A new species of Rhytidognathus (Carabidae, Migadopini) from Argentina

Abstract

The Migadopini are a small tribe of Carabidae with 47 species that occur in South America, Australia, and New Zealand, in the sub-Antarctic areas. In South America, most of the genera inhabit areas related to sub-Antartic Nothofagus forest except two monogeneric genera, the Ecuadorian genus Aquilex Moret and the Pampean genus Rhytidognathus Chaudoir. These two genera are geographically isolated from the remaining five South American genera. New material of Rhytidognathus from the northeast of Buenos Aires province and from Entre Ríos province permits establishing that the previous records of Rhytidognathus ovalis (Dejean) for Argentina were erroneous and that it belongs to a new species. Based on external morphological characters and from male and female genitalia we describe Rhytidognathus platensis as a new species. In this contribution we provide illustrations, keys, habitat characteristics and some biogeographic considerations on the distribution of Rhytidognathus.

Full text

A new species of Rhytidognathus (Carabidae, Migadopini) from Argentina 45
A new species of Rhytidognathus
(Carabidae, Migadopini) from Argentina
Sergio Roig-Juñent1,†, Julia Rouaux2,‡
1 Laboratorio de Entomología. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas (IADIZA, CCT
CONICET Mendoza), CC 507, 5500 Mendoza, Argentina 2 Departamento de Entomología. Museo de La
Plata. Paseo del Bosque S7N, 1900, La Plata
† urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:14A2C7F5-9C4E-40ED-A8B1-BD32F45825BE
‡ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:4335E762-0A78-4C89-905E-450FAB8A3A63
Corresponding author: Sergio Roig-Juñent (saro1ig@mendoza-conicet.gob.ar)
Academic editor: Terry Erwin|Received 27 April 2012|Accepted 28 September 2012|Published 30 November 2012
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F18558E5-2C39-424E-8D00-B9936CEBCB69
Citation: Roig-Juñent S, Rouaux J (2012) A new species of Rhytidognathus (Carabidae, Migadopini) from Argentina.
ZooKeys 247: 45–60. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.247.3303
Abstract
e Migadopini are a small tribe of Carabidae with 47 species that occur in South America, Australia,
and New Zealand, in the sub-Antarctic areas. In South America, most of the genera inhabit areas related
to sub-Antartic Nothofagus forest except two monogeneric genera, the Ecuadorian genus Aquilex Moret
and the Pampean genus Rhytidognathus Chaudoir. ese two genera are geographically isolated from the
remaining ve South American genera. New material of Rhytidognathus from the northeast of Buenos
Aires province and from Entre Ríos province permits establishing that the previous records of Rhytidogna-
thus ovalis (Dejean) for Argentina were erroneous and that it belongs to a new species. Based on external
morphological characters and from male and female genitalia we describe Rhytidognathus platensis as a new
species. In this contribution we provide illustrations, keys, habitat characteristics and some biogeographic
considerations on the distribution of Rhytidognathus.
Keywords
Migadopini, Rhytidognathus, New species, Male and female genitalia, Distribution
ZooKeys 247: 45–60 (2012)
doi: 10.3897/zookeys.247.3303
www.zookeys.org
Copyright Sergio Roig-Juñent, Julia Rouaux. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
3.0 (CC-BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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Sergio Roig-Juñent & Julia Rouaux / ZooKeys 247: 45–60 (2012)
46
Introduction
e Migadopini are a small tribe of Carabidae, with 16 genera and 47 species. is
tribe was considered related to the Holarctic tribes Elaphrini and Loricerini (Jeannel
1938), and Loricerini (Maddison et al. 1999). Ball and Erwin (1969) considered that
the characters shared with Loricerini are convergent and do not show an ancestral rela-
tionship. e most modern classication considers the Migadopini as constituting the
subfamily Migadopinae, together with the tribe Amarotypini (Johns 2010).
e species of Migadopini are distributed over fragments of the austral Gond-
wana, called Paleantarctic by Jeannel (1938). ese species occur in southern South
America (eight genera with con 17 species) (Roig-Juñent 2004), one monotypic
genus in the Andean region of northern South America (Moret 1989), four genera
with seven species in Australia (Baher 2009) and four genera with 19 species in
New Zealand and circum-Antarctic islands (including a new genus and several new
species not yet described) (Johns 2010). e only complete revision of the tribe is
that by Jeannel (1938). Later, for South America, Straneo (1969), Négre (1972),
and Baher (1997; 1999) described new species or subspecies, Moret (1989) de-
scribed a new genus and species and nally Roig-Juñent (2004) redescribed all the
austral South American genera including male and female genitalia characters and
developed a cladistic and biogeographic analysis of the genera. For Australia, Baher
(2009) described a new genus with two species, and for New Zealand, Johns (2010)
described 11 new species.
e number of species per genus is low. Of the 16 genera, eight are monospecic,
four have two species and the most diverse in number of species is Taenarthrus Broun
with 12 species (Johns 2010).
Migadopines constitute a characteristic element of the sub-Antarctic biota, and
except some frequent species such as the South American Migadops latus (Guérin-
Ménéville) the others are scarce in natural history collections, with just a few speci-
mens of several species known. is is the case for the genus Rhythidognathus Chau-
doir of which only 12 specimens are known: the holotype of R. ovalis (Dejean),
nine more specimens from Uruguay, and two from Argentina. Of these last two
specimens, one is lost, and we only have the account by Tremoleras (1931). Strange
as well is the particular distribution of the genus Rhytidognathus, because it does
not inhabit sub-Antarctic habitats, and its phylogenetically related genera are about
3000 km to the south.
Ecological studies conducted in the area of La Plata (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
yielded the discovery of new specimens of Rhytidognathus, and particularly the cap-
ture of males allowed establishing that the previously cited species of Rhytidog-
nathus from Argentina (Tremoleras 1931, Roig Juñent 2004) is not R. ovalis but
instead a new species.
e objective of the present contribution is to describe this new species, including
new data on its habitat, and discuss some biogeographic considerations.

A new species of Rhytidognathus (Carabidae, Migadopini) from Argentina 47
Material and methods
Material examined. e material is held in the following institutions: IADIZA: In-
stituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas (Mendoza, Argentina, Sergio
Roig-Juñent); MACN: Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernandino Rivada-
via” (Buenos Aires, Argentina, Arturo Roig-Alsina); MLP: Museo de La Plata (La Plata,
Argentina, Analía Lanteri).
Dissection methods, measurements, and the terminology used follow previous re-
visions of Migadopini (Jeannel 1938, Moret 1989, Roig-Juñent 2004, Johns 2010).
Predictive species distribution models were built using the MAXENT program
version 3.4.1 (Phillips et al. 2006), because MAXENT performed well with small
sample sizes (Tognelli et al. 2009), which is the case of Rhytidognathus. Also because of
the low number of known species localities, we performed the analysis at generic level.
Rhytidognathus Chaudoir, 1861
http://species-id.net/wiki/Rhytidognathus
Type species. Nebria ovalis Dejean, 1831, by monotypy.
Redescription. Habitus. Body shape rounded, depressed (Fig. 1)
Head. Labrum short, transverse, bilobate at anterior margin; clypeus with two
subparallel lateral sulci slightly developed, projected at the base of the frons (Figs 2, 5);
mentum and submentum not fused, mentum with four setae, two lateral to the tooth,
and two at the base; mentum-tooth bid; glossa with a central carina, with two api-
cal setae; glossa with two setae, paraglossae rounded, not projected; galea biarticulate,
distal article as long as anterior one; mandibles with several dorsal transverse sulci; last
maxillary and labial palpomeres long and truncate at apex; antennomeres three times
as long as wide; antennae long, reaching the base of the elytra (Fig. 5); antennomeres
fusiform, pubescent from the fth antennomere (Fig. 8).
Prothorax. Pronotum wide, wider than head, with anterior angles projected for-
ward (Figs 2, 5); median line slightly delimited; base of pronotum with strong
punctures (Figs 2, 5); pronotum without setae on lateral margin; lateral margin
rounded, without sinuosity, base bisinuate; prosternal apophysis with a longitudi-
nal sulcus at apex, and a small protuberance or carina; prosternal apophysis pro-
jected posteriorly, but short, not touching the mesosternum, border of apophysis
straight (Fig. 3) or concave (Fig. 6).
Pterothorax: mesoepisternum with deep punctures (Fig. 9); metaepisternum with a
row of punctures and two apical sulci (Fig. 9); elytra twice as wide as than pronotum,
without shoulders (Figs 4, 7), with borders rounded, elytra increasing in width to the
apex, the widest part on apical third (Fig. 1); elytral epipleura more than twice wider at
base than at apex, decreasing in width from base to apex; scutellar stria complete; striae
with punctures, deep on the basal third, shallower on the second third and on apical

Sergio Roig-Juñent & Julia Rouaux / ZooKeys 247: 45–60 (2012)
48
Figure 1. Dorsal aspect of male Rhytidognathus platensis (Scale = 5 mm).
third imperceptible, striae well delimited and deep all along their length (Fig. 4); setae
only on ninth interval, with six or seven setae. Apterous.
Legs. Protarsomeres 1-4 and mesotarsomeres 1-3 of male with adhesive setae, wider
than in females. Protrochanters with one seta present. Protarsomeres 2 and 3 of male
wider than long; metatarsomeres long.
Abdominal sterna. Sterna III-V constituting more than two thirds of the length
of abdomen; sulcus of separation of sterna III-IV and IV-V not reaching the center;
female sterna VIII without apical sulcus, with two apical setae. Sternite III and IV with
deep basal punctures.

A new species of Rhytidognathus (Carabidae, Migadopini) from Argentina 49
Figures 2–7. Rhytidognathus ovalis: 2 Head and pronotum, dorsal view (Scale = 1 mm) 3 Lateral view
of prosternal apophysis (Scale = 1 mm) 4 Dorsal view of elytra 5 Head and pronotum, dorsal view
(Scale = 1 mm) 6 Lateral view of prosternal apophysis (Scale = 1 mm) 7 Dorsal view of elytra.

Sergio Roig-Juñent & Julia Rouaux / ZooKeys 247: 45–60 (2012)
50
Figures 8–9. Rhytidognathus platensis: 8 Lateral view of head showing the eyes (Scale = 1 mm) 9 Lateral
view of meso-metathorax and abdomen (Scale = 5 mm).

A new species of Rhytidognathus (Carabidae, Migadopini) from Argentina 51
Comparative notes. e genus Rhytidognathus shares with Pseudomigadops Jean-
nel the characteristic of having the elytral striae punctured and diers from it by having
the articles of maxillary and labial palpi elongated and thin, as well as by having the
mandibles carined dorsally. is last character is exclusive to the genus within the tribe.
Key for dierentiating the species of Rhytidognathus
1 Elytra oval, completely black; labrum black; elytral striae deep, interstriae
convex (Fig. 4); superior border of eyes straight; prosternum with a median
apical prolongation that projects dorsally (Fig. 3) .... Rhytidognathus ovalis
– Elytra more rounded, with interstria 8 reddish; eytral striae marked but not
deep, interstriae at (Fig. 7); labrum with lateral borders yellowish; upper
border of eye rounded (Fig. 8); prosternum with a slight swelling in the apical
region (Fig. 6) .......................................................Rhytidognathus platensis
Rhytidognathus ovalis (Dejean, 1831)
http://species-id.net/wiki/Rhytidognathus_ovalis
Nebria ovalis Dejean, 1831: 581.
Rhytidognathus ovalis: Chaudoir 1861.
Material. Male and female, Cerro Colorado Uruguay, Florida (MLP); male Banda
Oriental (IADIZA).
Diagnosis. Head with deep punctures in front, as well as at the base and apex of
pronotum; elytra black, concolor; labrum concolor; legs black or dark red, tarsi red-
dish; apex of median lobe rounded.
Description. Body shape oval. Length: 12–13 mm; coloration: black; with anten-
nae light colored, reddish, and legs testaceous or dark reddish. Elytra black, concolor.
Head. Head with deep punctures in front, eyes slightly protruding, sub-quadran-
gular. Maxillary palpi black or dark red.
Prothorax. Wider than long, maximum width at middle (Fig. 2); dorsal surface
with deep punctures at base and apex (Fig. 2); lateral margins narrow, curved; central
longitudinal sulcus slightly developed; posterior transverse foveae impressed, with deep
punctures (Fig. 2); prosternum with punctures; prosternal apophysis prolonged into a
carina, which extends straight toward the dorsal region (Fig. 3).
Pterothorax: Elytra. Humeral angles rounded (Fig. 4); striae well impressed, and
deeply foveate on basal third (Fig. 4), being less marked toward the apex; six to seven
setae only in the ninth interval.
Male genitalia (Figs 10–12). Median lobe wide, with apex rounded (Figs 10-12),
apical orice small, opening laterally to the right with a scleried plate. Basal orice
wide, closed dorsally (Fig. 10), without basal keel. Left paramere wide with apex round-

Sergio Roig-Juñent & Julia Rouaux / ZooKeys 247: 45–60 (2012)
52
Figures 10–18. Rhytidognathus ovalis. 10 Median lobe and left paramere 11 Right paramere 12 Median lobe,
right view 13 Female genital track, ventral view. Rhytidognathus platensis. 14 Median lobe, left view 15 Median
lobe, right view 16 Apex of median lobe 17 parameres 18 female genital track, ventral view. Scale 1 mm.

A new species of Rhytidognathus (Carabidae, Migadopini) from Argentina 53
ed (Fig. 11), with setae on apical third (Fig. 11). Right paramere straight and thin, the
same width all along its length, with several setae from middle to apex (Fig. 11).
Female genital track (Fig. 13). With gonopod VIII small. Gonopod IX dimerous,
the base with two scleried plates, the apex small and without setae, with subapical
setose organ (Fig. 13). Bursa copulatrix big, without accessory glands. Spermatheca on
the base of oviduct, digitiform. Bursa copulatrix with a well developed sclerite.
Intraspecic variation. Jeannel (1938) found some intraspecic variation in the
intensity of basal punctures of the pronotum and also in the coloration of the legs.
Distribution. Uruguay: Montevideo: Montevideo (Chaudoir 1861). Florida:
Cerro Colorado (MLP).
Rhytidognathus platensis sp. n.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:89A5BF3B-FB4B-4B75-95DA-D86FD0F667C8
http://species-id.net/wiki/Rhytidognathus_platensis
Type material. Holotype: male, Argentina: Buenos Aires, Los Olmos (MLP); Paratypes,
same date, one male two females (MELP, IADIZA); Entre Ríos (MACN), one female.
Diagnosis. Head with small punctures, on the borders; elytra black with inter-
stria 8 reddish; labrum with the borders yellowish; interstriae at; apex of median lobe
sub-quadrangular.
Description. Habitus as in Fig. 1. Length: 10.3 mm. Coloration: black; with an-
tennae light colored, reddish, and legs testaceous, dark reddish. Labrum with borders
yellowish; elytra black with interstria 8 reddish.
Head. Head with small punctures in front; eyes slightly protruding, rounded (Fig.
8). Maxillary palpi black or dark red.
Prothorax. Wider than long, maximum width at middle (Fig. 5); dorsal surface
with punctures on the base (Figs 1, 5), apex with small or no punctures. Lateral mar-
gins narrow, curved; central longitudinal sulcus slightly developed; posterior transverse
foveae slightly impressed. Posterior angles rounded. Prosternum without punctures
or one or two on the apex. Prosternal projections not marginate, with a small apical
tubercle, sinuate dorsally (Figs 6, 9).
Metathorax. Elytra with humeral angles rounded (Fig. 7); striae on basal third well im-
pressed, and foveate, less impressed at apex. Ninth interval with six setae; elytral interval at.
Male genitalia (Figs 14–17). Median lobe wide, with apex sub-quadrangular (Figs
14-16), apical orice big, open dorsally and straight; basal orice wide, closed dorsally
(Fig. 14), without basal keel. Left paramere wide with apex rounded (Fig. 16), setae on
apical third (Fig. 16). Right paramere thin, constricted in the middle, with setae from
middle to apex (Fig. 16).
Female genital track (Fig. 18). With gonopod VIII small. Gonopod IX dimerous,
the base with two sclerites, the apex small without setae, with apical setose organ (Fig.
18). Bursa copulatrix large, without accessory glands. Spermatheca on the base of ovi-
duct, digitiform. Bursa copulatrix with a large sclerite.

Sergio Roig-Juñent & Julia Rouaux / ZooKeys 247: 45–60 (2012)
54
Etymology. e name of the new species is related to the area where it was col-
lected, La Plata district, near the La Plata river in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.
Taxonomic considerations. Tremoleras (1931) cited Rhytidognathus ovalis for
Argentina. Tremoleras` specimen was held in his collection and now we can not nd
it. e description by Tremoleras (1931) does not allow a clear identication of this
material. Roig-Juñent (2004) cited also Rhytidognathus ovalis for Entre Ríos province
(Argentina), based on a female. In the present contribution, this female specimen is
now considered as being R. platensis. Taking into account that R. platensis is distrib-
uted along the western shore of the La Plata river, we considered it more likely that
Tremoleras` specimen belongs to the new species, R. platensis, and not to R. ovalis.
Distribution. Argentina: Buenos Aires: San Isidro (Tremoleras 1931); Los Olmos
(La Plata); Entre Ríos.
Habitat. e new material was collected in the locality of Lisandro Olmos (La Plata,
Buenos Aires) at “La Nueva Era” farm (35°01'18"S, 58°02'07"W) (Fig. 20), devoted to
horticultural production under organic management (Fig. 21). e area has elevations
of about 30 m, with soils derived from the Buenos Aires belt corresponding to grassland
soils. It is surrounded by horticultural crops grown under cover and in the open, pri-
marily tomato, pepper, leafy vegetables, celery, eggplant and small plots of corn, among
others. Cut ower production in greenhouse conditions is also important in this area.
Samples were collected by pitfall traps set up in a 2000 m2-area cultivated with let-
tuce (Lactuca sativa), onion (Allium cepa), radish (Raphanus sativus), rocket (Diplotaxis
sp.), cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and dierent types of weeds. is habitat has no na-
tive vegetation. Probably Rhytidognathus platensis inhabits the patches of semi-natural
vegetation surrounding the crops. It has been proven that carabids move between cul-
tivated and uncultivated patches (Marshall and Moonen 2002, Magura 2002).
On the shores of La Plata river in Buenos Aires province we found two natural
habitats. One habitat is close to the river and includes: a) clis, with small forest of
Celtis tala and other arboreal species, b) riparian shallows extending between the clis
and the river and constituting a low plain that gets ooded, similar to the marshes of
the Paraná river delta. e soil is clay and salty, and the vegetation is characterized by
halophytic steppe with dominance of low grasses such as Distichlis spicata. e second
habitat, the Pampean plain, lies above the clis. is lowland has a temperate climate,
with an even year-round precipitation regime, soil type is loam, and the plants that
dominate the landscape are herbs that compose the extensive Pampean grassland, a
steppe. e typical original plant community comprises species of the genera Stipa
and Piptochaetium. is landscape is accompanied on dierent sites by low shrubs of
several species of Bacharis.
Predictive models of distribution show that the genus Rhytidontahus is restricted
to the coast and areas close to the La Plata river and the delta of the Paraná and
Uruguay Rivers (Fig. 20), occupying shore habitats and the Pampean grassland near
the shore. is Pampean plain has been strongly modied, allowing for great agricul-
tural development with establishment of annual crops and pastures, leaving hardly
any native vegetation in the region. e Pampean grassland and forest close to the

A new species of Rhytidognathus (Carabidae, Migadopini) from Argentina 55
Figures 19–20. Habitat of Rhytidognathus platenesis. 19 Aerial view of the collecting area 20 Area where
the study was developed, showing the crops.

Sergio Roig-Juñent & Julia Rouaux / ZooKeys 247: 45–60 (2012)
56
La Plata river and to the high Paraná River dier in species and habitat conditions
from the areas inhabited by nearly all sister groups of Rhytidognathus, the genera
Lissopterus Waterhouse, Migadopidius Jeannel and Pseudomigadops. Migadopidius oc-
cupy temperate Nothofagus forests (Fig. 24, Table 1). Lissopterus and Pseudomigadops
(Figs 22-23) occur in habitats closer to the shore, principally sub-Antarctic forest
or moorlands (Figs 22–23, Table 1). e unique genus of the sister group inhabit-
ing grassland is Pseudomigadops, in some part of Malvinas Islands. As we can see,
Pseudomigadops inhabits coastal forest and grassland, like Rhytidognathus, but spe-
cies composition in their habitats is far from being the same, as the former is of
sub-Antarctic origin and the other of Neotropical origin (Morrone 2004). Climatic
conditions are not the same either, and if we look at the variables that explain the
predictive models of distribution of these four Migadopini genera, the most impor-
tant variable is temperature (Table 1).
Figures 21–24. Potential distribution of: 21, Rhytidognathus 22 Pseudomigadops 23 Lissopterus and 24 Mi-
gadopidius. Known localities are in white, probabilities of occurrence are indicated in dierent shades of grey.

A new species of Rhytidognathus (Carabidae, Migadopini) from Argentina 57
Biogeographic considerations
Because of its particular distribution pattern and its phylogenetic relationships with
other tribes, the Migadopini have been used to explain some very dierent biogeo-
graphic views, such as an austral origin and separation by vicariance (Jeannel 1938,
Brundin 1966) or a Holarctic origin, separate dispersal to the southern continents,
extinction in tropical and subtropical regions (Darlington 1965). Beyond the dier-
ent proposals regarding the origin of the tribe, everybody considers that its current
restricted distribution is relictual (Jeannel 1938, Darlington 1965). Upon the advent
of the theory of plates as applied to the continental drift, it was put forward that many
groups with distribution patterns similar to those of migadopines be considered of
austral origin, whose fragmentation led to their present distribution. By applying a
Dispersal and Vicariance analysis, Roig-Juñent (2004) put both hypotheses to test and
his conclusions concur with Jeannel’s saying that the tribe has had an origin in the
southern hemisphere and that its current distribution across the southern continents
Table 1. Habitat characterization and the major variables explaining the predictive model of distribution
obtained by Maxent
Habitat variables
Rhytidognathus
Lowlands, 30-m altitude, in Pampean
grasslands, and probably in riparian forests
along the La Plata river and the Paraná
river delta.
67.3%: Isothermality:
17.0% :Precipitation Seasonality
(Coecient of Variation)
10.1 Mean Temperature of Wettest
Quarter
Pseudomigadops
Lowlands, sea level to 10-meter altitude;
in Malvinas grasslands (mainly of Poa
abellata) and Magellanic moorland (of
Empetrum rubrum).
In Navarino, southern Tierra del Fuego
(near Beagle Channel), Isla de los Estados
and Cape Horn Nothofagus betuloides forest
on the coast and Magellanic moorland
(Empetrum rubrum) (Niemela 1990)
46.9% Max Temperature of Warmest
Month
14.7 % Mean Temperature of Driest
Quarter
11.8 % Mean Annual Temperature
Lissopterus
Lowlands, sea level to 5-meter altitude;
in Malvinas grasslands (mainly of Poa
abellata) and Magellanic moorland (of
Empetrum rubrum).
In Navarino, southern Tierra del Fuego
(near Beagle Channel), Isla de los Estados
and Cape Horn Nothofagus betuloides forest
on the coast and Magellanic moorland
(Empetrum) (Niemela 1990).
Sub-Antarctic maritime areas including
o-shore and more remote islands (Erwin
2011)
66.0% Max Temperature of Warmest
Month
11.9% Altitude
6.1% Annual Temperature Range
Migadopidius
Nothofagus forest and Araucaria habitat;
mixed forest (Araucaria araucana,
Nothofagus dombeyi, N. antarctica and N.
pumilio) (Dapoto et al. 2005)
63.0% Mean Temperature of Wettest
Quarter
29.0% Precipitation of Coldest
Quarter

Sergio Roig-Juñent & Julia Rouaux / ZooKeys 247: 45–60 (2012)
58
has been due to vicariant events. Notwithstanding, the analysis yielded no support for
the existence of three separate phyletic lines (monophyletic groups): Australian, New
Zealander and American, as Jeannel proposed (1938). is shows that some clades
would have originated before the fragmentation of some parts of Gondwana.
Regarding the present distribution of the Migadopini in South America, it is restrict-
ed to three disjunct areas. e rst is in the Ecuadorian Andes, where the genus Aquilex
occurs at about 4300 m elevation at Páramo (Moret 1989); the second is on the shores
of the La Plata river where Rhytidognathus lives in Pampean grassland and riparian forest
environments; and the third, which is the largest in surface area and coincides with the
sub-Antarctic region in Chile and Argentina, includes all Nothofagus forests and sub-Ant-
arctic regions up to Cape Horn. e latter is the area with highest number of Migadopini
genera, and where most taxa show more phylogenetic anity to other taxa from southern
regions (New Zealand, Australia) than to those from the rest of the Neotropics. Although
the present distribution of the Migadopini is largely restricted to the sub-Antarctic region
in South America, it is likely that, at some point of the Cenozoic, the tribe may have had
a broader distribution. e sub-Antarctic biota expanded to more northern areas and its
later retraction left areas with relictual distributions. Such is the case of the Fray Jorge for-
ests in Chile (30° 40´44” S, 71° 40´54” W) or the Araucaria forests in the south of Brazil
and north of Argentina (26° 27¨S, 53° 37´W). is expansion might explain the presence
of Rhytidognathus in the La Plata river because, being apterous and large-sized, this taxon
has almost no capacity for dispersal. Moret (1989) considers the same situation for the
genus Aquilex, which would have originated from its southern ancestors in the pulses of
northward expansion of the sub-Antarctic biota during the Cenozoic.
Considering the particular distribution of Rhytidognathus, the biogeographic analy-
sis carried out by Roig-Juñent (2004) shows that this genus would have been split by
a vicariant event from its sister group (Lissopterus + Pseudomigadops + Migadopidius)
which now inhabits the Magellanic region or the northern Nothofagus forests. Although
the distance to the Magellanic region exceeds 3000 km and is 1000 km to the Nothofa-
gus forest region, the possibility of a vicariant event is feasible because, as mentioned for
the austral region of South America, its cold austral biota experienced expansions during
the Cenozoic whereby the genus came to occupy areas more northern than the current
ones (Romero 1986, Barrera and Palazzesi 2007). So the separation of Rhytidognathus
may have been caused either by vicariance or by isolation upon the southward retraction
of the austral biota. Numerous are the relictual taxa than can be found in the Pampean
region and south of Brazil, such is the case among carabids of the tribe Broscini.
In analyzing the environmental features of each genus, we nd that there could also
have been environmental features involved in the split. Figures 21–24 show the potential
distribution range of Rhytidognathus and that of its sister genera. For these four genera, we
nd three clearly separate areas, one is austral sub-Antarctic, another one comprises the
cold-temperate forests, and the third one encompasses the Pampean steppe and riparian
forests along the La Plata river. e Pampean region is the exception with respect to the
other habitats where migadopines occur in South America, and to the remaining circum-
Antarctic regions, because most are from cold-temperate or cold environments, such as the

A new species of Rhytidognathus (Carabidae, Migadopini) from Argentina 59
species of Loxomerus Chaudoir (Johnson 2010). Although the Pampean grassland is a tem-
perate area, it has warm summers and the vegetation is Neotropical in origin, not austral.
In other cases, it has been put forward that there often is niche conservation, com-
monly observed in species of the same genus whose potential distributions show areas
occupied by other species of the genus rather than by them. However, we see that a
shift has occurred among these four genera regarding the environment occupied by
some of them. We propose that the environment occupied by the ancestor of Rhyti-
dognathus and the sister group could have been cold-temperate coastal or riparian habi-
tats, either forest or grassland (present in Rhytidognathus and Pseudomigadops). An arid
barrier formed during the Cenozoic between the Pampean and sub-Antarctic regions
(Barreda and Palazzesi 2007), isolating Rhytidognathus, and the current species of this
genus would have had to become adapted to this more temperate climate.
Acknowledgements
To Dr. Carrara for criticism of a previous version of the manuscript. To Nelly Horak for the
English corrections. is contribution is part of CONICET PIP nro. 11220080101869
“La región austral del Chaco, su evolución histórica a través de reconstrucciones de los
patrones biogeográcos y evolutivos de los componentes de su artropodofauna”.
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