Paraneseuthia dilatifurculata, Jałoszyński, Paweł, 2013

Jałoszyński, Paweł, 2013, Three new species of Paraneseuthia Franz from Australia (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae), Zootaxa 3702 (6), pp. 566-572 : 569-570

Paraneseuthia dilatifurculata sp. n.

( Figs. 2, 4 , 7–8 )

Type material. Holotype: AUSTRALIA (QUEENSLAND): ♂, three labels: " 11.45S 142.35E QLD / Heathlands 26Jan. - / 29Feb. 1992 P.Feehney / MALAISE #2 dump / open forest" [white, printed], "Aust. Nat. / Ins. Coll." [green, printed], " PARANESEUTHIA / dilatifurculata m. / det. P. Jałoszyński, '13 / HOLOTYPUS " [red, printed] ( ANIC). Paratype: ♀, three labels: " 11.39S 142.27E QLD / Cockatoo Ck. Xing / 17km NW Heathlands / 20Oct- 21Nov.1992 / P.Zborowski,A.Calder / MALAISE #5 open forest" [white, printed],], " PARANESEUTHIA / dilatifurculata m. \ det. P. Jałoszyński, '13 / PARATYPUS " [yellow, printed] (cPJ).

Diagnosis. Aedeagus in ventral view strongly narrowing from middle to apex; with long subapical lobes, each bearing long seta; with long and slender lateral apical projections, each asetose and distinctly broadening distally.

Description. BL 0.76 mm. Body of male ( Fig. 2 ) moderately convex, dark brown, covered with vestiture slightly lighter than cuticle.

Head broad in relation to pronotum (PW/HW 1.43), broadest across the large and strongly convex eyes, HL 0.11 mm, HW 0.18 mm; vertex weakly convex; frons flattened and with a pair of shallow but distinct circular pits between eyes; supraantennal tubercles indistinct. Punctures on vertex and frons inconspicuous, fine and sparse; setae sparse and short, suberect. Antennae slender, AnL 0.30 mm, antennomeres I–II elongate, III–V as long as broad, VI–VIII slightly transverse, IX–X strongly transverse; XI about as long as IX–X together.

Pronotum semi-oval, broadest near base, distinctly broader than long; PL 0.20 mm, PW 0.25 mm; anterior margin weakly and evenly rounded; lateral margins strongly rounded in anterior half and weakly rounded in posterior third; posterior pronotal corners distinctly obtuse and blunt; posterior margin distinctly arcuate with short and shallow emargination in front of mesoscutellum; base with shallow but distinct transverse impression connected at each side with a distinct and nearly circular sublateral pit, lateral pits distinct and elongate, located anterolaterally in relation to sublateral pits. Punctures on pronotal disc fine and sparse; setae sparse but relatively long, suberect.

Elytra oval, broadest near middle; EL 0.45 mm, EW 0.31 mm, EI 1.44; humeral calli prominent, elongate. Punctures on elytral disc slightly more distinct than those on pronotum, small and shallow but obvious, separated by spaces subequal to puncture diameters; setae similar to those on pronotum, sparse, long and suberect. Hind wings well developed.

Legs moderately long and slender, unmodified.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 6–7 ) elongate; AeL 0.18 mm; in ventral view median lobe slightly asymmetrical in basal part and strongly narrowing distally; ventral membranous area ( Fig. 7 ; vma) small, circular and distant from base; lateral subapical lobes ( Fig. 7 ; lsl) present and elongate, each bearing single long apical seta; lateral apical projections ( Fig. 7 ; lap) present, symmetrical, flexible and prone to distortions, each slender and with distinctly broadened apical part, without setae; assemblage of median apical projections ( Fig. 7 ; map) symmetrical, composed of lateral pair of elongate sclerites and median copulatory piece; parameres slender, each with very long apical and shorter subapical seta.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Australia, Far North Queensland (Cape York) ( Fig. 4 b).

Etymology. The specific epithet, dilatifurculata , refers to the expanded lateral apical projections of the aedeagus, after Latin dilato (to spread out, extend) and furcula (forks).

Remarks. The aedeagus of P. dilatifurculata resembles that of sympatric P. angustifurculata , a species that also occurs on the Cape York ( Fig. 4 ). However, the shape of the median lobe and lateral apical projections are clearly different in these apparently closely related species. Interestingly, these otherwise similar aedeagi remarkably differ in the placement of the long sensory setae: on lateral subapical lobes in P. dilatifurculata , and on external margins of lateral apical projections in P. angustifurculata . No other known species of Paraneseuthia has the aedeagus with such extremely long, slender and flexible lateral apical projections as these two Australian members of this genus.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Habitus of holotype males (1 – 3) and distribution of Paraneseuthia in Australia (4), filled circles ― described species, empty circles ― undescribed species known from females only. Paraneseuthia bernierana sp. n. (1, 4 a); P. dilatifurculata sp. n. (2, 4 b); P. angustifurculata (3, 4 c); P. carltoni Jałoszyński, 2011 (4 d); and P. booloumba Jałoszyński, 2011 (4 e).

FIGURES 5 – 10. Aedeagus in ventral (5, 7, 9) and lateral (6, 8, 10) views. Paraneseuthia bernierana sp. n. (5 – 6); P. dilatifurculata sp. n. (7 – 8); P. angustifurculata (9 – 10). Abbreviations: lap, lateral apical projection; lsl, lateral subapical lobe; map, median apical projection; vma, ventral membranous area.