A hairy mess: Evaluation of metafemoral hairs of the Aderidae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) and their phylogenetic utility

The Aderidae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) consists of approximately 1,200 species parsed into 42 genera and inhabit all continents except Antarctica.  The internal phylogeny of the group is completely unresolved and the current classification is based on only a handful of morphological characters.  Additionally, the classification has been confounded due to suprageneric groupings based on the often distinctive metafemoral hairs of these beetles.  These hairs can be present in both males and females, absent in both males and females, or present in males and absent in females.  Though traditionally and consistently used in their classification, the actual phylogenetic signal and utility of these metafemoral hairs has never been tested.  A preliminary phylogenetic hypothesis for the Aderidae is presented based on nuclear and mitochondrial molecular data.  The morphology of the metafemoral hairs is assessed through scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and evaluated within this phylogenetic framework.