Lepanus burnetti 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 : 210-214

Lepanus burnetti Gunter & Weir , new species

( Figs 2B , 3B , 4B )

Type series. Holotype: ♂ “QLD: 25.653°S 152.669°E Teddington Weir , 30m 4-5 Jan 2012, G. Monteith mushr trap, RF 35055” / “ ANIC Database No. 25 065540” / “ ANIC image” / “ Lepanus SQ3 det TA Weir 2012, in ANIC (25°39’11”S, 152°40’8”E) . Paratypes (34 ♂, 22 ♀): Teddington Weir , 30 m, mushroom trap 35055, 25.653°S, 152.669°E, 4–5.i.2012, G.B. Monteith (25- 053878 1 specimen ♂, 2 specimens ♀, 25-053879 1 speci- men also as COL2330 ♀, 25-057599 1 specimen also as COL2331 ♂, 25-057600 1 specimen also as COL2332 ♂, 25-057601 1 specimen also as COL2333 ♂ in ANIC) 25°39’11”S, 152°40’8”E); Teddington Weir , 30 m, dung trap 35054, 25.653°S, 152.669°E (25°39’11”S, 152°40’8”E), 4–5.i.2012, G.B. Monteith (25-053881 1 specimen also as COL2334 ♂, 25-057602 1 specimen also as COL2335 ♀ in ANIC) ; Bauple , 5 km SW, 25°50’56”S, 152°35’20”E, 100 m, 14–15.i.2012, G.B. Monteith, dung trap and mushroom trap, rainforest (25-053900 1 specimen ♂, 1 speci- men ♀, 25-053901 1 specimen ♂, 2 specimen ♀ in ANIC) ; Mudlo Gap , top, 250 m, 26°0’48”S, 152°13’46”E, G.B. Monteith & C. Bough, 9.x–17.xii.1998, rainforest pitfall, (T99533–T99539 4 specimen ♂, 3 specimen ♀ in QM) ; Mudlo Gap , top, 320 m, 26°0’48”S, 152°13’46”E, G.B. Monteith & C. Bough, 17.xii.1998 – 25.i.1999, rainforest pitfall, (T99543–T99553 6 specimen ♂, 5 specimen ♀ in QM, T99540 ♂, T99542 ♀ in CMNC, T99541 ♂ in ANIC) ; Mudlo Gap , top, 320 m, 26°0’48”S, 152°13’46”E, G.B. Monteith & G. Thompson, 25.i–7.vi.1999, rainforest pitfall, (T99554–T99556 3 specimens ♂, T107392 ♂ in QM) ; Mudlo Gap , bottom, 200 m, 26°1’27”S, 152°13’57”E, G.B. Monteith & C. Bough, 17.xii.1998 – 25.i.1999, rainforest pitfall, (T99532 ♀ in ANIC) ; Oakview State Forest , 400 m, 26°8’32”S, 152°20’12”E, M. Janetzki, 25.ix–12.xii.1997, vine scrub, pitfall trap, (T107434–T107446 10 specimens ♂, 3 specimens ♀ in QM) ; Oakview State Forest , 400 m, 26°8’32”S, 152°20’12”E, M. Janetzki, 12.xii.1997 – 26.iv.1998, vine scrub, pitfall trap, (T107447–T107449 1 specimen ♂, 2 specimens ♀ in QM) .

Description. Holotype light brown with orange humeri. Other specimens range from light brown to black with red humeri. Antennal clubs grey.

Total length: 2.6–3.0 mm. Holotype measurements: total length 3.0 mm, elytral width 1.9 mm.

Male. Head: Surface with fine punctation, setae absent. Basal carina absent. Dorsal part of the eyes narrow, separated by an interocular space approximately 20 times the eye width (40: 2); eye canthus dividing eye. Head 1.55 x wider than long (45:29).

Prothorax: Pronotal surface with very fine punctation anteriorly to fine punctation posteriorly. Anterior angles about 90°. Basal margin slightly angulate. Hypomeral surface finely reticulate. Hypomeral striae about half the length of the hypomeron and very close to the lateral margin appearing almost double. Pronotum 1.7 x wider than long (71:42).

Elytra: Surface smooth with slightly impressed, impunctate striae, striae 1–3 or 1–4 appearing double, 5–7 appearing single; intervals very finely punctate with very superficial setae. Stria 6 almost extending to the elytral base and 7 not extending to elytral base. Stria 8 slightly curving inwards posteriorly. Elytra 1.1 x wider than long (95:85).

Legs: Front edge of protibiae deeply angulate.

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

Pterothorax: Medial lobe of metaventrite very finely punctate and broadly margined between the mesocoxae. Lateral lobe of metaventrite reticulate and finely punctate. Mesoventrite not notched anteriorly. Mesoventrite and mesepimeron smooth. Metanepisternum reticulate.

Female. As per L. australis species group.

Etymology. Named for James Charles Burnett, one of the early surveyors and explorers of the region.

Distribution. Known from rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest from Maryborough to Gympie in the South Eastern Queensland region ( Fig. 5B ).

Comments. Almost all specimens have been collected in dung or mushroom baited pitfall traps.

This species has been referred to under the informal nomenclature sensu Yeates et al. 2011 as Lepanus SQ3, which is followed by Gunter et al. 2019. The specimen sequenced in this study was collected at Teddington Weir in the same trap as the holotype, and is designated as a paratype here (ANIC 25-057572 also as COL2335). Lepanus burnetti was recovered in a clade of primarily central Queensland Lepanus species from the L. palumensis species group. The L. palumensis species group is characterised by having a pygidial depression without any defined edges, and can easily be separrated from L. burnetti and other members of the L.australis species group that all have simple pygidia.

Figures

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 5. Map of known records including predicted distribution estimated with BIOCLIM models for A, Lepanus australis; B, Lepanus burnetti. QLD, Queensland; NSW, New South Wales; VIC, Victoria.