Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5632 No. 1: 6 May 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-05-06
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5632.1.6
Page range: 115-137
Abstract views: 42
PDF downloaded: 14

Review of the Rhyparini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) of eastern Melanesia and Polynesia, with descriptions of new species

Florida State Collection of Arthropods; Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; P. O. Box 147100; Gainesville; Florida; 32614–7100; United States of America
os. Polana Szaflarska 4/39; 34-400 Nowy Targ; Poland
Coleoptera Oceania South Pacific taxonomy new species new records adventive

Abstract

The Rhyparini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) of the small island nations in eastern Melanesia (Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu) and Polynesia (Samoa) are reviewed. New distributional records, keys, and illustrations of the three genera and 10 species for the region are presented. Monteitheolus Howden & Storey, 2000, is considered a new synonym of Hadrorhyparus Howden, 1995, resulting in Hadrorhyparus fijiensis (Howden & Storey, 2000), new combination. Generic limits of Antecessorirhyparus Minkina, 2020, are reviewed. The recently described, Antecessorirhyparus papuanus Minkina & Jákl, 2024, from Papua New Guinea, is discussed and is here placed in Rhyparus Westwood, 1845, becoming Rhyparus papuanus (Minkina & Jákl), new combination. Three new species are described: Antecessorirhyparus samoaensis (Samoa), Hadrorhyparus vitiensis (Fiji), and Rhyparus vanuatuensis (Vanuatu). The widespread species Rhyparus helophoroides Fairmaire, 1893, and variable Rhyparus breviceps Paulian, 1984, are reported from Samoa and are possibly adventive (recent immigrants). A lectotype is here designated for Rhyparus rugatus Arrow, 1935, from Vanuatu.

 

References

  1. Anichtchenko, A.V. & Vasiļjeva, A. (2021) New species of the genus Termitodiellus Nakane, 1961 from Papua New Guinea (Scarabaeidae, Aphodiinae). Baltic Journal of Coleopterology, 21, 131–134.
  2. Anichtchenko, A.V., Minkina, Ł., Vasiljeva, A. & Medina, M.N.D. (2021) A review of the genus Rhyparus in the Philippines, with descriptions of two new species from Mindanao. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, 61, 99–11. https://doi.org/10.37520/aemnp.2021.006
  3. Arrow, G.J. (1935) A note on the genus Rhyparus (Coleoptera, Aphodiidae), and descriptions of three new species. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 10, 16, 157–160. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933508655032
  4. Choi, J. & Lim, C. (2022) First record of Rhyparus helophoroides Fairmaire, 1893 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) from Korea. Korean Journal of Applied Entomology, 61, 601–604.
  5. Fairmaire, L. (1893) Description de quatre espèces nouvelles du genre Rhyparus, Westw. (Scarabaeidae: Coprini). Note XVII. Notes from the Leyden Museum, 15, 144–146.
  6. Howden, H.F. (1995) New Rhyparini from Fiji and the Philippines (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae). The Coleopterists Bulletin, 49, 23–27.
  7. Howden, H.F. (2003) Two new genera of New World Rhyparini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae). Sociobiology, 42, 391–402.
  8. Howden, H.F. & Storey, R.I. (2000) New Stereomerini and Rhyparini from Australia, Borneo and Fiji (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 46, 175–182.
  9. Jiang, R.-X. & Wang, S. (2020) Discovery of the genus Termitodiellus Nakane, 1961 in China, with description of Termitodiellus hainanensis Jiang & Wang, new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae). Zootaxa, 4743 (2), 289–294. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4743.2.13
  10. Krikken, J. & Huijbregts, J. (1987) Southeast Asian Termitodius: a taxonomic review, with descriptions of four new species (Coleoptera: Aphodiidae). Zoologische Mededelingen, 61, 97–111.
  11. Lea, A.M. (1923) On Australian Aphodiides (Coleoptera). Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, 36, 1–20.
  12. Mann, W.M. (1921) The ants of the Fiji Islands. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 64, 401–499.
  13. Minkina, Ł. (2020a) Proposal of a new genus for Rhyparus octovirgatus Schmidt, 1916 from Fiji. Folia Heyrovskyana, Series A, 28 (1), 37–41.
  14. Minkina, Ł. (2020b) Two new species of Leptorhyparus Howden, 2003 from South America. Folia Heyrovskyana, Series A, 28, 34–39.
  15. Minkina, Ł., Anichtchenko, A., Vasiljeva, A. & Skelley, P.E. (2022) Four new species of the genus Rhyparus Westwood, 1845 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) with modified pygidium and last abdominal ventrite in females. Baltic Journal of Coleopterology, 22, 81–101.
  16. Minkina, Ł. & Jákl, S. (2024) New species of Antecessorirhyparus Minkina, 2020 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae: Aphodiinae) from Indonesia. Studies and Reports, Taxonomical Series, 20, 125–129.
  17. Minkina, Ł. & Kakizoe, S. (2020) Termitodiellus mindanaoensis, a new species of Rhyparini Schmidt, 1910 (Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) from the Philippines. Insecta Mundi, 762, 1–6.
  18. Minkina, Ł., Jákl, S. & Bezděk, A. (2023) A new Rhyparus Westwood, 1845 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) species with modified pygidium and last abdominal ventrite in females. Faunitaxys, 11 (66), 1–5.
  19. Minkina, Ł., Skelley, P.E., Jákl, S., Král, D. & Li, X.-F. (2025) Review of the genus Rhyparus Westwood, 1845 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) in the Solomon Islands with description of two new species. Zootaxa, 5570 (3), 563–573. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5570.3.7
  20. Nakane, T. (1956) Neue Aphodiinen aus Japan. Insecta Matsumurana, Entomological Museum Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 20, 119–124.
  21. Ochi, T. (2001) Taxonomic notes on some coprophagous scarab-beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea) from Japan and its adjacent areas I. Kogane, 2, 1–14.
  22. Ochi, T., Kakizoe, S., Minkina, Ł., Kawahara, M. & Cabras, A.A. (2021) A revisional study of the genus Rhyparus from the Philippines (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Aphodiinae, Rhyparini). Kogane, 24, 17–42.
  23. Paulian, R. (1934) Deux nouveaux coprophages des Nouvelles-Hébrides. Revue Française d’Entomologie, 1, 219–221.
  24. Paulian, R. (1981) Sur quelques Coléoptères Scarabaeoidea indo-malais nouveaux ou peu connus. Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 86, 110–112. https://doi.org/10.3406/bsef.1981.17952
  25. Paulian, R. (1984) Notes sur les Coléoptères Scarabaeidae du Muséum de Genève, I. Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 91, 471–474. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.81890
  26. Pittino, R. (2006) Two new genera and species of Asian Rhyparinae (Coleoptera, Aphodiidae). Fragmenta Entomologica, Roma, 38, 83–107.
  27. Schmidt, A. (1910) Coleoptera Lamellicornia Aphodiinae. In: Wytsman, P. (Ed.), Genera Insectorum. Fascicle 110. V. Verteneuil & L. Desmet, Brussels, Belgium, pp. 1–155.
  28. Schmidt, A. (1916) Namenanderungen und bescheibung neuer Aphodiinen. Archiv für Naturgeschichte, 82A (1), 95–116.
  29. Schutz, A.J. (1974) The forerunners of the Fijian Dictionary. The Journal of the Polynesian Society, 83, 443–457.
  30. Skelley, P.E. (2007) Generic limits of the Rhyparini with respect to the genus Termitodius Wasmann, 1894 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae). Insecta Mundi, 9, 1–9.
  31. Skelley, P.E. (2021) A new species of Leptorhyparus Howden, 2003 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Rhyparini) in amber from the Dominican Republic, with comments on extant species. Insecta Mundi, 892, 1–7.
  32. Skelley, P.E. & Burgess, G.R. (1995) Trochoideus desjardinsi Guérin found in Florida (Endomychidae: Trochoideinae). The Coleopterists Bulletin, 49, 289–291.
  33. Skelley, P.E. & Smith, A.B.T. (2024) Five unusual new species of Rhyparus Westwood from Mexico and Central America (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Rhyparini). Insecta Mundi, 1091, 1–19.
  34. Stebnicka, Z. (1998) The Aphodiinae of New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands. Invertebrate Taxonomy, 12, 833–895. https://doi.org/10.1071/IT97006
  35. Théry, T. & Bordat, P. (2012) Aphodiidae de Nouvelle-Calédonie: mise à jour des connaissances et descriptions de Nouvelles espèces (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 117, 309–338. https://doi.org/10.3406/bsef.2012.29307
  36. Westwood, J.O. (1845) On some new exotic species of Aphodiidae. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of London, 6, 93.
  37. Woodruff, R.E. (1973) The scarab beetles of Florida (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), Part I. Laparosticti (subfamilies: Scarabaeinae, Aphodiinae, Hybosorinae, Ochodaeinae, Geotrupinae, Acanthocerinae). Arthropods of Florida and Neighboring Land Areas, 8, i–xi + 1–220.

How to Cite

Skelley, P.E. & Minkina, Łukasz (2025) Review of the Rhyparini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) of eastern Melanesia and Polynesia, with descriptions of new species. Zootaxa, 5632 (1), 115–137. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5632.1.6