Sternopriscus hansardii
Ordo: Coleoptera
Familia: Dytiscidae
Genus: Sternopriscus
Name
Sternopriscus hansardi (Clark, 1862)
Type locality
Australia.
Type material
S. hansardi: Lectotype: male, "Lectotype", "Type H.T.", "6756", "Hansardi CLARK Australia", "Hydroporus hansardi CLK Det. C. Watts 1974" (BMNH).
S. cervus: Holotype: male, "Dorrigo N. S. W Australia, W. Heron", "Museum of Comparative Zoology" (ANIC). - Paratypes: 4 male, "N.S.W. Cabbage-Tree Ck, Canberra-coast Rd, 19/8/65", "Paratype Sternopriscus cervus Det. C. Watts. 1974" (SAMA); 1 female, "20 m W. Nerrigo N.S.W. 1/68 C.W." (SAMA).
DNA Sequences
European Nucleotide Archive (ENA)
Description
Measurements: Males: TL = 3.40 - 3.64 mm, TL-H = 3.08 - 3.32 mm; width = 1.68 - 1.80 mm. Females: TL = 2.84 - 3.20 mm, TL-H = 2.48 - 2.88 mm; width = 1.56 - 1.70 mm.
Colour: A very variable species. Head black or yellowish (specimens from New South Wales), narrowly to broadly testaceous anteriorly; pronotum black, diffusely testaceous at sides and across middle to varying degrees; elytron black with basal, central, subapical and apical bands usually coalescing to varying degrees; ventral surface dark brown, appendages lighter, palpi evenly testaceous, centre of front portion of prothoracic process testaceous.
Sculpture: Sides of elytron weakly serrate. Pronotal plicae short, weakly impressed, reaching to a bit more than halfway along pronotum, area immediately inwards from plicae somewhat depressed. Strongly rugose-punctate, head less so, each puncture with a short seta. Prothoracic process robust, parallel-sided, rugose-punctate posteriorly, lightly punctate and shiny anteriorly, curved in lateral view, reaching metasternum. Midline of metasternum strongly raised in extreem front to meet pronotal process. Metacoxal lines strongly raised, reaching metasternum, strongly diverging in anterior two thirds.
Male: Larger. Segment 7 of antenna very greatly expanded, segments 8 and 11 strongly expanded, apical segment strongly enlarged. Apical segment of labial palpi enlarged, weakly bifid. Pro-and mesotrochanters with narrow transverse ridge near base. Protarsus not expanded; protibia robust, curved, with a bulge on ventral edge near base; profemur expanded with a small spine on anterior ventral edge near apex. Mesofemur with small peg-like protrubance on inside near base. Mesotarsus robust, elongate, weakly expanded; mesotibia nearly straight. Median lobe of aedeagus broad, tip moderately complex, but without short stout ventral finger-like extension; parameres broad, tips rounded with fringe of strong setae.
Female: Smaller. Appendages simple.
Affinities
A member of the S. hansardi group. It can be easliy separated from the other known species of the group by the distinctive raised sutural area, and the form of the male antenna.
Habitat
A rheobiotic species, which occurs mainly in permanent, cold, forest or mountain streams with a stony and/or sandy substrate.
Distribution
Southeastern coastal Australia, New South Wales (Watts 1978, Lawrence et al. 1987), Victoria and Tasmania.
References
- Hendrich, L.; Watts, C.H.S. 2004: Taxonomic revision of the Australian genus Sternopriscus Sharp, 1882 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Hydroporinae). Koleopterologische Rundschau, 74: 75–142.
