Onthophagus nammuldi Matthews 1972
Creators: name: Reid, Chris A. M.
name: Runagall-Mcnaull, Aidan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Onthophagus
Onthophagus nammuldi

description: Onthophagus nammuldi Matthews, 1972   
Figs 5–6, 19–20, 27, 32, 39, 44  
 Onthophagus nammuldi Matthews, 1972: 208; Cassis & Weir, 1992: 143; Monteith & Kenyon, 2011: 57.   
 Material examined (3♂, 3♀). New South Wales: 1♂ *, 2♂, 3♀ / Gerroa 105 km S Sydney 34°46'S 150°48'E [Seven Mile Beach NP] forest, sand, pitfall, excrem. 21–22.iii.2013 C Rojewski (AMS).   
 Redescription. Mature specimens dorsally dull grey-black, with or without reddish spot at apex of 6th elytral interval and with reddish spots at sides of apical abdominal tergites, antennae reddish-brown, with blackish-brown to dark grey clubs; densely microreticulate, with shiny less microsculptured anterior third of clypeus, frontal ridges and legs, usually also shiny striae. Length, male 5–6 mm; female 5–6 mm.   
 Male. Head (Fig. 19). Surface dull and densely microreticulate, except shiny apical third of clypeus and margins, closely and strongly punctured, covered with erect long setae (may be abraded). Clypeus not produced, margins reflexed, apex arcuately excavate with sides of excavation rounded or feebly angulate, side margins slightly rounded; clypeal suture entirely effaced at frontal portion, genal portions present and raised; frons with pair of shiny transverse ridges which may meet at middle; eyes narrow, 5–6 facet rows in width, separated by 12–14 eye widths, canthus complete, closed by dorsal width of eye; apex of mentum shallowly excavate.   
Thorax (Figs 5–6, 27, 32). Pronotum. Moderately convex, slightly narrower than elytra, without anteromedian swelling but midline slightly raised in anterior half and slightly depressed in posterior half; surface smooth, entirely strongly and densely microreticulate except shiny lateral margination, with scattered large shallow punctures separated by 1–2× diameters, each with conspicuous semi-erect seta; anterior angles 80–90°; anterior margined, sides evenly margined without small setose punctures, base without raised edge; pronotal hypomeron dull and densely microsculptured throughout, finely punctured, punctures sparse with long erect setae. Elytra. Semi-ovate in dorsal view, with prominent humeri and preapical swelling, longer than pronotum along midline. Dull and densely microreticulate, except apical half of suture shiny and striae usually shinier; intervals flat, except sparse small round shiny tubercles, forming one to two loosely defined rows when viewed longitudinally, tubercles with semi-erect long setae, setose tubercles of outermost interval scattered; strial punctures slightly broader than striae; epipleura with single row of curved setae. Metaventrite medially shiny, laterally (lateral to mesocoxae) dull and microreticulate, shallowly convex with scattered long setae, but midline grooved; wing fully developed, folded twice in repose. Legs. Protibiae slightly elongated and narrowed but with large triangular lateral teeth, inner apical angle with dense but apically spreading tuft of yellow setae about twice length of apical spur; distal face of apical tooth with loose sparse tuft of yellow setae about as long as apical spur, 4th (smallest) lateral tooth in basal half; metafemoral ventral surface smooth and mostly shiny, weakly microreticulate, with scattered large and small punctures, separated by 1–4 diameters.  
Abdomen (Fig. 39). Ventrites dull, densely microreticulate, obscuring puncturation, each with single transverse row of erect pale setae; pygidium convex, densely and evenly microreticulate except shiny raised margins, punctures obscured by microreticulation and sparse, separated by>5 diameters, setae long and thin, length>10× width.  
Aedeagus (Fig. 44). In lateral view, parameres elongated but strongly deflexed, each with flat oval tip.  
 Female. Head (Fig. 20). Similar to male except transverse clypeal sutural ridge present, strongly elevated in middle, reaching genal sutures or effaced before them (1 specimen); clypeus and anterior half of genae shiny, frons dull; protibiae short and straight, with large lateral teeth as male.   
 Notes. Matthews’ description was based on 11 males and females from one locality. The material examined here conforms to his description except that the male protibiae are elongated relative to the female and the pronotal punctures sometimes slightly closer.   
 Onthophagus nammuldi is a rarely collected species, probably because it inhabits rarely sampled coastal forest. The specimens described here were collected in Bangalay Sand Forest, dominated by Eucalyptus botryoides, on old sand dune ridges (NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, 1998). This coastal forest type is listed as an endangered community under the NSW Threatened Species Act (NSW Office of Environment & Heritage, 2022). Onthophagus nammuldi was originally described from Durras Lake, which has the same forest type (NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, 2002). The two other expert identified records (Atlas of Living Australia, 2022) are from similar sites: Gerroa (the north end of Seven Mile National Park) and “ 8 km ESE of Moruya”. The latter was collected by Murray Upton, who owned a property at Congo, 8 km SE of Moruya, with Bangalay Sand Forest nearby in Eurobodalla National Park (NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, 2000). There is thus strong evidence that O. nammuldi is a coastal forest specialist, strongly associated with the endangered Bangalay Sand Forest.
description: Published as part of Reid, Chris A. M. & Runagall-Mcnaull, Aidan, 2022, A Revision of the Onthophagus pexatus Species-group, with Description of a New Brachypterous Species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), pp. 131-150 in Records of the Australian Museum (Rec. Aust. Mus.) (Rec. Aust. Mus.) 74 (5) on pages 140-141, DOI: 10.3853/j.2201-4349.74.2022.1821, http://zenodo.org/record/13228969