Wednesday, December 12, 2001 - 1:17 PM
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Larval morphology of Agabetes crotch (Coleoptera: Adephaga: Dytiscidae): the hypothesis of sister-group relationship with the subfamily Laccophilinae revisited

Yves Alarie1, Paul J. Spangler2, and Warren E. Steiner2. (1) Laurentian University, Biology, Ramsey lake Road, Sudbury, ON, Canada, (2) National Museum of Natural History, Entomology, 10th & Constitution Ave, Washington, DC

Description of all larval instars of Agabetes acuductus (Harris) is presented including a detailed chaetotaxic and porotaxic analysis of the cephalic capsule, head appendages, legs, last abdominal segment and urogomphi. A parsimony analysis, based on the 43 informative larval characteristics was conducted with PAUP. Boostrap values indicate strong support for the monophyly of the clade containing the genus Agabetes Crotch and members of the subfamily Laccophilinae. This is supported by five synapomorphies: (i) egg bursters positioned posteriorly, contiguous to the coronal suture, (ii) presence of two lamellae clypeales in instar I, (iii) absence of the primary setae LA10 and LA12, (iv) absence of a ventroapical spinula on antennomere 3, and (v) abdominal venter 6 sclerotized.

Species 1: Coleoptera Dytiscidae Agabetes acuductus Crotch (diving beetle)
Keywords: Adephaga, Dytiscidae

The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA