The resurrection of Cerasommatidiidae, an enigmatic group of coccinelloid beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinelloidea) based on molecular and morphological evidence

Abstract

The family Cerasommatidiidae was proposed by Brèthes in 1925 for his new genus Cerasommatidia from Brazil, described as an intermediate taxon between Endomychidae and Coccinellidae (Coccinelloidea). This group was neglected for decades until 1994 when the resemblance of Cerasommatidia with the eupsilobiine genus Ibicarella was noticed, and Cerasommatidiidae was synonymized with Eupsilobiinae (Endomychidae). Based on the newly discovered material from the Neotropical and Afrotropical regions with clear resemblance to Cerasommatidia and Ibicarella, the phylogenetic placement of these taxa and new allied genera was reassessed based on phylogenetic analyses of molecular, morphological and combined datasets. The data were analysed under Bayesian (BI), maximum likelihood (ML) and parsimony (MP) frameworks. Our results support the restoration of Cerasommatidiidae as a distinct family in Coccinelloidea. Close affinity of Cerasommatidiidae with Coccinellidae, Eupsilobiidae and Mycetaeidae is recovered and the sister-relationship to Mycetaeidae is highly supported. Ibicarella is found to be a junior synonym of Cerasommatidia. Three new genera and six new species are described and illustrated: Yamuy gen. nov. (type species, Y. marginatus sp. nov.; and Y. constratus sp. nov.) and Karumbe gen. nov. (type species, K. geiseri sp. nov.; K. brethesi sp. nov. and K. pakaluki sp. nov.) from the Neotropics and Mahavelo gen. nov. (type species, M. madagasus sp. nov.) from Madagascar.