Sternopriscus storeyi
Ordo: Coleoptera
Familia: Dytiscidae
Genus: Sternopriscus
Name
Sternopriscus storeyi Hendrich & Watts, 2004
Type locality
Melaleuca peatland swamp, Byenup Lagoon, Manjimup, southwestern Australia.
Type material
Holotype: male, "N end Byenup Lagoon E of Manjimup WA 17/10/97 A W Storey" (WAM). - Paratypes: 4 exs. with the same data as holotype (SAMA, WAM); 6 exs., "Nalyerin Lake WA J.McRae 8.10.97" (CLH, WAM); 23 exs., "Albany, 3 km ENE Manypeaks, Lake Pleasant Nature Reserve, 7.1.2000, 34°49'S 118°10'E, Hendrich leg. Loc. WA 13/159" (CLH, NMW); 4 exs., "Albany Hwy, Muir Lakes Nature Reserve, SW part of Byenup Lagoon, 4.- 5.1.2000, 34°29'S 116°44'E, Hendrich leg. Loc. WA 11/157" (CLH); 5 exs. "WA Lake Pleasant View 17/9/00 C.H.S.Watts" (SAMA); 1 ex. "WA Nalyerin Lake 22/9/00 C.H.S.Watts" (SAMA).
DNA Sequences
European Nucleotide Archive (ENA)
Description
Measurements: Holotype, male: TL = 2.04 mm, TL-H = 1.76 mm; width = 0.96 mm. Paratypes, males: TL = 1.94 - 2.04 mm, TL-H = 1.68 - 1.76 mm; width = 0.92 - 0.96 mm; females: 1.82 - 1.92 mm, TL-H = 1.64 - 1.72 mm; width = 0.92 - 0.96 mm.
Colour: Head dark brown, central region from bases of antennae to rear margin lighter; pronotum dark testaceous, diffusely darker on disc; elytron dark brown with vague lighter areas particularly laterally; ventral surface testaceous, appendages lighter, tips of palpi dark, antennal segments 4 - 6 and apical sometimes darker.
Sculpture: Strongly reticulate, punctures relatively large, smaller on head. Pronotal plicae well marked, reaching to about half way along pronotum, setae on pronotum and elytron moderately developed. Pronotal process thin, sides subparallel, rugose-punctate, tip blunt, not reaching metasternum. Midline of mesosternum strongly raised in front; metacoxal lines raised, weakly diverging in posterior quarter, less strongly so in anterior quarter.
Male: Larger. Antennal segments 5 - 8 progressively wider, segment 9 same length or a little smaller and a little narrower than segment 8, segment 10 a little longer than segment 6, apical segment as wide as segment 10 and 1.5x as long. Protarsus quite strongly enlarged; protibia bent near base. Mesotarsi with basal three segments moderately enlarged. Median lobe of aedeagus narrow, tip simple tip quite broad in lateral view.
Female: Smaller. Antennal segments 5 - 11 weakly enlarged; protarsus moderately enlarged; basal segment of mesotarsus weakly enlarged; sides of pronotum weakly sinuate.
Affinities
Southwestern endemic, very small (TL = 1.9 - 2.5 mm), pronotal plicae well developed and connected by depression, without clear dorsal colour pattern, male with antennal segments 5, 6 and 7 most enlarged, segment 6 greater than segment 9, medial lobe of aedeagus simple. Possibly a member of the S. tarsalis complex. Immature females can be confused with S. minimus with has two well separated yellowish spots on head whereas S. storeyi has the central region of head from bases of antennae to rear margin yellow.
Habitat
An acidophilic species. At Manypeaks collected in a shallow, temporary or semi-permanent, summerdry and exposed peatland sedge swam (Fig. 1). Depth up to 20 cm. Bottom consisted of peat and rotten sedges. At Byenup Lagoon all specimens were collected in shallow water (up to 10 cm) of a freshwater Melaleuca rhaphophylla sedge swamp. Rich in aquatic vegetation (e.g. Baumea articulata, Montia australasica, Utricularia sp.) and mats of floating grasses. The area is surrounded by Jarrah/Marri woodland (HENDRICH 2001a,b).
Etymology
Named after Andrew Storey who first brought the species to our attention.
Distribution
Southwestern coastal Australia, Western Australia. A species only known from the most humid parts of southwestern Australia.
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.
