Digitonthophagus Balthasar, 1959

Génier, François & Moretto, Philippe, 2017, Digitonthophagus Balthasar, 1959: taxonomy, systematics, and morphological phylogeny of the genus revealing an African species complex (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), Zootaxa 4248 (1), pp. 1-110 : 14-15

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.439444

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:71F0AC03-C1FB-40AB-8532-99A638FC91E9

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5490058

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3D5987B7-0772-FF9D-FF17-A12E01CEFA57

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Digitonthophagus Balthasar, 1959
status

 

Digitonthophagus Balthasar, 1959 View in CoL

Digitonthophagus Balthasar, 1959: 464 View in CoL (original description) Digitonthophagus View in CoL — Balthasar 1963: 159 (monograph)

Digitonthophagus View in CoL — Ferreira 1968: 593 (monograph)

Digitonthophagus View in CoL — Ferreira 1972: 779 (diagnosis)

Digitonthophagus View in CoL — Kabakov 1979: 94 (diagnosis)

Digitonthophagus View in CoL — Zunino 1981: 413 (new combination, comment taxonomy) Digitonthophagus View in CoL — Zunino & Halffter 1988: 17 (comment taxonomy) Digitonthophagus View in CoL — Ochi 2003: 260 (diagnosis, comment)

Digitonthophagus View in CoL — Monaghan et al. 2007: 678 (phylogeny) Digitonthophagus View in CoL — Tarasov & Kabakov 2010: 24 (comment) Digitonthophagus View in CoL — Tarasov & Solodovnikov 2011: 2 (phylogeny) Digitonthophagus View in CoL — Génier 2013: 2 (comment taxonomy)

Digitonthophagus View in CoL — Mlambo et al. 2015: 318 (phylogeny)

Digitonthophagus View in CoL — Breeschoten et al, 2016: 87 (phylogeny) Digitonthophagus View in CoL — Roggero et al. 2016a: [1] (phylogeny)

Digitonthophagus View in CoL — Roggero et al. 2016b: 2 (phylogeny)

Type species. Scarabaeus bonasus Fabricius, 1775 (original designation)

Diagnosis. Externally, the genus Digitonthophagus is almost indistinguishable from the rest of the Onthophagini . However, all Digitonthophagus species have the anterior portion of the hypomeron produced anteriorly and visible from above; therefore, setae that would be located along the anterior edge in ventral portion are moved to a dorsal position. The only other external characters found separating the genus Digitonthophagus and the other closely related genera, is the presence of a distinctly shaped internoapical tooth of the male protibia ( Figs. 7–22 View FIGURES 7 – 10 View FIGURES 11 – 14 View FIGURES 15 – 18 View FIGURES 19 – 22 ). This tooth is usually elongate, ventrally flat, and obliquely oriented downward. This character must be combined with females completely lacking this protibial internoapical tooth. In Onthophagus species where a similar tooth is present, the shape of this tooth is spiniform and forwardly directed in males and present in females as well but reduced in size (in African species examined). Internally, the parameres are rather short and the basolateral paramerites always present with the apex of the later adjacent to the lateral portion of the apical carinae. The internal sac of the aedeagus is lacking the lamella copulatrix and associated small sclerites and bristle pads. The frontolateral peripheral sclerite ( Figs. 2–5 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 ) is located at the apex of the internal sac and a subapicoventral lobe oriented perpendicularly to the main plan of FLP is present.

Description. Size. Small to moderately large (6.5–17.0 mm). Color. Overall color fulvous to light brown with structure edges and sutures more-or-less darker; pronotal disc and head darker and with distinct metallic sheen; elytral margins brown to green, disc with a more-or-less distinct darker irregular macula; metasternum and femoral ventral surface usually with much darker maculae. Head. With a sharply defined clypeofrontal carina in both sexes; antenna with 9 antennomeres, with deep pits on distal surface of antennomeres 7–8. Pronotum. With distinct squamiform granules anteriorly posterior to the anterior declivity that is always simply punctate, granules larger anteriorly and extending more-or-less posteriorly; anterior discal punctures weakly-defined and becoming well-defined posteriorly, when present. Elytra. Juxtasutural interval with strong metallic sheen along sutures; usually with a dark oval macula on the apical declivity on intervals 4–5. Pygidium. Surface with scattered, fine granulate punctures; each puncture with an erect, yellow seta. Ventrites. Hypomeron slightly convex; anterior hypomeral carina well-defined throughout; mesosternum with a bisinuate, glossy surface anteriorly and a more-orless developed longitudinal glossy, keel-shaped structure medially; posterior portion completely rugopunctate and setose; metasternal median lobe usually with a distinct longitudinal ridge behind the anterior suture. Aedeagus. Parameres rather short and basolateral paramerites always present, with the apex of the later adjacent to the lateral portion of the apical carinae. Female genitalia. Infundibulum thin, simple with a median portion reduced; receptaculum seminis elongate, simple, lacking annulate ridges internally (female genitalia characters from Zunino 1981).

Remarks. Balthasar’s (1959) original description was restricted to external morphology and included a number of unrelated species ( O. actaeon Balthasar , O. anguliceps Boucomont , O. avocetta Arrow , O. blumei van Lansberge , O. bonasus Fabricius , O. cameloides d'Orbigny , O. curvicarinatus Boucomont , O. diabolicus Harold , O. digitatus Arrow , O. diversiformis Boucomont , O. fossor Arrow , O. gazella Fabricius , O. kuluensis Bates , O. manipurensis Arrow , O. ohbayashii Nomura , O. ribbei Boucomont , O. rubricollis Hope , O. solivagus Harold , O. troniceki Balthasar , and O. wallacei Harold ). The main characteristic used by Balthasar to define his subgenus was the elongate and thin protibia of the male. This character state is highly homoplasious in Scarabaeinae and evolved many times in the Onthophagini . The subgenus, as originally defined, was clearly paraphyletic ( Zunino 1981).

Remarks for species descriptions and identification key. Diagnoses based on external morphology refer to welldeveloped individuals. As in many scarabaeine species, strong allometric variation in the development of external secondary sexual characters is present. Smallest males will show completely feminized head and thoracic ornamentation, while largest males present two horns on the vertex. Pronotal and elytral granulations and punctation are usually diagnostic but variable, and extremes of one species can be similar to individuals of another species, which makes identification difficult with external characters for some specimens. Examination of the FLP sclerite shape will always provide a definite identification for males. Diagnoses for species groups must be used in conjunction with species diagnoses.

Species are arranged into six groups based on the current phylogeny in order to facilitate comparison of closely-related species. Species are listed in alphabetical order within each group except for the Digitonthophagus bonasus group, where D. uks is treated next to D. bonasus since it is the most closely related species from the same biogeographical region.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Coleoptera

Family

Scarabaeidae

Loc

Digitonthophagus Balthasar, 1959

Génier, François & Moretto, Philippe 2017
2017
Loc

Digitonthophagus

Breeschoten 2016: 87
2016
Loc

Digitonthophagus

Roggero 2016: 2
2016
Loc

Digitonthophagus

Mlambo 2015: 318
2015
Loc

Digitonthophagus

Genier 2013: 2
Tarasov 2011: 2
Tarasov 2010: 24
Monaghan 2007: 678
2007
Loc

Digitonthophagus

Ochi 2003: 260
Zunino 1988: 17
Zunino 1981: 413
1981
Loc

Digitonthophagus

Kabakov 1979: 94
1979
Loc

Digitonthophagus

Ferreira 1972: 779
1972
Loc

Digitonthophagus

Ferreira 1968: 593
1968
Loc

Digitonthophagus

Balthasar 1963: 159
Balthasar 1959: 464
1959
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