Diversity of the Paedomorphic Snail-Eating Click-Beetle Genus Malacogaster Bassi, 1834 (Elateridae: Agrypninae: Drilini) in the Mediterranean

Hoffmannova, Johana; Kundrata, Robin

doi:10.3390/biology11101503

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 52 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Elytra are completely missing in females of Agrypninae: Drilini (e.g., Malacogaster Bassi; Figure 2e). Males of these groups may have more‐or‐less shortened elytra, which are in some cases dehiscent and separated by a narrow gap (Hoffmannova & Kundrata, 2022; Martínez‐Luque et al, 2022; Rattu, 2020). There can be variations in elytral abbreviations within a single lineage.…”

Section: Systematic Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

When a key innovation becomes redundant: Patterns, drivers and consequences of elytral reduction inColeoptera

Goczał,

Beutel,

Gimmel

et al. 2023

Systematic Entomology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The transformation of the fore wings into strongly sclerotized protective covers (elytra) is considered a fundamental evolutionary innovation of the megadiverse order Coleoptera. Surprisingly, these multifunctional structures have been reduced in many distantly related groups of beetles. Patterns, drivers and the evolutionary implications of this modification have never been comprehensively discussed. In the present study, we surveyed the entire order Coleoptera to analyse the patterns of elytral shortening and loss, with a special focus on prevalence, forms, degree of reduction and the functional background of this significant deviation from the coleopteran ground plan. Our analysis revealed that about 20% of all extant species (roughly 88,000 out of 442,275 spp.), distributed across all four suborders, have shortened or even absent elytra. The elytral loss was more frequent within the polyphagan series Elateriformia and Staphyliniformia. Moreover, we found that elytral reduction has independently occurred multiple times in the evolutionary history of Coleoptera and that it has been driven by a wide array of selective drivers. One of the main drivers is the improved flexibility of the uncovered abdomen and the correlated increased manoeuvrability in narrow spaces, as well as the option of using the flexible abdomen as a steering organ or to facilitate mating. Another common driver is mimicry, where exposed metathoracic wings potentially improve the overall similarity to hymenopteran models. Exposure of the abdomen can facilitate the targeted release of defensive abdominal gland secretions and was most likely a crucial step towards establishing relations with social insects enhanced by chemical communication. In the Elateriformia, and rarely in other lineages, elytral loss is a consequence of paedomorphosis, related to a specific resource‐allocation strategy. In many groups of beetles with reduced elytra, alternative defensive strategies can be found. This includes, for instance, aposematic coloration, chemical defence, mimicry or bioluminescence. Direct drivers of elytral loss in many groups remain unclear, and more studies are needed to understand the evolutionary background and implications of this significant morphological modification in Coleoptera.

show abstract

Section: Systematic Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

When a key innovation becomes redundant: Patterns, drivers and consequences of elytral reduction inColeoptera

Goczał,

Beutel,

Gimmel

et al. 2023

Systematic Entomology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

A new species of Jurasai Rosa et al., 2020 and the first record of the family Jurasaidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) in the northern Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Nunes

Nascimento

Pereira-Colavite

2023

Zootaxa

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A new species, Jurasai parahybanum sp. nov., from the recently discovered elateroid family Jurasaidae is described. This is the first record of the family to Paraíba state and the Northern Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Photographs and drawings of the important morphological characters of the new species are provided. An updated key and distribution map to the known species of the family are provided.

show abstract

Updates and additions to the annotated checklist of click-beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) of Iran

GHAHARI,

PACKOVA,

PLATIA

et al. 2024

Zootaxa

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this study, we provide numerous updates and additions to the checklist of click-beetles (Elateridae) of Iran based on the most up-to-date family classification as well as on the recent taxonomic studies dealing with the species diversity of the click-beetles from Iran. The updated checklist of Iranian Elateridae includes 293 species classified in 62 genera and seven subfamilies, i.e., Agrypninae (15 genera, 42 species), Cardiophorinae (six genera, 68 species), Dendrometrinae (16 genera, 35 species), Elaterinae (21 genera, 124 species), Hemiopinae (one genus, 4 species), Lissominae (one genus, two species), and Negastriinae (two genera, 18 species). The following new combinations are proposed for species hitherto included in Conoderus Eschscholtz, 1829 (since Conoderus is currently a synonym of Monocrepidius Eschscholtz, 1829): Monocrepidius posticus (Eschscholtz, 1822) comb. nov. and Monocrepidius productus (Peyerimhoff, 1931) comb. nov. The following new combinations are proposed for species hitherto included in Hemicrepidius Germar, 1839: Pseudathous agajevi (Platia, 2008) comb. nov., Pseudathous koenigi (Schwarz, 1897) comb. nov., Pseudathous nigritulus (Reitter, 1890) comb. nov., and Pseudathous rahmei (Németh & Platia, 2014) comb. nov. Approximately one third (96) of the listed species are currently endemic to Iran.

show abstract

Diversity of the Paedomorphic Snail-Eating Click-Beetle Genus Malacogaster Bassi, 1834 (Elateridae: Agrypninae: Drilini) in the Mediterranean

Cited by 5 publications

References 52 publications

When a key innovation becomes redundant: Patterns, drivers and consequences of elytral reduction inColeoptera

When a key innovation becomes redundant: Patterns, drivers and consequences of elytral reduction inColeoptera

A new species of Jurasai Rosa et al., 2020 and the first record of the family Jurasaidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) in the northern Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Updates and additions to the annotated checklist of click-beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) of Iran

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About