Phylogenetic Analysis of the Tribe Melolonthini and Revision of the East Asian Melolontha Group(Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)

• Main Authors: Chun-Lin Li, 李春霖
• Other Authors: Ping-Shih Yang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1999
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/61468182208697163164

博士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 昆蟲學研究所 === 88 === This work includes two major parts as follows: phylogenetic analysis of the tribe Melolonthini and revision of the East Asian Melolontha group which is based on the hypothetical relationships resulting from the cladistic analyses. Analyses were conducted using 53 representative taxa which include 5 outgroups, 3 Hopliini and 2 Pachydemini respectively, and 84 potentially informative 2-3 state morphological characters from melolonthines adults. Preliminary results of analysis demonstrated that: (1) the tribe Melolonthini is polyphyletic once contain the genus Apogonia as same as the current system. The monophyly of modified tribe Melolonthini is supported by 9 characters. (2) the type genus, Melolontha, is paraphyletic and is composed of 4 monophyletic groups each being supported by several autapomorphic characters and each of these is treated as a distinct genus. Classification changes in the Melolontha group based on the results of phylogenetic analyses are therefore proposed. There are (1) the diagnostic characters of the genus Hoplosternus is homoplasy and is deemed as a junior synonym of Melolontha, the senior synonym; (2) to raise the subgenus Tocama a generic level; (3) Indochinolontha gen. nov. is endemic to Indochina which contains 2 previous Melolontha species; (4) the known species, Melolontha minima, as the monotypic species of Taiwanolontha gen. nov. Besides, the relationship between Tricholontha and Melolontha is unclear. The definition of the Melolontha group is proposed which includes genera Melolontha, Tocama, Tricholontha, Indochinolontha, Clypeolontha, and Taiwanolontha. A total of 61 species with 23 new species and 15 new combinations that are distributed from the Russian Far East southward by the Chin Ling Ranges to Sichuan, S.E. Tibet, Himalaya, and as far as the Kashimir of Pakistan. Korean Peninsula, Japan, Taiwan along to Indochina, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Java, are the eastward area of this study. Each taxon in the systematic accounts is provided with the keys, synonymous list, diagnosis and seletive redescription, and geographical distributions. The habitus by photographs and the illustration of selective characters are also given.