Evolution of the Malagasy endemic genus Nanos Westwood, 1842 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Epilissini)

The traditionally defined 'Nanos group', composed of the genera Nanos Westwood, 1842, Cambefortantus Paulian, 1986 and Apotolamprus Olsoufieff, 1947, represents the most recent Malagasy dung beetle radiation. Species in this group have been ecologically very successful with many being numerically dominant in local dung beetle communities in Madagascar. In this study the phylogenetic relationships of species in this group are inferred using molecular data from mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase I) and nuclear (rudimentary, topoisomerase I and 28S) genes. The monophyly of Apotolamprus is supported both by molecular and morphological characters, but that of Nanos, supported by only one morphological character, is questioned. Congruent species groups can be defined within Nanos on the base of morphology and molecular results. In addition to the phylogenetic study, the revision of the genus Nanos Westwood, 1842, s.l., is presented. Nanos antsihanakensis (Lebis, 1953) stat.n. is re-established. Thirteen new species - Nanos pseudofusconitens sp.n., Nanos magnus sp.n., Nanos marojejyensis sp.n., Nanos bemarahaensis sp.n., Nanos andreiae sp.n., Nanos mirjae sp.n., Nanos pseudorubromaculatus sp.n., Nanos pseudominutus sp.n., Nanos mixtus sp.n., Nanos ranomafanaensis sp.n., Nanos manongorivoensis sp.n., N.pseudoviettei sp.n. and N.constricticollis sp.n. - are described and compared with their most closely related taxa. Sphaerocanthon fallaciosus Lebis, 1953, is synonymised with Nanos fusconitens (Fairmaire, 1899) syn.n. and Nanos neoelectrinus Montreuil & Viljanen, 2007, with Nanos humeralis Paulian, 1975 syn.n. Lectotypes are designated for Epilissus fusconitens var. agaboides Boucomont, 1937, Epilissus punctatus Boucomont, 1937, Epilissus sinuatipes Boucomont, 1937, Epilissus semiscribrosus Fairmaire, 1898, Epilissus fusconitens Fairmaire, 1899, and Sphaerocanthon vadoni Lebis, 1953. Aedeagus and male pro- and metatibiae are illustrated for each species. This published work has been registered in Zoobank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C1F29A37-E380-4D87-871F-039…. © 2014 The Royal Entomological Society.