Binburrum articuno 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 : 250-252

Binburrum articuno Hsiao and Pollock , new species

ZooBank Registration Number:

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CCF17731-0E20-4DF4-8FD3-BE185D47677F

Figures 1F–G , 2A–B , 3A–B , 4C–H , 7C–D .

Type material. Holotype male. South Australia: 34.07S 140.37E ( GPS) / 12km SW Calperum HS / S.A. 10 Oct-7 Nov 1995 / A.Lambie & K.Pullen / Flight intercept / trough trap // Calperum Station / / Bookmark Biosphere / Reserve / invertebrate Survey ” ( ANIC) . Paratype (one male, three ex.): “ 34.07S 140.37E S.A. / 14km WNW Renmark / 5 Sept-12 Oct 1995 / Flight intercept / pitfall / trap K. R. Pullen // Calperum Station / / Bookmark Biosphere / Reserve / Invertebrate survey” (two ex.) ( ANIC); “ 33.53S 140.44E S.A. / 32km N Renmark / 6 Sept-12 Oct 1995 / Malaise trap, mallee / K. R. Pullen // Calperum Station / / Bookmark Biosphere / Reserve / invertebrate Survey ” (one male) ( ANIC) ; 33.53S 140.44E S.A. / 32km N Renmark / 6 Sept- 12 Oct 1995 / Flight intercept / pitfall / trap K. R . Pullen // CALPERUM STATION/ / BOOKMARK BIOSPHERE / RESERVE / INVERTEBRATE SURVEY (one ex.) ( ANIC) .

Diagnosis. This species is distinguishable from its congeners by the entirely dark-brown body, depressed frons, elongate antennae, lateral pronotal margins without tubercles, and male genitalia with long triangular apicale slightly longer than basale in lateral view, and elongate accessory lobes largely extended beyond apicale. This new species somewhat resembles B. concavifrons Pollock, 1995 in depressed frontoclypeal area and long triangular apicale of male genitalia in lateral view but can be easily recognised by the entirely dark-brown body ( Fig. 1F–G ) (head black to light brown; pronotum orange to dark brown; elytra yellowish-brown to black in B. concavifrons ; Fig. 1C ), frontoclypeal area slightly depressed (distinctly depressed in B. concavifrons ), longer antennae, extended to apical fifth of elytra (antennae shorter, extended to elytral midlength in B. concavifrons ), punctures on head and pronotum shallower, umbilicate (deeper, nonumbilicate in B. concavifrons ), elytra more elongate, with length ca. 6.1–6.3 × pronotal length (shorter, with length ca. 4.4–5.0 × pronotal length in B. concavifrons ), genitalic tegmen with apicale nearly parallel laterally in dorsal view and rounded apically in lateral view ( Fig. 4C–H ) (apicale narrowed apicad in dorsal view and obtusely pointed apically in lateral view in B. concavifrons ; Fig. 4A–B ), accessory lobes of tegmen largely extended beyond apicale (slightly extended beyond apicale in B. concavifrons ).

Description. Measurements. Length: 4.25–5.05 mm (5.05 in holotype); width: 1.20–1.40 mm (1.40 in holotype).

Colour ( Fig. 1F–G ). Head black, with clypeus dark brown; antennae dark brown; pronotum dark brown to black; meso- and metaventrites, elytra, abdomen and legs dark brown; surface covered with pale, slightly yellowish setae.

Head ( Fig. 2A–B ). Eyes lateral, small, ratio of eye diameter to interocular space 1.0:2.1–2.5. Antennae elongate, extended to apical fifth of elytra. Punctures large, umbilicate; setae short; frontoclypeal area slightly depressed; frons evenly convex; antennal setae longer than setae on head, recurved apically.

Pronotum ( Fig. 3A–B ). Narrower than head and distinctly narrower than width across elytral humeri; pronotum wider than long; lateral pronotal margins slightly arcuate, subangulate at widest point, near midlength; margins smooth, without tubercles; median line absent; depressions indistinct, shallow, anteriorly divergent, situated near midlength; punctures moderately deep, umbilicate; punctation contiguous laterally, punctures irregularly distributed, sparsely distributed anteriorly and medially; setae longer than setae on head.

Elytra. Punctures relatively large, rounded, smaller towards elytral apex, with interpuncture distance slightly shorter than puncture diameter; epipleura distinct completely to elytral apex; elytra flat dorsally, sloped towards apex only.

Male genitalia. Apicale slightly longer than basale, cleft deeply apically, nearly parallel laterally in dorsal view and rounded apically in lateral view; accessory lobes very narrow, inserted together in proximal one-fourth of apicale, largely extended beyond apicale ( Fig. 4C–H ); median lobe distinctly narrowed apicad, spatulate distally ( Fig. 7C–D ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is named after the Articuno in the Japanese videogame Pokémon , one of the three legendary fictional birds, referring to the presumed rareness of this species that has only five known specimens. The specific name is treated as a noun in apposition. The specific names of new species given in this paper are in memory of this classic videogame, which inspired the first author to become a taxonomist (“real Pokémon trainer”) in his childhood.

Distribution. Australia: southeastern South Australia.

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. 4. Genitalic tegmen of Binburrum articuno new species, in comparison with B. concavifrons Pollock, 1995. Binburrum concavifrons Pollock, 1995, holotype: A, dorsal view and B, lateral view; B. articuno new species, holotype: C, dorsal view and D, lateral view;B. articuno new species,paratype: E, dorsal view, F, lateral view; B. articuno new species,holotype,hand drawings G, dorsal view and H, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 7. Comparison of median lobes between Binburrum concavifrons Pollock, 1995 and B. articuno new species. Binburrum concavifrons, paratype: A, ventral view and B, lateral view; B. articuno new species, holotype: C, ventral view and D, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.