Sauvagesinella monstrosa Paulian, 1934

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 : 240

Sauvagesinella monstrosa Paulian, 1934

Figs 11 B, E, 12C, 13C, 5D

Material examined. Western Australia: [33°12'00''S, 115°42'00"E], 6 mi. N Australind, E. Matthews, 7 November 1967 (in ANIC 25-056695 ) ; 34°47'00''S, 118°25'00"E, Cheyne Beach, E. Matthews, 6 November 1967 (in ANIC 25-056693); [34°48'40''S, 118°23'25"E], Cheynes Beach, 1 km NW, G. Monteith, 9–10 November 2010 (in ANIC 25- 060897); [32°57'00''S, 115°41'00"E], Lake Preston , E. Matthews, 7 November 1967 (in ANIC 25-056694 ) ; 34°58'26''S, 116°42'47"E, Walpole River Bridge, 7–8 November 2010 (in ANIC 25- 060866, 25–058645 ) ; 34°52'16''S, 118°21'11"E, Waychinnicup, G. Monteith, 9–10 November 2010 (in ANIC 25- 060895).

Remarks. The holotype in MNHN collected from “Swan River” was not examined in this study. Matthews (1974) examined the holotype and a further 53 specimens in his revision, including the material listed above as collected by E. Matthews in 1967. The identification of this species is unambiguous given the distinct uneven elytral surface with longitudinal reticulations.

Description. Total length: 3.5–5.5 mm

Colour: Black with bronze reflections. Antennae with black club.

Male: Head: Broad U-shape between clypeal teeth, which are slightly upturned. Mentum almost square, sericeous, bordered anteriorly, with striations and sparse setation on posterior corners. Edge of head bordered, genal angle prominent. Dorsal parts of eyes narrow separated by an interocular space of about 25 times eye width and the eye canthus almost dividing eye. Surface reticulate and sericeous, with dense, small punctures forming irregular transverse rows. Head width to length ratio 82:62. Antennae with 3 antennomeres, which are approximately equal width.

Pronotum: Anterior angles obtuse, rounded, somewhat hooked with point directed outwards. Basal angles and basal margin rounded, lateral edge margined. Surface uneven with rounded elevations and depressions, reticulate, sericeous; with dense, round, uniform punctures separated by less than 1 diameter; surface finely rugulose between punctures except along the smooth midline. Hypomeron surface finely reticulate and sericeous. Hypomeral stria absent. Pronotum width to length ratio 73:45, widest at anterolateral angles.

Elytra: Intervals sericeous with longitudinal reticulations and uneven surface; even numbered intervals wide with large, rounded swellings and depressions, and odd numbered intervals narrow with line of small tubercles; glabrous. Striae superficial and impunctate. All striae on disc equal width, extending to the base; elytral interval 7 with a humeral boss; stria 8 confined to deep groove posteriorly. Epipleura smooth, reticulate. Ratio of length of elytra along suture to maximum elytral width 68:80.

Legs: Protibiae with 3 teeth on outer edge, which is serrate between teeth and proximal to them; underside with crenulated ridge. Dorsal carina from 3rd tooth extending to base; exposing large, lateral, basal area when viewed from above. Tooth on underside near base of tarsus. Broad, rounded expansion of inner apical end bearing small spur; apical comb of short, flattened bristles and small brush of long setae underneath, which is directed downward perpendicular to surface. Claws large and toothed. Metafemora flattened on posterior face with 1 marginal and 1 medial carina. Metatibiae slightly bent, barely crenulate, expanded apically, rounded at inner apical angle.

Abdomen: Pygidium without groove; uniformly, densely, shallowly punctate; glabrous, sericeous, slightly swollen medially. Ventrites finely reticulate, with a row of punctures along the anterior edge of ventrites 2–5, ventrite 6 punctate.

Pterothorax: Medial lobe of metaventrite sericeous, punctate, and narrowly margined between the mesocoxae, with median tubercle in line with base of mesocoxae and a depression behind tubercle. Meso-metaventral suture almost straight with small, median, acute projection. Lateral lobe of the metaventrite with punctures. Mesoventrite with few punctures laterally, not notched anteriorly. Mesepimera impunctate and reticulate. Metanepisterna reticulate with a few punctures.

Hind wings: Fully developed.

Female: Without tubercle on medial lobe of metaventrite. Protibiae not expanded at the inner apical angle with longer apical spur. Mesotibiae lack inner brush of setae. Metatibiae not modified.

Distribution. See Fig. 5 D. Known from southwestern Western Australia from near Bunbury east to Cheynes Beach. Collected in dung-baited traps at the edge of swamps.

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 11. Key characters of Sauvagesinella, scale bars 0.25 mm. A, lateral view of elytra (S. becki); B, ventral view of profemur, note flattened posterior face and the absence of trochantofemoral anterior pit (S. monstrosa); C, dorsal view of male protibia (S. becki ♂); D, ventral view of male protibia, arrow shows ornamentation (S. becki ♂); E, male metatarsus (S. monstrosa ♂).