Sternopriscus eikei
Ordo: Coleoptera
Familia: Dytiscidae
Genus: Sternopriscus
Name
Sternopriscus eikei Hendrich & Watts, 2007
Type locality
Peat land pond, 5 km south of Northcliffe, southwestern Australia.
Type material
Holotype: male, "AUSTRALIA / WA: 5 km S Northcliffe, 50 m 2.1.2000, Hendrich leg. (loc.10a/156)" (WAM). Paratypes: 4 females with the same data as holotype (1 ex. in WAM, 1 ex. in SAMA, 2 exs. in CLH); 1 female, "AUSTRALIA / WA: D´Entrecasteaux N.P., 15 km S Northcliffe, Windy Harbour Road, 50 m, 3.1.2000, Hendrich leg. (Loc. 10c/156)" (CLH), 1 male, "AUSTRALIA / WA: D´Entrecasteaux N.P., 15 km S Northcliffe, Windy Harbour Road, 50 m, 3.1.2000, Hendrich leg. (Loc. 10b/156)" (CLH).
DNA Sequences
European Nucleotide Archive (ENA)
Description
Measurements: Holotype, male: TL = 3.0 mm, TL-H = 2.8 mm; width = 1.5 mm. Paratypes, males: TL = 3.1 mm, TL-H = 2.9 mm; width = 1.6 mm; females: TL = 2.8 – 3.0 mm, TL-H = 2.5 – 2.7 mm; width = 1.5 – 1.7 mm.
Colour: Head testaceous, hind angles and around eyes brown; pronotum pale testaceous, base with distinct dark brownish marking in middle; elytron diffusely mottled testaceous and brown; ventral surface brown with darker and lighter patches, appendages lighter except segments 9 - 10 of antenna which are darker.
Sculpture: Reticulate. Punctures on head well marked, of small size and density, rest of body moderately strongly rugose-punctate. Pronotal plicae almost straight, well marked, reaching to about half way along pronotum. Midline of metasternum strongly keeled but not raised in front to meet prothoracic process. Prothoracic process robust, subparallel, strongly rugose-punctate, not keeled, weakly curved in lateral view and not reaching metasternum. Metacoxal lines raised to metasternum, weakly diverging towards front.
Male: Larger. Antennal segments 7 and 8 strongly and broadly expanded, segments 5 and 6 progressively less so, segments 1 - 3 and 9 - 10 same length, apical segment moderately enlarged but longer than penultimate. Apical segment of labial palpus thick, moderately bifid. Basal three segments of protarsus very moderately expanded; protibia weakly notched near base; profemur with small spines in middle and weakly notched at apex. Mesotarsi clearly expanded; mesotibia almost straight; mesofemur elongate without setae along inner edges. Median lobe of aedeagus elongate, very thin and simple, not expanded in ventral view but strongly enlarged in lateral view at tip.
Female: Smaller. Appendages simple, segments of antennae lighter except segments 5-7 and 11 which are darker towards apex, labial palpus weaker.
Affinities
A south-western Australian species with broadly flanged elytra, similar to S. marginatus Watts, 1978 but readily separable by its more elongate body, paler testaceous colour of dorsal surface, form of the median lobe and more strongly modified male antennae.
Habitat
Most specimens were collected in a peat swamp surrounded by Melaleuca trees (loc. 10a), with dark humic and slightly acidic water (pH 6.0). The whole area is seasonally flooded with a permanent central water body of approximately 200 sqm in summer. The vegetation was dominated by large stands of Juncus L. and dense beds of macrophytes dominated by Triglochin L. and Callitriche L.; depth was up to 40 cm; the bottom was consisting of sedge-filled peat, twigs and rotten leaves. A single male was obtained from shallow and half-shaded pools in a Melaleuca blackwater swamp (loc. 10b), with a few clumps of Juncus spp. and extensive beds of macrophytes; depth was up to 20 cm; the bottom consisted of sedge-filled peat (pH 5.5), twigs and rotten leaves. One female was collected from a shallow (up to 60 cm depth) pond (10 sqm) (loc. 10c) without any vegetation, partly shaded by old Eucalypt forest and a bottom consisting of sand with a thin layer of rotten leaves.
Etymology
Dedicated to the senior author’s father Eike Hendrich.
Distribution
Southwestern Australia. Known only from summer-dry peat lands south of Northcliffe. A detailed map of the localities sampled is given in Hendrich (2001).
Images
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References
- Hendrich, L.; Watts, C.H.S. 2007: Update of Australian Sternopriscus Sharp, 1882 with description of three new species (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Hydroporinae). Koleopterologische Rundschau, 77: 49–59.
