Sisyphini Mulsant 1842
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

description: Species groups of Sisyphini in southern Africa In southern Africa, five species-groups are proposed for the genus <i>Sisyphus</i> according to their morphological affinities. Due to the limited amount of sexual dimorphism in <i>Sisyphus</i>; characterization largely applies equally to males and females. (1) <i>S. muricatus</i> group: Seven southern African species, comprising: <i>S. muricatus; S. neobornemisszanus; S. fasciculatus; S. perissinottoi; S. manni; S. swazi</i> <b>sp. n</b> and <i>S. alveatus</i>. The external morphology (Figs. 2 A–G) and the genitalia (Figs. 3 A–G) differ among the members of the group. (2) <i>S. goryi</i> group: Five species, comprising: <i>S. bicuariensis</i> <b>sp. n</b>; <i>S. caffer; S. genierorum</i>; <i>S. goryi</i> and <i>S. sordidus.</i> Although external morphological differences are subtle (Figs. 5 A–E), the shapes of parameres are relatively different between species (Figs. 6 A–E). (3) <i>S. umbraphilus</i> group: Comprises a single southern African species, S. <i>umbraphilus</i> (Fig. 8A); genitalia (Fig. 9A) (4) <i>S. costatus</i> group: Five species, comprising: <i>S. impressipennis; S. costatus; S. gazanus; S. inconspicuus</i> <b>sp. n</b>; and. <i>S. australis</i> <b>sp. n</b> (Figs. 11 A–E). The shape of the parameres differs between species (Figs. 12 A–E). (5) <i>S. seminulum</i> group: Four southern African species: <i>S. splendidus; S. oralensis S. nanniscus</i>; and <i>S. auricomus</i> <b>sp. n</b> (Figs. 14 A–D). The genitalia of <i>S. splendidus</i> were not studied because no male specimens were available. The parameres of other species members of the group are clearly different (Figs. 15 A–C). In <i>Neosisyphus,</i> identification is complicated by sexually dimorphic characters that vary in morphology with body size. Females are often difficult to separate into species. Species-groups defined for <i>Neosisyphus</i> follow Montreuil (2015b). In southern Africa five species-groups have been recorded. (1) <i>N. barbarossa</i> group: Four species: <i>N. barbarossa</i>; <i>N. calcaratus</i>; <i>N. tembyi</i> <b>sp. n</b> and <i>N. setiger</i> (Figs. 17 A–D). Morphological differences are clear in major males, but, less so in minor males and females. However, species members are easily separable through the differences between the phallobase and shapes of the parameres (Figs. 18 A–D). (2) <i>N. spinipes</i> group: Three species: <i>N. fortuitus; N. infuscatus</i> and <i>N. spinipes</i> (Figs. 20 A–C). All species bear distinctly different parameres (Figs. 20 A–C). Although there are clear differences between major males, in the latter two species, there are often close morphological similarities. (3) <i>N. tibialis</i> group: One southern African species: <i>N. mirabilis</i> (Fig. 23A). The species shows distinctive spinose sculpturing of the legs. The aedeagus is shown in Fig. 24A. (4) <i>N. quadricollis</i> group: Two southern African species: <i>N. quadricollis</i> and <i>N. kuehni</i> (Figs. 26 A–B). Both species show differences in the phallobase and the shape of parameres (Figs. 27 A–B). (5) <i>N. rubrus</i> group: Composed of two similar southern African species: <i>N. macrorubrus</i> and <i>N. rubrus</i> (Figs. 29 A–B). Parameres differ in shape between the species (Figs. 30 A–B).
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 10, DOI: 10.1163/1876312X-00002195, http://zenodo.org/record/3786629
description: {"references": ["Montreuil, O. (2015 b) Le genre Neosisyphus Muller em Afrique (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Sisyphini). Catharsius La Revue, 12 (1): 1 - 36."]}