Pericompsus (Upocompsus) olliffi (Sloane 1896)

Pericompsus olliffi (Sloane)

Tachys olliffi Sloane, 1896:376. [Type (s) probably in CSIRO, not seen, but Sloane’s description is good. Type-locality: Forest Reefs, New South Wales, Australia.]

DESCRIPTION.—Form (Figure 6): Similar to P. habitans except head and pronotum narrower and eyes considerably smaller. Easily distinguished from members of all other Australian Pericompsus by the form of the forebody and overall color.

Color: Shiny dark rufopiceous, legs testaceous, antennae and palpi infuscated.

Head: Much narrower across eyes than width of pronotum; frontal furrows short and well impressed, not prolonged on irons past mideye level; eyes small and feebly prominent; ocular bulge posterior to eye glabrous.

Pronotum (Figure 6): Moderately subcordate, sides narrowed and slightly sinuate in basal half; base slightly lobed at middle; hind angles slightly obtuse and sharp; side margins narrowly beaded; disc moderately convex; venter densely setiferous.

Elytra: Each elytron with 6 punctate interneurs, punctures small and separated longitudinally by twice their own diameter or more; row 2–5 effaced in apical third or before, rows 1 and 8 entire and striate in apical half, interneur 7 effaced externally throughout, lateral channel punctate to apical third, not foveate; humeral margin rounded at base to level of interneur 4, not connected to base of 4; side margins narrowly explanate, coarsely serrate-setulose in basal fourth; chaetotaxy as in P. semistratus; plica short and well developed externally.

Abdomen: Sterna IV–VI each sparsely setiferous.

Microsculpture: Effaced from dorsal surface.

Genitalia: Male not seen; female characteristic of ephippiatus group (1 examined).

Size: Length, 1.92–2.08 mm; width, 0.76–0.84 mm; 2 specimens measured.

VARIATION.—Too few specimens were seen to assess variation.

NATURAL HISTORY.—Specimens were collected in September and October; none were teneral. The wings of both specimens seen were reduced, making the beetles incapable of flight, but, as pointed out by Darlington (1963), the species may be wing dimorphic as in other members of this group.

LOCALITY RECORDS (Figure 20).—I have seen two specimens from the following localities:

AUSTRALIA: NEW SOUTH WALES: Mount Lofty (MCZ). VICTORIA: Vermont at Danenong Creek (MCZ).