Lepanus pungalina 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 : 74-75

Lepanus pungalina Gunter & Weir , new species

( Figs. 4 L–K, 6F, 9C, 12B, 14)

Type series. Holotype: ♂ “ 16°47'30"S 137°27'27"E, NT: Pungalina , 9.6km SEbyS Pungalina Hmstd , Karns Crk 26Jun – 8Jul 2012, N. Gunter Pitfall ” / “mushroom and human dung bait” / “COL2443” / “ANIC Database No. 25- 057708” / “ Lepanus NT5 det. T.A.Weir 2013” / “ANIC Image” in ANIC, also as DNA extraction COL2443. Paratypes: Pungalina , 9.6 km SSE Pungalina Homestead, Karns Creek, 16°47'30"S, 137°27'27"E, 26.vi– 8.vii.2012, N.L. Gunter (25-057709 x1 ♀ in ANIC also as DNA extraction COL2444); Fish River Station Reserve, Bush Blitz Site B 3, 13°49'37"S, 130°42'58"E, 23–26.v.2012, N.L. Gunter (25-057609 x1 ♀ in ANIC also as DNA extraction COL2438) .

Description. Uniform dark brown in colour. Antennal clubs grey.

Total length: 2.3 mm. Holotype measurements: Total length 2.3 mm, elytral width 1.5 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. Surface of head reticulate between clypeal suture and apical margin. Dorsal part of eyes narrow in size, separated by interocular space approximately 16–17 times eye width (33: 2); eye canthus nearly dividing eye. Head 1.3 × wider than long (41:32). Prothorax: Hypomeral surface finely reticulate with light punctation. Hypomeral striae about half the length of hypomeron. Pronotum 1.6 × wider than long (66:41).

Elytra: Striae 1–5 narrow and double, with very fine punctate edges. All striae on disc not equal width, striae 6–7 are weaker and narrower. Elytra 1.15 × wider than long (68:80).

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

Abdomen: Pygidium with a secondary basal line across base of depression, pygidial depression tear-drop shaped, containing an inverted V-shaped tubercle that positioned in upper third. Depression occupies at least half size of disc and just extends under the virtually straight upper edge of pygidium. Abdominal ventrites reticulated right across. Segment 6 very finely punctate.

Pterothorax: Medial lobe of metaventrite finely punctate and broadly margined between mesocoxae. Lateral lobe of metaventrite smooth and punctate with setae. Meso-metaventral suture very slightly arched. Mesoventrite with slight notch anteriorly. Mesoventrite with discernible punctures at least at sides. Mesepimeron reticulate. Metanepisternum reticulate.

Female: Apical tooth on protibia similar to the male, otherwise as per the L. pygmaeus species group.

Etymology. Named for the type locality, Pungalina.

Distribution. Known only from three specimens collected in open forests of the Northern Territory IBRA regions GUC and DAC ( Fig. 14 ). Given the disjunct distribution of these two IBRA regions, it is likely it is likely L. pungalina also occurs in the adjoining IBRA regions.

Comments. Lepanus pungalina was unknown at the time when the informal nomenclature for undescribed species of Lepanus was reported ( Yeates et al. 2011) but was designated the informal name “ Lepanus NT5” within this revision, which was followed in the phylogenetic study of Gunter et al. (2018). The holotype L. pungalina was sequenced in the study of Gunter et al. (2018) (ANIC 25-057708) and was recovered as a member of the monsoonal clade of Lepanus , which contains species in the L. pygmaeus species group, sister to L. guthrieae . It should be noted that as the holotype has been sampled for DNA, it is missing a mesothoracic leg and a metathoracic leg. All specimens were collected in mushroom or human dung baited pitfall traps.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Some diagnostic characters of the Lepanus pygmaeus species group. A, Head of Lepanus guthrieae featuring medially interrupted basal margin (white arrow) and reticulations on clypeal area only (black arrow); B, head of Lepanus lentil featuring angulate and complete basal margin (white arrow); C, pterothorax of Lepanus andersonorum showing fine, short carina extending backwards from the meso-metaventral suture (white arrow); D, posterior aspect of metatibia of Lepanus pecki; E, anterior aspect of metatibia of Lepanus pecki; F, anterior aspect of metatibia of Lepanus guthrieae; G, female protibia of Lepanus pygmaeus; H, male protibia of Lepanus pygmaeus; I, female protibia of Lepanus pecki; J, male protibia of Lepanus pecki; K, male protibia of Lepanus crenidens; L, male protibia of Lepanus pungalina; M, inner laterodorsal aspect male protibia of Lepanus pungalina showing bent apical digit (black arrow).

FIGURE 14. Map of known records for 10 species within the Lepanus pygmaeus species group overlaid with predicted distribution boundary of L. pygmaeus (dashed line) taken from Fig. 13 map.