Binburrum moltres Hsiao and Pollock, 2021

Hsiao, Yun & Pollock, Darren A., 2021, Contribution to the knowledge of the endemic Australian genus Binburrum Pollock, 1995 (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae: Pilipalpinae), with description of three new species, The Canadian Entomologist 153 (2), pp. 244-256 : 252-253

Binburrum moltres Hsiao and Pollock , new species

ZooBank Registration Number: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:10D65DC0-F248-4657-9DFC-B9F360FBE279

Figures 1H , 2C , 3C , 5 .

Type material. Holotype male. Queensland: “ 17.28S 145.29E QLD / BS1 Longlands Gap / 30Nv1995- 7Jan1996 / L.Umback. 1150m / Malaise trap ” ( ANIC).

Diagnosis. This new species closely resembles B. ephippiatum ( Wilson, 1926) in the orange-coloured body, with large, broad piceous fascia on elytra but can be easily recognised by the lighter orange-coloured body, with elytral piceous fascia in posterior half of elytra ( Fig. 1H ) (body colour darker, with fascia in middle of elytra in B. ephippiatum ; Fig. 1D ), head and pronotum densely punctate, with interpuncture space much shorter than puncture diameter, punctures deep, coarse ( Figs. 2C , 3C ) (sparsely punctate, with interpuncture space the same as or longer than puncture diameter, punctures shallow, fine in B. ephippiatum ), punctures on elytra large, rounded, with interpuncture space subequal to puncture diameter (small, longitudinally subelliptical, with interpuncture space longer than puncture diameter in B. ephippiatum ), genitalic tegmen with apicale subequal to basale in length (longer than basale in B. ephippiatum ), concave, not deeply cleft apically in dorsal view and nearly straight, merely slightly deflexed away from accessory lobes in lateral view ( Fig. 5 ) (apicale hoodlike, not cleft apically in dorsal view and sinuate, distinctly deflexed away from accessory lobes in lateral view in B. ephippiatum ), accessory lobes of tegmen inserted in distal one-third of apicale, extending beyond apicale (accessory lobes of tegmen inserted in proximal half of apicale, not extending beyond apicale in B. ephippiatum ), median lobe slightly narrowing apicad ( Fig. 5A, C ) (parallel laterally, slightly enlarged, bifid apically in B. ephippiatum ).

Description. Measurements. Length: 4.0 mm; width: 1.0 mm.

Colour ( Fig. 1H ). Head dark orange; antennae with scape and pedicel orange, antennomere 1 dark orange, blackish externally, remaining antennomeres black; pronotum orange; meso- and metaventrites orange; elytra orange, with large, broad piceous fascia in posterior half of elytra; abdomen orange to brown; legs orange; surface covered with yellowish setae.

Head ( Fig. 2C ). Eyes lateral, small, ratio of eye diameter to interocular space 1.0:3.7. Antennae short, extended to elytral midlength. Punctures large, umbilicate; setae short; frons evenly convex; antennal setae longer than setae on head, recurved apically.

Pronotum ( Fig. 3C ). Distinctly narrower than head and distinctly narrower than width across elytral humeri; pronotum wider than long; lateral pronotal margins arcuate; margins smooth, without tubercles; median line absent; depressions distinct, oval, anteriorly divergent, situated near midlength; punctures moderately deep, umbilicate, regularly distributed; setae longer than setae on head.

Elytra. Punctures relatively large, rounded, smaller towards elytral apex, with interpuncture distance subequal to puncture diameter; epipleura narrowed abruptly at ventrite 3 or 4, not present to elytral apex; elytra not flat dorsally, distinctly sloped in posterior half.

Male genitalia. Apicale subequal to basale in length, concave, not deeply cleft apically, nearly parallel laterally in dorsal view and nearly straight, merely slightly deflexed away from accessory lobes in lateral view; accessory lobes very narrow, inserted together in distal one-third of apicale, moderately extended beyond apicale ( Fig. 5 ); median lobe nearly parallel laterally, slightly narrowed apicad, spatulate distally ( Fig. 5A, C ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is named after the Moltres in the Japanese videogame Pokémon , one of the three legendary fictional birds, referring to the presumed rareness of this species that has only one known specimen. The specific name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Distribution. Australia: northeastern Queensland.

Remarks. A female specimen collected from the same area (17.27 S, 145.29 E) exhibits similar colouration, with black head and dark-brown pronotum ( Fig. 1I ). Given the similarity in distribution and the fact that colour variation frequently occurs in other Binburrum species, this specimen might represent a colour variety of B. moltres .

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus of Binburrum, dorsal view. A, B. angusticollis Pollock, 1995, holotype; B, B. bifoveicollis (Lea, 1917); C, B. concavifrons Pollock, 1995, holotype; D, B. ephippiatum (Wilson, 1926), lectotype; E, B. ruficollis (Champion, 1895); B. articuno new species: F, holotype; G, paratype; H, B. moltres new species, holotype; I, B. sp., presumably colour variation of B. moltres new species; J, B. zapdos new species, holotype. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 2. Head of Binburrum new species, dorsal view. A, B. articuno new species: A, holotype and B, paratype; C, B. moltres new species, holotype; D, B. zapdos new species, holotype. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 3. Pronotum of Binburrum new species, dorsal view. Binburrum articuno new species: A, holotype and B, paratype; C, B. moltres new species, holotype; D, B. zapdos new species, holotype. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 5. Male genitalia of Binburrum moltres new species, holotype. A, dorsal view, B, lateral view; hand drawings C, dorsal view and D, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.