A review of Panelus occurring in the Korean Peninsula (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) with descriptions of two new species

A taxonomic review of Korean Panelus Lewis is presented based on morphological and molecular characters (COI). Detailed comparison of morphological characters and molecular analyses using genetic divergence and gene-tree monophyly for species delimitation support the description of two new species, Panelus (Panelus) virginalis Shim & Song, sp. nov. and Panelus (Panelus) jinilli Shim & Song, sp. nov. Intraspecific genetic divergence of COI gene using uncorrected p-distance ranged from 0.1 % to 2.1 % among the four Panelus species examined, while interspecific divergence ranged from 5.5 % to 15.2 % among all four species, including the two new Korean species and the two morphologically most similar Japanese species [P. (P.) parvulus (Waterhouse) and P. (P.) ovatus Nomura].

Morphological characters of the Asian species including two new species are compared. The new species are described with illustrations of diagnostic characters, and a key to the East Asian species of Panelus is presented.