Tarsal morphology of non-cholevine leiodid beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinoidea, Leiodidae)

• Grant number: 14/22898-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: April 06, 2015
• End date: January 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Pedro Gnaspini Netto
• Grantee: Pedro Gnaspini Netto
• Host Investigator: Richard A. B. Leschen
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Landcare Research Manaaki Whenua, New Zealand

Abstract

The beetle family Leiodidae includes around 4,000 described species with very diverse feeding habits. We have recently investigated (with funds from FAPESP) the informative power of the morphology of the pretarsus for the higher-level systematics of Cholevinae (which includes around half the number of species in Leiodidae). We described, for the first time, the morphological diversity of the pretarsus and associated structures and recognized potential synapomorphies both at tribal and subtribal levels as well as at the genus level in some cases. We understand our findings may help setting a new taxonomical scheme for the cholevines and we intend to increase the analysis aiming at providing a phylogenetic proposal for the subfamily. To do that, it is important to understand the evolution of this character in a broader scenario. Therefore, the main goal of the present proposal is to analyze the tarsal morphology of representatives of non-cholevine leiodids, which have been never focused on under this perspective. With the present study, we would both increase the knowledge about tarsal morphology in beetles and its application in higher level taxonomy as well as provide important data to help understanding the evolution of this character within Cholevinae and Leiodidae as a whole. The present proposal will be conducted in New Zealand, in collaboration with Dr. Richard Leschen, one of the main experts in taxonomy of leiodids in the world, who has a large collection, with representatives of all main lineages in the family. As an added-value to this project, tarsal structures will be compared between winged and flightless New Zealand staphyliniform beetles to determine if there are correlated changes in dispersal ability with microstructure. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GNASPINI, PEDRO; ANTUNES-CARVALHO, CAIO; NEWTON, ALFRED F.; LESCHEN, RICHARD A. B.. Show me your tenent setae and I tell you who you are - Telling the story of a neglected character complex with phylogenetic signals using Leiodidae (Coleoptera) as a case study. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT, v. 46, n. 4, p. 662-685, JUL 2017. (13/06314-7, 14/22898-1, 12/19002-0)

GNASPINI, PEDRO; ANTUNES-CARVALHO, CAIO; LESCHEN, RICHARD A. B.. Pretarsal structures in Leiodidae and Agyrtidae (Coleoptera, Staphylinoidea). Journal of Morphology, v. 278, n. 10, p. 1354-1379, OCT 2017. (13/06314-7, 14/22898-1, 12/19002-0)