Lepanus nitidus, , Matthews, 1974

Gunter, Nicole L. & Weir, Thomas A., 2021, Revision of Australian species of the dung beetle genus Lepanus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae): review of the L. ustulatus, L. storeyi, and L. nitidus species groups and description of eight new species, Zootaxa 4923 (1), pp. 1-66 : 44-45

Lepanus nitidus species group

This group includes five species, all of which have been sequenced and form a strongly supported monophylum (see Fig. 1 ).

Diagnosis. The L. nitidus species group is defined by having a pygidium with a large flat central area that is reticulate and contrastingly matt, without a transverse sinuate fold, and being of relatively large body size (> 3.3 mm). All species share the following characteristics:

Total length: 3.3–5.2 mm.

Male. Head: Surface smooth and nitid, with fine punctures. Basal carina present but medially interrupted. Rest of margin of head rounded behind eyes, very slightly angulate at clypeogenal suture. Clypeal teeth short and slightly upturned. Clypeal edge normal, without projection lateral to teeth. Genal angles slightly prominent. Margin of head bordered right around. Mentum not bordered, finely reticulate with a few setae basally and apically. Dorsal part of eyes moderate; eye canthus nearly dividing eye.

Prothorax: Pronotum anterior angles almost 90°. Posterolateral angles distinct. Lateral margins bordered. Pronotal surface with fine punctation. Hind margin rounded; punctures along the hind margin different from those on disc and almost extend right to hind margin. Hypomeral stria absent.

Elytra: Surface smooth with lightly impressed impunctate striae. Intervals finely punctate and with straight, very fine setae, not quite as long as the space between punctures. All striae on disc equal width. Stria 6 extending to elytral base and stria 7 not extending to elytral base. 8th stria slightly curving inwards posteriorly.

Legs: Protibia with 2 teeth on outer edge; front edge truncate. Apical digit broad and pointed with a short bladelike spur on the inner side. Mesotibia expanded towards the apex, with a small brush of setae apically on the inner side. Metatarsus with 5 tarsomeres with 2nd tarsomere the longest. Basal metatarsomere normal, not lobed on inner edge. Metatibia normal, nearly straight. Tarsal claws small and simple.

Abdomen: Pygidium with a large flat central area that is reticulate with coarse transverse striae and contrastingly matt. Abdominal ventrites reticulate for full width. Segment 6 punctate.

Pterothorax: Medial lobe of metaventrite punctate and broadly margined between mid-coxae. Mesometasternal suture very slightly arched. Mesoventrite not notched anteriorly. Mesoventrite and mesepimeron smooth. Metanepisternum finely reticulate.

Hind wings: Fully developed.

Male genitalia: Aedeagus with parameres asymmetrical, right paramere a little longer and variously bent downwards and expanded, left paramere excised apically or not as in Fig. 16 .

Female. Protibia with apical spur projecting from truncate front edge; apical digit absent. Abdominal ventrite 6 slightly longer than in male. Mesotibia not apically expanded, without a brush of setae.

Checklist of species

Figures

FIGURE 1. Phylogenetic estimate of relationships among described species in the genus Lepanus. Consensus topology generated from Bayesian analysis (BA) with node values for posterior probability BA and bootstrap values of clades also supported in maximum-likelihood analysis. Strongly supported nodes are indicated by coloured circles at base of nodes, while other support values are listed in full. Species groups revised here are highlighted by the grey boxes and IBRA regions for these specimens are also listed following the general locality in bold. Abbreviations for localities are as follows CMC: Central Mackay Coast; CYP: Cape York Peninsula; NNC: NSW North Coast; NSW: New South Wales; NT: Northern Territory; QLD: Queensland; SEQ: South Eastern Queensland; SYB: Sydney Basin; TS: Torres Strait; WA: Western Australia; WET: Wet Tropics.

FIGURE 16. Left, dorsal and right view of aedeagi of species within the Lepanus nitidus species group. A, Lepanus carbinensis; B, Lepanus dichrous; C, Lepanus kulki; D, Lepanus nitidus; E, Lepanus vangerweni. All specimens in comparative scale. Scale bar 0.5 mm.