Mecynotarsus speciosus Kejval & Cz 2013, sp. nov.

Mecynotarsus speciosus sp. nov.

(Figs 110, 111, 166, 184)

Type locality. Australia, Western Australia, Drysdale River, 15°02′S 126°55′E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂, ‘ 15.02S 126.55E Drysdale River, W.A. 3–8Aug. 1975 I.F.B.Common and M.S. Upton [p] // ANIC Specimen [p; green label]’ (ANIC).

Description (holotype, male). Body length 2.6 mm. Body, legs, and antennae reddish to reddish brown.

Antero-lateral margins of frons distinctly raised (angulately lobed) near insertion of antennae. Gular rugules coarser anteriorly and here ordered as in Fig. 138. Clypeal granules rather distinct. Setation of head mostly fine and appressed, with numerous very long, more or less raised setae on vertex. Antennae moderately long; antennomere II about as long as III, antennomeres III–V 1.8–1.9 times as long as wide, X nearly 1.2 times as long as wide; basal 4–5 antennomeres with longer and coarser setation (not scaly).

Pronotum 1.6 times as long as wide, its lateral margins somewhat unevenly convex in dorsal view; posterior collar distinct; surface of pronotal disc, including dorso-lateral sides, with numerous scattered granules (Fig. 166). Pronotal horn rather robust, moderately wide, subtriangular, its posterior angles moderately indicated in dorsal view (Fig. 166); horn margins armed with 3 or 4 rather long, apically rounded lobules on each side, apical lobule simple, broadly rounded; horn crest distinct, rather wide, with coarse, separate rugules on margins; submarginal rugules numerous, somewhat unevenly spaced; 5 median rugules rather coarse and well-spaced. Setation whitish to silvery, appressed and very dense, sparser to absent antero-dorsally on pronotal horn, with numerous long erect setae; appressed setae on pronotal disc bifurcate to somewhat frayed apically, very dense laterally, here nearly felt-like, entirely covering surface; antebasal paired setae probably present probably both laterally and medially, but difficult to recognize owing to presence of many additional tactile setae.

Elytra 1.6 times as long as wide; omoplates and postbasal impression absent. Setation scaly, whitish to silvery and reddish, forming vague reddish markings; scales appressed and rather long, bifurcate to frayed apically, densely and evenly spaced, nearly entirely covering surface (Fig. 184); erect tactile setae very numerous, moderately long and evenly scattered, including apical portion of elytra.

Male characters. Sternum VII moderately sinuous posteriorly. Tergum VIII and aedeagus as in Figs 110, 111.

Differential diagnosis. Mecynotarsus speciosus sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from all species by the setation characters of the body: pronotal disc and elytra densely covered by silvery, bifurcate to frayed setae (Fig. 184), and hirsute, with many erect tactile setae. Additionally, it is conspicuous in having a granulate pronotum, comparatively short antennae (most species with a granulate pronotum have conspicuously long antennae), distinctly lobed lateral margins of the frons, and a rather distinctive form of the parameres.

Etymology. The species name is a Latin adjective, speciosus, -a, -um (= beautiful, splendid); named in reference to the unique body setation.

Distribution. Australia: Western Australia.