The Australian genus Rhytiphora (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) with a revision of the Rhytiphora collaris group.

We present a review of the Australian species of Rhytiphora Audinet-Serville, 1835, the most speciose longhorn beetle (Cerambycidae) genus in Australia. The morphological definition of the genus is updated, including useful features to distinguish Rhytiphora from closely related genera within Niphonini. Key characteristics of the two molecularly determined subclades are also provided. The collaris group of Rhytiphora is revised and Rhytiphora garnetensis sp. nov. is described from Queensland. A neotype is designated for Saperda collaris Donovan, 1805; lectotypes are designated for R. amicula White, 1859, Symphyletes vestigialis Pascoe, 1864, Symphyletes compos Blackburn, 1902, R. maculosella Blackburn, 1902, R. uniformis Blackburn, 1901, R. piperitia Hope, 1842 and Symphyletes humeralis White, 1858. A number of species complexes that require genetic confirmation before being synonymised (or separated) are discussed. Finally, we provide a new checklist of the Australian Rhytiphora species which, incorporating synonymies and other changes, reduces the total number of species from 206 to 163. The following species have been synonymised (junior synonym listed first): Coptops abdominalis White, 1858 (= Lamia bankii Fabricius, 1775); Penthea adamsae McKeown, 1938 (= Penthea macularia Pascoe, 1867); R. affinis Breuning, 1970 (= Symphyletes farinosus Pascoe, 1863); Prosoplus albidus Aurivillius, 1917 and Prosoplus minimus Breuning, 1938 (= Corrhenes pauxilla Blackburn, 1901); Prosoplus albostriatus Breuning, 1938 and Prosoplus demarzi Breuning, 1963 (= Niphona oblita Pascoe, 1863); Saperda albocincta Guérin-Méneville, 1831, Symphyletes compos Blackburn, 1902, R. donovani Newman, 1851, R. intertincta Pascoe, 1867, R. maculosella Blackburn, 1902, R. parafarinosa Breuning, 1970, R. vermiculosa Breuning, 1970 and Symphyletes vestigialis Pascoe, 1864 (= Saperda collaris); R. albolateraloides Breuning, 1970 (= Platyomopsis cinerascens Aurivillius, 1917); Symphyletes anaglyptus Pascoe, 1867, Saperdopsis armata Thomson, 1864, Symphyletes moratus Pascoe, 1863 and Symphyletes vetustus Pascoe, 1862 (= Lamia pulverulens Boisduval, 1835); Symphyletes arctos Pascoe, 1865 (= Symphyletes fumatus Pascoe, 1864); Pterolophia australica Breuning, 1938 (= Apomecyna nigrita Pascoe, 1859); R. barnardi Breuning, 1982 (= Symphyletes capreolus Pascoe, 1867); Platyomopsis basalis Aurivillius, 1917 (= Saperdopsis ochreobasalis Breuning, 1938); R. corrhenoides Breuning, 1970 (= Corrhenes cruciata Pascoe, 1875); R. dawsoni Breuning, 1970 (= Symphyletes fasciatus Blackburn, 1901); Symphyletes defloratus Pascoe, 1869 (= Symphyletes gallus Pascoe, 1864); Trichoprosoplus demarzi Breuning, 1961 and Paradaxata spinosa Breuning, 1938 (= Paradaxata villosa Breuning, 1938); Prosoplus elongatus Breuning, 1938 (= Prosoplus metallescens Breuning, 1938); Corrhenes flavovittata Breuning, 1938, Saperda funesta Pascoe, 1859, Anaesthetis lepida Germar, 1848 and Cobria rufa Breuning, 1961 (= Saperda paulla Germar, 1848); Corrhenes guttulata Pascoe, 1865, Corrhenes macmillani Gilmour, 1950 and Saperda mystica Pascoe, 1863 (= Saperda stigmatica Pascoe, 1863); Xiphotheopsis hathlioides Breuning, 1961 (= Xiphohathlia lobata Breuning, 1961); Symphyletes iliacus Pascoe, 1866 (= Symphyletes deserti Blackburn, 1896); Saperdopsis laterialba Breuning, 1938 (= Symphyletes satelles Pascoe, 1865); Etaxalus laterialbus Breuning, 1968 (= Achriotypa basalis Pascoe, 1875); Prosoplus laterinigricollis Breuning, 1961 and Prosoplus mediofasciatus Breuning, 1938 (= Niphona bakewelli Pascoe, 1859); R. leucolateralis Breuning, 1970 (= R. subargentata Breuning, 1970); Penthea lichenosa McKeown, 1942 and Penthea obscura Breuning, 1961 (= Penthea scenica Pascoe, 1863); Sysspilotus macleayi Pascoe, 1865 and Menyllus maculicornis Pascoe, 1864 (= Menyllus rotundipennis Breuning, 1968); R. multituberculata Breuning, 1966 (= Saperdopsis sellata Breuning, 1938); Symphyletes nodosus Newman, 1842 (= Acanthocinus piliger Macleay, 1826); Hathliodes pseudomurinus Breuning, 1938 (= Hathliodes virgatus Breuning, 1938); Penthea sectator Pascoe, 1865 (= Penthea crassicollis Pascoe, 1864); R. simsoni Blackburn, 1901 (= R. mista Newman, 1842); Penthea solida Pascoe, 1863 (= Lamia vermicularia Donovan, 1805); Platyomopsis spinosa Thomson, 1864 (= Lamia obliqua Donovan, 1805); R. truncata Breuning, 1940 (= R. piperitia Hope, 1842); R. uniformis Blackburn, 1901 (= Platyomopsis delicatula McKeown, 1948); Mimiphiastus vivesi Breuning, 1978 (= Symphyletes variolosa Pascoe, 1862). Pterolophia bispinosa Breuning, 1938 is renamed to R. subovata new name (junior homonym of Saperdopsis bispinosa Breuning, 1938), R. browni McKeown, 1938 is reinstated as its own species, and Corrhenes flavovittata demarzi Breuning, 1963 is elevated to species status and renamed R. rentzi new name (junior homonym of Trichoprosoplus demarzi).

Phylogenomics resolves timing and patterns in the evolution of Australasian Cerambycinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), and reveals new insights into the subfamily-level classification and historical biogeography of longhorn beetles.

Cerambycinae is the second-largest subfamily of longhorn beetles in the Southern Hemisphere. The phylogeny of Cerambycinae is poorly known, resulting in a highly artificial tribal-level classification and a largely speculative evolutionary history. We reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships of Cerambycinae at the generic level using anchored hybrid enrichment data from hundreds of nuclear genes, with a primary focus on the extraordinarily diverse faunas of Australia and New Zealand. We also estimated divergence times by incorporating fossil calibrations in our analyses. We identified two main clades within Cerambycinae, which can also be separated morphologically by a distinct type of antennal foramen. We recovered a Late Jurassic origin of crown Cerambycinae. Dorcasominae, which was newly found to have representatives in Australia, was notably derived from within Cerambycinae. We recovered two independent origins of Australian Cerambycinae: one clade originated in the Early Cretaceous and is likely endemic to the Southern Hemisphere, while the other clade appears to have immigrated to Australia, perhaps from the Northern Hemisphere. Within the Australian lineages were multiple independent origins of New Zealand taxa, all of which are relative host-plant generalists. Tribal relationships and assignments are discussed, and based on our results, the following major nomenclatural acts were made: Dorcasominae Lacordaire, 1868 is downgraded to a tribe Dorcasomini of Cerambycinae Latreille, 1804; Neostenini Lacordaire, 1868 syn. nov. is treated as a junior synonym of Uracanthini Blanchard, 1851.

On and off the rocks: persistence and ecological diversification in a tropical Australian lizard radiation.

BACKGROUND: Congruent patterns in the distribution of biodiversity between regions or habitats suggest that key factors such as climatic and topographic variation may predictably shape evolutionary processes. In a number of tropical and arid biomes, genetic analyses are revealing deeper and more localised lineage diversity in rocky ranges than surrounding habitats. Two potential drivers of localised endemism in rocky areas are refugial persistence through climatic change, or ecological diversification and specialisation. Here we examine how patterns of lineage and phenotypic diversity differ across two broad habitat types (rocky ranges and open woodlands) in a small radiation of gecko lizards in the genus Gehyra (the australis group) from the Australian Monsoonal Tropics biome. RESULTS: Using a suite of approaches for delineating evolutionarily independent lineages, we find between 26 and 41 putative evolutionary units in the australis group (versus eight species currently recognised). Rocky ranges are home to a greater number of lineages that are also relatively more restricted in distribution, while lineages in open woodland habitats are fewer, more widely distributed, and, in one case, show evidence of range expansion. We infer at least two shifts out of rocky ranges and into surrounding woodlands. Phenotypic divergence between rocky ranges specialist and more generalist taxa is detected, but no convergent evolutionary regimes linked to ecology are inferred. CONCLUSIONS: In climatically unstable biomes such as savannahs, rocky ranges have functioned as zones of persistence, generators of diversity and a source of colonists for surrounding areas. Phenotypic divergence can also be linked to the use of differing habitat types, however, the extent to which ecological specialisation is a primary driver or secondary outcome of localised diversification remains uncertain.

The first elateroid beetles (Coleoptera: Polyphaga: Elateroidea) from the Upper Jurassic of Australia.

The first elateroid fossils from the Upper Jurassic Talbragar Fish Bed in Australia are described and illustrated. Wongaroo amplipectorale gen. et sp. n., based on two specimens, is placed in the family Cerophytidae due to its convex, posteriorly weakly angled and laterally carinate pronotum obscuring the head in dorsal view, its relatively long, pointed elytra and slender legs, its 9-striate elytra with deep basal pits and the absence of metacoxal plates. Beattieellus jurassicus gen. et sp. n., described from one specimen, possesses the acutely angled pronotum without a carina on the posterolateral angles and the ventral click apparatus typical of Eucnemidae and is classified in this family. Assignment of it to a eucnemid subfamily is impossible because of the insufficient preservation of relevant characters in the fossil. Four other elateroid fossils, possibly representing eucnemids and elaterids, are illustrated and briefly described but not named, due to their insufficient preservation. These fossils represent the first of their kind in Australia and in the Southern Hemisphere, and Beattieellus is also the oldest eucnemid fossil known and extends the fossil record of Eucnemidae into the Upper Jurassic. The discovery of elateroid fossils in the Talbragar Fish Bed adds to the coleopteran diversity of this ancient lake ecosystem, indicating that it was well wooded and provided suitable habitats of rotten wood for the development of the larvae of these taxa.

Rhopalomma stefaniae gen. et sp. n., the first ommatid beetle from the Upper Jurassic in Australia (Coleoptera: Archostemata: Ommatidae).

The first Upper Jurassic fossil of the family Ommatidae (Coleoptera: Archostemata) from Australia is described and illustrated from a single specimen discovered at the Talbragar Fish Bed. Rhopalomma stefaniae gen. et sp. n. is classified in Ommatidae based on the length and insertion of the antennae, the tuberculate cuticle, the pattern of elytral striae, the complete epipleura and the presence of scutellary strioles. Due to the lack of preservation of crucial characters, Rhopalomma cannot be assigned to a subfamily and is therefore classified as Ommatidae incertae sedis. Rhopalomma fills an important gap in the fossil record of the family, indicating that Ommatidae occurred in Australia from the Lower Jurassic to the present day. Australia is the only place in the world where this family is found in both the fossil record and the living fauna.