Lepanus topend 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 : 234-236

Lepanus topend Gunter & Weir , new species

( Figs 8A, D ; 9D ; 10D ; 11D )

Type series. Holotype: ♂ “ 12.28S 131.03E Howard Springs, N.T. 24km S of Darwin 10.xi.72, rainforest, at light, E. Britton ” / “ ANIC Database No. 25 065546” / “ ANIC image” / “ Lepanus NT1 det TA Weir 2012” in ANIC, (12°28’0”S, 131°3’0”E) . Paratypes (71 ♂, 91 ♀, 7 sex undetermined): Howard Springs , Northern Territory, 24 km S of Darwin, 12.28°S, 131.3°E, 10.xi.1972, E. Britton (25-054107 3 specimens ♂, 2 specimens ♀ 6 specimens sex undetermined in ANIC) (12°28’0”S, 131°3’0”E); Howard Springs, 12°28’5”S, 131°2’31”E, 30 m, 20–21.ii.2012, G.B. Monteith (25-053904 1 specimen also as COL2389 ♂ in ANIC); Howard Springs (general), [12°27’0”S, 131°3’0”E], 7.iv.1980, M.B. Malipatil (25-053857 1 specimen ♂ in NTMD) ; Humpty Doo (general), [12°37’0”S, 131°15’0”E], 28–29.xi.1974, R.I. Storey (25-058485 1 specimen ♂ in QM) ; Darwin Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, McMillans Road, [12°24’42”S, 130°55’19”E], 25.xii.1993 – 10.i.1994, S. & J. Peck (CMNEN-00030409-00030410 1 specimen ♂, 1 specimen ♀ in CMNC) ; Darwin Commonwealth Scien- tific and Industrial Research Organisation, McMillans Road, [12°24’42”S, 130°55’19”E], 1–25.xii.1993, S. & J. Peck (CMNEN-00030411 1 specimen ♂, 00030413–418 4 specimens ♂, 2 specimens ♀ in CMNC) ; Kakadu Na- tional Park South Alligator River, Gungaree Rainforest Trail, [12°40’22”S, 132°28’53”E], 22.xii.1993, S. & J. Peck (CMNEN-00030544–564 5 specimens ♂, 14 specimens ♀, 1 specimen undetermined,CMNEN-0003056566–567 2 specimens ♀, CMNEN-0003056573–579 6 specimens ♀ in CMNC, CMNEN-00030570–572 1 specimen ♂, 2 specimens ♀, CMNEN-00030565 1 specimen ♂ in ANIC, CMNEN-0003056568–569 2 specimens ♀ in QM) ; Ka- kadu National Park South Alligator River , Gungaree Rainforest Trail, [12°40’22”S, 132°28’53”E], 12–25.xii.1993, S. & J. Peck (CMNEN-00030430-00030438 4 specimens ♂, 5 specimens ♀, CMNEN-0030439-00030480 24 speci- mens ♂, 18 specimens ♀, CMNEN-00030498-00030503 4 specimens ♂, 2 specimens ♀, CMNEN-00030529 1 specimen ♂ in CMNC) ; Kakadu National Park South Alligator River , Gungaree Rainforest Trail, [12°40’22”S, 132°28’53”E], 25.xii.1993 – 6.i.1994, S. & J. Peck (CMNEN-00030481-00030497, 7 specimens ♂, 9 speci- mens ♀, CMNEN-00030536 1 specimen ♀ in CMNC) ; Kakadu National Park South Alligator River , Gungaree Rainforest Trail, [12°40’22”S, 132°28’53”E], 17.xii.1993, S. & J. Peck (CMNEN-00030537-00030543 1 specimen ♂, 6 specimens ♀ in CMNC) ; Kakadu National Park Kapalga Station , North Point Rainforest, [12°41’0”S, 132°22’0”E], 24.xii.1993 – 6.i.1994, S. & J. Peck (CMNEN-00030531 1 specimen ♀, CMNEN-00030534 1 speci- men ♂ in CMNC, (CMNEN-00030532–33 2 specimens ♂ in QM) ; Kakadu National Park Kapalga Station Gab- arigu rainforest, [12°41’0”S, 132°21’0”E], 25.xii.1993 – 7.1.1994, S. & J. Peck (CMNEN-00030419–429 4 specimens ♂, 7 specimens ♀ in CMNC, CMNEN-00030535 1 specimen ♂ in CMNC) ; 50 km S Darwin, Berry Spring Park , [12°41’48”S, 130°59’13”E], 4–27.xii.1993, S. & J. Peck (CMNEN-00030393-00030396 2 specimens ♂, 2 specimens ♀ in CMNC) ; 20 km E Humpty Doo, Fogg Dam , [12°33’26”S, 131°17’53”E], 5.xii.1993, S. & J. Peck (CMNEN-00030397-00030402 6 specimens ♀ in CMNC) ; Kakadu National Park South Alligator River , [12°39’35”S, 132°30’20”E], 1.i.1994, S. & J. Peck (CMNEN-00030403-00030408 1 specimen ♂, 5 specimens ♀ in CMNC) ; Kakadu National Park Kapalga Station , [12°41’54”S, 132°22’12”E], 23.xii.1993 – 6.i.1994, S. & J. Peck (CMNEN-00030530 1 specimen ♂ in CMNC) .

Description. Holotype uniformly light brown. Rest of specimens range from uniformly light to dark brown. Antennal clubs grey.

Total length: 2.2–3.0 mm. Holotype measurements: total length 3.0 mm, elytral width 2.2 mm.

Male. Head. Surface with moderate punctation. Clypeal edge with blunt projection lateral to teeth. Genal angle weakly defined. Edge of head bordered only from clypeogenal suture to eye canthus. Dorsal part of the eyes wide, separated by an interocular space approximately 19 times the eye width (37: 5). Head 1.5 x wider than long (53:35).

Prothorax: Pronotal surface finely punctate anteriorly to moderately punctate posteriorly. Basal angles distinct. Punctures along the basal margin absent. Hypomeral surface finely reticulate. Pronotum 1.65 x wider than long (47:28).

Elytra: Surface smooth with lightly impressed striae; intervals very finely punctate. Striae impunctate and all striae on disc equal width. Stria 6 extending to elytral base and stria 7 not extending to elytral base. Elytra width to length ratio almost subequal (50:47).

Legs: Protibiae with 3 teeth on outer edge, front edge deeply angulate. Apical digit long and parallel sided with a rounded apex with a very small comb of stout setae, and bearing a short spur on the outer apical angle. Metatibiae without a notch on the inner edge.

Abdomen: Pygidium simple, entirely smooth with very fine punctures. Abdominal ventrites reticulate right across. Ventrite 6 finely punctate.

Pterothorax: Medial lobe of metaventrite punctate and broadly margined between the mesocoxae. Lateral lobe of metaventrite with inner border beside mesocoxae anteriorly straight, lateral border virtually absent. Mesoventrite not notched anteriorly. Mesoventrite smooth and nitid with very fine punctation. Metanepisternum reticulate.

Aedeagus: Small tuft of setae projecting from tip of right paramere.

Female. Two stout setae on apical digit. Ventrite 6 slightly longer than in male.

Etymology. Named for the distribution of the species, restricted to the northern-most Northern Territory, colloquially referred to as the Top End. This name should be treated as a noun in apposition.

Distribution. Known from a variety of habitats (rainforest, scrub, Callitris plantation) in the north of Northern Territory, from around Darwin to Kakadu National Park in the regions Darwin Coastal and Pine Creek bioregions ( Fig. 14 ). Limited sampling has been conducted in adjacent Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia bioregions and the geographic range may extend further than currently recorded, as predicted by BIOCLIM modelling.

Comments. Few studies have specifically targeted dung beetles in the area. The majority of specimens have been collected in flight intercept traps or at ultraviolet light but, a small number have been collected from dung baited pitfall traps (human). This species has been referred to under the informal nomenclature sensu Yeates et al. 2011 as Lepanus NT1 (Gunter et al. 2019). The specimen sequenced in their study was collected from the type locality, Howards Springs and is designated as a paratype here (ANIC 25-053904 also as COL2389). Lepanus topend was recovered in the monophyletic clade containing all species within the L. monteithi species group, sister to L. monteithi + L. reidi . These three species have tufts of small setae on the parameres with L. topend new species possessing a tuft of small setae only on the right paramere, while L. monteithi + L. reidi possess tufts of small setae on left and right parameres.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Some diagnostic characters of the Lepanus monteithi species group. A, Head of Lepanus topend, black arrow points to blunt projection lateral to clypeal teeth; B, Head of Lepanus reidi example of rounded clypeal edge, white arrow showing absence of basal carina; C, Head of Lepanus monteithi with dotted lines showing short basal carina; D, Metaventrite of Lepanus topend, white arrow points to narrow margin of medial lobe beside mesocoxae; E, protibia of Lepanus monteithi showing only two distinct teeth; F, male metatibiae of Lepanus reidi, black arrow and dotted line indicates notch on the inner edge; G, ventrolateral view of Lepanus geoffi highlighting pit containing a tuft of setae on lateral lobe of metaventrite; H, ventrolateral view of Lepanus reidi white arrow points to very narrow margin of medial lobe of metaventrite beside mesocoxa, dotted line showing anteriorly curved inner border of lateral lobe; I, ventrolateral view of Lepanus monteithi white arrow points to virtually absent margin of medial lobe of metaventrite beside mesocoxa, dotted line showing anteriorly straight inner border of lateral lobe.

FIGURE 9. Habitus of species within the Lepanus monteithi species group. A, Lepanus geoffi; B, Lepanus monteithi; C, Lepanus reidi; D, Lepanus topend; E, Lepanus yorkensis. All specimens in comparative scale. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 10. Left, dorsal, and right view of aedeagi of species within the Lepanus monteithi species group. A, Lepanus geoffi; B, Lepanus monteithi; C, Lepanus reidi; D, Lepanus topend; E, Lepanus yorkensis. All specimens in comparative scale. Scale bar 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 11. Pygidial configuration of species within the Lepanus monteithi species group. A, Lepanus geoffi; B, Lepanus monteithi; C, Lepanus reidi; D, Lepanus topend; E, Lepanus yorkensis. All specimens in comparative scale. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 14. Map of known records for Lepanus topend including predicted distribution estimated with BIOCLIM models. WA, Western Australia; NT, Northern Territory; QLD, Queensland.