Sternopriscus wallumphilia
Ordo: Coleoptera
Familia: Dytiscidae
Genus: Sternopriscus
Name
Sternopriscus wallumphilia Hendrich & Watts, 2004
Type locality
Intermittent heathland creek, Glasshouse Mts., Queensland, Australia.
Type material
Holotype: male, "Qld. Glasshouse Mts. 26 53 12S, 153 00 36E C. Marshall 6/7/2000" (SAMA). – Paratypes: 3 female, 1 male, same data as holotype (CLH, SAMA, QM).
DNA Sequences
European Nucleotide Archive (ENA)
Description
Measurements: Holotype, male: TL = 3.90 mm, TL-H = 3.65 mm; width = 2.10 mm. Paratypes, female: 3.00 - 3.25 mm, TL-H = 2.6 - 2.8 mm; width = 1.50 -1.75 mm.
Colour: Head blackish, with anterior area reddish. Pronotum dark brown to black with central band across whole width testaceous, band undulating in thickness. Elytron dark brown to black with two subbasal, two central and two apical testaceous spots. The degree of colour pattern, particularly on elytra variable from virtually evenly dark brown to quite strongly marked. Ventral surface dark testaceous with appendages lighter. Antenna with segments 4 - 9 and apical slightly darker. Palpi with pale tips.
Sculpture: Prosternum moderately reticulate, closely and evenly punctate, punctures relatively weak for Sternopriscus. Pronotal plica obsolete, only traceable in certain lights. Elytral edge weakly serrate, narrowly but quite noticeable flanged in apical half, apex acuminate. Pronotal process narrow between procoxae then widening in front of them before narrowing to rounded tip, apical portion keeled, flat in lateral view, just reaching metasternum. Midline of metasternum weakly raised in front; metacoxal lines raised, reaching mesosternum, moderately separated, weakly diverging in front half.
Male: Larger. Antennal segments 4, 5 and 6 short, 7 greatly expanded, and segments 10 and 11 wide, longer than segments 8 and 9. Segment 7 strongly concave beneath. Apical segment of labial palpus moderately expanded, moderately bifid. Pro-and mesotrochanters with thin ridge towards apex. Protarsus moderately expanded; protibia narrow, bent near base; profemur with small spine on front edge at extreme apex. Mesotarsi with basal three segments elongate, weakly asymmetrically expanded; mesofemur with small but well marked protuberance at base on inside. Tip of median lobe of aedeagus; without ventral finger-like projection.
Female: Smaller. Appendages simple; protarsus moderately expanded, symmetrical; basal segment of mesotarsus moderately expanded, other segments relatively thin.
Affinities
A member of the S. hansardi group. A very large species (TL = 3.25 - 3.90 mm), palpi with dark tips, dark ventral surface, pronotal plicae obsolete, segments 7 and 8 of male antenna similar in form, apical segment of male antenna with small protuberance near apex, small spine on inside of male profemur atop a small but prominent protuberance near apex.
Habitat
The only known specimens were found in a creek in a remnant of Wallum Heath. The area includes a number of rare and threatened heath plants, three frog species and two fish species which are restricted to sandy acid-water habitats in southeastern Queensland and northern New South Wales. The creek is essentially a series of water holes (Fig. 1) that are only connected when spates flow. The water is very dark stained, extremely soft and acidic (pH 4.5). The bed is sand. Macrophytes present were Lepironia articulata (emergent reed) and Bactrachospermum sp. (brown alga) (Chris Marhall pers. com.). The species cooccurs with Sternopriscus weiri.
Etymology
A reference to the species presumed fondness for Wallum Heath.
Distribution
Only known from the type locality in south Queensland.
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.
