Psammoecus incertior Blackburn 1903
Creators: name: Karner, Michael
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Silvanidae
Psammoecus
Psammoecus incertior

description: Psammoecus incertior Blackburn, 1903
Fig. 2
Psammoecus incertior Blackburn, 1903: 154.
Psammoecus incertior – Hetschko 1930: 83.
Diagnosis
The following combination of character states distinguishes this species: body elongate-oval (Fig. 2A), length 2.86–3.30 mm; eyes large (Fig. 2B), unevenly rounded with distinctly stronger curvature posteriorly; temples very short; frontal of moderate length, diverging anteriorly, almost parallel posteriorly, reaching anterior ²⁄5 of eyes; antennae somewhat short (Fig. 2D), stout, antennomere 8 castaneous, antennomeres 9–10 piceous; antennomere 11 yellowish brown; punctation on vertex moderate (Fig. 2B), punctures strongly elongate, almost twice as long as eye facet diameter, microsculpture absent, pubescence moderate; pronotum widest at anterior third (Fig. 2C), lateral pronotal margins with six small but distinct teeth; teeth II, V, and VI somewhat larger than others, anterior denticles small, posterior denticles very small; pronotal punctation moderate, punctures distinctly widened, microsculpture absent, pubescence moderate, setae directed medially; elytra widest just in front of middle (Fig. 2A), with large brown medio-lateral maculae and small darkened area at posterior third of suture, striae as wide as interstices, pubescence moderate, microsculpture absent; male genitalia strongly sclerotised (Fig. 2 E–H), median lobe slender, evenly narrowed towards apex, tip blunt in dorsal view; curved ventrally with sharp tip in lateral view; parameres short, wide, with short protrusion at postero-lateral margin, two long setae near protrusion and few short setae along inner margins.
Material examined
Holotype
AUSTRALIA • ♂; “ Type | H.T.” [round label with red border]; “Australia. | Blackburn Coll. | B.M.1910- 236.”; “ Psammoecus | incertior Blackb. ”; NHMUK.
Other material
AUSTRALIA – Queensland • 1 spec.; Cairns; 16°55′ S, 145°46′ E; May1947; ANIC • 2 specs; Cassowary Coast Region, Palmerston National Park, 1 mi. E of Crawford’s Lookout; 17°36′ S, 145°48′ E; 6 Nov. 1966; Britton leg.; under bark; ANIC • 2 specs; Shire of Mareeba, Kuranda; 16°49′ S, 145°38′ E; Oct. 1950; ANIC • 6 specs; same locality; 16°49′ S, 145°38′ E; Feb. 1950; ANIC • 3 specs; same locality; Feb. 1909; Bryant leg.; NHMUK • 1 spec.; same data as for preceding; MKF • 1 spec.; Shire of Mareeba, 6 km NE of Kuranda, Black Mt Road; 16°46′ S, 145°40′ E; 21 May 1976; Britton leg.; MKF • 2 specs; Tablelands, 6.8 km W of Atherton, Russel River Crossing; 17°26′ S, 145°54′ E; 11 Jun. 1992; Reid leg.; rainforest, beaten; ANIC • 1 spec.; Townsville Regional City, Magnetic Island; 19°8′ S, 146°50′ E; Jul. 1921; Carter leg.; ANIC.
Distribution
Australia (Queensland).
Remarks
The colouration of this species is rather variable, but the general pattern remains constant. A very distinct character is the peculiar shape of the male parameres, which differs considerably from all other known species of Psammoecus.
description: Published as part of Karner, Michael, 2020, Taxonomic Studies on Australian Psammoecus Latreille (Coleoptera, Silvanidae, Brontinae), pp. 135-158 in European Journal of Taxonomy 723 on pages 140-142, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2020.723.1149, http://zenodo.org/record/4271752