Mecyclothorax Explained

Mecyclothorax is a genus of beetles that contains over 400 described species or subspecies, mostly from the Hawaiian Islands,[1] [2] [3] and Tahiti[4] and Moorea,[5] French Polynesia. Additional radiations have evolved in Queensland, Australia,[6] New Guinea[7] and New Caledonia.[8] The genus has been divided into five subgenera: Eucyclothorax Liebherr 2018 of Australia, Qecyclothorax Liebherr 2018 of Queensland, Australia, Meonochilus Liebherr & Marris, 2009 of New Zealand, Phacothorax Jeannel 1944 of New Caledonia, and the more widely distributed subgenus Mecyclothorax Sharp 1903 [in Australia, the Sundas, New Zealand, the Society Islands (Moorea and Tahiti), and Hawaii]. The adelphotaxon to Mecyclothorax is hypothesized to consist of the genera associated with Amblytelus Blackburn, also distributed in Australia, and therefore the evolutionary history of Mecyclothorax commenced in Australia.

Species

These 415 species belong to Mecyclothorax.

Notes and References

  1. James K. Liebherr . 2011 . The Mecyclothorax beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Moriomorphini) of West Maui, Hawaii: taxonomy, biogeography, and conservation . . 58 . 1 . 15–76 . 10.1002/mmnd.201100005.
  2. James K. Liebherr . 2015 . The Mecyclothorax beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Moriomorphini) of Haleakalā, Maui: keystone of a hyperdiverse Hawaiian radiation . . 544 . 407 pp . 10.3897/zookeys.544.6074. 26798289 . free . 4714384 .
  3. Kipling Will & James K. Liebherr . 2022 . Two new species of Mecyclothorax Sharp, 1903 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Moriomorphini) from the Island of Hawaii . . 98 . 1 . 1–17 . 10.3956/2022-98.1.1. 247856439 .
  4. James K. Liebherr. 2013. The Mecyclothorax beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Moriomorphini) of Tahiti, Society Islands. ZooKeys. 322. 170 pp. 10.3897/zookeys.322.5492. 24003312. 3760220. free .
  5. James K. Liebherr. 2012. The first precinctive Carabidae from Moorea, Society Islands: new Mecyclothorax spp. (Coleoptera) from the summit of Mont Tohiea. ZooKeys. 224. 37–80. 10.3897/zookeys.224.3675. 23129989. 3487645. free .
  6. Martin Baehr. 2003. Psydrine ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Psydrinae), excluding Amblytelini, of eastern Queensland rainforests. 65-109. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 49. 65–109.
  7. James K. Liebherr. 2017. Review of Mecyclothorax Sharp (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Moriomorphini)from Papua New Guinea with descriptions of five new species.. The Coleopterists Bulletin. 71. 4. 679–703. 10.1649/0010-065x-71.4.679. 90143707 .
  8. James K. Liebherr. 2018. Cladistic classification of Mecyclothorax Sharp (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Moriomorphini) and taxonomic revision of the New Caledonian subgenus Phacothorax Jeannel.. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift. 65. 1–63. 10.3897/dez.65.21000. free.