Lepanus eungella Gunter & Weir, 2019

Gunter, Nicole L. & Weir, Thomas A., 2019, Revision of Australian species of the dung beetle genus Lepanus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae): description of 10 new species from the L. australis, L. monteithi, and L. villosus species groups, Zootaxa 4695 (3), pp. 201-252 : 218-219

Lepanus eungella Gunter & Weir , new species

( Figs 1 A–B, 2D, 3D, 4D)

Types series Holotype: ♂ “ 21.07S 148.30E 2km NEbyN Eungella QLD 18 Nov. 1981 A.Gillison 850m ” / “Berlesate complex meso-notophyl vine forest with palms 26” / “ ANIC Database No. 25 65541” / “ ANIC image” / “ Lepanus CQ3 det TA Weir 2012” in ANIC [21°7’0”S, 148°30’0”E] . Paratypes (5 ♂, 6 ♀): 15 km NE Eungella, [21°2’0”S, 148°36’0”E], 950 m, 18.xi.1981, A. Gillison, berlesate meso-notophyll vine forest, (25-054108 2 specimens ♀ in ANIC) ; Crediton Creek, Eungella National Park , [21°11’0”S, 148°33’0”E], 750 m, 13.xi.1976, R.W. Taylor & T.A. Weir, Berlese , rainforest, (25-054110 1 specimen ♂ in ANIC) ; Eungella National Park, 21.9°S, 148.30°E, (21°9’0”S, 148°30’0”E,) 760 m, 10.xi.1976, R.W. Taylor & T. Weir, Berlesate rainforest, (25-055645 1 specimen ♂ in ANIC) ; Crediton Creek Site 1, 720 m, 21°21’S, 148°32’E, v.2003, J. Augusteyn, pitfall trap, vine scrub, (T169038 1 specimen ♂ also as COL 2460 in QM) ; Eungella National Park, 600 m, site 4 rep 1, Berlese , rainforest, 21°3’18”S, 148°38’10”E, 606 m, 18.iii.2013, Nakamura & Yoshida, (25-063478 1 specimen ♀ in QM) ; Mount William, 1240 m, 21°2’0’’S, 148°36’0’’E, 21.xii.1992 – 10.i.1993, ANZSES Expedition , flight intercept trap (T169033 1 specimen ♂ in QM) ; Mount Dalrymple, 1200 m, 21°3’0’’S, 148°38’0’’E, 21.xii.1992 – 10.i.1993, AN- ZSES Expedition , flight intercept trap (T169034, T169035 1 specimen ♂ 1 specimen ♀ in QM) ; Pease’s Lkt Eun- gella, 900 m, 21°7’0’’S, 148°31’0’’E, 17.xi.– 20.iv.1993, D. Cook & G.B. Monteith, rainforest intercept & pitfalls (T169036, T169037 2 specimens ♀ in QM) .

Description. Holotype uniformly dark brown almost black. Other specimens ranging from light brown to dark brown almost black. Antennal clubs grey.

Total length: 2.4 mm. Holotype measurements: total length 2.4 mm, elytral width 1.6 mm.

Male. Head. Surface with fine punctation. Basal carina absent. Genal angle rounded. Dorsal part of the eyes narrow, separated by an interocular space approximately 16 times the eye width (32: 2); eye canthus dividing eye. Head 1.35 x wider than long (41:30).

Prothorax: Pronotal surface with very fine punctation anteriorly to fine punctation posteriorly, all punctures round without setae. Anterior angles almost 90°. Basal angles distinct. Hypomeral surface reticulate. Hypomeral striae about half length of hypomeron, very close to lateral margin almost appearing double. Pronotum 1.7 x wider than long (66:39).

Elytra: Surface smooth with lightly impressed and impunctate striae, stria 1 appearing double; intervals very finely punctate with very superficial setae. All striae on disc equal width. Stria 6 extending to elytral base and stria 7 not extending to elytral base. Striae 8 slightly curving inwards posteriorly. Elytra almost equal in width and length (83:80).

Legs: Front edge of protibiae truncate. Apical digit is short and triangular.

Abdomen: Pygidium simple, smooth with reticulate base, finely punctate and slightly convex. Abdominal ventrites reticulate right across. Ventrite 6 very finely punctate.

Pterothorax: Medial lobe of metaventrite very finely punctate and broadly margined between the mesocoxae. Lateral lobe of metaventrite finely punctate. Mesoventrite not notched anteriorly. Mesoventrite smooth and nitid. Mesepimeron finely reticulate. Metanepisternum reticulate.

Female. Apical digit absent and apical spur coming from truncate front edge of protibiae. Ventrite 6 as per L. australis species group.

Etymology. Named for the region, Eungella, from which all known specimens have been collected. This name should be treated as a noun in apposition.

Distribution. Known only from the Central Mackay Coast bioregion ( Fig. 7A ), in rainforest and meso-notophyll vine forest around Eungella at elevations of 600–1200 m.

Comments. This species has been referred to under the informal nomenclature sensu Yeates et al. 2011 as Lepanus CQ3. All specimens collected to date were from berlesed litter, pitfall and flight intercept traps.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Some diagnostic characters of the Lepanus australis species group. A, Male protibia of Lepanus eungella dotted line depicts triangular apical digit (grey arrow) and truncate front edge; B, female protibia of Lepanus eungella dotted line depicts truncate front edge, black arrow points to apical spur; C, male protibia of Lepanus australis dotted line depicts elongate apical digit (grey arrow) and deeply angulate front edge; D, female protibia of Lepanus australis dotted line depicts shortened apical digit (grey arrow) and deeply angulate front edge, black arrow points to apical spur; E, lateral view of Lepanus dukungarri white arrow points to row of punctures on metanepisternum; F, lateral view of Lepanus australis, dotted line indicates anteriorly straight inner border of lateral lobe of metaventrite, note the absence of puntures on metanepisternum and straight lower edge of elytral epipleura; G, lateral view of Lepanus oxleyi white arrow points to row of fine punctures on metanepisternum, grey arrow inducates curved lower edge of elytral epipleura; H, male metafemora of Lepanus dukungarri showing medial expansion; I, Head of Lepanus oxleyi white arrow points to interrupted basal carina; J, lateral view of Lepanus latheticus dotted line indicates anteriorly curved inner border of lateral lobe of metaventrite; K, Lepanus australis at bird droppings (image: Geoff Williams).

FIGURE 7. Map of known records including predicted distribution estimated with BIOCLIM models for A, Lepanus eungella; B, Lepanus oxleyi. QLD, Queensland.