Revision and Reclassification of the Genera of Phalacridae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea)

Abstract

The family Phalacridae is monographed at the genus level using modern phylogenetic and classification methods. A morphological matrix of 106 characters and 2063 base pairs of aligned 18S rDNA sequence data were analyzed both separately and in a concatenated matrix, using maximum parsimony, Bayesian methods, and maximum likelihood. The phylogenetic hypotheses were used to construct a new subfamilial classification for the family. I recognize eight subfamilies, including two described as new: Biophytinae Guillebeau 1894, Eustilbinae Guillebeau 1892, Ochrolitinae Guillebeau 1894, Olibrinae Guillebeau 1892, Olibroporinae, subfam. nov., Olibrosominae, subfam. nov., Phaenocephalinae Matthews 1899, Phalacrinae Guillebeau 1892. Twenty-eight new generic synonymies are established. Ten new genera and seven new species are described: Antennogasmus, gen. nov. (type species: A. cordatus, sp. nov.), Austroporus, gen. nov. (type species: A. victoriensis (Blackburn)), Malagasmus Gimmel, gen. nov. (type species: M. thalesi, sp. nov.), Malagophytus, gen. nov. (type species: M. steineri, sp. nov.), Neolitochrus, gen. nov. (type species: N. pulchellus (LeConte)), Paracylomus, gen. nov. (type species: P. asiaticus (Champion)), Platyphalacrus, gen. nov. (type species: P. lawrencei, sp. nov.), Ranomafanacrinus, gen. nov. (type species: R. nigrinus, sp. nov.), Steinerlitrus, gen. nov. (type species: S. warreni, sp. nov.), Sveculus, gen. nov. (type species: S. lewisi, sp. nov.). Generic reassignments resulted in 201 new combinations. Two new names have been established for secondary homonyms. Type species are designated for two previously described genus-group names. Three new species-group synonymies are established. One name is resurrected from synonymy. Lectotypes are designated for 23 species. One genus and two species are excluded from Phalacridae: Sternosternus Guillebeau (type species: S. grouvellei Guillebeau) and Parasemus parvopallidus Lea, both of which belong in Hydrophilidae. All 34 resulting genera in the family Phalacridae (except Pseudolibrus Flach, nomen inquirendum) are keyed, described, and illustrated. A comprehensive literature review summarizes the present knowledge of the biology, immature stages, distribution, and taxonomy of all taxa of Phalacridae, and a world catalogue is given for the group. Presentation of nomenclatural changes in this dissertation does not constitute formal publication.