NOTHOBROSCINA, ROIG-JUÑENT, 2000

ROIG-JUÑENT, SERGIO, 2000, The Subtribes And Genera Of The Tribe Broscini (Coleoptera: Carabidae): Cladistic Analysis, Taxonomic Treatment, And Biogeographical Considerations, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2000 (1), pp. 1-90 : 32

NOTHOBROSCINA , NEW SUBTRIBE

TYPE GENUS: Nothobroscus Roig-Juñent and Ball, 1995 .

TAXA INCLUDED: The present cladistic analysis agrees with Balls (1956) postulate that the austral genera that have sclerites X and Y form a monophyletic group, but this assemblage is more closely related to the austral Broscini ( Barypina and Creobiina ) than to the Holarctic genera ( Broscina and Axonyina ). For this reason, I erect the subtribe Nothobroscina , including the austral genera with sclerites X and Y on the internal sac.

Figure 15 shows five synapomorphies defining Nothobroscina : tooth of mentum bifid at apex (103) and mentum with two rounded foveae (121), sclerotized ring of sternum 9 complete and wide (500), sclerite X broad with central constriction and without lateroapical projections (592), accessory gland of bursa copulatrix far off the spermatheca (652), and helminthoid sclerite broad and short (732). Some of these characters revert within Nothobroscina , except the apex of mentum tooth, form of internal sac sclerite X of male, and the shape of sclerotized ring of sternum 9. Within Nothobroscina , Diglymma appears as the most plesiomorphic genus, as pointed out by Ball (1956). The sister group of Diglymma is formed by two monophyletic groups, one including Eurylychnus and Nothobroscus , characterized by the presence of narrow and curved frontal sulcus (72), and the other including seven genera characterized by the absence of scrobal seta (81), metafemur setae not aligned (461), and accessory gland of bursa copulatrix near spermatheca (651). This latter group includes the genus Mecodema (the most diversified genus, with 61 species).

This subtribe comprises 10 genera (only two monospecific) with 92 species that occur in Australia (plus Tasmania), New Zealand, New Caledonia, and southern South America. The nothobroscine species live in different habitats. The species of Mecodema mostly inhabit alpine regions in New Zealand, Brullea has a psammophilus habitat, and Nothobroscus and Eurylychnus inhabit Nothofagus forest in South America and Australia, respectively.

Figures

Fig. 15. Strict consensus tree from the 15 cladograms obtained by successive weighting procedure.