Alberto Ballerio

Larvae of Ceratocanthidae and Hybosoridae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea): study of morphology, phylogenetic analysis and evidence of paraphyly of Hybosoridae

Abstract.  Larvae of the scarabaeoid genera Germarostes Paulian, Cyphopisthes Gestro, Paulianostes Ballerio, Ceratocanthus White, Pterorthochaetes Gestro, Madrasostes Paulian, Astaenomoechus Martínez & Pereira (Ceratocanthidae) and Hybosorus Macleay, Phaeochrous Castelnau, and Anaides Westwood (Hybosoridae) are described, keyed and illustrated with fifty‐seven drawings. A phylogenetic analysis of these two families based on larval morphology is presented. Fifty‐four larval morphological and three biological characters from twenty‐seven taxa revealed nineteen equally parsimonious cladograms. The monophyly of (Ceratocanthidae + Hybosoridae) is supported by four unambiguous unique synapomorphies: dorsal medial endocarina on cranium extended anteriorly into frontal sclerite; presence of large membranous spot on apical antennomere; labium dorsally with four pores in centre (secondarily reduced to two pores in some groups); and presence of stridulatory organ on fore‐ and middle legs (secondarily reduced in some groups). Our analysis suggests that the family Hybosoridae is paraphyletic with respect to Ceratocanthidae. The clade comprising the hybosorid genera Hybosorus and Phaeochrous is the sister group of the remaining Hybosoridae plus Ceratocanthidae. It is supported by two unambiguous synapomorphies: two apical antennomeres completely joined and the stridulatory organ represented by seven to nine large teeth anteriorly on the middle leg. The hybosorid genus Anaides is a sister group to the remaining Hybosoridae plus Ceratocanthidae (without Hybosorus and Phaeochrous) and the ceratocanthid genus Germarostes is a sister group to the remaining Hybosoridae plus Ceratocanthidae (without Hybosorus, Phaeochrous and Anaides). The ceratocanthid genera Cyphopisthes, Astaenomoechus, Paulianostes, Pterorthochaetes, and Madrasostes constitute a sister group to the hybosorid genus Cryptogenius and are supported by the presence of two reversions: two dorsal pores on labium and completely reduced stridulatory organs on fore‐ and middle legs.

A new genus and species of Ceratocanthidae from Tanzania (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea)

Cryptophilharmostes mahunkai n.gen., n.sp., a remarkable Ceratocanthidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) from the Usambara Mountains (Tanzania), is described. The morphology of the clypeus and mesoepisternum is discussed, also with reference to other Ceratocanthidae. The affinities of the genus are discussed, and within the Afrotropical fauna a group of genera formed by Philharmostes Kolbe and its allies is recognized.

Unusual Morphology in a New Genus and Species of Ceratocanthinae from New Guinea (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Hybosoridae)

Oxymorostes riedeli new genus and species is described from the Indonesian part of New Guinea. This new taxon is characterized by a number of unique characters: the presence of a deep excavation in the hypomeron and the unusually modified humeral area of the elytra. Its closest relationships seem to be within the newly defined “Perignamptus genus group”, characterized by mouthparts morphology, including the presence of a large pore on the mandibular surface. This group gathers at least the Oriental/Australasian genera Madrasostes Paulian, Perignamptus Harold, and Macrophilharmostes Paulian as well as a few species currently placed in other genera.

First report of perching behaviour by dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in scarp forests of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

In some scarp forests in KwaZulu-Natal, perching behaviour by two species of the genus Onthophagus Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) was observed repeatedly. Perching behaviour is commonly observed among many dung beetle species of the subfamily Scarabaeinae. Various causes of the behaviour have been suggested, e.g. thermoregulation (Young 1984), predator avoidance (Young 1982), and rest perching at night for diurnal species (Cambefort & Walter 1991), but the most widely applicable explanation seems to be a foraging strategy for finding an ‘odour path’ to fresh dung (Howden & Nealis 1978; Howden et al. 1991). Perching usually occurs at low heights above ground, and perching species are mostly small (less than 1 cm) and have the ability to fly away very rapidly (Howden & Nealis 1978; Cambefort & Walter 1991). At least in some New World areas perching height seems to have a direct relation to beetle size (Howden & Nealis 1978; Howden et al. 1991). Most reports of perching come from tropical forests (see Davis 1999 for a recent review), mainly in lowlands, with very few records from subtropical (e.g. Williams 1993 for Australia) and temperate forests (Young 1982 for U.S.A.). In the Afrotropical Region there are records only from the GuineoCongolian tropical rainforest block (Cambefort & Walter 1991). The data provided in this note are therefore remarkable both because this is the first time that this behaviour is reported for South Africa and because the scarp forests of KwaZuluNatal have intermediate characters between the subtropical Indian Ocean coastal belt forests and the Afromontane/Afrotemperate forests of KwaZulu-Natal’s interior (Maltitz et al. 2003; Mucina & Rutherford 2006). All observations were made during the rainy season, in the late morning between 10:00 and 12:00, under cloudy weather conditions. Both observed Onthophagus species are relatively small (8–10 mm) and darkly coloured, O. lugens being black, and O. declivicollis being dark brown. Voucher specimens are housed in the Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, and in the author’s collection.

Two new records of ceratocanthinae from northeastern Argentina (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea, Hybosoridae)

Germarostes (Haroldostes) rugiceps (Germar) and Germarostes (Haroldostes) diffundus (Petrovitz) (Ceratocanthinae) are recorded for the first time for Argentina from Misiones and Corrientes, respectively. This brings to thirteen the total number of the Ceratocanthinae species recorded for Argentina up to now. Some remarks on the type series of G. diffundus and on the collecting circumstances of the Argentine specimens in here discussed are included.

Revision of the Australian ceratocanthinae (coleoptera, scarabaeoidea, hybosoridae).

Abstract The Australian fauna of Ceratocanthinae (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea, Hybosoridae) is revised. Two genera are present, both shared with Asia, with a total of seven species, all localized in eastern Queensland and all except one, endemic to Australia. Cyphopisthes is comprised of three species, two of them new (Cyphopisthes yorkensis sp. n. and Cyphopisthes monteithi sp. n., the latter, together with Cyphopisthes descarpentriesi Paulian, 1977 displaying an unusual ecology, with occurrence in the southern Queensland dry rainforest/scrub habitats), and Pterorthochaetes is comprised of four species, two of them new (Pterorthochaetes danielsi sp. n. and Pterorthochaeres storeyi sp. n.). Descriptions, distribution, ecological remarks and a key to species are provided.

Ecology and Diversity of Canopy Associated Ceratocanthidae (Insecta: Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea) in An Afrotropical Rainforest

Within a survey of canopy arthropods made by insecticidal fogging in the Budongo Forest, a semideciduous rainforest in Western Uganda, during the rainy season and the dry season, an unusually large number of Ceratocanthidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) was collected. Five species were found: Callophilharmostes fleutiauxii (Paulian, 1943), Petrovitzostes guineensis (Petrovitz, 1968), Philharmostes (Holophilharmostes) badius Petrovitz, 1967, and Philharmostes (Philharmostes) adami Paulian, 1968, all recorded for the first time from Uganda, and Carinophilharmostes vadoni (Paulian, 1937). This is the best documented evidence of an association of Ceratocanthidae with the canopy of understory trees and the first time that this phenomenon is discussed. Furthermore, observations about seasonality, reproductive biology, sex ratio and abundance are presented.