ACTA ENTOMOLOGICA MUSEI NATIONALIS PRAGAE Published 15.xi.2013 Volume 53(supplementum), pp. 198 ISSN 0374-1036

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:37E0BCFC-F84A-4B2E-B554-0DC4AE42AD15

Taxonomic revision of the Australian Notoxinae (Coleoptera: Anthicidae)

Zbynk KEJVAL

Muzeum Chodska, Chodsk nmst 96, Domalice CZ-344 01, Czech Republic; e-mail: anthicid@seznam.cz

Abstract. Notoxinae of the Australian Region are revised, with 42 species clas-sifi ed in single genus, Mecynotarsus LaFert-Snectre, 1849. In total, 31 spe-cies are newly described: Mecynotarsus armifer sp. nov., M. auceps sp. nov., M. auripilosus sp. nov., M. bicornis sp. nov., M. bidens sp. nov., M. bidentatus sp. nov., M. bullatus sp. nov., M. canthariphilus sp. nov., M. centralis sp. nov., M. dearmatus sp. nov., M. exophthalmus sp. nov., M. fallax sp. nov., M. festivus sp. nov., M. grandior sp. nov., M. granulatus sp. nov., M. hirtipennis sp. nov., M. imitator sp. nov., M. iuvenis sp. nov., M. magelae sp. nov., M. mollis sp. nov., M. nobilis sp. nov., M. obesus sp. nov., M. parvulus sp. nov., M. pilbarensis sp. nov., M. pilicornis sp. nov., M. pusillus sp. nov., M. regalis sp. nov., M. setulosus sp. nov., M. speciosus sp. nov., M. weiri sp. nov. (all Australia), and M. excavatus sp. nov. (New Caledonia). Two new synonyms, Mecynotarsus concolor King, 1869 = Notoxus decemdentatus Pic, 1899, syn. nov., and M. hortensis Lea, 1922 = M. lateroalbus Lea, 1922, syn. nov., are proposed. Lectotypes are designated for Mecynotarsus amabilis Lea, 1895 and M. kingii MacLeay, 1872. A key to the Australian Mecynotarsus is provided. Notoxus australasiae LaFert-Snectre, 1849 is regarded as Afrotropical species described by mistake from Australia. The identity of Leptoprion Krekich-Strassoldo, 1914 is briefl y discussed.

Key words. Coleoptera, Anthicidae, Notoxinae, Mecynotarsus, Notoxus, Lepto-prion, taxonomy, new species, new synonymy, lectotype designation, faunistics, Australia, New Caledonia, Australian Region

KEJVAL: Taxonomic revision of the Australian Notoxinae (Anthicidae)2

Contents

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 3The identity and biology of the Australian Mecynotarsus ................................................... 4Relationships of Mecynotarsus ............................................................................................ 6The genus Leptoprion .......................................................................................................... 6The identity of Notoxus species recorded from Australia .................................................... 7Material and methods ........................................................................................................... 8A key to Mecynotarsus species of the Australian Region .................................................... 9Species treatments .............................................................................................................. 15

Mecynotarsus albellus Pascoe, 1866 ............................................................................. 15Mecynotarsus amabilis Lea, 1895 ................................................................................. 17Mecynotarsus apicipennis Lea, 1895 ............................................................................ 19 Mecynotarsus armifer sp. nov. ...................................................................................... 20Mecynotarsus auceps sp. nov. ....................................................................................... 21Mecynotarsus auripilosus sp. nov. ................................................................................ 23Mecynotarsus bicornis sp. nov. .................................................................................... 24Mecynotarsus bidens sp. nov. ........................................................................................ 26Mecynotarsus bidentatus sp. nov. .................................................................................. 27Mecynotarsus bullatus sp. nov. ...................................................................................... 28Mecynotarsus canthariphilus sp. nov. ........................................................................... 31Mecynotarsus centralis sp. nov. .................................................................................... 32Mecynotarsus concolor King, 1869 .............................................................................. 33Mecynotarsus dearmatus sp. nov. ................................................................................. 35Mecynotarsus excavatus sp. nov. ................................................................................... 37Mecynotarsus exophthalmus sp. nov. ............................................................................ 38Mecynotarsus fallax sp. nov. ......................................................................................... 40Mecynotarsus festivus sp. nov. ...................................................................................... 41Mecynotarsus grandior sp. nov. .................................................................................... 42Mecynotarsus granulatus sp. nov. ................................................................................. 45Mecynotarsus hirtipennis sp. nov. ................................................................................. 46Mecynotarsus hortensis Lea, 1922 ................................................................................ 48Mecynotarsus imitator sp. nov. ..................................................................................... 50Mecynotarsus iuvenis sp. nov. ....................................................................................... 51Mecynotarsus kingii MacLeay, 1872 ............................................................................. 53Mecynotarsus kreusleri King, 1869 .............................................................................. 55Mecynotarsus leai Pic, 1942 ......................................................................................... 57Mecynotarsus magelae sp. nov. ..................................................................................... 58Mecynotarsus mastersii MacLeay, 1872 ....................................................................... 60Mecynotarsus mollis sp. nov. ........................................................................................ 62Mecynotarsus nobilis sp. nov. ....................................................................................... 63

Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, 53(supplementum), 2013 3

Mecynotarsus obesus sp. nov. ....................................................................................... 65Mecynotarsus parvulus sp. nov. .................................................................................... 67Mecynotarsus phanophilus Lea, 1922 ........................................................................... 68Mecynotarsus pilbarensis sp. nov. ................................................................................. 70Mecynotarsus pilicornis sp. nov. ................................................................................... 73Mecynotarsus pusillus sp. nov. ...................................................................................... 74Mecynotarsus regalis sp. nov. ....................................................................................... 76Mecynotarsus setulosus sp. nov. .................................................................................... 77Mecynotarsus speciosus sp. nov. ................................................................................... 79Mecynotarsus weiri sp. nov. .......................................................................................... 81Mecynotarsus ziczac King, 1869 ................................................................................... 82

Check list of the Australian Mecynotarsus LaFert-Snectre, 1849 ................................ 95Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ 96References .......................................................................................................................... 97

Introduction

The subfamily Notoxinae Stephens, 1829 is well-characterized, and perhaps the most popular group of anthicid beetles. Its members can be easily recognized by the presence of the peculiar antero-dorsal horn on the pronotum. Other important characters of these horned anthicids are: head closely articulated with pronotum, its base more or less truncate with paired lateral occipital condyles for articulation with the prothorax; pronotum with lateral cervical notches for articulation with the occipital condyles of the head; apical margin of mandibles enlarged as a thick rim or fl ange; submentum extended as widely separated angular fl at plates, covering the base of the maxillae; aedeagus with phallobase, separate parameres, and free median lobe; ovipositor an amorphous simple membranous structure, with only distinct sclerotized styli (CHANDLER 1982, 2001; KEJVAL 2011a). Most of the above listed external characters of Notoxinae (if not all) represent synapomorphies that evolved in connection with their typical habits burrowing into sandy or loose soils; for behavioural observations see CHANDLER (1978, 2001) and HASHIMOTO & HAYASHI (2012).

Notoxinae are distributed world-wide, and are currently classifi ed as seven genera: Hypaspistes Waterhouse, 1886, Leptoprion Krekich-Strassoldo, 1914, Mecynotarsus LaFert-Snectre 1849, Notoxus Geoffroy, 1762, Plesion