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Issue: Vol. 5447 No. 1: 3 May 2024
Type: Article
Published: 2024-05-03
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5447.1.2
Page range: 29-54
Abstract views: 55
PDF downloaded: 4

Taxonomic revision of Mozambique dung beetle species in the genus Diastellopalpus van Lansberge, 1886 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Department of Terrestrial Invertebrates; National Museum; 36 Aliwal Street; Bloemfontein; South Africa; Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences; Walter Sisulu University; Mthatha; South Africa; Field Museum of Natural History; 1400 S DuSable Lake Shore Drive; Chicago; IL 60605; USA
Ditsong National Museum of Natural History; PO Box 413; Pretoria 0001; South Africa
17; Rue G. Apollinaire; F 56190 Muzillac; France; Association Catharsius; 10; Rue Baudouin; 75013 Paris
Invertebrate Systematics & Conservation Group; Department of Zoology & Entomology; University of Pretoria; P/B X20; Hatfield; 0028 South Africa
Coleoptera Afrotropical Region forest Onthophagini Scarabaeoidea systematics

Abstract

Recently, there has been growing attention paid to the Mozambican dung beetle fauna, including the description of several new species. In this paper, we revise the taxonomy of species recorded from Mozambique in the genus Diastellopalpus van Lansberge, 1886, including the description of Diastellopalpus scholtzi Daniel, Strümpher, Josso & Davis, new species. We also report a new country record for Diastellopalpus neavei (d’Orbigny, 1914). Moreover, Diastellopalpus orbignyi Péringuey, 1904 is removed from subjective synonymy with Diastellopalpus infernalis van Lansberge, 1887 and proposed as a valid species. Currently, Mozambique encompasses five valid species of the genus Diastellopalpus, namely: Diastellopalpus infernalis van Lansberge, 1887, D. quinquedens Bates, 1888, D. neavei, D. orbignyi and D. scholtzi, new species. We redescribe the former four species and include an examination of the types of their junior synonyms. Furthermore, we diagnose, illustrate, and provide a distribution map for all five species and compare them to the morphologically most similar species in the genus. We designate lectotypes for the following species-group taxa: Diastellopalpus nyassicus Kolbe, 1901, D. orbignyi, D. quinquedens Bates, 1888, Onthophagus ponderosus Péringuey, 1896, and O. tridepressus d’Orbigny, 1902. Finally, we provide an updated identification key for the species of Diastellopalpus recorded from Mozambique.

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