Matthewsius vanleeuweni Gunter & Weir

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 : 222-223

Matthewsius vanleeuweni Gunter & Weir , new species

Figs 3 F, 6F, 5A

Material examined. Western Australia: Holotype: ♂, [22°57'00''S, 118°44'00''E], 16.7 km ENE of Mount Meharry, CALM Fire / Mulga Study site P/1/2 B, S. Van Leeuwen & R. Bromilow. 1 June 98 in WAM (as 25- 065492) . Paratypes: [22°57'00''S, 118°44'00''E], 16.7 km ENE of Mount Meharry , CALM Fire / Mulga Study site P/ 1/2 B, S. Van Leeuwen & R. Bromilow, 1 June 98 (in ANIC 25-053798 1x ♂, 1x ♀) ; [22°57'00''S, 118°44'00''E], 16.7 km ENE of Mount Meharry , CALM Fire / Mulga Study site P/1/2 B, S. Van Leeuwen & R. Bromilow, 8 May 1992 (in WAM and ANIC 25-058122 2x ♂, 2x ♀) ; [22°59'00''S, 118°45'00''E], 16.5 km E of Mount Meharry , CALM Fire / Mulga Study site P/2/3 A, S. Van Leeuwen & R. Bromilow, 8 May 1992 (in ANIC 25-058123 2x ♂) ; [22°59'00''S, 118°45'00''E], 16.5 km E of Mount Meharry, CALM Fire / Mulga Study site P/2/3 A, S. Van Leeuwen & R. Bromilow, 2 June 1998 (in ANIC 25-053799 F); [22°38'00''S, 118°17'00''E], 15 km E of Mount Bruce, Karajini National Park , CALM Fire / Mulga Study site B/1/2 D, S. Van Leeuwen & R. Bromilow, 18 May 1992 (in ANIC 25-053800 ♀) ; [22°36'00''S, 118°12'00''E], 5.8 km ENE of Mount Bruce, Karijini National Park , CALM Fire / Mulga Study site B/3/1 D, S. Van Leeuwen & R. Bromilow, 19 May 1992 (in ANIC 25– ANIC 25-053801 ♀) ; 22°36'34''S, 118°17'57''E, 16 km E of Mount Bruce , SITE TCMBE 05 , CALM Pilbara Survey, 28 May–16 September 2006 (in ANIC 25-053802 1x ♂, 1x ♀) ; 22°39'11''S, 118°26'07''E, Pilbara region , 9.8 km along Dewa Downs Road from Karijini Drive intersection, 40 m from road on left, M. Bulbert, J. Gollan, S. Ginn, & G. Brown, 23 May–2 June 2006 (in AM K237439– 41 2x ♂, 1x ♀ ( ANIC 25-058124–6 ) ; 22°37'28''S, 118°42'05''E, Pilbara region , Great Northern Highway , 5.15 km from Karijini Drive toff, 45 m W from road, M. Bulbert, J. Gollan, L. Kampen, & G. Carter, 20–30 May 2006 (in AM K237438 ♀ (also as 25-058127) ; 22°34'14''S, 118°18'25''E, 17.5 km ENE of Mount Bruce , CALM Pilbara Survey, 28 May–16 September 2006 (in ANIC 25-058197 ♂) ; 22°22'40''S, 117°28'00''E, 49 km NNW of Tom Price , CALM Pilbara Survey, 24 August 2005 – 24 May 2006 (in ANIC 25-058195 ♀);

Other material: 22°36'34''S, 118°17'57''E, 16 km E of Mount Bruce, SITE TCMBE 05 , CALM Pilbara Survey, 2 August 2005 – 28 May 2006 (in ANIC, WAM, QM, (as 25-058194 x 421)); 22°34'14''S, 118°18'25''E, 17.5 km ENE of Mount Bruce , CALM Pilbara Survey, 1 August 2005 – 26 May 2006 (in ANIC 25-058198 x2); 22.36'34''S, 118.17'57''E, 16 km E of Mount Bruce , SITE TCMB 05 , Calm Pilbara Survey, 28 May–16 September 2006 (in ANIC, WAM (as 25-058196 x40) .

Etymology. Named for Stephen Van Leeuwen, a botanist from the Department of Environment and Conservation, Western Australia, who first collected this species.

Description. Colour: Black. Antennae yellow.

Holotype measurements: 4.5 mm in length, 3.2 mm across widest point of elytra.

Total length: 3.4–4.8 mm

Male: Head: Broad U-shape between clypeal teeth, which are slightly upturned. Clypeal edge with blunt projection lateral to the clypeal teeth. Mentum almost square, bordered anteriorly, reticulate, with setation dense on posterior corners. Edge of head bordered, wider between eye canthus and suture; genal angle prominent. Dorsal parts of eyes notched, separated by an interocular space of about 17 times eye width; eye canthus not dividing eye. Surface smooth, nitid, glabrous, with heavy, round punctation; punctures separated by less than 1 diameter. Head width to length ratio 90:55.

Pronotum: Anterior angles almost 90° with a distinct border. Basal angles distinct, basal margin rounded, lateral edge margined. Hypomeron surface finely reticulate with heavy punctation. Punctures along basal margin almost extend to basal edge, with punctures different from disc. All punctures round, without setae, separated by 1 diameter or less; punctation less dense medially. Hypomeral stria long. Pronotum width to length ratio 80:45.

Elytra: Surface smooth, finely reticulate. Intervals finely punctate. Setae on intervals straight, small, and about the same size as the punctures. Striae impressed; 1–6 geminate, appearing as 2 parallel lines; 7 single; all striae with simple punctures, not crenulate. All striae on disc equal width, extending to the base; striae 7 weak and only present in basal 2/3rd; striae 8 confined to groove posteriorly. Ratio of length of elytra along suture to maximum elytral width 75:90.

Legs: Prothoracic legs with trochantofemoral anterior pit and trochanter excavated dorsally for reception of inner apical edge of protibia. Protibiae with 3 teeth on outer edge, which is only serrate between 2nd and 3rd teeth and proximal to them; each tooth with 2 groups of setae dorsally, front edge straight between apical tooth and short, broad apical digit. The tooth on underside near base of tarsus is a blunt projection. Protibiae inner apical angle produced, with apical comb of short, flattened bristles and on lower surface a brush of long setae extending beyond edge of comb. Claws small and simple. Mesotibiae broad and densely setose on the inner side. Metatibiae are slightly bent with the inner edge of tibia not crenulate. Males with small, blunt tooth at inner apical edge of metatibiae. Tarsomere 1 wider than the other tarsomeres but not lobed.

Abdomen: Pygidium with transverse groove at the base reaching basal angle; with a narrow, impressed line around the pygidium. Ventrites finely reticulate, with a row of punctures along the anterior edge of ventrites 2–5, ventrite 6 punctate. Suture between abdominal ventrites simple.

Pterothorax: Medial lobe of metaventrite punctate and broadly margined between mesocoxae. Mesometaventral suture slightly arched. Lateral lobe of the metaventrite with horseshoe-shaped punctures. Mesoventrite smooth with horseshoe-shaped punctures extending medially but less defined, not notched anteriorly. Mesepimera reticulate and punctate. Metanepisterna finely reticulate with horseshoe-shaped punctures.

Hind wings: Absent.

Female: Protibiae not expanded at the inner apical angle with longer apical spur. Setae on tarsomeres shorter and less dense than males. Mesotibiae lack inner brush of setae.

Distribution. Fig, 5A. Known only from the Pilbara region, Western Australia. Collected in pitfall traps in open woodland with Spinifex Linnaeus (Poaceae) .

Comments. This species was referred to as “ Lepanus WA1” in Yeates et al. (2011).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Pygidium and aedeagus (left view, dorsal view, right view) of species of Matthewsius new genus, all scale bars 0.5 mm. A, Matthewsius illawarrensis new combination; B, M. penelopae new combination; C, M. rossi new combination; D, M. speewah new combination; E, M. stricklandensis new species; F, M. vanleeuweni new species.