Phylogenetic relationships within D iplotaxini K irby ( C oleoptera: M elolonthidae: M elolonthinae) with emphasis on L iogenys G uérin‐ M éneville

Diplotaxini Kirby is one of the 29 tribes of M elolonthinae with Nearctic, Neotropical, Paleartic, Afrotropical and Oriental distribution . According to the current classification, D iplotaxini is composed of 706 species described in 21 genera. Neotropical D iplotaxini comprise 94 species, of which 78 are members of L iogenys Guérin Méneville , the largest N eotropical genus. Until now, no phylogenetic studies on D iplotaxini have tested whether the tribe is natural or artificial. This study tested the relationships among D iplotaxini genera, created hypotheses for better defining them, and assessed the monophyly of L iogenys. Cladistic analyses using 167 adult morphological characters were performed. The 83 included taxa represent three subfamilies of M elolonthidae, four tribes of M elolonthinae, and most genera of D iplotaxini, with emphasis on L iogenys . The data were analysed using parsimony under equal and implied weights. In both analyses, the traditional concept of D iplotaxini is shown to be a polyphyletic assemblage. E mpecta E richson and C lypeasta F airmaire are closely related to M elolontha melolontha (Linnaeus) and P seudoliogenys Moser close to M yloxenoides M artínez ( T anyproctini). P achrodema B lanchard is identified as the sister group of L iogenys. The monophyly of both P acuvia C urtis and H omalochilus B lanchard is confirmed and the paraphyly of D iplotaxis K irby is suggested. The analyses strongly supported the polyphyly of L iogenys . To render this genus monophyletic, we transferred L. ferrugata M annerheim (related to M. melolontha ) to P hyllophaga H arris, and L. micropyga B urmeister to D iplotaxis, forming D iplotaxis micropyga (Burmeister, 1855) comb.n. ; and included H omoliogenys tarsalis ( M oser) and H ilarianus anguliceps B lanchard in L iogenys. As H. anguliceps is syn. junior of Liogenys punctaticollis , H ilarianus is synonymized with L iogenys . H ilarianus ovalis and Hilarianus rufinus are here assigned to M anonychus , and Hilarianus uniformis and Hilarianus suboblongus to B lepharotoma , forming: Blepharotoma uniformis comb.n. , Blepharotoma suboblongus comb.n. , Manonychus ovalis comb.n. and Manonychus rufinus comb.n.