Nototriphyllus araucania Lawrence, Escalona, Leschen & Ślipiński, 2014, sp. n.
Creators: name: Lawrence, John F.
name: Escalona, Hermes E.
name: Leschen, Richard A. B.
name: Ślipiński, Adam
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Mycetophagidae
Nototriphyllus
Nototriphyllus araucania

description: Nototriphyllus araucania sp. n.
(Figs 3B, 3 D, 4B, 4E, 4G, 5A–B, 5N, 14A–H)
Type specimens: Holotype, ♂: CHILE: Araucania (IX): Cautín: Volcan Villarrica, 1250m, site 653, 15–29.xii.1982, N. dombeyi, N. pumilio, Chusquea, berlesed leaf & log litter, A. Newton, M. Thayer (MHNS). Paratypes: Cautín: same data as holotype (7♂♂, 3♀♀, ANIC, FMNH, MHNS); same locality, dates & collectors, ANMT 82-12, unidentified polypore (18♂♂, 41♀♀, 75 larvae, ANIC, AMNH, CASC, CMNC FMNH, FSCA, MCZH, MHNS, NHML, NMNH, NZAC); same locality, dates & collectors, flight intercept window/trough trap (2♂♂, FMNH); Volcán Villarrica, 1120m, site 654, 15–29.xii.1982, Noth. dombeyi -Saxogothea with Drimys, under logs, A. Newton, M. Thayer (1♂, 1♀, FMNH); same locality, dates & collectors, litter under rotting logs (1♀, ANIC); same locality, dates & collectors, flight intercept window/trough trap (1♂, FMNH); Malleco: Nahuelbuta Nat. Pk., 45km W Angol, 12–1500m, 9.xii.1984 – 17.ii.1985, Nothofagus - Araucaria forest, P#85-14A, FIT, FMHD #85-900, S. & J. Peck (1♀, FMNH); same locality, 1500m, Nothofagus forest, 9.xii.1984, P#85-13, berlese litter, FMHD #85-989, S. & J. Peck (3♂♂, 1♂, FMNH); Nahuelbuta Nat. Pk., Coimalin area, 8.2km NW Los Portones entrance (37˚48.10’S 73˚00.93’W), 1210m, Nothofagus antarctica w Araucaria & Chusquea bamboo, #2002-059, flight intercept trap, 7–24.xii.2002, 1058, Thayer, Newton, Solodovnikov, Clarke (1♀, FMNH); Nahuelbuta Nat. Pk., road to Piedra del Aquila (37˚49.29’S 73˚01.90’W), 1360m, Nothofagus antarctica w Araucaria & Chusquea bamboo, #2002-045, flight intercept trap, understory, 6–24.xii.2002, 1055, Thayer, Newton, Solodovnikov, Clarke, Chani (1♀, FMNH); Los Lagos (X): Osorno: Par. Nac. Puyehue, Antillanca Rd., 865m, 16–25.xii.1982, FIT, A. Newton, M. Thayer (1♂, ANIC); Llanquihue: Saltos del Petrohue, 6.4km SW Petrohue, 140m, 28.xii.1982, on polypore fungus, A. Newton, M. Thayer (2♂♂, 1♀, FMNH, ANIC); same locality, date & collectors, berlesed leaf & log litter (1♀, FMNH); Chiloé: Isla Mulchey, Pta. Ballena, 19.ix.1969, O. S. Flint, Jr. (12♂♂, 13♀♀, NMNH). ARGENTINA: Tierra del Fuego: Ushuaia, Lapataia, 20m, 29–31.i.1979, Mission Scientifica Danesa (AACB).
Diagnosis. Adults of this species are, on the whole, larger than those of any other species in the genus. Although overlapping in length with N. madagascariensis and some New Zealand Nototriphyllus (e.g., N. fuliginosus), most specimens of N. araucania are larger than most specimens seen from New Zealand. The dark elytral maculae on a yellow background combined with the dark pronotum with yellow bands anteriorly and posteriorly is also distinctive, although this varies somewhat in N. araucania. The uniformly distributed elytral punctation and the microscopic features of the individual punctures (described below) also distinguish the Chilean species from the Madagascan species, as well as several of those occurring in New Zealand. The C-shaped pore fields in males of N. araucania (Figs 4B, E) also differ from the linear pore fields in the few New Zealand species we have examined.
Description. Total length 2.15–3.10 mm (mean = 2.70, n = 73). Body about 2.00–2.45 times as long as wide. Color of head and pronotal disc reddish-brown to dark brown, head often somewhat darker posteriorly but with yellow frontoclypeal region, pronotal disc sometimes with transverse yellow band across posterior edge and less commonly a similar anterior band; elytra yellow to brownish-yellow, usually with vague dark brown maculae along sides or extending mesally at anterior fourth, but not reaching suture, and at apex, where it occasionally extends anteriorly along suture for a short distance; undersurfaces brownish-yellow to dark brown with abdomen usually lighter than prothorax or pterothorax; antennae, palps and legs yellow to yellowish-brown. Vestiture of upper surfaces consisting of moderately long, decumbent, yellow setae; undersurfaces clothed with short, decumbent setae and fewer short, erect setae. Head with moderately coarse and dense, shallow punctation. Ratio of antennal lengths: 2.64: 1.83: 2.33: 1.67: 1.67: 1.17: 1.17: 1.00: 1.83: 1.83: 2.67. Length/width ratios of antennomeres: 1.50, 1.38, 2.33, 1.54, 1.43, 1.00, 0.78, 0.67, 0.69, 0.69, 1.00. Apical maxillary palpomere (Fig. 14C) weakly fusiform with obliquely truncate apex. Pronotum about 0.58–0.68 times as long as wide, lateral carinae finely denticulate (Figs 3 D, 14E); posterior angles right; disc coarsely and densely punctate. Pronotal punctures coarser than and about as dense as those on head, with shiny interspaces. Prosternum with median pubescent fovea in male about 0.17 times as long as prosternum in front of coxae, located at anterior fifth, with circular, slightly projecting rim. Prosternal process expanded at middle, slightly narrowed beyond middle and weakly concave at apex. Punctation on prosternum and hypomera similar to that on pronotal disc. Elytra about 1.51–1.91 times as long as combined width and 3.00–3.91 times as long as pronotum, punctation slightly finer and sparser than pronotal punctation, uniformly distributed, without trace of puncture rows; each puncture rather shallow with gradually sloping edges but with a minute, narrowly elongate window-puncture at its center (Fig. 3B) and just posterior to the setal base (seen only at higher magnifications); interspaces smooth and shiny; epipleuron ending at about middle. Punctation on pterothorax and abdomen somewhat finer than that on prothorax. Mesoventrite with prosternal rest forming a short carina. Abdominal ventrite 1 in male with paired C-shaped, laterally-facing pore fields. Sternite VIII in male without anterior strut (spiculum relictum), sometimes with weak basal tooth. Aedeagus (Fig. 5A) about 4.5 times as long as wide, widest near base; phallobase about 1.5 times as long as apicale, which consists of partly fused parameres each of which is narrowed posteriorly with apex narrowly rounded in dorsal view, ventrally curved and broadly rounded in lateral view; penis (Fig. 5B) slightly shorter than phallobase and parameres combined, about 10 times as long as wide, slender and parallel-sided, with apex subacute and basal struts about 0.75 times as long as body of penis. Ovipositor 2.5 times as long as wide, lightly sclerotized. Proctiger about twice as long as wide. Paraprocts slightly longer than gonocoxites; each of which is divided into short, broad, proximal lobe with a curved transverse baculum, a strongly transverse intermediate lobe, and an elongate distal lobe, narrowing apically and bearing a slender, cylindrical gonostylus almost half as long as distal lobe of gonocoxite and attached subapically.
Distribution. This species is apparently widely distributed throughout the southern half of Chile and east into Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, although no specimens have been seen from Aisén or Magallanes regions, and it may also occur Neuquén Province of Argentina. It is possible that a cluster of related species are involved, but no consistent differences were found among the various samples available.
Biology. At least one large series (including the holotype) from the Volcán Villarrica site was found feeding in the fruiting body of an unidentified fungus (Basidiomycota: Polyporaceae).
Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Araucanía (IX) region of Chile containing the provinces of Cautin and Malleco, where most of the type series was collected.
Larva. Upper surfaces moderately well sclerotized and sparsely clothed with long and short, suberect setae. Head length, excluding labrum, about 0.85 times as long as head width; sides very weakly rounded, widest at posterior three-fourths; epicranial suture vaguely indicated; stem about 0.07 times as long as head width; frontal arms lyriform and more or less complete. Stemmata on each side 5, in vertical rows of 3 + 2. Paired sinuate supraantennal ridges present, but completely exposing antennal insertions. Antenna about 0.2 times as long as head width; antennomere 1 half as long as wide; 2 slightly longer than wide, slightly narrower than and 1.67 times as long as 1; 3 distinctly narrower than and slightly shorter than 2 and 1.6 times as long as wide; sensorium about 0.8 times as long as antennomere 2. Clypeus about 0.37 times as long as wide, sides slightly rounded and converging apically; apex subtruncate; anteclypeus weakly distinguished from postclypeus. Labrum 0.70 times as long as wide; sides and anterior edge strongly rounded; tormae strongly, evenly converging posteriorly and fused together at midline. Right mandible 1.16 times as long as wide, with larger, oblique mola, no premolar tooth and one preapical tooth; left mandible 1.22 times as long as wide, with smaller, longitudinally oriented mola, a distinct premolar tooth and no preapical tooth. Maxilla with slender mala obliquely truncate at apex with several long setae extending onto inner edge; palp with distinct palpifer; palpomeres 1 and 2 subequal in length, transverse, 3 as long as 1 and 2 combined. Labial palps separated by about one palpal width; palpomere 1 slightly longer than 2. Hypostomal rods very short and diverging, sometimes not clearly indicated. Ratio of length of thoracic terga about 1.5: 1.2: 1.0; coxae separated by less than shortest coxal diameter; legs relatively short and stout, clothed with scattered long setae; femur twice as long as wide, tibiotarsus 1.55 times as long as wide; pretarsal claw with distal long and proximal short seta; cervicosternum well-developed; transverse presternum terminating in a small setose elevation; laterotergites not clearly defined, except for that between prothorax and mesothorax and bearing the spiracle. Abdomen about twice as long as thorax, more or less parallel-sided but slightly narrowing posteriorly, so that segment VIII is about three-fourths as wide and segment IX less than half as wide as segment V. Moderately lightly pigmented tergal plate on protergum occupying anterior three-fourths of segment, tergal plates on mesothorax, metathorax and abdominal segments I–VII, transverse and slender, occupying center of tergum only and that on segment VIII occupying most of posterior half of tergum; most of upper surface of tergum IX moderately pigmented. Most abdominal segments with tergal plate bearing about 10 or 12 long setae mixed with shorter setae, a pair of spiracles located on each side of the tergal plate but not on a sclerite, and well-developed laterotergites projecting beyond the spiracles and visible from above. Tergum IX slightly shorter than VIII, bearing a pair of strongly upturned and slightly diverging, apically acute urogomphi separated by almost two basal widths; surface of tergum with a pair of pregomphal tubercles just in front of the urogomphi, smaller lateral pair and a third posterior pair between the urogomphi; two or three other setose tubercles located on each urogomphus. Spiracles annular-biforous with acccessory chambers short and broad, about the same size as the main opening.
Notes. Based on the keys and illustrations of Hayashi (1971) and Nitkitsky (1993), this larva resembles those of Triphyllus, Triphyllina, Pseudotriphyllus and Triphyllioides in the relatively short, stout legs, short antennae, with antennomere 2 less than twice as long as wide and the sensorium more or less conical. The Triphyllina larva differs in having tergum IX greatly narrowed posteriorly, while that of Pseudotriphyllus differs in having more narrowly separated urogomphi. The Triphyllus larva has a shorter antennal sensorium, more rounded mala and shorter apical maxillary palpomere, while that in Triphyllioides has more or less parallel urogomphi and apparently lacks the distinct pregomphal tubercles.
description: Published as part of Lawrence, John F., Escalona, Hermes E., Leschen, Richard A. B. & Ślipiński, Adam, 2014, Review of the genera of Mycetophagidae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) with descriptions of new genera and a world generic key, pp. 195-229 in Zootaxa 3826 (1) on pages 202-204, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3826.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/251844