Lepanus pseudovillosus 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 : 247-249

Lepanus pseudovillosus Gunter & Weir , new species

( Figs 16E , 17A , 18A , 19A )

Type series. Holotype: ♂ “QLD: 17.430°S 145.490°E, Crater NP, 18–19Sep 2010, G.Monteith, Dung trap, RF, 980m 34584” (= Mout Hypipamee National Park ) / “ ANIC Database No. 25 059615” / “ Lepanus NQ21, det TA Weir 2010 ”, in ANIC (17°25’48”S, 145°29’24”E) . Paratypes (40 ♂, 36 ♀, 4 sex undetermined): Mount Hugh Nelson , S base , 17°31’0”S, 145°33’15”E, 7–9.ii.1999, (T 76228 in QM ♂); Millaa Lookout , 17°31’23”S, 145°34’5”E, 1.xii.1993 – 25.ii.1994, (T 44424 in QM ♀); Mount Fisher , Kjellberg Road , 17°32’34”S, 145°33’31”E, 1.xii.1993 – 25.ii.1994, (T44381–T 44382 in QM 2 specimens ♂); Palmerston National Park , west margin , 17°33’36”S, 145°41’15”E, 1.xii.1993 – 25.ii.1994, (T44383–T 44388 in QM 1 specimen ♂, 5 specimens ♀) ; Henrietta Creek Palmerston National Park [Plamerston National Park], [17°34’0”S, 145°45’0”E], 22–24.iv.1973, R.I. Storey (25- 055642 4 specimens in QM 2 specimens ♂, 2 specimens sex undetermined., 25-058504 3 specimen in QM 1 specimen ♂, 1 specimen ♀, 1 specimen sex undetermined.); Maalan State Forest, Ravenshoe Road , 17°35’23”S, 145°35’40”E, 10.i–31.iii.1995, (T44432–T 44434 in QM 2 specimens ♂, 1 specimen ♀); Mount Father Clancy , 1000 m , 17°35’25”S, 145°38’4”E, 32483, (T 44325 in QM ♂); Maalan Road , 2 km S Palmerston Highway , 17°35’56”S, 145°41’58”E, 26.xi.1994 – 10.i.1995, (T44406–T 44412 in QM 4 specimens ♂, 3 specimens ♀); Palmerston For- estry turnoff , 17°35’20”S, 145°42’14”E, 700 m, 15–16.ix.2010, G.B. Monteith (25- 060910 2 specimens also as COL1120 ♂, and COL1121 ♀, 25-059616 2 specimens in ANIC 1 specimen # m, 1 specimen ♀); Forestry turnoff Palmerston National Park , 17°35’20”S, 145°42’14”E, 700 m, 16.ix.2010, G.B. Monteith (25- 060903 3 specimens in ANIC also as COL 957 ♀, 958 ♂, 959 ♂) ; road to Maalan Palmerston National Park [Plamerston National Park], [17°36’0”S, 145°40’0”E], 23–24.iv.1978, R.I. Storey (25-058503 5 specimens in QM 3 specimens ♂, 2 specimens ♀); Majors Mount track , 17°38’2”S, 145°32’2”E, 1020 m, 18–19.ix.2010, G.B. Monteith (25- 060909 2 specimens also as COL1118 ♂ and COL1119 ♂, 25-053859 1 specimen also as COL1612 ♀ in ANIC) ; Majors Mount sum- mit, 17°38’31”S, 145°32’2”E, 1140 m, 18–19.ix.2010, G.B. Monteith (25- 060853 in ANIC also as COL1117 ♂); South Johnstone Forestry Camp , 2 km E , 17°38’40”S, 145°44’2”E, 1.xii.1993 – 25.ii.1994, (T44398–T 44402 in QM 3 specimens ♂, 2 specimens ♀); Vine Creek , Majors Mountain , 17°40’58”S, 145°32’2”E, 4–6.ii.1999, (T 76230 in QM ♂); Vine Creek , Majors Mountain , 17°40’58”S, 145°32’2”E, 15–18.iv.1999, (T79116–T 79119 in ANIC 2 specimens ♂, 2 specimens ♀, T79120, T791222- T79130, T79132–T 79139 in QM 7 specimens ♂, 11 specimens ♀; T79140–T79141 1 specimen ♂, 1 specimen ♀ in CMNC); Charmillin Creek crossing , 17°42’3”S, 145°31’21”E, 8.xii.1989 – 5.i.1990, (T 44372 in QM ♂) ; Tully Falls State Forest 11 km SSW Ravenshoe, [17°47’0”S, 145°34’0”E], 900 m, 5.xi–7.xii.1988, R.I. Storey & Dickinson, (25-059617 2 specimens ♀ in ANIC) ; Tully Falls State Forest 11 km SSW Ravenshoe, [17°47’0”S, 145°34’0”E], 900m, 1.x–5.xi.1987, R.I. Storey & Dickinson, (25-059618 1 specimen ♀ in ANIC) ; Tully Falls State Forest 11 km SSW Ravenshoe, [17°47’0”S, 145°34’0”E], 900 m, 3.iii– 20.iv.1988, R.I. Storey & Dickinson, (25-059619 1 specimen ♂, 1 specimen sex undetermined in ANIC) .

Description. Uniformly dark brown to black in colour. Antennal clubs yellow to white.

Total length: 2.4–2.6 mm. Holotype measurements: total length 2.5 mm, elytral width 1.7 mm.

Male. Head. Surface smooth and nitid, with dense ocellate punctures, each bearing a seta. Broad U-shaped between clypeal teeth that are short and not upturned. Genal angle weakly defined. Dorsal part of the eyes narrow, separated by an interocular space approximately 11 times the eye width (34:3). Head 1.5 x wider than long (45:30).

Prothorax: Pronotal surface smooth and nitid, with dense ocellate punctures each bearing a posteriorly directed seta. Punctures along the basal margin horseshoe shaped differing from those on disc. Anterior angles obtuse. Basal margin slightly angulate. Hypomeral surface reticulate with a few punctures. Hypomeral stria about half the length of hypomeron and with a row of fine setae present between hypomeral stria and lateral edge. Pronotum 1.8 x wider than long (72:40).

Elytra: Intervals reticulate with fine meshes and with a double row of somewhat straight, fine setae. Striae somewhat geminate, appearing double. A slight basal depression at base of stria 5. Stria 8 ending basally in a deep pit and lateral carina indented at this point. Elytra 1.05 x wider than long (85:80).

Legs: Apical digit of foretibiae broad with a small comb of setae on inner apex and very small apical spur on outer edge. Metatibiae normal, without notch on inner edge.

Abdomen: Pygidium flat, reticulate, punctate and with setae, but forming a nitid gibbous area toward the apex and with an overhanging basal edge. Abdominal ventrites reticulate right across.

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

Hind wings: Vestigial.

Female. As per L. villosus species group

Etymology. This species is named for its similarity to Lepanus villosus . This name is an adjective in the nominative singular.

Distribution. Known only from rainforests around Mount Hypipamee National Park south to Tully Falls State Forest in the Australian Wet Tropics bioregion ( Fig. 20B ). This species appears to be a short-range endemic and most have been collected in moderate to high elevation forest (700–1150 m).

Comments. This species is known from 80 specimens, most of which have been collected in baited pitfall traps (dung or mushroom) or in flight intercept traps.

This species has been referred to under the informal nomenclature sensu Yeates et al. 2011 as Lepanus NQ21 (Gunter et al. 2019). The specimen sequenced in that study was collected from Palmerston National Park and is designated as a paratype here (ANIC 25- 060903 also as COL957). It was recovered as the sister taxon to L. villosus .

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 20. Map of known records including predicted distribution estimated with BIOCLIM models for A, Lepanus villosus; B, Lepanus pseudovillosus. QLD, Queensland.