New data on trophic associations of dung beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) and lemurs (Primates, Lemuroidea) in Madagascar revealed by metabarcoding.

Resource use and diet specialisation of Madagascan dung beetles have been little studied especially concerning the possible associations between specific dung beetle and lemur species. Pilot studies have demonstrated that amplicon sequencing is a promising tool for the lemur inventories. In the present contribution, we report the results of the gut content analysis of three endemic Madagascan dung beetles species: Helictopleurusclouei (Harold), Epilissusapotolamproides (Lebis) and Nanosdubitatus (Lebis). Amplicon metagenomics revealed trophic associations of these species with Eulemursanfordi (Archbold), Eu.fulvus (É.Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire) and Cheirogaleuscrossleyi (Grandidier), respectively. The reads of other mammal species, revealed by the analysis, including putative contaminations, are discussed.

Dung-beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Aphodiinae, Scarabaeinae) feeding on faeces of steppe marmots Marmotabobak (Rodentia, Sciuridae) in Middle Volga territory.

Background: In open terrestrial biomes of Holarctic realm, ground squirrels are recognised as keystone species inhabiting steppes. They shape the plant species composition and diversity and support a fauna of species associated with their burrows. Ground squirrels and associated dung-beetles are important elements of the steppe food webs, yet the trophic associations between species are still poorly studied. New information: The area in the northern outskirts of Obshchy Syrt plateau, on the border of Samara and Orenburg Provinces of Russia was surveyed and scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae) feeding on steppe marmot (Marmotabobak (Müller, 1776)) faeces were collected from six localities. Twenty eight species of two subfamilies - Aphodiinae and Scarabaeinae, - were identified with the majority of species belonging the genus Aphodius Hellwig, 1798. Seven species are recorded as consumers of marmot faeces for the first time. Only two nidicolous specialist species were found which suggests that the studied population of steppe marmots is as result of the recent secondary colonisation and not all the associated scarab beetle faunas were re-established.

Amplicon metagenomics of dung beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) as a proxy for lemur (Primates, Lemuroidea) studies in Madagascar.

Dung beetles (Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) are among the most cost-effective and informative biodiversity indicator groups, conveying rich information about the status of habitats and faunas of an area. Yet their use for monitoring the mammal species, that are the main providers of the food for the dung beetles, has only recently been recognized. In the present work, we studied the diet of four endemic Madagascan dung beetles (Helictopleurusfissicollis (Fairmaire), H.giganteus (Harold), Nanosagaboides (Boucomont), and Epilissussplendidus Fairmaire) using high-throughput sequencing and amplicon metagenomics. For all beetle species, the ⅔-¾ of reads belonged to humans, suggesting that human feces are the main source of food for the beetles in the examined areas. The second most abundant were the reads of the cattle (Bostaurus Linnaeus). We also found lower but significant number of reads of six lemur species belonging to three genera. Our sampling localities agree well with the known ranges of these lemur species. The amplicon metagenomics method proved a promising tool for the lemur inventories in Madagascar.

Phylogenetic analysis of the Neotropical scarab beetle tribe Aegidiini (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Orphninae) with description of new taxa.

In the Neotropics, orphnine scarab beetles are represented by the endemic tribe Aegidiini Paulian, 1984 with five genera and over 50 species. Phylogenetic analysis based on morphological characters of all supraspecific taxa of Orphninae showed that Aegidiini is comprised of two lineages. New subtribes, Aegidiina subtr. nov. (Aegidium Westwood, 1845, Paraegidium Vulcano et al., 1966, Aegidiellus Paulian, 1984, and Onorius Frolov & Vaz-de-Mello, 2015, and Aegidininasubtr. nov. (Aegidinus Arrow, 1904) are proposed to better reflect this phylogeny. Two new species of Aegidinus are described: A.alexanderisp. nov., from the Yungas in Peru and A.elbaesp. nov. from the Caqueta moist forests ecoregion in Colombia. A diagnostic key to Aegidinus species is given.

Identification of larvae of two Aphodius Helwig, 1798 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) species using morphology and DNA barcode.

The third instar larvae of Aphodius (Alocoderus) hydrochaeris (Fabricius, 1798) and A. (Bodilus) ictericus (Laicharting, 1781) are described based on scanning electron microscopy and COI sequences. COI barcode sequence for A. (A.) hydrohaeris is provided for the first time. Two haplotypes are discovered in A. (B.) ictericus.

A new species of Aegidium Arrow (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Orphninae) from Colombia.

In the Neotropical Region, Orphninae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) are represented by the endemic tribe Aegidiini, which comprises five genera and 49 species (Paulian 1948; Colby 2009; Frolov Vaz-de-Mello 2015; Frolov et al. 2017a, 2017b, 2017c, 2019). Aegidium Westwood is the largest genus of the tribe and it comprises 24 valid species known from the southern Mexico in the north to Central Bolivia in the south (Frolov et al. 2015; Rojkoff Frolov 2017; Frolov Akhmetova 2020).

A new species of the endemic Madagascan scarab beetle genus, Madecorphnus grebennikovi (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Orphninae): morphological description and DNA barcode.

A new species of the orphnine scarab beetle genus Madecorphnus Paulian, 1992, Madecorphnus grebennikovi Frolov, Akhmetova Vishnevskaya, new species, is described from the Marojejy National Park, Sava Region, northeastern Madagascar. The new species can be distinguished from the congeners by the parameres narrowly rounded in lateral view and having a small but distinct lateral teeth, and by the endophallic armature consisting of 1) a long straight sclerite with attached to its end a 2/3 shorted, somewhat curved sclerite, 2) separate smaller, elongate sclerite, and 3) a rather large area of microspinules. The 811 bp long fragment of the mitochondrial gene COI (DNA barcode) is provided as a part of the diagnosis of the new species. An updated key to the Madecorphnus species is given.

Description of a new brachypterous scarab species, Orphnus brevialatus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Orphninae) from East Africa, with notes on flightlessness in the orphnines.

A new brachypterous species of the scarab beetle genus Orphnus Macleay, 1819, O. (O.) brevialatus Frolov Akhmetova, new species, is described from Kipengere Range (Livingstone Mountains), Tanzania. The new species differs from other flightless Orphnus species occurring in East Africa in having a well-developed pronotal armature with two long, acute lateral processes. In the shape of the head, pronotum, and male genitalia it is similar to O. compactilis Quedenfeldt, 1882, but differs from it, in addition to the reduced wings and shorter body, in the shape of the endophallic armature. Flightlessness is rather common among the orphnines: 56 orphnine species out of 235 have the wings reduced to different degree making them incapable of flight, although this is a preliminary minimum figure. Flightless species are found in Hybalus Dejean, 1833, Chaetonyx Schaum, 1862, Orphnus Macleay, Hybaloides Quedenfeldt, 1884, Aegidium Westwood, 1845 and Stenosternus Karsch, 1881. All regional orphnine faunas except for Indo-Malayan and Madagascan include flightless species, although flightlessness is more common in African taxa.

The taxonomic status of Aphodius insperatus Petrovitz, A. longipennis Rakovic and A. inylchekensis Frolov (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae).

The subgenus Bodilus Mulsant Rey, 1870 of the genus Aphodius Helwig, 1798 sensu lato comprises 30 species in the Palearctic fauna (Frolov 2001, 2002, Dellacasa et al. 2016 [treated as genus Bodilus]). Frolov (2001) reviewed the species of this subgenus from Russia and adjacent countries and suggested that the monotypic subgenus Paramelinopterus Rakovic, 1984 shares the main diagnostic characters of Bodilus. Frolov (2001) was unable, however, to examine the type species of Paramelinopterus, A. longipennis Rakovic, 1984, at that time. Král (2016) suggested that A. (Bodilus) inylchekensis Frolov, 2001 is a junior synonym of A. longipennis. Recently we have re-examined all the types as well as the additional material accumulated in the museums and can confirm that A. inylchekensis is a distinct species, but A. insperatus Petrovitz, 1967 and A. longipennis cannot be reliably separated by the morphological characters. In the present contribution we illustrate the major diagnostic characters of the species based on the type specimens and also provide a distribution map of the known localities of the species.

New and little known species of the Orphninae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from Madagascar.

Two new species of the orphnine scarab beetle genus Madecorphnus Paulian, 1992 are described: M. heidiae Frolov Akhmetova, new species, and M. ranomafanensis Frolov Akhmetova, new species, from the Ranomafana National Park, Fianarantsoa Province, Eastern Madagascar. The new species can be easily distinguished by the endophallic armature consisting of more than 10 small and similar, conical tubercles in the former species and 3 long sclerites and 2 smaller indistinctly separated clusters of robust spinules in the later. Exact locality data are provided for the first time for two Triodontus Westwood, 1845, species: T. hildebrandtii (Fairmaire, 1883) was found in the northern Madagascar and is probably endemic to the Amber Mountain Range, T. fairmairei Frolov, Montreuil Akhmetova, 2016, was also found in the northern Madagascar: Antsiranana Province, Djangoa. The updated key to the Madecorphnus species is given.

A new species of the genus Madecorphnus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Orphninae) from Madagascar.

Madagascar has a unique and diverse Orphninae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) fauna with four genera and 39 described species (Paulian 1977, Frolov et al. 2016). Half of these species belong to the genus Madecorphnus Paulian, 1992 (Paulian 1992, Frolov 2010a,b, 2012, 2014). The purpose of this paper is to describe a new species of Madecorphnus and provide a new record for M. dentatus Frolov, 2010.

Review of the Madagascan Orphninae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) with a revision of the genus Triodontus Westwood.

The subfamily Orphninae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is reviewed from Madagascar. A total of four genera and 39 species were found, all being endemic to the island. The following five new species are described: Triodontus ankarafantsikae, Triodontus lemoulti, Triodontus viettei, Triodontus fairmairei, and Triodontus inexpectatus. The following new synonymies are proposed: Orphnus nigrita Brancsik, 1893 is synonym of Triodontus hova (Fairmaire, 1868); Triodontus occidentalis Paulian, 1977 and Orphnus obsoletus Brancsik, 1893 are synonyms of Triodontus nitidulus (Guérin-Méneville, 1844); Triodontus vadoni Paulian, 1977 and Triodontus perrotorum Paulian, 1977 are synonyms of Triodontus owas Westwood, 1852. Lectotypes are designated for the following names: Orphnus nitidulus Guérin-Méneville, 1844 and Orphnidius modestus Benderitter, 1914. Keys, descriptions, illustrations of habitus and male genitalia, and distributional records maps are given for all species.

New data on the rare Afrotropical scarab beetles Orphnus drumonti Frolov and Delopleurus naviauxi Frolov et Cambefort (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Orphninae and Scarabaeinae).

BACKGROUND: The scarab beetle genera Orphnus Macleay and Delopleurus Boheman are most speciose in the Afrotropical region. However, a number of species are only known from type specimens, sometimes only from one sex. NEW INFORMATION: New locality records of Orphnus drumonti Frolov (Orphninae) and Delopleurus naviauxi Frolov et Cambefort (Scarabaeinae) are given. The previously unknown female of the former and male of the latter species are described.