BOSTRICHIDAE, Latreille, 1802

Bell, Karen Leanne & Philips, T. Keith, 2012, Molecular systematics and evolution of the Ptinidae (Coleoptera: Bostrichoidea) and related families, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 165 (1), pp. 88-108 : 104

THE BOSTRICHIDAE

Representatives included in this study, along with the dermestids, were used as out-groups. This family together with the Ptinidae appears to form a monophyletic group. Based on the limited selection of bostrichid taxa that are included in this study (two species representing two genera in the limited data set and four species representing three genera in the expanded data set), we have scant evidence of relationships within this family. But the relationships of the bostrichids with the other clades are apparent: they appear to be either sister to the Ptinidae in restricted and expanded parsimony trees or sister to the anobiids in the Bayesian tree, as in Hunt et al. (2007). The former is a similar result to that found with morphological evidence ( Philips, 2000). In the future, if the latter case is determined to be the best-supported hypothesis, and maintaining monophyletic units is desirable, several clades of bostrichids can be recognized as separate families or even subfamilies (see Ivie, 1985) in order to prevent paraphyly. This is not a novel classification in its entirety, as the endecatomine, euderiine, lyctine, and the psoine bostrichids have previously been given family status. The level within this group would determine the level recognized for the Ptinidae , and spider beetles could be recognized as a separate clade at the same classification level as the anobiids, if desired.