A new brachypterous species of Phoberus MacLeay (Coleoptera: Trogidae) and status changes of species in the East African P. nigrociliatus group

Werner P Strümpher; Clarke H Scholtz

doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4216.3.6

A new brachypterous species of Phoberus MacLeay (Coleoptera: Trogidae) and status changes of species in the East African P. nigrociliatus group

Zootaxa. 2017 Jan 6;4216(3):zootaxa.4216.3.6. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4216.3.6.

Authors

Werner P Strümpher¹, Clarke H Scholtz

Affiliation

¹ Scarab Research Group, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X 20, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria, South Africa. wstrumpher@zoology.up.ac.za.

PMID: 28183123
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4216.3.6

Abstract

A new brachypterous species, Phoberus nyikanus Strümpher (Coleoptera: Trogidae), is described from Malawi. In addition, three status changes are proposed: Phoberus nigrociliatus (Kolbe) from the Ethiopian highlands, P. nyansanus (Haaf) from central East Africa, and P. nyassicus (Haaf) from southern Tanzanian mountains are elevated to species level. A key is provided to aid in the identification of members of the P. nigrociliatus group, and the species in the group are illustrated by photographs. This brings the total number of species in the genus to 44.

Keywords: Coleoptera, Afrotropical Region, flightlessness, key, keratin-feeding, Malawi, Nyika Plateau.

MeSH terms

Africa, Eastern
Animal Distribution
Animal Structures / anatomy & histology
Animal Structures / growth & development
Animals
Body Size
Coleoptera / anatomy & histology*
Coleoptera / classification*
Coleoptera / growth & development
Female
Malawi
Male
Organ Size