Edwin Ariza

 

REVISIÓN TAXONÓMICA Y ANÁLISIS FILOGENÉTICO DEL GÉNERO VINDEX (COLEOPTERA, PASSALIDAE).

Maestría en Ciencias, Posgrado INECOL, Xalapa.
 

Co-directores:

Dra. Dolores González Hernández

Dr. Pedro Reyes Castillo

Asesor interno:

Dr. Efraín de Luna García

Asesor externo:

Dr. Larry Jiménez Ferbans

Ariza-Marín, E. R. & E. De Luna. 202x. Linear and geometric morphometric analyses of variation of the plectrum in four species of bess beetles, tribe Proculini (Coleoptera: Passalidae). Arthropod Structure and Development.

https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1bmas5DlMxHFnp

Abstract. Bess beetles are sapro-xillophagous insects that inhabit decaying logs. They display sub-social behavior and acoustic communication. Adults produce sounds with an

abdomino-alary stridulatory system. The sixth abdominal tergum has lateral

protuberances with spines ( pars stridens ) whereas the hind wings have spines in the

radial cell ( plectrum ). The potential taxonomic utility of these spines has not been

studied. We evaluated variation of spines in the plectrum of adult females sampling

four species of Proculini using traditional and geometric morphometric methods. We

divided the plectrum into five zones to compare the density, size and shape of spines

among zones and among species comparing each zone separately. Spine shape and

size were quantified with 2D cartesian coordinates and four measurements from SEM

micrographs. Separate univariate and multivariate analyses of variance revealed that

the size, density and shape of spines is different among zones in each of the four

species. Also, spine shape and size in all zones is different among species, which

would imply that plectrum spines might have taxonomic utility. Additionally, disparity

analyses showed that the peripheral zones have a higher variability, and the disparity

values in the middle and apex zones are higher in the two species with a wide

distribution range.