Taxonomic revision of the Western Hemisphere checkered beetle genus Axina Kirby (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae)

Abstract

The New World genus Axina Kirby (Coleoptera: Cleridae) is revised for the first time. Thirty-two new species are described: Axina acutipennis, A. adelosa, A. atmis, A. bahia, A. bella, A. brunnea, A. chiasta, A. furcula, A. heveli, A. ignota, A. klisis, A. latilinea, A. lobispinula, A. luzia, A. macilenta, A. megaspina, A.minas, A. ochra, A. oligocheia, A. ordinis, A. orcastomata, A. pallidioccabus, A. phallospina, A. piperata, A. pol­lex, A. polycaula, A. rio, A. schenklingi, A. spina, A. trinalis, A. villa, and A. vista. The 19 previously described species are: Axina analis Kirby, A. apicalis Pic, A. basalis Schenkling, A. bifasciata (Chevrolat), A. centri­maculata Schenkling, A. conspicua Schenkling, A. diversesignata Pic, A. equestris (Schenkling), A. fasciata Kirsch, A. fortipes Pic, A. lateralis Pic, A. longevittata Pic, A. munda Schenkling, A. nigrifrons Schenkling, A.parcepunctata Schenkling, A. picta Schenkling, A. plagiata Schenkling, A. proxima (Chevrolat), and A. sex­maculata Spinola. Two species Priocera equestris Schenkling and Priocera proxima Chevrolat, are transferred into the genus Axina becoming new combinations: Axina equestris (Schenkling) and Axina proxima (Chevrolat). Two names, Priocera podagrica Schenkling, 1900, and P. podagrica variety pygmaea Schenkling, 1902, are new synonymies of Priocera proxima Chevrolat, 1876. Lectotypes are here designated for nine species: Axina basalis Schenkling, 1900; Axina centrimaculata Schenkling, 1900; Axina conspicua Schenkling, 1900; Axina diversesignata Pic, 1946; Axina munda Schenkling, 1900; Axina nigrifrons Schenkling, 1906; Axina parcepunctata Schenkling, 1900; Axina picta Schenkling, 1907; and Axina plagiata Schenkling, 1900. It is proposed that Axina species are predators of lignicolous insects, particularly bark beetles. The species of Axina can be classified into eight species groups and a theory of their phylogenetic relationships is proposed via WINCLADA in conjunction with NONA. Of the 51 species that now comprise Axina, only one traversed the Panamanian portal before the Colombian Andes reached their modern altitudes. This work includes a generic-level morphological analysis, brief treatise of natural history, key to species, comments about Axinazoogeography, and hypotheses of species-group phylogeny.

El género Axina Kirby (Coleoptera: Cleridae),del Nuevo Mundo, es revisado por primera vez. Se describen treinta y dos especies nuevas: Axina acutipennis, A. adelosa, A. atmis, A. bahia, A. bella, A. brun­nea, A. chiasta, A. furcula, A. heveli, A. ignota, A. klisis, A. latilinea, A. lobispinula, A. luzia, A. macilenta, A.megaspina,A. minas, A. ochra, A. oligocheia, A. ordinis, A. orcastomata, A. pallidioccabus, A. phallospina, A.piperata, A. pollex, A. polycaula, A. rio, A. schenklingi, A. spina, A. trinalis, A. villa,y A. vista. Las 19 especies descritas anteriormente son: Axina analis Kirby, A. apicalis Pic, A. basalis Schenkling, A. bifasciata (Chevro-lat), A. centrimaculata Schenkling, A. conspicua Schenkling, A. diversesignata Pic, A. equestris (Schenkling),A. fasciata Kirsch, A. fortipes Pic, A. lateralis Pic, A. longevittata Pic, A. munda Schenkling, A. nigrifrons Schenkling, A. parcepunctata Schenkling, A. picta Schenkling, A. plagiata Schenkling, A. proxima (Chevrolat), y A. sexmaculata Spinola. Dos especies Priocera equestris Schenkling y Priocera proxima Chevrolat, son transferidas al genero Axina siendo nuevas combinaciones: Axina equestris (Schenkling) y Axina proxima (Chevrolat). Dos nombres, Priocera podagrica Schenkling, 1900, y P. podagrica variedad pygmaea Schenkling, 1902, son nuevas sinonimias de Priocera proxima Chevrolat, 1876. Se designan lectotipos para nueve especies: Axina basalis Schenkling, 1900; Axina centrimaculata Schenkling, 1900; Axina conspicua Schenkling, 1900; Axina diversesignata Pic, 1946; Axina munda