Revision of the genera Anisarthrocera, Rhampholyssa and Rhampholyssodes, description of the new genus Somalarthrocera and a phylogenetic study of the tribe Cerocomini (Coleoptera: Meloidae)

• Main Authors: Federica TURCO, Marco A. BOLOGNA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science 2008-05-01
• Series: European Journal of Entomology
• Subjects: meloidae; blister beetles; cerocomini; anisarthrocera; rhampholyssa; rhampholyssodes; somalarthrocera; taxonomy; new genus; new species; phylogeny; bionomics; faunistics; biogeography
• Online Access: https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-200802-0016_Revision_of_the_genera_Anisarthrocera_Rhampholyssa_and_Rhampholyssodes_description_of_the_new_genus_Somalarth.php

Four genera of the blister beetle tribe Cerocomini are revised, including the new genus Somalarthrocera. The genera Rhampholyssa Kraatz, 1863 and Somalarthrocera comprise two species each, whereas Anisarthrocera Semenow, 1895 and Rhampholyssodes Kaszab, 1983 are monotypic. S. savanicola sp. n. from Kenya is described, S. semirufa (Fairmaire, 1882) comb. n. is proposed, as well as new synonymy: A. batesi (Marseul, 1872) = A. batesi villiersi Kaszab, 1968. Phylogenetic relationships among the six genera of the tribe are defined by a cladistic analysis, which indicates three clades, one basal, represented by the genus Cerocoma Geoffroy, 1762, the second including Anisarthrocera and the pair Rhampholyssa and Rhampholyssodes, and the third including Diaphorocera Heyden, 1863 and Somalarthrocera. Bionomical information available for the four revised genera is summarised. Keys to these genera and to the species of the two non-monotypic genera are presented, as well as diagnoses of genera and species and catalogue of localities. Anisarthrocera is distributed in the northern Persian Gulf, Rhampholyssa in the Turanian depression, Rhampholyssodes is endemic to the eastern Arabian Peninsula, and Somalarthrocera is distributed in Somalia and Kenya. A brief biogeographical analysis of this primarily Palaearctic tribe is also presented.