Two new water beetles from the Hantamsberg, an inselberg in the Northern Cape of South Africa (Coleoptera, Hydraenidae)

Bilton, David T.

doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3887.4.5

Cited by 6 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Stals and de Moor 2007 ). In many insect taxa, the north-east of South Africa supports relatively high species richness, whilst endemism is instead generally concentrated towards the south-western part of the country, particularly in the Western Cape ( Lombard 1995 , Bilton 2014b , Bilton et al 2015 ). In Table Mountain National Park, for example, a species-rich wetland would typically contain ca.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predaceous water beetles (Coleoptera, Hydradephaga) of the Lake St Lucia system, South Africa: biodiversity, community ecology and conservation implications

Perissinotto¹,

Bird²,

Bilton³

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Water beetles are one of the dominant macroinvertebrate groups in inland waters and are excellent ecological indicators, reflecting both the diversity and composition of the wider aquatic community. The predaceous water beetles (Hydradephaga) make up around one-third of known aquatic Coleoptera and, as predators, are a key group in the functioning of many aquatic habitats. Despite being relatively well-known taxonomically, ecological studies of these insects in tropical and subtropical systems remain rare. A dedicated survey of the hydradephagan beetles of the Lake St Lucia wetlands (South Africa) was undertaken between 2013 and 2015, providing the first biodiversity census for this important aquatic group in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site within the Maputaland biodiversity hotspot. A total of 32 sites covering the entire spectrum of waterbody types were sampled over the course of three collecting trips. The Lake St Lucia wetlands support at least 68 species of Hydradephaga, a very high level of diversity comparing favourably with other hotspots on the African continent and elsewhere in the world and a number of taxa are reported for South Africa for the first time. This beetle assemblage is dominated by relatively widespread Afrotropical taxa, with few locally endemic species, supporting earlier observations that hotspots of species richness and centres of endemism are not always coincident. Although there was no significant difference in the number of species supported by the various waterbody types sampled, sites with the highest species richness were mostly temporary depression wetlands. This contrasts markedly with the distribution of other taxa in the same system, such as molluscs and dragonflies, which are most diverse in permanent waters. Our study is the first to highlight the importance of temporary depression wetlands and emphasises the need to maintain a variety of wetland habitats for aquatic conservation in this biodiverse region.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predaceous water beetles (Coleoptera, Hydradephaga) of the Lake St Lucia system, South Africa: biodiversity, community ecology and conservation implications

Perissinotto¹,

Bird²,

Bilton³

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Laccophilus lineatus Aubé 1838: 426 (original description, faunistics); Sharp 1882: 287, 820 (description, faunistics); Kolbe 1883: 426 (description, faunistics); v. d. Branden 1885: 21 (catalogue, faunistics); Régimbart 1894: 237 (description, faunistics); Régimbart 1895: 141, 142 (description, faunistics, discussion, type locality given incorrectly); Alluaud 1897: 212 (faunistics); Régimbart 1906: 249 (faunistics); Régimbart 1908: 5 (faunistics); Peschet 1917: 24, 55 (description, faunistics); Zimmermann 1920a: 21 (catalogue, faunistics); Zimmermann 1920b: 225 (faunistics); Zimmermann 1926a: 23 (faunistics); Gschwendtner 1931: 180 (faunistics, description, discussion); Omer-Cooper 1931: 758 (description, biology, faunistics); Guignot 1942: 15 (description, discussion); Guignot 1946c: 263, 266, 267, 279, 281, 312 (description, faunistics); Guignot 1950b: 270 (discussion); Guignot 1954: 28, 29 (discussion); Vinson 1956: 28 (description, faunistics); Omer-Cooper 1957: 8, 9, 10, 90 (faunistics, discussion, description); Omer-Cooper 1958a: 59 (faunistics); Omer-Cooper 1958b: 37, 38, 39 (description, faunistics, biology); Guignot 1959a: 544, 549, 550, 551 (description, faunistics, discussion); Guignot 1959d: 161 (faunistics, discussion); Guignot 1961a: 929 (faunistics, discussion); Omer-Cooper 1962: 295 (faunistics, discussion); Omer-Cooper 1965: 76, 77 (description, discussion, faunistics); Bertrand and Legros 1967: 861, 867: (faunistics); Curtis 1991: 186 (faunistics); Pederzani 1988: 107 (faunistics, biology data available); Nilsson and Persson 1993: 80 (discussion); Nilsson 2001: 245 (catalogue, faunistics); Bilton 2014: 478 (faunistics, biology); Bilton and Gentili 2014: 400 (faunistics, biology); Nilsson 2015: 213 (catalogue, faunistics).…”

Section: Systematicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae)

Biström

Nilsson

Bergsten

2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The African species of the genus Laccophilus Leach, 1815, are revised, on the basis of study of adult specimens. In all, 105 species are now recognized. A phenetic character-analysis was undertaken, which resulted in a split of the genus into 17 species groups. Diagnoses and a description of each species are given together with keys for identification of species groups and species. We also provide habitus photos, illustration of male genitalia and distribution maps for all species. New species are described as follows: Laccophilus grossus sp. n. (Angola, Namibia), Laccophilus rocchii sp. n. (Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique), Laccophilus ferrugo sp. n. (Mozambique), Laccophilus furthi sp. n. (Madagascar), Laccophilus isamberti sp. n. (Madagascar), Laccophilus inobservatus sp. n. (Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Zaire and Asia: Yemen), Laccophilus cryptos sp. n. (Zaire, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa), Laccophilus enigmaticus sp. n. (Nigeria, Sudan), Laccophilus bellus sp. n. (Benin, Nigeria), Laccophilus guentheri sp. n. (Guinea, Ghana), Laccophilus guineensis sp. n. (Guinea), Laccophilus decorosus sp. n. (Uganda), Laccophilus empheres sp. n. (Kenya), Laccophilus inconstans sp. n. (Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon), Laccophilus brancuccii sp. n. (Central African Republic), Laccophilus incomptus sp. n. (Cameroon), Laccophilus australis sp. n. (Tanzania, South Africa), Laccophilus minimus sp. n. (Namibia), Laccophilus eboris sp. n. (Ivory Coast), Laccophilus insularum sp. n. (Madagascar), Laccophilus occidentalis sp. n. (Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Zaire) and Laccophilus transversovittatus sp. n. (Madagascar). Laccophilus restrictus Sharp, 1882, is restored as good species; not junior synonym of Laccophilus pictipennis Sharp, 1882. New synonyms are established as follows: Laccophilus continentalis Gschwendtner, 1935 = Laccophilus perplexus Omer-Cooper, 1970, syn. n., Laccophilus taeniolatus Régimbart, 1889 = Laccophilus congener Omer-Cooper, 1957, syn. n., Laccophilus adspersus Boheman, 1848 = Laccophilus vitshumbii Guignot, 1959, syn. n. = Laccophilus adspersus nigeriensis Omer-Cooper, 1970, syn. n. = Laccophilus adspersus sudanensis Omer-Cooper, 1970, syn. n., Laccophilus modestus Régimbart, 1895 = Laccophilus espanyoli Hernando, 1990, syn. n., Laccophilus flaveolus Régimbart, 1906 = Laccophilus pampinatus Guignot, 1941, syn. n., Laccophilus trilineola Régimbart, 1889 = Laccophilus simulator Omer-Cooper, 1958, syn. n., Laccophilus mediocris Guignot, 1952 = Laccophilus meii Rocchi, 2000, syn. n., Laccophilus epinephes Guignot, 1955 = Laccophilus castaneus Guignot, 1956, syn. n., Laccophilus saegeri Guignot, 1958 = Laccophilus comoensis Pederzani & Reintjes, 2002, syn. n., Laccophilus restrictus Sharp, 1882 = Laccophilus evanescens Régimbart, 1895, syn. n., Laccophilus incrassatus Gschwendtner, 1933 = Laccophilus virgatus ...

show abstract

“…The remaining ones are found mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, and occupy the entire range of habitats utilized by extant Hydraenidae (with the exception of saline waters), from mountain streams, wetlands, rock pools and wet rock faces, to forest litter (see Bilton, 2014aBilton, , 2014bBilton, , 2015aBilton, , 2015bBilton, , 2015cBilton, , 2017Bilton, , 2018Perkins, 2005aPerkins, , 2008Perkins, , 2009Perkins, , 2017Perkins & Balfour-Browne, 1994). These genera, here termed the 'Gondwana group', are morphologically and ecologically diverse (Figure 1) and classified across all four currently recognized hydraenid subfamilies (see Table 1; Hansen, 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Three of these, Protochthebius Perkins, Prototympanogaster Perkins and Typallopatrum Perkins, clearly belong to the Ochthebiini and were considered by Villastrigo et al (2019), although not included in their molecular sampling. The remaining ones are found mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, and occupy the entire range of habitats utilized by extant Hydraenidae (with the exception of saline waters), from mountain streams, wetlands, rock pools and wet rock faces, to forest litter (see Bilton, 2014a, 2014b, 2015a, 2015b, 2015c, 2017, 2018; Perkins, 2005a, 2008, 2009, 2017; Perkins & Balfour‐Browne, 1994). These genera, here termed the ‘Gondwana group’, are morphologically and ecologically diverse (Figure 1) and classified across all four currently recognized hydraenid subfamilies (see Table 1; Hansen, 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As redefined here, Prosthetops includes 21 species, all of which are endemic to South Africa. The synonymy of Pterosthetops results in the following new combinations: Prosthetops baini (Bilton, 2014a) comb.n., Prosthetops brincki (Perkins & Balfour-Browne, 1994) comb.n., Prosthetops chrysomallus(Bilton, 2017) comb.n., Prosthetops coriaceus (Bilton, 2014a) comb.n., Prosthetops equestrius(Perkins & Balfour-Browne, 1994) comb.n., Prosthetops harrisoni(Perkins & Balfour-Browne, 1994) comb.n., Prosthetops hawequas(Perkins, 2008) comb.n., Prosthetops impressus(Perkins & Balfour-Browne, 1994) comb.n., Prosthetops indwei (Bilton, 2014a) comb.n., Prosthetops nitidus(Bilton, 2016) comb.n., Prosthetops pulcherrimus(Bilton, 2014a) comb.n., Prosthetops swartbergensis (Bilton, 2014a) comb.n., Prosthetops tuberculatus (Bilton, 2014a) comb.n., Prosthetops uitkyki(Bilton, 2014a) comb.n. The synonymy of Pterosthetops also results in PterosthetopiniPerkins, 1994 syn.n.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Minute moss beetles in the Southern Hemisphere: Molecular phylogeny, historical biogeography and habitat shifts (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae)

Bilton

Jäch

Ribera

et al. 2022

Systematic Entomology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Minute moss beetles (Hydraenidae) are one of the most speciose and widespread families of aquatic Coleoptera, with an estimated 4,000 extant species, found in the majority of aquatic habitats from coastal rock pools to mountain streams and from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic islands. Molecular phylogenetic works have improved our understanding of the evolutionary history of the megadiverse Hydraena, Limnebius and Ochthebius in recent years, but most genera in the family have not yet been included in any phylogenetic analyses, particularly most of those which are restricted to the Southern Hemisphere. Using a multimarker molecular matrix, sampling over 40% of described species richness and 75% of currently recognized genera, we infer a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of these predominantly Gondwanan Hydraenidae. Whilst the genera we focus on are morphologically diverse, and currently classified across all four hydraenid subfamilies, our phylogenetic analyses suggest that these Gondwanan genera may instead constitute a single clade. As a result of our findings, the African genus Oomtelecopon Perkins syn.n. is shown to nest within Coelometopon Janssens, the New Zealand Homalaena Ordish syn.n. and Podaena Ordish syn.n. are synonymised with Orchymontia Broun, and the South African Pterosthetops Perkins syn.n. is synonymised with Prosthetops Waterhouse, resulting in Pterosthetopini Perkins syn.n. being synonymised with Prosthetopini Perkins. Mesoceratops Bilton & Jäch gen.n. is erected to accommodate six former members of Mesoceration Janssens, which is shown to be polyphyletic. We propose the replacement name Orchymontia ordishi Jäch & Bilton nom.n. for Homalaena dilatata Ordish, 1984 (now a junior homonym); altogether 39new combinations are proposed. Our Bayesian divergence times infer an origin for this "Gondwana group" of genera in Africa plus Madagascar in the mid-Cretaceous and suggest that both vicariant and dispersal processes, together with extinctions, have shaped the biogeographic history of these beetles in the Southern Hemisphere during the Cretaceous, resulting in geographically conserved extant lineages. Finally, we reconstruct ancestral habitat shifts across our phylogeny, revealing numerous changes in habitat occupancy in these genera, including multiple origins of fully terrestrial, humicolous taxa in different regions.

show abstract

Two new water beetles from the Hantamsberg, an inselberg in the Northern Cape of South Africa (Coleoptera, Hydraenidae)

Cited by 6 publications

References 13 publications

Predaceous water beetles (Coleoptera, Hydradephaga) of the Lake St Lucia system, South Africa: biodiversity, community ecology and conservation implications

Predaceous water beetles (Coleoptera, Hydradephaga) of the Lake St Lucia system, South Africa: biodiversity, community ecology and conservation implications

Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae)

Minute moss beetles in the Southern Hemisphere: Molecular phylogeny, historical biogeography and habitat shifts (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About