Niuailan peterseni ( Endrődi, 1967 ) Allsopp & Hutchinson, 2020

Allsopp, Peter G. & Hutchinson, Paul M., 2020, Niuailan, a new genus to accommodate Carneoryctes peterseni (Endrődi, 1967) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Pentodontini) from New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Zootaxa 4860 (1), pp. 135-145 : 140-143

Niuailan peterseni ( Endrődi, 1967) , new combination

( Figs. 1 , 14–26 )

Cryptoryctes peterseni Endrődi, 1967: 303 , Figs. 1–2 ; Endrődi 1971: 314, Figs. 97–98, Plate III Fig. H, Plate V Fig. I; Endrődi 1985: 352, Figs. 1347–1348, Plate XIV, Fig. 4 ; Dechambre 2005: 75; Krajcik 2005: 41.

Carneoryctes peterseni (Endrődi) : Özdikmen 2009: 141; Krajcik 2012: 65.

Type series. Holotype male (by original designation) ( Figs. 14–16 ), Lemkamin [Lengkamen, 3.33°S, 151.92°E, Fig. 1 ], New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, 11.iv.1962, Noona Dan Expedition 1961 –1962, in ZMUC, image examined.

Endrődi (1971) records additional male(s) (number not given) from Lelet Plateau, Schleinitz Mountains, New Ireland [1400 m] in the Bishop Museum, Honolulu; this presumably includes one of the two paratypes of Endrődi (1967), with the other paratype likely in Endrődi’s collection (presumably now in the Hungarian Museum of Natural History). Lengkamen, is on the Lelet Plateau.

Additional material examined. 1♂: PAPUA NEW GUINEA Schleinitz Mts., 1000 m Central New Ireland 27 July 1998 C.J. Müller / PMH Coll # Dyn 1784 (in PMH) ( Figs. 17–25 ) .

Redescription of male. Body length (without apical horn) 18–23 mm, dorsum very glossy black to brown, venter red-brown, upper surface glabrous, ventral thorax with very dense setae, venter and pygidium more sparsely setose, edges of frons, pronotum and elytra with long red setae. Mentum evenly arcuate in lateral view, setose; labrum concealed; maxillary, palps with apical palpomeres striolate, and non-foveate; mandibles prominent, outer margin convexly curved, without teeth. Clypeus vertical, disc slightly concave, anterior face coarsely punctate, setae sparse and restricted to above mandibles, anterior margin curved with rounded corners, lateral margin slightly concave and ridged in middle with posterior edge curved convexly, posterior margin defined by clypeofrontal ridge that is punctured and coarsely wrinkled. Frons mainly hidden from above by apical pronotal horn that slopes down towards the clypeus, narrowed between the large eyes and a little wider than diameter of one eye, widest at anterior angles, glabrous and smooth except for long, red setae on inner side of eyes and along ocular canthi and patch of similar setae half way between front of eyes and clypeofrontal suture. Pronotum (excluding apical horn) about twice as wide as long, upper surface smooth, very shiny, sloping forwards but without median depression; anterior margin dominated by apical horn, anterior angles obtuse; lateral margins slightly reflexed from obvious groove, strongly concave behind anterior angles, then slightly convex to rounded middle, then weakly concave to very obtuse pos- terior angles; posterior margin almost straight except slightly convex in middle in front of scutellum, with an obvi- ous groove across entire width. Pronotal disc with 3 horns, apical horn horizontally directed forward and reflexed upwards in apical third to well in front of head in larger specimens, apex bidentate, upper surface strongly rugose and lower surface punctate on apical third to half, basal half with lateral ridge curving back to anterior angles of pronotum; slender lateral horns arising from posterior third of pronotum, projecting forwards and curving upwards at about 45°, apices curved inwards to a rounded point and with scattered punctures. Scutellum triangular, surface lightly roughened, basal half with sparse setae. Each elytron slightly longer than combined width at front, sides parallel anteriorly then curving to rounded apices, edges slightly reflexed; basal humeri strong, bounded on inner edge by a stria, apical humeri practically absent, sutural striae linear, well defined and continuing around edge of scutellum, other striae poorly defined, nearly absent beyond basal third, otherwise surface smooth and glossy. Pro- pygidium very densely and heavily setose, without stridulatory surface. Pygidium triangular, coarsely and densely punctured across base to very finely punctured at apex, dense long setae across base, sparse apically, apical ridge glabrous, lateral angles shagreened. Prosternal process short, hidden by setae. Femora strong, especially metafem- ora, with many long setae and rows of punctures; protibia with 3 strong outer teeth all projecting forwards, apical spur long, originating opposite indentation between middle and basal teeth, metatibiae obliquely bicarinate; spurs on mesotibiae and metatibiae reasonably broad and of equal length and straight, all tarsi very thin and simple, tarso- meres 1 and 2 of similar length, tarsomere 1 slightly shorter than tarsomere 5; claws equal. Parameres slim, tapering to apex and with tip slightly curved outwards, lateral edge evenly and slightly concave.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the Lelet Plateau on New Ireland ( Fig. 26 ). The habitat is a montane, moss-rich forest on very rugged limestone cast country, with no rivers or creeks but with sinkholes, and frequent rainfall and low cloud (Köppen-Geiger climate Af) (Chris Müller, personal communication to P.M.H.) ( Fig. 1 ). The type series was collected in April and the specimen in PMH was collected during the day in July.

Figures

FIGURE 26. Niuailan peterseni (Endrődi, 1967), known distribution in Papua New Guinea (■) (base map from www.freecountrymaps.com/map/country/papua-new-guinea-map-pg).

FIGURES 1–2. Landscape views: 1, Lelet Plateau, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea (photograph by Richard Eves); 2, 10 km west of Menzies, Western Australia (collection locality of Carneoryctes brittoni (Carne, 1957) and C. psilus (Carne, 1957)).

FIGURES 14–16. Niuailan peterseni (Endrődi, 1967), holotype male: 14, lateral view; 15, dorsal view; 16, labels (photographs by Alexey Solodovnikov).

FIGURES 17–21. Niuailan peterseni (Endrődi, 1967), male in PMH: 17, dorsal view; 18, ventral view; 19, lateral view; 20, parameres frontal view; 21, parameres and phallobase, lateral view.

FIGURES 22–25. Niuailan peterseni (Endrődi, 1967), male in PMH: 22, head and pronotum, frontal view; 23, head and pro- notum, lateral view; 24, head and pronotum, dorsal view; 25, pygidium.

FIGURES 3–7. Carneoryctes tectus (Blackburn, 1892), male in PMH: 3, dorsal view; 4, ventral view; 5, lateral view; 6, para- meres frontal view; 7, parameres and phallobase lateral view.