Cladistics of the pantropical genus Rhinostomus (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea: Dryophthoridae), with nomenclatural notes

Abstract

The dryophthorid genus Rhinostomus Rafinesque (=Yuccaborus LeConte, new synonym) is a monophyletic taxon, defined by a combination of the following characters: mandibles exodont, antennal scape passing hind margin of eye, postocular lobes absent, abdominal punctures present, tibiae usually dentate, and third tarsal segment bilobed. It belongs to the pantropical tribe Rhinostomini Kuschel and is comprised of eight species. A cladistic analysis was carried out using 28 characters freom external morphology, body vestiture, and male genitalia. The analysis yielded a single most parsimonious cladogram, with 59 steps, consistency index of 0.61, and retention index of 0.75, which was stable to successive weighting. According to this cladogram, the species follow the sequence: R. freontalis (LeConte, 1874) [=R. freontalis sharpi (Casey, 1892), new synonym] new combination, R. thompsoni Vaurie, 1970, R. quadrisignatus (Boheman, 1845), R. meldolae (Pascoe, 1887), R. oblitus (Jacquelin du Val, 1857) plus R. scrutator (Olivier, 1807), and R. barbirostris (Fabricius, 1775) plus R. niger (Drury, 1773).