Entomologists from the Universidade de São Paulo have identified a new species of the termitophilous rove beetle genus Austrospirachtha (tribe Corotocini) living in Australia.
The Corotocini is one of the most diverse and morphologically specialized groups of rove beetles associated with termites.
The tribe consists of more than 270 species and is included in the rove beetle subfamily Aleocharinae.
The earliest member of the tribe, Pareburniola dominicana, is known from the Miocene-period Dominican amber.
All species present some degree of membranous enlargement of the abdomen, called physogastry.
The development of physogastry occurs after the beetle emerges from the pupa as an ordinary beetle.
The process is accompanied by further modifications related to its sclerotized parts, which makes the early stages strikingly different from the fully developed forms.
“Termitophilous rove beetles in Australia encompass diverse genera and species from several tribes in Aleocharinae,” said Universidade de São Paulo entomologists Bruno Zilberman and Carlos Pires-Silva.
“While some species have been well-documented, others remain poorly known due to the scarcity of available material.”
The newly-discovered species belongs to Austrospirachtha, one of the rarest genera of Corotocini.
The genus was first established by the CSIRO entomologist J.A.L. Watson in 1973.
“The existing knowledge of Austrospirachtha is based solely on Austrospirachtha mimetes, described from two specimens collected in an old termite mound,” the researchers said.
“The genus is known for its highly developed physogastry and potential mimicry adaptations.”
Named Austrospirachtha carrijoi, the new species occurs in Australia’s Northern Territory.
The beetle likely uses a physogastry on its back to fool worker termites into feeding it.
“Austrospirachtha carrijoi represents only the second known species of the genus,” the authors said.
Their paper was published in the journal…
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