Cyphopisthes descarpentriesi Paulian 1977

Size: HL = 0.98 mm; HW = 1.54 mm; PL = 1.63 mm; PW = 2.63 mm; EL = 2.87 mm; EW = 2.63 mm. Overall morphology as in generic description. Reddish-brown, shiny, glabrous (very fine short yellowish setation visible at 50x magnification), sternum, tarsi and antennae reddish-brown. Head: interocular distance about six times maximum width of dorsal ocular area, punctation dense and impressed, disc with very short transverse comma shaped punctures, each one having a simple small puncture at its interior side, sides of disc with large comma-shaped punctures centrifugally oriented, with opening facing internally, each one having a simple fine puncture internally, anterior portion of clypeus with three to four irregular anastomosing transverse lines. Pronotum: margin completely bordered, anterior angles angulate, completely covered by large, almost closed, horseshoe-shaped punctures, on disc with a small opening directed anteriad, at sides punctures larger than on disc, with a small opening directed laterad, each puncture having inside a small setigerous pore. Punctation dense: interpunctural distance being less than puncture diameter. Scutellum: covered by dense horseshoe-shaped punctures with posterior openings. Elytra: W/L: 0,93. Humeral callus indistinct, two short longitudinal lines starting at humerus and occupying proximal third, sutural interstria indistinct, completely and uniformly covered by impressed large horseshoe-shaped punctures with a small posterior openings, each one bearing a setigerous pore in the middle. Pseudepipleura with longitudinally oriented anastomosing horseshoe-shaped punctures mixed with comma-shaped punctures.

Known from north eastern Queensland coast. All specimens have been collected in open eucalypt woodland, in nests of Mastotermes (Isoptera). Termitophily has already been reported for Cyphopisthes (Ballerio and Maruyama 2010). In the same nests larvae and pupae were collected, subsequently described by Grebennikov et al. (2002). Open eucalypt woodland is a very unusual habitat for a Cyphopisthes, since most species are rainforest dwellers.