Sinopyrophorinae, a new subfamily of Elateridae (Coleoptera, Elateroidea) with the first record of a luminous click beetle in Asia and evidence for multiple origins of bioluminescence in Elateridae

By

Bi, Wenxuan
He, Jin-Wu
Chen, Chang-Chin
Kundrata, Robin
Li, Xueyan

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2019

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

864

Pages

79-97

Subjects

China , mitochondrial genome , molecular phylogeny , new genus , new species , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.864.26689

 

Abstract

The new subfamily Sinopyrophorinae within Elateridae is proposed to accommodate a bioluminescent species,SinopyrophorusschimmeliBi & Li,gen. et sp. nov., recently discovered in Yunnan, China. This lineage is morphologically distinguished from other click-beetle subfamilies by the strongly protruding frontoclypeal region, which is longitudinally carinate medially, the pretarsal claws without basal setae, the hind wing venation with a well-defined wedge cell, the abdomen with seven (male) or six (female) ventrites, the large luminous organ on the abdominal sternite II, and the male genitalia with median lobe much shorter than parameres, and parameres arcuate, with the inner margin near its apical third dentate. Molecular phylogeny based on the combined 14 mitochondrial and two nuclear genes supports the placement of this taxon far from other luminescent click-beetle groups, which provides additional evidence for the multiple origin of bioluminescence in Elateridae. Illustrations of habitus and main diagnostic features ofS.schimmeliBi & Li,gen. et sp. nov.are provided, as well as the brief description of its luminescent behavior.