Description and ecology of two new species of Gyronotus van Lansberge, 1874 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) from southern Africa

By

Moretto, Philippe
Perissinotto, Renzo

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2013

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

344

Pages

73-82

Subjects

coastal sourveld , montane grassland , new species , Scarabaeinae , sour bushveld , South Africa , Swaziland , threatened genus

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.344.6101

 

Abstract

Recent collections in KwaZulu-Natal and Swaziland have led to the discovery of two new species of the flightless and highly threatened Scarabaeinae genus Gyronotus van Lansberge, 1874. A description of G. perissinottoi sp. n. and G. schuelei sp. n. is provided here, along with notes on their habitat and ecology. Unlike the vast majority of the species previously known in the genus, which have been reported as forest dwellers, the two new species are found during daytime in grassland/savanna vegetation, at the margin of forest patches.