Phylogenetisch-systematische Revision der westpaläarktischen Gattung Metopsia Wollaston, 1854 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Proteininae).

Abstract

The Western Palaearctic genus Metopsia and its species are revised. Six new species are described: Metopsia similis sp. n. (clypeata sensu Erichson 1839 et auct. nec Müller, 1821) [Europe, northeastern Turkey], Metopsia assingi sp. n. [eastern Mediterranean], Metopsia neglecta sp. n. [Tenerife], Metopsia elytrata sp. n. [Tenerife], Metopsia feloi sp. n. [Tenerife] and Metopsia canariensis sp. n. [Gran Canaria]. The remaining six species are redescribed: Metopsia clypeata (Müller, 1821) [western Europe, Gotland, North Africa], Metopsia ampliata Wollaston, 1854 [Madeira], Metopsia cimicoides Wollaston, 1864 [Tenerife], Metopsia tenoensis (Franz, 1986) [Tenerife], Metopsia palmensis (Franz, 1986) [La Palma] and Metopsia gomerensis (Franz, 1986) [La Gomera]. - Megarthrus retusus Stephens, 1834 syn. n., Megarthrus flavus Stephens, 1834 syn. n., Phloeobium corticale Boisduval & Lacordaire, 1835 syn. n., Phloeobium gallicum Koch, 1938 syn. n. and Phloeobium hispanicum Scheerpeltz, 1960 syn. n. are new synonyms of Metopsia clypeata (Müller, 1821) [Silpha clypeata]. Phloeobium fernandezi Jarrige, 1952 syn. n. is a new synonym of Metopsia cimicoides Wollaston, 1864. Metopsia fernandezi Last, 1957 (nec Phloeobium fernandezi Jarrige, 1952) syn. n. is a new synonym of Metopsia tenoensis (Franz, 1986) [Phloeobium tenoense]. - Lectotypes are designated for Megarthrus retusus Stephens, 1834, Metopsia ampliata Wollaston, 1854, Phloeobium gallicum Koch, 1938 and Phloeobium hispanicum Scheerpeltz, 1960. The holotypes of the following nominal species were examined: Metopsia cimicoides Wollaston, Phloeobium fernandezi Jarrige, Metopsia fernandezi Last, Phloeobium tenoense Franz and Phloeobium palmense Franz. The identification of the following nominal species was based on their respective locus typicus: Silpha clypeata Müller [Odenbach am Glan, see Map 1], Phloeobium corticale Boisduval & Lacordaire [Paris, see Map 2] and Phloeobium gomerense Franz [Gomera, El Cedro, see Maps 4, 8]. - Important distinguishing characters are figured on 14 figure plates; habitus photographs are presented for all the species. Eight distribution maps and a diagnostic key are given. - Three species have an essentially continental distribution. Metopsia assingi occurs in Anatolia (except for the northeast), Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus and Rhodes. Metopsia clypeata is distributed in North Africa and a large part of western Europe; an isolated population is known from the island Gotland in the Baltic Sea (see Maps 1, 2). The largely disjunct distribution of Metopsia similis borders on that of clypeata in the west (Maps 1, 2) and ranges to the Caspian Sea in the east. Both species are known from Corsica, where they occur at different altitudes. - Metopsia ampliata is the only species endemic to the Laurisilva of Madeira. - All the Metopsia species of the Canary Islands are island endemics or local endemics of the western islands with relicts of natural woodland (except for Hierro, from where no records are known). With eight endemic species, Metopsia is among those genera of Canarian Staphylinidae which are richest in species and endemics. Five species are local endemics of Tenerife. Gran Canaria, La Gomera and La Palma are each inhabited by one species. - Metopsia is a monophyletic group comprising twelve species, its sister group being the genus Megarthrus Curtis. The monophyletic group Metopsia + Megarthrus is the sister group of Proteinus Latreille: Proteinus + (Megarthrus + Metopsia). These three genera form the monophyletic tribe Proteinini, for which eight constituting characters are presented. - The hierarchical phylogenetic relationships within the genus Metopsia are, for the most part, well-founded hypotheses. Metopsia ampliata from Madeira is the adelphotaxon of the continental species, which represent Mediterranean faunal elements and which form a monophyletic group: ampliata + (assingi + (clypeata + similis)) [ampliata-group]. The eight Canarian species [cimicoides-group sensu lato] are the sister group of the ampliata-group and constitute a well-founded monophyletic group. These hypothesized phylogenetic relationships do not support the concept of a 'Macaronesian' region. The term 'Macaronesia' lacks justification, as it is not constituted by an adequate monophyletic group. - Similarly, the monophyly of the cimicoides-group sensu stricto [four species from Tenerife] and the sister-group relationship (feloi [Tenerife: Teno] + elytrata [Tenerife: Anaga]) are well-founded hypotheses. The phylogenetic hypotheses regarding the relationships within the tenoensis-group [four species from four islands] are somewhat less certain. It is remarkable that tenoensis [Tenerife] is the sister species of canariensis [Gran Canaria] and clearly less related to the other species of Tenerife. - For the eight endemic Canarian Metopsia species only one colonization event can be assumed. The common ancestor is probably of North African origin and reached the archipelago via the eastern islands, when they still had large areas of Laurisilva, which, due to drastic climatic changes, are absent from these islands today. The former island Teno (Tenerife) was probably colonized from the older island Anaga, and a second time together with the colonization of Gran Canaria, La Gomera and La Palma. - The Metopsia fauna of the Canary Islands is a typical island fauna, consisting exclusively of apterous local endemics, which represent Tertiary relicts, persisted in the Laurisilva relicts and are characterized by low dispersal power. Most of the nine Metopsia species of the Atlantic islands are stenoecious inhabitants of the Laurisilva. For the conservation of these local endemics, especially in the Canaries, the protection of laurel woods is essential. The primary Laurisilva areas near the summit of the Chinobre (Tenerife: Anaga) and in the Monte del Agua (Tenerife: Teno), in particular, are both inhabited by a local endemic with a remarkably small area of distribution.

Keywords

Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Proteininae, Proteinini, Metopsia, distribution, Western Palaearctic, Canary Islands, Madeira, taxonomy, new species and synonyms, diagnostic key, phylogenetic analysis, zoogegraphy, island endemics and local endemics, island fauna, history of colonization, Tertiary relicts, importance and protection of laurel woods.

Nomenclatural Acts

flavus Stephens, 1834 (Megarthrus), syn. n. of Metopsia clypeata (Müller, 1821)
retusus Stephens, 1834 (Megarthrus), Lectotype; syn. n. of Metopsia clypeata (Müller, 1821)
ampliata Wollaston, 1854 (Metopsia), Lectotype
assingi Zerche, 1998 (Metopsia), spec. n.
canariensis Zerche, 1998 (Metopsia), spec. n.
elytrata Zerche, 1998 (Metopsia), spec. n.
feloi Zerche, 1998 (Metopsia), spec. n.
fernandezi Last, 1957 (Metopsia), syn. n. of Metopsia tenoensis (Franz, 1986)
neglecta Zerche, 1998 (Metopsia), spec. n.
similis Zerche, 1998 (Metopsia), spec. n.
corticale Boisduval & Lacordaire, 1835 (Phloeobium), syn. n. of Metopsia clypeata (Müller, 1821)
fernandezi Jarrige, 1952 (Phloeobium), syn. n. of Metopsia cimicoides Wollaston, 1864
gallicum Koch, 1938 (Phloeobium), Lectotype; syn. n. of Metopsia clypeata (Müller, 1821)
hispanicum Scheerpeltz, 1960 (Phloeobium), Lectotype, syn. n. of Metopsia clypeata (Müller, 1821)