Cladistic review of generic taxonomic characters in Xyleborina (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)

Abstract

A cladistic analysis of morphological characters of the subtribe Xyleborina (Curculionidae, Scolytinae) is presented. An examination of individual characters revealed little phylogenetic information in many characters currently used for delimiting genera. Phylogenetically stable characters were used for the evaluation of the contemporary generic concept. The following genera have been recovered as monophyletic: Cnestus, Dryocoetoides, Eccoptopterus, Xylosandrus, Schedlia, Sampsonius and Taurodemus. The following genera have been found to be polyphyletic: Amasa, Ambrosiodmus, Arixyleborus, Coptoborus, Coptodryas, Cryptoxyleborus, Cyclorhipidion, Euwallacea, Leptoxyleborus, Taphrodasus, Theoborus, Webbia, Xyleborinus and Xyleborus. The analysis permitted the resurrection of four genera: Anisandrus, Microperus, Pseudowebbia and Streptocranus. A number of new combinations at specific level are given: Anisandrus cornutus

First report of a sexual state in an ambrosia fungus:Ambrosiella cleistominutasp. nov. associated with the ambrosia beetleAnisandrus maiche

“…1g). A tuft of hairs at the base of the pronotum, often associated with mesonotal mycangia (Hulcr et al 2007), was present in all females of An. maiche, as illustrated by Rabaglia et al (2009).…”

“…maiche would have a mesonotal mycangium similar to that of other Anisandrus (Francke-Grosmann 1956Happ et al 1976;Hulcr et al 2007). …”

Dinoxyleborus Smith, a new genus of Neotropical xyleborine ambrosia beetle (Coleoptera, Curculionidae: Scolytinae)

“…Pedicle longer than funicle. Club approximately circular, club type 4 (Hulcr et al 2007), flattened, round; segments 1 and 2 strongly procurved, corneus, segment 3 slightly procurved, corneous, visible on both sides of club.…”

“…1), the antennal club flattened, sutures 1 and 2 strongly procurved (Fig. 2), pronotum prolonged posteriorly (Type 8a, Hulcr et al 2007), anterior margin of pronotum basic, elongate, parallel-sided, rounded when viewed dorsally (Type 9, Hulcr et al 2007), anterior half finely asperate, lateral margin only carinate near base, and by the anterior margin lacking two a row of serrations.…”

“…The xyleborine faunas of the Oriental and Oceanian regions have recently been the subject of considerable recent taxonomic attention (e.g., Hulcr et al 2007;Hulcr and Cognato 2009, 2013Cognato et al 2011;Smith et al in prep.). However, the Neotropical fauna has not yet received similar attention.…”