Systematic revision and phylogeny of the Australian myrmecomorphic seed bug genus Daerlac Signoret (Insecta : Heteroptera : Rhyparochromidae : Udeocorini)
Gerasimos Cassis A B and Celia Symonds A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: gcassis@unsw.edu.au
Invertebrate Systematics 26(1) 41-66 https://doi.org/10.1071/IS11030
Submitted: 2 August 2011 Accepted: 16 January 2012 Published: 19 June 2012
Abstract
The Australian endemic ant-mimetic seed bug genus Daerlac is revised. This paper provides a redescription of the genus Daerlac and four species: D. apicalis, D. cephalotes, D. nigricans and D. picturatus. Daerlac tricolor is synonomised with D. cephalotes. A taxonomic key to species is provided. Known distributions of D. apicalis, D. nigricans and D. picturatus are each extended beyond previously known ranges. Daerlac species are found predominantly in temperate open forest and woodlands in association with ants and eucalypts. All species are broadly distributed and there is a high degree of overlap in distributions. They are seed predators found on the ground, in leaf litter, under bark or on trunks of eucalypts, and putatively forage on post-dispersed seeds. Cladistic analysis of morphological characters finds that the four species of Daerlac form two well-supported sister-groups (D. apicalis + D. picturatus, and D. cephalotes + D. nigricans). A discussion of the distribution, biology and myrmecomorphy of the genus is provided, and the tribal placement of Daerlac and its relationship to Laryngodus are discussed.
Additional keywords: synonomy, distribution, ant mimicry, Australia.
References
Anderson, A. N. (1985). Seed-eating bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeidae) at Wilson’s Promontory. Victorian Naturalist 102, 200–204.Areekul, B., and Quicke, D. L. J. (2006). The use of colour characters in phylogenetic reconstruction. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. Linnean Society of London 88, 193–202.
| The use of colour characters in phylogenetic reconstruction.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bashford, R. (1993). Seed-harvesting ants in Tasmanian dry eucalypt forests. Tasforests 5, 57–62.
Bergroth, E. (1916). Neue Myodochidae (Hem. Het.). Wiener Entomoogische Zeitung 35, 215–221.
Busby, J. R. (1991). A bioclimatic analysis and prediction system. In ‘Nature Conservation: Cost Effective Biology Survey and Data Analysis’. (Eds C. R. Margules and M. P. Austin.) pp. 64–68. (CSIRO: Canberra, Australia.)
Cassis, G., and Gross, G. F. (1995). ‘Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Heteroptera. Volume 27.3A.’ (CSIRO: Canberra, Australia.)
Cassis, G., and Gross, G. F. (2002). ‘Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Heteroptera. Pentatomomorpha. Volume 27.3B.’ (CSIRO: Canberra, Australia.)
Cassis, G., and Schuh, R. T. (2010). Systematic methods, fossils, and relationships within Heteroptera (Insecta). Cladistics 26, 262–280.
| Systematic methods, fossils, and relationships within Heteroptera (Insecta).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Cassis, G., and Silveira, R. (2001). A revision and phylogenetic analysis of the Nerthra alaticollis species-group (Heteroptera: Gelastocoridae: Nerthrinae). Journal of the New York Entomological Society 109, 1–46.
| A revision and phylogenetic analysis of the Nerthra alaticollis species-group (Heteroptera: Gelastocoridae: Nerthrinae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Cassis, G., and Silveira, R. (2002). A revision and phylogenetic analysis of the Nerthra elongata species-group (Heteroptera: Gelastocoridae: Nerthrinae). Journal of the New York Entomological Society 110, 143–181.
| A revision and phylogenetic analysis of the Nerthra elongata species-group (Heteroptera: Gelastocoridae: Nerthrinae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Cassis, G., and Wall, M. A. (2010). Systematics and phylogeny of the hatchet head plant bug genus Myrmecoroides Gross (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae). Entomologica Americana 116, 29–49.
| Systematics and phylogeny of the hatchet head plant bug genus Myrmecoroides Gross (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae: Orthotylinae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Cassis, G., Wall, M., and Schuh, R. T. (2007). Insect Biodiversity and Industrializing the Taxonomic Process: The Plant Bug Case Study (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae). In ‘Taxonomy and Systematics of Species Rich Taxa: Towards the Tree of Life’. (Eds T. R. Hodkinson, J. Parnell and S. Waldren S.) pp. 193–212. (CRC: Boca Raton, USA.)
Chew, P. (2011). Brisbane insects: ant-mimicking seed bug – Daerlac nigricans. Available at http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_lygaeoidbugs/AntMimickingSeedBug.htm [Verified 1 April 2011.]
CSIRO (1970). ‘The Insects of Australia: a Textbook for Students and Research Workers.’ (Melbourne University Press: Melbourne, Australia.)
CSIRO (2011). Ants down under. Available at http://anic.ento.csiro.au/ants [Verified 17 April 2011.]
Dallas, W. S. (1852). ‘List of the Specimens of Hemipterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum.’ (Taylor & Francis: London, UK.)
DEWHA (2010). ‘Terrestrial Ecoregions of Australia.’ (Map produced by Environmental Resources Information Network for National Reserve System Section, Parks Australia.) (Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts: Canberra.)
Distant, W. L. (1901). Rhynchotal notes. XI. Heteroptera: Fam. Lygaeidae. Annals & Magazine of Natural History 8(7), 464–486, 497–510.
Distant, W. L. (1904). Rhynchotal notes. XXII. Annals & Magazine of Natural History 13, 263–276.
| Rhynchotal notes. XXII.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Distant, W. L. (1918). Contributions to a further knowledge of the Rhynchotal family Lygaeidae. Annals & Magazine of Natural History 9(2), 173–179, 257–270, 416–424, 486–492.
ESRI (2009). ‘ArcMap 9.3.1.’ (ESRI (Environmental Systems Resource Institute): Redlands, CA, USA.)
Ford, H. A., Barrett, G. W., Saunders, D. A., and Recher, H. F. (2001). Why have birds in the woodlands of Southern Australia declined? Biological Conservation 97, 71–88.
| Why have birds in the woodlands of Southern Australia declined?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Goloboff, P. A., Farris, J. S., and Nixon, K. C. (2003). TNT: Tree Analysis Using New Technology. Program and documentation, available from the authors, and at www.zmuc.dk/public/phylogeny [verified February 2012]
Grimaldi, D., and Engel, M. S. (2005). ‘Evolution of the Insects.’ (Cambridge University Press: New York, NY, USA.)
Gross, G. F. (1962). Aberrant Australian brachypterous myodochine bugs (Lygaeidae: Rhyparochrominae). Records of the South Australian Museum 14, 371–396.
Henry, T. J. (1997). Phylogenetic analysis of family groups within the infraorder Pentatomomorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), with emphasis on the Lygaeoidea. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 90, 275–301.
Kirkaldy, G. W. (1908). Memoir on a few heteropterous Hemiptera from eastern Australia. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of NSW 32, 768–788 pl. xliii.
Kozub, D., Khmelik, V., Shapoval, J., Chentsov, V., and Yatsenko, S. (2008). ‘Helicon Focus Pro.’ (Helicon Soft: Kharkov, Ukraine.)
Lethierry, L., and Severin, G. (1894). ‘Catalogue Général des Hémiptères. Tome II. Hétéroptères Coreidae, Berytidae, Lygaeidae, Pyrrhocoridae.’ (F. Hayez: Bruxelles, Belgium.)
Maddison, D. R., and Maddison, W. P. (2005). ‘MacClade 4.08.’ (Sinauer Associates: Sunderland, MA, USA.)
Malipatil, M. B. (1978). Revision of the Myodochini (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae: Rhyparochrominae) of the Australian Region. Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series 26, 1–178.
| Revision of the Myodochini (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae: Rhyparochrominae) of the Australian Region.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Malipatil, M. B. (1979). The biology of some Lygaeidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of south-east Queensland. Australian Journal of Zoology 27, 231–249.
| The biology of some Lygaeidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of south-east Queensland.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McIver, J. D., and Stonedahl, G. (1993). Myrmecomorphy: morphological and behavioral mimicry of ants. Annual Review of Entomology 38, 351–377.
| Myrmecomorphy: morphological and behavioral mimicry of ants.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Schuh, R. T., and Slater, J. A. (1995). ‘Plant Bugs Of The World (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae): Systematic Catalogue, Distributions, Host List, and Biogeography.’ (The New York Entomological Society, American Museum of Natural History: New York, NY, USA.)
Scudder, G. G. E. (1962). The world Rhyparochrominae (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae). I. New synonymy and generic changes. Canadian Entomologist 94, 764–773.
| The world Rhyparochrominae (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae). I. New synonymy and generic changes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Scudder, G. G. E. (1967). Rhyparochrominae types in the British Museum (Natural History) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae). Bulletin of the British Museum 20, 251–285.
Shattuck, S. (1999). ‘Australian Ants: Their Biology and Identification.’ (CSIRO: Canberra, Australia.)
Signoret, V. (1881). Description of Daerlac and D. tricolor. Bulletin de la Societe Entomologique de France 1, clviii.
Slater, J. A. (1964). ‘A Catalogue of the Lygaeidae of the World.’ (University of Connecticut: Storrs, CT, USA.)
Slater, J. A. (1975). On the biology and zoogeography of Australian Lygaeidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) with special reference to the southwest fauna. Australian Journal of Entomology 14, 47–64.
| On the biology and zoogeography of Australian Lygaeidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) with special reference to the southwest fauna.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Slater, J. A., and O’Donnell, J. E. (1995). ‘A Catalogue of the Lygaeidae of the World (1960–1994).’ (New York Entomological Society: New York, NY, USA.)
Slater, J. A., Schuh, R. T., Cassis, G., Johnson, C. A., and Pedraza-Peñalosa, P. (2009). Revision of Laryngodus Herrich-Schaeffer, an Allocasuarina feeder, with comments on its biology and the classification of the family (Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea: Rhyparochromidae). Invertebrate Systematics 23, 111–133.
| Revision of Laryngodus Herrich-Schaeffer, an Allocasuarina feeder, with comments on its biology and the classification of the family (Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea: Rhyparochromidae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stål, C. (1866). Analecta hemipterologica. Berliner Entomologische Zeitung 10, 151–172.
| Analecta hemipterologica.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stål, C. (1874). Enumeratio Hemipterorum. Bidrag till en förteckning öfver aller hittills kända Hemiptera, jemte systematiska meddelanden. 4. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademien Handl. 12, 1–186.
Steyskal, G. C. (1973). The grammar of names in Slater’s catalogue of Lygaeidae of the world (Heteroptera). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 75, 276–279.
Sweet, M. H. (1964a). The biology and ecology of the Rhyparochrominae of New England (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae) Part I. Entomologica Americana 43, 1–124.
Sweet, M. H. (1964b). The biology and ecology of the Rhyparochrominae of New England (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae) Part II. Entomologica Americana 44, 1–201.
Tillyard, R. J. (1926). ’The Insects of Australia and New Zealand.’ (Angus & Robertson: Sydney, Australia.)
Walker, F. (1872). ‘Catalogue of the Specimens of Hemiptera Heteroptera in the Collection of the British Museum. Part V.’ (E. Newman: London, UK.)
