Molecular phylogeny and Holarctic diversification of the subtribe Calathina (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Sphodrini)

Formation of the Holarctic Fauna: Dated molecular phylogenetic and biogeographic insights from the Quedius-lineage of Ground-Dwelling Rove Beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)

Although the Holarctic fauna has been explored for centuries, many questions on its formation are still unanswered. For example, i) what was the impact of the uplift of the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau?, ii) what were the timings and climate of the faunal bridges connecting the Nearctic and Palearctic regions?, and iii) how did insect lineages respond to the late Paleogene global cooling and regional aridification? To answer these, we developed a phylogenetic dataset of 1229 nuclear loci for a total of 222 species of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) with emphasis in the tribe Quediini, especially Quedius-lineage and its subclade Quedius sensu stricto. Using eight fossils for calibrating molecular clock, we estimated divergence times and then analysed in BioGeoBEARS paleodistributions of the most recent common ancestor for each target lineage. For each species we generated climatic envelopes of the temperature and precipitation and mapped them across the phylogeny to explore evolutionary shifts. Our results suggest that the warm and humid Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau acted as an evolutionary cradle for the Quedius-lineage originating during the Oligocene from where, in the Early Miocene, the ancestor of the Quedius s. str. dispersed into the West Palearctic. With the climate cooling from the Mid Miocene onwards, new lineages within Quedius s. str. emerged and gradually expanded distributions across the Palearctic. In Late Miocene, a member of the group dispersed to the Nearctic region via Beringia before the closure of this land bridge 5.3 Ma. Paleogene global cooling and regional aridification largely shaped the current biogeographic pattern for Quedius s. str. species, many of them originating during the Pliocene and shifting or contracting their ranges during Pleistocene.

Species radiation of carabid beetles (broscini: mecodema) in new zealand

New Zealand biodiversity has often been viewed as Gondwanan in origin and age, but it is increasingly apparent from molecular studies that diversification, and in many cases origination of lineages, postdate the break-up of Gondwanaland. Relatively few studies of New Zealand animal species radiations have as yet been reported, and here we consider the species-rich genus of carabid beetles, Mecodema. Constrained stratigraphic information (emergence of the Chatham Islands) and a substitution rate for Coleoptera were separately used to calibrate Bayesian relaxed molecular clock date estimates for diversification of Mecodema. The inferred timings indicate radiation of these beetles no earlier than the mid-Miocene with most divergences being younger, dating to the Plio-Pleistocene. A shallow age for the radiation along with a complex spatial distribution of these taxa involving many instances of sympatry implicates recent ecological speciation rather than a simplistic allopatric model. This emphasises the youthful and dynamic nature of New Zealand evolution that will be further elucidated with detailed ecological and population genetic analyses.

Catalogue of Geadephaga (Coleoptera, Adephaga) of America, north of Mexico

All scientific names of Trachypachidae, Rhysodidae, and Carabidae (including cicindelines) recorded from America north of Mexico are catalogued. Available species-group names are listed in their original combinations with the author(s), year of publication, page citation, type locality, location of the name-bearing type, and etymology for many patronymic names. In addition, the reference in which a given species-group name is first synonymized is recorded for invalid taxa. Genus-group names are listed with the author(s), year of publication, page citation, type species with way of fixation, and etymology for most. The reference in which a given genus-group name is first synonymized is recorded for many invalid taxa. Family-group names are listed with the author(s), year of publication, page citation, and type genus. The geographical distribution of all species-group taxa is briefly summarized and their state and province records are indicated.One new genus-group taxon, Randallius new subgenus (type species: Chlaenius purpuricollis Randall, 1838), one new replacement name, Pterostichus amadeus new name for Pterostichus vexatus Bousquet, 1985, and three changes in precedence, Ellipsoptera rubicunda (Harris, 1911) for Ellipsoptera marutha (Dow, 1911), Badister micans LeConte, 1844 for Badister ocularis Casey, 1920, and Agonum deplanatum Ménétriés, 1843 for Agonum fallianum (Leng, 1919), are proposed. Five new genus-group synonymies and 65 new species-group synonymies, one new species-group status, and 12 new combinations (see Appendix 5) are established.The work also includes a discussion of the notable private North American carabid collections, a synopsis of all extant world geadephagan tribes and subfamilies, a brief faunistic assessment of the fauna, a list of valid species-group taxa, a list of North American fossil Geadephaga (Appendix 1), a list of North American Geadephaga larvae described or illustrated (Appendix 2), a list of Geadephaga species described from specimens mislabeled as from North America (Appendix 3), a list of unavailable Geadephaga names listed from North America (Appendix 4), a list of nomenclatural acts included in this catalogue (Appendix 5), a complete bibliography with indication of the dates of publication in addition to the year, and indices of personal names, supraspecific names, and species-group names.