Monteithocanthon elliotensis Gunter & Weir

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 : 228-230

Monteithocanthon elliotensis Gunter & Weir new species

Figs. 5 B, 8B, 9B, 10B.

Material examined. Queensland: holotype: ♂ [19°30'00''S, 146°57'00"E], Mount Elliot summit, A. Graham, January – 26 March 1991 (in QM T53864 (also as 25-054125)). Paratypes: [19°30'00''S, 146°57'00"E], Mount Elliot summit, A. Graham, January – 26 March 1991 (in QM T53866 ♀ (also as 25-054127), T53857– 60 3x ♂, 1x ♀, T53862– 63 1x ♂, 1x ♀, T53868– 69 2x ♀, T53839 ♀, in ANIC 25-065496 2x ♀ (also asT53856, T53861), in ANIC 25–054126 ♀ (QM T53865), 25-054128 ♂ (also as T53867)); [19°30'00''S, 146°57'00"E], Mount Elliot summit, D. Cook , 26 March–12 May 1991 (in QM T53825–826 2x ♂; in ANIC 25-065495 2x ♂ (also as T53823– 824)); [19°29'00''S, 147°03'00"E], Saint Margarets Creek, Mount Elliot via Townsville ( Saint Margaret Creek ), G.B. Monteith & S.R. Monteith , 8–9 June 1972 (in QM UIC71728 (also as 25-058545 ♂), UIC71729 (also as 25- 0 58546 ♂), UIC71730 (also as 25-058544 ♀) (note: these specimens were originally included in the paratype series of Lepanus arator ); [19°29'00''S, 146°57'00"E], Mount Elliot North Creek , 25–27 March 1991, 1000 m, G. Monteith and D. Cook, pitfall and dung traps (in QM 53830– 34 4x ♂, in ANIC 25-065497 2x ♂ (also as T53828– 9)) ; [19°29'00''S, 146°58'00"E], Mount Elliot , northeast slope, 5 December 1986, G. Monteith and G. Thompson, berlesate, 1000 m rainforest litter (in QM T53821–2 2x ♂, T53835–8 1x ♂, 3x ♀) ; [19°29'00''S, 146°58'00"E], Mount Elliot National Park, upper North creek , 1000 m, 3–5 December 1986, Monteith, Thompson, and Hamlet, pitfall traps (in QM T53840– 41 2x ♀, T53843– 45 3x ♂, T53847 ♂, T53849– 55 4x ♂, 3x ♀, T53870– 73 1x ♂, 3x ♀, T 60155 ♀ and in ANIC 25-065498 2x ♀ (also as T53842, T53848) .

Etymology. Named for Mount Elliot, the locality where the entire type series was collected.

Description. Colour: Black. Antennae grey.

Holotype measurements: 2.8 mm in length (estimate from extended specimen), 1.9 mm across widest point of elytra.

Total length: 2.4–2.8 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 about 19 times eye width; eye canthus nearly dividing eye. Surface smooth, nitid; with sparse, round punctures; setation absent. Head width to length ratio 50:34.

Pronotum: Anterior angles almost 90°. Basal angles distinct, basal margin rounded. Hypomeron surface finely reticulate with sparse punctation. Elongate punctures along basal margin almost extend to basal edge but diverging medially to leave an impunctate area. Lateral edge not margined. All punctures without setae. Hypomeral stria obsolete or absent. Pronotum width to length ratio 85:47.

Elytra: Surface smooth. Intervals somewhat finely reticulate and finely punctate with straight, fine setae; setae not quite as long as the space between the punctures. Striae all equal in width, virtually obsolete but double; stria 8 slightly curving inward posteriorly. Ratio of length of elytra along suture to maximum elytral width 88:100. In well-developed specimens, the epipleura has a slight depression to receive the end of the metafemur at rest.

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, front edge straight between apical tooth and small inconspicuous apical spur. The tooth on underside near base of tarsus is a blunt projection. Protibiae inner apex produced, with a comb and a brush of setae. Claws small and toothed. Mesotibiae densely setose on inner edge. Metatibiae bent from midpoint with indentation, extended at inner apex, not crenulate ( Fig. 8 B).

Abdomen: Pygidium with deep, curved transverse groove at the base about 3/4 of the width of the pygidium and not reaching basal angle. Ventrites finely reticulate, with a row of punctures along the anterior edge of ventrites 2–5, ventrite 6 finely punctate. Sutures between abdominal ventrites simple.

Pterothorax: Medial lobe of metaventrite finely punctate and broadly margined between mesocoxae. Mesometaventral suture arched. Lateral lobe of metaventrite broadly margined anteriorly, smooth, with round punctures. Mesoventrite smooth, not notched anteriorly. Mesepimera smooth. Metanepisterna finely reticulate.

Hind wings: Reduced to strap-like vestiges about 3/4 of length of abdomen.

Female: Protibiae not expanded at the inner apical angle with longer apical spur. Mesotibiae lack inner brush of setae. Metatibiae straight.

Distribution. See Fig. 5 B. Known only from Mount Elliot, an isolated mountain 35 km SSW of Townsville, above 1000 m. Collected in rainforest in pitfall traps, intercept traps, and dung-baited traps.

Comments. This species was referred to as “ Lepanus NQ1” in Yeates et al. (2011).

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 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.