Liomenochilus Hutchinson & Allsopp, 2022

Hutchinson, Paul M. & Allsopp, Peter G., 2022, Liomenochilus ongi (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Systellopini), a new genus and new species from northern Western Australia, Zootaxa 5100 (1), pp. 119-128 : 120

Liomenochilus Hutchinson & Allsopp , new genus

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Type species. Liomenochilus ongi Hutchinson & Allsopp , new species.

Generic diagnosis ( Figs. 1–6 , 8–9 ). Male. Small (11.5–11.6 mm long), elongate body, length:width ratio 2.25:1. Labrum with anterior margin reflexed, medium length, length:width ratio male 0.34:1. Labro-clypeal suture effaced dorsally, present only at lateral declivity ( Figs. 4–5 ). Lateral margins of clypeus not constricted at the base and sinuate near each canthus. Antennae with 8 antennomeres, club with 3 long lamellae ( Figs. 1–5 ), faces of all lamellae glabrous. Disc of pronotum glabrous. Metafemora dilated, length:width ratio 1.65:1. Posterior portion of epipleurae spinose.

Female unknown.

Differentiation. The following combination of characters distinguishes Liomenochilus from other genera within the Systellopini : elongate body, length:width ratio 2.25:1; labro-clypeal suture effaced dorsally; antennae with 8 antennomeres, club 3-lamellate, glabrous; pronotum with posterior margin evenly convex and continuous to midlength rendering posterolateral angles obsolete.

The key to tribes presented by Britton (1990) allows Liomenochilus to key out to Systellopini . The key to tribes of Weir et al. (2019) requires a change at couplet 6 (sensu couplet 5 of Britton 1990) to reflect the labro-clypeal suture effaced dorsally and present only at the lateral declivity.

Etymology. The name refers to the labro-clypeal suture being effaced dorsally and is derived from the Greek λιωμένο, fused, and χείλος, lip. It is to be treated as masculine.

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. Liomenochilus ongi Hutchinson & Allsopp, new species, holotype male. 1, dorsal view; 2, ventral view; 3, lateral view; 4, head, dorsal view; 5, head and pronotum, oblique view; 6, pygidium; 7, label.

FIGURES 8–9. Liomenochilus ongi Hutchinson & Allsopp, new species, holotype male, aedeagus. 8, dorsal view; 9, lateral view.