Historical biogeography of Temnorhynchus species (Insecta: Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae)

The genus Temnorhynchus Hope (Insecta: Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) is distributed in the Afrotropical and Malagasy regions, Arabia and the East-Mediterranean. The historical development of present distribution areas (range systems) of some taxa of these rhinoceros beetles is discussed, considering autecological and dispersal characteristics of the species and data on fluctuations of climate and vegetation cover. Some phylogenetic branching events of Temnorhynchus are correlated with climatic changes of the late Quaternary in Africa, especially with the Last Glacial Maximum (around 18,000 b.p.) and the preceding pluvial (around 28,000 b.p.). The environmental change in the Holocene Altithermal (around 8,000 b.p.) influenced the range systems of errant species. Biogeographical analysis leads to an improvement of the hypothetical phylogenetic system and also to some taxonomic consequences: T. coronatus (Fabricius) and T. baal Reiche & Saulcy form the T. coronatus-superspecies. T. burgeoni Paulian, T. minor Paulian, T, congoanus Paulian, T. raffrayi Fairmaire, and T. zambezianus Krell form the T. raffrayi-superspecies. T. retusus (Fabricius), T. clypeatus Klug, and T. elongatus Arrow form the T. retusus-group.