Navigator ruficornis Westwood 1874, new combination
Creators: name: Moeseneder, Christian H.
name: Hutchinson, Paul M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Navigator
Navigator ruficornis

description: Navigator ruficornis (Westwood, 1874) new combination
(Figs. 1 B, 1D9, 1E2, 1G1, 1I, 2C, 6–8)
Diaphonia ruficornis: Westwood 1874: 477, plate 8, fig. 6.
Metallesthes ruficornis: Kraatz 1880: 203; Schoch 1896: 49.
Pseudoclithria ruficornis: Lea 1914: 143, plate 13, figs. 173–175; Schenkling 1921: 193; Cassis & Weir 1992: 449; Allard 1995: 142, plate 18, figs. 5, 6; Antoine & Dechambre 2002: 95; Calder 2002; Krajcik 2012: 228; Moeseneder et al. 2014: 319–326.
Metallesthes subpilosa: Nonfried 1892: 369 –370. Moeseneder et al. 2014: 319–326 [synonymy].
Material examined (30 specimens). Diaphonia ruficornis lectotype (designated by Antoine (2002)), male (Fig. 6): Australia, EC4128 [MNHN]. Condition: Fair. Missing: left protarsomeres 3–5, left metatarsomeres and spurs, right metatibia, left antennomeres 2–10. Metallesthes subpilosa lectotype, female (designated by Moeseneder et al. 2014) [MNHUB]. Metallesthes subpilosa paralectotype, male: Australia sept[entrional] [MNHUB].
Other material (23 males and 4 females) AUSTRALIA. Western Australia: 1 Ƌ, Cue, T 159394 [AM]; 1 ♀, Eucla, K 358866 [AM]; 1 Ƌ, 12 km E of Eucla, 30.i.2011, B. Howton, MIC 61183 -001 [MIC]; 2 Ƌ, 147 km E of Eucla, 23.i.1985, M. Powell [WAM]; 3 Ƌ, Eucla Meteorological Office, xii.2009, A.M. Hay, CET 0188, CET 0189, CET 0190 [PMH]; 1 Ƌ, 26 km S of Menzies (Comet Vale), 17.ii.2006, M. Powell, CET 0185 [PMH]; 1 Ƌ, 20 km N of Norseman, ii.2003, M. Golding, CET 0187 [PMH]; 1 Ƌ, Toolinna Rockhole, 24–28.ii.1984, T.F. Houston [WAM]. SOUTH AUSTRALIA: 1 ♀, Between Ardrossan and Tiddy Widdy Beach, 4.iv.2004, D. Hirst [SAM]; 1 Ƌ, Halcyon Scrub, Hundred of Ridley between Black Hill and Swan Reach, 19.iii.1984, J. & D. Gardner [SAM]; 2 Ƌ, Paringa, K 358862, K358864 [AM]; 1 Ƌ, Port Lincoln, K 358863 [AM]; 2 Ƌ/ 1 ♀, Port Lincoln Cricket Club, 25.iii.1957, W.C. Johnston, 0 37614, 0 37615 (Fig. 8), 0 37616 (Fig. 7) [WINC]; 1 Ƌ, Sinclair Gap, 7.ix.1996, P. Hudson [SAM]; 1 ♀, Wilmington, 24.i.1887, K358867 [AM]; 1 Ƌ, Yorke Peninsula, Brentwood, 5.iii.1974, P.B. McQuillan [SAM]; 1 Ƌ, T159395 [QM]; 1 Ƌ, K358865 [AM]. VICTORIA: 1 Ƌ, Mallee, T 159398 [QM]; WITHOUT LOCATION: 1 Ƌ, NW Australia, T159397 [QM]; 1 Ƌ [MNHUB].
Diagnosis. Form: 11.8–18 mm, ovoid, dorsal surfaces coarsely punctate, often coalesced. Colour: black-green or brown with green, blue, or purple metallic reflections. Head: clypeolateral declivity present, clypeus widest preapically, clypeus apical margin linear, male antennal club enlarged. Elytron: posthumeral arch weakly sinuate, costae distinct, narrow. Abdomen: mesometasternal process undeveloped, female sternites convex. Legs: metatibia broad bearing large median denticle, female inner spur spatulate, metacoxa posterolateral angle angulate.
Redescription. Lectotype. Male (Fig. 6). Based on images. Length 16.0 mm, width 8.2 mm. Ovate. Head. Black. Clypeus; clypeolateral ridge linear, parallel from antennal insertion, arcuate to linear apical margin; lateral declivity present (Fig. 1 B, details 1, 4 and cross-section 3), divergent to broadly arcuate at apex, widest apically, remaining visible at moderately deep angulate apicoclypeal face; disc flat, gradually inclined to moderately narrow lateral margin; apical margin with median “mesa”-like elevation and steep anterior face; disc with coarse punctures, glabrous. Frons with low elevated midline extending to base of clypeus; disc coarsely punctate, bearing long, ginger setae, glabrous basomedially and at base of ocular canthus. Ocular canthus bearing few short setae apically. Antenna: scape black, posterior margin bearing brush of long, pale setae; pedicel brown; antennomeres 3– 7 brown, bearing few long, pale setae; club brown, slightly arcuate, approximately 1.8 x length of antennomeres 2– 7 and approximately 0.8 x length of head; antennomere 8 internal surface medially with short setae; antennomere 10 with brown external surface. Thorax. Pronotum black; basomedian margin linear, basolateral margin linear, slightly angled anteriorly; basolateral angle arcuate, approximately 90º; posterolateral margins linear, convergent to weak medial arc then linear attenuate to anterolateral angle; anterior margin linear; lateral and anterior margins bearing ridges; disc coarsely punctate becoming rugulose along lateral margin, bearing moderately long, pale pilosity. Scutellum black, elongate with broad base; disc coarsely punctate, bearing short, pale setae. Elytron dark brown, juxtascutellar black; narrowly exposing mesepimeron; lateral margin parallel; not exposing metacoxa at linear posthumeral arch, then broadly arcuate to apex; humeral and apical umbones not raised; costae 1, 2, and 4 distinct, narrow; sutural costa distinct, terminating in micro-spine; disc coarsely punctate, most coalesced, eroding margins of costae, bearing sparse pale setae. Mesometasternal process present as narrow low rounded elevation, declivous between mesocoxae. Metasternum black, coarsely punctate, bearing dense, ginger pilosity laterally. Legs. Dark brown. Profemur dorsoventrally flattened; slightly attenuate to apex; ventral surface more rugulose along posterior margin, bearing long, ginger pilosity. Protibia tridentate, denticles acute, not equidistant, basal denticle short and premedial; dorsal surface with coarse punctures, bearing few long, ginger setae, setal brush sparse. Protarsomeres 1–5 equal to tibial length. Mesofemur dorsoventrally flattened, ventral surface bearing long, ginger pilosity. Mesotibia ventral surface sparsely punctate; internal margin and dorsal surface moderately clothed in long, ginger pilosity; external margin bearing large acute medial denticle; apex bispinose; spurs long, narrow, tapering. Mesotarsomeres 1–5 equal to tibial length, bearing few pale setae. Metafemur dorsoventrally flattened; anterior margin arcuate; posterior margin linear; ventral surface sparsely punctate, becoming denser along margins, bearing long, ginger pilosity. Metatibia broad; ventral surface bearing sparse, long, ginger pilosity; external margin bearing broad large medial denticle; apex trispinose with sinuate external indentation. Abdomen. Sternites dark brown; apical margin of sternite 6 black, medially flattened; sternite 6 1.5 x length of sternite 5; sternites 3–7 sparsely punctate medially, becoming rugulose laterally, bearing long ginger pilosity. Pygidium black with green and purple reflections; disc concentrically rugose, bearing sparse short setae, setae longer at apex. Genitalia (Fig. 2 C). Not extracted from lectotype, based on specimen CET0188 [PHM]. Phallobase 1.5 x length of parameres, narrowest preapically and at base of parameres, broadest pre-basally; Parameres moderately broad, lateral margins concave, gradually widening to apex; dorsal cleft narrow, acute at base, elliptical to attenuate apex.
Variation in male specimens. Length 11.8–13.4 mm, width 6.2–7.0 mm. Head black with blue and green reflections or black with green and purple reflections. Clypeus sparsely setose basally. Antennal scape brown, bearing few long, apical setae. Pronotum black-green or black with green and purple reflections or black-green with purple reflections and lateral margins with light brown maculation. Pronotal basomedian margin weakly concave. Scutellum black with green and purple reflections. Elytron brown-purple or brown with blue reflections or black with green, blue and purple reflections or dark brown with medial blue tint between sutural and first costa. Posthumeral arch narrowly exposing metacoxae. Metasternum dark brown with lateral brassy reflections, densely punctate, pilose medially, laterally rugose with denser pilosity. Legs dark brown, denticles and apices light brown, with green reflections. Protibial basal denticle indistinct as obtuse node. Mesofemur ventral surface rugose. Mesotibial internal margin with dense, long setae. Metatibial ventral surface with longitudinal rows of punctures. Metatibial spurs long, fine, tapering. Metatarsomeres bearing setae equal in length to tarsomeres. Metatarsomeres 1–5 equal in length to tibia. Metacoxa posterolateral angle 90º (Fig. 1 G, detail 1). Sternites dark brown, apical margins narrowly black with green and purple reflections. Pygidium black green with light brown base or black with blue reflections or yellow with light brown base.
Female. Length 16.2 mm, width 8.3 mm. Differs from lectotype in the following characters. Body stockier. Head: Antennal scape dark brown-black, club equal length to antennomeres 2–7, 0.4 x length of head. Thorax: Pronotal basolateral angle obtuse, lateral margin arcuate to anterolateral angle. Elytral posthumeral arch weakly sinuate, exposing metacoxa. Legs: Metatibial medial denticle broad and truncate (Fig. 1 I, detail 1). Abdomen: Sternites with light brown margins, distinctly convex. Pygidium dark brown-black bearing short apical setae.
Variation in female specimens. Length 13.7–18.0 mm, width 6.8–10.5mm. Head, lateral and apical declivity present, at least partially visible. Sternites uniformly brown. Elytra and sternites in smaller specimens lighter brown.
Differential diagnosis. Differs from N. fossor and N. pixii by presence of clypeolateral declivity. Differs from all other Navigator species by wider metatibia and metacoxa posterolateral angle angulate.
Remarks. In our recent revision of the genus Metallesthes (Moeseneder et al. 2014) we found three specimens of N. ruficornis in the collection of the MNHUB. Two of these were evidently types of Metallesthes subpilosa (Nonfried, 1891). Due to lack of type material, we designated these as the lectotype and a paralectotype of M. subpilosa. We also synonymised M. subpilosa with Pseudoclithria ruficornis. The species is highly variable, so that small specimens (Moeseneder et al. 2014, fig. 5) and large specimens (Fig. 7) may appear to be separate species.
Some of the information on this species presented in Allard (1995) is incorrect or dubious: the specimens shown on plate 18, figs. 5 and 6 are Pseudoclithria ruficornis males, not females; the specimen shown on plate 18, fig. 7 is a Pseudoclithria ruficornis male, not a Pseudoclithria rugosa female; the specimen shown on plate 18, fig. 5, and listed as the holotype, appears to be a different specimen than the lectotype in the MNHN (Fig. 6) designated by Antoine (2002) but it is possible that extensive digital image manipulation was performed (such as legs removed and right antenna redrawn) on the image.
Ecology and distribution. There is evidence from collection data that males fly frequently: three males collected in a water trap, one male each on Acacia foliage, in a spider web and dead on a salt lake, and two males from Melaleuca Linnaeus (Myrtaceae) flowers (WAM). One female was found on the ground, and two males and a female were from turf on a sporting field. This may indicate that N. ruficornis has a similar ecology to N. fossor and N. pixii.
The geographic extent of the specimens of N. ruficornis that we inspected covered a wide region of the southern limit of the hot, arid centre of the Australian continent, from the west of Western Australia through southern South Australia to a single record in the extreme northwest of Victoria (Figs. 15–16). The collecting location of the paralectotype of Metallesthes subpilosa, which we synonymised with Pseudoclithria ruficornis (Moeseneder et al. 2004) was given as northern Australia and in his description of the species, Nonfried (1892) listed Queensland and New Guinea. This is inconsistent with the distribution of the specimens as determined in our study and is likely erroneous.
description: Published as part of Moeseneder, Christian H. & Hutchinson, Paul M., 2016, Navigator, a new endemic genus of Cetoniinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from Australia, with descriptions of two new species and behavioural studies, pp. 530-556 in Zootaxa 4173 (6) on pages 541-544, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4173.6.2, http://zenodo.org/record/254767