Classification and evolution of the Central American beetle genus Colyphus (Cleridae)

Abstract

The neotropical genus Colyphus (= Cleronomus and Clerosoma) is redefined to include sixteen species in four species-groups as follows: beltoides-group, beltoides sp.n., strongylioides spa., rasilis sp.n.; signaticollisgroup, signaticollis Spinola, gracilis Gorham (ex Clerosoma), echinatus spn., prolatus sp.n., devexus sp.n., stramineus sp.n.; cylindricus-group, cylindricus (Gorham) (ex Enoclems), irazu sp.n., artus spa., guptai sp.n.; copiipictusgroup, copiipictus sp.n., hispidus sp.n., varius (Gorham) (ex Placoptents). A neotype is designated for signaticollis. Also included are a discussion of natural history, key and descriptions of species groups and species, distributional maps, table of character analysis, and a diagram of the inferred phylogeny of the species groups. Species level discussions of phylogeny and zoogeography are presented in accordance with available data. I . P. Duffels. Methods Criteria f o r species and supraspecific groupingsThe concepts and methods by which I deduce species limits, informal species groups, and evolution were outlined in an earlier work (Ekis, 1977). The practical application of these concepts usually involves, for de-2 2 0 Ginter Ekis 76 FIGS. 7 5 -8 0 . Copiipictus group. 7 5 -7 6 , Chispidus: 7 5 , tegmen (ventral view); 7 6 , phallus. 77-80, C.uan'us: 7 7 , antenna; 7 8 , body outline; 7 9 , tegmen (ventral view); 80, phallus.

Aposematism and mimicry in soft‐bodied beetles of the superfamily Cleroidea (Insecta)

“…Cleroid mimicry patterns have not been studied in the light of molecular phylogenies. The first attempt to employ phylogenetic trees to analyse the evolution of mimicry in Cleridae was performed on the Neotropical genus Colyphus (Ekis ) and American Enoclerus (Mawdsley ), which reported mimetic and cryptic coloration to have evolved at least twice. While the most comprehensive study of mimicry in Cleridae (Mawdsley ) suffers from the absence of a phylogenetic hypothesis, mimicry patterns were beyond the scope of existing molecular phylogenetic analyses of the melyrid and clerid lineages (Bocakova et al .…”

“…Although the presence of aposematic coloration is concentrated in several lineages, it has only been considered an apomorphy of particular clerid groups (Ekis ). This view was confirmed by our results supporting the hypothesis of a mimetic trend and the multiple rise of mimetism in different clerid clades which evolved from cryptic ancestors.…”

Revision of the Checkered Beetle GenusPlacopterusWolcott (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae)

“…During this earlier research it became evident that similar studies were needed for genera akin to Perilypus. Over the ensuing years generic-level contributions of Colyphus Spinola (Ekis 1977b), Aphelocerus Kirsch (Opitz 2005), and Dologenitus (Opitz 2009a) were completed. In time, specimens of these and related genera were accumulated with the intent of not only bringing to light the taxonomy of these little known taxa but also to redefine their generic limits and bring forth hypotheses of their evolutionary relationships.…”