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)
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Date
Authors
Deschodt, Christian M.
Davis, Adrian L.V.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Transvaal Museum
Abstract
Taxonomic changes are made in the Byrrhidium group of Canthonini dung beetles. The genera Versicorpus Deschodt, Davis & Scholtz, 2011 and Namakwanus Scholtz & Howden, 1987 currently comprise one and four species, respectively. Re-examination of the type material of Namakwanus irishi Scholtz & Howden, 1987 indicates that the holotype
and paratypes from mountains near Windhoek, Namibia, differ from the paratype from the Kuiseb River near Gobabeb
in the Central Namib, warranting description of a new species, Namakwanus scholtzi spec. nov. Other species
included in the genus, Namakwanus davisi Deschodt & Scholtz, 2007 and Namakwanus endroedyi Deschodt, Davis
& Scholtz, 2011, differ sufficiently to warrant removal to a new genus, Namaphilus gen. nov. A further new species,
Namaphilus ameibensis spec. nov., is added to the new genus. Namakwanus streyi Frolov, 2005 is transferred to
Versicorpus. Lastly a new, updated key and some notes on all the known Byrrhidium group species are provided.
Description
Keywords
Byrrhidium group, Taxonomic changes, Flightless dung beetles, Key, Canthonini dung beetles
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
DESCHODT, C. M. and DAVIS, A. L. V., 2017. 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). Annals of the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History 7: 109–114.