Exploring the role of climatic niche changes in the evolution of the southern South American genus Baripus (Coleoptera: Carabidae): optimization of non-hereditary climatic variables and phylogenetic signal measurement.

Baripus is a ground beetle genus endemic to southern South America, currently distributed across grassland and shrub habitats in mountain and lowland regions. The species of this genus are known to have been affected by the Andean orogeny and the climate changes that occurred during this process. In this study, we seek to understand how the orogeny of the Andes may have led to changes in the climatic niches of the species of Baripus over time. We integrated former ecological and historical biogeographic hypotheses, exploring the use of parsimony optimization of phylogenetically structured climate variables and ancestral character state reconstruction methods. We then performed regression analyses of the optimized climatic niche variables within the phylogenetic tree of Baripus. We were able to infer significant climatic niche constraints, and niche changes that provide new insights to the existing knowledge, supporting former ecological and biogeographic hypotheses for this genus. Such trends in climatic niche could be explained by the rain shadow effect caused by the Andean uplift as well as with other climate shifts associated with temperature and precipitation swings that occurred in this region from the Middle Miocene to the Pliocene.

Unusual host selection in Amblycerus dispar larvae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) and its potential impact on stored almonds (Prunus dulcis).

We present the first report of Amblycerus dispar (Sharp) attacking stored almonds [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D. A. Webb] in Argentina. A summarized diagnosis, illustrations, and photographs of the adult and mature larva are provided to facilitate identification. We performed species distribution models for A. dispar and its main host plant Geoffroea decorticans (Gillies ex Hook. & Arn.) Burkart. We include A. dispar into a previous morphological character matrix and conduct a phylogenetic analysis to infer its phylogenetic position. The evolution of host plant associations of the genus Amblycerus is herein re-analyzed. A. dispar and its main host shows high suitability areas especially in central-west Argentina and Chile, whereas for the USA, high suitability areas were found for the south-western which include the area of almond production in this country. Although the presence of A. dispar in the USA region is very unlikely, we recommend some awareness as other bruchines are present in the area. Although A. dispar is unlikely to become an economically important risk, monitoring for early detection is recommended to avoid productivity loss, especially when the native host is nearby cultivated areas. A. dispar is hypothesized to be the sister species of A. schwarzi Kingsolver. The colonization of a Rosaceae species is a novelty for this genus, being host shifts known as an important factor affecting both natural and agricultural systems.

A comprehensive guide to the Argentinian case-bearer beetle fauna (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Camptosomata).

Knowledge of Argentinian Camptosomata has largely remained static for the last 60 years since the last publication by Francisco de Asis Monrós in the 1950's. One hundred and ninety Camptosomata species (182 Cryptocephalinae and 8 Lamprosomatinae) in 31 genera are recorded herein from Argentina. Illustrated diagnostic keys to the subfamilies, tribes, subtribes and genera of Argentinian Camptosomata, plus species checklists and illustrations for all genera of camptosomatan beetles cited for each political region of Argentina are provided. General notes on the taxonomy and distribution, as well as basic statistics, are also included. This study provides basic information about the Camptosomata fauna in Argentina that will facilitate in the accurate generic-level identification of this group and aid subsequent taxonomic revisions, and phylogenetic, ecological, and biogeographic studies. This information will also facilitate faunistic comparisons between neighboring countries. Two nomenclatural acts are proposed: Temnodachrys (Temnodachrys) argentina (Guérin, 1952), comb. n., and Metallactus bivitticollis (Jacoby, 1907), comb. n. The following are new records for Argentina: Stegnocephala xanthopyga (Suffrian, 1863) and Lamprosoma azureum Germar, 1824. Currently, the most diverse camptosomate tribe in Argentina is Clytrini, with almost twice the number of species of Cryptocephalini. New records for Argentina are predicted.

Colaspis caligula, a new species found in association with Vitis vinifera (L.) crops in Argentina (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Some species of Colaspis Fabricius are well-known pests of several crops in Argentina. In this contribution, we describe a new species within this genus: Colaspis caligula n. sp., found in association with Vitis vinifera (Linnaeus) crops. We provide descriptions and illustrations of the mature larva, pupa and adult, as well as notes on its diagnostic characters, life cycle, and the damages produced to the plants.

Leaf beetles are ant-nest beetles: the curious life of the juvenile stages of case-bearers (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cryptocephalinae).

Although some species of Cryptocephalinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) have been documented with ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) for almost 200 years, information on this association is fragmentary. This contribution synthesizes extant literature and analysizes the data for biological patterns. Myrmecophily is more common in the tribe Clytrini than in Cryptocephalini, but not documented for Fulcidacini or the closely-related Lamprosomatinae. Myrmecophilous cryptocephalines (34 species in 14 genera) primarily live among formicine and myrmecines ants as hosts. These two ant lineages are putative sister-groups, with their root-node dated to between 77-90 mya. In the New World tropics, the relatively recent radiation of ants from moist forests to more xeric ecosystems might have propelled the association of cryptocephalines and ant nests. Literature records suggest that the defensive behavioral profile or chemical profile (or both) of these ants has been exploited by cryptocephalines. Another pattern appears to be that specialized natural enemies, especially parasitoid Hymenoptera, exploit cryptocephaline beetles inside the ant nests. With the extant data at hand, based on the minimum age of a fossil larva dated to 45 mya, we can infer that the origin of cryptocephaline myrmecophily could have arisen within the Upper Cretaceous or later. It remains unknown how many times myrmecophily has appeared, or how old is the behavior. This uncertainty is compounded by incongruent hypotheses about the origins of Chrysomelidae and angiosperm-associated lineages of cryptocephalines. Living with ants offers multiple advantages that might have aided the colonization of xeric environments by some cryptocephaline species.

An interactive multi-entry key to the species of Megalostomis Chevrolat, with description of a new species from Paraguay (Chrysomelidae, Cryptocephalinae).

The main goal of this contribution is to release an interactive multi-entry key to all known species of the genus Megalostomis Chevrolat. This key constitutes a new tool created to aid the identification of the species of this diverse genus, which occasionally may be difficult to identify to the species-level, due to the lack of reference collections for most countries within its distribution range, and to the presence of intra-specific variation and secondary sexual characters. It is expected that this on-line key will facilitate future periodic updates, and will benefit all those persons interested in identifying these taxa. The present paper also includes the description of Megalostomis juanenrique sp. n., a new species from Paraguay. In addition, Megalostomis gigas Lacordaire, and Megalostomis robustipes Monrós are newly cited for the fauna of Paraguay. The online interactive Lucid key is available at http://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/megalostomis. Offline Lucid data files in LIF and SDD formats are also available at doi: 10.3897/zookeys.425.7631.app1 and doi: 10.3897/zookeys.425.7631.app2.

A taxonomic review of the genus Megalostomis Chevrolat (Coleoptera, Cryptocephalinae, Chrysomelidae).

A taxonomic revision of the genus Megalostomis Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae: Clytrini: Megalostomina) is provided, including new data on geographic ranges. Two new species and 34 new synonymies are proposed within the genus Megalostomis, leaving 42 valid species in the genus. A checklist of the species of Megalostomis is provided, with information on host plants, ant associations, and natural enemies. The study includes a key to all species, diagnoses, descriptions, habitat, photographs, and distribution maps. This comparative study of the external and internal adult morphology includes the male and female genitalia. Nomenclatural acts proposed in this revision are as follow: Change of status: M. dynamica stat. rev. (=M. flavipennis dynamica Monrós, 1952). New synonymy: M. anachoreta Lacordaire, 1848 (=M. gratiosa Lacordaire, 1848, syn. nov., M. amazona Jacoby, 1876, syn. nov., M. generosa Baly, 1877a, syn. nov., M. balyi Monrós, 1951a, syn. nov., M. mariae Monrós 1951a, new status syn., M. hespenheidi Moldenke, 1981, syn. nov.); M. basilaris Jacoby, 1880 (= M. runa Monrós, 1952, syn. nov.); M. cornuta Lacordaire, 1848 (=M. cornuta var. divisa Guérin, 1949, syn. nov.); M. dimidiata dimidiata (Lacordaire, 1848) (= M. tomentosa tomentosa Jacoby, 1880, syn. nov., M. punctatissima (Jacoby, 1888), syn. nov., M. tomentosa orientalis Moldenke, 1970, syn. nov., M. tomentosa sinaloensis Moldenke, 1970, syn. nov., M. tomentosa guatemalensis Achard, 1926 (2nd specimen only), syn. nov., M. dimidiata nayaritensis Moldenke, 1970, syn. nov., M. dimidiata sonorensis Moldenke, 1970, syn. nov.); M. flavocincta Lacordaire, 1848 (=M. flavomaculata Lacordaire, 1848, syn. nov.); M. fulvipes fulvipes Jacoby, 1888 (=M. fulvipes yucatanensis Moldenke, 1970, syn. nov.); M. gazella Lacordaire 1848 (=M. bicingulata, Lacordaire, 1848, syn. nov., M. meretrix Lacordaire, 1848, syn. nov.); M. luctuosa Lacordaire, 1848 (=M. iracunda Lacordaire, 1848, syn. nov.); M. microcephala Lacordaire, 1848 [=M. tosta (Monrós, 1950), syn. nov.]; M. notabilis notabilis Lacordaire, 1848 (=M. notabilis linearis Moldenke, 1970, syn. nov.); M. pyropiga pyropiga Lacordaire, 1848 (=M. pyropiga chiapensis Moldenke, 1970, syn. nov.); M. querula Lacordaire, 1848 (=M. propinqua Lacordaire, 1848, syn. nov., M. univittata pacifica Monrós, 1953a, syn. nov.); M. religiosa Lacordaire, 1848 (=M. distincta Lacordaire, 1848, syn. nov.); M. splendida splendida Lacordaire, 1848 (=M. splendida affinis Jacoby, 1888, syn. nov.; M. splendida regalis Achard, 1926, syn. nov.); M. subfasciata subfasciata (LeConte, 1868) [= M. subfasciata majorubrofasciata Moldenke, 1970, syn. nov.; M. subfasciata murina (Monrós, 1952), syn. nov.]; M. tricincta (Germar, 1824) (=M. bubalus bubalus Lacordaire, 1848 syn. nov., M. bubalus bubaloides Monrós, 1953a, syn. nov.); M. univittata Lacordaire, 1848 (=M. univittata oblita Monrós, 1953a, syn. nov.); M. viridana Lacordaire, 1848 (=M. metallica Jacoby, 1888, syn. nov.). Type designations: lectotypes are designated for the following species: M. anachoreta Lacordaire, 1848; M. chalybeosoma Lacordaire, 1848; M. coerulea Baly, 1877a; M. cornuta Lacordaire, 1848; M. dimidiata Lacordaire, 1848; M. flavipennis Jacoby, 1880; M. flavocincta Lacordaire, 1848; M. gazella Lacordaire, 1848; M. gigas Lacordaire, 1848; M. interruptofasciata Baly, 1877a; M. luctuosa Lacordaire, 1848; M. notabilis Lacordaire, 1848; M. obesa Lacordaire, 1848; M. placida Baly, 1877b; M. pyropiga Lacordaire, 1848; M. religiosa Lacordaire, 1848; M. splendida Lacordaire, 1848; M. subfasciata (LeConte, 1868); M. tricincta (Germar, 1824); M. unicincta Lefèvre, 1884; M. univittata Lacordaire, 1848; M. viridana Lacordaire, 1848; M. microcephala Lacordaire, 1848.