Monteithocanthon koombooloomba 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 : 232

Monteithocanthon koombooloomba Gunter & Weir new species

Figs. 5 B, 7K, 8D, 9D, 10D.

Material examined. Queensland: holotype: ♂ 17°54'15''S, 145°37'18"E, 1.5 km N Tully River crossing, S Koombooloomba Dam, Monteith, Thompson , & Janetzki , 8 December 1989 – 5 January 1990 (in QM T54139); paratypes: 17°54'15''S, 145°37'18"E, 1.5 km N Tully River crossing, S Koombooloomba Dam, Monteith, Thompson, & Janetzki, 8 December 1989 – 5 January 1990 (in QM T54140 ♀, T54142 ♂, in ANIC 25-055641 (QM T54141 ♂, T54144 ♀, and T54143 ♀); [17°50'00''S, 145°36'00"E], Koombooloomba , R.W. Taylor & J. Feehan, 4 July 1971, ANIC berlesate #356, rainforest (in ANIC 25-055631 ♂); [17°55'00''S, 145°38'00"E], Tully River crossing, 10 km S Koombooloomba Dam, Monteith, Thompson , & Janetzki , 8 December 1989 – 4 January 1990, 750 m, pitfall and intercept trap (in QM T54135–137 3x ♀, in ANIC 25-065499 ♀ (QM T54138)).

Etymology. Named for Koombooloomba , the locality where the entire type series was collected. This name should be treated as a noun in apposition.

Description. Colour: Black. Antennae white to grey.

Holotype measurements: 2.4 mm in length, 1.6 mm across widest point of elytra.

Total length: 2.4 mm

Male: Head: Broad U-shape between clypeal teeth, which are slightly upturned. Rest of margin of head feebly convex to eye. Mentum almost square, not bordered, with striations and setation sparse on posterior corners. Edge of head completely bordered, genal angle distinct. Dorsal parts of eyes narrow, separated by an interocular space of about 16 times eye width; eye canthus nearly dividing eye. Surface smooth, nitid; with sparse, round punctures; setation absent. Head width to length ratio 40:25.

Pronotum: Anterior angles almost 90°. Basal angles distinct, basal margin rounded. Hypomeron surface finely reticulate with sparse punctation. Elongate punctures along basal margin almost extend to basal edge but diverging medially to leave an impunctate area. All punctures without setae. Lateral edge margined. Hypomeral stria 1/3 to 1/ 2 length of hypomeron. Pronotum width to length ratio 63:37.

Elytra: Elytra with small flange at most, surface smooth. Intervals finely punctate and not reticulate. Striae 1–5 superficial but clearly visible, striae 6–8 obsolete. Ratio of length of elytra along suture to maximum elytral width 72:77.

Legs: Protibiae with 3 teeth on outer edge, which is serrate between teeth and proximal to them; each tooth with 1 group of setae dorsally, front edge straight between apical tooth and small inconspicuous spur. The tooth on underside near base of tarsus is a blunt projection. Protibiae inner apex expanded, with a comb and a brush of setae. Claws small and toothed. Mesotibiae slightly expanded, densely setose on inner side. Metatibiae bent with an indentation, with small tooth at inner apex and not crenulate ( Fig. 8 E).

Abdomen: Pygidium with deep, curved transverse groove at the base about 3/4 the width of the pygidium and not reaching basal angle. Ventrites with fine reticulation, absent from middle 1/3, with a row of punctures along the anterior edge of ventrites 2–5, ventrite 6 finely punctate. Sutures between abdominal ventrites slight.

Pterothorax: Medial lobe of metaventrite finely punctate and broadly margined between mesocoxae. Mesometaventral suture arched. Lateral lobe of the metaventrite broadly margined anteriorly, with round punctures. Mesoventrite smooth, not notched anteriorly. Mesepimera smooth. Metanepisterna finely reticulate.

Hind wings: Fully developed.

Female: Protibiae not expanded at the inner apical angle with longer apical spur. Mesotibiae lack inner brush of setae. Metatibiae straight.

Distribution. See Fig. 5 B. Known only from the Koombooloomba area, northern Queensland at about 750 m. Collected in rainforest in pitfall traps and intercept traps.

Comments. This species was referred to as “ Lepanus NQ22” in Yeates et al. (2011).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Distributional maps of species belonging to the new genera Matthewsius and Monteithocanthon including close up insets of A, Pilbara region, Western Australia; B, northeastern Queensland; C, southeastern Queensland; D, southwestern Western Australia; E, southeastern South Australia; F, central to southeastern New South Wales.

FIGURE 8. Male metatibia of species of Monteithocanthon new genus, all scale bars 0.25 mm. A, Monteithocanthon arator new combination; B, M. elliotensis new species; C, M. glaber new combination; D, M. koombooloomba new species; E, M. paraarator new species; F, M. peckorum new species; G, female metathoracic leg of M. arator.