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)
Author
Deschodt, Christian M.
Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
cdeschodt@zoology.up.ac.za
Author
Davis, Adrian L. V.
Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
text
Annals of the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History
2017
2017-05-01
7
7
109
114
journal article
http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5562912
9de32fb5-ae5c-4552-afdb-9cfdcad56ce9
5562912
NEW KEY TO THE GENERA AND SPECIES IN THE
BYRRHIDIUM
GROUP
(adapted from
Deschodt et al., 2016
)
1 Foretibiawiththreeexternal denticles..... 2
— Foretibiawithtwoexternaldenticles ...... 8
2 Habitus relatively large, longer than
10 mm
and elongate
Versicorpus
Deschodt, Davis dScholtz
......................... 3
— Habitus smaller than
10 mm
long and convex ................................ 4
3 Mesometasternal suture curving forward; punctures on prosternum large; Erongo Mountain ....
V.
erongoense
Deschodt, Davis & Scholtz
— Mesometasternal suture straight; punctures on prosternum small; Tsondab Mountain ........................
V.streyi
(Frolov)
4 Clypeal horns as long as, or longer than, distance between them .......
Namakwanus
Scholtz & Howden
… 5
— Clypeal horns shorter than distance between them ..
Namaphilus
gen. nov.
Deschodt & Davis
… 6
5 Space between clypeal horns about one and a half times more at base than the width of a single horn at apex; clypeal horns not upturned and slightly pointing inward at the apex; Windhoek area ................
N.
iriSsi
Scholtz & Howden
— Spacebetween clypealhornsabouttwotimes greater at base than the width of a single horn at apex; clypeal horns more upturned and slightly pointing inward at the apex; Gobabebarea ........
N. scholtzi
spec. nov
.
6 Area between clypeal teeth somewhat arcuate ..........
N. ameibensis
spec. nov.
— Areabetweenclypealteethstraight ...... 7
7 Tips of parameres with two notches in frontal view; Naukluft Mountains to the south of the Tsondab River canyon ....
N. endroedyi
(Deschodt,Davis & Scholtz)
— Tips of parameres without notches in frontal view; HardapDam ....
N. davisi
(Deschodt & Scholtz)
8 Clypeus clearly bidentate with clypealhorns long ......
Dicranocara
Frolov & Scholtz
… 9
— Clypeus quadridentate, with short medial clypealhorns ....................... 12
9 Aedeagus without lateral horns on parameres ............................. 10
— Aedeagus with lateral horns on parameres .................................. 11
10 Apex of parameresbulky; northern Richtersveld......
D. inexpectata
Deschodt & Scholtz
— Apex of parameres slender; southern Richtersveld, Boom River .............
D. deschodti
Frolov & Scholtz
11 Side horns on aedeagus extending somewhat sideways, tip curved downwards; Richtersveld National Park in South Africa ..........
D. tatasensis
Deschodt & Scholtz
— Side horns on aedeagus slightly forward, tip not curved downwards; Fish River Canyon .........
D. vandersmisseni
Moretto
12 Clypealhorns short, mesometasternal suture not well defined; south of Orange River .............
Byrrhidium
Harold
… 13
— Clypealhorns of medium length, mesometasternal suture well defined; north of Orange River ......
Drogo stalsi
Deschodt, Davis & Scholtz
13 Aedeagus with side protrusions, fore tibia with outer teeth parallel; Richtersveld in South Africa ...........
B. convexum
Scholtz & Howden
— Aedeagus plain with no side protrusions, fore tibia with outer teeth diverging; Namaqualand..................
B. ovale
Harold
NOTES ON THE CURRENTLY KNOWN SPECIES IN THE
BYRRHIDIUM
GROUP
The
Byrrhidium
group is confined to the arid west of Namibia and South Africa (
Fig. 2
). It currently consists of six genera and 14 described species. These species (Deschodt
et al
., 2007, 2011, 2016) may mostly be associated with dung middens of rock hyraxes (
Procavia capensis
(
Pallas, 1766
)). As there are gaps in the known range of this group relative to that of rock hyraxes (
Fig. 2
), new related dung beetle species and genera may await discovery.