Sarophorus punctatus Frolov & Scholtz, 2003

Strümpher, Werner P., Daniel, Gimo M. & Davis, Adrian L. V., 2022, Woody plant communities of southern South Africa and new distribution records for the rare dung beetle species Sarophorus punctatus Frolov & Scholtz, 2003 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), Zootaxa 5188 (4), pp. 396-400 : 397-399

Sarophorus punctatus Frolov & Scholtz, 2003

( Figs 1–5 )

Type locality. Keurboomstrand [Garden Route District Municipality, Western Cape Province, South Africa].

Type material examined. Holotype, male ( TMSA, aedeagus extracted): “S.Afr., S. Cape [Western Cape Province] | Keurboomstrand | 34[°].00[′]S-23[°].27[′]E” || “ 8.12.1976,E-Y:1301| groundtraps [pitfall traps] 8days | leg.EndrödyYounga” || “ SAROPHORUS | tuberculatus | Cast. | det.Y.Camberfort” || “ HOLOTYPUS | Sarophorus | punctatus | A. Frolov det. 2002” || “ TM SOUTH Africa | TMSC 08252”. Paratypes, 5 females ( TMSA): same data as holotype.

Frolov & Scholtz (2003) originally described this species from two males and six females, all with the same data. We studied five female paratypes as well as the holotype male.

Material examined representing new distribution records (21 specimens). SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape Province. 3♂, 1♀ Olifantskop Pass, 33°19′08″S 25°56′23″E, 25-27.i.2021, GM Daniel & WP Strümpher, site 1, forest (deep valley), pitfall trap baited with pig dung + chicken livers, (BMSA; BMSA(C) 121989, 121990, 121993, 121998). 6♂, 2♀ Zuurberg Pass, 33°22′46″S 25°42′37″E, 25-27.i.2021, GM Daniel & WP Strümpher, site 1, forest (deep valley), pitfall trap baited with pig dung + chicken livers (BMSA; BMSA(C) 117000–11705, BMSA(C) 122112). 4♂, 1♀ idem ( TMSA, preserved in 99% ethanol). 2♂, 2♀ Makhanda [formerly Grahamstown], Signal Hill, 33°19′57″S 26°32′27″E, 26-28.i.2021, GM Daniel & WP Strümpher, site 2, indigenous forest (deep valley), pitfall trap baited with pig dung + chicken livers ( TMSA).

Distribution and broad habitat associations. The new distribution records show that Sarophorus punctatus is more widespread than previously thought with a disjunct range that now comprises Keurboomstrand (Western Cape Province - type locality), Olifantskop Pass, Zuurberg Pass, and Makhanda (Eastern Cape Province - new provincial distribution records) ( Fig. 5 ). The considerable expansion of the species’ known range, further inland to the east of the type locality, suggests that forest patches of the Western and Eastern Cape have been under sampled. Such under sampling of isolated forest fragments could explain the apparent rarity of S. punctatus and some other forest associated members of the genus (e.g., S. frolovi Roets, 2017 ). Additional sampling is needed in the two provinces to get a better understanding of its distribution, rarity and habitat preferences. These efforts may help to retrieve critical data on additional dung beetle species, which are known to be associated with woody vegetation, in the Forest, Fynbos and Renosterveld biomes.

Biological notes. As a generality, species of the genus Sarophorus seem to show a bias to vegetation offering shade ( Davis et al. 2020). Over 12 months in Gauteng, quantitative data for the widespread S. costatus (Fåhraeus in Boheman, 1857) ( costatus group) recorded 271 individuals in shaded thickets but only seven in grassland ( Davis 1996). Several, other, poorly-known species of the tuberculatus group have only been recorded from type- or other localities within patches of dense, shaded, savanna woodland ( S. carinatus Frolov & Scholtz, 2003 ), renosterveld ( S. diabolus Roets, 2017 ) or forest ( S. frolovi Roets, 2017 ) ( Davis et al. 2020). As regards S. punctatus , it may be particularly cool-adapted as it was recorded in coastal areas or in deep forested valleys (new records) under cool, rainy conditions.

Conservation status. For many of the Sarophorus species in South Africa, basic information on their distributions, biology, ecology, and natural history is severely lacking. Therefore, from a conservation standpoint, it is important to document such baseline data through further field work. For instance, S. punctatus was recently assessed as endangered (EN) ( Davis et al. 2020) based on its known occurrence at a single, disturbed forest patch and no further records over a period of 44 years. This assessment may remain valid as the Extent of Occurrence (EOO) is still less than 5000 km 2 at less than five localities. However, addition of further localities might demand a reassessment although this should be tempered by any increased threat to the woody vegetation of the Western and Eastern Cape.

Additional Sarophorus material used for comparison:

Sarophorus carinatus Frolov & Scholtz, 2003 . Holotype, female (TMSA): “Z.A.49 | Lydenburg D. [district] | Ohrigstad [24°45’S 30°34’E]” || “Humus | III-1962 ” || “N. LELEUP leg.” || “ HOLOTYPUS | Sarophorus | carinatus | A. Frolov det 2002” || “TM SOUTH Africa | TMSC08181 ”.

Sarophorus frolovi Roets, 2017 . Holotype, male (SANC: SANC-TYPH-02478, aedeagus extracted): “ SOUTH AfRICA: KwaZulu- | Natal Province, Midlands, | Weza forestry plantations, | –30.61680 29.683626, | 02-2011, F. Roets & J. Pryke” || “100 ml pig dung and | chicken liver mix (8:1 ratio) | left in the field for 2 days” || “ HOLOTYPE | Sarophorus frolovi | Roets 2017 ”.

Sarophorus tuberculatus (Laporte de Castelnau, 1840) . SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province: Algoa Bay , Brauns (2 specimens, TMSA) ; Addo Park , 16-20.xii.1996, R. Wolmarans (2 specimens, TMSA) . Western Cape Province: Swartberge Hagas Farm , 33°24’S 22°46’E, 2.iii.1979, sandy valley, S. Endrödy-Younga (1 specimen, TMSA) ; Little Karoo, Raubenheimer Dam , 33°25’S 22°19’E, 21.x.1993, donkey dung, S. Endrödy-Younga (2 specimens, TMSA) ; 8 km W of Ysterfontein , 33°15’S 18°11’E, 28.viii.1983, groundtraps, 70 days, Endrödy-Younga and Penrith (1 specimen, TMSA) ; Ysterfontein , 14.ix. 1976, N.J. Duke (5 specimens, TMSA) .

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. Sarophorus punctatus Frolov & Scholtz, 2003 (TMSA). 1, male, dorsal view; 2, female, dorsal view; 3, aedeagus, dorsal and lateral views; 4, specimen labels; 5, distribution of S. punctatus (yellow circles; circle with black point indicates type locality - “Keurboomstrand”).