Stripsipher

{{Short description|Genus of beetles}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = | image_caption = | display_parents = 2 | taxon = Stripsipher | authority = Gory & Percheron, 1833 }}

'''''Stripsipher''''' is a genus of scarab beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Cetoniinae, and tribe Trichiini. Members of this genus are found primarily in southern Africa and are part of the group commonly referred to as flower chafers or fruit chafers.<ref name="Šípek-2012">{{Cite journal |last1=Šípek |first1=Petr |last2=Ricchiardi |first2=Enrico |last3=Perissinotto |first3=Renzo |date=2012-04-05 |title=Immature stages and ecology of two species of the South African genus Stripsipher Gory & Percheron, 1833 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae, Trichiini) |journal=ZooKeys |language=en |issue=180 |pages=19–40 |bibcode=2012ZooK..180...19S |doi=10.3897/zookeys.180.2315 |issn=1313-2970 |pmc=3332007 |pmid=22539904 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

== Description == Adult ''Stripsipher'' beetles exhibit typical cetoniine morphology, with an oval body shape adapted for crawling and feeding on plant materials. Larval stages were poorly known until relatively recent entomological work provided the first descriptions for some species. Morphological traits of larvae show affinities with other ''Trichiini'' genera but also exhibit diagnostic differences, particularly in the structure of the epipharynx.<ref name="Šípek-2012" />

== Taxonomy and nomenclature == The genus ''Stripsipher'' was first established by Hippolyte Louis Gory and Achille Rémy Percheron in 1833. Species within this genus have historically been subject to revisions and reclassification, reflecting ongoing taxonomic study in the African Trichiini.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Gory |first1=Hippolyte Louis |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/8957 |title=Monographie des cétoines et genres voisins, formant, dans les familles naturelles de Latreille, la division des scarabées mélitophiles |last2=Percheron |first2=A. |date=1833 |publisher=J.-B. Baillière |location=Paris |language=fr |doi=10.5962/bhl.title.8957}}</ref>

== Species == The following species are currently recognized in the genus ''Stripsipher'':<ref name="Šípek-2012" /> * ''Stripsipher braunsi'' Ricchiardi, 1998 * ''Stripsipher centralis'' Ricchiardi, 1998 * ''Stripsipher flavipennis'' (Gory & Percheron, 1833) * ''Stripsipher jansoni'' Péringuey, 1908 (formerly also described as Stripsipher drakensbergi) * ''Stripsipher lamellatus'' Ricchiardi, 2008 * ''Stripsipher latipennis'' Blanchard, 1850 * ''Stripsipher longipes'' (Swederus, 1787) * ''Stripsipher monochrous'' (Fairmaire, 1894) * ''Stripsipher morulus'' (Janson, 1885) * ''Stripsipher orientalis'' Ricchiardi, 2008 * ''Stripsipher signatulus'' Ricchiardi, Perissinotto & Clennell, 2008 * ''Stripsipher spectralis'' Arrow, 1926 * ''Stripsipher superbus'' Ricchiardi, 2008 * ''Stripsipher turneri'' Arrow, 1926 * ''Stripsipher werneri'' Ricchiardi, 1998 * ''Stripsipher zebra'' Gory & Percheron, 1833 (PMC)

== Distribution and habitat == Species of ''Stripsipher'' are endemic to the Afrotropical region, particularly South Africa and adjacent countries. They inhabit forested areas and regions with decaying wood, where larvae develop. Adults are generally associated with flowers or other plant parts, consistent with the feeding habits of many Cetoniinae.<ref name="Šípek-2012" />

== Biology == The immature stages of ''Stripsipher'' species were unknown for many years, but recent research has described the larvae of at least two species (''S. orientalis'' and ''S. jansoni''), providing insights into their ecology and morphological adaptations. Larvae develop in decaying wood and show morphological similarities to other members of Trichiini, including adaptations of the epipharynx that differ from related taxa.<ref name="Šípek-2012" />

== References == {{Reflist}}

Category:Trichiini Category:Stripsipher Category:Scarabaeidae genera