Lepanus oxleyi 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 : 221

Lepanus oxleyi Gunter & Weir , new species

( Figs 1G, I ; 2F ; 3F ; 4F )

Type series. Holotype: ♂ “QLD: 27.545°SX 152.709°E Pine Mtn Bush Reserve , 90m 30Apr–1May 2012, G Monteith, mushrm trap. Dense open for 35296”/ “ ANIC Database No. 25 065539”/ “ ANIC image” / “ Lepanus SQ2 det TA Weir 2012” in ANIC, (27°32’42”S, 152°42’32”E) . Paratypes (13 ♂, 13 ♀, 6 sex undetermined): Pine Mountain Bush Reserve , 90 m, 27.545°S, 152.709°E, 30.iv–1.v.2012, G.B. Monteith, mushroom trap, dense open forest, 35296 (25-057572 2 specimens ♀ (1 also as COL2447), 25-057573 1 specimen ♂, 1 specimen ♀ also as COL2445 ♂, COL2446 ♀ in ANIC) (27°32’42”S, 152°42’32”E) ; Woowoonga Region , Childers-Biggenden Road, [25°26’0”S, 152°7’0”E], 8.iii.1974, H. Frauca (25-059201 1 specimen sex undetermined in ANIC) ; Eurimbula Creek , 5 km N Round Hill, [24°12’0”S, 151°47’0”E], 4–5.v.1975, G.B. Monteith (25-058495 3 specimens ♂, 2 specimens ♀, 4 specimens sex undetermined in QM) ; Childers , 5 km NE, 40 m (25°12’14”S, 152°18’29”E), G.B. Monteith, 25– 26.iv.2007, dung trap, open forest (T 151103 –T 151104 1 specimen ♂, 1 specimen ♀ in QM) ; Burnett River , Gayn- dah, 25°37’23”S, 151°36’20”E, G.B. Monteith, 8–11.x.1998, wallaby dung trap, (T99528–T99530 2 specimens ♂, 1 specimen ♀ in QM) ; Tinnanbar , 3.3 km SW , 10 m, 25°47’7”S, 152°56’22”E, D.J. Cook, 11–12.x.2002, dung trap, scribbly gum (T 111994 ♀ in QM, T 111995 ♂ in ANIC); Gympie, 11 km ESE , 100 m, 26°14’24”S, 152°45’36”E, J.F. Lawrence, 28.ii–15.vii.2002, flight intercept trap, (T 151099 –T 151102 2 specimens ♂, 2 specimens ♀ in QM) ; Gympie , 11 km ESE, Lawrence property, 100 m, 26°14’24”S, 152°45’36”E, G.B. Monteith & J. Lawrence, 18.v– 12.viii.2001, open forest, flight intercept trap, (T 111999 # f in ANIC) ; West End Gully , 27°29’17”S, 153°0’51”E, G.B. Monteith & R. Cassells, 11–18.i.2002, dung trap, (T 111996 –T 111998 2 specimens ♂, 1 specimen sex unde- termined in QM) ; Saint Lucia Golf Course , Hand Street, 27.507°S, 152.995°E (27°30’25”S, 152°59’42”E) G.B. Monteith 13–15.iii.2009, 20 m mushroom pitfall trap, (T169418 ♂ in QM) ; Department of Primary Industries Long pocket, 27.509°S, 152.993°E (27°30’36”S, 152°59’44”E), open forest, iii.2009, G.B. Monteith, 10 m, mushroom pitfall trap, (T169420 ♀ in QM) ; Cainbable Lodge , 650 m, [28°8’3”S, 153°6’34”E], G.B. Monteith, 16–26.i.2007, 10 m mushroom pitfall trap, (T169419 ♀ in QM) .

Description. Uniformly dark brown or almost black, and shiny. Antennal clubs grey.

Total length: 2.2–2.9 mm. Holotype measurements: Total length 2.9 mm, elytral width 1.8 mm.

Male. Head. Clypeal teeth slightly upturned. Surface with fine punctation. Basal carina present, medially interrupted. Dorsal part of the eyes narrow, separated by an interocular space approximately 19 times the eye width (38:2); eye canthus nearly dividing eye. Head 1.35 x wider than long (46:34).

Prothorax: Pronotal surface with very fine punctation anteriorly to fine punctation posteriorly. Anterior angles obtuse. Basal margin rounded. Hypomeral surface smooth. Hypomeral striae about half the length of the hypomeron. Pronotum 1.8 x wider than long (72:40).

Elytra: Surface smooth with lightly impressed, impunctate striae, striae 1–3 or 1–4 appearing double, 5–7 appearing single; intervals very finely punctate with very fine setae. Stria 2 weak basally and not extending to the base. Stria 6 extending to elytral base and stria 7 weak and not extending to elytral base, or absent. Stria 8 confined to groove posteriorly. Epipleura not reticulate, lower edge curving upwards to meet lateral carina of elytra basally. Elytra 1.1 x wider than long (87:80).

Legs: Front edge of protibiae deeply angulate.

Abdomen: Pygidium simple, very finely punctate and slightly convex. Abdominal ventrites smooth. Ventrite 6 very finely punctate.

Pterothorax: Medial lobe of metaventrite finely punctate and narrowly margined between the mesocoxae. Lateral lobe of metaventrite of punctate. Mesoventrite with small notch anteriorly. Mesoventrite and mesepimeron smooth. Metanepisternum smooth with one row of punctures medially.

Female. Abdominal ventrite 6 slightly gibbous, otherwise as per L. australis species group.

Etymology. Named for John Oxley, one of the early explorers of the region.

Distribution. Known from a variety of dense to open forests around south east Queensland, from Round Hill to Lamington National Park in the South Eastern Queensland bioregion ( Fig. 7B ).

Comments. Most specimens have been collected in dung or mushroom baited pitfall traps and this species may also be a generalist feeder. This species has been referred to under the informal nomenclature sensu Yeates et al. 2011 as Lepanus SQ2 (Gunter et al. 2019). The specimen sequenced in that study was collected at Pine Mountain Bush Reserve in the same trap as the holotype, and is designated as a paratype here (ANIC 25-057572 also as COL2447). Lepanus oxleyi and an undescribed species in the L. parapisoniae species assemblage ( Lepanus species NT3) were resolved at the base of the clade containing all members of L. pygmaeus species group.

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 2. Habitus of species within the Lepanus australis species group. A, Lepanus australis; B, Lepanus burnetti; C, Lepanus dukungarri; D, Lepanus eungella; E, Lepanus latheticus; F, Lepanus oxleyi. All specimens in comparative scale. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. Left, dorsal, and right view of aedeagi of species within the Lepanus australis species group. A, Lepanus australis; B, Lepanus burnetti; C, Lepanus dukungarri; D, Lepanus eungella; E, Lepanus latheticus; F, Lepanus oxleyi. All specimens in comparative scale. Scale bar 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 4. Pygidial configuration of species within the Lepanus australis species group. A, Lepanus australis; B, Lepanus burnetti; C, Lepanus dukungarri; D, Lepanus eungella; E, Lepanus latheticus; F, Lepanus oxleyi. All specimens in comparative scale. Scale bar 1 mm.

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