Sternopriscus montanus
Ordo: Coleoptera
Familia: Dytiscidae
Genus: Sternopriscus
Name
Sternopriscus montanus Watts, 1978
Type locality
Cradle Mountains, Tasmania.
Type material
Holotype [red marked on same card with 6 Paratypes]: male, "Cradle Mtn., Tasmania, Carter & Lea" (SAMA), "Holotype Sternopriscus montanus Det. C. Watts 1976" (SAMA). - Paratypes, 4 male and 26 female, same data as holotype (SAMA).
DNA Sequences
European Nucleotide Archive (ENA)
Description
Measurements: Males: TL = 2.44 - 2.52 mm, TL-H = 2.16 - 2.28 mm; width = 1.12 - 1.16 mm. Females: TL = 2.20 - 2.28 mm, TL-H = 1.92 - 2.08 mm; width = 1.08 - 1.12 mm.
Colour: Dark red to brown, parts of front of head, sides of pronotum, parts of elytron and parts of appendages lighter.
Sculpture: Strongly reticulate. Elytral margin weakly serrated towards apex. Pronotum and elytron covered with rather long setae. Head with relatively sparse rather shallow punctures, pronotum covered with strong, evenly placed punctures very rugose at sides, rest of body strongly rugose-punctate. Pronotal plicae well marked, reaching a little over half way along pronotum, joined by a shallow, narrow depression. Prothoracic process robust, subparallel, strongly rugose-punctate, not reaching metasternum. Metacoxal lines strongly raised, relatively close, diverging slightly towards front.
Male: Larger. Antennal segments 5 - 9 quite strongly expanded, particularly 6 and 7, apical rather elongate. Protarsus strongly expanded; profemur expanded with basal ridge on inside near base strongly developed; protibia moderately expanded, curved, with a slight excavation near base on inside. Basal three segments of mesotarsus moderately expanded. Median lobe of aedeagus broad, very thin apically, tip bilobed; paramere relatively thin.
Female: Smaller. Antenna short, robust, middle and apical segments a little expanded. Protarsus strongly expanded, basal segments of mesotarsus moderately expanded.
Affinities
A member of the S. meadfootii complex. Within the complex S. montanus has the most strongly expanded male antennae next to S. barbara, another Tasmanian endemic. Within the complex it is characterised by its relatively strong sculpture, broad male protarsi, dark head and pronotum and, in the male, the middle segments of the antenna more expanded than the apical and segment three of the antenna squat, not much longer than wide. In addition, females can also be recognised by their stout antennae and strongly expanded pro and mesotarsi.
Habitat
Open, small, shallow, peaty pools (Fig. 1) or embayments of larger lakes (Fig. 2), usually with bare silty substrates.
Distribution
Alpine lakes and peatland swamps of the Central Plateau of Tasmania.
Images
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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.
