The higher classification of southern African insects

A number of changes have taken place in the higher classification of southern African insects since the last time it was documented in full (Scholtz & Holm 1985) and there is currently no comprehensive modern classification of higher insect taxa available for the region.http://reference.sabinet.co.za/sa_epublication/entohttp://www.entsocsa.co.za/Publications.htm2018-09-30am2016Zoology and Entomolog

Acutitornus persectus spec. nov., a new species of gall-forming moth from the Northern Cape province of South Africa (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae: Apatetrinae, Apatetrini)

A new apatetrine gelechiid, Acutitornus persectus spec. nov., is described from the Northern Cape province of South Africa. The larvae of this species develop in stem galls in Stipagrostis namaquensis (Nees) (Poaceae), a grass species with the unusual defense mechanism of abscising leaves in response to insect or fungal attack.http://reference.sabinet.co.za/sa_epublication/nfi_ditsongam2016Zoology and Entomolog

Melanophila unicolor Gory, 1841 (Buprestidae), the furnace beetle, in southern Africa

Recently, large numbers of Melanophila unicolor Gory, 1841 were attracted to furnaces and cooling copper at a smelter at Tsumeb, Namibia, where the beetles are colloquiallyknownas ‘furnace-beetles’. The smelter is surrounded by indigenous savanna woodland. The beetles were alleged by workers to inflict a painful bite. Specimens were sent to us for identification; the results are reported in this communication.http://reference.sabinet.co.za/sa_epublication/entohttp://www.entsocsa.co.za/Publications.htm2018-03-30am2016Zoology and Entomolog

A new galloping gait in an insect

An estimated three million insect species all walk using variations of the alternating tripod gait. At any one time, these animals hold one stable triangle of legs steady while swinging the opposite triangle forward. Here, we report the discovery that three different flightless desert dung beetles use an additional gallop-like gait, which has never been described in any insect before. Like a bounding hare, the beetles propel their body forward by synchronously stepping with both middle legs and then both front legs. Surprisingly, this peculiar galloping gait delivers lower speeds than the alternating tripod gait. Why these beetles have shifted so radically away from the most widely used walking style on our planet is as yet unknown

Dung beetle conservation biogeography in southern Africa: current challenges and potential effects of climatic change

Miocene, Pliocene and Pleistocene changes to the geomorphology, climate and vegetation of southern Africa are considered responsible for radical differences between southwest and northeast dung beetle assemblages (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) leading to current endemism in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. This bias is supported by distributional analysis of 437 species across vegetation regions and 2° × 2° squares of latitude and longitude using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and minimum spanning trees (MST). The ordinal values for six NMDS dimensions showed significant correlations with annual rainfall, annual temperature, rainfall seasonality and altitude. Significant climatic differences were also shown between six regional centres defined and modelled for the subcontinent: winter/bimodal rainfall, southwest arid, southeast highlands, savanna, sandy savanna and east coast. Twenty-one, principal, subregional centres defined from further NMDS and MST analyses of regional data showed significant intra-regional differences in climatic attributes although published data suggest that soil, vegetation and dung type associations were frequent additional influences. Species showing the smallest ranges were centred primarily around the coast and bordering escarpments, which coincide with regions and subregions showing unique environmental conditions characterized by many endemic genera and species. Published land use data indicate that large parts of these regions are highly transformed or degraded, so that some species are facing strong current threats. Furthermore, published global climatic change data suggest that many endemic species could be further threatened, especially to the southwest where the late Cenozoic trend to unique climatic and environmental conditions could, potentially, be reversed in the future.JRS Biodiversity Foundation Grant No. GNT60313http://link.springer.com/journal/105312020-11-26hj2020Zoology and Entomolog

A review on the effect of macrocyclic lactones on dung-dwelling insects : toxicity of macrocyclic lactones to dung beetles

Avermectins and milbemycins are commonly used in agro-ecosystems for the control of parasites in domestic livestock. As integral members of agro-ecosystems with importance in maintaining pasture health through dung burial behaviour, dung beetles are an excellent nontarget bio-indicator taxon for examining potential detrimental effects of pesticide application. The current review focuses on the relative toxicity of four different anthelmintics (ivermectin, eprinomectin, doramectin and moxidectin) in dung residues using dung beetles as a bioindicator species. One of the implications of this review is that there could be an effect that extends to the entire natural assemblage of insects inhabiting and feeding on the dung of cattle treated with avermectin or milbemycin products. Over time, reduced reproductive rate would result in decreased dung beetle populations and ultimately, a decrease in the rate of dung degradation and dung burial.http://www.ojvr.orgam201

A review on the effect of macrocyclic lactones on dung-dwelling insects : toxicity of macrocyclic lactones to dung beetles

Avermectins and milbemycins are commonly used in agro-ecosystems for the control of parasites in domestic livestock. As integral members of agro-ecosystems with importance in maintaining pasture health through dung burial behaviour, dung beetles are an excellent nontarget bio-indicator taxon for examining potential detrimental effects of pesticide application. The current review focuses on the relative toxicity of four different anthelmintics (ivermectin, eprinomectin, doramectin and moxidectin) in dung residues using dung beetles as a bioindicator species. One of the implications of this review is that there could be an effect that extends to the entire natural assemblage of insects inhabiting and feeding on the dung of cattle treated with avermectin or milbemycin products. Over time, reduced reproductive rate would result in decreased dung beetle populations and ultimately, a decrease in the rate of dung degradation and dung burial.http://www.ojvr.orgam201

Afrotropical Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) : description of the hitherto unknown male of C. walkeri Boorman, 1979 from South Africa

The genus Culicoides Latreille is represented by 160 described species in the Afrotropical Region; of these, approximately 10 % are plain-wing species, the wing lacking a distinctive pattern of pale and dark spots. This plain-wing sector includes C. walkeri Boorman which, till now, has been known only in the female, based on nine specimens fromKenya. The hitherto unknown male of C. walkeri is described here (and the female redescribed) based on material collected in South Africa since 1970. Culicoides walkeri can be distinguished from other plain-wing species in its pale ochreous colour, the robust shape of the male genitalia, and the sensilla coeloconica distribution which, uniquely, is the same in both sexes (occurring on flagellomeres 1–12). Though the feeding habits of C. walkeri are not known, its greatly inflated third palpal segment and the copious number of sensilla found on the flagellum, indicate it to be ornithophilic. Culicoides walkeri would appear to be confined to the frost-free savannas of the eastern length of Africa, from the equator southwards; its limited distribution in South Africa is mapped and shows that this uncommon species is confined to the Central Bushveld, the Lowveld and the Mopane bioregions. We propose that C. walkeri remain unplaced to subgenus.http://reference.sabinet.co.za/sa_epublication/entohttp://www.entsocsa.co.za/Publications.htmam201

Phylogeny of the African ball-rolling dung beetle genus Epirinus Reiche (Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae : Scarabaeinae)

Recent phylogenetic analyses have pointed to the dung beetle genus Epirinus as the putative African ancestral roller group. Consequently, we tested the roller status of species in the genus with observational studies and constructed a molecular phylogeny based on partial sequences of two mitochondrial and two nuclear genes for 16 of 29 species. Tested species were confirmed to be dung rollers. Monophyly of the genus was confirmed, lending support to the synonymy of the wingless genus Endroedyantus with Epirinus. Moreover, the phylogenetic hypothesis was found to have a similar topology with a previously published one based on morphological data. A combined molecular/morphology analysis showed congruence between the molecular and morphological datasets. The loss of flight in some species and estimated divergence dates within Epirinus are discussed.http://www.publish.csiro.au/?nid=120ab201

A molecular phylogeny of the African Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Dung beetles of the subfamily Scarabaeinae have a worldwide distribution, with the Afrotropical region, the putative origin of the diversification of Scarabaeinae, having the richest diversity. We use partial sequences from two ribosomal (16S, 28S) and two protein coding genes (COI, CAD) to examine the relationships among 55 genera, representing more than half of the genera in the region. Taxa were sampled to maximize representation of dung beetle morphological and ecological diversity in all nine tribes that occur in Africa. We estimated the divergence times of the tribes to determine relative ages. The phylogenetic hypothesis of tribal and generic relationships was found to largely concur with that of a recent molecular study done at a global scale, suggesting earliest diverging lineages which are quite distinct from the ones traditionally recognized. Thus recent calls for a new classification for Scarabaeinae are supported. We suggest possible changes to the classification, corroborate the likely African origin of the subfamily and provide support for fungus-feeding as the most likely ancestral feeding habit in the Scarabaeinae.An NRF grant was awarded to CHS.http://www.arthropod-systematics.deam201