Mecynotarsus mastersii MacLeay 1872

Mecynotarsus mastersii MacLeay, 1872

(Figs 76–79, 159, 203)

Mecynotarsus mastersii MacLeay, 1872: 305.

Mecynotarsus mastersi: PIC (1911): 14 (catalogue); LEA (1922): 473 (catalogue); UHMANN (2007): 2 (redescription, record).

Type locality. Australia, Queensland, Gayndah.

Type material. SYNTYPE: ♀, ‘[round orange label] // 667 [h] // A35018 [h] // Mecynotarsus Mastersi Macl. W. Gayndah [h] // HOLOTYPE [p; red label] // Australian Museum K 269875 [p]’ (AMSA).

Additional material. AUSTRALIA: AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY: 1♂, Paddy’s River, 1.6 km S of Cotter Dam, 17.iv.1969, S. Misko leg. (ANIC). QUEENSLAND: 1 ♂, Mulgrave River [no date], Hacker leg. (BMNH); 6 ♂♂ 7 ♀♀, Tamborine Mountains, Cedar Creek National Park, Picnic Area, dry sclerophyll forest, UV light, 575 m, 9.i.1991, Pollock & Reichert leg. (DCDC, 4 spec. ZKDC); 1 ♂, 13 km W of Kuranda, 1.xii.1982, J. T. Doyen leg. (ANIC); 1 ♂, Davies Creek, Kuranda – Mareeba Road, x.1950, W. L. Brown leg. (DCDC); 5 ♂♂ 3 ♀♀, 9 km ENE of Mount Tozer, 12°43′S 143°17′E, 5.–10.vii.1986, T.Weir & A.Calder leg.(ANIC, 1 spec. ZKDC); 3♀♀, 3 km ENE of Mount Tozer, ex pan traps, 28.vi –4.vii.1986, J. C. Cardale leg. (ANIC); 1 ♂, Upper Cedar Creek, via Samford, 14.iv.1972, I. Naumann leg. (QMBA); 2 ♂♂, Cape York Peninsula, Iron Range, 11.–17.v.1968, G. Monteith leg. (QMBA); 2 ♂♂, East Barron, 17°18′S 145°31′E, rainforest, dung pitfall trap, 12.–13.v.2007, G. Monteith leg. (QMBA). NEW SOUTH WALES: 1 ♀, Tumut River, 1500, 3.x.1955, J. Sedlacek leg. (ZKDC).

Redescription (male, Cedar Creek, ZKDC). Body length 2.9 mm. Body brown black, pronotal horn somewhat paler; legs and antennae dark brown.

Antero-lateral margins of frons simple. Gular rugules generally small and scattered. Clypeal granules indistinct. Setation of head vertex short and fine, appressed, as such also on lateral sides. Antennae rather long and slender; antennomeres III–V about 2.4 times, X 1.6 times as long as wide; setation generally rather fine and less conspicuous.

Pronotum nearly 1.9 times as long as wide, its lateral margins somewhat unevenly shaped, rounded at widest point and straight to concave while narrowing towards base in dorsal view; posterior collar quite distinct. Pronotal horn rather long, moderately wide, its posterior angles obsolete in dorsal view (Fig. 159); horn margins armed with 5 lobules on each side, apical lobule simple; horn crest distinct, clearly raised, rather wide, with coarse, separate rugules on margins; submarginal rugules minute, somewhat unevenly spaced; 9 median rugules of different sizes, minute to rather large / coarse. Setation brownish, dorsally with cupreous reflection, rather coarsely hairy, generally fine and inconspicuous on pronotal horn dorsally; setae on pronotal disc of two lengths, short setae appressed and rather fine, long setae subdecumbent, coarser and with frayed apices; antebasal paired setae rather long and conspicuous laterally, absent medially, another tactile setae absent.

Elytra 1.7 times as long as wide; omoplates and postbasal impression distinct. Setation mostly brownish, at places with cupreous reflection, with silvery setae forming two transverse bands in postbasal impression and posterior half; setae uniformly long and subdecumbent, rather coarse and sparse (surface clearly visible), bifurcate apically, unevenly ordered, especially silvery setae of transverse bands pointing mostly laterad (Fig. 203); erect tactile setae absent.

Male characters. Sternum VII distinctly modified (Fig. 76). Tergum VIII and aedeagus as in Figs 77–79.

Variation. Body length (♂ ♀) 2.6–2.9 mm. Pronotal horn with 3–5 distinct lobules on each side, and 8–12 median rugules. Apex of male tergum VIII nearly bluntly pointed for the specimens from Cape York Peninsula (QMBA).

Differential diagnosis. Mecynotarsus mastersii can be easily distinguished from all species by the unevenly shaped dorsal surface of the elytra (with distinct omoplates and a postbasal impression), unevenly ordered elytral setation (whitish setae of transverse bands pointing mostly laterad), as well as by the male characters.

Distribution. Australia: Australian Capital Territory (new record), Queensland (MACLEAY 1872, UHMANN 2007), New South Wales (new record).