Monteithocanthon arator ( Matthews, 1974 ) Matthews, 1974

Gunter, Nicole L. & Weir, Thomas A., 2017, Two new genera of Australian dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) with the description of six new species and transfer of six described species, Zootaxa 4290 (2), pp. 201-243 : 224-228

Monteithocanthon arator ( Matthews, 1974) new combination

Figs. 5 B, 7A–J, 8A, G, 9A, 10A.

Lepanus arator Matthews, 1974: 122

Material examined. Queensland: Holotype: [16°20'00''S, 145°18'00"E], Daintree, upper Stewart Creek , R.J. Huppatz, 9 October 1969 (in ANIC 25-057881 ) . Paratypes: [16°20'00''S, 145°18'00"E], Daintree, upper Stewart Creek , R.J. Huppatz, 9 October 1969 (in ANIC 25-057882 x 2) ; [16°36'00''S, 145°20'00"E], Mount Lewis Road , J.G. Brooks , 9 October 1970 (in ANIC 25-057883 ). Other material: [16°15'00''S, 145°02'00"E], Windsor Tableland via Mount Carbine ( Mount Windsor Tableland ), Storey & Halfpapp , 26 December 1983 – 24 January 1984 (in ANIC 25- 032532 ); [16°17'00''S, 145°05'00"E], Mount Windsor Tableland , R.W. Taylor & T.A. Weir , 5 November 1976 (in ANIC 25-058997–8 ); [16°13'00''S, 145°00'00"E], Windsor Tableland, 46 km from main road (Mount Windsor Tableland), Storey & Brown , 5–8 May 1986 (in ANIC 25- 032529, 25–058988 ); [16°13'00''S, 145°00'00"E], Windsor Tableland, 46 km from main road (Mount Windsor Tableland), Storey & Brown , 28 November–20 December 1985 (in ANIC 25-058989, 25– 032530 ); [16°13'00''S, 145°00'00"E], Windsor Tableland, 46 km from main road (Mount Windsor Tableland), Storey & Brown , 10 December 1984 – 15 January 1985 (in ANIC 25- 032531, 25–058987 ); [16°35'00''S, 145°17'00"E], Mount Lewis, approximately 3 km above Bushy Creek , 25 November 1969, J.G. Brooks (in ANIC 25-057884 ); [16°35'00''S, 145°17'00"E], Mount Lewis , 20 km SW Mossman, S. Peck & J. Peck , 26 June–1 August 1982 (in ANIC 25-058996 ); [16°30'00''S, 145°20'00"E], " Mossman Gorge National Park , 6 km SW of Mossman, S. Peck & J. Peck , 11–18 July 1982 (in ANIC 25-058995 ); [16°47'00''S, 145°37'00"E], 4 km NNW of Kuranda, Storey & Halfpapp , 6 November–10 December 1984 (in ANIC 25-058993 ); [16°47'00''S, 145°37'00"E], 4 km NNW of Kuranda, Storey & Halfpapp , 10 December 1984 – 15 January 1985 (in ANIC 25- 032533), 15 January–20 February 1985 (in ANIC 25-058994 ); [16°47'00''S, 145°37'00"E], 4 km NNW of Kuranda, Storey & Halfpapp , 20 February–20 March 1985 (in ANIC 25- 032534, 25– 058992 );[16°47'00''S, 145°37'00"E], 4 km NNW of Kuranda, Storey & Halfpapp , 20 September–6 November 1984 (in ANIC 25-058991 ); [16°46'00"S, 145°37'00"E], 7.5 km NNW of Kuranda, Storey & Halfpapp , 20 February–20 March 1985 (in ANIC 25-058990 ); [15°46'00''S, 145°19'00''E], Mount Hartley summit, Monteith, Cook , & Roberts , 8 November 1995 – 16 January 1996 (in QM T54025 –42, in ANIC 25-065513 (T54043–4)); [15°48'00''S, 145°20'00''E], 2.5 km SW Mount Hartley , L. Roberts , 1 January–5 March 1994 (in QM T54045–56, T62223); [15°47'00''S, 145°19'00''E], 2.5 km S Mount Hartley , L. Roberts , 8 December 1993 – 2 February 1994 (in QM T54071–4, T54309); [15°47'00''S, 145°19'00''E], 2.5 km SW Mount Hartley, Monteith, Yeates, & Cook , 24 April 1992 (in QM T54091); [16°04'00''S, 145°24'00''E], Mount Pieter Botte, Monteith, Janetzki , Roberts , & Cook , 21 November–8 December 1993 (in QM T54057–8); [15°43'00''S, 145°17'00''E], Big Tableland, ANZSES Expedition , 21 December 1990 – 9 January 1991 (in QM T54060–70, T54081–4, in ANIC 25-065514 (T54085–6)); [15°48'00''S, 145°12'00''E], Mount Sampson, ANZSES Expedition , 27 December 1990 – 18 January 1991 (in QM T54075–80); 15°48'00''S, 145°17'00''E, Mount Finnigan, Cook, Thompson , & Roberts , ANZSES Expedition , 3 December 1990 – 17 January 1991 (in QM T53994–5); [16°49'00''S, 145°40'00''E], Saddle Mountain, Monteith & Cook , 3 November–10 December 1995 (in QM T53986 – 53991, in ANIC 25-065515 (also as T53992–3)); [16°49'00''S, 145°40'00''E], Saddle Mountain, Monteith & Cook , 10 December 1995 – 7 February 1996 (in QM T53982 – 53985); [16°44'00''S, 145°38'00''E], Mount Formartine, 10 km N Kuranda, Monteith & Thompson , 23– 24 November 1990 (in QM T53994–5); [16°15'00''S, 145°02'00''E], Windsor Tableland, E, Schmidt & ANZSES , 27 December 1988 – 8 January 1989 (in QM T53996–4006), [16°15'00''S, 145°02'00''E], Windsor Tableland, Monteith, Yeates , & Cook , 18 April–26 April 1982 (in QM T54007–9); [16°15'00''S, 145°02'00''E], Windsor Tableland, G.B. Monteith, 8 February 1998 (in QM T60092); [16°15'00''S, 145°02'00''E], Windsor Tableland, K. Bell, 17–19 November 2001 (in QM T126004); [15°57'00''S, 145°08'00''E], Mount Boolbun South, Monteith, Cook , & Roberts , 5 November 1995 – 11 January 1996 (in QM T60093, T54010–3, in ANIC 25-065517 (T54015)); [15°57'00''S, 145°08'00''S], Mount Boolbun South , G.B. Monteith , 4–6 November 1995 (in ANIC 25-065516 (also as T54014)); [15°52'00''S, 145°14'00''E], Mount Misery summit, Queensland Museum & ANZSES , 6 December 1990 – 17 January 1991 (in QM T54016–24); [15°52'00''S, 145°14'00''E, Mount Misery summit, ANZSES, 3 January 1991 (in QM T54089); [16°28'00''S, 145°17'00''E – 145°20'00''E], Mossman Bluff Track, 5–10 km W of Mossman, Monteith , Thompson , & ANZSES , 16–30 December 1988 (in QM T54101 - 54105); [16°28'S, 145°17'00''E – 145°20'00''E], Mossman Bluff Track, 5–10 km W of Mossman, Monteith, Thompson , & ANZSES , 1–16 January 1989 (in QM T54092 – 54100, 54106, 54109–54112); [16°28'00''S, 145°17'00''E – 145°20'00''E], Mossman Bluff Track, 5–10 km W of Mossman, Monteith, Thompson , & ANZSES , 20 December 1989 – 15 January 1990 (in QM T54113 – 54134); [16°08'00''S, 145°26'00''E]. Mount Sorrow summit, G.B. Monteith , 19 October 1980 (in QM T54090); [16°35'00''S, 145°18'00''E], Mount Lewis, 2 km ESE, Monteith & Cook , 18 November 1997 – 7 February 1998 (in QM T60089–91, T62199); [16°40'00''S, 145°30'00''E], Black Mountain lower slopes, Monteith & Cook , 2 December 1997 – 6 February 1998 (in QM T60094, T60096, T62198, in ANIC 25-065510 (also as T60095, T60097–8)); [16°53'00''S, 145°13'00''E], Mount Misery Road , Queensland Museum & ANZSES , 6 December 1990 – 17 January 1991 (in QM T60099, T60101–4, in ANIC 25-065511 (also as T60100)); [17°23'00''S, 145°47'00''E], Bartle Frere, W slope, K. Bell, 19–20 November 2001 (in ANIC 25-065512 (also as T126003)).

Description. Colour: Brown to dark brown. Antennae white to grey.

Total length: 2.1–2.8 mm

Male: Head: Broad U-shape between clypeal teeth, which are slightly upturned. Rest of margin of head feebly convex to eye. Mentum almost square, not bordered, finely reticulate with setation sparse on posterior corners. Edge of head completely bordered, genal angle distinct. Dorsal parts of eyes narrow, separated by an interocular space of 12–16 times eye width; eye canthus not dividing eye. Surface smooth, nitid; with light, round punctures; setation absent. Head width to length ratio 46:25.

Pronotum: Anterior angles almost 90°. Basal angles distinct, basal margin rounded. Hypomeron surface finely reticulate with sparse punctation. Lateral edge margined. Elongate punctures along basal margin almost extend to basal edge but somewhat diverging medially and leaving an impunctate area. All punctures without setae. Hypomeral stria 1/2 length of hypomeron. Pronotum width to length ratio 77:47.

Elytra: Elytra markedly flanged along outer edge from near base to apex, surface smooth. Intervals finely punctate; partially finely reticulate with straight, small setae about the same size as the punctures. Striae 1–6 impressed with fine punctures. Striae on disc are of equal width, stria 6 weak or obsolete basally, stria 7 obsolete, stria 8 slightly curving inward posteriorly. Ratio of length of elytra along suture to maximum elytral width 85:93.

Legs: Protibiae with 3 teeth on outer edge, which is serrate between teeth and proximal to them; each tooth with 1 group of setae dorsally and no ridge on the underside, front edge straight between apical tooth and small, inconspicuous, apical spur. The tooth on underside near base of tarsus is a sharp projection. Protibiae inner apex produced, with a comb and a brush of setae. Claws small and toothed. Mesotibiae densely setose on inner side ( Fig. 7 I). Metatibia markedly bent from midpoint, extended at inner apex, not crenulate ( Fig. 8 A). Metatibia with an extension and tarsomere 1 not lobed on inner edge.

Abdomen: Pygidium with deep, wide, curved transverse groove at the base extending about 2/3rd across the width of the pygidium and not reaching basal angle. Ventrites with fine reticulation, absent from the middle 1/3, with a row of punctures along the anterior edge of ventrites 2–5, ventrite 6 finely punctate. Suture between abdominal ventritres simple.

Pterothorax: Large, raised tubercle on the metaventrite about level with the base of mesocoxae. Medial lobe of metaventrite finely punctate, smooth, broadly margined between mesocoxae. Meso-metaventral suture arched. Lateral lobe of the metaventrite narrowly margined anteriorly, finely reticulate with horseshoe-shaped to ocellate punctures. Mesoventrite smooth, not notched anteriorly. Mesepimera smooth. Metanepisterna slightly reticulate with round punctures.

Hind wings: Fully developed.

Female: Without raised tubercle on the metaventrite. Protibiae not expanded at the inner apical angle with longer apical spur. Mesotibiae lack inner brush of setae. Metatibiae straight ( Fig. 8 G).

Distribution. See Fig. 5 B. Known from northern Queensland from south of Cooktown (Big Tableland) to western slopes of Mount Bartle Frere. Collected in rainforest, from 50 m at Mossman Gorge to over 1000 m at Bartle Frere, in pitfall traps, intercept traps and dung-baited traps.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Distributional maps of species belonging to the new genera Matthewsius and Monteithocanthon including close up insets of A, Pilbara region, Western Australia; B, northeastern Queensland; C, southeastern Queensland; D, southwestern Western Australia; E, southeastern South Australia; F, central to southeastern New South Wales.

FIGURE 7. Key characters of Monteithocanthon new genus, all scale bars 0.25 mm. A, lateral view of elytra (M. arator); B, ventral view of profemur, note the absence of trochantofemoral anterior pit and presence of ornamentation on apex of protibia (M. arator); C, close up of ornamentation on apex of protibia, arrows pointing to comb and brush of setae (M. arator); D, dorsal view of male protibia with three tibial teeth each with only one group of setae dorsally (M. arator ♂); E, ventral view of male protibia (M. arator ♂); F, dorsal view of female protibia, note the apical spur is long and narrow (M. arator ♀); G, view of narrow anterior margin of lateral lobe of mesoventrite (M. arator); H, dorsal view of male mesotibia (M. arator ♂); I, ventral view of male mesotibia (M. arator ♂); J, male metatibia (M. arator ♂); K, view of broad anterior margin of lateral lobe of metaventrite (M. koombooloomba).

FIGURE 8. Male metatibia of species of Monteithocanthon new genus, all scale bars 0.25 mm. A, Monteithocanthon arator new combination; B, M. elliotensis new species; C, M. glaber new combination; D, M. koombooloomba new species; E, M. paraarator new species; F, M. peckorum new species; G, female metathoracic leg of M. arator.