A review of the Asian species of the genus Pachysternum (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Sphaeridiinae)
Author
Fikáček, Martin
Author
Jia, Fenglong
Author
Prokin, Alexander
text
Zootaxa
2012
2012-03-02
3219
1
53
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3219.1.1
3fa772dc-c5b2-40c9-b28e-cd067ca9a3f6
1175-5326
280223
Australocyon keralensis
(
Hebauer,
2002
)
,
comb. nov.
Pachysternum keralense
Hebauer,
2002
a:
16
.
Pachysternum keralense
:
Short & Hebauer (
2006
:
349
, catalogue)
.
Type
material examined.
Paratype
:
1
spec.
(
NMPC
): “
INDIEN
:
Kerala
/
Thekkady
,
Peryar W. L. S.
/
2. 9
.
1989
/ leg.
A. Riedel
”
Taxonomic note.
The species bears all diagnostic characters of the
Australocyon pilocnemoides
species group mentioned by
Hansen (
2003
)
, and moreover differs from
Pachysternum
species by the antennal grooves not reaching the lateral margin of hypomeron, and metaventrite lacking any trace of the femoral lines. Morphology of its genitalia (see
Hebauer
2002
a
,
Fig.
22
) also do not correspond with the
Pachysternum
species, but largely agree with those illustrated by
Hansen (
2003
,
Figs.
18–21
)
for the species of the
Australocyon pilocnemoides
group. For that reason, the species is transferred here to the genus
Australocyon
.
Australocyon keralensis
may be diagnosed as follows: dorsal surface uniformly dark brown; antennal club unicolored; pronotum without sublateral depressions; posterolateral corners of pronotum bluntly rounded; pronotal punctation moderately coarse but sparse, consisting of punctures of two slightly different sizes; pronotal interstices bearing strong mesh-like microsculpture; elytra evenly convex, not humpy in humeral areas. Based on the key provided by
Hansen (
2003
)
, the species seems to be very similar especially to
A. pilocnemoides
Hansen,
2003
and
A. puncticollis
Hansen,
2003
.