An overview of the Onthophagini from the Arabian Peninsula (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Scarabaeidae)
Author
Ziani, Stefano
Author
Abdel-Dayem, Mahmoud Saleh
Author
Aldhafer, Hathal Mohammed
Author
Barbero, Enrico
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-08-21
4658
1
1
36
journal article
25961
10.11646/zootaxa.4658.1.1
31d6e081-95c3-4086-a45a-c11555dda3aa
1175-5326
3373040
ADCBCCA2-63C1-42CD-A3C9-C14F954F4A21
Subgenus
Eremonthophagus
Zunino, 1979
Remarks
. According to
Kabakov (2006)
the subgenus
Eremonthophagus
Zunino, 1979
is to be considered a junior synonym of the subgenus
Colobonthophagus
Balthasar, 1963
, and all the species of the former must be placed in the latter, even if they do not have the bulbous elevation at base of justasutural interstria, that is, one of the distinctive characters of
Colobonthophagus
: “...а таКЖе виды подрода
Eremonthophagus
Zunino
, ЯвЛЯЮЩиеСЯ по нашему мнениЮ аридным дериватом типицных
Colobonthophagus
”
[...as well as species of the subgenus
Eremonthophagus
, which in our opinion are arid derivatives of typical
Colobonthophagus
]. That “arid”, meant as living in desert areas, is referred to the xerothermic habitat of some
Eremonthophagus
species. According to
Kabakov (2006)
, some other external morphological features justify the synonymy, and allow
Colobonthophagus sensu
Kabakov
to be a homogenous group. However, the morphology of male genitalia, particularly the lamella copulatrix, and the external character of the base of sutural interstria of elytra, that can be considered a synapomorphic, and do not allow us to agree with the synonymy of Kabakov. As already stated by
Tagliaferri
et al
. (2012)
and
Ziani & Bezděk (2016)
, the subgenus
Eremonthophagus
is herein considered a valid subgenus, separated from
Colobonthophagus
.