Colymbetinae

Rhantus frontalis, photographed by Josef Dvořák.

Belongs within: Dytiscidae.

The Colymbetinae is a clade of diving beetles diagnosed by the presence of transverse rugae on the dorsal surface of the lateral margins of abdominal sternum two, and usually of unequal metatarsal claws in both sexes. The majority of species are included in a tribe Colymbetini, characterised by a female genital system with a separate bursa and vagina, with the bursa copulatrix long, slender and slightly twisted, and a large and broad spermathecal duct attaching near the base of the bursa. A single New Guinean species, Carabdytes upin, is included in a distinct tribe characterised by a lack of lobes on the metatarsomeres and a hydroporine-type genital system (Miller 2001).

<==Colymbetinae
    |--Anisomeria [Anisomeriini] M01
    |--Carabdytes Balke, Hendrich & Wewalka 1992 [Carabdytini] M01
    |    `--*C. upin Balke, Hendrich & Wewalka 1992 M01
    `--Colymbetini M01
         |--Meladema coriacea M01
         |--Batrachomatus Clark 1863 LM87
         |    |--*B. wingi Clark 1863 LM87
         |    `--B. daemeli (Sharp 1882) [=Matus daemeli; incl. B. burnsi Mouchamps 1964] LM87
         `--Rhantus Dejean 1833 [=Rantus] LM87
              |  i. s.: R. suturalis (Macleay 1825) LM87 (see below for synonymy)
              |         R. flavicollis G89
              |         R. impar Guignot 1956 LM87
              |         R. morneri Falkenström 1937 LM87
              |         R. simulans Régimbart 1908 LM87
              |--R. pseudopacificus M01
              `--+--R. calidus M01
                 `--+--+--R. atricolor M01
                    |  |--R. binotatus M03
                    |  |--R. frontalis M01
                    |  |--R. gutticollis Say 1834 M01, ZL74 [incl. R. hoppingi Wallis 1933 ZL74, R. mexicanus ZL74]
                    |  |--R. sericans M01
                    |  |--R. signatus M01
                    |  `--Hoperius planatus M01
                    `--+--+--R. (Nartus) M01
                       |  |    |--R. (N.) grapii M01
                       |  |    `--R. (N.) sinuatus M01, M03
                       |  `--Neoscutopterus M03
                       |       |--N. angustus M03
                       |       `--N. hornii M01
                       `--Colymbetes Clairville 1806 M03, M01
                            |--C. affinis B35
                            |--C. brunneus B35
                            |--C. decemstriatus B35
                            |--C. densus M01
                            |--C. dolabatus CS77
                            |--C. exaratus M03
                            |--C. niger B35
                            |--C. pacificus B35
                            |--C. parvulus B35
                            `--C. paykulli M03

Rhantus suturalis (Macleay 1825) LM87 [=Colymbetes suturalis LM87; incl. R. australis Aubé 1836 LM87, C. pulverosus Stephens 1828 LM87, *R. pulverosus LM87, R. suturalis var. virgulatus C01]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B35] Boisduval, J. B. 1835. Voyage de Découvertes de l’Astrolabe. Exécuté par ordre du Roi, pendant les années 1826–1827–1828–1829, sous le commandement de M. J. Dumont d'Urville. Faune entomologique de l'océan Pacifique, avec l'illustration des insectes nouveaux recueillis pendant le voyage vol. 2. Coléoptères et autres ordres. J. Tastu: Paris.

[C01] Csiki, E. 1901. Bogarak [Coleopteren]. In: Horváth, G. (ed.) Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazása [Dritte Asiatische Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] vol. 2. Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazásának Állattani Eredményei [Zoologische Ergebnisse der Dritten Asiatischen Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] pp. 75–120. Victor Hornyánszky: Budapest, and Karl W. Hierseman: Leipzig.

[G89] Gestro, R. 1889. Viaggio ab Assab nel Mar Rosso dei signori G. Doria ed O. Beccari con il R. Avviso «Esploratore» dal 16 Novembre 1879 al 26 Febbraio 1880.—IV. Coleotteri. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova, Serie 2^a, 7: 5–72.

[LM87] Lawrence, J. F., B. P. Moore, J. E. Pyke & T. A. Weir. 1987. Zoological Catalogue of Australia vol. 4. Coleoptera: Archostemata, Myxophaga and Adephaga. Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra.

[M01] Miller, K. B. 2001. On the phylogeny of the Dytiscidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) with emphasis on the morphology of the female reproductive system. Insect Systematics and Evolution 32: 45–92.

[M03] Miller, K. B. 2003. The phylogeny of diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) and the evolution of sexual conflict. Biological Journal of the Linnaean Society 79: 359–388.

[ZL74] Zimmerman, J. R., & J. A. Ludwig. 1974. Multiple-discriminant analysis of geographical variation in the aquatic beetle, Rhantus gutticollis (Say) (Dytiscidae). Systematic Zoology 24 (1): 63–71.

Last updated: 30 January 2018.