Phylogenetic analysis reveals a new net-winged beetle genus of Eurrhacini (Coleoptera, Lycidae) from the Pacific slopes of Central America and Ecuador.

The first phylogenetic inference of Calopterini and Eurrhacini focused on Calocladon and related taxa was carried out. A data matrix composed of 46 species and 51 morphological characters was assembled and analyzed using parsimony and model-based approaches. Eurrhacini were recovered monophyletic. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses highly supported the Calocladon clade including also Atlanticolycus, Cladocalon, and Gorhamium gen. nov. as its sister clade. Our trees consistently recovered monophyly of the new genus with two new species: Gorhamiumbidentatum sp. nov. (Panama, Baru Volcano) and G.unidentatum sp. nov. from the Pacific slopes of Ecuador. A revised key to the genera of Eurrhacini is given and illustrations of distinguishing characters are provided. Phylogenetic relationships of Eurrhacini and character evolution are discussed.

A new genus of Eurrhacini from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (Coleoptera: Lycidae: Lycinae) with an updated key to genera.

Atlanticolycus gen. nov., is herein described as a new genus of Neotropical Lycidae in the Eurrhacini tribe. Five new species are described: Atlanticolycus camposgerais sp. nov., A. japi sp. nov., A. itatiaia sp. nov., A. ilhabela sp. nov., and A. morretes sp. nov., all distributed in Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Illustrations of diagnostic characters, a key for species identification and a key to genera of Eurrhacini with flabellate antennae are presented.

Cladocalon, a new genus of net-winged beetles from Central America and Mexico (Coleoptera: Lycidae).

Cladocalon gen. nov. is proposed within the tribe Eurrhacini in the subfamily Lycinae including five species: C. chiriquense (Gorham, 1884) comb. nov. and C. histrionicum (Gorham, 1884) comb. nov. (transferred from Calocladon), C. bugabense sp. nov., C. mexicanus sp. nov. and C. guatemalense sp. nov. Lectotypes and paralectotypes of the two previously described species are designated. A key to species is provided and illustrations of diagnostic features are given.

Currhaeus, a new genus of net-winged beetles and phylogenetic analysis of Eurrhacini (Coleoptera: Lycidae: Lycinae).

A new genus of Neotropical Lycidae, Currhaeus gen. nov., is herein proposed as the second Eurrhacini genus lacking parameres in male genitalia. Seven new species are described: Currhaeus striatus sp. nov., C. nigroapicalis sp. nov., C. championi sp. nov., C. tabascensis sp. nov., C. ruschii sp. nov., C. polegattoi sp. nov., and C. paranaensis sp. nov. Illustrations of diagnostic characters and a key to species identification are presented. Parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses of morphological data demonstrated that Currhaeus gen. nov. belongs in the crown Eurrhacini. Implied weighting parsimony trees recovered Currhaeus as sister to Eurrhacus Waterhouse.

Genome sequencing of Rhinorhipus Lawrence exposes an early branch of the Coleoptera.

BACKGROUND: Rhinorhipidae Lawrence, 1988 is an enigmatic beetle family represented by a single species, Rhinorhipus tamborinensis Lawrence, 1988, from Australia, with poorly established affinities near the superfamily Elateroidea (click beetles, soldier beetles and fireflies) or the more inclusive series (infraorder) Elateriformia. Its evolutionary position may inform the basal relationships of the suborder Polyphaga, the largest clade of Coleoptera. RESULTS: We analyzed four densely sampled DNA datasets of major coleopteran lineages for mitogenomes, rRNA genes and single copy nuclear genes. Additionally, genome sequencing was used for incorporation of R. tamborinensis into a set of 4220 orthologs for 24 terminals representing 12 polyphagan superfamilies. Topologies differed to various degrees, but all consistently refute the proposed placement of Rhinorhipidae in Elateroidea and instead indicate either sister relationships with other Elateriformia, frequently together with Nosodendridae, another divergent small family hitherto placed in Derodontoidea, or in an isolated position among the deepest lineages of Polyphaga. The phylogenomic analyses recovered Rhinorhipus in a sister position to all other Elateriformia composed of five superfamilies. Therefore, we erect the new superfamily Rhinorhipoidea Lawrence, 1988, stat. Nov., with the type-family Rhinorhipidae. The origins of the Rhinorhipidae were dated to the Upper Triassic/Lower Jurassic at the very early phase of polyphagan diversification. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, Rhinorhipidae adds another example to several recently recognized ancient relict lineages which are interspersed within contemporaneous hugely species-rich lineages of Coleoptera.

Incomplete sclerotization and phylogeny: The phylogenetic classification of Plastocerus (Coleoptera: Elateroidea).

The relationships of the monogeneric family Plastoceridae Crowson, 1972 (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) have remained contentious due to its modified morphology, incorrect information on incomplete metamorphosis of females and the absence of molecular data. We produced the sequences for P. angulosus (Germar, 1844) (the type-species of Plastocerus Schaum, 1852) and performed molecular phylogenetic analyses to estimate its position. The analyses of Elateroidea (186 spp.) and Elateridae (110 spp.) molecular datasets of two mitochondrial and two nuclear gene fragments repeatedly placed Plastocerus Schaum, 1852 in relationships with the elaterid genera Oxynopterus Hope, 1842 and Pectocera Hope, 1842. Alternative topologies were rejected by likelihood tests. Therefore, Plastoceridae Crowson, 1972 are down-ranked to the subfamily Plastocerinae in Elateridae Leach, 1815. We suggest that the morphology-based placement and high rank for some elateroid lineages were inferred from the presence of homoplasies which evolved due to incomplete sclerotization. Distantly related soft-bodied elateroids share freely movable and transverse coxae, a shortened prosternum, and a weakly sclerotized abdomen with free ventrites. Importantly, the apomorphic structures characteristic for their closest relatives, such as the prosternal process, mesoventral cavity, and intercoxal keel in the first abdominal ventrite are regularly absent. Consequently, morphology-based phylogenetic analyses suggest deeply rooted positions for lineages without expressed apomorphic character states. Molecular data represent an independent character system that is not affected by the convergent morphological evolution, and therefore molecular phylogenies can elucidate the relationships of incompletely sclerotized lineages.

Neolinoptes gen. n., a replacement name for the net-winged beetle genus Linoptes Gorham, 1884 and a new species of Lycomorphon from Guyana (Coleoptera: Lycidae).

Neolinoptes gen. n. is erected to replace Linoptes Gorham, 1884, preoccupied by Linoptes Menge, 1854 (Arachnida: Araneae). Consequently, Neolinoptes imbrex (Gorham, 1884) comb. n., N. amazonicus (Pic, 1923) comb. n., N. atronotatus (Pic, 1922) comb. n., N. atripennis (Pic, 1932) comb. n. are proposed. Calocladon rubidum Gorham, 1884 is transferred to Neolinoptes. Lycomorphon iwokrama sp. n. is proposed as new to science and the genus is recorded from Guyana for the first time. Additionally, Falsocaenia irregularis var. germaini Pic, 1931 is elevated to species rank and past confusion on F. irregularis discussed. New data on geographical distribution of Falsocaenia paranana (Pic, 1922) are presented.

Systematic review of the firefly genus Scissicauda (Coleoptera, Lampyridae, Amydetinae) from Brazil.

The Amydetinae genus Scissicauda McDermott, 1964 is reviewed and redescribed. We describe Scissicauda balena sp. n. from Brazil as new, and provide illustrations of the structural features and a key to species of both sexes.

A review of the genus Lamellipalpodes Maulik (Coleoptera: Lampyridae).

The Ototretinae genus Lamellipalpodes Maulik, 1921 is reviewed. Four species are proposed as new to science, L. bajhangensis Bocakova sp. nov., L. holzschuhi Bocakova sp. nov. and L. godawarensis Bocakova sp. nov., all from Nepal, and L. yunnanensis Bocakova sp. nov. from China (Yunnan) and northern Laos. Six species are redescribed. Illustrations of diagnostic characters are included, with a checklist and a key to Lamellipalpodes species. The genus is newly recorded from China and Laos.

A new extant species of Electribius Crowson from Honduras (Coleoptera: Elateroidea: Artematopodidae).

A new extant species of Electribius Crowson, E. llamae sp.n., is described from Cusuco National Park, Cortés Province, Honduras. This new species lacks one of the supposed autapomorphies of the genus; therefore the definition of the genus requires modification. A revised key to the known extant species is presented, and their known distributions are mapped.

Lolodorfus, a new genus of net-winged beetles (Coleoptera: Lycidae: Dexorinae) from Cameroon.

A new genus Lolodorfus is proposed within the subfamily Dexorinae and Lolodorfus flavus sp. nov. from Cameroon is described. Illustrations of diagnostic characters are given. The genus Mimolibnetis Pic, 1936 is transferred to the Dexorinae Bocak et Bocakova, 1989, and consequently the subfamily Mimolibnetinae Kazantsev, 2013 is considered to be a younger synonym of Dexorinae Bocak et Bocakova, 1989.

The comprehensive phylogeny of the superfamily Elateroidea (Coleoptera: Elateriformia).

Elateriformia consists of Dascilloidea, Buprestoidea (jewel beetles), Byrrhoidea and Elateroidea (click beetles, fireflies and relatives). Numerous elateroid lineages contain taxa with modified metamorphosis resulting in sexual maturity while retaining larval characters. Additionally, they evolved unique defensive strategies including clicking mechanism, aposematic coloration and bioluminescence. To investigate the phylogenetic position of Elateroidea within Coleoptera, we merged 1048 newly produced 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, rrnL mtDNA, and cox1 mtDNA sequences for ∼300 elateriform taxa with data from GenBank. The 975-taxa dataset aligned in BlastAlign was analyzed under maximum likelihood criterion. The results agreed in most aspects with the current morphology-based classification and results of molecular studies. Elateriformia were monophyletic and Elateroidea were sister to Byrrhoidea. Further, we analyzed all-data (513 elateriform taxa) and pruned matrix (417 elateriform taxa, all fragments present) using parsimony and maximum likelihood methods to reveal the phylogenetic relationships among elateroid lineages and examine the evolution of soft-bodiedness, neoteny and bioluminescence. We confirmed the monophyly of Elateroidea sensu lato and most of the families, with Telegeusidae inferred in most trees within paraphyletic Omethidae. The clade Artematopodidae+Telegeusidae+Omethidae was a sister to remaining elateroids. All topologies reject the relationships of hard-bodied Elateridae, Eucnemidae, Throscidae and Cerophytidae, formerly supposed to be a monophylum. Eucnemidae and Throscidae formed independent lineages and the position of Cerophytidae was variable - either a sister to Throscidae, or an independent lineage. The Lampyridae+Cantharidae clade was in most trees sister to Phengodidae+Rhagophthalmidae+Omalisidae+Elateridae. Molecular phylogeny of Elateroidea confirmed the multiple origins of soft-bodied, neotenic and light emiting lineages. On the basis of our molecular phylogeny, we place former Telegeusidae as a subfamily in Omethidae.

A new species of Brasilycus (Coleoptera: Lycidae) from Peru.

Brasilycus peruanus sp. nov. is proposed as new to science. Photographs of the habitus, antenna, pronotum, and aedeagus of the single specimen are presented. This new species represents the first record of the genus Brasilycus from Peru and is the fourth species in the genus recorded from South America.

Multiple ancient origins of neoteny in Lycidae(Coleoptera): consequences for ecology and macroevolution.

Neoteny, the maintenance of larval features in sexually mature adults, is a radical way of generating evolutionary novelty through shifts in relative timing of developmental programmes. While controlled by the environment in facultative neotenics, retention of larval features is obligatory in many species of Lycidae (net-winged beetles). They are studied here as an example of how developmental shifts and ecology interact to produce macroevolutionary impacts. We conducted a phylogenetic analysis of Lycidae based on DNA sequences from nuclear (18S and 28S rRNA) and mitochondrial (rrnL, cox1, cob and nad5) genes from a representative set of lineages (73 species), including 17 neotenic taxa. Major changes of basal relationships compared with those implied in the current classification generally supported three independent origins of neotenics in Lycidae. The southeast Asian Lyropaeinae and Ateliinae were in basal positions indicating evolutionary antiquity, also confirmed by molecular clock estimates, unlike the neotropical leptolycines nested within Calopterini and presumably much younger. neotenics exhibit typical K-selected traits including slow development, large body size, high investment in offspring and low dispersal. This correlated with low species richness and restricted ranges of neotenic lineages compared with their sisters. Yet, these factors did not impede the evolutionary persistence of affected lineages, even without reversals to fully metamorphosed forms, contradicting earlier suggestions of recent evolution from dispersive non-neotenics.

A comprehensive phylogeny of beetles reveals the evolutionary origins of a superradiation.

Beetles represent almost one-fourth of all described species, and knowledge about their relationships and evolution adds to our understanding of biodiversity. We performed a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of Coleoptera inferred from three genes and nearly 1900 species, representing more than 80% of the world's recognized beetle families. We defined basal relationships in the Polyphaga supergroup, which contains over 300,000 species, and established five families as the earliest branching lineages. By dating the phylogeny, we found that the success of beetles is explained neither by exceptional net diversification rates nor by a predominant role of herbivory and the Cretaceous rise of angiosperms. Instead, the pre-Cretaceous origin of more than 100 present-day lineages suggests that beetle species richness is due to high survival of lineages and sustained diversification in a variety of niches.