Hermes E. Escalona

The Australian National Insect Collection-CSIRO

The genera of the salpingid subfamily Inopeplinae are reviewed and presented in a key; new taxa are described, and the Australian fauna is revised. The following genera are described: Afropeplus gen. nov. (type species: Inopeplus zairensis Ślipiński, 1982) from Tropical Africa; Mascaropeplus gen. nov. (type species: Inopeplus darutyi Grouvelle, 189...

Basado en material recolectado en la zona del bosque templado lluvioso del sur de Chile, se describe un nuevo género y especie de Salpingidae. Se presentan imágenes del adulto de la especie y de aspectos morfológicos que incluyen cabeza, tórax, abdomen, piezas bucales, alas y edeago. Se destacan sus caracteres diagnósticos y se establecen diferenci...

Undarobius gen. n., a new genus of cavernicolous weevils with two new species, U. howarthi sp. n. and U. irvini sp. n., is described from the Undara Lava Cave system in north-eastern Queensland, Australia. These are the first cavernicolous weevils to be described from Australia, and U. howarthi is a new addition to the rich arthropod fauna of Bayli...

Coccinellini, the ‘true ladybirds’, is a large, cosmopolitan tribe of lady beetles with immense variability in colour and form that include many commonly recognized species and major biocontrol agents, as well as some ubiquitous invasive species. In this study, we performed phylogenetic analyses of molecular and morphological data. For the molecula...

Click-beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) are an abundant, diverse, and economically important beetle family that includes bioluminescent species. To date, molecular phylogenies have sampled relatively few taxa and genes, incompletely resolving subfamily level relationships. We present a novel probe set for anchored hybrid enrichment of 2260 single-co...

The Australo-Pacific genus Tainiasoma gen. nov. and the north-eastern Queensland species Tainiasoma palmarum sp. nov. adult and larva are described and illustrated. Tainiasoma palmarum inhabits the rachises of dead palms (Arecaceae), including the Australian fan palm Licuala ramsayi F. Muell. and the Black Palm Normanbya normanbyi (W. Hill) L. H. B...

Rove beetles of the tribe Quediini are abundant predators in humid micro-habitats of forested, open, synanthropic or subterranean ecosystems, with just over 800 species distributed across the temperate and subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Previous molecular phylogenies included only a limited representation of this diversity but have...

Ladybirds (family Coccinellidae) are one of the most diverse groups of beetles and globally comprise over 6000 species. Despite their scientific and economic significance, the taxonomy of Coccinellidae remains unstable, and we still know little about their evolutionary history. By using a small number of genes, previous phylogenetic analyses have n...

Apoid wasps and bees (Apoidea) are an ecologically and morphologically diverse group of aculeate Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps). During the last decades, significant progress has been made in illuminating the phylogenetic relationships of the major Apoidea lineages. However, some uncertainties have remained. In this study, we present results fr...

Background Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has been documented in many herbivorous insects, conferring the ability to digest plant material and promoting their remarkable ecological diversification. Previous reports suggest HGT of antibacterial enzymes may have contributed to the insect immune response and limit bacterial growth. Carnivorous insects...

The wasp family Chrysididae (cuckoo wasps, gold wasps) comprises exclusively parasitoid and kleptoparasitic species, many of which feature a stunning iridescent coloration and phenotypic adaptations to their parasitic life style. Previous attempts to infer phylogenetic relationships among the family’s major lineages (subfamilies, tribes, genera) ba...

Ladybirds of the cosmopolitan tribe Chilocorini prey mainly on coccids and include several important biocontrol agents. The phylogenetic relationships of Chilocorini are poorly known. In this paper, we provide a phylogenetic reconstruction of Chilocorini containing all 27 genera based on five molecular markers and 86 adult morphological characters....

The genus Omma Newman (type species Omma stanleyi Newman) is revised and redefined based on extant species, with examination of additional fossil species. As a result, only the species O. stanleyi Newman is retained in Omma and a new genus, Beutelius gen. nov. (type species Omma mastersi MacLeay), is described to accommodate the remaining Australia...

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The order Coleoptera (beetles) is arguably the most speciose group of animals, but the evolutionary history of beetles, including the impacts of plant feeding (herbivory) on beetle diversification, remain poorly understood. We inferred the phylogeny of beetles using 4,818 genes for 146 species, estimated timing and rates of beetle diversification u...

Background: The diversity and evolutionary success of beetles (Coleoptera) are proposed to be related to the diversity of plants on which they feed. Indeed, the largest beetle suborder, Polyphaga, mostly includes plant eaters among its approximately 315,000 species. In particular, plants defend themselves with a diversity of specialized toxic chem...

The beetle superfamily Dytiscoidea, placed within the suborder Adephaga, comprises six families. The phylogenetic relationships of these families, whose species are aquatic, remain highly contentious. In particular the monophyly of the geographically disjunct Aspidytidae (China and South Africa) remains unclear. Here we use a phylogenomic approach...

Background The diversity and evolutionary success of beetles (Coleoptera) are proposed to be related to the diversity of plants on which they feed. Indeed the largest beetle suborder, Polyphaga, mostly includes plant-eaters among its ~315,000 species. In particular, plants defend themselves with a diversity of specialized toxic chemicals. These may...

Cycads, unlike modern wind-pollinated conifers and Ginkgo, are unusual in that they are an ancient group of gymnosperms pollinated by insects [1, 2, 3]. Although it is well documented that cycads were diverse and abundant during the mid-Mesozoic, little is known about their biogeography and pollination before the rise of angiosperms. Direct fossil...

The Chinese species of the genus Sticholotis Crotch are described, a key for their identification is provided and most of the species are illustrated. The number of Chinese species of Sticholotis was increased from fourteen to fourty-four. Twenty-five species were newly described: S. acutifolia Wang & Ren sp. nov., S. brachyloba Wang & Ren sp. nov....

Background The tribe Coccinellini is a group of relatively large ladybird beetles that exhibits remarkable morphological and biological diversity. Many species are aphidophagous, feeding as larvae and adults on aphids, but some species also feed on other hemipterous insects (i.e., heteropterans, psyllids, whiteflies), beetle and moth larvae, pollen...

Longhorn Beetles — Cerambycidae are one of the most easily recognised groups of beetles, a family that worldwide encompasses over 33 000 species in 5200 genera. With over 1400 species classified in 300 genera, this is the sixth largest among 117 beetle families in Australia. These beetles often attack and kill living forest or orchard trees and dev...

Ulodidae is a small family of saproxylic and fungus feeding beetles restricted to New Zealand, Australia, Chile and New Caledonia. The phylogeny of this family is presented for the first time, based on a cladistic analysis of 53 adult characters from 16 ulodid genera, rooted with Parahelops Waterhouse (Promecheilidae). The topology shows Arthopus S...

The evolution of a secondary terrestrial lifestyle in diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) has never been analysed in a phylogenetic framework before. Here we study Terradessus caecus Watts, a terrestrial species of the subfamily Hydroporinae endemic to Australia. We infer its phylogenetic placement using Bayesian inference and maximum-likelihoo...

Phytophagous ladybird beetles of the tribe Epilachnini are a cosmopolitan, species-rich group of significant economic importance as pests of agricultural crops. The tribe is well characterized morphologically and clearly monophyletic, but very little is known about its internal phylogenetic relationships and their genus-level taxonomy. In order to...

A phylogeny of the cucujoid family Boganiidae (Coleoptera) is inferred for the first time based on a parsimony analysis of 102 morphological characters (70 adult and 32 larval). The analysis resulted in a monophyletic Boganiidae divided into two main clades, Boganiinae and Paracucujinae, each supported by a series of synapomorphies. The Boganiinae...

The world genera of Mycetophagidae are reviewed and four new genera described. Several adult features of Mycetophagidae are discussed, and some newly discovered secondary sexual characters are described and illustrated. A key is given to the adults of all mycetophagid genera. The following new genera and species are proposed: Afrotyphaeola gen. n....

The Book of Beetles celebrates the beauty and diversity of this marvelous insect. Six hundred significant beetle species are covered, with each entry featuring a distribution map, basic biology, conservation status, and information on cultural and economic significance. Full-color photos show the beetles both at their actual size and enlarged to sh...

Longhorn Beetles — Cerambycidae are one of the most easily recognised groups of beetles, a family that worldwide encompasses over 33,000 species in 5,200 genera. With over 1,400 species classified in 300 genera, this is the sixth largest among 117 beetle families in Australia. These beetles often attack and kill living forest or orchard trees and d...

Phylogenetic relationships within the family Rhipiceridae were investigated to elucidate the relationships between genera and subgenera of Rhipicerinae. Eleven ingroup taxa and three outgroups were included in cladistic analysis, based on 34 characters derived from adult morphology. Phylogenetic analysis confirms that Rhipicerinae are monophyletic...

The ladybird beetle genus Hong Ślipiński was previously known from a single female specimen from a subtropical forest in South East Queensland, Australia. Hong guerreroi sp. nov. and H. slipinskii sp. nov. from a temperate forests of Central and Southern Chile are described and illustrated. A key for the species of the genus and complementary chara...

The genus Parinesa Gordon is revised, differentiated from the genera Argentipilosa Gordon & Almeida and GlomerellaGordon and placed in Argentipilosini (Coccinellinae), the genus was previously known by one species from The GreaterAntilles. Ten species are recognized in Parinesa: P. whiteheadi Gordon, 1991 (type species), P. gnoma (Gordon, 1977) n.c...

The monophyly and phylogenetic relationships of the subfamily Microweiseinae were investigated. Twenty‐three in‐group taxa, representing all known genera of Microweiseinae (except for Microcapillata Gordon) were included in a cladistic analysis, based on 45 adult morphological characters. The parsimony analysis of the resulting data matrix supporte...

Australodon gen. nov. is described for A. nearnsi sp. nov. from subtropical rainforests of the southern Queensland and northern New South Wales in Australia. Australodon belongs in Cerambycinae but it cannot be placed in any recognized tribe based on adult morphology; it is considered a genus incertae sedis, awaiting further research on higher clas...

The adult and larval stages of a scale insect predator, Sticholotis ruficeps Weise, 1902 are described and illustrated. Sticholotis madagassa Weise, 1909 and Mesopilo soufrierensis Duverger, 2001 are synonyms of S. ruficeps (new synonyms). S. ruficeps has been used in biocontrol programs against various scale insects and it is here recorded from US...

The genus Dyscinetus Harold, 1869 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) is redescribed and compared with Chalepides Casey, 1915 (Cyclocephalini). Six species occur in Venezuela, four are redescribed, one is transferred from Chalepides and redescribed, and one is a new species: Dyscinetus dytiscoides Arrow, 1911, D. paradytis (Ponch...

Ranomafana pollocki sp. n. from Tamatave province, Madagascar, is described and illustrated; diverse generic morphological structures are provided; diagnostic features for this species are body colour and shape of accessory lobes in the male genitalia. This genus was known only from one specimen of the type species R. steineri Pollock, 1995.

Ranomafana pollocki sp. n. from Tamatave province, Madagascar, is described and illustrated; diverse generic morphological structures are provided; diagnostic features for this species are body colour and shape of accessory lobes in the male genitalia. This genus was known only from one specimen of the type species R. steineri Pollock, 1995.

The genus Serrotibia Reitter, 1877 is revised, based on the morphology of adults, larvae, and pupae. Its principal characters are described and illustrated. The following species are redescribed: S. cucujiformis Reitter, 1877 from Venezuela (here designed type species), S. unicolor Reitter, 1877 from Peru; S. bicolor Reitter, 1877 from Colombia and...

Se describen el género Chrysomila gen. n. y las siguientes especies nuevas: C. amazonica (Brasil), C. cycloeides (Perú) colectada en Guarea macrophylla (Melastomataceae), C. dichroa (Perú), C. erwini (Perú), C. eudaemon (Colombia), C. filicis (Venezuela), C. gamboensis (Panamá) colectada en Luethea seemani (Tiliaceae), C. lema (Venezuela), C. tinal...

Chrysomila gen. nov. and the following new species are described: C. amazonica (Brazil), C. cycloeides (Peru) collected on Guarea macrophylla (Melastomataceae), C. dichroa (Peru), C. erwini (Peru), C. eudaemon (Colombia), C. filicis (Venezuela), C. gamboensis (Panama) collected on Luehea seemannii (Tiliaceae), C. lema (Venezuela), C. tinalandiae (E...

FIGURES 5 – 8. Ranomafana pollocki sp. n.: Fig. 5, mandible; Fig. 6, maxilla; Fig. 7, labium; Fig. 8, head.

FIGURES 9 – 11. Ranomafana pollocki sp. n.: Fig. 9, pronotum; Fig. 10, scutellum; Fig. 11, metendosternite.

FIGURES 12 – 16. Ranomafana pollocki sp. n.: Fig. 12, anterior leg; Fig. 13, middle leg; Fig. 14, posterior leg; Fig. 15, middle leg, apex of tibia and tarsus; Fig. 16, mesotarsal claw.

El género Serrotibia Reitter, 1877 es revisado basado en adultos, larvas y pupas. Se estudió la morfología del género y se describen e ilustran sus caracteres. Se redescriben las especies: S cucujiformis Reitter, 1877 de Venezuela (designado como especie tipo), S. unicolor Reitter, 1877 de Perú, S. bicolor Reitter, 1877 de Colombia y S partita (Oll...

Se describen las especies Ligyrus Burmeister, 1847 encontradas en Venezuela, se incluye una clave para su identificación, ilustraciones y mapas de distribución. Se reconocen nueve especies: Ligyrus (sensu stricto) cuniculus Fabricius, 1801, L. (s. str.) fossor (Latreille, 1833), L. (Tomarus) Gyas (Erichson, 1848), L. (Tomarus) bituberculatus bitube...

Longitarsus bethae sp. n. from Mexico is described, diagnostic illustrations are included; this species is under study as a biocontrol agent of Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae), a worldwide weed.

Savini, Vilma, Escalona, Hermes E. (2005): (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Alticinae, Longitarsini). Zootaxa 956: 1-7, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.171207

Resumen JOLY LJ, ESCALONA HE. 2002. Dos nuevas especies de Dyscinetus Harold de Argentina (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini). Entomotropica 17(3):197-205. Se describen dos nuevas especies de Dyscinetus de Argentina: D. martinezi sp. n. de la Provincia de Salta y D. australis sp. n. de las Provincias de Río Negro, Neuquen y Bueno...