Phylogeny and classification ofCucujoidea and the recognition of a new superfamilyCoccinelloidea (Coleoptera:Cucujiformia)

Abstract

Abstract.A large-scale phylogenetic study is presented for Cucujoidea (Coleoptera), a diverse superfamily of beetles that historically has been taxonomically difficult. This study is the most comprehensive analysis of cucujoid taxa to date, with DNA sequence data sampled from eight genes (four nuclear, four mitochondrial) for 384 coleopteran taxa, including exemplars of 35 (of 37) families and 289 genera of Cucujoidea. Maximum-likelihood analyses of these data present many significant relationships, some proposed previously and some novel. Tenebrionoidea and Lymexyloidea are recovered together and Cleroidea forms the sister group to this clade. Chrysomeloidea and Curculionoidea are recovered as sister taxa and this clade (Phytophaga) forms the sister group to the core Cucujoidea (Cucujoidea s.n.). The nitidulid series is recovered as the earliest-diverging core cucujoid lineage, although the earliest divergences among core Cucujoidea are only weakly supported. The cerylonid series (CS) is recovered as monophyletic and is supported as a major Cucujiform clade, sister group to the remaining superfamilies of Cucujiformia. Currently recognized taxa that were not recovered as monophyletic include Cucujoidea, Endomychidae, Cerylonidae and Bothrideridae. Biphyllidae and Byturidae were recovered in Cleroidea. The remaining Cucujoidea were recovered in two disparate major clades: one comprising the nitidulid series + erotylid series + Boganiidae and Hobartiidae + cucujid series, and the other comprising the cerylonid series. Propalticidae are recovered within Laemophloeidae. The cerylonid series includes two major clades, the bothriderid group and the coccinellid group. Akalyptoischiidae are recovered as a separate clade from Latridiidae. Eupsilobiinae are recovered as the sister taxon to Coccinellidae. In light of these findings, many formal changes to cucujiform beetle classification are proposed. Biphyllidae and Byturidae are transferred to Cleroidea. The cerylonid series is formally recognized as a new superfamily,

The Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of Tigirek Nature Reserve (North-Western Altai, Russia)

“…The family Coccinellidae (lady beetles or ladybirds) is the largest family in the newly recognized superfamily Coccinelloidea (Robertson et al, 2008(Robertson et al, , 2015 Lady beetles in the world fauna include about 6000 species, belonging to 360 genera (Slipinski et al, 2011). In the Palaearctic, about 2000 species have been registered, in Russia − 167 species of 41 genus.…”

ew handsome fungus beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinelloidea: Anamorphidae, Endomychidae) from European amber of the Upper Eocene

“…AWI-133, and No. 1799-2 possess all characters of family Anamorphidae, such as: mesocoxal cavities widely closed outwardly by meso-and metaventrite; head without antennal grooves; antenna composed of 10 or 11 antennomeres, with terminal antennomere simple not modified; second labial palpomere subcylindrical; tarsal formula 4-4-4, 3-3-3, or sometimes 3-3-4, with simple tarsomeres and sometimes appendiculate tarsal claws; and body almost always distinctly pubescent (Tomaszewska, 2000;Robertson et al, 2015).…”

“…1506-1 and No. 53-2 possess characters of the endomychid subfamily Pleganophorinae, such as: body usually pubescent; tarsi 4-segmented, simple; antenna composed of 4-5 antennomeres with the terminal antennomere modified/enlarged (Tomaszewska 2000, Robertson et al 2015. Therefore, we assign them to this subfamily.…”

“…The beetle specimen from amber piece No. 1222-5 possesses characters of the subfamily Endomychinae (according to Robertson et al, 2015, this subfamily includes now Endomychus Panzer, 1795 and all genera previously classified in the subfamily Stenotarsinae), such as: body densely pubescent (glabrous in most species of Endomychus); pronotum with broad lateral, raised margins (except for Saula Gerstaecker, 1858 and Endomychus); head without occipital file and antennal grooves; anterior margin of pronotum without stridulatory membrane; tarsi pseudotrimerous with lobed tarsomere 1 and 2; and mesocoxal cavities open laterally (Tomaszewska, 2000;Robertson et al, 2015). Therefore we assign it to the subfamily Endomychinae.…”

“…The fossil record of Endomychidae sensu lato has been summarized in Shockley and Alekseev (2014). After recent changes in cucujiform beetle classification (Robertson et al, 2015), 2 resulting among others in separation of Endomychidae sensu stricto, and raising Anamorphidae, Mycetaeidae, and Eupsilobiidae as independent families, the study of fossil members of these groups is of special importance and of interest.…”