Kakadudessus

Northern Territory (Kakadu National Park and headwaters of Mary River) and north-eastern Queensland (Cape York Peninsula). Probably more widespread in tropical northern Australia.

Measurements: Holotype: TL = 2.20 mm, TL-H = 1.95 mm; width = 1.45 mm. Paratypes: TL = 2.20–2.25 mm, TL-H = 1.95–2.00 mm; width = 1.45–1.55 mm. Colour: Antennae and palpi yellowish, head testaceous somewhat darkened near eyes, pronotum testaceous. Elytra dark brown with a narrow subbasal band and two subapical yellowish patches not reaching sutural line (Fig. 1). Ventral side, including legs and epipleura, reddish-brown, prosternal process somewhat darkened. Sculpture and structure: Head with cervical line; sparsely punctate, punctures weaker anteriorly with coarse microreticulation anteriorly and basally; clypeus with anterior border. Maxillary palpi fairly slender and finely bifid at tip. Basal part of pronotum narrower than base of elytra, pronotal sides slightly sinuate and cordate with well developed lateral margin, greatest width in middle. Pronotal striae well marked, strongly waved inwards and reaching two thirds of way across pronotum, but without a transverse furrow connecting them. Elytral striae well marked and of same length as pronotal striae (Habitus Foto). Elytra regularly and coarsely punctured, along suture punctures smaller than rest of elytra. Punctures on elytra not forming rows. Ventral side, posterior part of basal cavity of epipleura without transverse carina. Prosternal process reaching metaventrite, laterally margined, fairly elongate and narrow, lanceolate. Metaventrite with rows of punctures at midline and metacoxal lines longer than distance between them, strongly diverging anteriorly. Meta- and mesoventrites coarsely and densely punctured, punctures on all abdominal ventrites weaker and smaller. Male: Pro- and mesotarsi not expanded. Inner edge of mesotibia straight. Penis not strongly modified and of general Bidessini type, in ventral view very elongated, strongly tapered at tip (Figs 2 –3). Parameres bi-segmented, thin, slender and very elongate (Figs 4 –5), only slightly bifid anteriorly. Variation: This species has a very disjunct distribution. Yet, we observed no morphological differences between the specimens from Queensland and those from the Northern Territory.

Kakadudessus is a genus of predaceous diving beetles in the family Dytiscidae. There is one described species in Kakadudessus, K. tomweiri, found in Australasia.