The genus Dendarus Latr. is distributed throughout the Mediterranean basin with numerous species in the Aegean islands. In this paper we present a phylogenetic analysis and the biogeography of most taxa present in the area. Phylogenetic analysis of 2 outgroup and 25 ingroup taxa based on 50 characters and 119 character states produced 2 equally parsimonious trees (tree length=148, C.I.=0.42, R.I.=0.70, R.C.=0.294). These trees provide strong support for the monophyly of Dendarus and also define 4 species groups: the foraminosus group, present mainly on the island of Crete; the rhodius group, present in Dodekanesse islands, the sinuatus group present in the central Aegean islands, and another group consisting of taxa from Greek mainland Greece (D. messenius, D. caelatus, D. tenellus, and D. plicatulus paganettii).
In our analysis we were able to distinguish certain monophyletic groups distributed, with some exceptions, within well-defined geographical and palaeogeographical regions of the Aegean. These distributional patterns probably indicate a common evolutionary history of each of these species groups. However, phylogenetic relations among these groups are still debatable, indicating the necessity for a more thorough examination that will include more Dendarus taxa, especially from the neighbouring mainlands of Greece and Turkey.
Species 1: Coleoptera Tenebrionidae Dendarus
Keywords: speciation
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