Salsolaius gen. nov. a new genus of Apalochrini (Coleoptera, Melyridae, Malachiinae) from the salt Lake Way of Western Australia Author Liu, Zhenhua 0000-0002-2739-3305 Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Dynamics and Conservation of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, The Museum of Biology, School of Life Sciences / School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China & Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia & liuzhh 22 @ mail 2. sysu. edu. cn; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 2739 - 3305 Author Ślipiński, Adam 0000-0002-1216-8068 Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia & Adam. Slipinski @ csiro. au; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 1216 - 8068 lipinski@csiro.au Author Pang, Hong Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Dynamics and Conservation of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, The Museum of Biology, School of Life Sciences / School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China text Zootaxa 2021 2021-12-20 5082 4 393 400 journal article 2895 10.11646/zootaxa.5082.4.7 7f02da24-d61d-43d1-bb86-97378f30aa6b 1175-5326 5792839 18871D70-6B64-4BAD-A3C8-CEE444153497 Salsolaius biserratus sp. nov. ( Figs 1–3 ) http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 59CFC055-5A75-46A7-83A1-85A40D5A3F1E . Etymology. Species name refers to the biserrate antennae of the new species. Type material. Holotype ♂ : ‘WA: Lake Way , ca. 15 km SSE. Of Wiluna 26°45’12.3228”S 120°23’13.5384”E ( GDA 94 ) 19 Aug. 2020 H.L. Clark , B.A. Buzatto ( SLP072 a) Active search—burrow dig/ Western Australian Museum Entomology Reg. No. E 108541’ ( WAM ) . Paratypes 2♀ : same data as the holotype but ‘ Western Australian Museum Entomology Reg. No. E 108542-108543’ ( WAM ) ; 1♂ , same data as the holotype ( ANIC ) ; 1♂ : same data as the holotype but ‘ 18 Aug. 2020 H.L. Clark , B.A. Buzatto ( SLP071 ) Active search—burrow dig’ ( ANIC ) . Diagnosis. The same as diagnosis of genus because of monotypy. Description. Length 7.7–8.9 mm . Body mostly yellow to brown, head black except anterior part of frons, gular area and mouthparts yellow to brown; pronotum with central area black and pair of sub-lateral spots. Legs with basal part of coxae and femora black, pterothorax with mesanepisternum, mesoventrite and metanepisternum black. Head relatively large, widest across eyes, slightly narrower than prothorax. Antennae with antennomeres 4–11 asymmetrically biserrate, which are narrower in female; ratios of antennomeres are 1.0: 0.13: 0.72: 0.40: 0.37: 0.37: 0.38: 0.38: 0.35: 0.36: 0.42. Prothorax about 0.7 times as long as wide. Elytra 1.3–1.4 times as long as wide. Sternite VIII in male ( Fig. 2G ) with large median projection posteriorly, tergite VIII ( Fig. 2F ) sub-trapezoid, with broad median incision posteriorly and pair of long anterior struts, bearing dense long setae posterolaterally. Penis ( Fig. 2H ) carafe-shaped, broadest at about anterior third, narrowly rounded apically, apex densely punctrued; inner sac with elongated and sclerotized flagellum, curved on both sides, covered very dense tiny spines Distribution. Only know from Lake Way of Western Australia ( Fig. 3 ). Biology. Little is known on feeding habits or life history; all specimens were collected in burrows on a salt lake in Western Australia , not active during the night. Larvae of Notointybia carvicorni were observed to burrow in wood debris and sands in the lab, in which they did the ecdysis. Thus, the burrows in which Salsolaius stays are most likely to be dug by the larvae to protect themselves from predators and/or high temperatures, in which they may also finish the pupation and eclosion.