Four new species of the myrmecophile Diplocotes Westwood (Coleoptera: Ptinidae) from Queensland and South Australia.

Four new species of the Australian ptinid genus Diplocotes are described. Two of these species are from the dry tropical and subtropical areas of northern and central Queensland, while the other two are from the arid areas of South Australia. While the four new species described here have not been observed with ants in the field, the species of this genus are known to be myrmecophilous, and similar interactions may occur between the new species and their host ants. Additionally, many characters are shared with other unrelated myrmecophilous species, and may be convergent adaptations to the ant-associated lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]