Neosisyphus mirabilis
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
Neosisyphus
Neosisyphus mirabilis

description: <i>Neosisyphus mirabilis</i> (Arrow 1927) (Figs. 23, 24A) <i>Sisyphus spinipes</i> Gory 1833 Gory 1833: 8; Harold 1869: 985; Péringuey 1901: 87; Arrow 1927: 459; Haaf 1955: 345; Ferreira 1972: 825; Paschalidis 1974: 21; Montreuil 2015: 3; <i>Sisyphus mirabilis</i> Arrow 1927 Arrow 1927: 459; Haaf 1955: 345; Ferreira 1972: 825; Paschalidis 1974: 21; Montreuil 2015: 3; <b>Size</b>: Male: length: 11.0–8.0 mm; width: 5.2–3.0 mm; Female: length: 11.2– 8.3 mm; width: 5.5–3.0 mm <b>Type locality</b>: Cape of Good Hope <b>Diagnosis</b>: <i>N. mirabilis</i> is distinguished from other southern African species by having mesotibiae that are strongly modified by indentations and protrusions including a spine projecting from the anterior edge. <i>N. mirabilis</i> differs from the similar east African species, <i>N. tibialis</i> (Raffray, 1877), by lacking tubercles on the pygidium. <b>Examined non-type material</b>: See Supplementary information. <b>Distribution</b>: Although the type locality of this species is cited as Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) (Gory 1833) it is more likely that the type specimen was originally collected from the Eastern Cape coastline. <i>N. mirabilis</i> is a summer rainfall species associated with coastal forest (Davis et al. 2002) and, possibly, upland woody vegetation in the Eastern Cape (South Africa). However, it is primarily found in the Maputaland Coastal Forest Mosaic in KwaZulu Natal (South Africa) and in Maputo Elephant Reserve (Mozambique) (Fig. 25). <b>Remarks</b>: <i>N. mirabilis</i> was described by Gory (1833) as <i>Sisyphus spinipes</i> but the name was preoccupied by <i>Sisyphus spinipes</i> (Thunberg, 1818). Arrow (1927) recognized the homonymy and renamed Gory’s species as <i>Sisyphus mirabilis.</i> <b>Conservation status</b>: <i>N. mirabilis</i> is listed as a Least Concern species on the IUCN Red Data List (Davis 2013d). However, a potential major threat is clearance of native habitats (woodland and forest).
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 pages 50-52, DOI: 10.1163/1876312X-00002195, http://zenodo.org/record/3786629
description: {"references": ["Arrow, G. J. (1927) Notes on the Coleopterous genus Sisyphus. Annals and Magazine of natural History, 9 (19): 456 - 465.", "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.", "Peringuey, L. (1901) Descriptive catalogue of the Coleoptera of South Africa. Transactions of the South African philosophical Society. Cape Town, 12: 1 - 563 (13 - 368).", "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 a) Nouveaux Sisyphus Latreille d'afrique (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Sisyphini). Bulletin de la Societe entomologique de France, 120 (1): 91 - 102.", "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.", "Thunberg, C. P. (1818) Coleoptera Capensia, Antennis Lamellatis, sive, clava fissili instructa, descripta, memoires de l'Acad. T. VI.", "Davis, A. L. V. (2013 d) Neosisyphus mirabilis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e. T 138375 A 540502. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.2305 / IUCN. UK. 20132. RLTS. T 138375 A 540502. en. (accessed 15 August 2016)."]}