A new Catasarcus species 
165 
extending from base to just anterior of anterior 
dorsal spine level, expanding at elytral base to 
form narrow transverse line reaching from suture 
to third stria; a black-bronze vitta covering width 
of interstria 2 and extending from near elytral base 
onto base of posterior dorsal spines, also with 
narrow white vitta (sometimes broken up into 
series of spots) covering lateral half of caudal 2/3 
of interstria (to posterior dorsal spine) in some 
southern specimens; a very pronounced and dense 
white vitta covering width of interstria 3 and 
extending from near elytral base onto base of 
posterior dorsal spines; interstria 4 vestiture, for 
distance between elytral base and posterior dorsal 
spine, as follows: basal 1/4 uniformly pink-brown 
for interstrial width, following 3/8 with an 
indistinct line of pink-brown scales (containing 
interspersed black-bronze scales), caudal 3/8 (to 
level of posterior dorsal spine) covered in black- 
bronze scales; medial half of interstria 5 with pink- 
brown scales for basal 1/4 distance between elytral 
base and posterior dorsal spines, with remaining 
3/4 bronze-black to anterior dorsal spine; interstria 
6 and lateral half of interstria 5 with pink-brown 
scales covering respective widths for basal 5/8 
distance between elytral base and posterior dorsal 
spines, thereafter interrupted by diagonal line of 
white scales reaching from humeral tubercle onto 
base of anterior dorsal spine; elytral sides white 
below a line which reaches from humeral tubercle 
(at elytral base) to anterior dorsal spine, thereafter 
angling down to just posterior of hind coxae at 
level of top of post-humeral spine, and finally 
angling slightly up and around to posterior 
declivity of elytra; white elytral sides containing a 
black spot just dorso-caudal to post-humeral spine 
and just ventral to line between humeral tubercle 
and anterior dorsal spine; elytra with pink-brown 
scales anterior to and below post-humeral spine; 
scales at dorsal 3/8 of posterior declivity pink- 
brown for elytral width, extending dorsally 
between posterior dorsal spines to level of anterior 
dorsal spines; ventral 5/8 of posterior declivity (to 
elytral apex) white with five apically converging, 
separate black-bronze vittae which, together, 
dorsally cover the same elytral width as the 
distance between the posterior dorsal spines. Legs 
covered in white, bluish and bronze scales, with 
blue scales on femora particularly prominent; 
adventitious corbellar setae brown, hair-like. 
Antennal scape with bronze and white scales, 
funicle segments mostly white. 
Ovipositor with valves apically explanate/ 
flattened and blade-like. Aedeagus as in figure 2. 
Distribution 
At present, known only from two localities 
(26°32'S, 113°59’E and 27°23'S, 114°14'E) near mid¬ 
west coastal Western Australia. 
Figure 2 Aedeagus of Catasarcus militaris: A, dorsal 
view; B, left lateral view. 
Remarks 
On the basis of similarity in size, general shape 
and morphology, vestiture pattern and ovipositor 
structure, I believe that C. militaris is most closely 
related to three quadrispinate species: C. albisparsus 
Pascoe, 1870; C. cicatricosus Pascoe, 1870; C. 
marginispinis Pascoe, 1870. The latter three species 
are herein informally referred to as the C. 
marginispinis species-group, which may be 
diagnosed with respect to other quadrispinate 
Catasarcus by the presence of small forwardly- 
directed tubercles at elytral base. C. militaris differs 
from the C. marginispinis species-group as follows: 
it lacks the small forwardly-directed tubercles at 
elytral base; in both sexes, its anterior dorsal elytral 
spine length is relatively shorter than and non¬ 
overlapping with this group (LAS 0-56% of LPS vs 
>59% of same); in both sexes, its anterior dorsal 
spines are set more caudad on elytra than those of 
the latter group (AS1: 50-58 vs 44-54). Indeed, 
among the quadrispinate Catasarcus, C. militaris has 
the shortest anterior dorsal spines known (to the 
point where they are absent in the northern d 
paratype). Catasarcus militaris further differs from 
C. marginispinis (ASI: <5, 44-49; 9, 47-53) as fol¬ 
lows: non overlapping <J ASI; weakly vs strongly 
sexually dimorphic ASI; lateral frontal carinae (on 
head) present vs absent; median rostral Carina 
parallel to frons vs arched. Catasarcus militaris also 
differs from C. albisparsus (ASI: <5, 48-53; 9, 49-53) 
