Revision of the New World Species of Rhipidandrus LeConte, 1862 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and a Phylogenetic Analysis of the Tribe Bolitophagini (Tenebrionidae: Tenebrioninae)

 Chapter 1 is the first revision of the New World species of the genus Rhipidandrus LeConte, 1862 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). All previously described species except R. fungicola Friedenreich, 1883 are redescribed, including a diagnosis and distribution information. Rhipidandrus punctatus n. sp. is described from Peru, Panama, and Chiapas, Mexico. New synonymies (junior synonyms first) include: R. mexicanus Sharp, 1905 = R. paradoxus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1818); R. cornutus (Arrow, 1904) = R. panamaensis (Barber, 1914) = R. peruvianus (Laporte, 1840); R. peninsularis Horn, 1894 = R. micrographus (Lacordiare, 1865). Eledona peruviana Laporte, 1840 is recognized as nomen nudum according to ICZN 1999: Article 12. A revised species checklist, a dichotomous key, an interactive key, and distribution maps are also presented.  

Chapter 2 represents the first phylogenetic insight into the relationships within Bolitophagini in relation to Toxicini with more than three taxa sampled. For analyses, 34 taxa were sampled, with representatives from nine bolitophagine genera and seven toxicine genera with 3 outgroup taxa. Six gene regions from nuclear, ribosomal, and mitochondrial DNA were amplified using polymerase chain reactions and sequenced. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses were run on the 4049 bp concatenated dataset via the CIPRES Science Gateway. In both resulting trees, the monophyly of Bolitophagini is recovered with high support (BS = 100, PP = 100). The monophyly of Toxicini was recovered, but with poor support (BS = 60, PP = 70). The monophyletic clade containing both Bolitophagini and Toxicini was also recovered with high support (BS = 100, PP = 100).