Hathoronthophagus, new replacement name for Hathor Deschodt, 2023, preoccupied genus-group name of a putatively myrmecophilic dung beetle (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Onthophagini).

In November 2023, Deschodt & Sole (2023) proposed the new genus-group name Hathor Deschodt for a peculiar, putatively ant-associated onthophagine dung beetle from Gauteng province, South Africa. The genus is as yet known only from the female holotype of the species Hathor spinosa Deschodt, 2023. It was overlooked that the new generic name is preoccupied by Hathor Kirkaldy & Edwards, 1902, as regulated by the Principle of Homonymy (Articles 5260 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature [henceforth the Code, Anonymous 1999]). Hathor Kirkaldy & Edwards is a monotypic genus of red bug or cotton stainer (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoroidea: Pyrrhocoridae) from tropical Africa, itself a junior subjective synonym of Sericocoris Karsch, 1892. Sericocoris is currently a valid genus (Robertson 2004; Stehlk & Jindra 2011).

A new genus and species in the diverse dung beetle tribe Onthophagini Streubel, 1846 (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) from South Africa.

A new dung beetle genus and species is described and pictured following its recent discovery on a farm in South Africa. Hathor spinosa Deschodt, new species belongs to the subfamily Scarabaeinae, tribe Onthophagini Streubel, 1846, it shows a unique set of characters. A map is provided to show the type locality of the new genus and species that has a putative association with ants.

Dung removal increases under higher dung beetle functional diversity regardless of grazing intensification.

Dung removal by macrofauna such as dung beetles is an important process for nutrient cycling in pasturelands. Intensification of farming practices generally reduces species and functional diversity of terrestrial invertebrates, which may negatively affect ecosystem services. Here, we investigate the effects of cattle-grazing intensification on dung removal by dung beetles in field experiments replicated in 38 pastures around the world. Within each study site, we measured dung removal in pastures managed with low- and high-intensity regimes to assess between-regime differences in dung beetle diversity and dung removal, whilst also considering climate and regional variations. The impacts of intensification were heterogeneous, either diminishing or increasing dung beetle species richness, functional diversity, and dung removal rates. The effects of beetle diversity on dung removal were more variable across sites than within sites. Dung removal increased with species richness across sites, while functional diversity consistently enhanced dung removal within sites, independently of cattle grazing intensity or climate. Our findings indicate that, despite intensified cattle stocking rates, ecosystem services related to decomposition and nutrient cycling can be maintained when a functionally diverse dung beetle community inhabits the human-modified landscape.

An unexpected new flightless dung beetle species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Endroedyolini) from the Cederberg Mountains, South Africa.

Silvaphilus joselmae Daniel, Strmpher Deschodt, new species is diagnosed and described from the Cederberg Mountains, South Africa. The tribal affiliation of Silvaphilus Roets Oberlander, 2010 is briefly discussed. We revise some generic characters and update the key for the species and genera in the tribe Endroedyolini Davis, Deschodt Scholtz, 2019. We also provide a distribution map of the two Silvaphilus species.

Upsa centennial, a new genus and species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Endroedyolini) from the Southern Mistbelt forest in South Africa: celebrating 100 years of entomology at the University of Pretoria.

Upsa centennial Deschodt, Sole Scholtz, new genus and species is described, celebrating a century of entomology at the University of Pretoria. This new genus in the dung beetle tribe Endroedyolini (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) occurs in the Albany Coastal Mistbelt forest in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. A distribution map and key for all genera and species in the tribe are provided.[Genus Zoobank url: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:92A64613-A8CE-48DF-84D9-7450EA1D40AA].

The enigmatic dung beetle genus Stiptopodius Harold, 1871 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) revisited: new species descriptions from southern Africa.

It is proposed that the genus Stiptopodius Harold, 1871 should be subdivided into two species groups based on the shape of the lateral edge of the pronotum. Three new species are described from southern Africa: Stiptopodius peringueyi Daniel Deschodt, new species, Stiptopodius savuti Daniel Deschodt, new species, and Stiptopodius muellerae Daniel Deschodt, new species. Stiptopodius savuti new species is the first record of the genus from Botswana. A distribution map for the new taxa is provided. The identification key to the known species of Stiptopodius is updated.

New southern African species and a revalidation in the dung beetle genus Gyronotus van Lansberge, 1874 (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) with an updated key.

Three new species are described in the genus Gyronotus van Lansberge, 1874 (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), from upland grasslands of South Africa. They are Gyronotus dracomontanus Deschodt Davis, new species, Gyronotus ovalis Deschodt Davis, new species and Gyronotus kearneyorum Deschodt Davis, new species. The South African coastal forest species, Gyronotus marginatus Péringuey, 1888, status revised, is removed from synonymy with Gyronotus pumilus (Boheman, 1857) and revalidated at species level. An updated key to all South African and eSwatini species is provided.

A new species of Versicorpus Deschodt, Davis amp; Scholtz, 2011 (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Byrrhidiini) from the Brandberg Mountain, Namibia.

The recently described dung beetle tribe Byrrhidiini currently comprises seven genera and nineteen species (Davis et al. 2019). During a recent collecting expedition to the Brandberg Mountain [S21.11° E14.69°] in Namibia, a single male specimen, together with various disarticulated body parts of a new species belonging to this tribe were collected. It was found amongst dried hyrax (Procavia capensis) dung pellets between large granite boulders. This new species clearly fits the current definition of the genus Versicorpus Deschodt, Davis Scholtz, 2011. This raises the number of the constituent species of Versicorpus to three and that for Byrrhidiini to twenty.

A beautiful new species of Hyalonthophagus Palestrini amp; Giacone, 1988 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), from the Northern Cape Province, South Africa.

Hyalonthophagus Palestrini Giacone, 1988, from Afrotropical savanna, is raised to generic status having been originally described as a subgenus within the genus Onthophagus Latreille, 1802. Hyalonthophagus pulcher Deschodt Davis, new species is described from the Northern Cape, South Africa. Maps are provided to show (1) the locally-restricted distribution pattern of the new species isolated from adjoining savanna in warm, dry Karoo climate to the south of the Orange River, and, (2) the disjunct distribution pattern in relation to those of three other southern African species centred in savanna to the northeast beyond areas with unsuitable climatic or ecological conditions. An assessment of the conservation status for Hyalonthophagus pulcher Deschodt Davis, new species is also provided.

Defining new dung beetle tribes to resolve discrepancies between phylogeny and tribal classification in the subfamily Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae).

The monophyletic, dung beetle subfamily, Scarabaeinae, has a long history of subdivision into tribes and subtribes represented by groups of genera unified by designated characters. Various tribal names have been proposed although only 11 or 12 were considered valid in recent reviews. Three of these 12 tribes have now been invalidated due to extensive polyphyly indicated by both morphological and molecular phylogenies. Although partial revision of tribal classification was proposed in the most recent global molecular phylogeny of the subfamily, this was primarily limited to redefinition of membership or provision of support for pre-existing tribes. Complete revision was not attempted as the phylogeny examined interrelationships between only ~52% of the valid described genera. It was also hampered by inconsistencies in topology using different analytical methods, weakened by limited bootstrap support for many basal nodes, as well predicting several phylogenetic relationships that seemed anomalous with regards to biogeographical hypotheses. Nevertheless, using this phylogeny, we propose further revision of tribal classification in a clade of primarily African genera included within a group defined as "basal Scarabaeinae". Using three different methods, the sister lineages of this clade were consistently recovered, mostly with strong bootstrap support for their molecular relatedness. Therefore, we provide a number of defining morphological characters to support their proposed designation as three new tribes: Byrrhidiini, Endroedyolini and Odontolomini. We also discuss approaches to a full tribal revision as well as the implications for historical biogeography of the Scarabaeinae.

The endemic Southern African genus Epirinus Dejean, 1833 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) revisited: five new species and two new synonyms.

Five new species of Epirinus Dejean, 1833 were discovered during databasing of dung beetle collections. These are described here, as Epirinus inparrugosus Deschodt Davis, new species, Epirinus jacobsae Deschodt Davis, new species, Epirinus muellerae Deschodt Davis, new species, Epirinus pseudorelictus Deschodt Davis, new species and Epirinus schoolmeestersi Deschodt Davis, new species. Using comparisons based on morphology, we also studied the taxonomic status of five morphologically-allied, allopatric populations of Epirinus from isolated forest patches in northeast KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and eastern eSwatini (formerly Swaziland). On the basis of these comparisons we synonymize Epirinus hluhluwensis Medina Scholtz, 2005, and Epirinus ngomae Medina Scholtz, 2005, with Epirinus davisi Scholtz Howden, 1987. A distribution map is provided for all of these species. Furthermore, the first record for the genus in Namibia is reported and an updated key is provided for all known species of the genus.

Grebennikovius, a new genus to accommodate Epactoides basilewskyi (Balthasar, 1960) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Deltochilini).

Phacosoma basilewskyi Balthasar, 1960 was described for a peculiar East African deltochiline dung beetle species. Years later, Paulian (1975) erected the deltochiline genus Madaphacosoma Paulian, 1975 for two new Malagasy species, namely Madaphacosoma humberti Paulian, 1975, as the type species, and M. betschi Paulian, 1975. Phacosoma basilewskyi was transferred to Madaphacosoma in that same publication. Later, Paulian (1991) added Madaphacosoma major Paulian, 1991 to the genus for a total of three Madagascan and one mainland African species. Recently, Madaphacosoma together with three other genera occurring in Madagascar, namely Aleiantus Olsoufieff, 1947, Phacosomoides Martinez Pereira, 1959 and Sikorantus Paulian, 1976, were synonymized with Epactoides Olsoufieff, 1947 by Wirta Montreuil (2008). Although Madaphacosoma basilewskyi (Balthasar, 1960) is not specifically mentioned as a new combination with three other species, M. major, M. humberti and M. betschi, catalogued on pages 661-662 in Wirta Montreuil (2008), and the genus is treated as valid by Tarasov Dimitrov (2016) and Tarasov (2017), it is currently lumped with the other Malagasy species in the genus Epactoides. The current accepted name for the species is thus Epactoides basilewskyi (Balthasar, 1960).

Two new species of Garreta Janssens, 1940 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) from Southern Africa.

Two new, putative, closely-related species of dung beetles are described in the genus Garreta Janssens, 1940 (tribe Gymnopleurini). Garreta australugens new species, is known from various dung types in the southeast lowlands of Africa (validated for South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe with a probable record from Botswana). It is, here, separated at species level from its putative closest relative, Garreta lugens (Fairmaire, 1891), recorded from the lowlands of northeast Africa (validated for Kenya with additional records from Ethiopia, Somalia and Tanzania). These two taxa were formerly considered to comprise a single species. All specimens in the type series of Garreta namalugens new species, were recorded at low altitude in arid, rocky mountains from west central to northwest Namibia, mostly on dung in communal middens of the Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis (Pallas, 1766)).

New deltochiline (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) taxa associated with hyrax dung in arid south western Namibia.

A survey of rock hyrax dung middens along the arid escarpment of southwest Namibia has filled a gap in the range shown by members of the Byrrhidium group of flightless dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) belonging to the tribe Deltochilini. The survey discovered a new genus and species, Ausmontins jacobsi new genus and species, and a further four new species in two previously described genera, Namakwanus kamfferi new species, Namakwanus minutus new species, Namaphilus nubibmontanus new species and Namaphilus tirasmontanus new species. They are described and illustrated in the present paper. This addition of new taxa raises the total complement of the Byrrhidium group to seven genera and 19 species. An updated key to all the known species is also provided. It is probable that further taxa await discovery.

An update to the taxonomy of the genus Macroderes Westwood 1842 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) with descriptions of new species from South Africa.

The genus Macroderes Westwood, 1842 (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae, tribe incertae sedis) is practically endemic to South Africa with only one species that is found little north in southern Namibia. The ranges of the species are limited to the winter-fall and bimodal biomes of South Africa comprising the regions of Richtersveld as extreme points of its northerly distribution, and extending to the south through Namaqualand to Cape Agulhas. The taxonomy of the genus is revised. Fourteen valid species are recognised and three others are of doubtful validity. Seven new species are described, these are: M. cederbergensis Abdalla Deschodt, new species, M. tortuosus Abdalla Scholtz, new species, M. gifboomi Abdalla Scholtz, new species, M. leipoldti Abdalla Deschodt, new species, M. oreatus Abdalla Deschodt, new species, M. porselinus Abdalla, new species, and M. soleiana Abdalla Deschodt, new species. Macroderes nitidus Harold, 1877 is redescribed and its lectotype is designated. The diagnostic characters as well as an updated geographic distribution of each species are summarised. An updated key of the genus, photographs of habitus, sclerites of internal sac, pronotum, pronotal punctures and elytra also are provided.

A new monotypic genus, a species synonymy and nomenclatural corrections in the arid-adapted Canthonini (Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) from the Succulent Karoo Biome of south-western Africa.

Although it has been demonstrated that the tribe Canthonini (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) is polyphyletic, those canthonine genera occurring in arid south-western Africa apparently form a monophyletic group. In this paper we add one new monotypic genus, Drogo stalsi gen. et. sp. n. to this group, and synonymize another member, Byrrhidium namaquense Scholtz and Howden, 1987 syn. n. with Byrrhidium ovale Harold, 1869. We correct the spelling of two species names that were not in agreement with the gender rule. A phylogenetic analysis based on morphology supports the erection of Drogo gen. n. An updated key to the genera and species of the Byrrhidium group is presented.

New replacement name for the species Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) nitidus Davis & Deschodt, 2015 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)--not an American pest.

In their review of the subgenus Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) Balthasar, 1965 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), Deschodt et al. (2015) described seven new species from Africa. One of these was Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) nitidus Davis & Deschodt, known by only twelve specimens from Botswana. This new name is preoccupied by Scarabaeus nitidus Linnaeus, 1758, a fact that was overlooked. The latter species has been known as Cotinis nitida (Linnaeus) since Burmeister (1842) placed the species in his new genus Cotinis. It belongs to the subfamily Cetoniinae of Scarabaeidae, is called the Green June Beetle, and is a common pest species throughout most of the eastern United States (Goodrich 1966; Woodruff 2008).

A new synonymy in the fidius group of Copris Müller 1764 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) and a new species from the highland grasslands of South Africa.

The fidius group constitutes the basal clade in a phylogeny of the Afrotropical members of the genus, Copris Müller, 1764. In this paper we describe Copris crassus Deschodt and Davis as a new species in this group. We also demonstrate that the distributional function between two body dimensions (lateral horn length and mid-line elytron length) differs between Copris fidius (Olivier 1789) and C. crassus. Copris bihamatus Balthasar, 1965 is also a member of the fidius group. Nguyen-Phung (1988) suspected that it was a synonym of C. fidius (Olivier) so we compare specimens of similar body size and use the distributional function between body dimensions to demonstrate that C. bihamatus is indeed a synonym of C. fidius. We provide a key for all known valid species in the fidius group, except C. serius Nguyen-Phung, 1987.

Status changes, new synonymies, key and descriptions of seven new species in the subgenus Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) Balthasar 1965 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae).

Distribution of the subgenus Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) Balthasar 1965 (tribe Scarabaeini) is centred on southern and south central Africa with only three out of 27 species recorded from West and northeast Africa. After taxonomic corrections and descriptions of seven new southern African species this somewhat controversial subgenus now comprises 33 valid species of which one is flightless. In this paper, Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) vansoni Ferreira 1958 syn. nov. is synonymized with Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) lucidulus (Boheman 1860) and Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) xavieri Ferreira 1968 syn. nov. is synonymized with Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) andreaei zur Strassen 1963. Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) reichei Waterhouse 1890 stat. rev. is removed from synonymy with Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) canaliculatus Fairmaire, 1888 and reinstated as a valid species. Distribution maps for S. (S.) reichei, S. (S.) canaliculatus and a third close relative, Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) fritschi Harold 1868 are provided. The seven new species comprise: Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) soutpansbergensis Deschodt and Davis spec. nov., Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) megaparvulus Davis and Deschodt spec. nov., Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) niemandi Deschodt and Davis spec. nov., Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) carniphilus Davis and Deschodt spec. nov., Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) ermienae Deschodt and Davis spec. nov., Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) planipennis Davis and Deschodt spec. nov. and Scarabaeus (Scarabaeolus) nitidus Davis and Deschodt spec. nov. A key is provided for all the known winged species together with notes on some of the previously described species.