Abstract Phylogenetic relationships of Vestini with extensive sampling were inferred using 37 taxa scored for 66 morphological characters. Consistent with recent DNA analyses, Vesta is found to be sister to Photurinae rendering Vestini monotypic. Conversely, our parsimony and model-based analyses robustly support the new subfamily Cladodinae established for Neotropical species of the former Vestini. The cladodine lineage includes Cladodes, Dodacles, Dryptelytra, Ledocas, plus the newly proposed Andecladodes gen. nov. and Brasilocladodes gen. nov. While Ledocas is mostly paraphyletic, Cladodes is polyphyletic and, therefore, Cladodes s.s. is introduced. Further, most trees presented a distinct Nyctocrepis, which is revalidated and includes the subgenus Fenestratocladodes (transferred from Cladodes). Finally, a highly supported crown clade designated as the Dodacles lineage is regularly recovered, splitting into two sister-clades: (1) Dodacles, Brasilocladodes and (2) Dryptelytra, C. proteus, C. solieri and Andecladodes. Four new Andean species are described: Andecladodes cosangensis sp. nov., A. ovalis sp. nov., Dryptelytra pampahermosae sp. nov. and Ledocas pikillactanus sp. nov. To recover the monophyly of genera, the following new combinations are proposed: Brasilocladodes carinatuscomb. nov., Brasilocladodes delalandeicomb. nov., Brasilocladodes illigericomb. nov., Dodacles lateraliscomb. nov. and Dodacles nigercomb. nov. (transferred from Cladodes); Ledocas emissuscomb. nov., Ledocas remixtuscomb. nov. (from Dodacles); Cladodes proteus comb. nov. (from Ledocas) Nyctocrepis malleri comb. nov. and Nyctocrepi stellatacomb. nov. (from Cladodes); and Cladodes cincticolliscomb. nov. and Cladodes melanuruscomb. nov. (from Vesta).
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This content will become publicly available on May 1, 2024
Phylogeny of Scissicauda Species, with Eight New Species, including the First Photinini Fireflies with Biflabellate Antennae (Coleoptera: Lampyridae)
Photinini is the largest tribe of Lampyrinae fireflies, with over 30 genera and nearly 750 species, and includes taxa where adults may or may not have light organs. A focus on taxa with bioluminescent adults left the taxonomy of dark fireflies in poor condition compared to taxa with lit adults. A recent phylogenetic study based on molecular data supported the transfer of Scissicauda McDermott, 1964—traditionally placed in Amydetinae due to the flabellate antenna of its type species—to Photinini at a branch sided with Pyropyga Motschulsky, 1852 and Pyractonema Solier, 1849. Such placement had never been recovered before in morphology-based studies, and the consequences for the interpretation of character evolution in this lineage are yet to be addressed. Moreover, Scissicauda was previously thought to be endemic to the Atlantic Forest. Here, through phylogenetic analyses of 38 taxa and 108 morphological characters, we (i) expand on the concept of Scissicauda to include S. antennata sp. nov., S. asymmetrica sp. nov., S. aurata sp. nov., S. biflabellata sp. nov., S. gomesi sp. nov., S. jamari sp. nov., S. neyi sp. nov., S. truncata sp. nov., and (ii) transfer Lucidota malleri Pic, 1935 and, therefore, S. malleri comb. nov. We also recover Pyropyga + Pyractonema as sister to Scissicauda + Haplocauda, providing the first morphological evidence for their sisterhood. Noteworthy, the new species S. biflabellata sp. nov. and S. asymmetrica sp. nov. stand out as the first known Photinini species with biflabellate antennae. In addition, our study reports the first Scissicauda species in the Amazon (S. antennata sp. nov., S. aurata sp. nov., S. gomesi sp. nov., S. jamari sp. nov., and S. truncata sp. nov.) and Cerrado biome (S. neyi sp. nov.). Our study highlights the value of continued sampling and phylogenetic analyses of South American fireflies towards a revised classification and deeper understanding of this lineage.
more » « less- Award ID(s):
- 2001683
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10474101
- Publisher / Repository:
- MDPI
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Diversity
- Volume:
- 15
- Issue:
- 5
- ISSN:
- 1424-2818
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 620
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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