Phylogeny and distribution of the Australian longicorn beetle genus Uracanthus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Abstract

The Australia genus Uracanthus consists of 39 species and its larvae are known to be borers of at least 31 genera of trees and parasitic plants in 15 families (Asteraceae, Betulaceae, Casuarinaceae, Cupressaceae, Fabaceae, Loranthaceae, Myrtaceae, Pittosporaceae, Proteaceae, Rhamnaceae, Rosaceae, Rutaceae, Sapindaceae, Sterculiaceae, and Xanthorrhoeaceae), including some economically important crops such as citrus, litchi, peach, plum, and apricot. The phylogeny and biogeographic distribution of the genus were investigated in this paper. Here, the monophylies of the genus and seven species groups are inferred based on morphological characters of 39 ingroup and four outgroup species. However, several species groups still need additional steps to become monophyletic and are currently considered paraphyletic. The Uracanthus fauna occur in five biogeographic subregions: the Kosciuskan, Western and Eyrean in southern and central Australia, and the Torresian and Timorian in northern Australia. The fauna are richest with highest endemism in the Kosciuskan and Western. The Kosciuskan and Western are similar in faunal composition and closely related; the Eyrean has probably acted as a faunal exchange transit area between the Kosciuskan and Western, and the two northern Australian subregions have no endemic species. When the areas of endemism of each species are attached to the proposed phylogenetic tree, a clear picture of the distribution patterns of species groups in relation to phylogeny is obtained. It is suggested that the speciation and species radiation of Uracanthus may have occurred first in the Kosciuskan, then in the Western, and finally in the Eyrean, Torresian, and Timorian.