Sisyphus impressipennis Lansberge, 1886

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 : 28-29

Sisyphus impressipennis Lansberge, 1886 ( Figs. 11 , 12A ).

Lansberge 1886: 73–74, Gillet 1911: 23; Arrow 1927: 462–5; Haaf 1955: 362; Schefer-Fischer 1992: 124, Schaefer-Fischer, 2001:58, Montreuil 2015a: 96.

Sisyphus transvaalensis Péringuey, 1908

Péringuey 1908: 557; Arrow 1927: 462; Haaf 1955: 364; Balthasar 1968: 954; Ferreira 1972: 807; Montreuil 2015a: 96

Sisyphus callosipes Arrow, 1909

Arrow 1909: 517; Arrow 1927: 462; Haaf 1955: 365; Montreuil 2015a: 96.

Type locality: Humpata ( Angola).

Size: Male: length: 10.0– 7.1 mm; width: 5.6–4.0 mm; Female: length: 10.1– 7.5 mm, width 5.1–4.0 mm.

Diagnosis: S. impressipennis is easily distinguished from other species in the costatus species-group by bearing an anvil-shaped projection on the mid-ventral edge of the metafemur, mainly in males.

Examined type material

Sisyphus callosipes Arrow, 1909 : Lectotype: (1♂ NHML), / MOZAMBIQUE, Nyassa /, /coll: Simons & Fry, 1905/, handwritten on brown label / Sisyphus callopsis, Arrow type /, / Sisyphus callopsis det. ME. Bacchus , 1975 ; Lectotype /. Paralectotype: (1♀ NHML) / Mozambique, Nyassa /, /coll: Simons & Fry, 1905/, handwritten on brown label/, / Sisyphus callopsis det. ME. Bacchus , 1975 ; Paralectotype /. (1♂, 1♀ NHML), / RDC, 150–200 miles, W. of Kambove (3500–4500 ft)/, /coll: Neave , 18.10.1907 /, / Sisyphus callopsis det. ME. Bacchus, 1975. Sisyphus transvaalensis Péringuey, 1908 : Lectotype (designated here): (1♂ SAM): / SOUTH AFRICA, Transvaal, Pietersburg /, handwritten on brown label, / Sisyphus transvaalensis Péringuey /, /red label, /TYPE/ (Lectotype det. GM. Daniel 2016) .

Examined non-type material: See Supplementary information.

Distribution: S. impresssipennis was described from south-west Angola. It is distributed in east-central and southern Africa ( Davis et al. 2005) where it is associated with shaded areas in savanna and dense miombo woodland. It has been recorded from lowlands in northern South Africa, in upland Chirinda Forest ( Zimbabwe), Mt Mulanje ( Malawi), Central Mozambique, Manyara National Park ( Tanzania) and Kambove (Republic Democratic of Congo) ( Fig. 13C ).

Remarks: Examination of S. callosipes and S. transvaalensis type material showed that the external morphology and genitalia are similar to S. impressipennis . Therefore, we regard both species as junior synonyms of S. impressipennis , as previously proposed by Paschalidis (1974) and Montreuil (2015a).

Figures

Fig. 11. Images of the habitus of the costatus species-group: A. S. impressipennis; B. S. costatus; C. S. gazanus; D. S. inconspicuus sp. n; E. S. australis sp. n. F. elytra composed of alternate rows of well and less-developed setae, normally seen in S. costatus and S. australis sp. n. G. Head of S. costatus shows a concavity between the medial teeth on the anterior edge of the clypeus. H. Head of S. australis sp. n shows a straight margin between the medial teeth on the anterior edge of the clypeus; there are defined carinae on the clypeo-frontal suture, and scattered punctation on the vertex. I. Frons of S. inconspicuus sp. n without clear punctation. J. S. gazanus: bearing vertex and frons densely and fully punctate.

Fig. 12. Images of the aedeagi of the costatus species-group: A. S. impressipennis; B. S. costatus; C. S. gazanus; D. S. inconspicuus sp. n; E. S. australis sp. n.

Fig. 13. Distribution map for the costatus species-group.