Sternopriscus wehnckei
Ordo: Coleoptera
Familia: Dytiscidae
Genus: Sternopriscus
Name
Sternopriscus wehnckei Sharp, 1882
Type locality
Australia
Type material
Lectotype: male, "Sternopriscus wehnckei male Type D.S. Australia", "Lectotype","Type", "Australia", "Australia", "Sharp Coll. 1905-313","Sternopriscus wehnckei Sharp Det. Watts 1979" (BMNH). - Paralectotype: 1 female, "Sternopriscus wehnckei Types D.S. Australia", "Paralectotype","Type", "Australia", "Sharp Coll. 1905-313","Sternopriscus wehnckei Sharp Det. Watts 1979" (BMNH).
DNA Sequences
European Nucleotide Archive (ENA)
Description
Measurements: Males: TL = 2.60 - 2.80 mm, TL-H = 2.32 - 2.60 mm; width = 1.24 - 1.36 mm. Females: TL = 2.44 - 2.52 mm, TL-H = 2.12 - 2.20 mm; width = 1.20 - 1.28 mm.
Colour: Head testaceous, areas inwards from eyes and along rear edge dark red-brown to varying degrees, occasionally completely testaceous; pronotum dark brown to black, broadly testaceous at sides; elytron variegated dark brown and testaceous; ventral surface dark brown to black, prosternum and appendages lighter, middle and apical segments of antenna darker, metatarsus with darker bands.
Sculpture: Elytral margin weakly serrated. Pronotal plicae with well marked, reaching to about half way along pronotum, joined by a moderate depression. Strongly reticulate. Head with numerous rather shallow punctures, rest of body closely and strongly punctate. Prothoracic process robust, subparallel, strongly rugose-punctate, not or only just reaching metasternum. Midline of metasternum raised in front; metacoxal lines strongly raised, well separated, weakly diverging towards front.
Male: Larger. Antenna stout, segments progressively more expanded towards apex, apical segment largest, inner edge straight, outer a smooth arc. Protarsus moderately expanded; protibia expanded, curved with a small but well marked excavation on inside near base; profemur with a strong, short ridge on inside at base. Mesotarsus robust moderately elongate; mesotibia a little curved; mesofemur elongate. Median lobe of aedeagus simple, bluntly pointed, strongly bulbous apically.
Female: Smaller. Antenna simple; basal segments of protarsus moderately expanded, mesotarsus rather less so.
Affinities
A member of the S. tasmanicus complex. From S. alpinus it can be separated by its lighter coloured head and pronotum and bulbous apical portion of the medial lobe of the aedeagus. From S. tasmanicus it differs only in the more rounded apex to the apical segment of the male antenna. We have been unable to separate females from S. tasmanicus, S. tarsalis, S. meadfootii or S. mundanus.
Habitat
Open pools and man-made dams, edges of creeks and rivers. Perhaps found more often in running water than other species in the S. tarsalis group.
Distribution
Southeastern and northeastern coastal Australia, southern Gulfs, Murray-Darling basin, South Australia, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland (Watts 1978, Lawrence et al. 1987).
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.
