Phoberus ngomensis
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| Phoberus ngomensis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Scarabaeiformia |
| Family: | Trogidae |
| Subfamily: | Troginae |
| Genus: | Phoberus |
| Species: | P. ngomensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Phoberus ngomensis van der Merwe & Scholtz, 2005 | |
Phoberus ngomensis is a species of hide beetle in the subfamily Troginae discovered by the scientists van de Merwe and Scholtz in 2005.[1][2] Like with many other beetle species, P. ngomensis has not been observed again after its discovery, so all knowledge of the species comes from the 166 individual beetles van de Merwe and Scholtz saw during fieldwork.[3][2]
Taxonomically, P. ngomensis was initially placed in the subgenus Trox (Phoberus); when Phoberus was recognized as a full genus, taxonomists moved P. ngomensis from the genus Trox to the genus Phoberus. Within the genus Phoberus, P. ngomensis is most similar to P. sternbergi; in fact, females of the two species are almost completely identical, and only the shape of the hide beetles' male genitalia can reliably distinguish the two species. Specifically, in P. ngomensis, the anterior edges of the male genitalia's median lobe are U-shaped, while in P. sternbergi, the anterior edges of male genitalia's median lobe are M-shaped. Furthermore, the parameres of P. ngomensis are shorter relative to their penis-like aedeagus than those of P. sternbergi; P. ngomensis's parameres are one-fourth their aedeagus' length, while the parameres of P. ngomensis are one-third that length.[3][2]