Abstract
A new species of Nicrophorus in the nepalensis species-group, Nicrophorus efferens Sikes and Mousseau, is described from Bougainville Island in the Solomon Islands archipelago. It is distinguished from the known species of the genus Nicrophorus and its likely closest relative, Nicrophorus reticulatus Sikes and Madge, based on external morphology. A comparison among the four Nicrophorus species known from the Solomon Island archipelago and Papua New Guinea is presented.
Highlights
The nepalensis species group (Coleoptera, Nicrophorus) is the second largest species group within the genus Nicrophorus
From the latin verb ‘effero’ to carry out for burial, bear to the grave, bury; present participle in the nominative singular. This new species is likely closely related to one if not both of the Nicrophorus previously known from the Solomon Islands archipelago (N. reticulatus [Figs 2, 3] and N. kieticus, [Figs 1,3]) and may be the key to untangling the mystery of how they are related
Nicrophorus kieticus has black antennal clubs and a longer epipleural ridge, among a total of 12 character states we have found that N. kieticus does not share with members of the nepalensis group
Summary
The nepalensis species group (Coleoptera, Nicrophorus) is the second largest species group within the genus Nicrophorus. Species of this group are primarily montane in regions of eastern Asia and the Malay Archipelago, ranging in longitude from 73°E. A third Nicrophorus species for the region, from Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, is described. This new species is described within the context of an ongoing revision of the subfamily (see Sikes and Peck 2000, Sikes 2003, Sikes 2005, Sikes et al 2002, 2006, 2008, Mousseau and Sikes 2011)
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