Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5264 No. 1: 12 Apr. 2023
Type: Article
Published: 2023-04-12
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5264.1.11
Page range: 143-150
Abstract views: 265
PDF downloaded: 23

A new flightless species of Phoberus Macleay, 1819 (Coleoptera: Trogidae) from the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa

Ditsong National Museum of Natural History; PO Box 413; Pretoria 0001; South Africa.
Coleoptera Scarabaeoidea Troginae Trox keratin beetles Afrotropical Region Republic of South Africa RSA Great Escarpment Amathole mountains micropterous species

Abstract

The loss of flight is common in the keratin beetle genus Phoberus Macleay, 1819 (Coleoptera: Trogidae)—20 out of the 49 species in this genus exhibit metathoracic-wing reduction in various degrees rendering them flightless. In this paper another flightless species, Phoberus villeti Strümpher, new species, is described and illustrated from the Amathole mountains in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The new species is micropterous having tightly fused elytra (only wing rudiments visible), rounded humeral angles and a characteristic rounded body shape. However, it is most notable for its large size (~12 mm) and the distinctive tufts of yellow setae present on the elytra.

 

References

  1. Browne, D.J., Scholtz, C.H. & Kukalová-Peck, J. (1993) Phylogenetic significance of wing characters in the Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea). African Entomology, 1 (2), 195–206.
  2. Daniels, S.R., McDonald, D.E. & Picker, M.D. (2013) Evolutionary insight into the Peripatopsis balfouri sesnu lato species complex (Onychophora: Peripatopsidae) reveals novel lineages and zoogeographic patterning. Zoologica Scripta, 42 (6), 656–674. https://doi.org/10.1111/zsc.12025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/zsc.12025
  3. Daniel, G.M., Strümpher, W.P. & Deschodt, C.M. (2022) An unexpected new flightless dung beetle species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Endroedyolini) from the Cederberg Mountains, South Africa. Zootaxa, 5093 (4), 414–420. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5093.4.2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5093.4.2
  4. Deschodt, C.M., Davis, A.L.V. & Scholtz, C.H. (2011) New dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) taxa from arid south-western Africa. Insect Systematics and Evolution, 42 (3), 277–294. https://doi.org/10.1163/187631211X568173 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/187631211X568173
  5. Deschodt, C.M., Kryger, U. & Scholtz, C.H. (2007) New taxa of relictual Canthonini dung beetles (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) utilizing rock hyrax middens as refuges in South-western Africa. Insect Systematics and Evolution, 38 (4), 361–376. https://doi.org/10.1163/187631207788784067 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/187631207788784067
  6. Deschodt. C.M. & Scholtz, C.H. (2008) Systematics of South African forest-endemic dung beetles: new genera and species of small Canthonini (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). African Entomology, 16 (1), 91–106. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4001/1021-3589-16.1.91
  7. Deschodt, C.M., Sole, C.L. & Scholtz, C.H. (2020) Upsa centennial, a new genus and species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Endroedyolini) from the Southern Mistbelt forest in South Africa: celebrating 100 years of entomology at the University of Pretoria. Zootaxa, 4728, 357–362. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4728.3.4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4728.3.4
  8. Endrody-Younga, S. (1988) Evidence for the low-altitude origin of the Cape Mountain biome derived from the systematic revision of the genus Colophon Gray (Coleoptera, Lucanidae). Annals of the South African Museum, 96, 359–424.
  9. Jacobs, C.T., Scholtz, C.H. & Strümpher, W.P. (2015) Taxonomy of Colophon Gray (Coleoptera: Lucanidae): new species and a status change. Zootaxa, 4057 (1), 135–42. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4057.1.9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4057.1.9
  10. MacLeay, W.S. (1819) Horae entomologicae: or essays on the annulose animals. Volume I. Part I. Containing general observations on the geography, manners, and natural affinities of the insects which compose the genus Scarabaeus of Linnaeus; to which are added a few incidental remarks on the genera Lucanus and Hister of the same author. With an appendix and plates. S. Bagster, London, xxx + [2] + 160 pp., 3 pls. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.48636 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.48636
  11. McCarthy, T. & Rubidge, B. (2005) The Story of Earth and Life. A Southern African Perspective on a 4.6 Billion Year Journey. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, 334 pp.
  12. Medina, C.A. & Scholtz, C.H. (2005) Systematics of the southern African genus Epirinus Reiche (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae: Canthonini): descriptions of new species and phylogeny. Insect Systematics and Evolution, 36 (2), 145–160. https://doi.org/10.1163/187631205788838500 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/187631205788838500
  13. Mlambo, S., Sole, C.L. & Scholtz, C.H. (2011) Phylogeny of the African ball-rolling dung beetle genus Epirinus Reiche (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). Invertebrate Systematics, 25 (3), 197–207. https://doi.org/10.1071/IS10032 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/IS10032
  14. Picker, M.D. & Samways, M.J. (1996) Faunal diversity and endemicity of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, a first assessment. Biodiversity and Conservation, 5, 591–609. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00137611 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00137611
  15. Pittino, R. (2010) A new genus and species of Trogidae MacLeay, 1819 from Madagascar, and a new species of Omorgus Erichson, 1847 from Argentina (Coleoptera, Trogidae). Kogane, 11, 75–83.
  16. Roth, S., Molina, J. & Predel, R. (2014) Biodiversity, ecology, and behavior of the recently discovered insect order Mantophasmatodea. Frontiers in Zoology, 11, 70. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-014-0070-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-014-0070-0
  17. Scholtz, C.H. (1980a) Monograph of the genus Trox F. (Coleoptera: Trogidae) of subsaharan Africa. Cimbebasia Memoir, 4, 1–104.
  18. Scholtz, C.H. (1980b) Insects of Saudi Arabia. Scarabaeoidea: Coleoptera: Fam. Trogidae (Genus Trox). Fauna of Saudi Arabia, 2, 137–140.
  19. Scholtz, C.H. (2000) Evolution of flightlessness in Scarabaeoidea (Insecta, Coleoptera). Mitteilungen des Museums für Naturkunde Berlin, Deutsche entomologische Zeitschrift, 47 (1), 5–28. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/mmnd.4800470102
  20. Scholtz, C.H. & Howden, H.F. (1987) Revision of the African Canthonina (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa, 50 (1), 75–119.
  21. Sole, C.L. & Scholtz, C.H. (2012) Phylogeographic pointers to conservation needs: South Africa’s flagship dung beetle, Circellium bacchus. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 6 (5), 549–560. https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12011 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12011
  22. Sole, C.L., Scholtz, C.H. & Bastos, A.D.S. (2005) Phylogeography of the Namib Desert dung beetles Scarabaeus (Pachysoma) MacLeay (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Journal of Biogeography, 32, 75–84. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2004.01124.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2004.01124.x
  23. Stuckenberg, R. (1962) The distribution of the montane palaeogenic elements in the South African invertebrate fauna. Annals of the Cape Provincial Museum, 2, 190–205.
  24. Strümpher, W.P. & Kalawate, A.S. (2023) Omorgus (Omorgus) khandesh (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Trogidae), a new species from India, along with an annotated catalogue of the Oriental and Palearctic species of the subgenus Omorgus Erichson, 1847. Zootaxa, 5231 (5), 501–522. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5231.5.1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5231.5.1
  25. Strümpher, W.P. & Scholtz, C.H. (2009) New species and status changes of small flightless relictual Trox Fabricius from southern Africa (Coleoptera: Trogidae). Insect Systematics and Evolution, 40 (1), 71–84. https://doi.org/10.1163/187631209X416723 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/187631209X416723
  26. Strümpher, W.P. & Scholtz, C.H. (2011) Description of a new, possibly extinct, species of flightless Trox F. (Coleoptera: Trogidae) from South Africa. Insect Systematics and Evolution, 42 (4), 337–348. https://doi.org/10.1163/187631211X595065 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/187631211X595065
  27. Strümpher, W.P. & Scholtz, C.H. (2017) A new brachypterous species of Phoberus MacLeay (Coleoptera: Trogidae) and status changes of species in the East African P. nigrociliatus group. Zootaxa, 4216 (3), 292–298. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4216.3.6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4216.3.6
  28. Strümpher, W.P. & Scholtz, C.H. (2019) A new Phoberus MacLeay species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Trogidae) from the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains of southern Africa and the Phoberus caffer species group reviewed. Zootaxa, 4674 (5), 551–563. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4674.5.4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4674.5.4
  29. Strümpher, W.P., Sole, C.L., Villet, M.H. & Scholtz, C.H. (2014) Phylogeny of the family Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence data. Systematic Entomology, 39 (3), 548–562. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12074 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12074
  30. Strümpher, W.P., Sole, C.L., Villet, M.H. & Scholtz, C.H. (2016a) Allopatric speciation in the flightless Phoberus capensis (Coleoptera: Trogidae) group, with description of two new species. Insect Systematics & Evolution, 47 (2), 149–179. https://doi.org/10.1163/1876312X-47022138 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/1876312X-47022138
  31. Strümpher, W.P. & Stals, R. (2021) Proper cleaning of keratin beetles reveals a cryptic species: Phoberus fumarius (Haaf, 1953) from southern Africa is reinstated as valid (Coleoptera: Trogidae). Zootaxa, 4942 (4), 543–557. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4942.4.3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4942.4.3
  32. Strümpher, W.P., Villet, M.H., Sole, C.L. & Scholtz, C.H. (2016b) Overview and revision of the extant genera and subgenera of Trogidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea). Insect Systematics & Evolution, 47 (1), 53–82. https://doi.org/10.1163/1876312X-46052133 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/1876312X-46052133
  33. Switala, A.K., Sole, C.L. & Scholtz, C.H. (2014) Phylogeny, historical biogeography and divergence time estimates of the genus Colophon Gray (Coleoptera: Lucanidae). Invertebrate Systematics, 28 (3), 326–336. https://doi.org/10.1163/1876312X-45012113 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/IS13054
  34. White, F. (1978) The Afromontane Region. In: Werger, M.J.A. (Ed.), Biogeography and ecology of Southern Africa. Junk, The Hague, pp. 463–513. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9951-0_11