Gimo M. Daniel

National Museum, Bloemfontein · Terrestrial Invertebrates

Five new species of Epirinus Dejean, 1833 were discovered during databasing of dung beetle collections. These are described here, as Epirinus inparrugosus Deschodt & Davis, new species, Epirinus jacobsae Deschodt & Davis, new species, Epirinus muellerae Deschodt & Davis, new species, Epirinus pseudorelictus Deschodt & Davis, new species and Epirinu...

Although several methods exist for extracting and sequencing historical DNA originating from dry-preserved insect specimens deposited in natural history museums, no consensus exists as to what is the optimal approach. We demonstrate that a customized, low-cost archival DNA extraction protocol (∼€10 per sample), in combination with Ultraconserved El...

The lacewing genus Afroptera Abdalla & Mansell (Neuroptera: Nemopteridae: Nemopterinae) is endemic to southern Africa, predominantly found in the Fynbos and Succulent Karoo biomes. The taxonomy of the genus has been recently resolved. However, the monophyly and evolutionary history of the genus has never been addressed. This study employs an integr...

Understanding the composition and distribution of dung beetle species across various habitat types is crucial for elucidating their ecosystem functions. Dung beetles play pivotal roles in ecological processes such as nutrient cycling, seed dispersal and parasite suppression. Despite numerous studies on the influence of habitat types on dung beetle...

The fundamental value of universal nomenclatural systems in biology is that they enable unambiguous scientific communication. However, the stability of these systems is threatened by recent discussions asking for a fairer nomenclature, raising the possibility of bulk revision processes for "inappropriate" names. It is evident that such proposals co...

Recently, there has been growing attention paid to the Mozambican dung beetle fauna, including the description of several new species. In this paper, we revise the taxonomy of species recorded from Mozambique in the genus Diastellopalpus van Lansberge, 1886, including the description of Diastellopalpus scholtzi Daniel, Strümpher, Josso & Davis, new...

A new species of dung beetle, Proagoderus mabuensis Daniel, Josso, Nganhane & Strümpher, new species from Mount Mabu, northern Mozambique, is described, diagnosed, and illustrated. We provide a morphological comparison between the new species and a similar species from Mount Namuli, Mozambique, Proagoderus camiadei Josso, 2014. Both species belong...

In November 2023, Deschodt & Sole (2023) proposed the new genus-group name Hathor Deschodt for a peculiar, putatively ant-associated onthophagine dung beetle from Gauteng province, South Africa. The genus is as yet known only from the female holotype of the species Hathor spinosa Deschodt, 2023. It was overlooked that the new generic name is preocc...

The subfamily Scarabaeinae has been traditionally divided into tribes on the basis of morphological similarity between groups of genera or, even, dissimilarity shown by a single genus. Although various tribal units have been described over the past 220 years, they had been recently reduced to a maximum of only 12 through synonymies within some trib...

Although several methods exist for extracting and sequencing historical DNA originating from drypreserved insect specimens deposited in natural history museums, no consensus exists as to what is the optimal approach. We demonstrate that a customized, low-cost archival DNA extraction protocol (∼ €10 per sample), in combination with Ultraconserved El...

Dung beetles feed mainly on scarce and ephemeral mammalian faeces making them vulnerable to declines of mammal populations. Therefore, studying how diverse groups like the Scarabaeinae subfamily utilize alternative food sources, such as decomposing invertebrates, enhances our understanding of their distribution and resilience in defaunated areas. O...

Mabu Forest in northern-central Mozambique harbours the largest continuous block of rainforest remaining in southern Africa. Also, the region is known for its exceptional levels of biodiversity, including a high level of endemism. Several new taxa of plants and animals have been discovered from previous biological expeditions. Last year, we conduct...

Dysmorphocerinae is a subfamily of Cantharidae erected for a group of genera with a mainly gondwanan distribution whose adult forms could not be reliably assigned to any other subfamily. The systematic position and monophyly of Dysmorphocerinae remains questionable, as recent molecular and morphological studies have produced conflicting results. De...

Onthophagus mabuensis Daniel, Strümpher & Josso, new species, is diagnosed, described and illustrated from Mount Mabu, which is situated in north-central Mozambique. Morphological comparison is made between this new forest species and similar species from Malawi and Zambia in group 3 of Onthophagus Latreille, 1802, as classified by d'Orbigny (1913)...

This sixth report of activities of the Linz Zoocode Committee is devoted to the result of the enquiry launched by this Committee in 2021 about the status of new nomina and nomenclatural acts published so far on CD-ROMs. After a discussion of some problems of interpretation raised by Articles 8.4.2, 8.1.2 and 9.12 of the Code, we provide information...

This fourth report of activities of the Linz Zoocode Committee is devoted to a detailed survey of the problems raised by the current Rules of the Code regarding the nomenclatural availability of works published on paper, concerning their dates, material and administrative parameters of publication, and various other matters. It proposes a few chang...

This fifth report of activities of the Linz Zoocode Committee is devoted to a detailed survey of the problems raised by the current Rules of the Code, published in 2012, regarding the nomenclatural availability of works published online and registered on the database Zoobank. It points to various deficiencies in these Rules and in the conception an...

This fourth report of activities of the Linz Zoocode Committee is devoted to a detailed survey of the problems raised by the current Rules of the Code regarding the nomenclatural availability of works published on paper, concerning their dates, material and administrative parameters of publication, and various other matters. It proposes a few chang...

This third report of activities of the Linz Zoocode Committee provides comments and proposals regarding the concepts, terminology and Rules used to establish the nomenclatural availability of publications, whatever their support and mode of distribution (on paper, on discs or electronic).

This second report of activities of the Linz Zoocode Committee is devoted to a careful analysis of the concept of nomenclatural availability in zoological nomenclature, a concept often misunderstood and misused in recent taxonomic publications. It provides a definition of this expression and establishes a new nomenclatural principle, the Principle...

Silvaphilus joselmae Daniel, Strümpher & Deschodt, new species is diagnosed and described from the Cederberg Mountains, South Africa. The tribal affiliation of Silvaphilus Roets & Oberlander, 2010 is briefly discussed. We revise some generic characters and update the key for the species and genera in the tribe Endroedyolini Davis, Deschodt & Scholt...

Regional biogeographical patterns result from a complex combination across habitat, climate and environmental variables. Biotic and abiotic variables strongly influence the diversity and spatial distribution pattterns. However, very few studies analyse the close interaction and effect of environmental variables on diversity at fine spatiotemporal s...

Haroldius lyleae Daniel, Strümpher & Snäll, new species, is described and illustrated from South Africa. The new species can be easily distinguished from other species of the genus by its notable triangular clypeus lacking the distinctive mid-anterior indentation and denticles present in other Haroldius Boucomont, 1914 species. Monomorium albopilos...

According to the Code currently in force, taxonomic works presenting nomenclatural novelties published on optical discs may be nomenclaturally available only if published between 1985 and 2013, and respecting some conditions allowing their nomenclatural promulgation. These works will remain accessible to readers only as long as the technologies all...

A new species of dung beetle, Stiptopodius brancoi Strümpher & Daniel, new species, from Namibia, is diagnosed, described, and illustrated. The new species is the first Stiptopodius recorded from the country and belong to the "singularis species group". A revised key as well as a checklist of Stiptopodius species recorded from the African continent...

The role of the geological uplift and climatic changes during the late Cenozoic on the species diversification of southern African dung beetles is not fully understood. Therefore, we use a divergence-time-estimated phylogeny, macroevolutionary analyses and ecological niche modelling under different climatic scenarios to investigate diversification...

The role of the geological uplift and climatic changes during the late Cenozoic on the species diversification of southern African dung beetles is not fully understood. Therefore, we use a divergence-time-estimated phylogeny, macroevolutionary analyses and ecological niche modelling under different climatic scenarios to investigate diversification...

Aim: The high diversity of species in southern Africa has been attributed to geological and palaeoclimatic factors. The timing of radiations in some groups is held to be linked to these geoclimatic trends. Using the Scarabaeinae dung beetle genus, Sisyphus, as a model system, we investigate how geological uplift and climatic changes in the late Cen...

It is proposed that the genus Stiptopodius Harold, 1871 should be subdivided into two species groups based on the shape of the lateral edge of the pronotum. Three new species are described from southern Africa: Stiptopodius peringueyi Daniel & Deschodt, new species, Stiptopodius savuti Daniel & Deschodt, new species, and Stiptopodius muellerae Dani...

A species checklist of the dung beetles from Mozambique is presented.

The purpose of this application, under Article 23.9.5 of the Code, is to conserve the specific name Ateuchus costatus Wiedemann, 1823, a junior primary homonym of Ateuchus costatus Thunberg, 1818. These names are currently in use and have not been treated as congeneric since 1869, when the homonyms were transferred to the genera Scarabaeus Linnaeus...

The genus Epirinus Dejean, 1833 was established with seven originally included species, none of which was designated as type. Reiche’s (1841) and Janssens’ (1938) designations of a type species for this genus were invalid, but Ferreira’s (1972) subsequent designation of Scarabaeus flagellatus Fabricius, 1775 is valid by virtue of Article 69.2.2, as...

The tribe Sisyphini Mulsant was recently redefined following the transfer of the endemic southern African genus Epirinus Dejean from the polyphyletic tribe Deltochilini Lacordaire. A molecular phylogeny of the southern African members of Sisyphini supports Epirinus as sister to Sisyphus Latreille and recovered three major clades in Sisyphus classif...

The tribe Sisyphini sensu stricto Mulsant, 1842 comprises only three genera, the widespread Sisyphus Latreille, 1807 and Neosisyphus Müller, 1942, and the Mauritius endemic, Nesosisyphus Vinson, 1946. In southern Africa, Sisyphus and Neosisyphus are represented by five species groups in each genus. Together, they comprise a total of 33 valid specie...

Descriptions are provided for three new shade-associated species in the dung beetle genus, Sisyphus Latreille, 1807: Sisy-phus umbraphilus sp. nov., Sisyphus oralensis sp. nov., and Sisyphus neobornemisszanus sp. nov. All three species are illustrated by photographs of habitus, diagnostic features, and male aedeagi. A map is provided showing their...

We use a panbiogeographical approach to determine the distribution pattern of dung beetles from a border region between Cerrado and Rondônia biogeographical provinces in Brazil. We constructed 54 individual tracks and 12 generalized tracks. The generalized tracks infer historical events that have happened in the past, highlighting the significant r...

The present study was carried out in Chapada dos Guimarães (Brazilian Shield-Chacoan Depression Border), Mato Grosso, Brazil. In this paper we describe the species and composition of dung beetles in different vegetational environments in the Brazilian Shield–Chacoan Depression Border, to associate species present in each habitat to their known dist...