@article {215, title = {Systematics and biology of the endemic water scavenger beetles of Hawaii (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae, Hydrophilini)}, journal = {Systematic EntomologySystematic EntomologySystematic Entomology}, volume = {32}, number = {4}, year = {2007}, pages = {601-624}, abstract = {Abstract. Recent field surveys in the Hawaiian Islands have revealed an adaptive radiation of endemic water scavenger beetles (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae). Phylogenetic analysis based on 55 adult morphological characters affirms that this endemic hydrophilid fauna is a monophyletic clade that incorporates the first well-supported transformation from an aquatic to terrestrial way of life within any lineage of the subfamily Hydrophilinae. The clade is prescribed to the genus Limnoxenus Motschulsky, where described members were previously placed. Five new species are described: L. waialeale sp.n. (Kauai), L. kauaiensis sp.n. (Kauai), L. oahuensis sp.n. (Oahu), L. punctatostriatus sp.n. (Kauai) and L. namolokama sp.n. (Kauai). Lectotypes are designated for the two previously described species L. semicylindricus (Eschscholtz) and L. nesiticus (Sharp). The Hawaiian lineage is a component of a larger clade that also includes the remaining four species of Limnoxenus from Europe, South Africa, and Australia, plus the monotypic genera Limnocyclus Balfour-Browne of New Caledonia and Hydramara Knisch of South America. The majority of the Hawaiian species exhibit vestigial wings, an extremely unusual condition in aquatic beetles. No other island-endemic members of the Hydrophilinae are known to be flightless, suggesting insularity per se is not responsible for this condition. L. nesiticus of Oahu has not been collected during the past 106 years, suggesting that it has been lost to anthropogenically mediated extinction.}, keywords = {aquatic, Coleoptera, ENDEMIC, HAWAII, Hydrophilidae, Pacific Insects, Phylogeny, radiation}, author = {Short, A.E.Z. and Liebherr, J. K.} } @article {121, title = {Mecyclothorax kavanaughi sp. n. (Coleoptera: Carabidae) from the Finisterre Range, Papua New Guinea}, journal = {Tijdschrift voor EntomologieTijdschrift voor Entomologie}, volume = {151}, year = {2008}, pages = {147-154}, keywords = {Carabidae, Coleoptera, distribution, Mecyclothorax, Pacific Insects, Papua New Guinea}, author = {Liebherr, J. K.} } @article {122, title = {Native and alien Carabidae (Coleoptera) share Lanai, an ecologically devastated island}, journal = {Coleopterists BulletinColeopterists Bulletin}, volume = {63}, number = {4}, year = {2009}, pages = {383-411}, keywords = {Carabidae, Coleoptera, distribution, ecology, Hawaiian Islands, Mecyclothorax, Pacific Insects}, author = {Liebherr, J. K.} } @article {123, title = {First recorded Hawaiian occurrence of the alien ground beetle, Agonum muelleri (Coleoptera: Carabidae), from the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii Island}, journal = {Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological SocietyProceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society}, volume = {41}, year = {2009}, pages = {97-103}, keywords = {alien species, Carabidae, Coleoptera, distribution, Hawaiian Islands, invasive species, Pacific Insects}, author = {Liebherr, J. K.} } @article {124, title = {Taxonomic revision of the Mecyclothorax beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of Oahu: epithets as epitaphs for an endangered fauna?}, journal = {Systematic EntomologySystematic Entomology}, volume = {34}, year = {2009}, pages = {649-687}, keywords = {Carabidae, Coleoptera, description, distribution, Hawaiian Islands, Mecyclothorax, Oahu, Pacific Insects}, author = {Liebherr, J. K.} } @article {125, title = {Blackburnia riparia, new species (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Platynini): A novel element in the Hawaii riparian insect fauna}, journal = {Journal of the New York Entomological SocietyJournal of the New York Entomological Society}, volume = {114}, number = {1}, year = {2006}, month = {June 01, 2006}, pages = {1-16}, abstract = {Blackburnia riparia, new species is described from the summit of Mt. Waialeale, Kauai, Hawaii, incorporated into a phylogenetic analysis of Blackburnia Sharp, and thereby placed as the adelphotaxon to two other allopatric Kauai species, B. lata Liebherr and B. atra Liebherr. The new species occurs in riparian habitats, including vertical rock-faced seeps and algal mats, and is documented to feed on aquatic larvae of Micropsectra Kieffer \&$\#$040;Diptera: Chironomidae\&$\#$041;. Blackburnia elegans \&$\#$040;Sharp\&$\#$041; adults also occur in streams on Waialeale summit where they were found walking under water on the undersides of large, flat rocks. Based on documented prey and observed behavior, both species appear to forage under the waterline. The abdominal and elytral anatomy of adult B. riparia and B. elegans is suitable for retention of a subelytral air bubble, suggesting these species respire underwater. Adults and associated larvae of Blackburnia mandibularis Liebherr inhabit moss-mats along falls\&$\#$39; margins at Waipoo Falls, Kokee State Park, Kauai, indicating that this species\&$\#$39; active life stages also reside in the riparian zone. Attributes of the larval head capsule and mandibles for B. riparia and B. mandibularis are associated with homologous characters expressed in adult anatomy, ontogenetically linking larval and adult head and mouthpart specializations. The various evolutionary origins of riparian habits are examined across Blackburnia. Via one route, occupation of the montane riparian zone has evolved from terrestrial moss-mat habitation, with concomitant evolutionary reduction of adult compound eyes. A second evolutionary route to the riparian zone is based on occupation of open, disturbed or ephemeral habitats, in some cases assisted by adult winged dispersal.}, keywords = {Blackburnia, Carabidae, Coleoptera, HAWAII, Pacific Insects, riparian}, author = {Liebherr, J. K. and Short, A.E.Z.} } @article {126, title = {Cladistic analysis, phylogeny and biogeography of the Hawaiian Platynini (Coleoptera: Carabidae)}, journal = {Systematic EntomologySystematic EntomologySystematic Entomology}, volume = {23(2)}, year = {1998}, pages = {137-172}, abstract = {The 128 known native Hawaiian species of the tribe Platynini are analysed cladistically. Cladistic analysis is based on 206 unit-coded morphological characters, and also includes forty-one outgroup taxa from around the Pacific Rim. Strict consensus of the multiple equally parsimonious cladograms supports the monophyly of the entire species swarm. The closest outgroup appears to be the south-east Asian-Pacific genus Lorostema Motschulsky, whose species are distributed from India and Sri Lanka to Tahiti, supporting derivation of the Hawaiian platynines from a source in the western or south-western Pacific. The biogeographic relationships of the Hawaiian taxa are analysed using tree mapping, wherein items of error are minimized. The area cladogram found to be most congruent with the phylogenetic relationships, and most defensible based on underlying character data is {Kauai[Oahu(Hawaii{Lanai[East Maui(West Maui + Molokai)]})]}. This progressive vicariant pattern incorporates progressive colonization from Kauai, and vicariance of the former Maui Nui into the present islands of Molokai, Lanai, West Maui and East Maui. The evolution of flightlessness, tarsal structure, pronotal setation and bursal asymmetry are evaluated in the context of the cladogram. Brachyptery is a derived condition for which reversal is not mandated by the cladogram, although repeated evolution of reduced flight wings is required. Tarsal structure supports Sharp{\textquoteright}s (1903) recognition of Division 1 as a monophyletic assemblage, but exposes his Division 2 as a paraphyletic group requiring removal of the genus Colpocaccus Sharp. Pronotal setation is exceedingly homoplastic, and is not useful for delimiting natural groups. Left-right asymmetry of the bursa copulatrix reversed twice independently, resulting in mirror-image bursal configurations in B. rupicola and Prodisenochus terebratus of East Maui. The amount of character divergence is greater among species comprising Division 1 than among species of its sister group, the redefined Division 2. Based on superior fit of Division 1 relationships to the general biogeographic pattern, a greater speciation rate coupled with more extensive extinction is rejected as the cause for this greater divergence. Intrinsic differentiation in the processes underlying cuticular evolution appears to be more consistent with the observed biogeographic and morphological patterns.}, keywords = {Blackburnia, Carabidae, Coleoptera, HAWAII, Metromenus, Pacific Insects, Phylogeography, Platynini}, author = {Liebherr, J. K. and Zimmerman, E. C.} } @article {119, title = {Recognition and description of Blackburnia kavanaughi, new species (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Platynini) from Kauai, Hawaii}, journal = {Journal of the New York Entomological SocietyJournal of the New York Entomological Society}, volume = {114}, number = {1}, year = {2006}, month = {June 01, 2006}, pages = {17-27}, abstract = {Blackburnia kavanaughi, new species, previously misidentified as Blackburnia asquithi Liebherr, is described from the western portion of the Alakai Plateau, Kauai, Hawaii. The species is placed phylogenetically based on cladistic analysis including all known Hawaiian Blackburnia, supporting membership in the subgenus Metromenus Sharp. The new species is hypothesized to be most closely related to B. debilis \&$\#$040;Perkins\&$\#$041; of Molokai and B. kuiki Liebherr of East Maui, sharing enhanced pubescence of the antennal pedicel, reduction in number of the dorsal elytral setae, and elongate ventrolateral setae of tarsomere 5. Individuals of all three species reside in deep arboreal moss mats associated with ohia lehua trees \&$\#$040;Metrosideros polymorpha: Myrtaceae\&$\#$041;. Blackburnia debilis, previously known only from the single male holotype collected in 1902, was recollected in 2005 from Uapa summit, Molokai, in arboreal moss on the mesic leeward edge of ohia lehua forest. Discovery of B. kavanaughi on Kauai implies an additional colonization event from Kauai to newer islands during the diversification of Blackburnia, while corroborating the previous general biogeographic pattern of progressive colonization of the Hawaiian Islands by this clade. Phylogenetic placement of B. debilis \&$\#$43; B. kuiki as adelphotaxon to B. kavanaughi results in a hypothesized sister-group relationship between sympatric sister species\&$\#$8212;the epigean B. calathiformis \&$\#$040;Sharp\&$\#$041; and the troglobitic B. howarthi \&$\#$040;Samuelson and Liebherr\&$\#$041;\&$\#$8212;corroborating F. G. Howarth\&$\#$39;s general hypothesis for the evolution of Hawaiian troglobites.}, keywords = {Blackburnia, Carabidae, Coleoptera, description, HAWAII, Pacific Insects, taxonomy}, author = {Liebherr, J. K.} } @article {120, title = {Taxonomic revision of the Mecyclothorax beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Psydrini) of Molokai, Hawaii and recognition of areas of endomism on Kamakou volcano}, journal = {Journal of the New York Entomological SocietyJournal of the New York Entomological Society}, volume = {114}, number = {4}, year = {2007}, month = {December 01, 2007}, pages = {179-281}, abstract = {Species of the genus Mecyclothorax Sharp, 1903 from the island of Molokai, Hawaii are taxonomically revised. The Molokai fauna constitutes 43 recognized species, 24 newly described: M. polhemusi, new species; M. dunbarorum, new species; M. impunctatus, new species; M. debiliceps, new species; M. convexus, new species; M. subsinuatus, new species; M. subater, new species; M. trisetifer, new species; M. annae, new species; M. joni, new species; M. lisae, new species; M. lissopterus, new species; M. arcuatus, new species; M. latus, new species; M. abax, new species, M. ewingi, new species; M. latissimus, new species; M. punctatostriatus, new species; M. flavolateralis, new species; M. obscurus, new species; M. comma, new species; M. stenolophinus, new species; M. granulatus, new species; and M. cymindoides, new species. Mecyclothorax quadratus Britton is newly synonymized with M. argutor (Sharp). Various species are congruently distributed on Kamakou Volcano, allowing recognition of two areas of endemism, one to the west encompassing Kamakou and Olokui peaks, the second to the east spanning the areas from Wailau and Puu Lua to Puu Ohelo and Kainalu Gulch. Representatives of several hypothesized species pairs mutually occupy the two areas of endemism adding rigor to definition of the areas. Whereas the western Kamakou-Olokui area of endemism encompasses the State of Hawaii\&$\#$39;s Puu Alii and Olokui Natural Area Reserves and the Kamakou Preserve of The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, the eastern Wailau-Puu Ohelo area of endemism is not comprehensively managed for conservation. Twelve of the 14 species residing in the eastern area of endemism are newly described, indicating the preliminary state of knowledge regarding the fauna of this area. Of those 12 new species, 9 are geographically restricted to the eastern area. This level of endemic richness is proposed as a criterion that justifies establishment of a comprehensive conservation plan for eastern Molokai, thereby ensuring sustainability of its distinct native forest communities. Two of the species, M. lissopterus and M. arcuatus, are cryptic sibling species, diagnosable only by configurations of the male aedeagal median lobe and female bursa copulatrix. The magnitude of the male median lobe in the two species is positively associated with size of the bursa copulatrix in females of the two species. Aedeagal and bursal configurations do not vary infraspecifically. Available evidence points most parsimoniously to origin of derived states in one of these species via developmental changes in genitalic anlagen common to the sexes, differentially expressed in males and females. Such a mechanism assumes homologous transformation of the male aedeagal median lobe and female bursa copulatrix, and removes the need to invoke more complicated hypotheses involving sexual selection.}, keywords = {Carabidae, Coleoptera, description, HAWAII, Mecyclothorax, Molokai, Pacific Insects, taxonomy}, author = {Liebherr, J. K.} }