Examples of disjunct distributions between Mediterranean and southern or eastern Africa in Meloidae (Coleoptera, Tenebrionoidea)

Abstract

Biogeographia vol. XX/X - 2008 (Pubb/icato i/ 30 dicembre 2008) The Mediterranean—southern African disjunct distribution pattern Examples of disjunct distributions between Mediterranean and southern or eastern Africa in Meloidae (Coleoptera, Tenebrionoidea) MARCO A. BOLOGNA, ANDREA DI GIULIO, MONICA PITZALIS Dz'przrz‘iZ772e72t0 di Bio/ogirz /lm[7z'em‘zzle, Urziz/ersitiz degli Studi “Roma Tre”, 1/izzle Mrzrconi, 446, [~00]-46R0mzz e—mrzi[: [70[ogmz@zmz'r0mrz3. it Key words: Disjunct distribution, blister beetles, Mediterranean, southern Africa, eastern Africa SUMMARY In this paper some cases of distribution in Coleoptera Meloidae, possibly referable to the distributional “Mediterranean-southern African disjunct modelq, are examined and discussed. At least Four genera, two belonging to the subfamily Meloinae, tribe Mylabrini (Actcizor/in Laporte de Castelnau, 1840 and Cemcri: Marseul, 1870), and two to the subfamily Nemognathinae, tribe Nemognathini (Simri: Latreille, 1802 and Srmarizz Mulsant, 1857), have ranges which include both the Mediterranean—Sal1aran area and eastern and southern Africa. Other examples. briefly examined, concern taxa ofMeloinae or Nemognathinae which are primarily Mediterranean or Saharan, with isolated subranges also in the eastern Africa. Two main considerations seem evident from this analysis: 1) a distributional disjunct model with only Mediterranean and South African related species does not exist among Meloidae, but at most genera which have the greatest diversity in these two areas and relict species in eastern Africa; 2) the type of disjuncr distribution observed in some genera oFMeloidae seems referable to convergent biogeographical phenomena more than a late, single vicariance event. INTRODUCTION Meloidae is a family of Coleoptera Tenebrionoidea including about 3,000 species, belonging to approximately 130 genera (Bologna, 1991; Pinto and Bologna, 1999; Bologna and Pinto, 2001; Bologna, unpubl.). The biological and pharmacological literature widely treated these beetles, respectively because of their hypermetabolic larval development, which includes parasitic habits, and their production of cantharidin, a natural terpenoid used in the popular phar- macy, particularly as aphrodisiac (see Bologna, 1991 for a review of both aspects). The taxonomy of Meloidae genera and their distribution were recently reviewed by Pinto and Bologna (1999) and by Bologna and Pinto (2001) as concerns the New World and the Old World respectively. The Australasian