Lepanus menendezae Gunter & Weir, 2019

Gunter, Nicole L. & Weir, Thomas A., 2019, Revision of Australian species of the dung beetle genus Lepanus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae): key to species groups and description of 14 new species from the L. pygmaeus species group, Zootaxa 4564 (1), pp. 41-80 : 71-72

Lepanus menendezae Gunter & Weir , new species

( Figs. 6C , 8I , 11D , 17 )

Type series. Holotype: ♂ “QLD: 20.381°S × 148.379 °E, S. of Proserpine Dam, 95m, 27-28Feb 2017, Monteith & Menendez, OF, mushroom trap, 39292” / “ANIC Database No. 25–065531” / “ Lepanus NQ28 det. T.A.Weir 2017 ” / T244825” in QM). Paratypes: Queensland: S of Proserpine Dam, 95 m, 20.381°S, 148.379°E, 27–28.ii.2017, G.B. Monteith & R. Menendez (25-065532 in ANIC × 2 ♂); Kennedy Highway, 790 m, 18.136°S, 144.813°E, 20– 22.ii.2017, G.B. Monteith & R. Menendez (25-065533 in ANIC × 1 ♂); 2 mi. up Mount Spec Road, [19°0'S, 146°14'E], 7.v.1974, R.I. Storey (25-058523 x 1 in ANIC ♂); Charters Towers (general), [20°5'S, 146°16'E], 5.iv.1965, Bornemissza & Yapp (25- 060385 x 1 in ANIC ♀); Redcliffe Tableland, Site 14, 21°7'34"S, 148°5'53"E, 430 m, 16–17.iv.2012, G.B. Monteith (25-057570 x 1 in ANIC also as COL2440 ♂); Redcliffe Tableland, Site 3, 21°08'17"S, 148°09'18"E, 400 m, 13–14.iv.2012, G.B. Monteith (25-053944 x 1 in ANIC also as COL2439 ♂); Redcliffe Tableland, Site 2, 21°9'18"S, 148°9'58"E, 340 m, 13–14.iv.2012, G.B. Monteith (25-053943 x 1 in ANIC also as COL2441 ♂); Undara National Park , 5 km E, 18°11'3"S, 144°37'07"E, 9.ii.2003 (T 116966 in QM ♂); Kalkarni Crater, 18°13'18"S, 144°39'48"E, 8–9.xii.2002 (T118117–T 118118 in QM 1 × ♂, 1 × ♀); Yarramulla , 18°13'35"S, 144°40'12"E, 10.ii.2003 (T116964–T 116965 in QM 2 × ♀); Palm Island , Site 2, 146°35'28"E, 18°44'18"S, 20–21.ii.2001, (T 111961 in ANIC 1 × ♀, T 111958, T 111965, T 111968 in QM 1 × ♂, 2 × ♀); Dingo Creek , 30 km NW of Proserpine, 20°14'02"S, 148°24'36"E, 4–7.iv.1997 (T 107204 in QM ♀); Proserpine , “WSC track, Site XY13”, 20°29'14"S, 148°34'19"E, 5.xi.2007 – 13.ii.2008 (T155702–T 155703 in QM 1 × ♂, 1 × ♀); Proserpine , Thompson Creek , Site XY15, 148°33'25"E, 20°31'09"S, 11–16.ii.2007, (T154895–T 154896 in QM 2 × ♀); Proserpine , Thompson Creek , Site XY15, 148°33'25"E, 20°31'09"S, 15.viii–6.xi.2007 (T 154897 in QM ♀); Mount Robert , 4.5 km SW, 21°23'59"S, 148°27'13"E, 25–26.iii.2001 (T107201–T 107202 in QM 1 × ♂, 1 × ♀); Mount Robert , 5 km SSW, 21°25'11"S, 148°28'33"E, 25–26.iii.2001 (T 107199 in ANIC 1 × ♂, T 107200 in QM 1 × ♀); Homevale , at homestead, 21°26'29"S, 148°31'30"E, 25–26.iii.2001, (T 107196 in ANIC 1 × ♂, T107197– T 107198 in QM 2 × ♀); Lords Table , west base, 22°39'35"S, 148°00'27"E, 7–8.iii.2006, (T 135079 in QM ♂); Lords Table, SE base, Site 1, 22°40'45"S, 148°01'19"E, 9–10.i.2006 (T133764–T 133765 in QM 2 × ♂); Roper Creek via " Coomburragee ", Site 1, 22°53'51"S, 148°18'58"E, 11–12.i.2006 (T 136962 in QM ♀).

Description. Bicoloured with head and pronotum dark brown and elytral reddish brown. Antennal clubs black.

Total length: 2.4–3.0 mm. Holotype measurements: Total length 3.0 mm, elytral width 1.9 mm.

Male: Head: U-shaped between clypeal teeth, which are short and upturned. Margin slightly angulate at clypeogenal suture. Genal angle weakly defined. Basal carina present but interrupted medially. Dorsal part of the eyes narrow in size, separated by an interocular space approximately 26 times the eye width (39: 1.5); eye canthus not dividing the eye. Head 1.4 × wider than long (49:35).

Prothorax: Hypomeral surface finely reticulate with light punctation. Hypomeral striae about half the length of the hypomeron. Pronotum 1.6 × wider than long (75:47).

Elytra: Surface smooth. Striae 1–4 double with very fine punctate edges; striae 5–7 appear singular and are weaker and narrower. Elytra 1.15 × wider than long (90:77).

Legs: Front edge of protibiae deeply angulate; apical digit elongate and sharp; 2 teeth on outer edge. Inner edge of metatibiae almost straight. Metatarsi with 2nd tarsomere subequal to the 5th. Tarsal claws small and toothed.

Abdomen: Pygidium with a small round depression containing a small central tubercle, and a secondary basal line across the top of the depression; fine setae around edge of depression. Depression occupies less than half of disc and extends under the angulate upper edge of pygidium. Abdominal surface reticulate right across. Segment 6 finely punctate.

Pterothorax: Medial lobe of metaventrite finely punctate and narrowly margined between mesocoxae. Lateral lobe of metaventrite smooth and punctate. Meso-metaventral suture very slightly arched. Mesoventrite with slight notch anteriorly. Mesoventrite smooth. Mesepimeron finely reticulate. Metanepisternum reticulate.

Female: As per the L. pygmaeus species group.

Etymology. Named for Rosa Menendez, a dung beetle researcher from Lancaster University ( UK), who collected the holotype and other specimens in the type series.

Distribution. The majority of specimens have been collected in open forest, occasionally in closed woodland and closed forest from the Queensland IBRA regions EIU, WET, BBN, CMC ( Fig. 15B ). BIOCLIM species distributions predict L. menendezae may also occur in CYP, Brigalow Belt South (BBS) and SEQ IBRA regions.

Comments. This species has previously been referred to as “ Lepanus NQ28” under the informal nomenclature sensu Yeates et al. (2011). A specimen from Redcliffe Tablelands sequenced in the study of Gunter et al. (2018) is designated as a paratype here (ANIC 25-053944) and was recovered as a member of the monsoonal clade of Lepanus , which contains species in the L. pygmaeus species group. Specimens have been collected using dung and mushroom baited pitfall traps.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Habitus of species within the Lepanus pygmaeus species group. A, Lepanus lingziae; B, Lepanus mckenziei; C, Lepanus menendezae; D, Lepanus pecki; E: Lepanus podocarp; F, Lepanus pungalina. All specimens in comparative scale. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 8. Pygidial configuration of species within the Lepanus pygmaeus species group. A, Lepanus andersonorum; B, Lepanus crenidens; C, Lepanus feehani; D, Lepanus gubara; E, Lepanus guthrieae; F, Lepanus lentil; G, Lepanus lingziae; H, Lepanus mckenziei; I, Lepanus menendezae. All specimens in comparative scale. Scale bar 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 11. Left, dorsal, and right view of aedeagi of species within the Lepanus pygmaeus species group. A, Lepanus lentil; B, Lepanus lingziae; C, Lepanus mckenziei; D, Lepanus menendezae; E, Lepanus pecki. Not in comparative scale, given size difference aedegi are roughly grouped in three size classes as per lower left schematic and scaled accordingly. Size class indicated by shaded silhouette and 0.2 mm scale bar.

FIGURE 15. Map of known records of A, Lepanus crenidens including predicted distribution overlaid with predicted distribution boundary of L. menendezae (dashed line) taken from map 15B; B, Lepanus menendezae including predicted distribution overlaid with predicted distribution boundary of L. pygmaeus (dashed line) taken from Fig. 13 map.

FIGURE 17. Map of known records of Lepanus sauroni including predicted distribution overlaid with predicted distribution boundary of L. pygmaeus (dashed line) taken from Fig. 13 map.