Panesthia grayi, Rose Nathan Lo, 2025

Panesthia grayi sp. nov.

Etymology: After Bruce Gray, a naturalist who assisted in the discovery and collection of all currently recorded specimens.

Diagnosis: Vertex of head with foveola; pronotum with anteromedial reflexed tubercle; disc tubercles distinct, weakly developed; lateral margin of abdominal segment 7 sinuous, concave on posterior half; cerci dorsoapically glabrous. Adult body length typically> 20 mm.

Male: Vertex exposed, with broad, deep foveola; surface finely punctate; ocelli round; interocular distance less than between mesal margins of antennal pits ( Fig. 5 View Figure 5 , 6C View Figure 6 ).

Pronotum transverse, widest slightly posterior of midlength, anterolateral margins incrassate ( Fig. 6A View Figure 6 ). Anterior margin widely and deeply excised, separating two well-produced, broadly rounded, slightly reflexed marginal tubercles; medially with reflexed, raised triangular tubercle, apex rounded. Pronotum anteromedially depressed, finely granulose, with pair of oblique, gently arcuate grooves running to anterolateral margins; posterolaterally finely punctate. Disc laterally raised, posteriorly with pair of distinct, weakly-produced tubercles. Meso- and metanotum irregularly punctate. Tegmina and wings fully developed, extending beyond hind margin of abdomen when not mutilated (mutilated in all type material); costal area of tegmen strongly punctate, lateral margin upturned ( Fig. 6B, E View Figure 6 ). Coxae and femora dorsoventrally flattened, surface glabrous except for fringing setae along anterior and posterior margins; tibiae narrow, spatulate. Anterior ventral margin of front femur with 2 (rarely 1) basal spines and small distal spine, posterior margin with large distal spine; anterior spines occasionally arranged asymmetrically.

Tergites strongly, densely and almost uniformly punctate. T5–7 with anterolateral holes; weakly developed on T5; T6–7 holes extending as uneven grooves behind anterior margin of tergite, diminishing medially, margin undulate above the grooves. T7 lateral margin sinuous, weakly concave on posterior half, laterocaudal angle produced into a broadly rounded spine; hind margin straight ( Fig. 6D View Figure 6 ). Hind margin of supra-anal plate entire, lateral angles broadly rounded. Sternites 1–5 weakly punctate mesally and more densely punctate laterally; S6–S7 densely punctate; depressed laterally with shallow, transverse groove in anterolateral corner; S7 posterior margin truncate, exposing subgenital plate, margin somewhat incrassate below cerci. Cerci broadly triangular, dorsally glabrous, ventrally setose. All four genital phallomeres present and well developed ( Fig. 7A–C View Figure 7 ); L1 weakly sclerotised, consisting of two ovoid lobes, more heavily sclerotised in cleft between lobes; L2vm elongate, rod-like, apically bulbous; L2d sclerotised apically, broadly rounded, shorter than length at base; R2 strongly sclerotised, hook-shaped.

Colour: Head black, eyes dark, ocelli pale. Antennae dark brown basally, grading to tan distally. Clypeus fulvous, labrum pale dorsally and brown ventrally, mandibles brown. Labial and maxillary palpomeres dark brown or tan, paler apically. Thorax dorsally dark fuscous, almost black. Legs with coxae dark brown, tending to ferruginous apically; femora and tibiae ferruginous to dark brown, spines black apically; tarsomeres ferruginous, pulvilli tan. Abdominal sternites 1–5 ferruginous mesally, black laterally; S6–7 black; subgenital plate black; cerci dark, dorsal and ventral surfaces lustrous, ventrally with sparse golden setae.

Size: Total length 28.2 (23.6–30.2); pronotal length × width, 5.2 × 8.8 (4.8–5.8 × 7.8–9.2) ( n = 2).

Female: Pronotum without anterior development, anterior margin weakly excised; disc less granular and more shallowly depressed, disc tubercles absent or subobsolete; hind margin of S7 entire; subgenital plate absent.

Size: Total length 22.9–29.0; pronotal length × width, 4.8–5.8 × 7.2–8.5 ( n = 2).

Nymph: Male pronotum without anterior development; tegmina and wings absent; early instars ferruginous to fuscous dorsally and fulvous to tan ventrally; late instars ferruginous to black dorsally, fuscous to dark brown ventrally.

Material examined: Holotype ♂: QM T260329, QLD Kirrama Range , 27 km S of Ravenshoe, 847 m, 17.8838°S 145.5271°E, in dead standing tree, Lophostemon suaveolens , 10.x.2022, JAW, BG. GoogleMaps

Paratypes (4). ANIC: 1♂ (ANIC 09-006302), GoogleMaps 1♀ (ANIC 09-006303), QLD Kirrama Range , 27 km S of Ravenshoe, 847 m, 17.8838°S 145.5271°E, in dead standing tree, Lophostemon suaveolens , 5.ii.2023, JAW, BG. QM: GoogleMaps 1♂ (T260330), GoogleMaps 1♀ (T260331), same data as paratypes GoogleMaps .

Other material (5): JAWPC: 2♂, same data as paratypes; 1♂ nymph, 2♀ nymphs, same data as holotype.

Distribution and remarks: The species is known only from its type locality in the Kirrama Range, Queensland, which consists of ecotonal wet sclerophyll on the margin of tropical rainforest. While Panesthia species are usually obligate log-borers, P. grayi instead appears arboreal, having been collected exclusively from newly felled, dead standing trees. This life history strategy has also been observed by the authors in Panesthia parva ( Shaw, 1918) , Panesthia obtusa ( Shaw, 1918) and a putative undescribed species from the Mount Windsor Tablelands (Adams et al. 2024).