A multigene phylogenetic analysis results in a redefinition of the genus Notonomus Chaudoir (Coleoptera, Carabidae) and descriptions of new species of the subgenus Leiradira Castelnau

Abstract

Bayesian analysis of four partial gene sequences (28S rDNA, wg, CAD and COI mtDNA) from exemplars of all genera and 12 of 17 informal groups of the Notonomus-series of pterostichine carabids strongly supports a clade requiring redefinition of Notonomus Chaudoir, 1862. Notonomus is redefined to include all species currently placed in Notonomus by Lorenz (2005a) plus two Sarticus Motschulsky, 1865 species (S. blackburni (Sloane, 1895) and S. impar (Sloane, 1893)), all species of Leiradira Castelnau, 1867, Conchitella Moore, 1962 Loxodactylus Chaudoir, 1865 and Acanthoferonia Moore, 1965. Analysis of combined data places Sarticus sister to Notonomus with low support. Individual gene analyses indicated wg is in conflict with other loci and analyses exclusive of wg place Parhypates Motschulsky, 1866 sister to Notonomus with very high support. Leiradira species form a clade within Notonomus including Notonomus dimorphicus Darlington, 1961 and N. flos Darlington, 1961. Six new species of the subgenus Leiradira from Queensland are described; Notonomus (Leiradira) thynnefiliarum, N. (L.) vadosus, N. (L.) viridis, N. (L.) spectabilis, N. (L.) iridescens and N. (L.) barrae. Two additional species of Notonomus s.l. are described; Notonomus hephaestus from the Lamb Range, Queensland, which is part of a mimicry complex with Notonomus (Leiradira) aurifer (Darlington, 1961); and Notonomus nocturnocappellus, from New South Wales, which represents a unique combination of characteristics for the genus. Descriptions of all species of Notonomus (Leiradira) with a wide gula, a grouping equivalent to Darlington’s concept of Leiradira, are given. An identification key to species of Notonomus (Leiradira), the two newly described Notonomus s.l. species and all recognised subgenera of Notonomus is provided.

Phylogeny and classification of the genus-group taxa of Loxandrina (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Abacetini)

“…Abbreviations used for loci and their aligned length in the matrices are as follows: 28S: 28S ribosomal DNA (1297bp); COI: cytochrome oxidase I, (851bp, JER-PAT primer region (COIjp), 707bp, HCO-LCO region (COIf)); wg: wingless (529bp); CAD2: carbamoyl phosphate synthetase domain of the rudimentary gene (931bp). Fragments for these genes were amplified using polymerase chain reaction, exo-sap cleaned and sequenced following the same procedures and primers given by Will (2015a). Assembly of multiple chromatograms for each gene fragment and initial base calls were made with Phred (Green and Ewing 2002) and Phrap (Green 1999) initiated within Mesquite's (Maddison and Maddison 2018b) Chromaseq package (Maddison and Maddison 2019) with subsequent editing done by manual inspection within Mesquite.…”

A taxonomic review, new species and a key to species of Platycoelus Blanchard, 1843 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Pterostichini)

“…Methods and terms follow Will (2011;2015). Material examined is housed in the following collections and listed using these coden:…”