Description of a new genus and species of Cerophytidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) from Africa with a cladistic analysis of the family

Abstract

The family Cerophytidae is revised to include Afrocerophytum vix gen. nov. and sp. nov., from the tropical rainforest of western Africa. Afrocerophytum and A. vix (type locality: Ivory Coast, Tai Region, neighborhood of Gouleako village) are described and illustrated. A key to the Cerophytidae genera is provided. The new genus is distinguished by four autapomorphies: anterior edge of phallobase rounded and not emarginate, base of tergite IX not fused at middle with the base of sternite IX, basal region of penis weakly constricted, and coxites divided into proximal and distal lobes. A cladistic analysis was conducted including all 22 species of known Cerophytidae and using representatives of the families Eucnemidae, Throscidae, Brachypsectridae and Elateridae as outgroups. The strict consensus cladogram produced from the resulting eighteen most parsimonious trees is (Cerophytum (Afrocerophytum (Brachycerophytum, Phytocerum))). Cerophytum, the Holarctic clade, is the sister group of the Gondwanian clade (Afrocerophytum (Brachycerophytum, Phytocerum)); the Ethiopian clade Afrocerophytum is the sister group of the Neotropical clade (Brachycerophytum, Phytocerum).

Afrocerophytum vix Costa, Vanin et Rosa, 2014 (Coleoptera: Cerophytidae) newly recorded from Ghana

“…Th e Gulf of Guinea forest region in tropical Africa is a biodiversity hotspot of global importance (Myers et al 2000), and it is home of many endemic elateroid beetle taxa including Afr ocerophytum (e.g., Girard 2003, Bocakova 2014, Costa et al 2014, Kundrata & Bocak 2017. According to the current state of knowledge, A. vix has disjunct distribution, with three males known from the Upper Guinean forest (Ivory Coast, Ghana) and three females from the Lower Guinean forests (Equatorial Guinea, Gabon).…”

“…According to the current state of knowledge, A. vix has disjunct distribution, with three males known from the Upper Guinean forest (Ivory Coast, Ghana) and three females from the Lower Guinean forests (Equatorial Guinea, Gabon). Based on the similar morphology of males and females as well as the historical distribution of the tropical forests in the Gulf of Guinea, Costa et al (2014) placed all specimens to a single species. Th e males reported here from Ghana are conspecifi c with the holotype from Ivory Coast based on the external morphology and the shape of genitalia (Figs 1-7; Costa et al 2014).…”

“…Based on the similar morphology of males and females as well as the historical distribution of the tropical forests in the Gulf of Guinea, Costa et al (2014) placed all specimens to a single species. Th e males reported here from Ghana are conspecifi c with the holotype from Ivory Coast based on the external morphology and the shape of genitalia (Figs 1-7; Costa et al 2014). Th e fi nding of additional material, especially males, from the Lower Guinean forest region would help us to understand the diversity of this rarely collected beetle lineage.…”

“…Th e elateroid family Cerophytidae contains 23 extant species classifi ed in four genera -the Holarctic Cerophytum Latreille, 1809 (4 species), the Neotropical Brachycerophytum Costa, Vanin, Lawrence et Ide, 2003 (2 species), Phytocerum Costa, Vanin, Lawrence et Ide, 2003 (16 species), and the monotypic Afr ocerophytum Costa, Vanin et Rosa, 2014from Africa (Costa et al 2003, 2014, Kundrata & Jäch 2017. Th e latter genus was originally described based on a single male from Ivory Coast and three females from Equatorial Guinea and Gabon representing one species, Afr ocerophytum vix Costa, Vanin et Rosa, 2014. Here, we provide new records of this species from Ghana based on two male specimens deposited in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest.…”

Bionomics and Collections of “The Rare Click Beetle”, Cerophytum pulsator (Haldeman) (Coleoptera: Cerophytidae), from the Carolinas

“…Cerophytidae is a small family of Elateroidea that includes 22 species in four genera worldwide (Costa et al 2014). As their common name indicates, cerophytids are rarely collected, and little is known of their life history.…”