Aphanocephalus weiri Szawaryn, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Szawaryn, Karol
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Discolomatidae
Aphanocephalus
Aphanocephalus weiri

description: Aphanocephalus weiri sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 0BDC0154-F67D-463E-AC75-38EAE38DE514
(Figs 9J, K, 14G–I)
Material examined. Type material.
Holotype. QUEENSLAND: male, " 11.43S 142.41E QLD 12km EbyN Heathlands 18 Jan 1992 T.A. Weir, I.D. Naumann / Berlesate ANIC 1215 closed forest litter" (ANIC). Paratype. QUEENSLAND: same label data as the holotype, male (1, ANIC).
Type locality. Queensland, Cape York.
Distribution. Northern Queensland (Fig. 16).
Etymology. The specific name “weiri ” is a patronym in honor of Tom Weir, an Australian coleopterist, and one of the collectors of the type series.
Diagnosis. Aphanocephalus weiri can be distinguished from other Australian Aphanocephalus species by its rounded oval body outline, brown dorsal coloration with two large yellowish-brown maculae on each elytron, and moderately long vestiture. A similar coloration can be observed in A. blackburni; however, it has a more elongate body outline and a black dorsum clothed with short setae. It can also be similar to A. leai, but in that species, the anterior macula is distinctly angled, whereas in A. weiri, it is transverse-oval. The male genitalia, with an apical hook-like projection on the penis gonopore, are very unique among Australian species.
Description. Length: 1.70 mm, width: 1.37 mm. Body roundly oval about 1.2 times as long as wide (Fig. 9K), moderately convex in lateral view (Fig 9J). Pronotum and elytra covered with moderately long setae, much denser on pronotum than on elytra. Head, pronotum and elytra brown, with lateral margins of pronotum and scutellar shield yellowish-orange, each elytron with two large yellowish-orange maculae, anterior macula transverse close to anterior elytral margin, posterior macula rounded, occupying posterior part of elyta; ventral side brown, antennae, mouthparts and legs yellow.
Pronotum covered with punctae of single size. Lateral margins of pronotum bordered, anterior margin without bordering line. Elytra covered with punctae of two sizes, uniformly intermixed. Pronotum and elytra explanate laterally, margins well visible throughout. Lateral sides of elytra broadly rounded, without pseudopores; pores slightly protruding from the elytral outline, especially in the posterior part, giving somehow polygonal shape. Epipleuron with shallow sub-marginal furrow.
Mentum without lateral carinae. Labial palps separated by narrow carina. Prosternum with notosternal carinae present; prosternal process with lateral carinae absent. Metaventrite longer than ventrite 1. Ventrite 1 longer than ventrites 2–4 combined. Ventrite 1 entirely covered with large punctae; ventrites 2–5 covered with small size punctae only, without a row of coarser punctae at base of each ventrite.
Male genitalia. Tegmen in inner view with sides sub-parallel in basal 2/3, slightly tapering towards apex in apical 1/3, apex broadly truncate with median incision, with a few short apical setae (Fig. 14I); in lateral view broad at base, pointed at apex, outer margin slightly rounded, inner margin sinusoidal in middle (Fig. 14H).
Penis slightly broadening toward apex, with outer and inner margins straight, gonopore longer than its width, apex of gonopore extending beyond apex of penis, apically truncate, outer margin with distinct, large hook (Fig. 14G).
Female genitalia not examined.
description: Published as part of Szawaryn, Karol, 2025, Revision of the Australian species of Aphanocephalus Wollaston (Coleoptera: Discolomatidae), pp. 401-440 in Zootaxa 5632 (3) on page 436, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5632.3.1, http://zenodo.org/record/15372416