Monteithocanthon paraarator 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 : 232-233

Monteithocanthon paraarator Gunter & Weir new species

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

Material examined. Queensland: Holotype: ♂ 17°25'48''S, 145°29'24"E, The Crater National Park, G. Monteith, 18–19 September 2010, mushroom trap, rainforest, 980 m, 34585 (in ANIC 25- 060865 , DNA number COL 1115 ) ; paratype: 17°25'48''S, 145°29'24"E, The Crater National Park, G. Monteith, 18–19 September 2010, mushroom trap, rainforest, 980 m, 34585 (in ANIC 25-065493, DNA number COL1116 ♀); [17°24'00''S, 145°29'00"E], The Crater via Atherton, R.I. Storey, January 1971, pitfall (in QM (as 25- 032535 ♂,).

Etymology. Named for the similarity to Monteithocanthon arator .

Description. Colour: Brown. Antennae grey.

Holotype measurements: 2.1 mm in length, 1.4 mm across widest point of elytra.

Total Length: 2.1 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 15 times eye width; eye canthus nearly dividing eye. Surface smooth, nitid; with sparse, round punctures; setation absent. Head width to length ratio 38:22.

Pronotum: Anterior angles almost 90°. Basal angles distinct, basal margin rounded, lateral edge margined. Hypomeron surface smooth with sparse punctation. Elongate punctures along basal margin almost extend to basal edge and extend right across, with elongate punctures different from disc. All punctures without setae. Hypomeral stria approximately 1/3 length of hypomeron. Pronotum width to length ratio 60:35.

Elytra: Elytra with small flange at most, surface smooth. Intervals finely punctate and not reticulate. Striae 1–5 superficial but clearly visible, striae 6–8 obsolete. Ratio of length of elytra along suture to maximum elytral width 66:70.

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 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 side. Metatibiae markedly bent in apical 1/4, extended at inner apex, not crenulate ( Fig. 8 F).

Abdomen: Pygidium with deep, curved groove at the base about 3/4 the width of the pygidium and not reaching basal angle. Ventrites with fine reticulation, absent from the middle 1/3, with a row of punctures along the anterior edge of ventrites 2–5, ventrite 6 finely punctate. Suture between abdominal ventrites simple.

Pterothorax: Medial lobe of metaventrite finely punctate and broadly margined between mesocoxae. Male with slight depression on metaventrite. Meso-metaventral suture arched. Lateral lobe of the metaventrite broadly margined anteriorly and with round punctures. Mesoventrite smooth, not notched anteriorly. Mesepimera and metanepisterna smooth.

Hind wings: Fully developed.

Female: Female without slight depression on metaventrite. 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 Crater National Park, northern Queensland, above 950 m. Collected in rainforest in pitfall traps and mushroom baited traps.

Comments. This species was referred to as “ Lepanus NQ31” 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.