Pimelopus

Pimelopus nothus, copyright Simon Grove.

Belongs within: Dynastinae.

Pimelopus is a genus of dynastine beetles found in Australia and New Guinea in which the head bears a median protrusion, while the pronotum is completely unarmed or bears a major excavation but no anteromedian tubercle.

Characters (from Carne 1957): Mentum broad at labial suture, setose on margins, narrowed towards apex, gently convex longitudinally, ligula rounded or weakly bilobed. Maxillae with palps short, galeae 6-dentate. Mandibles bidentate, with lateral margins sinuate. Clypeus more or less rounded, sides convex; apex obliquely truncate, base of truncated face slightly produced in middle, upper margin bisinuate. Clypeus and frons in same plane; clypeofrontal ridge obscure, apparently posteriorly angulate, giving rise to obtuse median swelling, sometimes to a distinct median tubercle in the male, rarely to a large horn. Ocular canthi short, glabrous. Elytra with sutural striae linear or linear-punctate; epipleurae glabrous. Coxae with moderate short pale vestiture; postcoxal process of prosternum erect, setose, truncate, or tapering. Fore tibiae tridentate; tarsi short, inner claw sometimes thickened in female. Hind legs robust: femora broadly impunctate; tibiae strongly dilated posteriorly, basal carina frequently obsolete, ciliae sharp or peg-like, spurs broad, blunt; hind tarsus short, with 1st segment usually strongly asymmetrically dilated. Propygidium with short dispersed stridulating ridges; pygidium with disc impunctate, usually setose across base, apical ridge glabrous. Abdominal sternites glabrous across middle, except sometimes across posterior margin of last sternite. Male rarely with anterior claws strongly asymmetrical, with cephalic horn and retuse pronotal excavation; usually unarmed. Genitalia with gonostyli of characteristic shape.

<==Pimelopus Erichson 1842 [incl. Pseudopimelopus Blackburn 1888] CW92
    |--*P. porcellus Erichson 1842 CW92
    |    |--P. p. porcellus [incl. P. sydneyanus Blackburn 1896] CW92
    |    |--P. p. crassus Blackburn 1888 CW92
    |    `--P. p. decipiens Blackburn 1907 CW92
    |--P. dubius Blackburn 1888 CW92
    |    |--P. d. dubius CW92
    |    `--P. d. occidentalis Carne 1957 CW92
    |--P. fischeri (Montrouzier 1860) [=Cheiroplatys fischeri; incl. Chiroplatys lissus Olliff 1888] CW92
    |--P. minor Carne 1957 CW92
    |--P. noctis (Olliff 1889) [=Isodon noctis] CW92
    `--P. nothus Burmeister 1847 [incl. *Pseudopimelopus lindi Blackburn 1888] 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.