A preliminary study on the phylogeny of the family Phengodidae (Insecta: Coleoptera)
Author
Zaragoza-Caballero, Santiago
Author
Zurita-García, Martín Leonel
text
Zootaxa
2015
3947
4
527
542
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3947.4.4
cf8bfab8-6721-4878-b6b4-28f4317ab703
1175-5326
233730
8FC05D43-724D-4A19-945F-6B5CE5DE2A0C
Subfamily
Phengodinae
Phengodinae
is recovered as non-monophyletic. The relationship between
Pseudophengodes
and
Microphengodes
was previously proposed (
Wittmer 1976b
). The species differ by the size of eyes, body length, apex of the last labial segment and last abdominal segments with or without luminous organs. Among all phengodids adults,
Pseudophengodes
have luminous organs only.
Zarhipis
differ from
Phengodes
by lacking sulci and antennal tubercles, eyes are reduced, elytra long, and tarsi lacking an aerolium.
Given the results of this work we propose to re-circumscribe the
Phengodidae
(incl.
Mastinocerinae
and
Phengodinae
) as: antennal tubercles absent (3:1); antennae 12-segmented (10:0); third antennomere wider than long (16:0); galea developed (36:1); aedeagus with the flagellum visible (60:0).
As
final remarks we suggest a close relation of
Telegeusidae
with
Phengodidae
based on the present morphological analysis. The family
Telegeusidae
as new circumscribed include the genera
Adendrocera
,
Acladocera
,
Pseudokarumia
,
Pseudotelegeusis
,
Tarsakanthus
,
Telegeusis
and
Walterius
. So, the family
Phengodidae
is constituted by all genera included traditionally in the subfamilies
Phengodinae
and
Mastinocerinae
but in this work we do not propose any subfamilies for this new circumscription. Although supported by our results, the monophyly of these two principal clades still requires a more rigorous test that should include a major sample of terminals.