Description of five larvae of the genus Gnaptorina Reitter, 1887 from Xizang, China (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Blaptinae), with molecular species delimitation and diagnoses

Abstract

With 39 described species in three subgenera, the Gnaptorina is the second most species-rich genus in the subtribe Gnaptorinina (Tenebrionidae: Blaptinae). In this study, a phylogeny of Gnaptorina was reconstructed based on one nuclear (28S-D2) and three mitochondrial (COI, Cytb, and 16S) gene fragments; multiple molecular species delimitation approaches were also implemented to assess the taxonomic status of larval specimens based on COI gene fragment. Larvae of five known species of the subgenus Hesperoptorina are described and illustrated for the first time: Gnaptorinanigera Shi, Ren & Merkl, 2007, Gnaptorinatishkovi Medvedev, 1998, Gnaptorinabrucei Blair, 1923, Gnaptorinahimalaya Shi, Ren & Merkl, 2007, Gnaptorinakangmar Shi, Ren & Merkl, 2007. A key to larvae of four genera of the tribe Blaptini and a key to the known larvae of the genus Gnaptorina are provided. This study provides valuable morphological data for larval studies of the tribe Blaptini.

Keywords: Beetles; Gnaptorinina; immature stage; morphology; species identification.