Epironastes demarzi ( Endrődi, 1971 ) Hutchinson & Allsopp, 2020

Hutchinson, Paul M. & Allsopp, Peter G., 2020, Revision of Epironastes Carne, 1957 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae Pentodontini: Pseudoryctina) with description of the female, behaviours, and habitats, Zootaxa 4852 (4), pp. 428-448 : 435-438

Epironastes demarzi ( Endrődi, 1971) new combination

( Figs.19–29 , 56 )

Teinogenys demarzi Endrődi, 1971: 105 ( Fig. 1 : ♂ head; Figs. 2– 3 ♂ genitalia); Endrődi 1974: 64 ( Fig. 29 ♂ parameres); Endrődi 1985: 372 (Fig. 1376 ♂ parameres; Plate XV Fig. 4 ♂ adult); Cassis & Weir 1992: 416; Dechambre 2005: 61.

Type series. Holotype ♂ (by original designation): Lake Johnston [32.5746°S, 120.3321°E] W.A. Demarz, 3.1965 // Holotypus Teinogenys demarzi Endr. // Museum Frey Tutzing // genitalia on card [in NHMB, examined] ( Figs. 19–20 ) .

Paratypes: 2♂, same data as holotype [in NHMB]. A further paratype was evidently retained in Endrődi’s private collection (now in the Hungarian Museum of Natural History) .

Other specimen examined. AUSTRALIA. WESTERN AUSTRALIA: 1♂, Dedari 1 km S. of [31.0940°S, 120.7001°E] West. Aust. 27.Jan.2016 P. Hutchinson // Epironastes ♂, in storm puddle // PMH Coll # Dyn 1713 // genitalia on card [in PMH] .

Redescription. Male holotype. Body ( Figs. 21–22 ) black with antennal club ventrally light-brown over black and dorsally black, 14.8 mm long, 8.8 mm wide across elytra post median. Mentum weakly reflexed at apex, bilobed with indistinct medial groove with ligula reflexed, apically attenuate with apex weakly bilobed.Antennal club ( Figs. 21–25 ) only slightly longer than shaft, inner face setose, shallowly foveate on apical third; outer face of club bitexturous with ventral and dorsal portions subequal, club straight, in outline with ventral margin strongly bowed. Clypeus ( Figs. 21, 24–25 ) attenuate with arcuate reflexed apex, abruptly declivous from broadly rounded ridge joining antennal angles, surface rugulose; clypeofrontal ridge distinct. Frons ( Figs. 21, 24–25 ) rugulose; ocular canthi with anterior margin weakly arcuate, laterally truncate, anterior margin bearing long orange setae. Pronotum ( Figs. 21, 23–25 ) with anterior lateral angles slightly obtuse, widest in anterior half, about one-third distance from anterior margin; anteromedian horn stout, erect, preceding a transverse impression confined to anterior third with abrupt posterior margin, basal convexity uninterrupted; surface sparsely and finely punctate, punctures becoming coarser, denser towards margins often transverse along anterolateral margins; simple punctures tending transverse in impression;, basal ridge complete. Scutellum ( Fig. 21 ) with sparse moderate punctures medially in basal half. Each elytron ( Figs. 21, 23 ) with sutural striae punctate to apex, elytral disc with small, shallow, umbilicate punctures forming well-defined striae, intervals with random punctures, punctures continuous to apical calli, lateral declivity sparsely rugulose. Pygidium ( Fig. 26 ) moderately convex, weakly microreticulate, concentrically punctate, with dense long setae across base and sparsely punctate apical zone, apical ridge not thickened medially, bearing dense fringe of long setae across median third. Abdominal sternites 2–4 ( Fig. 22 ) laterally setose over entire surface, last sternite bearing continuous fringe setae on posterior margin. Coxae ( Fig. 22 ) bearing orange vestiture; metatibiae with basal carinae bearing long, acute setae, apical carinae bearing long, fine closely set ciliae on outer surface; metatibial spurs ( Fig. 22 ) of unequal length, long, subparallel, with longer spur slightly curved. Genitalia as in Figs. 27–28 .

Male variation. Body 14.8–17.5 mm long, 8.8–10.1 mm long (elytra post median). Mentum with distinct groove; ligula apically broadened and weakly bilobed. Antennal club with ventral portion of outer face black. Clypeus abruptly declivous. Impression on pronotum with abrupt and steep posterior margin, basal convexity with trace of median impression, basal ridge obsolete in median half. The specimen from near Dedari is larger than the holotype and paratypes we examined and with above structures more defined yet having elytral punctation finer.

Female. Unknown

Diagnosis. Epironastes demarzi can be recognised by having: orange vestiture; clypeal apex attenuate to rounded reflexed apex; antennal club with ventral margin strongly bowed; pronotal impression transverse and confined to anterior third with well-defined posterior margin; pygidium bearing dense long setae across base with non-broadened apical ridge that bears a dense fringe across medial third. It differs from E. nigrisetosus by having orange vestiture, from E. abruptus by having the pygidium setose across the base, and from E. limbatus by the pygidial apical ridge bearing setae.

Endrődi (1971) hesitantly placed this species in Teinogenys Sharp, 1873 , but did not mention in his description the generic defining character of Epironastes of having a ridge joining the antennal insertions anterior to the clypeofrontal suture, nor is it evident in his illustration of the head. Later, he ( Endrődi 1974) excluded T. demarzi from his key to male Teinogenys and noted it differed from all described species of Teinogenys or Cavonus Sharp, 1875 , indicating he was uncertain of its generic placement. However, in Endrődi (1985) he did place T. demarzi in his key to species of Teinogenys .

The absence of a description of the clypeal ridge, omission in the accompanying illustration and placement in the Endrődi (1985) key did not allow subsequent researchers ( Allsopp & Carne, 1986; Cassis & Weir 1992; Dechambre 2005; Weir et al. 2019) to recognise the error, particularly given the absence of available types in Australia and restrictions on access to the Frey collection following his death in 1976 and its housing in NHMB in 1997. Our examination of the holotype confirms the generic misplacement and the match of the distinct genitalia shape with the specimen collected near Dedari in 2016.

Habitat and behaviour. The two collection localities, Lake Johnston and Dedari, are both east of the Western Australian Wheatbelt ( Fig. 56 ) and are mallee-dominated yellow sandplains with annual rainfalls of about 300 mm. The collection site near Dedari has a Melaleuca and Allocasuarina understorey with Spinifex ( Fig. 29 ).

The diurnal activity pattern of this species is not known, with collections of adults in late January and March. On 27 January 2016 near Dedari a large storm puddle contained a dead male, almost certainly having emerged in response to rainfall. No light trapping was conducted.

Figures

FIGURE 29. Epironastes demarzi (Endrődi 1971) habitat at 1 km south of Dedari Pumping Station, 80 km west of Kalgoorlie along the Perth-Kalgoorlie water pipeline.

FIGURE 56. Known distribution of Epironastes species in southern Western Australia.

FIGURES 19–20. Epironastes demarzi (Endrődi 1971), holotype male. 19, dorsum; 20, labels.

FIGURES 21–28. Epironastes demarzi (Endrődi 1971), male specimen #1713. 21, dorsum; 22, venter; 23, lateral; 24, head, lateral; 25, head, dorsal; 26, pygidium; 27, parameres; 28, aedeagus, lateral.

FIGURES 1–2. Epironastes abruptus Carne, 1957, holotype male. 1, dorsum; 2, labels.

FIGURES 3–10. Epironastes abruptus Carne, 1957, male specimen #0465. 3, dorsum; 4, venter; 5, lateral; 6, head, lateral; 7, head, dorsal; 8, pygidium; 9, parameres; 10, aedeagus, lateral.