Phylogenetic analysis of the genera of endemic Hawaiian sap beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) based on morphology with redescription and key to the genera of endemic Hawaiian Nitidulidae
Author
Ewing, Curtis
text
Zootaxa
2007
1427
1
36
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.175765
8df1b4ee-49c5-469a-a547-f9a0f1b62a57
1175-5326
175765
Gonioryctus
Sharp
TYPE
SPECIES:
Gonioryctus latus
Sharp, 1878
: 129
. (hereby desig.)
Gonioryctus
Sharp, 1878
: 128
[n. gen.].
Gonioryctus
: Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 440
[redescript., n. spp.].
Goniothorax
Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 436
(junior objective homonym, preoccupied by
Goniothorax
Milne- Edwards, 1879 [Crustacea],) [n. gen., n. spp.].
TYPE
SPECIES:
Goniothorax conicicollis
Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 436 (orig. desig.).
Nesapterus
Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 450
(n. syn.) [n. gen. n. sp.].
TYPE
SPECIES:
Gonioryctus monticola
Sharp, 1878
: 130
(subs. desig. Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 450).
Eunitidula
Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 451
[n. gen., n. sp.].
TYPE
SPECIES:
Eunitidula sublaevis
Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 452 (monotypy).
Diagnosis: Size usually medium to large, 4.0–9.5 mm L, 2.0 –3.5 mm W. Small specimens with wings reduced and margin of elytron explanate. Eyes large, nearly always truncate at postgenae and temple narrow. Antennal club elongate, 9th antennomere subquadrate, surface of club with spiculate microsculpture and setae fine and short. Color yellow to dark brown, pale to dark brick red, to black, sometimes variegate. Microsculpture variable, often granulate, sometimes obsolete and glabrous.
Description: Eyes usually large, facets coarse; temple usually acute and straight to occiput, rarely less acute and very broadly concave; antennal grooves strongly convergent, medial margin well defined and partially covered basally by flange of postgena; antennae robust, club elongate and densely covered with distinct elongate spicules; labrum with medial tooth subacute, subtruncate, rarely obsolete, broadly and shallowly emarginated directly laterad of tooth, gently sloped to curved lateral margin, 2 pairs dorsal macrosetae, medial and lateral ventral apical setal combs continuous and of similar length; mandible robust, apex simple or bicuspid, subapical teeth 3–4, sometimes obsolete; third labial palpomere elongate, apex slightly narrower to distinctly wider than base, paraglossae large, membranous, projected laterally.
Prothorax variable, most commonly transverse (fig. 54), sometimes angular (fig. 51), trapezoidal (fig. 52), elongate and nearly parallel (fig. 53), or sinuate and narrowed behind (fig. 38); lateral margins curved, recurved, angular, or nearly straight; prosternal process posterad of coxae abruptly and little expanded and recurved dorsad, rarely narrow between coxae, evenly and greatly expanded posterad of coxae, when expanded then only moderately reflexed dorsad and dorsal surface of pronotum and elytra glabrous with punctures fine and sparse.
Elytron moderately elongate, each
2x
as long as wide or less; lateral margin less than
2x
width of marginal bead. Punctures of elytra coarse to very fine, usually forming distinct striae, striae 1–7 usually somewhat irregular, often consisting of 2 confused rows of punctures, striae 8, 9, and 10 irregular. Interstices distinctly raised to obsolete; interstices 3, 5, and 7 often with expansions, not bearing distinct setal tufts. Elytra usually exposing abdominal segments 7, 6, and part of 5.
Tarsomeres 1–3 with ventral lobes progressively dilated and bilobed. Metacoxal process of 3rd abdominal sternite wide. Male pygidium shallowly emarginate, truncate, broadly rounded, or subacute. Anal sclerite bilobed, subtruncate to broadly rounded. Perisac diverse, elongate to short, sclerites well developed to obsolete, uncommonly fused and asymmetrical. Female pygidium broadly rounded to subacute. Gonocoxae elongate, narrow to abbreviated. Basal ring of spermatheca strongly sclerotized.
There are 34 described and at least 13 undescribed species of
Gonioryctus
. They are primarily associated with woody plants in mesic and wet forests. The genera
Goniothorax
,
Nesapterus
, and
Eunitidula
were proposed for distinctive lineages of
Gonioryctus
. The close affinity of
Goniothorax
,
Nesapterus
, and
Eunitidula
with
Gonioryctus
was noted in the respective generic descriptions (
Sharp & Scott 1908
), with
Goniothorax
proposed based on the form of the prothorax and legs,
Nesapterus
on the form of the wings, and
Eunitidula
on the form of the prosternal process.
Goniothorax
is invalid, being previously assigned to a genus of crustacean in 1879 and later to an Australian subgenus of ants in the genus
Leptothorax
in 1896, with the latter usage the most widely published.
Goniothorax
,
Nesapterus
, and
Eunitidula
are herein synonymized with
Gonioryctus
. Sharp considered
Gonioryctus
species to be the "perfect insects" because he believed that the adults were generally very short lived (
Sharp & Scott 1908
). The largest individuals of endemic Hawaiian
Nitidulidae
are in this genus, with some being over
10 mm
in length. Individuals of many species perform crepuscular nuptial flights but are very rarely seen flying during the day. Two lineages with reduced flight wings are associated with ferns; one with
Cibotium
tree ferns (species placed in
Nesapterus
found on Oahu and Maui Nui), the other with
Dryopteris
ferns (one species each from Molokai and West Maui, both undescribed).
Gonioryctus
species are ecologically diverse; being associated with flowers, detritus in leaf axils, vegetation, and woody plant material. There are two species found on Kauai, with all other species on the younger islands apparently descended from them (Ewing 2005).
Gonioryctus anticatus
Sharp
is a relatively small species that is most commonly collected by beating low ferns such as,
Dryopteris
, and
Diplazium
.
Gonioryctus kauaiensis
is a larger species collected by beating
Cheirodendron
trunks in a state of decay and at lights. Many of the species related to
G
.
kauaiensis
retain an association with trees in the family
Araliaceae
, especially
Cheirodendron
. All of the
Eunitidula
species and the majority of the
Goniothorax
species are members of the
Araliaceae
loving lineage. The remaining species previously considered
Goniothorax
are associated with ferns. Most species of
Gonioryctus
are known from small series, with many being known from a single specimen or mating pair. They are the most often collected species of endemic Hawaiian
Nitidulidae
at lights. Specimens have been collected under bark and in wood of decaying trees, in fresh flowers, within dry, decaying lobelioid stems, in decaying
Cibotium
fern rachi, in leaf axils of
Freycinetia
and
Astelia
, and by beating diverse vegetation.
The recognition of
Goniothorax
as invalid and placement of the species in
Gonioryctus
requires the following taxonomic changes:
Gonioryctus conicicollis
(Sharp)
,
n. comb.
Goniothorax conicicollis
Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 436
.
Gonioryctus cuneatus
(Sharp)
,
n. comb.
Goniothorax cuneatus
Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 437
.
Gonioryctus elongatus
(Sharp)
,
n. comb.
Goniothorax elongatus
Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 437
.
Gonioryctus plebius
(Sharp)
,
n. comb.
Goniothorax plebius
Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 437
.
Gonioryctus perkinsi
(Sharp)
,
n. comb.
Goniothorax perkinsi
Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 438
.
Gonioryctus fugitivus
Blackburn
Gonioryctus fugitivus
Blackburn
in
Blackburn & Sharp, 1885
: 131
.
Goniothorax fugitivus
: (Blackburn) (Sharp)
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 438
.
Gonioryctus inaequalis
(Sharp)
,
n. comb.
Goniothorax inaequalis
Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 438
.
Gonioryctus eremitus
(Sharp)
,
n. comb.
Goniothorax eremitus
Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 439
.
Gonioryctus foveatus
(Sharp)
,
n. comb.
Goniothorax foveatus
Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 439
.
The placement of
Nesapterus
and
Eunitidula
as junior synonyms under
Gonioryctus
requires the following taxonomic changes:
Gonioryctus monticola
Sharp
Gonioryctus monticola
Sharp, 1878
: 130
.
Nesapterus monticola
: (Sharp)
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 451
.
Gonioryctus exilis
(Sharp)
,
n. comb.
Nesapterus exilis
Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
451.
Gonioryctus sublaevis
(Sharp)
,
n. comb.
Eunitidula sublaevis
Sharp
in
Sharp & Scott, 1908
: 452
.