Tracing the Fate of the Northern Bald Ibis over Five Millennia: An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Extinction and Recovery of an Iconic Bird Species.

We trace the history of the endangered Northern Bald Ibis through different epochs to the present. A particular focus is placed on its life in and disappearance from ancient Egypt, where the bird attained great cultural and religious significance, and on the modern endeavour to re-wild the species. Due to the characteristic appearance, behaviour and habitat of the species as well as its need for open foraging areas, a close mutualistic relationship between humans and the birds was formed in ancient Egypt, as in other cultures. A clear benefit for the Northern Bald Ibis was the availability of feeding habitats, which were cleared by humans for farming or grazing. The benefit to people was rather cultural because the bird attracted religious veneration or symbolic meanings from ancient Egypt to medieval Europe. The proximity to humans, however, carried a high risk as well. We discuss various types of impact (including human impacts as well as climate change) as triggers for the extinction of the species. The evidence for a triple disappearance of the Northern Bald Ibis (around 2000 BCE, around 1600 CE and in modern time) represents a unique basis for studying both the bird's habitat preferences and its vulnerability. This is because different, mainly anthropogenic, causes stood behind these three historical disappearances, although the disappearances in all three epochs occurred during a period of climate change.

Two new species and new records of the genus Astenus from Madagascar (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae).

Two new species of the genus Astenus Dejean, 1833, A. ambohitantelyensis Janák Banar, sp. nov. and A. grebennikovi Janák Banar, sp. nov. from Madagascar are described and illustrated. New records of eleven additional species are presented.

Revision of the South African genus Neopimus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae).

A revision of the south African genus Neopimus Özdikmen, Demir Türkes, 2008 is presented. Based on revision of the type and additional material, three species are recognised. The genus Neopimus is redescribed and all species are described or redescribed and illustrated, two of them for the first time: Neopimus capensis Janák, sp. nov., from Eastern Cape Province, South Africa and N. zulu Janák, sp. nov., from KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The distribution of the genus is mapped and a key of species is presented.

Revision of the genus Acylophorus Nordmann, 1837 from Madagascar and Mascarene Islands (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Acylophorina).

The species of the genus Acylophorus Nordmann, 1837 from Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands are revised. Four already known species are redescribed and four species are described as new: A. derougemonti sp. nov., A. hova sp. nov., and A. madecassus sp. nov. from Madagascar and A. mauritianus sp. nov. from Mauritius (Mascarene Islands). Characters of all these species are described and illustrated. A key for identification is presented. The hitherto known distribution of Acylophorus in Madagascar and Mascarene Islands is discussed and mapped.

A new genus of the Tympanophorus lineage of the subtribe Anisolinina from Madagascar (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Staphylinini).

A new genus of the Tympanophorus lineage of the subtribe Anisolinina, Janalia gen. nov. with the type species Janalia jarmilae sp. nov., from East Madagascar is described and illustrated. A modified key to the genera of the subtribe Anisolinina is presented.

Revision of the genus Thyreocephalus and description of Afrus gen. nov. of Africa south of the Sahara (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae).

A revision of the genus Thyreocephalus Guérin-Méneville, 1844 of Africa south of the Sahara is presented. A new genus Afrus gen. nov. was described with the type species Thyreocephalus spegazzinii Bernhauer, 1915, which resulted in following new combination: Afrus spegazzinii (Bernhauer, 1915), comb. nov. Eulissus collarti (Cameron, 1932) was transferred to Afrus. Based on a revision of types and of additional material, 32 species of the genus Thyreocephalus and two species of the genus Afrus are recognized in Africa south of the Sahara. All species are described or redescribed and illustrated, seven of them for the first time: Thyreocephalus camerunensis sp. nov., T. manfredi sp. nov., T. marginipennis sp. nov., T. meridioafricanus sp. nov., T. pseudoafricanus sp. nov., T. subcorticalis sp. nov. and T. tsingidianus sp. nov. Neotypes are designated for Eulissus ater Laporte, 1835, Xantholinus coeruleipennis Quedenfeldt, 1881, and X. interocularis Eppelsheim, 1895. Lectotypes are designated for Eulissus atlanticus Bernhauer, 1915, E. burgeoni Bernhauer, 1929, E. mokaensis Bernhauer, 1915, E. secretus Bernhauer, 1935, E. turneri Bernhauer, 1937, Xantholinus alluaudi Fauvel, 1907, X. mocquerysi Fauvel, 1903, X. pilosus Roth, 1851, Thyreocephalus diversiceps Bernhauer, 1936, and T. spegazzinii Bernhauer, 1915. Eulissus africanus Bernhauer, 1913, E. alluaudi (Fauvel, 1907) (originally described in Xantholinus Dejean, 1821), E. atlanticus Bernhauer, 1915, E. brunneiventris Tottenham, 1956, E. burgeoni Bernhauer, 1929, E. guineensis Bernhauer, 1912, E. mokaensis Bernhauer, 1915, E. secretus Bernhauer, 1935, E. strinatii Scheerpeltz, 1958, and Xantholinus nairobiensis Fauvel, 1907 were transferred to Thyreocephalus. Following synonymies are proposed: Thyreocephalus nairobiensis (Fauvel, 1907) = Eulissus turneri Bernhauer, 1937, syn. nov., Thyreocephalus interocularis (Eppelsheim, 1895) = Thyreocephalus diversiceps Bernhauer, 1936, syn. nov., Thyreocephalus mokaensis (Bernhauer, 1915) = Eulissus flaviventris Bernhauer, 1939, syn. nov. = Thyreocephalus semirufus Coiffait, 1968, syn. nov., Thyreocephalus mocquerysi (Fauvel, 1903) = Eulissus milliaui Bernhauer, 1932, syn. nov. The distribution of both genera in Africa south of Sahara is mapped and a key to species is presented.

Revision of the genus Achmonia of Africa south of the Sahara (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae).

A redescription of the genus Achmonia Bordoni, 2004 is presented. Based on a revision of types and of additional material, seven species are recognized in Africa south of the Sahara and placed into two species groups. All species are described or redescribed and illustrated, four of them for the first time: Achmonia carinata sp. nov., A. kapangana sp. nov., A. knirschi sp. nov., and A. simulator sp. nov. A lectotype is designated for Xantholinus amabilis Boheman, 1848, Eulissus flavomarginatus Bernhauer, 1929 and E. congoensis Bernhauer, 1932. These species are transferred to Achmonia. A lectotype is designated for Eulissus semiflavus Bernhauer, 1913, and E. gerardi Bernhauer, 1929 and the following synonymy is proposed: Achmonia amabilis (Boheman, 1848) = Eulissus semiflavus Bernhauer, 1913, syn. nov. = Eulissus gerardi Bernhauer, 1929, syn. nov. The distribution of the genus in Africa south of Sahara is mapped and a key to species is presented.