Lupulella

Lupulella is a genus^[2][3][4] of canine found in Africa.^[5] This genus consists of only two extant species, the black-backed jackal (Lupulella mesomelas) and the side-striped jackal (Lupulella adusta).^[4][2][3]

Lupulella Temporal range: Pliocene - recent
Side-striped and black-backed jackals
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Caniformia
Family:	Canidae
Subfamily:	Caninae
Tribe:	Canini
Subtribe:	Canina
Genus:	Lupulella Hilzheimer, 1906
Type species
Canis mesomelas[1] Schreber, 1775
Species
Lupulella adusta Lupulella mesomelas
Lupulella range   Lupulella adusta   Lupulella mesomelas

Taxonomy

The two species had previously been considered members of the genus Canis. In 2017, a taxonomic review recommended that these two species be recognised as genus Lupulella.^[6] In response to this review, the American Society of Mammalogists recognised the new genus.^[4]

In 2019, a workshop hosted by the IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group recommends that because DNA evidence shows the side-striped jackal (Canis adustus) and black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) to form a monophyletic lineage that sits outside of the Canis/Cuon/Lycaon clade, that they should be placed in a distinct genus, Lupulella (Hilzheimer, 1906) with the names Lupulella adusta and Lupulella mesomelas.^[2]

Genus Lupulella – Schreber, 1775 – two species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Side-striped jackal	Lupulella adusta (Sundevall, 1847) Seven subspecies L. a. adusta L. a. bweha L. a. centralis L. a. grayi L. a. kaffensis L. a. lateralis L. a. notatus	central and southern Africa	Size: Habitat: Diet:	LC
Black-backed jackal	Lupulella mesomelas (Schreber, 1775) Two subspecies Cape black-backed jackal, L. m. mesomelas East African black-backed jackal, L. m. schmidti	eastern and southern Africa	Size: Habitat: Diet:	LC

Phylogeny

Cladogram based on genomic data:^[7]

True dogs	Cerdocyonina Wolf-like canids Canis/Cuon/Lycaon Lupulella Side-striped jackal Black-backed jackal