Stiptopodius, Harold, 1871

Daniel, Gimo M., Deschodt, Christian M., Davis, Adrian L. V. & Sole, Catherine L., 2020, The enigmatic dung beetle genus Stiptopodius Harold, 1871 (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) revisited: new species descriptions from southern Africa, Zootaxa 4763 (3), pp. 394-404 : 403-404

Identification key to Stiptopodius species modified from Branco (2009)

1 Sides of pronotum (lateral view) weakly sinuate before postero-lateral angle ( S. doriae species group).................. 2

– Sides of pronotum (lateral view) strongly sinuate before postero-lateral angle ( S. singularis species group).............. 4

2 Body elongate, parallel-sided. Pronotum quadrate, much shorter than elytra. Head with two oblique tubercles on the vertex, often obsolete. Length 3.9 - 5.7 mm. Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso........................................................................... Stiptopodius doriae Harold, 1871

– Body short and wide. Pronotum with sides arcuate, only slightly shorter than elytra Head with two transversely-aligned weak tubercles on vertex.................................................................................... 3

3 Pronotal disc brown with metallic sheen. Meso- and metatarsi with five tarsomeres and apical pair of claws, meso- and metatarsomeres I to IV triangular and wider than long. (male; female unknown). Length 4.0 mm. South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Richards Bay)........................................... Stiptopodius peringueyi Daniel & Deschodt , new species

– Pronotal disc dull. Meso- and metatarsi clawless with three tarsomeres, meso and metatarsomeres I and II much longer than wide, tarsomere III small and not bilobate. Length 4.5–5.2 mm. Kenya, Tanzania.... Stiptopodius longipedis Branco, 1991

4 Head with two clearly separated tubercles on vertex. Clypeo-frontal carina present................................. 5

– Head with carina on vertex, entire or slightly interrupted in the middle, but never divided into two separated small tubercles. Clypeo-frontal carina absent............................................................................ 6

5 Cephalic tubercles approximately equidistant from each other and the inner edge of eyes; space between tubercles flat or very slightly depressed. Length 5.4–7.6 mm. Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania..................................................................................................... Stiptopodius patrizii Boucomont, 1923

– Cephalic tubercles much closer to inner edge of eyes than to each other; space between tubercles strongly depressed (male; female unknown). Length 7.3 mm. Kenya...................................... Stiptopodius krausei Branco, 1991

6 Clypeal surface not granular, punctation varies from small, simple punctures to large and ocellate..................... 7

– Clypeal surface at least partly granular and punctate........................................................ 12

7 Second elytral interstria with punctation aligned alongside the striae, middle of interstria apunctate. Head and pronotum of metallic colour or with a metallic sheen................................................................... 8

– Second elytral interstria with punctation irregularly distributed over entire surface. Head and pronotum black or brown, without metallic sheen...................................................................................... 10

8 Disc of pronotum glabrous at basal half, densely punctate. Frontal carina most often obsolete........................ 9

– Disc of pronotum pilose at basal half, with sparsely set double punctation, the larger punctures setiferous. Frontal carina most often strong. Length 5.3–6.6 mm. Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi................... Stiptopodius nitidus (Boucomont, 1923)

9 Pronotum with uniform, dense and medium-sized punctation. Elytra sparsely setose posteriorly. Mesotibiae not sinuate externally. Parameres short, with blunt tips. Length 4.5–6.0 mm. Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa (Limpopo, Gauteng and Natal), Angola................................... Stiptopodius singularis ( Péringuey, 1901)

– Pronotum with punctures of mixed size from fine to large. Elytra fully setose. Mesotibiae sinuate externally. Parameres with tips sharp and projecting forward (male; female unknown). Length 7.6. mm. Angola....................................................................................... Stiptopodius muellerae Daniel & Deschodt , new species,

10 Disc of pronotum glabrous, with uniform punctation, punctures of fine to medium-size. Elytral interstriae either pilose or glabrous............................................................................................. 11

– Disc of pronotum pilose, with double punctation, the larger punctures fairly strong, ocellate and setigerous. Elytra always entirely pilose. Length 6.5–7.3 mm. Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon.................. Stiptopodius gaillardi (Boucomont, 1923)

11 Frontal carina strong. Upper surface of the body entirely glabrous, except sometimes on sides of pronotum and on the eighth elytral interstria. Length 6.0– 7.2 mm. Sudan..................................... Stiptopodius glaber Branco, 1992

– Frontal carina obsolete. Upper surface of the body either pilose or glabrous. Pronotum always pilose on the sides; the eighth elytral interstriae varies from pilose or glabrous. Length 4.8–6.5 mm. Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Senegal.......................................................................... Stiptopodius nodieri (Boucomont, 1923)

12 Clypeal surface only partly granular; genae and vertex not granulose. Integument of pronotum not rugose.............. 13

– Head entirely granular. Integument of pronotum strongly rugose laterally. Length 4.9–5.0 mm. Zambia....................................................................................... Stiptopodius granulosus Branco, 2009

13 Head and pronotum of bronze colour. Length 4.5–5.9 mm. Somalia............... Stiptopodius glabricollis Müller, 1942

– Head and pronotum of black colour (female; male unknown). Length 4.3 mm. Botswana (Savuti)................................................................................ Stiptopodius savuti Daniel & Deschodt , new species