Eucinetus bicolorellus Lawrence 2019, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Lawrence, John F.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Eucinetidae
Eucinetus
Eucinetus bicolorellus

description: Eucinetus bicolorellus sp. nov.
(Figs 3–4, 39, 53, 78, 105, 121, 129)
Diagnosis. This species differs from E. lorien, E. nebulosus, E. similis and E. tropicus in having a short, broad metanepisternum and sharply acute scutellar shield and in lacking a notched inner eye margin and hind wings. It differs from E. minutus, E. dorrigo, E. brindabellae and E. tasmaniae in having a red pronotum and black elytra. It differs from E. bicolor and E. limitaris in having a red head, somewhat smaller body (usually less than 2.00 mm) and from the latter in having a broadly rounded terminal antennomere. It differs from E. protibialis, another small red and black species, in lacking the modified male fore legs and the distinctive aedeagus.
Description. Length 1.80–2.10 (1.89 ± 0.11) mm; body 1.72–1.91 (1.82) times as long as combined elytral width; greatest depth 0.58–0.64 (0.61) times elytral width. Colour of pronotum and scutellar shield red; elytra black; undersides usually reddish anteriorly and black posteriorly; legs yellowish-brown to reddish-brown. Head 0.85 times as long as wide. Distance across eyes 1.45 times distance between them; inner edge of eye not notched. Labrum 0.63 times as long as wide; apex weakly emarginate. Antenna about 1.92 times as long as head width; 3rd antennomere equal in length to 4th; 11th antenomere 1.40 times as long as 10th, 1.90 times as long as wide and broadly rounded at apex (Fig. 39). Mandibular mola reduced. Galea slightly wider than lacinia, barely widened subapically; apical maxillary palpomere subulate, 3.0 times as long as wide, with short aciculate tip. Apical labial palpomere subulate, 2.0 times as long as wide with long aciculate tip. Pronotum 0.43–0.49 (0.46) times as long as wide. Scutellar shield 0.22 times as wide as pronotum, 0.65 times as long as wide and apically acute. Elytra 1.37–1.50 (1.45) times as long as wide and 3.64–4.17 (3.92) times as long as pronotum; elytral punctation and vestiture as in Fig. 78. Hind wings absent. Metanepisternum 0.60 times as long as mesepimeron, about as long as wide, irregularly quadrate with posterior edge distinctly shorter than anterior edge. Metacoxal plate with outer edge about 1.85 times as long as posterior edge, which is shallowly biemarginate. Outer (acute) mesotibial spur in male 0.5 times as long as basal mesotarsomere; inner spur slightly longer, parallel-sided with blunt, cleft apex. Parameres at about middle 1.33 times as wide as penis at same point, the apex of each slightly curved mesally near broadly rounded apex; penis gradually narrowed to subacute apex, ending well before parameral apices.
Types: Holotype, ♁: “ 41.11S 148.00E TAS, Mt. Michael, 740m, 27 Nov. 1989, pyrethrin knockdown, tree 2, Tube 182, R. Coy coll.” (ANIC type #25-067871).
Paratypes. TAS: Celery Top Islands, Bathurst Harbour (43°22’S, 146°09’E), 7.xii.1990 – 15.i.1991, ANIC FIT 1148, closed forest, E. Nielsen, T. Edwards (1, ANIC); Celery Top Islands, Bathurst Harbour (43°22’S, 146°09’E), 28.viii–28.xi.1991, ANIC FIT 1203, closed forest, E. Nielsen, T. Edwards (1, ANIC); Claytons, Bathurst Harbour (43°22’S, 146°08’E), 7.xii.1990 – 15.i.1991, ANIC FIT 1149, closed forest (1, ANIC); Florentine Valley, 29 km WNW Maydena on Eleven Rd., 460m, 1.6. ii.1980, berlese, leaf litter. A. Newton, M. Thayer (1, FMNH); Hartz Mts. N. P., Hartz Rd. 740m, 8–10.ii.1980, berlesed from leaf litter, A. Newton, M. Thayer (1, FMNH); Hellyer Gorge, 15 mi. N of Waratah, 2–4.ii.1967, G. Monteith (3, QMB); Mt. Barrow via Launceston, 9–10.ii.1967, G. Monteith (1, QMB); Mt. Field N. P. (42°41’S, 146°43’E), 160–240m, 30.1– 4.ii.1980, ANIC Berlesate 671, moss on logs & trunks, J. Lawrence, T. Weir (1, ANIC); Mt. Mangana, Bruny I. (43°21’S, 147°13’E), 4.iv.1989, J. Diggle, P. Greenslade (3, ANIC); Mt. Michael (41°11’S, 148°00’E), 740m, 22–29.xi.1989, yellow pans, H. Mitchell, R. Coy (1, ANIC); Mt. Michael (41°11’S, 148°00’E), 740m, 26–27.xi.1989, pyrethrum knockdown, R. Coy (6, ANIC, MVM); Mt. Michael (41°11’S, 148°00’E), 740m, 28.xi.1989, suction, Tube 245, R. Coy (1, ANIC); Mt. Michael (41°11’S, 148°00’E), 740m, 29.xi.1989, litter, Tune 203, H. Mitchell (1, ANIC); Mt. Victoria (41°20’S, 147°50’E), 900m, 23–25.xi.1989, pyrethrum knockdown, R. Coy, H. Mitchell (6, ANIC, MVM); Mt. Wedge, 7 km NebyE (42°49’S, 146°22’E), 550m, 3.ii.1980, ANIC Berlesate 670, litter, J. Lawrence, T. Weir (1, ANIC); Mt. Wellington, Fern Tree, 1.x.1981, ANIC Berlesate 907, G. Bornemissza (2, ANIC); Peters Link Rd. (41°08’S, 148°07’E), 20–25.ii.1993, pit, J. Trueman etc. (1, ANIC); Willie’s Saddle, 9 km W of Geeveston, 310m, 8–10.ii.1980, berlesate leaf litter, A. Newton, M. Thayer (1, FMNH).
Distribution. Known only from TAS.
Biology. Specimens collected by pyrethrin knockdown, in berlesates from sifted leaf litter, logs and moss, in yellow pans and flight intercept/trough traps.
Etymology. Derived from the Latin bi, two, color, color and the diminutive suffix ellus.
description: Published as part of Lawrence, John F., 2019, New species of Eucinetus and Noteucinetus from Australia (Coleoptera: Scirtoidea: Eucinetidae), pp. 151-182 in Zootaxa 4668 (2) on page 157, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4668.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3415013