The fossil record of Mesozoic and Tertiary Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera : Polyphaga)

2000 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank-Thorsten Krell

Lack of characters, similarity of stem species of adelphotaxa and the necessity to know the extant world fauna of the studied group of fossils are the main difficulties in palaeontology of beetles. The paucity of characters of most of the fossils of supposed Scarabaeoidea prevents their inclusion in a reliable phylogenetic analysis. Only rarely can an autapomorphy of Scarabaeoidea be seen in a fossil classified as a member of this group. Therefore, the classification of Mesozoic and Tertiary fossils is often tentative. Based on a critical literature review of all recorded fossil Scarabaeoidea from the Mesozoic and Tertiary, the minimum age for families and/or subfamilies of this group is determined. An annotated catalogue of named fossils and ichnofossils of Scarabaeoidea and of their lagerstÄtten is given. 238 fossil species and subspecies of this group have been described, of which 27 are doubtful, eight already identified as belonging to other taxa, and two subspecies synonymised with extant taxa. 189 species and 12 ichnospecies probably or reliably belong to the Scarabaeoidea. Nomenclatural acts: Hongscarabaeus, nom. nov. for Proscarabaeus Hong, 1982 (nec Schrank, 1781); Onthophagus urusheeri, nom. nov. for Onthophagus urus Heer, 1847 (nec Ménétries, 1832); Aphodius anteactus, nom. nov. for Aphodius antiquus Heer, 1847 (nec Faldermann, 1835); Aphodius theobaldi, nom. nov. for Aphodius incertus Théobald, 1937 (nec Ballion, 1878); Anomala palaeobrunnea, nom. nov. for Anomala brunnea (Hong, 1985) (nec Klug, 1855); Eophyllocerus scrobiculatus Haupt, 1950 is designated as the type species of Eophyllocerus Haupt, 1950; Cangabola Lengerken, 1955 is a junior synonym of Coprinisphaera Sauer, 1955. ‘Mais en présence des Coléoptères, sauf très rares exeptions, tout spécialiste sérieux ne peut que se récuser’. R. Jeannel (1942: 191) on fossil faunas.

2017 ◽  
Vol 188 (3) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matúš Hyžný ◽  
Sten Lennart Jakobsen ◽  
René H. B. Fraaije

The fossil record of the burrowing lobster Axius is reviewed. A diagnosis based on the characters with preservation potential is supplied. Plioaxius lineadactylus Fraaije et al., 2011, from the Pliocene of Belgium and the Netherlands is considered congeneric with the type species of Axius. As a consequence, Plioaxius is considered a junior subjective synonym of Axius. A newly described species, Axius hofstedtae from the late Oligocene of Denmark is considered the oldest unequivocal representative of Axius. Both fossil species, A. hofstedtae n. sp. and A. lineadactylus n. comb., share numerous morphological characters with extant Axius stirhynchus. Scarcity of the Cenozoic Axiidae is ascribed to lack of study of the fossil record of this group rather than to low fossilization potential of its representatives. A preliminary scenario of the migration of Axius based on the scarce fossil record suggests the origin in the Western Tethys and subsequent dispersal westward into the West Atlantic and eastward into the West Pacific.


Paleobiology ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
David E. Schindel ◽  
Stephen Jay Gould

Poecilozonites (Gastrelasmus) is an important component of the endemic land snail fauna of Pleistocene Bermuda. The type species P. circumfirmatus Redfield usually occurs in sympatry with its congener P. discrepans Pfeiffer, though each species is found alone at several localities. The species are less alike morphologically where they occur together than where they are allopatric. This allopatric convergence and sympatric divergence strongly suggests the biological interaction known as character displacement, often documented for living populations. The relatively complete fossil record of Bermuda offers advantages for studying this phenomenon. Collections can be made from a variety of microhabitats occupied through time. Statistical analysis of 1,600 individuals collected from more than 100 localities indicates that interspecific variation is primarily a function of the presence or absence of a congener and depends to a lesser degree on microhabitat. P. circumfirmatus undergoes a smaller morphological change between allopatry and sympatry than does P. discrepans. Study of relative abundances suggests that P. discrepans may have been competitively inferior, though no functional bases for differences between the species are known.


2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego J. Inclán ◽  
John O. Stireman ◽  
Pierfilippo Cerretti

One of the major problems hindering the systematic study of tachinid flies is that genera are often poorly defined, making it difficult to unambiguously assign species among closely related genera. Within the tribe Winthemiini, an example of this problem is represented by the unstable classification of the Afrotropical species most recently classified as Smidtia capensis (Schiner). This species has been previously assigned to four different genera on the basis of limited examination and evidence. Here, we evaluate the identity and phylogenetic affinities of this species and other members of the tribe Winthemiini using morphological and molecular phylogenetic analysis. We demonstrate that S. capensis actually belongs to the genus Winthemia Robineau-Desvoidy. We also find that Winthemia is paraphyletic with respect to two monotypic genera, Crypsina (type species Crypsina prima Brauer & Bergenstamm) and Hemiwinthemia (type species Hemiwinthemia calva Villeneuve). On the basis of morphological and genetic evidence, we propose to extend the generic limits of Winthemia to include W. londti, sp. nov. (South Africa), W. capensis (Schiner), comb. nov. (South Africa), W. prima (Brauer & Bergenstamm), comb. nov. (China, Japan, Australia) and W. calva (Villeneuve), comb. nov. (D.R. Congo), thus synonymising with Winthemia the generic names Crypsina, syn. nov. and Hemiwinthemia, syn. nov.


2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Fikáček ◽  
Sonja Wedmann ◽  
Heiko Schmied

Fossil representatives of the hydrophilid genera Hydrochara Berthold, 1827, Hydrobiomorpha Blackburn, 1888 and Hydrophilus Geoffroy, 1762 were recorded at the lower Middle Eocene locality Grube Messel in Germany. Four morphospecies were recognised, including Hydrobiomorpha eopalpalis, sp. nov. showing sexually dimorphic maxillary palpomere 2 unknown in any recent or fossil species of the genus. These fossils are the oldest known records of the mentioned genera and indicate a minimum age of 47 million years for the divergence of the Hydrobiomorpha and Hydrophilus clades. Based on these data, we assume that the diversification of the ‘greater hydrophilines’ clade predated the lower Middle Eocene. The fossil record of the subtribe Hydrophilina is briefly reviewed, the reasons of the scarcity or absence of some genera in the fossil record are discussed, and the paleoenviromental significance of the presented fossils is discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (12) ◽  
pp. 1884-1894
Author(s):  
Erwan Treillet ◽  
Olivier Giet ◽  
Stéphane Picard ◽  
Sophie Laurent ◽  
Laure Seresse

2019 ◽  
Vol 323 (Supplement 8) ◽  
pp. 1-594 ◽  

Hymenoptera is one of the largest insect orders, with a world fauna approximately of 160 thousand species in more than 8420 genera from 94 extant families, a Palaearctic fauna of 50–60 thousand estimated species, and a Russian fauna of 15.3 thousand species in 1999 genera from 78 families. The modern classification of Hymenoptera is given. The second volume treats the all recent groups of parasitoids (11 superfamilies, 43 families, 1466 genera, about 10.6 thousand species) recorded in the fauna of Russia. The sections for each of the 43 families include characteristics, number of taxa, references, and an annotated catalogue of the genera and species (subspecies) recorded from the fauna of Russia. For each valid genus, the type species, synonymy, short characterization, and number of species are given. For each valid species the synonymy, known host (often to genus or family level only) or sometimes host plants and distribution (in Russia and in general) are provided. The book is illustrated using geoschemes for Russia, Europe, and China. The large bibliography helps to assess the level of study of each family. The index of scientific names of Hymenoptera (more than 21 thousand names) will be useful for parasitoid taxa searching.


2006 ◽  
Vol 37 (1-6) ◽  
pp. 118-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher H. Dietrich ◽  
Dmitry A. Dmitriev

The genus-level classification of New World Erythroneurini is revised based on results of a phylogenetic analysis of 100 morphological characters. The 704 known species are placed into 18 genera. Erasmoneura Young and Eratoneura Young, previously treated as subgenera of Erythroneura Fitch, and Erythridula Young, most recently treated as a subgenus of Arboridia Zachvatkin, are elevated to generic status. Three species previously included in Erasmoneura are placed in a new genus, Rossmoneura (type species, Erythroneura tecta McAtee). The concept of Erythroneura is thereby narrowed to include only those species previously included in the nominotypical subgenus. New World species previously included in Zygina Fieber are not closely related to the European type species of that genus and are therefore placed in new genera. Neozygina, n. gen., based on type species Erythroneura ceonothana Beamer, includes all species previously included in the “ceonothana group”, and Zyginama, n. gen., based on type species Erythroneura ritana Beamer, includes most species previously included in the “ritana group” of New World Zygina. Five additional new genera are described to include other previously described North American Erythroneurini: Hepzygina, n. gen., based on type species Erythroneura milleri Beamer and also including E. aprica McAtee; Mexigina, n. gen., based on type species Erythroneura oculata McAtee; Nelionidia, n. gen., based on type species N. pueblensis, n. sp., three additional new species, and Erythroneura amicis Ross; Neoimbecilla, n. gen., based on type species Erythroneura kiperi Beamer and one new species; and Illinigina, n. gen., based on type species Erythroneura illinoiensis Gillette. Five new genera, based on previously undescribed species, are also recognized: Aztegina, n. gen, based on A. punctinota, n. sp., from Mexico; Amazygina, n. gen., based on type species A. decaspina, n. sp., and three additional new species from Ecuador; Hamagina, n. gen., based on type species H. spinigera, n. sp., and two additional new species from Peru and Ecuador; Napogina, n. gen., based on type species N. recta, n. sp., and one additional new species from Ecuador; Perugina, n. gen., based on type species P. denticula, n. sp., from Peru; and Spinigina, n. gen., based on type species S. hirsuta, n. sp., and an additional new species from Peru. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the New World Erythroneurini consist of three lineages resulting from separate invasions from the Old World.


Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4869 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-150
Author(s):  
KAROL SZAWARYN ◽  
WIOLETTA TOMASZEWSKA

Recently the classification of the ladybird beetles’ tribe Epilachnini was revised based on morphological and molecular data (Szawaryn et al. 2015, Tomaszewska & Szawaryn 2016). Based on these findings a new classification of the tribe was proposed. The genus Epilachna Chevrolat in Dejean, 1837 sensu lato was split into several clades, with Epilachna sensu stricto limited to New World fauna, and one of the Afrotropical clades, formerly defined as Epilachna sahlbergi-group (Fürsch 1963), has been named Chazeauiana Tomaszewska & Szawaryn, 2015 (Szawaryn et al. 2015), with Epilachna sahlbergi Mulsant, 1850 as the type species. However, that taxon received an unnecessary replacement name, as Mulsant (1850) already described a subgenus of Epilachna named Cleta distributed in Afrotropics, with Epilachna eckloni Mulsant, 1850 as the type species, which also belongs to the E. sahlbergi-group. Consequently Cleta has been elevated to the genus level (Tomaszewska & Szawaryn 2016) and Chazeuiana was synonymized with Cleta as a junior synonym. Nonetheless, authors (Tomaszewska & Szawaryn 2016) were not aware that the name Cleta is preoccupied. It appeared that Duponchel (1845) established the genus Cleta in the family Geometridae (Lepidoptera) that makes Cleta Mulsant (1850) a junior homonym. Therefore, we propose here Afrocleta nom. nov. as a replacement name for Cleta Mulsant, 1850. 


Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2284 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
CECILIA WAICHERT ◽  
CELSO O. AZEVEDO

Rhabdepyris (Epyrinae) is a cosmopolitan genus comprised of 132 species. No morphological synapomorphies are known for the genus and the genus is characterized by a combination of characters common to most Epyrini. Herein, we performed a cladistic analysis based on morphological characters to test the monophyly of Rhabdepyris. The three known subgenera of Rhabdepyris (Chlorepyris, Rhabdepyris s. str., and Trichotepyris) and other Epyrini (Anisepyris, Bakeriella, Calyozina, Epyris, Laelius, Trachepyris) were included in the ingroup. The cladistic analysis of 48 taxa (46 ingroup species and two outgroup species) and 81 structural characters yielded 72 cladograms under equal weights, and one under successive weighting. Rhabdepyris was found to be polyphyletic; the subgenus Trichotepyris was closely related to Anisepyris whereas Rhabdepyris str. s. was closely related to Laelius. The subgenus Chlorepyris is paraphyletic. Morphological characters are discussed in the light of the new phylogeny; novel characters are proposed and illustrated, and a new classification of Rhabdepyris and Epyrini is proposed. The following nomenclatural changes are proposed: Trichotepyris is synonymized under Anisepyris (syn. n.); Chlorepyris is recognized as a separated genus (stat. rev.); all 12 American species of the subgenus Rhabdepyris are transferred to Laelius; 22 species of Trichotepyris are transferred to Anisepyris; 58 species are transferred to Chlorepyris. A remaining total of 40 species are now recognized in Rhabdepyris. The holotype of Rhabdepyris, R. myrmecophilus Kieffer, the type species of Rhabdepyris, is redescribed.


2006 ◽  
Vol 75 (01-02) ◽  
pp. 23-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Karasawa ◽  
Carrie E. Schweitzer

A phylogenetic analysis was conducted including representatives from all recognized extant and extinct families of the Xanthoidea sensu lato, resulting in one new family, Hypothalassiidae. Four xanthoid families are elevated to superfamily status, resulting in Carpilioidea, Pilumnoidoidea, Eriphioidea, Progeryonoidea, and Goneplacoidea, and numerous subfamilies are elevated to family status. The Mathildellidae is moved from the Goneplacidae to the Portunoidea. Diagnoses for all superfamilies and families discussed herein are provided, embracing characters typically used by biologists as well as readily fossilized features of the dorsal carapace, sternum, abdomen, and chelipeds. All genera known from the fossil record at one time referred to the Xanthidae sensu lato, Xanthoidea sensu lato, or Goneplacidae sensu latowere evaluated as to their family level placement and as a result, the family-level placement of many of these genera has been changed herein. Balcacarcinusnew substitute name, is provided herein for BittneriaSchweitzer and Karasawa, 2004.


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