Sciacharis (Magellanoconnus) carinifrons (Franz)

Jałoszyński, Paweł, 2014, Taxonomic notes on Australian species of Sciacharis (Magellanoconnus) (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae), Zootaxa 3884 (5), pp. 419-428 : 420-425

Sciacharis (Magellanoconnus) carinifrons (Franz)

( Figs. 1–20 )

Neuraphoconnus carinifrons Franz, 1975: 141 , fig. 116.

Sciacharis (Magellanoconnus) carinifrons (Franz) ; implied new combination resulted from placing Neuraphoconnus Franz as a junior synonym of Magellanoconnus Franz , a subgenus of Sciacharis Broun.

Magellanoconnus carinifrons (Franz) ; implied new status resulted from elevating Magellanoconnus to genus by Kuschel (1990), retained as subgenus by Franz (1993).

Neuraphoconnus kangarouanus Franz, 1975: 141 , fig. 117; syn. n.

Sciacharis (Magellanoconnus) kangarouana (Franz) ; implied new combination resulted from placing Neuraphoconnus Franz as a junior synonym of Magellanoconnus Franz , a subgenus of Sciacharis Broun.

Magellanoconnus kangarouanus (Franz) ; implied new status resulted from elevating Magellanoconnus to genus by Kuschel (1990), retained as subgenus by Franz (1993).

Type material. Holotype: AUSTRALIA: ♂, six labels ( Fig. 3 ): "Port Lincoln / Blackburn" [white, printed], " Neuraphoconnus " [white, handwritten], " Neuraphoconnus / carinifrons / m. / det. H. Franz" [white, handwritten and printed], " Typus " [red, handwritten], " SAMA Database / No. 25-037016" [white, printed], " SCIACHARIS / ( MAGELLANOCONNUS ) / carinifrons ( Franz, 1975) / det. P. Jałoszyński, '14" [white, printed] ( SAM).

Additional material studied: holotype of Neuraphoconnus kangarouanus , ♂, five labels ( Fig. 4 ): "Kangaroo Is. / J. G. O. Tepper" [greenish, printed], " Neuraphoconnus / kangarouanus / m. / det. H. Franz" [white, handwritten and printed], " Typus " [red, handwritten], " SAMA Database / No. 25-037019" [white, printed], " SCIACHARIS / ( MAGELLANOCONNUS ) / carinifrons ( Franz, 1975) / det. P. Jałoszyński, '14" [white, printed] ( SAM).

Revised diagnosis. This is the only Australian species of Magellanoconnus and can be identified on the basis of the V-shaped carina on the dorsum of head; the median longitudinal carina on the pronotum and structures of the aedeagus.

Redescription. Body of male ( Figs. 1–2 ) moderately convex, brown, covered with yellowish vestiture; BL 1.65–1.68 mm.

Head ( Figs. 1–2 , 5–6 ) broadest at eyes, HL 0.33 mm, HW 0.35–0.36 mm; divided by distinct constriction into large and nearly pentagonal anterior part and posterior 'neck region' retracted into prothorax. 'Neck region' broader than half width of vertex. Vertex ( Fig. 5 ; vt) and frons ( Fig. 5 ; fr) confluent and weakly convex, with a pair of narrow carinae extending from posteromesal margin of each supraantennal tubercle posteromesally and connecting just in front of posterior margin of vertex; tempora longer than eyes, distinctly but not strongly convergent posteriorly and near posterior third rapidly bent mesally at an obtuse angle; posterior margin of vertex with barely noticeable median expansion. Frontoclypeal groove absent. Eyes ( Fig. 5 ) located in anterior part of head and adjacent to antennal cavities, in lateral view bean-shaped, moderately large, distinctly protruding from head silhouette, moderately finely faceted. Punctures on frons and vertex small, sharply marked, separated by distances comparable to puncture diameters except for posterior portion of area between carinae, which is impunctate; setae on frons and major part of vertex short, sparse and suberect; tempora and posterior margin of vertex with dense thick bristles. Antennae ( Figs. 1–2 ) slender, gradually thickening distally, AnL 0.90 mm, all antennomeres elongate.

Gular plate ( Fig. 6 ; gp) large, with superficial gular sutures ( Fig. 6 ; gs), not demarcated anteriorly. Posterior tentorial pits ( Fig. 6 ; ptp) elongate and exposed, located in front of transverse impression demarcating 'neck region' ventrally. Hypostomal ridges ( Fig. 6 ; hr) long and distinctly raised, extending almost to posterior tentorial pits, slightly recurved.

Labium ( Fig. 6 ) with transverse submentum ( Fig. 6 ; smn) not demarcated laterally from postcardinal portions of hypostomae; mentum ( Fig. 6 ; mn) indistinctly trapezoidal; prementum short, inconspicuous. Labial palpi ( Fig. 6 ; lp) with moderately broadly separated bases, long, composed of 3 palpomeres, of which palpomere II is largest. Each maxilla with short and broad cardo ( Fig. 6 ; cd), triangular basistipes ( Fig. 6 ; bst), broad mediostipes ( Fig. 6 ; mst), elongate palpifer ( Fig. 6 ; ppf), elongate galea ( Fig. 6 ; gal) and lacinia ( Fig. 6 ; lac) and moderately long maxillary palpus ( Fig. 6 ; mxp) composed of small and elongated palpomere I, long, curved and broadening distally palpomere II, broad and long palpomere III broadest slightly distally to middle, and elongate, subconical palpomere IV. Mandibles ( Fig. 6 ; md) subtriangular, each with long and sharp apical tooth and small subapical tooth; mesal margins in studied specimen not visible.

Pronotum ( Figs. 1–2 , 7 ) bell-shaped, broadest near anterior fourth; PL 0.38 mm, PW 0.38 mm. Anterior margin nearly straight; anterior corners well-marked but obtuse and blunt; sides rounded and convex in anterior third, concave in posterior third; posterior corners distinct but obtuse and with rounded tip; posterior margin bisinuate. Pronotum with median longitudinal carina ( Fig. 7 ; mc) sharply marked near pronotal base and becoming gradually less distinct anteriorly; antebasal transverse impressions ( Fig. 7 ; abi) shallow and with diffused margins but distinct, each with barely noticeable small antebasal pit ( Fig. 7 ; abp); sides with distinct sublateral carinae ( Fig. 7 ; slc) extending from base to middle of pronotal length, and with sharp lateral carinae ( Fig. 7 ; lc) or edges in posterior half; additionally each side of pronotum with small lateral pit ( Fig. 7 ; lp) visible in dorsal view. Punctures on pronotal disc similar to those on frons and vertex but less evenly distributed, leaving broad median area along longitudinal carina nearly impunctate; setae on pronotum in studied specimens preserved only on sides, where they are obscured by moderately long but dense erect bristles.

Prosternum ( Fig. 8 ) with long basisternal part ( Fig. 8 ; bst) demarcated from procoxal cavities ( Fig. 8 ; pcc) by indistinct bisinuate setose carina; pronotosternal sutures ( Fig. 8 ; nss) complete; median area between procoxal cavities with feebly marked longitudinal expansion not separating procoxae. Prothoracic hypomera large, divided into large lateral parts posteriorly demarcated from pronotal disc by lateral carinae and anteriorly confluent with pronotum, and elongate internal (adcoxal) parts demarcated by nearly complete hypomeral ridges ( Fig. 8 ; hyr) interrupted near middle of prosternal length. Lateral parts of hypomera covered with dense bristles.

Mesoventrite ( Figs. 9–10 ) transverse, with broad anterior ridge ( Figs. 9–10 ; ar) and narrow concave procoxal rests ( Figs. 9–10 ; pcr) with marginal fringe of short and sparse setae, but asetose in middle and separated by posteromedian projection of anterior ridge; mesoventral intercoxal process ( Figs. 9–10 ; msvp) developed as moderatelly narrow, parallel-sided carina between mesocoxae, moderately expanding ventrally and anteriorly not connected with posteromedian projection of anterior ridge; large median part of mesoventrite convex and finely setose. Mesocoxal sockets ( Figs. 9–10 ; mscs) located on mesoventral surfaces of prominent mesocoxal projections ( Figs. 9–10 ; mcp) and visible in ventral view; mesocoxal projections without protruding posterior lobes; mesanepisterna ( Figs. 9–10 ; aest2) partly exposed in ventral view. Mesoventrite with relatively shallow ventrolateral ( Fig. 10 ; vlf) and dorsolateral ( Fig. 10 ; dlf) foveae.

Elytra ( Figs. 1–2 ) oval, broadest distinctly anterior to middle; EL 0.95–0.98 mm, EW 0.73 mm, EI 1.31–1.34; humeral calli distinct and elongate; elytral apices separately rounded. Base of each elytron with two distinct, moderately large but deep and asetose foveae. Punctures on elytra much sparser and less distinct than those on head and pronotum, with diffused margins, separated by spaces 3× their diameter; setae sparse, short and suberect.

Metaventrite ( Fig. 9 ) subtrapezoidal, anteriorly fused to mesoventrite, without anterior metaventral process, posteriorly shallowly sinuate on sides and with broad and short metaventral intercoxal process ( Fig. 9 ; mtvp) with slightly concave posterior margin. Metendosternite (metafurca) with short and broad stalk and long divergent lateral metafurcal arms ( Fig. 9 ; lmfa). Metanepisterna ( Fig. 9 ; aest3) and metepimera ( Fig. 9 ; epm3) narrow. Hind wings well developed.

Legs ( Figs. 1–2 , 11 ) moderately long and slender; protrochanters ( Fig. 11 ) with angulate medioventral expansion; protibiae ( Fig. 11 ) with short apical portion strongly bent inwards.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 12–19 ) stout; AeL 0.38 mm; median lobe with separate ventral and dorsal apical portions; internal armature strongly asymmetrical, composed of several complicated darkly sclerotized components, including two bunches of needle-like sclerites well-visible in lateral view; parameres slender and with 2–4 apical setae of various lengths.

Female. Not studied.

Distribution. South Australia ( Fig. 20 ) and Victoria (see Remarks).

Remarks. The holotypes of Neuraphoconnus carinifrons and N. kangarouanus were collected in South Australia; a single known paratype of N. carinifrons (not studied) was reported to come from Victoria, without precise locality ( Franz 1975).

Franz (1975) distinguished Neuraphoconnus carinifrons and N. kangarouanus on the basis of respectively presence and absence of V-shaped carinae on the head, different length of antennae and structure of the aedeagus. Both holotypes were covered with greasy dirt and mounted in such a way that comparisons were not possible. After relaxing and remounting it turned out that the carinae on the head are present in both specimens and measurements revealed no difference in the length of antennae. Proportions and shapes of all body parts, distribution of punctures, setae and bristles were found nearly identical in both specimens. The aedeagi, illustrated by Franz (1975) as clearly different, in fact are very similar. The source of differences observed by Franz is a different condition of the distal ostium, closed in the holotype of N. carinifrons , and open in N. kangarouanus . This caused the ventral apical portion of the median lobe to be largely hidden in ventral view in the former specimen, while it is largely exposed in the latter. The structure and arrangement of a complex and asymmetrical internal armature in both specimens is nearly identical, with differences clearly resulting from the closed and open ostium. Therefore, the names N. carinifrons and N. kangarouanus are here treated as synonyms, and the precedence is given to N. carinifrons .

Figures

FIGURE 20. Distribution of Sciacharis carinifrons (Franz).

FIGURES 1 – 4. Morphology (1 – 2) and original set of labels (3 – 4) of the holotype of Sciacharis carinifrons (Franz) (1, 3) and Sciacharis kangarouana (Franz) (2, 4).

FIGURES 5 – 6. Morphology of Sciacharis carinifrons (Franz). Head in dorsal (5) and ventral (6) views. Abbreviations: bst, basistipes; cd, cardo; cl, clypeus; fo, foramen occipitale; fr, frons; gal, galea; gp, gular plate; gs, gular suture; hr, hypostomal ridge; lac, lacinia; lp, labial palpus; md, mandible; mn, mentum; mst, mediostipes; mxp, maxillary palpus; occ, occipital constriction; ocp, occiput; ppf, palpifer; ptp, posterior tentorial pit; smn, submentum; stb, supraantennal tubercle; vt, vertex.

FIGURES 7 – 8. Morphology of Sciacharis carinifrons (Franz). Prothorax in dorsal (7) and ventral (8) views. Abbreviations: abi, antebasal impression; abp, antebasal pit; bst, basisternal part of prosternum; hy, hypomeron; hyr, hypomeral ridge; lc, lateral carina; lp, lateral pit; mc, median carina; nss, pronotosternal suture; pcc, procoxal cavity; pcs, procoxal socket; pff, profurcal fovea; slc, sublateral carina.

FIGURES 9 – 11. Morphology of Sciacharis carinifrons (Franz). Pterothorax in ventral view (setae on metaventrite largely omitted) (9); mesoventrite in ventral view (setae omitted) (10); left coxa, femur and tibia in posterior view (11). Abbreviations: aest 2, mesanepisternum; aest 3, metanepisternum; ar, anterior ridge; dlf, dorsolateral fovea; epm 3, metepimeron; lmfa, lateral metafurcal arm; mcp, mesocoxal projection; mscc, mesocoxal cavity; mscs, mesocoxal socket; msff, mesofurcal fovea; msvp, mesoventral process; mtvp, metaventral process; pcr, procoxal rest; v 3, metaventrite; vlf, ventrolateral fovea.

FIGURES 12 – 15. Aedeagus of holotypes of Sciacharis carinifrons (Franz) (12 – 13) and Sciacharis kangarouana (Franz) (14 – 15) in ventral (12, 14) and lateral (13, 15) views.

FIGURES 16 – 19. Aedeagus of holotypes of Sciacharis carinifrons (Franz) (16 – 17) and Sciacharis kangarouana (Franz) (18 – 19) in ventral (16, 18) and lateral (17, 19) views.