Neodon

Neodon pecuarius, copyright Mark Hura.

Belongs within: Dynastinae.

Neodon is an Australian genus of dynastine beetles in which males usually have an anteromedian tubercle and impression on the pronotum.

Characters (from Carne 1957): Small to medium sized (10-17 mm), reddish brown to reddish black. Mentum narrowed towards a simple, rather acute ligula, setose at least on margins. Maxillae 4-dentate, palps short; mandibles tridentate. Clypeus narrowed, margins more or less concave (viewed dorsally), rarely emarginate, apex with a pair of tubercles or marginal sinuations. Clypeofrontal suture transverse, usually forming a ridge and often giving rise to a pair of paramedian tubercles; ocular canthi glabrous. Antennae 10-segmented, club shorter than shaft, the first 2 segments setose. Pronotum micro- or macropunctate, anterolateral angles obtuse. Scutellum impunctate; elytra with sutural striae linear or linear-punctate, rarely punctate, the epipleurae glabrous. Coxae with variable clothing, sometimes dense. Post-coxal prosternal process columnar, truncate. Fore tibiae tridentate; tarsi slender. Hind femora moderately stout, usually with abundant vestiture near sides; tibiae bicarinate, ciliae sharp, slender, spurs unequal, rarely acute; tarsi with first segment usually slender. Propygidium with stridulating ridges, these either dispersed or organized into a pair of paramedian bands, but not extending to the posterior margin of the sclerite. Pygidium glabrous or setose on disc, apical ridge glabrous. Last abdominal sternite setose across middle. Male with pronotum with an anteromedian tubercle and usually a slight to conspicuous impression; fore tarsi with claws sometimes asymmetric but never grossly enlarged or involving modification of the tarsi. Pygidium moderately convex. Female with pronotum evenly convex or with a slight anteromedian swelling corresponding to the male tubercle; very rarely with a distinct tubercle and impression. Pygidium occasionally as convex as in male, but usually much less so.

<==Neodon Carne 1957 CW92
    |--*N. pecuarius (Reiche 1880) (see below for synonymy) CW92
    |--N. bidens (Blackburn 1896) [=Isodon bidens] CW92
    |--N. glauerti Carne 1957 CW92
    |--N. intermedius (Blackburn 1896) [=Isodon intermedius] CW92
    |--N. laevicollis (Macleay 1871) [=Isodon laevicollis] CW92
    |--N. laevipennis (Blackburn 1896) [=Isodon laevipennis] CW92
    |--N. laevis (Burmeister 1847) [=Pimelopus laevis; incl. Isodon novitius Blackburn 1897] CW92
    |--N. meyricki (Blackburn 1896) [=Isodon meyricki] CW92
    |--N. occidentalis (Macleay 1888) [=Cheiroplatys occidentalis] CW92
    `--N. simplex Carne 1957 CW92

*Neodon pecuarius (Reiche 1880) [=Cheiroplatys pecuarius; incl. Trissodon denticeps Arrow 1941, Heteronychus lucidus Macleay 1888, Isodon picipennis Macleay 1888, I. puncticollis Macleay 1871, I. subcornutus Fairmaire 1879] CW92

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

Carne, P. B. 1957. A Systematic Revision of the Australian Dynastinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Division of Entomology, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia: Melbourne.

[CW92] Cassis, G., & T. A. Weir. 1992. Dynastinae. In: Houston, W. W. K. (ed.) Zoological Catalogue of Australia vol. 9. Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea pp. 383–425. AGPS Press: Canberra.