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)

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

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.