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Records of the Australian Museum (2009) Vol. 61 
Key to Cleridae of Lord Howe Island 
1 Fourth tarsomere conspicuous, not hidden within lobes of the third. 2 
-Fourth tarsomere small, cylindrical, hidden within lobes of the third. 3 
2 Large (>10 mm) brown flightless species. Cormodes darwini Pascoe 
-Small (<10 mm) dark metallic green species. Lemidia subaenea Gorham 
3 Prothorax with distinct lateral carina. 4 
-Prothorax without distinct lateral carina. Tarsostenodes howensis n.sp. 
4-Elytra orange with a broad dark postbasal band 
-Elytra black with pale X-shaped markings . 
Thriocerodes bipartitus (Pic) 
Thriocerodes decussates n.sp. 
disc regularly impressed with conspicuous circular foveolate 
punctation arranged in 10 rows, rows 1-8 (from suture) 
orderly, rows 9-10 disorderly; punctation suddenly absent 
before apex; epipleura converging near apical third. Hind 
wing functional, apical field one-quarter of total wing length; 
anal- and medial-field venation extremely faint, wedge cell 
apparently open. Pterothoracic sterna deeply impressed with 
circular foveolate punctation. Abdomen comprised of six 
visible sternites. Legs long, slender; all fourth tarsomeres 
reduced in length, cylindrical; tibial spur formula 1-2-1; 
tarsal pulvillar formula 3-3-3 (basal metatarsal pulvillus very 
small); pretarsal claws simple, slightly acuminate basally. 
Etymology. The specific epithet illustrates the fact that 
T. howensis n.sp. is the only member of Tarsostenodes 
Blackburn known from Lord Howe Island, where it is 
presumably endemic. 
Biology. Collected from 30 m to 280 m above sea level 
by beating Pandanus trees, Howea palms and other, 
unidentified, vegetation. 
Remarks. The closure of the procoxal cavities, highly 
reduced lateral prothoracic carina, general form of 
the pronotum, characters of the eye (i.e. separation, 
emargination, size of facets), number of tibial spurs and 
tarsal pulvilli, suggest that this species is congeneric with 
members of Tarsostenodes (Tarsosteninae), a genus hitherto 
known only from eastern mainland Australia. Of the mainland 
species, T. howensis n.sp. appears to be most closely related 
to T. leucogramma Elston due to similarities in antennal 
length and type of punctation on the head and pronotum; T. 
luecogramma is also the only mainland species with which a 
“pale” variety is known. The new species is the only member 
of the genus lacking white callositous deposits on the elytra. 
Acknowledgments. Chris Reid (AMS) alerted me to the collection 
of Lord Howe Cleridae and Dave Britton (AMS) facilitated the loan 
of specimens. Tom Weir (ANIC) provided details for specimens 
held in the ANIC, Canberra. Max Barclay (BMNH), Thieny Deuve 
(MNHN), Peter Lily white (MVMA), Geoff Monteith (QM), and Jan 
Forrest (SAM) facilitated visits to collections in their care. Shaun 
Winterton (Queensland Primary Industries & Fisheries) provided 
helpful comments on the manuscript. 
References 
DECC [Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW)], 
2007. Lord Howe Island Biodiversity Management Plan 
Appendices. Department of Environment and Climate Change 
(NSW), Sydney. 
Ekis, G., 1977. Classification, Phylogeny, and Zoogeography 
of the Genus Perilypus (Coleoptera: Cleridae). Smithsonian 
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Environment Australia, 2002. Lord Howe Island Marine Park 
(Commonwealth Waters) Management Plan. Environment 
Australia, Canberra. 
Gerstmeier, R., 2000. Aktueller Stand der Buntkafer-Forschung 
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Basiliensia 22: 169-178. 
Hardy, R .J., 1982. The biology and behaviour of currant borer moth, 
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j. 1440-6055.1982.tb01773.x 
Lawrence, J.F., &E.B. Britton, 1994. Australian Beetles. Melbourne 
University Press, Carlton, 192 pp. 
New, T.R., 1978. Notes on the biology of Lemidia subaenea 
(Coleoptera: Cleridae) on Acacia in Victoria. Australian 
Entomological Magazine 5: 21-22. 
Manuscript submitted 11 March 2009, accepted 9 July 2009. 
