The effectiveness of DNA‐based delimitation inSynchonnusnet‐winged beetles (Coleoptera: Lycidae) assessed, and description of 11 new species

Abstract

AbstractSynchonnusWaterhouse, 1879 from Australia is revised.AchrasWaterhouse, 1879 andEnylusWaterhouse, 1879 are found to be junior synonyms ofSynchonnusdue to the absence of diagnostic characters and result in the new combinations ofSynchonnus amplus(Kleine, 1930),S. limbatum(Waterhouse, 1877), andS. segregatus(Waterhouse, 1879).Synchonnusis reported from the Australian mesic and monsoon zones, and 11 new species are described:S. flavonotatumsp. nov.,S. masekisp. nov.,S. ailaketoaesp. nov.,S. dubenovaesp. nov.,S. chilvertonensissp. nov.,S. slipinskiisp. nov.,S. monteithisp. nov.,S. eungellensissp. nov.,S. crypticumsp. nov.,S. variabilissp. nov. andS. campestrissp. nov. The morphology‐based species limits are compared with delimitation inferred from the shape of the phylogenetic tree and genetic distance. DNA‐based species limits agree with morphological delimitation in two clades, but a deep conflict was identified in another clade ofSynchonnusconsisting of three species with allopatric distributions and diversified genitalia, but strong similarities incox1mtDNA sequences. The failure of molecular species delimitation in someSynchonnuspoints to our inability to predict the performance of a barcoding approach even in closely related lineages and calls for an integrative taxonomical approach whenever possible. TheSynchonnusfauna of Australia is presented as highly diverse and fragmentation of habitat in the last ~15 million years is hypothesised as the principal factor leading to the observed alpha‐taxonomic diversity.