A revision of the Australian chafers (Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae : Melolonthinae). Vol. 2. Tribe Melolonthini

Abstract

The second part of the revision of Australian Scarabaeidae : Melolonthinae deals with the tribe Melolonthini, which now includes 15 genera and 103 valid species. The tribe is defined and keys are provided to genera and species. The new generic names proposed are: Holorhopaea, Nanorhopaea, Metatrogus, Allothnonius, Megarhopaea and Hypolepida. The new species described are: Holorhopaea sagata, Nanorhopaea testacea, Antitrogusadustus, A. robertsi, A. nox, A. parilis, A. carnei, A. parvulus, A. circulifrons, A. setifer, A. tumidifrons, A. brooksi, A. adamsi, Metatrogus septuosus, M. praeceps, M. castaneus, Leipdiota argentea, L. sparsa, L. laciniata, L. weiri, L. gibbifrons, L. yovkensis, L. salax, L. aspera, L. comes, L. quinaria, L. contigua, L. centralis, L. verna, L. lewisae, L. draconis, L. hilli, L. sticta, L. arnitim, L. cabala, L. uptoni, L. aenigma, L. condita, L. arnhernensis, L. ciliata, L. hylaea, L. ultima, Allothnonius brooksi, A. barretti, Pararhopaea minor, Pseudholophylla soror, Hypolepida wilsoni. The following generic names are synonymized (synonym first): Paralepidiota Blackburn = Pseudholophylla Blackburn. The following specific names are synonymized (synonym first): Antitrogus nigricornis Blackburn = A. tasrnanicus Burmeister; Rhopaea dubitans Blackburn, R. rugulosa Blackburn and R. consanguinea Blackburn = Antitrogus mussoni (Blackburn); Lepidiota platyura Lea = L. podicalis Moser; L. wilsoni Britton = L. sororia Moser: L. rugicollis Moser = L. rubrior Blackburn; L. parva Moser, L. bovilli Blackburn and L. koebeli Blackburn = L. rothei Blackburn; L. rugosipennis Lea, L. leai Blackburn and L. darwini Blackburn = L. squarnulata Waterhouse; L. suavior Blackburn = L. delicatula Blackburn; L. trichosterna Lea = L. crinita Brenske; Rhopaea soror Blackburn = R. heterodactyla (Germar); Rhopaea demarzi Frey = Megarhopaea gigas (Lea). A new genus Xenotrogus, is described to receive five Fijian and Solomon Is species formerly placed in Rhopaea: R. vitiensis Fairmaire, R. vestita Arrow, R. subnitida Arrow, R. bisquamulata Moser and R. solomonensis Moser. Six previously described species are transferred to other genera, as follows: Rhopaea mussoni Blackburn to Antitrogus Burmeister; Rhopaea politus Lea to Antitrogus Burmeister; Rhopaea astaneipennis Macleay to Pseudholophylla Blackburn; Pararhopaea gigas Lea to Megarhopaea, gen. nov.; Paralepidiota lepidoptera Blackburn to Pseudholophylla Blackburn; Paralepidiota avifrons Lea to Pseudholophylla Blackburn. The generic name Holophylla Erichson is treated as a nomen inquirendum and the species Neolepidiota obscura Blackburn is rejected as an Australian species. The following new names are proposed to replace homonyms: Automolius nom. nov. pro Automolus Burmeister 1855 (nec Automolus Reichenbach 1853); Automoliini nom. nov. pro Automolini Britton 1957; Comophus nom. nov. pro Comophorus Blanchard 1850 (nec Comophorus Agassiz 1846); Comophini nom. nov. pro Comophorini Britton 1957.