 Sept. 1987, A. Walford-Huggins, edge of forest along creek, ex intercept trap.”

Diagnosis. This new species can be easily diagnosed after the above key to Australian and Tasmanian species of Brachypeplus . It is well characterized among the Australian congeners by the slenderest body, subunicoloured light and slightly pubescent body with lack of raised cilia along pronotal and elytral sides (very short hairs are visible only at high magnification). This new species is certainly closely related to Brachypeplus barronensis and B. kemblensis . This relationship can be supported by the shared similarity in the structure of antennae, comparatively wide tibiae, character of sculpture and pubescence of body integument, particularly in similarity of punctation of elytra. See also the above Diagnoses of Brachypeplus barronensis .

Etymology. The name of this new species is named after Kirill Vladimirovich Makarov (Moskow Pedagogical State University), who made a great contribution to the web-site of Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences “Beetles ( Coleoptera ) and coleopterists.”

Description of holotype (male). Length of body with abdomen 3.6, length of body without abdomen 2.0, width 1.0, height 0.6 mm. Body comparatively convex from above and subflattened below; subunicolorous light reddish, with somewhat darkened short distal parts of elytra. Upper surface usually with moderately dense and moderately conspicuous yellowish pubescence forming on elytra longitudinal rows, pronotal and elytral lateral edges very shortly but distinctly ciliate (visible only at high magnification).

Head and pronotum with punctures 1.5–2.5 × as coarse as eye facets, interspaces between punctures less than one puncture diameter, alutaceous to obliterately microreticulate. Elytra with clearly expressed longitudinal rows of distinct punctures in very shallow striae, markedly coarser than those on pronotum, very weakly elevated interstrial spaces with longitudinal rows of much finer punctures, interspaces between punctures smaller than one puncture diameter in striae and greater beyond them, subalutaceous to smoothly and densely microreticulate. Above sclerites of first abdominal segment uncovered by elytra (segment 5) with distinct punctures at base and becoming finer distally, interspaces between punctures somewhat smaller at base and becoming markedly greater than puncture diameter at posterior edge, alutaceous to finelly microreticulate; punctation on segments 6 and 7 smaller and shallower, partly dislodged by very small tubercles appearing in anterior part of some punctures (in base of hairs). Below thoracic sclerites and abdominal ventrite 1 with rather shallow and less clearly outlined punctures somewhat coarser than those on pronotum but markedly sparser, interspaces between punctures on metaventrite smoothly microreticulate.

Head more than 0.8 × as long as distance between eyes and subflattened, with truncate anterior edge of frons, moderately large eyes having transverse diameter about 1.5 × as great as scape width, without sharply projecting temples. Labrum longest at median suture and laterally obliquely 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, not widened anteriorly and with not projecting anterior angles. Terminal labial palpomere slightly longer than wide, narrowed apically (subconical); terminal maxillary palpomere subconical, moderately long (about 2.5 × as long as wide). Pregenal process moderately wide and with subrectiangular outer apical angle. Antennae slightly longer than distance between eyes, with scape almost 2.0 × as long as wide, pedicel (antennomere 2) markedly less than half as long as scape, antennomere 3 more than 1.5 × as long as antennomere 2, antennomeres 4–6 subequal and each markedly shorter than antennomere 2, antennal club suboval and very about 1.5 × as long as wide.

Pronotum moderately transverse (about 1.7 × as wide as long), widest at subparallel-sided posterior half, rather convex on disc and gently sloping at (sub)explanate sides (about 0.8 × as widely (sub)explanate as width of scape); anterior edge very shallowly bi-emarginate and anterior angles rounded; sides very finely serrate; posterior angles nearly projecting 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, leaving last three abdominal segments completely exposed. Abdominal laterosternites V about 3.0 × and laterosternites VI slightly more than 4.0 × as long as wide in their posterior ends. Three last uncovered tergites slightly depressed at sides. Male pygidium very subtransverse and very widely rounded at apical angles.

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 (about 3.0 × as wide as distance between procoxae. Distance between mesocoxae about 2.0 × as great as and that between metacoxae about 1.5 × as great as that between procoxae. Metaventrite with a distinct discrimen in distal 0.7. Abdominal ventrites 1 about 1.5 × as long as ventrite 2 and about 0.7 × as long as ventrite 3, ventrite 4 longest before hypopygidium. Male hypopygidium transverse, about 1.3 × as long as ventrite 4 and subtruncate at apex.

Tibiae moderately stout, with rather short and moderately thick spurs and rounded outer subapical angle, narrower than antennal club, 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, subtruncate to widely rounded and almost not serrate at apex. Aedeagus moderately sclerotized. Tegmen somewhat more than 2.5 × as long as wide and slightly narrowed at widely rounded apex. Penis trunk much shorter than tegmen, about 2.0 × as long as wide, sharply narrowed at distal two thirds and acuminate at apex. Armature of inner sac of penis represented by diffuse small sclerotized granules concentrated in unclear formations looking like comparatively long paired clots; one pair of slightly curved spicula located at midlength of sac and small elongate and scarcely sclerotized sclerite at its end.

Female. Pygidium slightly shorter than wide, subtruncate and not serrate at apex. Female hypopygidium about 2.5 × as long as ventrite 1, subtruncate to very widely rounded at apex. Ovipositor slightly sclerotized and moderately narrow; its gonocoxites comprising almost 0.4 of entire length, lateral lobes slightly sclerotized and about 0.3 × as long as gonocoxites in general, outer outline of gonocoxites subrectilinear, moderately narrow apex with moderately long styli located subapically.

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

Distribution. Australia: QLD (type locality: “3 ½ mi. of Karrabah” and also “Jullaten”).

Notes on bionomy. This new species is known from rainforest.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Brachypeplus makarovi sp. nov., orig. Holotype, male and paratype, female from QLD (“Milli Scrub…”); 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.