Pretarsal morphology, cephalic anatomy, and the evolution of Cholevinae (Coleoptera: Leiodidae)

Author(s)

Caio Antunes de Carvalho

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências (IBIOC/SB)
• Defense date: 2017-04-24

Examining board members

Pedro Gnaspini Netto; Lúcia Massutti de Almeida; Cristiano Lopes Andrade; José Eduardo Amoroso Rodriguez Marian; Sergio Antonio Vanin

• Advisor: Pedro Gnaspini Netto

Abstract

Leiodidae is the second most species-rich family of staphylinoid beetles, with more than 4100 species and 374 genera organized in six subfamilies. With representatives in tropical and temperate lands, Cholevinae is the most diverse subfamily and comprises more than 2000 species grouped into seven tribes and 17 subtribes. This contribution aims to test the monophyly of Cholevinae, to shed light on its internal suprageneric relationships, and to provide morphological evidences for future inferences on higher-level relationships within Leiodidae. Chapter 1 explores the potential of the pretarsal morphology and distal margin of terminal tarsomere as a source of characters for the systematics of Cholevinae. Several features are described and documented for the first time, and their phylogenetic implications are discussed. In chapter 2, we examine the internal and external components of the cephalic morphology of a representative of Cholevinae. Comparisons with other Staphyliniform lineages suggest that the cephalic anatomy is highly conserved in this group. A three-dimensional model of the head is presented, and various structures are described and discussed from a phylogenetic point of view. This study offers the bases for future works interested in the investigation of higher-level relationships in Leiodidae using cephalic structures as a source of characters. The data provided by these investigations are employed in chapter 3, which deals directly with the phylogenetic analysis of Cholevinae not only based on the pretarsal and head morphology, but also on the study of other characters from different body structures. A phylogenetic hypothesis for the subfamily is presented, the most comprehensive so far, and the first based on morphology. In chapter 4, Cholevinae is placed in a broader spectrum. In this chapter, we analyzed the informative value of the tenet setae for the systematics of Leiodidae as a whole. Four morphological types of tenent setae were recognized based on variation of shape and arrangement. The distribution of characters within Leiodidae is discussed, demonstrating that many of the structures under consideration support the monophyly of different groups. Additionally, a broad literature review on the studied characters is presented (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/19002-0 - Taxonomic revision and cladistic analysis of Paulipalpina Gnaspini & Peck and Parapaulipalpina Gnaspini (Coleoptera, Leiodidae, Cholevinae)
• Grantee: Caio Antunes de Carvalho
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate