A new genus and species and a revised phylogeny of Stereomerini (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Aphodiinae), with notes on assumedly termitophilic aphodiines

By

Vårdal, Hege
Forshage, Mattias

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2010

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

34

Pages

55-76

Subjects

Aphodiinae tribes , synechthran morphology , termite association

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.34.264

 

Abstract

A new genus and species of Stereomerini, Cheleion malayanum gen. n. and sp. n., are described based on a single specimen from the Malacca peninsula in Malaysia. It is the first stereomerine found on the mainland of the Asian continent. A key to genera of Stereomerini and a phylogenetic estimate of the stereomerines using 24 species representing 7 tribes of Aphodiinae based on 53 morphological characters. The phylogenetic analysis places the new species within the tribe Stereomerini as a sister to the monophyletic group including Adebrattia, Austaloxenella, Bruneixenus, Pseudostereomera and Stereomera. A survey is given of the various taxa of Aphodiinae that are termite and/or ant inquilines, or have been presumed to be so based on morphology, and their phylogeny is discussed.