Classification, reconstructed phylogeny and geographical history of genera of Pilipalpinae (Coleoptera : Tenebrionoidea : Pyrochroidae)

Abstract

The 12 genera of Pilipalpinae are classified on the basis of characters of larvae and adults. Three new genera and six new species are here described: Malagaethes, gen. nov. (type species M. lawrencei, sp. nov.); Ranomafana, gen. nov. (type species R. steineri, sp. nov.); Binburrum, gen. nov. (type species Techmessa ruficollis Champion); Binburrum angusticollis, sp. nov.; Binburrum concavifrons, sp. nov.; Cycloderus immaculicollis, sp. nov. and Cycloderus hirsutus, sp. nov. The following new synonymies of specific names are proposed (with valid names given first): Paromarteon constans Lea, 1917 = Eucistela cyanea Carter, 1922; Paromarteon mutabile Blackburn, 1897 = Paromarteon mutabile var. nigripenne Lea, 1920; Temnopalpus bicolor Blackburn, 1888 = Temnopalpus tricolor Lea, 1920; Pilipalpus dasytoides Fairmaire, 1876 = Copobaenus maculicollis Pic, 1942 and Pilipalpus danvini Abdullah, 19646; Exocalopus pectinatus Broun, 1893 = Exocalopus antennalis Broun, 1903. The following subspecies have been elevated to species rank: Paromarteon apicale Lea, Paromarteon fasciatum Lea and Paromarteon parvum Lea.

Phylogenetic analysis of 30 structural characters of larvae and adults yielded the following set of incompletely resolved relationships among genera of Pilipalpinae: (((Paromarteon + ((Temnopalpus + Malagaethes) + Pilipalpus + (Ranomafana + (Incollogenius + ((Exocalopus + (Binburrum + (Cycloderus + Morpholycus)) + Techmessodes) + Techmessa))))). The data set contained much homoplasy and several reversals.

The historical geographical relationships inferred from the reconstructed phylogeny were compared with geological evidence for the break-up of Pangaea and Gondwanaland. The ancestral stock of Pilipalpinae was widespread on Gondwanaland, and differentiated through its fragmentation. Remnant relict genera persisted on Madagascar, New Zealand, southern South America (Magellanica), and Australia. Brooks Parsimony Analysis was conducted on the data resulting in the following area relationships: (Holarctic + (Madagascar + (New Zealand + (Australia + Chile)))). This agrees generally with accepted geological evidence and is considered support for they hypothesised phylogeny. A single clade (Temnopalpus + Malagaethes) was in disagreement (homoplasous) with the area cladogram, indicating possible incongruence in the data. The area relationships of other Southern Hemisphere groups were compared with Pilipalpinae.