Sauvagesinella becki (Paulian, 1934)

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 : 236-238

Sauvagesinella becki (Paulian, 1934)

Figs. 5 D, 11A, C–D, 12A, 13A.

Material examined. Western Australia: [34°59'00''S, 116°53'00"E], 12 mi. E Walpole, E. Matthews, 30 October 1967 (in ANIC 25-056689 ) ; [34°49'00''S, 116°44'00"E], 12 mi. N Walpole, E. Matthews, 28 October 1967 (in ANIC 25-056685); [32°20'00''S, 116°13'00"E], 1 km W Mount Randall , G.P. Hall, 29 April 1980 (in ANIC 25- 056692 ) ; [34°17'00''S, 115°23'00"E], 30 mi. SW Nannup, E. Matthews, 23 October 1967 (in ANIC 25-056687); [34°41'00''S, 116°07'00"E], 4 mi. S Northcliffe, E. Matthews, 27 October 1967 (in ANIC 25-056686); [34°55'00''S, 116°27'00"E], 45 mi. SE Northcliffe, S. Peck & J. Peck, 11–16 July 1980 (in ANIC 25-056690); [33°12'00''S, 115°42'00"E], 6 mi. N Australind, E. Matthews, 7 November 1967 (in ANIC 25-056691); [34°57'00''S, 118°03'35"E], 7 mi. W of Two Peoples Bay , E. Matthews, 1 November 1967 (in ANIC 25-056683 ) ; 34°52'44''S, 118°22'16"E, Cheyenes Beach, 2.75 km W, G. Monteith, 9–10 November 2010 (in ANIC 25- 060836); [34°47'00''S, 118°25'00"E], Cheyne Beach, E. Matthews, 6 November 1967 (in ANIC 25-056684); 34°48'40''S, 118°15'40"E, Cheyne Beach turnoff, G. Monteith, 9–10 November 2010 (in ANIC 25- 060898); 32°46'59''S, 116°04'48"E, Dwellingup, 7.7 km SSE, G. Monteith, 5–6 November 2010 (in ANIC 25- 060839); [34°46'00''S, 116°05'00"E], Mount Chadalup , 9 mi. S Northcliffe, E. Matthews, 27 October 1967 (in ANIC 25-056688 ) ; 33°51'11''S, 115°01'32"E, near junction of Waddingham and Caves Road, K. Will., 20 September–1 October 2010 (in ANIC 25- 060838); 34°58'26''S, 116°42'47"E, Walpole River Bridge, 7–8 November 2010 (in ANIC 25- 060837 ) ; 34°52'16''S, 118°21'11"E, Waychinnicup, G. Monteith, 9–10 November 2010 (in ANIC 25- 060845).

Remarks. The holotype in MNHN collected from “King George’s Sound” was not examined in this study. Matthews (1974) examined the holotype and a further 278 specimens in his revision, including the material listed above as collected by E. Matthews in 1967. The identification of this species is unambiguous given distinct male protibia, the inner angle of which is strongly expanded with a basal notch as in Figs. 11 C–D.

Description. Total length: 2.5–4.0 mm

Colour: Black. Antennae with black club.

Male: Head: Broad U-shape between clypeal teeth, which are slightly upturned. Mentum almost square, sericeous, bordered anteriorly, with striations and sparse setation on posterior corners. Edge of head bordered, genal angle prominent. Dorsal parts of eyes narrow, separated by an interocular space of about 25 times eye width; eye canthus almost dividing eye. Surface smooth, reticulate, sericeous; with dense, oval punctation forming irregular transverse rows and bearing fine forwardly directed decumbent setae. Head width to length ratio 70:52.

Pronotum: Anterior angles obtuse, rounded, and somewhat hooked with point directed outwards. Basal angles and basal margin rounded, lateral edge margined. Surface smooth, nitid but laterally reticulate; with dense, uniform punctures separated by 1–2 diameters and all punctures with short, fine, recumbent setae. Hypomeron surface reticulate and sericeous. Hypomeral stria long, 1/2 to 2/3 length of hypomeron. Pronotum width to length ratio 120:70, widest at anterolateral angles.

Elytra: Intervals reticulate and punctate. Double row of interstrial setae, which are curved, fine, and as long as the spaces between the punctures. Striae superficial but geminate and impunctate. All striae on disc equal width, extending to the base; stria 8 reduced to deep groove posteriorly. Epipleura reticulate, smooth or with a few irregularities. Ratio of length of elytra along suture to maximum elytral width 55:68.

Legs: Protibiae with 3 teeth on outer edge, which is serrate between teeth and proximal to them; ridge on the underside. Dorsal carina from 3rd tooth extending to base, exposing large lateral basal area when viewed from above. Tooth on underside near base of tarsus. Inner apical angle strongly expanded with a basal notch, bearing small spur; apical comb of short, flattened bristles and small brush of long setae underneath, which is directed downward perpendicular to surface. Claws large and toothed. Metafemora flattened on posterior face, which is bounded by 2 carinae and with a supplementary carina in apical 1/3. Metatibiae curved, slightly crenulate, bearing an acute inner tooth.

Abdomen: Pygidium without groove; uniformly, densely, shallowly punctate; each puncture bearing a small, recumbent seta; surface reticulate between punctures. Ventrites finely reticulate, with a row of punctures along the anterior edge of ventrites 2–5, ventrite 6 punctate.

Pterothorax: Median lobe of metaventrite punctate and narrowly margined between the mesocoxae, with median tubercle in line with base of mesocoxae. Meso-metaventral suture almost straight with small, median, acute projection. Lateral lobe of the metaventrite with punctures. Mesoventrite punctate laterally, not notched anteriorly. Mesepimera impunctate and reticulate. Metanepisterna reticulate. Mesoventrite with row of punctures bordering meso-metaventral suture.

Hind wings: Fully developed.

Female: Without tubercle on medial lobe of metaventrite. Protibiae not expanded at the inner apical angle, with longer apical spur; ridge on underside serrate, with long setae. Mesotibiae without inner brush of setae. Metatibiae not modified.

Distribution. See Fig. 5 D. Known from southwestern Western Australia from south of Perth east to Cheynes Beach. Collected in open jarrah forests and edges of paperbark swamps in dung-baited traps, possum dung, and carrion.

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 11. Key characters of Sauvagesinella, scale bars 0.25 mm. A, lateral view of elytra (S. becki); B, ventral view of profemur, note flattened posterior face and the absence of trochantofemoral anterior pit (S. monstrosa); C, dorsal view of male protibia (S. becki ♂); D, ventral view of male protibia, arrow shows ornamentation (S. becki ♂); E, male metatarsus (S. monstrosa ♂).