Sisyphini, Mulsant, 1842

Daniel, Gimo M., Davis, Adrian Lv., Sole, Catherine L. & Scholtz, Clarke H., 2020, Taxonomic review of the tribe Sisyphini sensu stricto Mulsant, 1842 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in southern Africa, including new species descriptions, Insect Systematics & Evolution 51 (1), pp. 1-61 : 10

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1163/1876312X-00002195
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:701C1742-718D-4486-A158-AEA608BA8576
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3794429
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D474D525-FF92-7C6D-D761-9CDDFE8AF9E3
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Sisyphini
status

Treatment

Species groups of Sisyphini View in CoL in southern Africa

In southern Africa, five species-groups are proposed for the genus Sisyphus according to their morphological affinities. Due to the limited amount of sexual dimorphism in Sisyphus ; characterization largely applies equally to males and females.

(1) S. muricatus group: Seven southern African species, comprising: S. muricatus ; S. neobornemisszanus ; S. fasciculatus ; S. perissinottoi ; S. manni ; S. swazi sp. n and S. alveatus . The external morphology ( Figs. 2 View Fig A–G) and the genitalia ( Figs. 3 View Fig A–G) differ among the members of the group.

(2) S. goryi group: Five species, comprising: S. bicuariensis sp. n; S. caffer ; S. genierorum ; S. goryi and S. sordidus . Although external morphological differences are subtle ( Figs. 5 View Fig A–E), the shapes of parameres are relatively different between species ( Figs. 6 View Fig A–E).

(3) S. umbraphilus group: Comprises a single southern African species, S. umbraphilus ( Fig. 8A View Fig ); genitalia ( Fig. 9A View Fig )

(4) S. costatus group: Five species, comprising: S. impressipennis ; S. costatus ; S. gazanus ; S. inconspicuus sp. n; and. S. australis sp. n ( Figs. 11 View Fig A–E). The shape of the parameres differs between species ( Figs. 12 View Fig A–E).

(5) S. seminulum group: Four southern African species: S. splendidus ; S. oralensis S. nanniscus ; and S. auricomus sp. n ( Figs. 14 View Fig A–D). The genitalia of S. splendidus were not studied because no male specimens were available. The parameres of other species members of the group are clearly different ( Figs. 15 View Fig A–C).

In Neosisyphus , identification is complicated by sexually dimorphic characters that vary in morphology with body size. Females are often difficult to separate into species. Species-groups defined for Neosisyphus follow Montreuil (2015b). In southern Africa five species-groups have been recorded.

(1) N. barbarossa group: Four species: N. barbarossa ; N. calcaratus ; N. tembyi sp. n and N. setiger ( Figs. 17 View Fig A–D). Morphological differences are clear in major males, but, less so in minor males and females. However, species members are easily separable through the differences between the phallobase and shapes of the parameres ( Figs. 18 View Fig A–D).

(2) N. spinipes group: Three species: N. fortuitus ; N. infuscatus and N. spinipes ( Figs. 20 View Fig A–C). All species bear distinctly different parameres ( Figs. 20 View Fig A–C). Although there are clear differences between major males, in the latter two species, there are often close morphological similarities.

(3) N. tibialis group: One southern African species: N. mirabilis ( Fig. 23A View Fig ). The species shows distinctive spinose sculpturing of the legs. The aedeagus is shown in Fig. 24A View Fig .

(4) N. quadricollis group: Two southern African species: N. quadricollis and N. kuehni ( Figs. 26 View Fig A–B). Both species show differences in the phallobase and the shape of parameres ( Figs. 27 View Fig A–B).

(5) N. rubrus group: Composed of two similar southern African species: N. macrorubrus and N. rubrus ( Figs. 29 View Fig A–B). Parameres differ in shape between the species ( Figs. 30 View Fig A–B).