Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Scarabaeidae

Onthophagus dama (Fabricius, 1798) Fig. 1-4

Copris dama Fabricius 1798: 32

Scarabaeus aeneus Olivier 1789: 131

Onthophagus dama (Fabricius 1798) Arrow 1931: 280

Onthophagus zubaci Balthasar 1932: 151

Onthophagus (Onthophagus) dama (Fabricius 1798) Balthasar 1963: 325

Onthophagus cervicornis Kirby 1825: 565, syn. n.

Remarks.

As no major nomenclatural concern can affect the current taxonomic status of Onthophagus cervicornis, we decided to maintain the syntypic status (Art. 73.2.1) for the examined specimens (ICZN 1999: 74.7.3). Instead, in order to maintain the nomenclature stability for Onthophagus dama, as well as the correct identification of further specimens, a male lectotype is here designated by choosing a name-bearing type specimen.

Geographical distribution.

Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and India: Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand (Chandra and Gupta 2013: 4665), and Sikkim (Balthasar 1963: 326).

Type material examined.

Syntypes (1♂ + 1♀): 1♂, dry pinned. Original label: “cervicornis” [cream label, W. Kirby black handwritten]; "♂ syntype Onthophagus cervicornis Kirby 1825: 565 = Onthophagus dama (F.) Rossini & Mann, 2014" [printed] (MM). 1♀, dry pinned. Original labels: “♀” [cream label, black hand written]/ cervicornis coll. Kirby [cream label with black border, black handwritten] / "Ex. Coll. Hincks & Dibb" [white label, black written printed] / "Manchester Museum, SYNTYPE" [blue label, black written printed] "♀ syntype Onthophagus cervicornis Kirby 1825: 565 = Onthophagus dama (F.) Rossini & Mann, 2014" [printed] (MM).

Ecology.

coprophagus, mostly attracted by cattle and human excrements, tunneler, active in any seasons and diurnal (Venugopal et al. 2012). Very widespread and abundant in tropical dry forest and agricultural habitats.