Mecynotarsus bicornis Kejval & Cz 2013, sp. nov.

Mecynotarsus bicornis sp. nov.

(Figs 26, 128)

Type locality. Australia, Western Australia, 13 km EN of Newman, 23°15′S 119°52′E.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♀, ‘(23.15S 119.52E) 13 km. E. by N. of Newman, WA. 12.xi.70. E. B. Britton [p] // ANIC specimen [p; green label]’ (ANIC).

Description (holotype, female). Body length 3.1 mm. Body reddish, elytra somewhat paler, unicolorous; legs and antennae reddish.

Antero-lateral margins of frons projecting into conspicuous, curved and apically pointed horn-like process (Figs 26, 128). Gular rugules of different sizes, anteriorly larger, ordered and partly fused. Clypeal granules indistinct. Setation of head vertex mostly short, fine and appressed, with some longer setae in median line, somewhat coarser, subdecumbent laterally along eyes. Antennae moderately long; antennomere I rather robust and wide apically, somewhat curved, antennomeres III–V about twice, X 1.2 times as long as wide; setation mostly fine, inconspicuous, somewhat longer and coarser basally, especially antennomere I near apex laterally with somewhat clustered, longer stiff setae.

Pronotum globose to moderately transverse, 1.3 times as long as wide, its lateral margins rather strongly, evenly convex in dorsal view; posterior collar very narrow and inconspicuous. Pronotal horn robust and wide, subtriangular, its posterior angles distinct in dorsal view; horn margins armed with 4 lobules on each side; horn crest distinct, moderately wide, with coarse rugules on margins; submarginal rugules distinct, forming rather dense row laterally; median rugules of different sizes, anteriormost larger, fused and forming irregular sculpture, numerous minute granules posteriorly. Setation whitish to very slightly reddish, scaly and appressed, rather inconspicuous on pronotal horn dorsally; scales on pronotal disc of slightly different sizes, generally rather short and wide, widely rounded to subtruncate apically, very densely spaced, slightly glossy; antebasal paired setae present laterally and absent medially, some additional tactile setae present antero-laterally.

Elytra 1.7 times as long as wide; omoplates and postbasal impression absent. Setation scaly, appressed, uniform, pale reddish; scales very short, subtruncate apically, very densely spaced but distinct, slightly glossy; scattered tactile setae absent, but several longer, stiff setae present on humeri.

Male characters. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. Mecynotarsus bicornis sp. nov. is very conspicuous in having the long, horn-like processes on the frontal margins. Similar processes are found only in M. armifer sp. nov., which is an otherwise quite dissimilar species, differing clearly in generally more slender appearance, pronotal horn morphology, body setation, by much longer antennae, by the presence of granules on the pronotal disc etc.

Etymology. The species name is a Latin adjective bicornis, -is, -e, composed of the words bis (twice) and cornus (horn); named in reference to the presence of the paired, horn-like processes on the frontal margins.

Distribution. Australia: Western Australia.