| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication: | 2003 |
| Authors: | Jdu G. Harrison, T. Philips K. |
| Journal: | Annals of the Transvaal Museum |
| Volume: | 40 |
| Pagination: | 47-71 |
| Keywords: | Aptery, Biology, Drepanopodus, Kheper, Pachylomerus, Pachysoma, phylogeny, Psammophily, Scarabaeolus, Scarabaeus, Sceliages |
| Abstract: | ThemonophylyofPachysomaMacLeayisassessedviacladisticanalysis,basedonsixty-fouradultcharactersfrom thirty-seventaxacomprisingall currentlyandpreviously recognizedgenerainScarabaeini, except Madateuchus Paulian.PachysomacomprisesamonophyleticcladeofderivedspeciesofScarabaeusandNeopachysomaFerreira isthesisterlineageofPachysomasensustricto.Scarabaeus(Pachysoma)stat. nov. isconsideredasubgenusof ScarabaeusLinnaeuswhileNeopachysomaFerreiraismaintainedasasynonymof Pachysomasensulato. NeomnematiumJanssenstogether withMnematiumMacLeayispolyphyletic, whilethelatter isparaphyletic. MnematiumMacLeayandNeomnematiumJanssensaremaintainedassynonymsofScarabaeus,andtheirspecies includedinsubgeneraScarabaeus(Scarabaeus) andScarabaeus(Scarabaeolus).DrepanopodusJanssens, KheperJanssensandSceliagesWestwood,asderivedcladesofScarabaeus,couldalsoberecognizedassubgen- eratomaintainamonophyleticScarabaeus,but aremaintainedasgenerapendingfurther work. Aridificationof theNamibDesertispostulatedtohaveinitiatedtheevolutionofScarabaeus(Pachysoma),whichfeedondrydungor detritusandarederivedfromaball-rollingandwet-dung-feedingScarabaeus-likeancestor. Theevolutionof flightlessnessandfoodrelocationstrategy,biogeography,andadditionaldistributionalandbiologicalinformationare presented for the group. |