A new genus and species in the diverse dung beetle tribe Onthophagini Streubel, 1846 (Scarabaeidae : Scarabaeinae) from South Africa

A new dung beetle genus and species is described and pictured following its recent discovery on a farm in South Africa. Hathor spinosa Deschodt, new species belongs to the subfamily Scarabaeinae, tribe Onthophagini Streubel, 1846, it shows a unique set of characters. A map is provided to show the type locality of the new genus and species that has a putative association with ants.https://www.mapress.com/zt/Zoology and EntomologySDG-15:Life on lan

Comparison with a syntype of Kheper cupreus (Laporte de Castelnau, 1840) confirms that Kheper namibicus Krajcik, 2006 is a synonym

Following its original description, Kheper namibicus Krajcik, 2006, was synonymized with Kheper cupreus (Laporte de Castelnau, 1840) by Deschodt et al. (2011) but later re-erected as a valid species or subspecies (Krajcik 2020). This paper discusses the evidence for validity versus synonymy and provides further support that Kheper namibicus is, indeed, a junior subjective synonym of Kheper cupreus.http://www.mapress.com/zootaxaZoology and Entomolog

Transfer of three species of Namakwanus Scholtz & Howden to Versicorpus Deschodt, Davis & Scholtz or to Namaphilus gen. nov., with descriptions of two new species (Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae : Scarabaeinae)

Taxonomic changes are made in the Byrrhidium group of Canthonini dung beetles. The genera Versicorpus Deschodt, Davis & Scholtz, 2011 and Namakwanus Scholtz & Howden, 1987 currently comprise one and four species, respectively. Re-examination of the type material of Namakwanus irishi Scholtz & Howden, 1987 indicates that the holotype and paratypes from mountains near Windhoek, Namibia, differ from the paratype from the Kuiseb River near Gobabeb in the Central Namib, warranting description of a new species, Namakwanus scholtzi spec. nov. Other species included in the genus, Namakwanus davisi Deschodt & Scholtz, 2007 and Namakwanus endroedyi Deschodt, Davis & Scholtz, 2011, differ sufficiently to warrant removal to a new genus, Namaphilus gen. nov. A further new species, Namaphilus ameibensis spec. nov., is added to the new genus. Namakwanus streyi Frolov, 2005 is transferred to Versicorpus. Lastly a new, updated key and some notes on all the known Byrrhidium group species are provided.JRS Biodiversity Foundationhttp://www.journals.co.za/content/journalam2017Zoology and Entomolog

Hathoronthophagus, new replacement name for Hathor Deschodt, 2023, preoccupied genus-group name of a putatively myrmecophilic dung beetle (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Onthophagini)

In November 2023, Deschodt & Sole (2023) proposed the new genus-group name Hathor Deschodt for a peculiar, putatively ant-associated onthophagine dung beetle from Gauteng province, South Africa. The genus is as yet known only from the female holotype of the species Hathor spinosa Deschodt, 2023. It was overlooked that the new generic name is preoccupied by Hathor Kirkaldy & Edwards, 1902, as regulated by the Principle of Homonymy (Articles 52–60 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature [henceforth the Code, Anonymous 1999]). Hathor Kirkaldy & Edwards is a monotypic genus of red bug or cotton stainer (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoroidea: Pyrrhocoridae) from tropical Africa, itself a junior subjective synonym of Sericocoris Karsch, 1892. Sericocoris is currently a valid genus (Robertson 2004; Stehlík & Jindra 2011).http://www.mapress.com/zootaxahj2024Zoology and EntomologyNon

An unexpected new flightless dung beetle species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae : Scarabaeinae : Endroedyolini) from the Cederberg Mountains, South Africa

Silvaphilus joselmae Daniel, Strümpher & Deschodt, new species is diagnosed and described from the Cederberg Mountains, South Africa. The tribal affiliation of Silvaphilus Roets & Oberlander, 2010 is briefly discussed. We revise some generic characters and update the key for the species and genera in the tribe Endroedyolini Davis, Deschodt & Scholtz, 2019. We also provide a distribution map of the two Silvaphilus species.http://www.mapress.com/zootaxaam2023Zoology and Entomolog

A new synonymy in the fidius group of Copris Müller 1764 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae : Scarabaeinae) and a new species from the highland grasslands of South Africa

The fidius group constitutes the basal clade in a phylogeny of the Afrotropical members of the genus, Copris Müller, 1764. In this paper we describe Copris crassus Deschodt and Davis as a new species in this group. We also demonstrate that the distributional function between two body dimensions (lateral horn length and mid-line elytron length) differs between Copris fidius (Olivier 1789) and C. crassus. Copris bihamatus Balthasar, 1965 is also a member of the fidius group. Nguyen- Phung (1988) suspected that it was a synonym of C. fidius (Olivier) so we compare specimens of similar body size and use the distributional function between body dimensions to demonstrate that C. bihamatus is indeed a synonym of C. fidius. We provide a key for all known valid species in the fidius group, except C. serius Nguyen-Phung, 1987.JRS Biodiversity Foundationhttp://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/hb201

A new monotypic genus, a species synonymy and nomenclatural corrections in the arid-adapted Canthonini (Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) from the Succulent Karoo Biome of south-western Africa

Although it has been demonstrated that the tribe Canthonini (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) is polyphyletic, those canthonine genera occurring in arid south-western Africa apparently form a monophyletic group. In this paper we add one new monotypic genus, Drogo stalsi gen. et. sp. n. to this group, and synonymize another member, Byrrhidium namaquense Scholtz and Howden, 1987 syn. n. with Byrrhidium ovale Harold, 1869. We correct the spelling of two species names that were not in agreement with the gender rule. A phylogenetic analysis based on morphology supports the erection of Drogo gen. n. An updated key to the genera and species of the Byrrhidium group is presented.http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/hb2016Zoology and Entomolog

Three new species, a synonymy and taxonomic notes on southern African members of the dung beetle genera Scarabaeus s. str. Linnaeus, 1758 and Escarabaeus Zídek & Pokorný, 2011 (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Three new species are described in the dung beetle genera Scarabaeus s. str. L., 1758, and Escarabaeus Zídek & Pokorný, 2011. Two comprise, Scarabaeus karae sp. nov. and Escarabaeus remii sp. nov. and are novelties. The third comprises Scarabaeus geminogalenus sp. nov., which describes a new species previously misidentified by Péringuey in 1901 and involved in a false synonymy by Janssens (1940). Notes are provided on the type specimen of Scarabaeus galenus. A close relative, Scarabaeus vicinus is recorded for the first time. Scarabaeus natalensis is synonymized with Scarabaeus basuto. Relationships and validity of a further five species are discussed: Scarabaeus convexus with S. spretus and S. rusticus; S. ebenus with S. interstitialis. The type specimen of Scarabaeus rixosus is also discussed galenus. Distribution maps are provided for the new species and those in the S. galenus species complex.This work was supported by the JRS Biodiversity Foundation.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tnah202018-06-30hb2017Zoology and Entomolog

Status changes, new synonymies, key and descriptions of seven new species in the subgenus Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) Balthasar 1965 (Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae : Scarabaeinae)

Distribution of the subgenus Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) Balthasar 1965 (tribe Scarabaeini) is centred on southern and south central Africa with only three out of 27 species recorded from West and northeast Africa. After taxonomic corrections and descriptions of seven new southern African species this somewhat controversial subgenus now comprises 33 valid species of which one is flightless. In this paper, Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) vansoni Ferreira 1958 syn. nov. is synonymized with Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) lucidulus (Boheman 1860) and Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) xavieri Ferreira 1968 syn. nov. is synonymized with Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) andreaei zur Strassen 1963. Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) reichei Waterhouse 1890 stat. rev. is removed from synonymy with Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) canaliculatus Fairmaire, 1888 and reinstated as a valid species. Distribution maps for S. (S.) reichei, S. (S.) canaliculatus and a third close relative, Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) fritschi Harold 1868 are provided. The seven new species comprise: Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) soutpansbergensis Deschodt and Davis spec. nov., Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) megaparvulus Davis and Deschodt spec. nov., Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) niemandi Deschodt and Davis spec. nov., Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) carniphilus Davis and Deschodt spec. nov., Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) ermienae Deschodt and Davis spec. nov., Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) planipennis Davis and Deschodt spec. nov. and Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) nitidus Davis and Deschodt spec. nov. A key is provided for all the known winged species together with notes on some of the previously described species.JRS Biodiversity Foundationhttp://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/hb201

Edaphic and climatic history has driven current dung beetle species pool and assemblage structure across a transition zone in central South Africa

We investigate biogeographical, regional and sub-regional scale responses of scarabaeine dung beetles to late Cenozoic changes in edaphic and climatic character that created a Savanna / Karoo transition zone in the Northern Cape, South Africa. Across a 50,200 km2 study area, the Northern Cape species pool comprised six biogeographical groups defined from distribution across Southern Africa. These species groups contributed in different proportions to five regional assemblages defined from structural differences across the transition zone. Towards transition zone peripheries, regional assemblage structure was more strongly correlated to sandiness dating from Miocene to Pliocene deposition (Kalahari), aridity dating from Pliocene to Pleistocene climatic change (Bushmanland Karoo), or cooler temperatures dating from Miocene to Pliocene uplift (Upper Karoo). Correlates of sub-regional assemblages trended to intensification of dominant drivers towards regional peripheries. Drivers of central transition zone, regional assemblages ("Gariep Karoo", "Gariep Stony Karoo") showed no dominance. Biogeographically, endemism dominates the Northern Cape transition zone: southwest arid groups in Nama Karoo regions; Kalahari plus northeast savanna groups in the Kalahari. Regionally, transition drives assemblage structure: unique variance, 60% in the Kalahari, 21-30% in four Nama Karoo regions; shared variance (overlap), 25-65% between Kalahari and warmer Karoo regions, 11-71% between mainly cooler Karoo regions.GWK Meat, Shoprite Checkers Supermarket Group, and the Tswalu Foundation, established by the Oppenheimer family for conservation research. The JRS Biodiversity Foundation is thanked for funding the improved dung beetle distributional database used in the biogeographical analysis.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1095-83122017-10-31hb2016Zoology and Entomolog