Eur. J. Entomol. 103 (1): 85-95, 2006 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2006.014

On the head morphology of Lepiceridae (Coleoptera: Myxophaga) and the systematic position of the family and suborder

Eric ANTON, Rolf G. BEUTEL
Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum, FSU Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany; e-mails: eric_anton@web.de, b5bero@rz.uni-jena.de

Adult head structures of Lepicerus inaequalis were examined in detail and interpreted functionally and phylogenetically. The monogeneric family clearly belongs to Myxophaga. A moveable process on the left mandible is an autapomorphy of the suborder. Even though Lepiceridae is the "basal" sistergroup of the remaining three myxophagan families, it is likely the group which has accumulated most autapomorphic features, e.g. tuberculate surface structure, internalised antennal insertion, and a specific entognathous condition. Adults of Lepiceridae and other myxophagan groups possess several features which are also present in larvae (e.g., premental papillae, semimembranous mandibular lobe). This is probably related to a very similar life style and has nothing to do with "desembryonisation". Lepiceridae and other myxophagans share a complex and, likely, derived character of the feeding apparatus with many polyphagan groups (e.g., Staphyliniformia). The mandibles are equipped with large molae and setal brushes. The latter interact with hairy processes or lobes of the epi- and hypopharynx. This supports a sistergroup relationship between both suborders.

Keywords: Lepiceridae, head morphology, systematic position, function

Received: November 1, 2004; Revised: June 9, 2005; Accepted: June 9, 2005; Published: January 30, 2006  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
ANTON, E., & BEUTEL, R.G. (2006). On the head morphology of Lepiceridae (Coleoptera: Myxophaga) and the systematic position of the family and suborder. EJE, 103(1), 85-95. doi: 10.14411/eje.2006.014
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. ACORN J.H. & BALL G.E. 1991: The mandibles of some adult ground beetles: structure, function, and the evolution of herbivory (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Can. J. Zool. 63: 638-650 Go to original source...
    2. ANTON E. & BEUTEL R.G. 2004: On the head morphology and systematic position of Helophorus (Coleoptera: Hydrophiloidea: Helophoridae). Zool. Anz. 242: 313-346 Go to original source...
    3. ARCE-PEREZ R. & NOVELO-GUTIERREZ R. 1988: Primer registro de Lepicerus bufo (Hinton, 1934) (Coleoptera: Lepiceridae) para el estado de Morelos, Mexico. Folia Entomol. Mex. 75: 156-158
    4. ARCE-PEREZ R., NAVARRETE-HEREDIA J.L. & BEUTEL R.G. 2005: 6.1. Lepiceridae Hinton, 1936 (= Cyathoceridae). In Beutel R.G. & Leschen R.A.B. (eds): Handbook of Zoology, Volume IV Arthropoda: Insecta. Coleoptera, Vol. 1: Morphology and Systematics (Archostemata, Adephaga, Myxophaga, Polyphaga partim). Walter De Gruyter, Berlin, New York, p. 45
    5. BETZ O., THAYER M.K & NEWTON A.F. 2003: Comparative morphology and evolutionary pathways of the mouthparts in spore-feeding Staphylinoidea (Coleoptera). Zool. Scr. 84: 179-238 Go to original source...
    6. BEUTEL R.G. 1997: Uber Phylogenese und Evolution der Coleoptera (Insecta), insbesondere der Adephaga. Verh. Naturwiss. Ver. Hamburg NF 31: 1-164
    7. BEUTEL R.G. 1999: Phylogenetic analysis of Myxophaga (Coleoptera) with a redescription of Lepicerus horni (Lepiceridae). Zool. Anz. 237[1998]: 291-308
    8. BEUTEL R.G. & HAAS A. 1998: Larval head morphology of Hydroscapha natans LeConte, 1874 (Coleoptera, Myxophaga, Hydroscaphidae) with special reference to miniaturization. Zoomorphology 18: 103-116 Go to original source...
    9. BEUTEL R.G. & HAAS F. 2000: Phylogenetic relationships of the suborders of Coleoptera (Insecta). Cladistics 16: 103-141 Go to original source...
    10. BEUTEL R.G. & POHL H. 2004: Head structures of males of Strepsiptera (Hexapoda) with emphasis on basal splitting events within the order. J. Morph., online (2. Dec. 2004)
    11. BEUTEL R.G., MADDISON D.R. & HAAS A. 1998: Phylogenetic analysis of Myxophaga (Coleoptera) using larval characters. Syst. Entomol. 24: 1-23 Go to original source...
    12. BEUTEL R.G., ANTON E. & BERNHARD D. 2001: Head structures of adults of Spercheus (Coleoptera: Spercheidae): their function and possible significance to staphyliniform phylogeny. Ann. Zool. (Warszawa) 51: 473-484
    13. BLACKWELDER R.E. 1944: Checklist of the coleopterous insects of Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and South America. Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. 185: 1-188 Go to original source...
    14. COSTA LIMA A. DA 1953: Coleopteros. 2a parte. In: Insectos do Brasil 7. Escola Nacional de Agronomia, Rio de Janeiro, 323 pp
    15. CROWSON R.A. 1955: The Natural Classification of the Families of Coleoptera. Nathaniel Lloyd, London, 187 pp., 212 Figs
    16. DARLINGTON P.J. 1950: Paussid Beetles. Trans. Am. Entomol. Soc. 76: 47-142
    17. FORBES W.T.M. 1926: The wing folding pattern of the Coleoptera. J. N.Y. Entomol. Soc. 34: 42-115, pls 7-18
    18. HANSEN M. 1997: Phylogeny and classification of the staphyliniform beetle families. Biol. Skrift. 40: 1-367
    19. HORNSCHMEYER T., BEUTEL R.G. & PASOP F. 2002: Head structures of Priacma serrata LeConte (Coleoptera, Archostemata) inferred from x-ray tomography. J. Morph. 252: 298-314 Go to original source...
    20. KELER S. VON 1963: Entomologisches WGrterbuch. Akademie Verlag, Berlin, 774 pp
    21. KIREJTSHUK A.G. 1991: Evolution of mode of life as the basis for division of the beetles into groups of high taxonomic rank. In: Advances in Coleopterology. AEC, Barcelona, pp. 249-262
    22. KUKALOVA-PECK J. & LAWRENCE J.F. 1993: Evolution of the hind wings in Coleoptera. Can. Entomol. 135: 181-258 Go to original source...
    23. KUKALOVA-PECK J. & LAWRENCE J.F. 2004: Relationships among coleopteran suborders and major endoneopteran lineages: evidence from hind wing characters. Eur. J. Entomol. 101: 95-144 Go to original source...
    24. LESCHEN R.A.B. 1993: Evolutionary patterns of feeding in selected Staphylinoidea (Coleoptera): shifts among food textures. In Schaefer C.W. & Leschen R.A.B. (eds): Functional Morphology of Insect Feeding. Proceedings. Thomas Say Publications, ESA, Lanham, pp. 59-104 Go to original source...
    25. NAGEL P. 1979: Aspects of the evolution of myrmecophilous adaptions in Paussinae (Coleoptera, Carabidae). In Boer P.J. den, Thiele H.-U. & Weber F. (eds.): On the Evolution of Behaviour in Carabid Beetles. Miscellaneous Papers 18, Agricultural University, Wageningen, H. Veenman and Zonen B.V., pp. 15-34
    26. NAVARRETE-HEREDIA J.L., CORTES-AQUILAR J. & BEUTEL R.G. 2005: New findings on the enigmatic beetle family Lepiceridae (Coleoptera: Myxophaga). Entomol. Abh. 62: 193-201
    27. POHL H., BEUTEL R.G. & KINZELBACH R. 2005: Protoxenidae fam. n. (Insecta, Strepsiptera) from Baltic amber - a "missing link" in strepsipteran phylogeny. Zool. Scr. 31: 123-134 Go to original source...
    28. REICHARDT H. 1973: A critical study of the suborder Myxophaga, with a taxonomic revision of the Brazilian Torridincolidae and Hydroscaphidae (Coleoptera). Arq. Zool. 24: 73-162 Go to original source...
    29. REICHARDT H. 1976: Revision of the Lepiceridae (Coleoptera, Myxophaga). Pap. Avulsos Zool. 30: 35-42
    30. ROBER H. 1942: Morphologie des Kopfes und des Vorderdarmes der Larve und Imago von Sialis flavilatera. Zool. Jb. Anat. 67: 61-118
    31. SHARP D. 1882: Fam. Cyathoceridae. In: Biologia CentraliAmericana. Insecta, Coleoptera. Vol. I (Part 2). Taylor and Francis, London, pp. 141-144, pl. 4
    32. SHARP D. & MUIR F. 1912: The comparative anatomy of the male genital tube in Coleoptera. Trans. Entomol. Soc. London 1912: 477-642, + pls 42-78 Go to original source...
    33. SNODGRASS R.E. 1935: Principles of Insect Morphology. McGraw-Hill, New York, 667 pp

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content