Sisyphus muricatus
Creators: name: Daniel, Gimo M.
name: Davis, Adrian Lv.
name: Sole, Catherine L.
name: Scholtz, Clarke H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Sisyphus
Sisyphus muricatus

description: <i>Sisyphus muricatus</i> (Olivier, 1789) (Figs. 2, 3A) <i>Scarabaeus muricatus</i> Olivier, 1789 Olivier 1789: 188–9, Gory 1833: 7–8; Harold 1869: 985; Péringuey 1902: 105–6; Arrow, 1927: 458; Haaf 1955: 367–8; Ferreira 1972: 801; Paschalidis 1974: 7–9, Montreuil 2015c: 3, 11; Daniel et al. 2016: 71. <b>Type locality</b>: Cape of Good Hope (South Africa). <b>Size</b>: Male: length: 12.5–11.0 mm, width: 8.0– 6.5 mm; Female: length: 12– 9.6 mm, width 6.5–5.0 mm. <b>Diagnosis</b>: <i>S. muricatus</i> is similar to <i>S. neobornemisszanus</i>. However, it differs by bearing, mostly, more strongly developed clypeo-frontal carinae; also, very strong, deep, lateral emargination and distinct shiny punctation on the pronotum. <b>Examined non-type material</b>: See Supplementary information. <b>Distribution</b>: <i>S. muricatus</i> shows an Afrotemperate forest and montane grassland distribution in South Africa (Davis et al., 2008, 2002 a, 1999) (Fig. 4). It has been recorded from grassland in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park and the foothills of the Drakensberg. It has also been collected in grassland at Mount Sheba. There are records of this species in coastal afrotemperate forest (Davis et al. 1999) in the Cape (Knysna Forest, Garden of Eden, and George). However, these qualitative data are insufficient to support a significant association with shaded vegetation on the south coast of South Africa. <b>Remarks</b>: The species was originally described as <i>Scarabaeus muricatus</i> by Olivier (1789) from an unspecified type locality in “la Amérique méridionale”. Gory (1833) transferred the species to the genus <i>Sisyphus</i> citing the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) as the type locality.
description: Published as part of <i>Daniel, Gimo M., Davis, Adrian Lv., Sole, Catherine L. &amp; Scholtz, Clarke H., 2020, Taxonomic review of the tribe Sisyphini sensu stricto Mulsant, 1842 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in southern Africa, including new species descriptions, pp. 1-61 in Insect Systematics &amp; Evolution 51 (1)</i> on page 11, DOI: 10.1163/1876312X-00002195, http://zenodo.org/record/3786629
description: {"references": ["Olivier, M. (1789) Entomologie, Histoire Naturelle des Insectes, Avec leurs caracteres generiques et specifiques, leur description, leur synonymie, et leur figure enluminee. Coleopteres, Tome premier, Paris, 1 - 455 pp.", "Gory, M. (1833) Monographie du genre Sisyphe. Mequignon-Marvis pere et fils, Paris. 1 - 15 p.", "Harold, E. von (1869). Scarabaeidae. Gemminger, M. and Harold, E. Catalogus Coleopterorum. bucusque descriptorum, synonymicus et systematics, autotribus, 4: 976 - 1346. http: // www. iucnredlist. org / static / categories _ criteria _ 3 _ 1 access on 2017.03. 23.", "Arrow, G. J. (1927) Notes on the Coleopterous genus Sisyphus. Annals and Magazine of natural History, 9 (19): 456 - 465.", "Haaf, E. (1955) Uber die Gattung Sisyphus Latr. (Col. Scarab.). Entomologische Arbeitenaus dem Museum G. Frey, 6 (1): 341 - 381.", "Ferreira, M. C. (1972) Os Escarabideos de Africa (sul do Saara). Revista de Entomologia de Mocambique, 11 (1968 - 1969): 5 - 1088.", "Paschalidis, K. M. (1974 a) The genus Sisyphus Latr. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Southern Africa. MSc. Thesis, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa, 183 pp.", "Montreuil, O. (2015 c) Premiers cas de brachypterisme dans le genre Sisyphus Latreille (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Sisyphini). Annales de la Societe entomologique de France, 51 (4): 281 - 293.", "Daniel, G. M., Davis, A. L. V, &amp; Scholtz, C. H. (2016) Three new Sisyphus species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) from shaded vegetation in southern Africa. Zootaxa, 4147 (1): 67 - 74.", "Davis, A. L. V., Frolov, A. V., &amp; Scholtz, C. H. (2008) The African dung beetle genera. Protea Book House. 148 - 155 pp.", "Davis, A. L. V., Scholtz, C. H., &amp; Philips, T. K. (2002 a) Historical biogeography of scarabaeine dung beetles. Journal of Biogeography, 29 (9): 1217 - 1256.", "Davis, A. L. V., Scholtz, C. H., &amp; Chown, S. L. (1999) Species turnover, community boundaries and biogeographical composition of dung beetle assemblages across an altitudinal gradient in South Africa. Journal of Biogeography, 26 (5): 1039 - 1055."]}