Scopaeus punctatellus Fauvel, 1905 (Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Lathrobiini: Scopaeina), a polytypic species in the Afrotropical, Madagascan, and Saharo-Arabian regions

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25674/511

Keywords:

Taxonomy, distribution, Africa, Madagascar

Abstract

Scopaeus punctatellus Fauvel, 1905 is redescribed. Scopaeus sharpi Cameron, 1912, previously considered a synonym of S. punctatellus, is revalidated and elevated to the rank of subspecies. Consequently, this polytypic species is divided into the nominate subspecies S. p. punctatellus, which is widespread in the Afrotropics and the Madagascan region, and the Saharo-Arabian subspecies S. punctatellus sharpi, which is confined to the Red Sea coast and the Arabian Peninsula.

Scopaeus p. punctatellus is reported for the first time from Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, France (Mayotte), Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, the Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Yemen (Sokotra), Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The first record of S. punctatellus sharpi from Oman is provided. A lectotype is designated for S. sharpi.

The relationships of S. punctatellus within Scopaeus Erichson, 1839 are discussed.

 

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References

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Published

2026-07-20

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RESEARCH ARTICLES

How to Cite

Frisch, J. (2026). Scopaeus punctatellus Fauvel, 1905 (Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Lathrobiini: Scopaeina), a polytypic species in the Afrotropical, Madagascan, and Saharo-Arabian regions. Soil Organisms, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.25674/511

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