Phylogeny and taxonomy of the Rhinorhynchinae (Coleoptera:Nemonychidae)

Abstract

An overview of the taxa of Rhinorhynchinae (Nemonychidae) is presented. A phylogenetic analysis of the 19 extant genera of the Rhinorhynchinae and one fossil genus from the Lower Cretaceous (Cratomacer Zherikhin & Gratshev), based on 29 characters of adults, larvae and host plant associations, shows three monophyletic groups, treated as tribes (Rhinorhynchini, Mecomacerini and Rhynchitomacerini). Primitive associations are unknown for Rhinorhynchinae and early host use diversification included associations with Ranunculaceae (Nemonyx Redtenbacher), Pinaceae (Cimberis Gozis), Nothofagaceae (Rhynchitomacerini) and Podocarpaceae (Rhinorhynchini). While Mecomacerini diversified on Araucariaceae, within Rhinorhynchini there was a single reversal to Araucariaceae and a shift in Atopomacer Kuschel to Pinaceae. Placement of Cratomacer into Mecomacerini is consistent with geological and molecular data that suggest gymnosperms may have been the primitive hosts for the family. Three new genera are described in Rhinorhynchinae: Araucomacer, gen. nov. (type species A. hirticeps Kuschel) from Chile, Idiomacer, gen. nov. (type species I. basicornis, sp. nov.) from New Caledonia, and Zimmiellus, gen. nov. (type species Z. fronto, sp. nov.) from Queensland, Australia, while Stenomacer Kuschel, stat. nov. from Chile is reinstated from synonymy. Seven species are described as new: Atopomacer grandifurca, sp. nov. from Costa Rica and Panama, A. obrieni, sp. nov. from Mexico, A. panamensis, sp. nov. from Panama, A. pini, sp. nov. from Mexico, A. podocarpi, sp. nov. from Venezuela, Basiliogeus dracrycarpi, sp. nov. from western New Guinea and B. inops, sp. nov. from Queensland. Rhynchitomacer rufus Kuschel is a new junior subjective synonym of R. nigritus Kuschel, syn. nov., R. viridulus Kuschel is a new junior subjective synonym of R. flavus Voss, syn. nov. and Stenomacer fuscus Kuschel is a new junior subjective synonym of S. vernus Kuschel, syn. nov. Keys to genera of Rhinorhynchinae and to species of Atopomacer, Rhynchitomacer and Stenomacer are included. Diagnoses of the three extant subfamilies of Nemonychidae are included.

Contribution to the knowledge of the family Nemonychidae (Coleoptera) with descriptions of new taxa

“…Nemonychidae is not recorded from many far Eastern countries, but it is likely they are distributed in North China on Pinus silvestris and in Iran and Pakistan on Consolida camptocarpa because their host plants are present in these countries. New taxa from New Caledonia and Australia (Kuschel & Leschen, 2011), a new tribe from Israel (Friedman, 2009) and the new tribe described in this paper from Argentina were found during the past decades. This suggests that new species will be found in the future.…”

“…Rhinorhynchinae is distributed in the South of North America, Central America and one species is found in the Northwest of South America, where they live on Pinaceae and Podocarpaceae. The subfamily also occurs in the areas of Araucaria in South America (Brazil, Chile and Argentina), as well as on Nothofagus in Andes meridional and in North-East Australia on Araucaria, New Guinea on Araucaria and Podocarpaceae, New Zealand on Podocarpaceae and New Caledonia on Araucaria (Kuschel & Leschen, 2011). The species of subfamily Cimberidinae are distributed in North America, Eurasia from Spain to North Korea (Fig.…”

“…Kuschel and Leschen (2011) identified two species as belonging to the Rhynchitomacer apionoides-group. I consider these species in a separate new genus.…”

3.1. Nemonychidae Bedel, 1882

“…Nemonychidae are largely associated with conifers (the gymnosperm subclass Pinidae; Christenhusz et al 2011) of the families Araucariaceae, Pinaceae and Podocarpaceae, only three genera living on angiosperms: two on Nothofagaceae in the southern-temperate Neotropical region and one on Ranunculaceae in the Palaearctic region (Kuschel 1959(Kuschel , 1983(Kuschel , 1993(Kuschel , 1994(Kuschel , 2003Kuschel & May 1997;Kuschel & Leschen 2011). Conifer hosts predominate and, as Kuschel (1993) noted, Araucaria-associated nemonychids appear to represent the most primitive living forms, showing the greatest resemblance to Upper-Jurassic fossils.…”

“…Friedman (2009) recently recorded both Cim beris and Nemonyx also from the Near East (Israel and Jordan). The southern subfamily Rhinorhynchinae is divided into three tribes, Mecomacerini (nine genera, 23 species), Rhinorhynchini (eight genera, 23 species) and Rhynchitomacerini (two genera, 11 species); it was recently revised by Kuschel & Leschen (2011) and subjected to a phylogenetic analysis (including the Lower-Cretaceous genus Cratomacer Zherikhin & Gratshev). Aside from Atopomacer Kuschel ( Fig.…”