Aulocopris reichei description

Dung
Beetles
of eastern NSW

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Aulocopris reichei

Distribution
North east Victoria and south coast of New South Wales north to Sydney, in rainforest, Casuarina coastal forest and Eucalyptus forest.

Description
Total length 16-21mm.

Head: Surface slightly concave. Edges of clypeal margin rounded. Dorsal part of eye moderately wide, its width contained about 10 times in interocular distance.

Prothorax: Pronotal longitudinal keels very prominent and parallel. 4 keels in anterior series, the middle pair the longest, with a tubercle outside lateral pair. Posterior series consists of 6 longitudinal, parallel keels, shorter than anterior keels. Surfaces shagreened, covered with shallow punctures, except on edges of keels, which are shiny and impunctate.

Elytra: Surfaces shagreened, tubercles shiny. Disc feebly convex, intervals flat. Interval 1 with a row of about 15 small tubercles. Intervals 3, 5 & 7 with 7-14 larger tubercles, all with a brush of short setae on posterior face. Even-numbered intervals with undulating surfaces, with irregular rows of small punctures bearing setae, no tubercles. Striae shallow but distinct, with closely spaced punctures.

Legs: Outer edge of fore tibiae relatively straight. With a small outer apical tooth and a very small second tooth near it, outer edge otherwise feebly serrated. Inner edge near apex with a strong rounded excision, rest of inner edge feebly sinuate. Ventral keel of fore tibiae strongly toothed, expanded near base. Hind femur with rounded expansion of hind edge at base. Inner edge of hind tibiae prominently tuberculate.

Sexual dimorphism
Female: Fore tibiae with 3 teeth on the outer edge, without apical excision on inner edge. Hind femur without basal expansion of hind edge.

References
Matthews, E.G. (1974) A revision of the Scarabaeine dung beetles of Australia. II. Tribe Scarabaeini. Aust. J. Zool. Suppl. Ser. 24: 1-211.
Williams, G. A. & Williams, T. (1982) A survey of the Aphodiinae, Hybosorinae and Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from small wet forests of coastal northern New South Wales. Part 1: Nowra to Newcastle. Aust. ent. Mag. 9: 42-48.