Macrolema metallica (Lea)

Reid, C. A. M. & Beatson, M., 2010, 2486, Zootaxa 2486, pp. 1-60 : 20-22

Macrolema metallica (Lea)

( Figs 10, 26, 39, 52, 63, 73, 87, 95, 105, 120, 132)

Macragonus [sic] metallicus Lea 1922: 282

Macrolema metallica: Reid 2000: 862

Material examined

Types: Holotype: female: / metallicus Lea type Queensland / Macrogonus metallicus Lea Queensland type/ [ SAM]; paratype: male: /Kuranda N. Queendland G. E. Bryant 15.xi.1909 / cotype/ Macrogonus metallicus Lea Queensland cotype/ [ BMNH].

Non-types (15): Queensland: male: / Bellenden Mtns N. Queensland / Jacoby coll 1909-28a/ [ BMNH]; female: / Innisfail, L Froggatt / [ QMB]; female: / NEQ, 17:06S 145:36E, Kauri Ck , Lamb Range , rainfor., 1190m, 27.xi.1998, G. Monteith, P. Bouchard & A. O’Toole 1960/ [ QMB]; female: / 17:17S 145:38 E Lake Eacham NP , at light, 11.ii.1998, T . Weir / [ ANIC]; male: / Mt Fisher SF, Millaa Millaa , N Qld, 10.xi.1979, A & M Walford-Huggins / [ ANIC]; female: / Mt Lewis N Qld 1.xi.1976, A & M Walford-Huggins / [ ANIC]; male: / Mt Lewis Rd , NQ, 3000’, at light, 30.x.1966, E. Britton / compared with holotype / [ ANIC]; male: / Mt Spec Nat Pk , via Paluma, NQ, 7.xi.1969, T . Weir / [ UQB]; female: / Polly Ck, Garradunga, NQ, 20.xii.1999, J. Hasenpusch / [ AMS]; male: /17: 07.0S 145: 37.7 E Robson Ck Atherton, canopy light trap, LC-3, 16.i.1996, R . L. Kitching / [ AMS]; 3 males, 2 females : / S Johnstone R ., Queensland H. W. Brown / [ AMS]; female: /no locality label S. R . E. Brock collection, donated to ANIC 1987 / [ ANIC] .

Description

Length: males 9.5–11mm, females 11–13mm; body moderately convex in profile, length c.3x height. Body and appendages yellowish-brown except (i) labrum yellow; (ii) disc of pronotum, elytra except epipleural margins, tarsi, dark brown with metallic green reflection; (iii) tibiae (with or without metallic reflection) and first antennomere dark red; (iv) antennomeres 2–11 black with purplish-blue reflection.

Head ( Figs 10, 26): head puncturation variable, frontoclypeus finely and sparsely to closely punctured, vague band of stronger punctures between eyes, vertex mostly sparsely punctured; depressed between eyes, with two deep grooves, groove on midline of vertex absent, shallow or deep; eyes separated by c.3.5x eye widths (male) or c.4.5x eye widths (female); gena c.0.30–0.35x eye lengths (both sexes); antennae c.4.5x socket diameters apart; antennae c. 0.75x body length (male), or c. 0.6x body length (female); all antennomeres elongate: 2 shortest (c.0.5x first), <1=3=4, <5, <6=8=9=10, <7=11 (male), female similar but 5=6=8=9=10; labrum not densely setose, with 2–3 pairs of prominent setae; apical maxillary palpomere elongate, almost cylindrical in male, more fusiform in female, preapical palpomere as long as apical.

Thorax ( Figs 10, 39, 52): pronotal puncturation variable in size and density, sparsely and strongly punctured at sides, base, midline and hypomeron, more diffusely on anterior half of disc, shining, with scattered distinct micropunctures between macropunctures; pronotal width 1.6x length, with strongly developed convex lateral lobes at middle; pronotal disc with pair of deep, but often small in diameter, lateral depressions, with or without shallow basal depression; anterior margination complete or effaced only at midline; hypomeron strongly punctate; prosternal process narrow and strongly arched from base to elevated and slightly triangular apex; scutellum impunctate, elongate-triangular with blunt apex; elytron with 2–3 irregularly shaped deep depressions on basal half of disc, one on striae 4–5, and 2 on striae 6–9; elytral punctures fine and shallow in basal half, evanescent towards apex; elytra partly striate, with striae 1–5 regular and 6–9 partially obliterated by deep elytral depressions, with minute interstrial punctures; 1–2 deep irregular depressions along basal half of elytron adjacent to epipleuron; upper margin epipleuron reaching base of elytron, but not continued on basal edge; mesoventrite median process strongly arched to truncate apex; metaventrite shining and sparsely and minutely punctured, anterior with median depression and interrupted margination, edge pitted lateral to middle; metepisternum microreticulate, finely punctured; 1 short spur on protibia, 2 on remainder.

Abdomen ( Figs 63, 73, 87, 95, 105, 120): ventrites I and II entirely fused; ventrites I– V smooth and shining, not microreticulate, finely and sparsely punctured and pubescent throughout, setae not in distinct bands; ventrite I laterally keeled along basal ½–2/3, second ventrite with minute basal keel, ventrites III– V without keels; apex ventrite V shallowly convex in both sexes; sternite VIII of male Y-shaped; apex penis shallowly concave in dorsal view, tip straight and acute in lateral view; female sternite VIII with elongate basal apodeme, expanded to apex; gonocoxite distinctly setose; spermatheca falcate, with densely coiled duct.

Notes

Lea misidentified the sex of the holotype as a male.

Macrolema metallica is a widespread species in the rainforests of north Queensland, from Innisfail to Mount Lewis, 120km north ( Fig. 132). Found at all elevations from 10–1190m. 17 specimens have been collected, from October to February, but mostly in November. This species has been collected at light .

The single unlabelled female from the Brock collection lacks antennae and palpi. It differs from all other material of M. metallica by: purplish-red reflection on elytra and pronotum, tibiae almost black, eyes closer, pronotal lateral lobes smaller, elytral punctures finer. We prefer to treat this as an unusual specimen of M. metallica , pending further material.