The nominal genus Tasactes Faust, 1894, consisting of two originally included nominal species from Myanmar, is rediscovered for the first time since being erected. Adult weevils herein assigned to the taxonomically re-defined Tasactes were abundant in forest floor litter at five localities in China (Yunnan and Sichuan), plus one specimen is available from Shaanxi and three from Nepal. Phylogenetic analysis of a 2,275 bp matrix concatenated from one mitochondrial (COI) and two nuclear markers (ITS2 and 28S) revealed that the monophyletic Tasactes consists of eight evolutionary significant terminal clades, either allopatric (three) or sympatric (two on Cang Shan in Yunnan and three on Mount Emei in Sichuan). The genus Tasactes is nested within the monophyletic Stromboscerini, while the tribe is sister to monophyletic Dryophthorus. The two morphological diagnostic characters of Tasactes, which are unique within the tribe, are the transversely truncated antennal club and conically projecting velvety apex of the club. So defined, Tasactes renders the genus Orthosinus paraphyletic. Considering the taxonomic neglect and uncertainties surrounding nominal Stromboscerini, all herein reported members of this tribe, including the Tasactes, are not assigned to Linnaean species. This paper illustrates the "clogging taxonomy" phenomenon, in which obscure historical names render taxonomic assignment of newly sampled specimens precarious. All the data used herein (localities, sequences, specimen images) are available online in public datasets dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-TASACT1 and dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-TASACT2., Vasily V. Grebennikov., and Obsahuje bibliografii
This paper is the first attempt to resolve relationships among the Ceratocanthinae: Ceratocanthini pill scarab beetles using DNA sequences. It is focused on the Philharmostes group of seven Afrotropical genera: Baloghianestes (3 spp.), Callophilharmostes (1 sp.), Carinophilharmostes (1 sp.), Chaetophilharmostes (1 sp.), Cryptophilharmostes (3 spp.), Petrovitzostes (1 sp.) and Philharmostes (31 spp.). A phylogenetic analysis of 46 terminals and alignment of 2,913 bp from one mitochondrial and two nuclear fragments corroborates monophyly of this group, but rejects that of Philharmostes, the largest genus. The latter is paraphyletic with respect to at least four other smaller genera and consists of at least three distantly related clades. One of them, formed by Philharmostes ballerioi sp. n. from the Tanzanian Nguru (the type locality) and Kaguru Mountains, is sister to the rest of the entire Philharmostes group. The nominal genus Philharmostes is, therefore, a waste-basket taxon for accommodating members of this group that lack the distinct characters of the smaller genera. Pending further research, the phylogenetically inadequate generic taxonomy of the Philharmostes group is not modified. Molecular clock analysis estimates separation of the mitochondrial lineages of two known populations of the new species at about 2.2 Ma, which corresponds with recurring shrinkage and expansion of African rainforest caused by climatic fluctuations during the Pleistocene. Adults of all nominal ingroup genera are illustrated along with male and female body parts of the new species. Diagnostic and/or synapomorphic morphological characters of the Philharmostes group of genera are revised. Habitus images and other supplementary information on all sequenced specimens are available online at dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-VGDS001 and dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-VGDS004.
The endemic Costa Rican genus Zurquilla Gauld, 1997, is transferred from the ichneumonid subfamily Tryphoninae (tribe Oedemopsini) to the Cryptinae (tribe Phygadeuontini) and synonymised with Nipponaetes Uchida, 1933. This decision is justified using morphological and molecular (28S D2-3 ribosomal DNA sequence) evidence. We briefly discuss the phylogenetic utility of characters that led to the type species of Zurquilla being described as a tryphonine and provide a host record that indicates that Nipponaetes is a parasitoid of spider egg sacs.