Loranthophila acanthacollis Carter & Zeck
Creators: name: Lawrence, John F.
name: Slipinski, Adam
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Bostrichidae
Loranthophila
Loranthophila acanthacollis

description: Loranthophila acanthacollis (Carter & Zeck)
Neotrichus acanthacollis Carter & Zeck 1937: 195, pl. 9, fig. 15. Type locality: Springwood, Blue Mountains, New South Wales (A. Smith, coll.). Unique holotype in AMS.
Minthea armstrongi Vrydagh 1958: 41, fig. 1. Type locality: NSW: Inverell (J. Armstrong, coll.). Holotype and paratype in collection of NSWF. Synonymized with N. acanthacollis by Lawrence 1980: 307.
Description: As for genus above.
Other Material Examined: Tasmania: 1 km SSE Gladstone (40.58 S, 148.01 E), 6.ii.1983, I. D. Nauman & J. C. Cardale (1, ANIC). Victoria: Bogong High Plains (36.09S, 147.27E), Australian Alps (1, MVM); Harrietville (36.88S, 147.07E) (1, MVM). Australian Capital Territory: Black Mtn., Canberra, 21.i.1964, B. P. Moore (1, ANIC); North Canberra, 1973, K. R. Pullen, bred ex Acacia baileyana (1, ANIC). New South Wales: Inverell (29.77S, 151.12E), on mistletoe, J. W. T. Armstrong (25+, ANIC, MVM, NSWF); Springwood, Blue Mountains, A. Smith (1, AMS). Queensland: Barakula State Forest (26.427S, 150.504E), barracks, 320m, 28.xii.2009, 19213 MV light, G. B. Monteith (5, QMB); Pine Creek, near Bundaberg, 10.xii.1975, H. Frauca (1, ANIC);
Notes: According to Armstrong (1948: 297), “ A series of specimens of this beetle was taken by me, at the end of December, 1945, on a species of Loranthus (mistletoe) growing on “stringy-bark” (Eucalyptus sp.) at Inverell, N.S.W. The beetles were confined to mistletoe, occurring on a number of different plants, so may breed in dead twigs.” A series of specimens from Inverell were found in Armstrong Collection (now in the ANIC); one of these has an Armstrong determination label (as N. acanthacollis) and a note: “on mistletoe”.
Discussion
As noted above, this species has been correctly placed in the subfamily Lyctinae but differs from other members of that group in several respects. In the two available keys to bostrichid subfamilies (Crowson 1961 and Ivie 2002) the genus would not key out to Lyctinae; in theformer Lyctinae are said to have tarsomere 5 as long as 1–4 combined, tarsomere 1 much shorter than 2, the radial cell absent, the labrum in the same plane as the clypeus and the mandibles without a “pseudomola,” while in the latter Lyctinae are said to have complete lateral pronotal margins and widely separated procoxae. In the generic key of Gerberg (1957) which was taken from the works of Lesne (1921a, 1921b, 1924, 1937), the genus keys to Lyctini because of the “normal” femora (not compressed), but that character does not always separate members of the Lyctini and Trogoxylonini. The nature of the terminal antennomere in Loranthophila (subequal in length to the preceding antennomere and gradually narrowed apically) is similar to that in species of the lyctine genera Lyctus Fabricius and Lyctodon Lesne, as well as the trogoxyline genera Tristaria Reitter and Trogoxylon LeConte, and differs from that in Minthea and Lyctoxylon Reitter, which is parallel-sided and longer than antennomere 10. The type of vestiture found in Loranthophila (Figs. 1 A–B, 2) is certainly unique, both more variable and more complex than that found in Minthea (type m of Liu 2010). The ovipositor has not been examined for most lyctine genera; the structure in Loranthophila, however, is quite similar to that of Lyctus brunneus Stephens illustrated by Alston (1923a, b). The following key will separate Loranthophila from other lyctines occurring in Australia.
1. Vestiture including erect, suberect and flattened scale-like setae, either ribbed or complexly lobed and forming fascicles on head, pronotum and elytra (Figs 1 A–B, 2); labrum (Fig. 2 B) with disc declined just beyond base and apex subtruncate;
lateral portions of frons and clypeus not elevated forming lobes; hind wing with closed radial cell; abdominal ventrites 1 and 2 (Fig. 1 E) connate and suture between them curved.......................................... Loranthophila gen. n. – Vestiture consisting of erect, ribbed, scale-like setae, very short, thick bristles, which may be apically expanded, or fine, decumbent hairs; fascicles, if present, on head only; labrum with disc flat and apex emarginate; lateral portions of clypeus
and frons usually elevated forming one or two lobes; hind wing without closed radial cell; abdominal ventrites 1 and 2 free and suture between them straight............................................................................. 2 2. Antennomere 11 elongate and parallel-sided with broadly rounded apex; dorsal vestiture consisting of short, thickened bristles or expanded, ribbed scale-like setae....................................................................... 3 – Antennomere 11 widest at base and narrowing apically; vestiture consisting of fine, decumbent hairs................... 4 3. Antennomere 10 elongate and parallel-sided, funicular segments clothed with fine setae only; prosternal process at least 0.8 times was wide as mid length of coxal cavity; lateral pronotal carinae complete and distinct, with narrow bead; dorsal pubescence of very short, decumbent to erect, thickened and apically expanded setae, not forming distinct rows on elytra............................................................................................... Lyctoxylon Reitter – Antennomere 10 about as long as wide and apically expanded, funicular segments with thickened, scale-like setae; prosternal process less than 0.2 times as wide as mid length of coxal cavity; lateral pronotal carinae incomplete and indistinct, consisting of fine tubercles not connected by ridges; dorsal pubescence longer, consisting of erect, flattened, ridged and apically expanded setae forming distinct rows on elytra.................................................. Minthea Pascoe 4. Elytral punctation seriate; procoxal process less than 0.4 times as wide as mid length of coxal cavity.................... 5 – Elytral punctation not seriate; prosternal process least 0.8 times as wide as mid length of coxal cavity................... 6 5. Vertex with paired tubercles; lateral pronotal carinae absent; anterior portion of pronotal disc convex and covered with sharp tubercles (resembling those in many Dinoderinae and Bostrichinae).................................. Lyctodon Lesne – Vertex without paired tubercles; lateral pronotal carinae complete, although sometimes not distinct; pronotal disc flattened, without tubercles.......................................................................... Lyctus Fabricius 6. Prosternal process not as wide as mid length of coxal cavity; prothorax about as long as wide; antennomere 11 about as long as 10.................................................................................. Trogoxylon LeConte – Psoternal process wider than mid length of coxal cavity; prothorax not as long as wide; antennomere 11 longer than 10.............................................................................................. Tristaria Reitter
description: Published as part of Lawrence, John F. & Slipinski, Adam, 2013, Loranthophila, a new genus of Australian Lyctinae (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) associated with Mistletoe, pp. 295-300 in Zootaxa 3737 (3) on page 299, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3737.3.8, http://zenodo.org/record/222358