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Annals of the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History
The Annals of the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History publishes original research on various aspects of terrestrial zoology mostly based on the collections of the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History (formerly known as the Transvaal Museum). Although the focus of research conducted at the Museum has traditionally been on southern Africa, contributions dealing with other parts of the Afrotropical Region will be considered.
This journal continues Annals of the Transvaal Museum
| Publisher | Northern Flagship Institute |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Annually |
| Coverage | Vol 1 2011 - current |
| Accreditation(s) |
Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) |
| Language | English |
| Journal Status | Active |
| Collection(s) |
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Trechus derougemonti nomen novum for T. rougemonti (Basilewsky, 1975) (Coleoptera : Carabidae : Trechinae)
More LessCothresia rougemonti Basilewsky, 1975 was described as a distinctive species of Cothresia Jeannel, 1964. It was later transferred to Trechus Clairville, 1806 (Geginat, 2008). The new name Trechus rougemonti (Basilewsky, 1975) is, however, preoccupied by Trechus rougemonti Mateu, 1990. According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN, 1999) it is necessary to replace the name of the junior homonym. Therefore Trechus derougemonti nom. nov. is proposed as the replacement name for Trechus rougemonti (Basilewsky, 1975).
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Transfer of three species of Namakwanus Scholtz & Howden to Versicorpus Deschodt, Davis & Scholtz or to Namaphilus gen. nov., with descriptions of two new species (Coleoptera : Scarabaeidae : Scarabaeinae)
More LessTaxonomic changes are made in the Byrrhidium group of Canthonini dung beetles.The genera Versicorpus Deschodt, Davis & Scholtz, 2011 and Namakwanus Scholtz & Howden, 1987 currently comprise one and four species, respectively. Re-examination of the type material of Namakwanus irishi Scholtz & Howden, 1987 indicates that the holotype and paratypes from mountains near Windhoek, Namibia, differ from the paratype from the Kuiseb River near Gobabeb in the Central Namib, warranting description of a new species, Namakwanus scholtzi spec. nov. Other species included in the genus, Namakwanus davisi Deschodt & Scholtz, 2007 and Namakwanus endroedyi Deschodt, Davis & Scholtz, 2011, differ sufficiently to warrant removal to a new genus, Namaphilus gen. nov. A further new species, Namaphilus ameibensis spec. nov., is added to the new genus. Namakwanus streyi Frolov, 2005 is transferred to Versicorpus. Lastly a new, updated key and some notes on all the known Byrrhidium group species are provided.
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Celsumaria : a new genus of Grapholitini from the Afrotropical region (Lepidoptera : Tortricidae)
More LessCelsumaria gen. nov., is described to accommodate C. grandis spec. nov. from South Africa; C. knysna spec. nov. (type species) from South Africa; C. elongata spec. nov. from Madagascar; C. soror spec. nov. from Madagascar; and C. hygrantis (Meyrick) comb. nov., from the Seychelles. Species of Celsumaria are extremely similar in facies and genitalia, but they can be circumscribed by a combination of subtle differences in male genitalia and male secondary scaling on the hindwing coupled with DNA barcodes. The new genus shares a somewhat ‘inflated’ valva with species of Cryptophlebia Walsingham, 1900 and Thaumatotibia Zacher, 1915. The possession of an unusual orbicular, sclerotized process in the middle of the valva in the male genitalia strongly suggests a close relationship with Dracontogena Diakonoff, 1970. The monophyly of Celsumaria is supported by the raised, curled scales on the forewing in both sexes.
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Revision of the genera Lysceia Walker and Pasteosia Hampson (Lepidoptera : Erebidae : Arctiinae : Lithosiini)
More LessThe endemic southern African footman genera Lysceia Walker, 1854 and Pasteosia Hampson, 1900 are revised. Their respective type species, L. bigutta Walker, 1854 and P. irrorata Hampson, 1900 are redescribed. A total of 10 and 20 Lysceia and Pasteosia species placed in three and five informally named species groups, respectively, are described as new: Lysceia flava spec. nov. (flava group), L. bonaespei spec. nov., L.geertsemai spec. nov., L.cohabitans spec. nov., L. knysnaensis spec. nov., L. imitans spec. nov., L.kubusensis spec. nov., L.bistagma spec. nov., L. obscurata spec. nov. (bonaespei group); L.montivaga spec.nov. (montivaga group);and Pasteosiamurina spec. nov., P. poliographa spec. nov., P. cinerea spec. nov., P. spodoptera spec. nov., P. minor spec. nov. (murina group), P. tephrinata spec. nov., P. petrodes spec. nov., P. intermedia spec. nov., P. furva spec. nov., P. lightfooti spec. nov. (tephrinata group); P. pallens spec. nov. (pallens group), P. nivalis spec. nov., P. swartbergensis spec. nov., P. promontorii spec. nov., P. angulata spec. nov., P. aerumnosa spec. nov., P. aurora spec. nov., P. favillacea spec. nov. (nivalis group); and P. inornata spec. nov. and P. mendax spec. nov. (montivaga group). The two type species are placed in monotypic species groups of their own. The biogeography of the two putative sister genera is briefly characterized; both reach their greatest diversity in the former Cape Province of South Africa, especially the presentWestern Cape.Keys to the genera and to species within Lysceia Walker and Pasteosia Hampson are provided, as are illustrations of adults and genitalia and distribution maps. The revision is complemented by a gazetteer.
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A burned primate cuboid from Swartkrans Cave, South Africa
More LessWe describe a newly recognized partial right cuboid (catalogued as SKX 31899) of a medium-sized primate that derives from Member 3, a 0.96 ± 0.09-million-year-old sedimentary unit of the Swartkrans Formation (South Africa). Due to its fragmentary condition, we can provide only a basic interpretation of its functional morphology and, taxonomically, are unable to assign it definitively below the parvorder Catarrhini.However, based on the known fossil record of this primate group at Swartkrans, the bone is that of either a cercopithecoid or a hominin; moreover, for measurable taxonomically salient features, SKX 31899 is more similar to the cuboids of the latter taxon than to those of the former.For that reason and with an appreciation that improved diagnostic methods might one day allow assignment of the specimen more definitively to at least the family-level, we enter the fossil into the published record of potential hominins.Of additional interest, the fossil is part of a sample of burned bones that has been interpreted as evidence that early Pleistocene hominins controlled fire at Swartkrans Cave.
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© Publisher: Northern Flagship Institute
© Publisher: Northern Flagship Institute