Cladistic classification of Mecyclothorax Sharp (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Moriomorphini) and taxonomic revision of the New Caledonian subgenus Phacothorax Jeannel

A cladistic analysis reveals that the 15 species of Mecyclothorax Sharp native to New Caledonia form a monophyletic lineage, designated as the subgenus Phacothorax Jeannel. This includes three previously known species and 13 newly described ones, expanding the taxonomic understanding of this group. The study identifies five distinct subgenera within Mecyclothorax, each with unique geographic distributions, including a widespread nominate subgenus found across multiple island groups in the Pacific. Biogeographic analysis suggests that Phacothorax likely colonized New Caledonia around 6 million years ago, post-dating Gondwanan fragmentation and Oligocene submergence events. The research also highlights the role of flight wing loss in shaping island faunas and explores the functional complementarity of male and female genitalic structures in sister species, contrasting with more stable mate recognition systems observed in highly sympatric species swarms like those on Haleakalā volcano, Maui.

Liebherr, J. K. (2018). Cladistic classification of Mecyclothorax Sharp (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Moriomorphini) and taxonomic revision of the New Caledonian subgenus Phacothorax Jeannel. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, 65(1), 1–63. https://doi.org/10.3897/dez.65.21000