RESUMEN

Despite the worldwide distribution and rich diversity of the superfamily Tenebrionoidea, the knowledge of the mitochondrial genomes (mtgenome) characteristics of the superfamily is still very limited, and its phylogenetics and evolution remain unresolved. In the present study, we newly sequenced mtgenomes from 19 species belonging to Tenebrionoidea, and a total of 90 mitochondrial genomes from 16 families of Tenebrionoidea were used for phylogenetic analysis. There exist 37 genes for all 82 species of complete mtgenomes of 16 families investigated, and their characteristics are identical as reported mtgenomes of other Tenebrionoids. The Ka/Ks analysis suggests that all 13 PCGs have undergone a strong purifying selection. The phylogenetic analysis suggests the monophyly of Mordellidae, Meloidae, Oedemeridae, Pyrochroidae, Salpingidae, Scraptiidae, Lagriidae, and Tenebrionidae, and the Mordellidae is close to the Ripiphoridae. The "Tenebrionidae clade" and "Meloidae clade" are monophyletic, and both of them are sister groups. In the "Meloidae clade," Meloidae is close to Anthicidae. In the "Tenebrionidae clade," the family Lagriidae and Tenebrionidae are sister groups. The divergence time analysis suggests that Tenebrionoidea originated in the late Jurassic, Meloidae Mordellidae, Lagriidae, and Tenebrionidae in the Cretaceous, Oedemeridae in Paleogene. The work lays a base for the study of mtgenome, phylogenetics, and evolution of the superfamily Tenebrionoidea.

RESUMEN

Juramordella asperula gen. et sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) is described based on a specimen from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou Biota, Nincheng County, Inner Mongolia of China. Juramordella asperula is distinguished from other Praemordellinae mainly for roughly punctate elytra, absence of subapical or lateral ridges on all tibiae and tarsi, simple, not bilobed protarsi and mesocoxa distant from procoxa, epicoxa not anterior to metacoxa, well-developed metafemur and absence of elongated pygidium. The morphology of Juramordella asperula demonstrates the early mordellid-like beetles have adopted the body shape with their way of movement since the Middle Jurassic, long before their flower-visiting behavior was established.

RESUMEN

The sperm ultrastructure of a few representative species of Tenebrionoidea was studied. Two species belong to the Mordellidae (Mordellistena brevicauda and Hoshihananomia sp.), one species to Oedemeridae (Oedemera nobilis), and one species to Tenebrionidae (Accanthopus velikensis). It is confirmed that Mordellidae are characterized by the lowest number of spermatozoa per cyst (up to 64), a number shared with Ripiphoridae. In contrast, in the two other families, up to 512 spermatozoa per cyst are observed, the same number present, for example, in Tenebrionidae. Also, as in the other more derived families of tenebrionoids studied so far, during spermatogenesis in O. nobilis and A. velikensis, sperm nuclei are regularly distributed in two sets at opposite poles of the cysts. On the contrary, the Mordellidae species do not exhibit this peculiar process. However, during spermiogenesis, the bundles of sperm bend to form a loop in their median region, quite evident in the Hoshihananomia sp., characterized by long sperm. This process, which also occurs in Ripiphoridae, probably enables individuals to produce long sperm without an increase in testicular volume. The sperm looping could be a consequence of the asynchronous growth between cyst size and sperm length. The sperm ultrastructure of the Mordellidae species reveals that they can be differentiated from other Tenebrionoidea based on the shape and size of some sperm components, such as the accessory bodies and the mitochondrial derivatives. They also show an uncommon stiff and immotile posterior flagellar region provided with only accessory tubules. These results contribute to a better knowledge of the phylogenetic relationship of the basal families of the large group of Tenebrionoidea.

RESUMEN

The sperm ultrastructure of some beetles of Tenebrionoidea was studied with particular attention to those of the Ripiphoridae, Mordellidae, and Meloidae. These three groups are often thought to form a clade, which is the sister group of the remaining Tenebrionoidea. The testes of the two former families have thinner but longer spermatic cysts containing fewer and longer sperm. Within each cyst all sperm cells have the same orientation, but cross sections showed that the orientation of the axonemes alternate between adjacent cysts, possibly due to the cysts bending on themselves. In both families the sperm has a bilayered acrosome and the flagellum, which shows mitochondrial derivatives starting laterally to the nuclear base, has a typical 9 + 9+2 axoneme with accessory tubules provided with 16 protofilaments in their wall, and well-structured triangular shaped accessory bodies. In Mordellistena sp (Mordellidae) sperm, both mitochondrial derivatives and accessory bodies are somewhat asymmetrical. Moreover, the flagellum shows a very thin and long tail end provided with only accessory tubules. Meloidae species have testes with thicker sperm cysts containing numerous shorter sperm. Within the individual cysts the sperm flagella exhibit an alternating orientation of their axonemes as consequence of a peculiar spermatogenetic process. The flagellar structure is similar to that of the above-mentioned species, but the accessory bodies are not well defined and constituted by fuzzy material. In Mylabris hieracii (Meloidae) sperm, the acrosome is flat with a conspicuous perforatorium and its nucleus has a peculiar quadrangular section. Berberomeloe majalis sperm has a large acrosome with an unusual pentagonal perforatorium. The centriolar structure of Mylabris variabilis shows a complex of dense radial links connecting the microtubular structures to the plasma membrane. These results suggest that Ripiphoridae have a closer relationship with Mordellidae than with Meloidae. These findings are in agreement with results obtained with molecular data.

Asunto(s)

Escarabajos , Espermatozoides , Acrosoma/ultraestructura , Animales , Masculino , Microscopía Electrónica de Transmisión , Cola del Espermatozoide/ultraestructura , Espermatozoides/ultraestructura

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: During the Mesozoic, there were many insects in several holometabolous orders (Neuroptera, Mecoptera and Diptera) with elongated mouthparts adapted for feeding on nectar. The evolutionary history of the megadiverse order Coleptera, which has a great diversity of mouthparts and feeding strategies, is well documented since early Permian with a significant peak in diversity in the Triassic. Currently, however, there is no evidence that in the Mesozoic these beetles fed on nectar despite the recorded specializations for pollination of flowering plants in several families since the mid-Cretaceous. RESULTS: Here we describe a new wedge-shaped beetle Melanosiagon serraticornis gen. et sp. nov. from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber attributed to Macrosiagonini (Ripiphoridae: Ripiphorinae), which has elongated galea comparable to that in the extant parasitoid genus Macrosiagon, and a well known example of adaptation for nectar feeding in Coleoptera. Furthermore, Salignacicola gen. nov. is established for Macrosiagon ebboi Perrichot, Nel et Néraudeau, 2004, based on the holotype found in mid-Cretaceous amber from France. Systematic positions of both newly established genera are discussed. A list of potential wasp and bee hosts of Ripiphorinae from the Mesozoic is provided. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents evidence of the earliest occurrence of specialized nectar feeding mouthparts in Coleoptera. Melanosiagon serraticornis is closely related to extant Macrosiagonini. In all genera belonging to subfamily Ripiphorinae the primary larvae are adapted for parasitism on aculeate Hymenoptera (bees and wasps) and adults are associated with blossoms of flowering plants, in terms of their specialized morphology. Adults of Macrosiagon visit blossoms of flowering plants to obtain nectar and lay eggs from which the hatching larvae attack visiting wasps and bees. An association with flowers of some tropical trees is already corroborated in some extant species. Interestingly the larvae of Ripiphorinae are also found in Burmese amber. Thus, both life stages of the mid-Cretaceous Ripiphorinae indicate a close association of this lineage with flowering trees.

Asunto(s)

Escarabajos , Avispas , Ámbar , Animales , Abejas , Fósiles , Néctar de las Plantas

RESUMEN

Consumer-resource interactions between trophic levels are ubiquitous and important factors in shaping the diversity of insects. However, dietary patterns such as host specificity and conservatism have been insufficiently examined in fungivorous insects. Here we reconstructed the evolutionary history of host use in fungivorous ciid beetles (Coleoptera: Ciidae) and tested for host conservatism. Phylogenetic relationships among 49 species from Japan were inferred by using a large sequence data set from ultraconserved elements (UCEs). In addition, sequences of three genes (COI, 28S rRNA, 18S rRNA) were analyzed to reconstruct the phylogeny for 130 OTUs from a broader range of taxa and geographic regions using the UCE tree as a backbone topology. We found that Ciini and Orophiini are not recovered as reciprocally monophyletic groups. As previously suggested, the largest genus Cis Latreille was also not monophyletic. Ancestral-state reconstruction of host use in both datasets showed that Ciidae species were clustered by host-use group across the tree. This pattern was confirmed by the significantly lower transition rate compared with expectations under the random shift hypothesis. The observed conservatism in host use implied these beetles possess unique adaptations to specific fungal taxa, just as herbivorous insects are adapted to specific plant taxa.

Asunto(s)

Escarabajos/clasificación , Escarabajos/genética , Filogenia , Animales , Evolución Molecular , Japón , ARN Ribosómico 18S , ARN Ribosómico 28S/genética

RESUMEN

A new extinct monotypic genus of the false darkling beetles, Madelinia gedanoposita gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on an inclusion in Baltic amber. The new taxon from a northern European Eocene forest is compared with the morphologically similar extant beetles as well as fossil melandryid beetles found in Baltic amber. The specimen establishes that the tribe Hypulini dates back to at least the Eocene and represents the first fossil genus of the group described. The composition of the tribe is discussed, and its present-day geographic distribution is mapped.

Asunto(s)

Ámbar , Escarabajos , Animales , Países Bálticos , Color , Fósiles

RESUMEN

Three new species are described: A. cooteri sp. n. (from China), A. curva sp. n. (from China), A. bertrami sp. n. (from Lebanon). A dichotomous key is provided to distinguish the new species from their most similar known species, namely: A. apfelbecki Schilsky, A. emarginata Schilsky, A. graeca Schilsky, A. koenigi Schilsky, A. marseuli Csiki, A. mongolica Ermisch, A. nigripes Brisout de Barneville.

Asunto(s)

Escarabajos , Distribución Animal , Animales

RESUMEN

In this study, the blister beetles belonging to the Hycleus sexmaculatus species group are revised. Morphological characters are described and figured for each species and keys to both male and female are provided. Hycleus hayki new species from Southwest Iran is described and the following new synonymies are proposed: Mylabris triangulifera ab. reitterioides Mader 1929 = Hycleus bipunctatus (Olivier, 1811) new synonymy; Mylabris triangulifera ab. bushirensis Mader 1929 = Hycleus bipunctatus (Olivier, 1811) new synonymy; Mylabris javeti Marseul, 1870 = Hycleus colligatus (Redtenbacher, 1850) new synonymy; Mylabris javeti umbilicatus Kaszab, 1958 = Hycleus colligatus (Redtenbacher, 1850) new synonymy; Hycleus amrishi Makhan, 2012 = Hycleus cingulatus (Faldermann, 1837) new synonymy. Additional remarks which rectify previous errors in the identification of the species are provided. The taxonomic positions of Zonabris soumacovi Pic, 1930 and Zonabris sialanus Pic, 1929 are also discussed. Phylogenetic relationships of the species, based on a subset of available species inferred from molecular data are proposed, and some morphologically defined subgroups of species are distinguished with the molecular support. The geographic and ecological distributions of all the species are defined, and a detailed list of localities is provided. The ecological information including phenology, elevation and host plants of the species are summarized in a table. Based on literature records, collections and recently collected data, the distribution of the sexmaculatus species and their biogeographic characteristics are discussed.

Asunto(s)

Escarabajos , Animales , Femenino , Masculino , Filogenia

RESUMEN

We describe Bulasconotus scaccarius sp. nov., a new species of cylindrical bark beetle (Zopheridae: Colydiinae: Synchitini), elevating the number of described species in its genus to two. Despite discovering this species in Hawaii, we suspect, based on collections and survey data, that it is endemic to the South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu and has only recently arrived in Hawaii. Evidence of the diet of closely related genera indicates that the new species may be a predator of ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae), conceivably posing a risk to those that are endemic to Hawaii.

Asunto(s)

Escarabajos , Gorgojos , Animales , Hawaii , Corteza de la Planta , Vanuatu

RESUMEN

The fauna of Mycteridae Blanchard, 1845 in Taiwan is small, with only two documented species. In the present paper, two new species of Omineus Lewis, 1895 are described: O. taiwanensis sp. nov. and O. chuangae sp. nov., highlighting the potential diversity of this family in Taiwan. New species descriptions are supplemented with photographs and illustrations of habitus and salient structures of both sexes. A key for the identification of Omineus species in Taiwan is provided.

Asunto(s)

Escarabajos , Distribución Animal , Estructuras Animales , Animales , Femenino , Masculino , Tamaño de los Órganos , Taiwán

RESUMEN

A new Ischnomera from northern Sicily is described. Besides this species, in the western Mediterranean I. xanthoderes complex were distinct one species from the Iberian peninsula and southern France (I. xanthoderes), and one from northwestern Africa (I. tenietensis). All species are figured and a key to the species is published.

Asunto(s)

Escarabajos , África , Animales , Francia , Sicilia

RESUMEN

Taxonomic notes are provided on species of the uncommonly encountered ripiphorid subfamily Pelecotominae. Zapotecotomasumichrasti gen. et sp. nov., is described from southern Mexico based on a unique male likely collected in the later part of the mid-19th Century. The discovery of additional species of the South African genus Clinops Gerstaecker permit a revised diagnosis and distinction of the group from the eastern Mediterranean genus Scotoscopus Brenske and Reitter, resurrected status. Two new species of Clinops are established: Clinopsinexpectatus sp. nov. (northeast of Durban near Swaziland) and C.perpessus sp. nov. (region of Durban), and Scotoscopusspectabilis (Schaufuss) is newly recorded for the Peloponnese in Greece.

RESUMEN

This work provides a taxonomic survey of the North American species of the genus Elonus Casey, 1895 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea: Aderidae). It includes the description of a new species, Elonus gruberi n. sp. from the United States, related to E. hesperus Werner, 1990 and to E. basalis (LeConte, 1855). A review and key to the North American species is provided.

Asunto(s)

Escarabajos , Animales , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Estados Unidos

RESUMEN

A checklist of Oedemeridae species recorded from Iran is given. A total of 48 species and subspecies are reported, of which two, Nacerdochroa caspia (Faldermann, 1836) and Oedemera (Oedemera) virescens virescens (Linnaeus, 1767), are recorded here for the first time from Iran. A total of 18 species (37,5%) are Iranian endemics. The most common chorotypes are Turanian (16 species; 33%), Turano-European (8 species; 17%), SW-Asiatic chorotype (7 species; 15%), Sindian (6 species; 13%) and Arabo-sindian (4 species, 8%).

Asunto(s)

Escarabajos , Distribución Animal , Animales , Irán

RESUMEN

The Coleoptera (beetles) exhibits tremendous morphological, ecological, and behavioral diversity. To better understand the phylogenetics and evolution of beetles, we sequenced three complete mitogenomes from two families (Cleridae and Meloidae), which share conserved mitogenomic features with other completely sequenced beetles. We assessed the influence of six datasets and three inference methods on topology and nodal support within the Coleoptera. We found that both Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood with homogeneous-site models were greatly affected by nucleotide compositional heterogeneity, while the heterogeneous-site mixture model in PhyloBayes could provide better phylogenetic signals for the Coleoptera. The amino acid dataset generated more reliable tree topology at the higher taxonomic levels (i.e. suborders and series), where the inclusion of rRNA genes and the third positions of protein-coding genes improved phylogenetic inference at the superfamily level, especially under a heterogeneous-site model. We recovered the suborder relationships as (Archostemata+Adephaga)+(Myxophaga+Polyphaga). The series relationships within Polyphaga were recovered as (Scirtiformia+(Elateriformia+((Bostrichiformia+Scarabaeiformia+Staphyliniformia)+Cucujiformia))). All superfamilies within Cucujiformia were recovered as monophyletic. We obtained a cucujiform phylogeny of (Cleroidea+(Coccinelloidea+((Lymexyloidea+Tenebrionoidea)+(Cucujoidea+(Chrysomeloidea+Curculionoidea))))). This study showed that although tree topologies were sensitive to data types and inference methods, mitogenomic data could provide useful information for resolving the Coleoptera phylogeny at various taxonomic levels by using suitable datasets and heterogeneous-site models.

Asunto(s)

Genoma Mitocondrial , Animales , Teorema de Bayes , Escarabajos/clasificación , Escarabajos/genética , ADN/química , ADN/aislamiento & purificación , ADN/metabolismo , ADN Mitocondrial/clasificación , ADN Mitocondrial/genética , ADN Mitocondrial/metabolismo , Filogenia , ARN Ribosómico/clasificación , ARN Ribosómico/genética , ARN Ribosómico/metabolismo , ARN de Transferencia/clasificación , ARN de Transferencia/genética , ARN de Transferencia/metabolismo , Alineación de Secuencia , Análisis de Secuencia de ADN

RESUMEN

Three new species of Falsocis Pic are described: Falsocis aquiloniussp. n. from Panamá, Costa Rica and Colombia, Falsocis egregiussp. n. from a single locality in northern Brazil and Falsocis occultussp. n. from two localities in southeastern and southern Brazil. New records, comparative notes and an identification key for male and female specimens of Falsocis species are also provided.