Monday, April 3, 2017

[Entomology • 2017] Digitonthophagus Balthasar, 1959: Taxonomy, Systematics, and Morphological Phylogeny of the Genus Revealing An African Species Complex (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)


FIGURES 7–10.  Digitonthophagus spp., Male dorsal habitus.
 7. Digitonthophagus bonasus, alloreferent (Tamil Nadu State, India); 8. D. uks, holotype;
9. 
D. sahelicus, holotype; 10. D. catta, alloreferent (Tamil Nadu State, India).


Moretto & Génier, 2017. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4248.1.1 

Abstract

The taxonomy and systematics of the genus Digitonthophagus Balthasar (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Onthophagini) is revised. A detailed study of the male genitalia combined with external morphology suggests that the variability, previously recognized, for Dgazella is hiding a species complex within the Afrotropical region and the Arabian Peninsula. The current study recognizes 16 species; 13 from the Afrotropical region and Arabian Peninsula and three from the eastern portion of the Saharo-Arabian region and the continental Indomalayan region. Species are organized into six species groups based on the results of the morphology-based phylogenetic analysis. The following 12 species are described as newD. aksumensis Génier new species; D. biflagellatus Génier new speciesD. dilatatus Génier new species; D. eucatta Génier new species; D. falciger Génier new speciesD. fimator Génier new speciesD. namaquensis Génier new species; D. petilus Génier new speciesD. sahelicus Moretto new species; D. uks Génier new species; D. ulcerosus Génier new species; and D. viridicollis Génier new species. In order to stabilize nomenclature, lectotypes are designated for Scarabaeus bonasus Fabricius, 1775; Scarabaeus catta Fabricius, 1787, and Onthophagus gazella lusinganus d’Orbigny. A neotype is designated for Scarabaeus dorcas Olivier, 1789 whose status and synonymy need to be altered in order to clarify the status of Scarabaeus gazella auctorum, the widely introduced species with economic importance. A naming scheme is presented for the sclerites of the internal sac. External and male genitalia are illustrated and distribution maps are provided for each species.

Keywords: Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae, DigitonthophagusOnthophagusDigitonthophagus gazella, Nomenclature, taxonomy, distribution, Afrotropical region, Indomalayan region, biological control of dung, pasture improvement




Philippe Moretto and François Génier. 2017. Digitonthophagus Balthasar, 1959: Taxonomy, Systematics, and Morphological Phylogeny of the Genus Revealing An African Species Complex (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). Zootaxa.   4248(1); 1-110. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4248.1.1