For the last few decades, the genus Pentodon Hope, 1837 has been considered to be relatively well studied. However, research reports published in recent years, based on complex morphological analysis of adults, showed that this notion requires revision. After careful observation of morphological traits including the structure of male copulatory organs, African species of the genus Pentodon have been reevaluated. Seven taxa in this genus have been recorded so far from Africa, although the presence of two of them—Pentodon bidens punctatus (Villers, 1789) and Pentodon bidens sulcifronsKüster, 1848—needs to be confirmed with new data. The presence of the five remaining taxa has been documented in a credible manner and does not raise any doubts. Based on a diagnostic set of morphological traits and divergent structure of male copulatory organs, Pentodon algerinus nubicus, new subspecies, was identified from North Sudan. It occupies the southeasternmost portion of the distribution of the species. The following report provides morphological descriptions of adults of all African taxa in addition to depicting the male genitalia. An identification key for the species and subspecies and a distributional checklist are also presented.
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The Coleopterists Bulletin
Vol. 74 • No. 3
September 2020
Vol. 74 • No. 3
September 2020
checklist
distribution
key
morphology
new species
rhinoceros beetles