Molecular phylogeny of Echinodera and Ruteria (Coleoptera:Curculionidae:Cryptorhynchinae) and the parallel speciation of Canary Island weevils along replicate environmental gradients

Abstract

A molecular phylogeny for the western Palaearctic weevil genus Echinodera Wollaston, 1863 and the former genus Ruteria Roudier, 1954 is presented, combining two mitochondrial genes (CO1 and 16S) in a Bayesian analysis. Special consideration is given to the species of Echinodera from the Canary Islands. Between islands, these are represented by multiple vicariant species that have undergone parallel speciation along replicate environmental gradients on the respective islands. Based on the phylogenetic tree and further data, a number of taxonomic changes is presented: two new species are described, Echinodera montana, sp. nov. from the Canaries (Fuerteventura) and Echinodera bargouensis, sp. nov. from Tunisia. Five species are declared to be synonyms: Echinodera gomerensis Stüben, 2000, syn. nov. = Echinodera praedicta Germann & Stüben, 2006, syn. nov. = Echinodera pseudohystrix Stüben, 2000; Ruteria bellieri epirica Wolf, 2001, syn. nov. = Echinodera tyrrhenica Caldara, 1978, syn. nov. = Acalles bellieri Reiche, 1860; Echindera troodosi Wolf, 2010, syn. nov. = Echinodera cyprica Stüben, 2010. The subgenus Echinodera (Dieckmannia) Stüben, 1998 is a synonym of Echinodera s. str. The genus Ruteria is again declared a subgenus of Echinodera: Echinodera (Ruteria) Roudier, 1954 stat. rev. Two species are transferred to a different subgenus: Echinodera (Ruteria) incognita (Hoffmann, 1956) and Echinodera (Ruteria) cognita Stüben, 2006 (both formerly Echinodera s. str.).