Lepanus vestitus Matthews, 1974

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 : 250-251

Lepanus vestitus Matthews, 1974

( Figs 16B, 16D, 16G , 17C , 18C , 19C )

Lepanus vestitus Matthews, 1974: 119 .

Types examined: Holotype: ♂ “Eungella N.P., Q., 25.iii.68, E. Matthews ” / “ Lepanus vestitus Det. 1972 M, E.G. Matthews, HOLOTYPE ” / “ HOLOTYPE ”/ “ ANIC database No. 25 057984”, in ANIC . Paratypes: “Eungella N.P., Q., 25.iii.68, E. Matthews ” / “ Lepanus vestitus Det. 1972 , E.G. Matthews, PARATYPE ” / “ ANIC database No. 25 057985”, 1 specimen ♂, 1 specimen ♀ in ANIC ).

Other material examined. 19 other specimens from 8 localities were also examined. Eungella National Park, off Eungella Dam Road 800 m site 2, 21°8’35”S, 148°29’49”E, 766 m, 15.xi.2013, N. Kimura, (25- 062500 1 specimen in QM); Eungella National Park , off Eungella Dam Road 800 m site 2, 21°8’35”S, 148°29’49”E, 766 m, 18. iii.2014, C.J. Burwell & C. Gely (25- 062499 1 specimen in QM) ; Eungella National Park off Dalrymple Road 800 m site 6, 21°7’16”S, 148°30’11”E, 808 m, 4.iv.2014, Nakamura, Mackie, Bennett, (25- 062496 1 specimen in QM) ; Eungella National Park QCAS, 800 m site 3 rep 1, 21°8’35”S, 148°29’42”E, 755 m, 13.iii.2013, Nakamura & Yoshida, (25- 062498 1 specimen in QM) ; Broken River , Eungella National Park, [148°31’0”E, 21°10’0”S], 700 m, 10–12.xi.1976, R.W. Taylor & T.A. Weir (25-055646 1 specimen in ANIC) ; Eungella , Sky Window, 21°8’42”S, 148°29’53”E, 14–15.iv.2011, G.B. Monteith (25-053867 also as COL1666, 25-053868 also as COL 1667 in ANIC) ; Mount Macartney , Cathu State Forest, 20°49’57”S, 148°33’7”E, 28965, (T 107239 in QM) ; Crediton Creek , Site 1, 21°11’13”S, 148°31’26”E, 21.xii.1992 – 12.i.1993, (T107230–T107232, T83544–T 83545 in QM, T 107233 in ANIC) ; Crediton Creek , Site 2, 21°11’19”S, 148°32’15”E, 21.xii.1992 – 12.i.1993, (T107234–T 107237 in QM, T 107238 in ANIC) .

Description. Uniformly dark brown. Antennal clubs yellow to white.

Total length: 2.3–3.0 mm. Holotype measurements: Total length 2.7 mm, elytral width 1.4 mm.

Male. Head. Surface reticulate with dense, round punctures, each bearing a seta. Broad U-shaped between clypeal teeth that are short and not upturned. Genal angle rounded. Dorsal part of the eyes narrow, separated by an interocular space approximately 9–10 times the eye width (38: 4). Head 1.35 x wider than long (51:38).

Prothorax: Pronotal surface smooth and nitid, with fine punctures anteriorly and denser ocellate punctures posteriorly, all punctures round with setae. Punctures along the basal margin somewhat horseshoe shaped, differing from those on disc. Anterior angles about 90°. Basal margin slightly angulate. Hypomeral surface finely reticulate. Hypomeral stria about two thirds the length of hypomeron. Pronotum 1.7 x wider than long (88:52).

Elytra: Intervals more or less reticulate with fine meshes, each with a double row of straight, fine recumbent setae; striae appearing double and crenulating towards apex; a slight depression at base of stria 5. Elytra 1.05 x wider than long (106:100).

Legs: Protibiae with apical digit broad with a small spur, with a small comb of stout setae at inner apex. Metatibiae with a notch on the inner edge.

Abdomen: Pygidium reticulate, finely punctate and with setae. Abdominal ventrites reticulate right across.

Pterothorax: Medial lobe of metaventrite virtually impunctate, very finely reticulate and narrowly margined between the mesocoxae. Lateral lobe of metaventrite with horse-shoe shaped punctures. Meso-metaventral suture very slightly arched. Mesoventrite surface smooth and nitid. Mesepimeron very finely reticulate. Metanepisternum reticulate and punctate.

Hind wings: Fully developed.

Female. Metatibiae without a notch on inner edge, otherwise as per the L. villosus species group.

Distribution. Known only from the Central Mackay Coast bioregion in rainforest around Eungella and Mount Maccartney at elevations of 700–800 m ( Fig. 21B ). This species is probably a short range endemic.

Comments. All specimens were collected from berlesed litter or mushroom baited pitfall traps, however limited sampling has been conducted in the area. Specimens collected from Eungella (25-053867 and 25-053868) have been sequenced and included in phylogenetic analyses ( Gunter & Weir 2017; Gunter et al. 2019). It is recovered at the base of the monophyletic clade containing species in the L. villosus species group.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Some diagnostic characters of the Lepanus villosus species group. A, lateral view of elytron of Lepanus villosus, white arrow points to deep pit at the base of stria 8; B, lateral view of elytron of Lepanus vestitus, note the absence of any deep pit; C, elytron of Lepanus villosus dotted line showing humeral callus between striae 6 and 7 and white arrow showing depression at base of striae 4 and 5; D, male metatibiae of Lepanus vestitus, notch on inner edge; E, male protibia of Lepanus pseudovillosus, showing typical configuration for the species group including the small comb of setae (grey arrow); F, close up of elytral interval surface of Lepanus reticulatus, showing reticulation of short longitudinal striations; G, close up of elytral interval surface of Lepanus vestitus showing reticulations of fine meshes.

FIGURE 17. Habitus of species within the Lepanus villosus species group. A, Lepanus pseudovillosus; B, Lepanus reticulatus; C, Lepanus vestitus; D, Lepanus villosus. All specimens in comparative scale. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 18. Left, dorsal, and right view of aedeagi of species within the Lepanus villosus species group. A, Lepanus pseudovillosus; B, Lepanus reticulatus; C, Lepanus vestitus; D, Lepanus villosus. All specimens in comparative scale. Scale bar 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 19. Pygidial configuration of species within the Lepanus villosus species group. A, Lepanus pseudovillosus; B, Lepanus reticulatus; C, Lepanus vestitus; D, Lepanus villosus. All specimens in comparative scale. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 21. Map of known records for A, Lepanus reticulatus; B, Lepanus vestitus including predicted distribution estimated with BIOCLIM models. QLD, Queensland.