Aphanocephalus slipinskii, Szawaryn, 2025

Aphanocephalus slipinskii sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:129EFEFF-24F4-42E8-8AF7-7448F3A05516

( Figs 9H, I View FIGURE 9 , 14D–F View FIGURE 14 , 15H View FIGURE 15 )

Material examined. Type material.

Holotype. NEW SOUTH WALES: male, "NSW; Crown Res: 0.9km along road to Woolomin rubbish tip; 100m E of road 31:18:5 151:9:20; 24-Nov-2001 to 15-Dec-2001: L. Wilkie, H. Doherty, H. Smith & M. Elliott;

NDNW1/057/02 (pit trap)" ( AMS). Paratypes. NEW SOUTH WALES: "NSW: Attunga SF; T junction in track on back road and 50m SW into forest; 30.55 40 150 55 41; 16-Nov-2001 to 7-Dec-2001; G. Carter; ICMAD1/011/04" (2, AMS) ; "NSW: Attunga SF most N part of SF, Far end of back trail, S of the Horse Arm Ck; -30:55:9 150:55:39 16-Nov-2001 to 7-Dec-2001; G. Carter; ICMAD1/011/04 (pit trap)" (1, AMS) ; "NSW; Dowe SF; 1.5km trail to where 2nd trail intersects; 50m N of main trail; -30:47:31 150:29:40; 23-Nov-2001 50 14-Dec-2001: L. Wilkie & H. Smith; NDNW1/040/02 (pit trap)" (2, AMS) .

Other material. NEW SOUTH WALES: Inverell N.S.W. Armstrong / Aphanocephalus punctulatus Bl. d. by Armstong (3, ANIC) ; 8 mi. S. of Collarenabri NSW 5 June 1968 L.A. Mound / ANIC Berlesate no. 88 Geijera leaf litter (3, ANIC) . QUEENSLAND: AUST:QLD:SE: Breamar SF via Kogan , 6 Feb 1980, R. Raven / QM Berlesate No. 215 27.13S 150.50E open forest Sieved litter (1, QMB) ; AUST:QLD:SEQ: Taroom 6km N., 22 May 1999, G.B. Monteith / QM Berlesate 995 25.36S 149.46E Brigalow, 200m leaf litter (3, QMB) ; Lake Broadwater via Dalby SE QLD 24 Nov 85 - 3 Jan 1986 Qld Mus. & M. Bennie, Pitgall Traps (Site 5) (2, QMB; 1, MIZ) ; SEQ:25.33'S x 151.28' E Binjour, Redvale Road 20 Dec 97- 26 Apr 1998 G.Monteith. 340m. Open for., fit. Intercept. 5795 (1, QMB) ; AUST:QLD:SEQ Koy Property. Brigooda , 3 Jul 1995, G. Monteith / QM Berlesate 26.16'S x 151.25'E Vine Scrub, 400m leaf litter (1, QMB) .

Type locality. New South Wales, Tamworth area (Woolomin, Attunga, Dowe) .

Distribution. Northern New South Wales, Southern Queensland ( Fig. 16 View FIGURE 16 ).

Etymology. The specific name “slipinskii ” is a patronym in honor of Adam Ślipiński, Polish-Australian coleopterist, world expert in beetle taxonomy and phylogeny.

Diagnosis. Aphanocephalus slipinskii is most similar to A. punctulatus in body coloration (dark brown elytra usually with paler humeral areas), however, it can be distinguished by the following set of characters: more convex ( Fig. 9H, I View FIGURE 9 ) and more rounded body outline (flattened and more elongate in A. punctulatus - Fig. 9C, D View FIGURE 9 ); pronotum with dark brown discal macula usually separated from basal margin of pronotum by narrow light brown/rufous band (in A. punctulatus discal macula usually touching posterior margin); scutellar shield yellow (brown in the latter species); mesoventrite, metaventrite and abdomen light brown (dark brown in A. punctulatus ). Also, male genitalia of A. slipinskii are diagnostic, tegmen in inner view is much shorter, and more stout with sides regularly rounded ( Fig. 14F View FIGURE 14 ), while in A. punctulatus tegmen is elongate with penis guide slightly narrowing towards apex ( Fig. 13I View FIGURE 13 ).

Description. Length: 1.65–1.70 mm, width: 1.22–1.25 mm. Body oval about 1.35–1.40 times as long as wide ( Fig. 9H View FIGURE 9 ), moderately convex in lateral view ( Fig. 9I View FIGURE 9 ). Pronotum and elytra covered with yellowish, dense, moderately long setae, more densely distributed on pronotum than elytra. Head brown; pronotum light brown to rufous with large central macula dark brown; elytra dark brown to almost black with humeral area and narrow lateral rim around elytra paler; ventral side brown with hypomera and epipleurae rufous; antennae, mouthparts, and legs yellow.

Pronotum covered with punctae of two sizes, discal area, lateral and anterior parts with small punctae, only posterior corners with coarser punctae. Lateral margins of pronotum bordered, anterior margin without bordering line. Elytra covered with punctae of two sizes, larger non-setiferous punctae distributed regularly on the whole surface of elytra but in central part of elytra near suture of much smaller diameter than on the rest of elytra, smaller setiferous punctae uniformly dispersed. Pronotum and elytra broadly explanate laterally, margins well visible throughout. Lateral sides of elytra slightly rounded, without pseudopores. Epipleuron with shallow sub-marginal furrow.

Mentum without lateral carinae. Labial palps narrowly separated. Prosternum with notosternal carinae well visible; prosternal process with lateral carinae absent. Metaventrite about same length as ventrite 1. Ventrite 1 longer than ventrites 2–4 combined. Ventrite 1 with large punctae covering almost entire surface except posterior part of central area which is covered with much smaller punctae; ventrites 2–5 covered with punctae of two sizes, coarser in lateral areas and at base forming a single row, and smaller on the rest of surface.

Male genitalia. Tegmen short, in inner view with sides sub-parallel in basal half, broadly rounded in apical part, with a few short setae at apex ( Fig. 14I View FIGURE 14 ); in lateral view broad, sub-triangular, pointed at apex, outer margin broadly rounded, inner margin sinusoidal in middle. Penis long, broadening toward apex, outer margin broadly rounded, inner margin broadly rounded in apical half, with sinuate apex; gonopore about as long as wide, with apex at the same level as apex of penis, apically truncate ( Fig. 14D View FIGURE 14 ).

Female genitalia. Coxites narrow, elongate. Sperm duct diverging apically from bursa copulatrix, spermatheca with vermiform basal part and bulbous apical part ( Fig. 15H View FIGURE 15 ), apical part with greater diameter than basal part.