Lepanus mirabilis ( Paulian, 1985 ) Gunter & Saxton & Weir, 2022

Gunter, Nicole L., Saxton, Natalie A. & Weir, Thomas A., 2022, Oficanthon Paulian, 1985, a junior synonym of Lepanus Balthasar, 1966 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), with redescription of Lepanus mirabilis (Paulian, 1985), Zootaxa 5194 (4), pp. 575-584 : 576-581

Lepanus mirabilis ( Paulian, 1985) , new combination

Figs. 1–3 .

Oficanthon mirabilis Paulian 1985: 228 .

Type material examined. Holotype (1 ♂ CMNC). “ PAPUA NEW GUINEA | 8km. SW Nadro, 650m. | Ofi Creek , O. Kukal | 15–18viii. 76, dng | lowlandRainforest” “ H. & A.Howden | Collection” “HOLOTYPE” “ Oficanthon mirabilis | n. g. n. sp | R. Paulian det.” “Canadian Museum of | Musée canadien de la | NATURE | CMNEN 00011782 ” ( Fig.2E ) . Paratype (1 ♂ MNHN). “ PAPUA NEW GUINEA | 8km. SW Nadro, 650m. | Ofi Creek , O. Kukal | 15–18viii. 76, dng | lowlandRainforest” “ H. & A.Howden | Collection” “PARATYPE” “ Oficanthon | mirabilis | n.g. n.sp. | R. Paulian det.” “ MNHN, Paris | EC14839”

Additional material examined. (2 ♂ CMNC) “ PAPUA NEW GUINEA | 8km. SW Nadro, 650m. | Ofi Creek , O. Kukal | 15–18.viii.76, dng | lowlandRainforest” “ PARATYPE ” “ PARATYPE | Oficanthon | mirabilis | R. Paulian ” “ Canadian Museum of | Musée canadien de la | NATURE | CMNEN 00013051 ”; “ PAPUA NEW GUNIEA: Western | Prov. P’nvana. CI RAP Survey | Camp 1. 05°29.5S 141°32.6E | 575 m. May 2013. T. Larsen || 05/28/13 | Trap 5” “ OFICANTHON | MIRABILIS | PAUL. | Dét. F. Génier, 2017” “MUST BE | Lepanus NEAR | usulatus | det T.A. WEIR 2018 ” “COL3182” .

Redescription. Head black medially and reddish brown apically. Prothorax and elytra black. Dorsal surface glabrous. Antennal clubs light brown. Measurements. Total length: 5.19 mm, elytral width 3.77 mm

Head. Width to length ratio 40:26. Surface smooth and nitid with very fine punctation. Broad U-shaped area between clypeal teeth that are upturned and strongly pointed. Margin of head completely bordered, rounded. Genal angle slightly prominent, angulate at clypeogenal suture. Clypeofrontal margin with medial impression. Dorsal part of the eyes wide, separated by an interocular space approximately 6 times eye width. Eye canthus not dividing the eye. Prothorax. Pronotal surface smooth, nitid and very finely punctate. Pronotum anterior angles sharp, posterolateral corners distinct, lateral edges bordered. Basal edge rounded, with a fine margin medially, margin without punctures. Hypomeral surface reticulate, hypomeral striae absent. Pronotal width to length ratio 65:42. Elytra. Overall, strongly convex. Surface smooth, nitid and very finely punctate, with 8 superficial, impunctate striae. Sparse golden setae. Ratio of length of the elytra along suture to maximum elytral width 65:78. Wide reticulate epipleura. Legs. Reddish brown. Protibia with 3 teeth on outer edge, 1 small tooth at the base of the tarsus, and 1 small ventral tooth on the basal 1/3 ( Fig. 2C–D ); front edge truncate with a short, broad apical digit, apical spur absent; crenulate ridge on ventral surface; trochantofemoral pit absent. Mesotibia with a brush of golden setae apically on inner edge. Metatibia with inner edge finely crenulate, nearly straight. Metatarsus with 5 tarsomeres with 2 nd tarsomere the longest; basal metatarsomere lobed on inner edge. Tufts of setae present on meso- and metatrochanters. Claws simple. Abdomen. Pygidium reticulate with a transverse fold extending from the lateral corners, and absent in the medial half; pygidial disc with a large, flat, ovate reticulate area that does not reach the fold basally; surface with long, fine setae. Abdominal ventrites reticulate for full width; ventrite 6 finely punctate. Suture between ventrites 5 and 6 weak. Pterothorax. Mesoventrite very finely reticulate, virtually impunctate, notched anteriorly. Medial lobe of metaventrite very finely reticulate and virtually impunctate, broadly margined between mesocoxae. Lateral lobes of metaventrite finely reticulate, finely punctate, punctures with fine setae. Mesometavental suture arched. Metanepisternum reticulate.

TABLE 1. (Continued)

Diagnosis. Can be diagnosed from most species of Lepanus by its large size, protibia with three teeth ( Fig. 1C ) and a small ventral tooth near base of the tarsus ( Fig. 2D ), the pygidial configuration with transverse fold, and large flat, ovoid reticulate area on the disc ( Fig. 1B ). Lepanus mirabilis can be diagnosed from other species in the Lepanus ustulatus species group by transverse fold on the pygidium being absent medially, and the depressed central area on the pygidal disc being distant from the transverse fold ( Fig. 1B ); presence of small tooth on ventral surface of the basal 1/3 of the protibia ( Fig. 2C ); and upturned clypeal teeth.

Geographic distribution. Papua New Guinea.

Remarks. The presence of a pygidial depression with a concave upper edge and transverse sinuate fold in conjunction with its larger size (5 mm), protibial ornamentation, and lack of hypomeral striae place this species within the informal Lepanus ustulatus species group ( Gunter & Weir 2019), of which the Australian species were recently revised ( Gunter & Weir 2021). This species will run to the Lepanus ustulatus species group at couplet 5 of Gunter & Weir (2019).

Paulian (1985) stated that he saw one other specimen from the same collecting event that he designated as a paratype and deposited in the MNHM. This specimen was located and confirmed to match the description given by Paulian (1985). An additional specimen labeled “ Paratype ” was also located in the CMNC. The species designation on the CMNC specimen is given by Paulian and the label data matches that of the holotype. It appears that this is an additional specimen Paulian examined but did not mention in the original description. The CMNC specimen is therefore not part of the type series.

The holotype is not dissected, but the shape of aedeagus of an examined specimen (CMNEN 00013051) ( Fig. 3 ) bears a strong resemblance to the aedeagi of all other species in the Lepanus ustulatus species group. No female specimens were examined in this study; however, it is probable that females of L. mirabilis also share sexually dimorphic characters observed in other species in the Lepanus ustulatus species group including: protibial with apical spur arising from truncate front edge, apical digit absent; tooth on the underside of protibial smaller than in males; inner edge of metatibia not crenulate; mesotibia without a brush of setae apically ( Gunter & Weir 2021).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holotype of Lepanus mirabilis. A, Dorsal habitus; B, pygidium; C, dorsal protibia; D, lateral metatibia; E, metatarsal claw. Images provided by F. Génier (CMNC).

FIGURE 2. Holotype of Lepanus mirabilis. A, Lateral view of elytron, arrow points to superficial 8th stria that runs along flange like edge of elytron, dorsal to epipleuron; B, ventral habitus; C, ventral view of protibia, arrow points to small tooth; D, close up ventral view of protibial apex, arrow points to small tooth at base of the tarsus; E, labels. Images provided by F. Génier (CMNC).

FIGURE 3. Aedeagus of Lepanus mirabilis (CMNEN 00013051). A, Left lateral view; B, dorsal view; C, right lateral view. Images provided by F. Génier (CMNC).