THE MELIGETHES OF JAPAN (COLEOPTERA: NITIDULIDAE)

Revision of the pollen beetle genus Meligethes (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)

“…Meligethes torquatus is a member of the M. atratus species-complex; within this clade, its male and female genitalia, being very similar to those of the widespread eastern Palearctic M. violaceus, strongly suggest a strict phylogenetic relationship to this species, apparently absent in Taiwan, althoug exhibiting a markedly different external habitus, including distinct blue-violet dorsal metallic lustre, and elytra at most with feeble traces of transverse strigosity (Easton 1957a, Jelínek 1997S.-T. Hisamatsu 2009). Molecular analyses on fresh material of both taxa could be useful in order to better define their actual systematic relationships.…”

“…True Meligethes now contains several species groups and complexes including some taxa that are very similar morphologically and difficult to classify (Reitter 1873(Reitter , 1889Grouvelle & Guillebeau 1894;Grouvelle 1903Grouvelle , 1908Grouvelle , 1913aGrouvelle , 1913bRebmann 1956aRebmann , 1956bEaston 1956Easton , 1957aEaston , 1957bEaston , 1968S. Hisamatsu 1956S.…”

“…Japan: "Japan, G. Lewis", without further data, ♂ lectotype and four additional specimens (Easton 1957a;BMNH); "Kyushu, Dr. Rein", 2 specimens (BMNH); Minoge, Kanakawa-ken, 3 Jul 1968 (Hayashi 1978), a widespread eastern Asiatic scrambling shrub, frequently climbing over other plants to a height of 3-5 m, exhibiting white flowers, and distributed in Japan, China, and Korea.…”

“…2 c); members of the Meligethes denticulatus lineage combine the above listed generic characters with strongly toothed tarsal claws ( Fig. 2 d); the single Meligethes flavicollis Reitter, 1873 (from Russian Far East, E China and Japan; Easton 1956aEaston , 1957aS.-T. Hisamatsu 2009) shows tarsal claws minutely and obtusely toothed (Fig. 2 e), then occupying a taxonomic position somewhat intermediate between the two lineages.…”

“…Meligethes s. str. and Odonthogethes Reitter 1871 (Reitter, 1871;Rebmann 1956a, b;Easton 1956aEaston , 1957aEaston , 1968. More recently, these two taxa were treated (Kirejtshuk 1988(Kirejtshuk , 1992Jelínek & Audisio 2007) as synonyms or as no more than natural lineages (the M. atratus and M. denticulatus lineages, respectively).…”