Classification of basal Cucujoidea (Coleoptera : Polyphaga): cladistic analysis, keys and review of new families
R. A. B. Leschen A C , J. F. Lawrence B and S. A. Ślipiński BA New Zealand Arthropod Collection, Private Bag 92170, Auckland, New Zealand.
B CSIRO Entomology, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: leschenr@landcareresearch.co.nz
Invertebrate Systematics 19(1) 17-73 https://doi.org/10.1071/IS04007
Submitted: 10 March 2004 Accepted: 31 December 2004 Published: 6 May 2005
Abstract
Phylogenetic relationships among the basal Cucujoidea were reconstructed by a cladistic analysis of a data matrix consisting of 37 exemplar taxa and 99 adult and larval characters. Eight most parsimonious cladograms provided evidence for the polyphyly of Phloeostichidae, the paraphyly of Cucujoidea (with respect to the placement of Trogossitidae), and the monophyly of Protocucujidae + Sphindidae, Biphyllidae + Erotylidae, Cryptophagidae, Cucujidae + Silvanidae, Propalticidae + Laemophloeidae, and the Nitidulidae groups (Nitidulidae, Smicripidae, and Brachypteridae). The following families are elevated from subfamily to family status: Agapythidae (one genus), Phloeostichidae (four genera; the subfamilies Phloeostichinae and Hymaeinae are supressed), Priasilphidae (three genera), Tasmosalpingidae (one genus), and Myraboliidae (one genus). These families are described in detail and adult and larval keys to all families of Cucujoidea are provided. The genus Bunyastichus, gen. nov. (type species: B. monteithi, sp. nov.) is described in the family Phloeostichidae and the family Priasilphidae is revised with the following new taxa: Chileosilpha, gen. nov. (type species: C. elguetai, sp. nov.), Priasilpha (P. angulata, sp. nov., P. aucklandica, sp. nov., P. bufonia, sp. nov., P. carinata, sp. nov., P. earlyi, sp. nov., and P. embersoni, sp. nov.), Priastichus (P. crowsoni, sp. nov. and P. megathorax, sp. nov.).
Acknowledgments
We thank R. A. Crowson for his initial studies of basal Cucujoidea, without which we could not have completed the present study. For specimens we thank N. B. Nikitsky for the gift of a larva of Phloeostichus denticollis and D. Telnov for facilitating the mailing of this specimen from St Petersburg to Gympie, J. Kolibáč for allowing us to examine his putative Phloeostichus larva, A. A. Allen for the gift of the holotype of Chileosilpha elguetai (that was donated to the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Santiago) and for allowing us to remove the abdomen of his female paratype, and M. Elgueta for allowing the completely dissected male paratype to be deposited in the Australian National Insect Collection. We also thank G. B. Monteith for his special efforts in obtaining the type series of Bunyastichus monteithi and those curators listed in the Material examined. For help with data entry, SEM work, and scanning, we thank G. Hall, B. Rhode, E. Hines, and R. Henderson. Habitus illustrations were done by D. Helmore (Chileosilpha, Priasilpha spp., and partial habiti of Priastichus spp.), S. P. Kim (Priastichus megathorax, Hymaea magna, Rhopalobrachium crowsoni, R. penai, Myrabolia grouvelliana), S. Monteith (Tasmosalpingus sp.), S. Smith (larva of Priastichus crowsoni), and P. Wegrzynowicz (Phloeostichus denticollis). We thank Rolf Beutel and Joe McHugh for reviews of the manuscript. Funding for RABL was supported in part by FRST (contract C09X0002).
Arrow G. J.
(1929) On the families of Coleoptera related to the Erotylidae, with descriptions of a new family, two new genera, and a few new species. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 4, 305–322.
and Lawrence and Hlavac (1979).
Ericmodes Reitter, 1878 (Protocucujidae). Based on adults of E. sylvaticus (R. Philippi, larvae of Ericmodes species from Chile and Australia, and published material in Ślipiński (1998).
Eronyxa Reitter, 1876 (Trogossitidae: Lophocaterinae). Based on adults and larvae of E. pallida (Motschulsky) and larval description and illustrations of E. expansa Van Dyke in Tait et al. (1990).
Helota Macleay, 1825 (Helotidae). Based on adults of Helota sp. from West Sumatra and larval descriptions and illustrations in Rymer Roberts (1958) and Hayashi (1986).
Hobartius Sen Gupta & Crowson, 1966 (Hobartiidae). Based on adults and larvae of H. eucalypti (Blackburn) (Tomaszewska and Ślipiński 1995).
Hymaea Pascoe, 1869 (Phloeostichidae: Hymaeinae). Based on adults of H. magna Sen Gupta & Crowson and larvae of H. succinifera Pascoe.
Laemophloeus Dejean, 1835 (Laemophloeidae). Based on adults and larvae of L. biguttatus (Say).
Lamingtonium Sen Gupta & Crowson, 1969 (Lamingtoniidae). Based on adults and larvae of L. thayerae Lawrence & Leschen (Lawrence and Leschen 2003).
Myrabolia Reitter, 1876 (Phloeostichidae: Myraboliinae). Based on adults of various species and a tentatively identified Myrabolia larva from the Brindabella Range, ACT.
Paracucujus Sen Gupta & Crowson, 1966 (Boganiidae: Paracucujinae). Based on adults and larvae of P. rostratus Sen Gupta & Crowson.
Pharaxonotha Reitter, 1875 (Erotylidae: Pharaxonothinae). Based on adults and larvae of P. floridana (Casey) (Leschen 2003).
Phloeostichus Redtenbacher, 1842 (Phloeostichidae: Phloeostichinae). Based on adults of P. denticollis Redtenbacher, and a presumed larva from Guzeripl, Adygeya Autonomous Region (north-western Caucasus), Russia.
Priasilpha Broun, 1893 (Phloeostichidae: Priasilphinae). Based on adults and larvae of P. obscura Broun.
Priastichus Crowson, 1973 (Phloeostichidae: Priasilphinae). Based on adults and larvae of P. megathorax, sp. nov.
Propalticus Sharp, 1879 (Propalticidae). Based on adults of P. doddi John and notes on a presumed larva of a Propalticus sp. collected in Lamington National Park, Queensland, under bark of dead Casuarina, by R. A. Crowson and preserved on a slide in Crowson’s collection.
Protosphindus Sen Gupta & Crowson, 1979 (Sphindidae: Protosphindinae). Based on adults and larvae of P. chilensis Sen Gupta & Crowson and published material in Burakowski and Ślipiński (1987).
Rhizophagus Herbst, 1793 (Monotomidae: Rhizophaginae). Based on adults of Rhizophagus sp. from New York and larvae of Rhizophagus sp. from Mt Rainier National Park, Washington.
Rhopalobrachium Boheman, 1858 (Phloeostichidae: Hymaeinae). Based on adults and larvae of R. clavipes Boheman.
Smicrips LeConte, 1878 (Smicripidae). Based on adults and larvae of Smicrips spp. (from Panama and Arizona).
Tasmosalpingus Lea, 1918 (Phloeostichidae: Tasmosalpinginae). Based on adults of T. quadrispilotus Lea and tentatively identified larvae of this species from Bruny Island, Tasmania.
Thymalus Latreille, 1802 (Trogossitidae: Peltinae). Based on adults and larvae of T. marginicollis Chevrolat.
Xerasia Lewis, 1895 (Byturidae: Byturinae). Based on adults and larvae of X. grisescens (Jayne).
