Lepanus cardwellensis Gunter & Weir, 2021

Gunter, Nicole L. & Weir, Thomas A., 2021, Revision of Australian species of the dung beetle genus Lepanus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae): review of the L. ustulatus, L. storeyi, and L. nitidus species groups and description of eight new species, Zootaxa 4923 (1), pp. 1-66 : 31-33

Lepanus cardwellensis Gunter & Weir , new species

( Figs. 2I, M ; 3B ; 4B ; 5B ; 7A )

Type series. Holotype: ♂ “ Cardwell Gap QLD, 15km N Ingham, 80m. 9 Aug 1982, S. & J. Peck SBP102” / “rainforest, carrion bait” / “ ANIC database 25 058170” / “ Lepanus NQ 25, det T.A. Weir 2011” / “ ANIC Image”, [18°32’00”S, 146°11’00”E], (in ANIC) . Paratypes (4x ♀): Queensland: Cardwell Gap , 15 km N Ingham, 80 m [18°32’00”S, 146°11’00”E], 9.viii.1982, S. Peck & J. Peck (25-65534 2 specimens ♀ in ANIC) ; Cardwell Range , 18°31’44”S, 146°11’10”E, 130 m, 15–16.iii.2012, G.B. Monteith (25-053916 1 specimen ♀ in ANIC also as COL2408) ; Kirrama Range , 18 km NW of Kennedy [18°10’00”S, 145°47’00”E], 700 m, 29.xii.1986, H. Howden & A. Howden, (CMNEN-00030067 1 specimen ♀ in CMNC) .

Description. Uniform in colour, dark brown to black. Antennal clubs grey. Dorsal surfaces nitid with extremely fine setae (often rubbed off).

Total length: 4.0 mm. Holotype measurements: Total length 4.0 mm; elytral width 2.9 mm.

Male. Head: Width to length ratio 35: 24. Surface smooth and nitid, with very fine punctation. Dorsal part of eyes wide, separated by an interocular space approximately 11 times eye width (54: 5); eye canthus dividing or nearly dividing eye.

Prothorax: Pronotum with posterolateral angles rounded and obtuse, lateral margins bordered. Pronotal surface smooth, nitid, finely and densely punctate. Hypomeral surface very finely reticulate, hypomeral stria absent. Pronotum width to length ratio 57: 35.

Elytra: Surface smooth, nitid. Striae superficial, impunctate. Stria 6 not extending to elytral base and stria 7 extending to the elytral base. 8th stria impunctate where it curves inwards posteriorly. Ratio of length of the elytra along suture to maximum elytral width 65: 72.

Legs: Ventral ridge of protibiae without crenulations but with small flange. Protibia with 2 teeth on the outer edge, front edge truncate, apical digit narrow and sharp, apical spur absent. Mesotibia with a brush of setae apically on inner side. Metatibia with inner edge nearly straight and not crenulate. Basal metatarsomere with slight lobe on inner edge.

Abdomen: Pygidium with a transverse sinuate fold across base that is curved and not impressed medially. Pygidial disc with a large flat, shiny, finely reticulate central area that occupies about half the disc. Ventrite 6 impunctate.

Pterothorax: Mesometaventral suture slightly arched. Medial lobe of metaventrite smooth, nitid, virtually impunctate, broadly margined beside mesocoxae. Mesoventrite smooth, nitid, and notched anteriorly. Mesepimeron smooth. Metanepisternum finely reticulate.

Female. Protibia with front edge truncate and apical spur arising directly from front edge. Apical digit absent. Mesotibia without a brush of setae apically.

Etymology. Named after the Cardwell Range of the Australian Wet Tropics, where most records are known.

Distribution. Known from rainforests below 700 m in the contiguous Cardwell and Kirrama Ranges in the Wet Tropics (WET) IBRA bioregion [Zone 13] ( Fig. 7A ). This species may represent a short-range endemic.

Comments. Only known from a total of five specimens collected from either dung or carrion traps. This species has been referred to under the informal name of “ Lepanus NQ 25”. The Lepanus NQ 25 specimen sequenced in Gunter et al. (2019) was collected from Cardwell Range, is designated as a paratype here (ANIC 25-053831 also as COL2408) and was recovered within the clade that contains all species in the Lepanus ustulatus species group. Its relationship with L. globulus and L. cameroni is only moderately supported.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Some diagnostic characters of the Lepanus ustulatus species group. A, Dorsal view of male protibia of Lepanus ustulatus; B, dorsal view of female protibia of Lepanus ustulatus; C, dorsal view of male protibia of Lepanus globulus; D, male metatibia of Lepanus ustulatus; E, female metatibia of Lepanus ustulatus; F, male metatibia of Lepanus lemannae; G, lateral view of male protibia of Lepanus cameroni; H, lateral view of male protibia of Lepanus globulus; I, lateral view of male protibia of Lepanus cardwellensis; J, head of Lepanus cameroni showing eye canthus not dividing the eye; K, posterolateral view of pronotum of Lepanus globulus showing corners distinct; L, head of Lepanus globulus showing eye canthus almost dividing the eye; M, posterolateral view of pronotum of Lepanus cardwellensis showing corners rounded.

FIGURE 3. Dorsal habitus of species within the Lepanus ustulatus species group. A, Lepanus cameroni; B, Lepanus cardwellensis; C, Lepanus globulus; D, Lepanus lemannae; E, Lepanus ustulatus. All specimens in comparative scale. Scale bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 4. Pygidial configuration of species within the Lepanus ustulatus species group. A, Lepanus cameroni; B, Lepanus cardwellensis; C, Lepanus globulus; D, Lepanus lemannae; E, Lepanus ustulatus. All specimens in comparative scale. Scale bar 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 5. Left, dorsal and right view of aedeagi of species within the Lepanus ustulatus species group. A, Lepanus cameroni; B, Lepanus cardwellensis; C, Lepanus globulus; D, Lepanus lemannae; E, Lepanus ustulatus. All specimens in comparative scale. Scale bar 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 7. A, Map of known records of Lepanus cardwellensis, Lepanus globulus, and Lepanus lemannae with the zones of insect endemism of the Wet Tropics sensu Yeates & Montieth (2008) numbered and indicated by dashed lines. Zone numbers are as follows: 1 Mount Finnigan; 2 Thornton Peak; 3 Windsor Tableland; 4 Carbine Tableland; 5 Hann Tableland; 6 Black Mountain; 7 Lamb Range; 8 Walsh/Hugh Nelson Range; 9 Atherton Tableland; 10 Bellenden Ker; 11 Malbon Thompson Range; 12 Walter Hill Range; 13 Kirrama/Cardwell Ranges; 14 Seaview Range; 15 Hinchinbrook Island; 16 Paluma/Bluewater Ranges; 17 Mount Elliot, B, predicted distribution of Lepanus globulus; C, predicted distribution of Lepanus lemannae.