Phylogenetic review of dobsonflies of the subfamily Corydalinae and the genus Corydalus Latreille (Megaloptera: Corydalidae)

Abstract

Phylogenetic relationships of the World genera of dobsonflies, subfamily Corydalinae, are reappraised, as well as those of species of the New World genus Corydalus, both on the basis of morphological characters. Previous phylogenetic hypotheses of dobsonfly genera by Glorioso, Penny, and Contreras-Ramos, respectively, are re-evaluated, and a fourth revised phylogeny is presented. Ninety-five characters of 10 taxa, one outgroup and nine ingroup taxa, were used in the updated analysis of Corydalinae. It recognizes four lineages, with Chloroniella as sister to the other three, of which the Nevromus lineage (Acanthacorydalis + Nevromus + Neoneuromus) is sister to the Corydalus lineage (Chloronia + Platyneuromus + Corydalus), and both as a group are sister to the Protohermes lineage (Protohermes + Neurhermes). The main changes in the updated Corydalinae phylogeny are the placement of Chloroniella as sister to all other dobsonfly genera, and the placement of Acanthacorydalis as a member of the Nevromus lineage. Previously, Penny had proposed Chloroniella as sister to all dobsonfly genera except the Protohermes lineage, and both Glorioso and Penny, respectively, placed Acanthacorydalis as sister to the Corydalus lineage. About Corydalus, its species phylogeny is herein updated, as four species from Venezuela were added to the genus after its taxonomic revision. For the new phylogeny, 120 characters of 35 taxa, two outgroup and 33 ingroup taxa, were used. It produced a strict consensus of two trees, better resolved than the previous one. The C. arpi species group is moved to sister of all other species except the C. cephalotes species pair, while the C. batesii species group is conserved, being the only unresolved group within the phylogeny. Two of the species added, C. hayashii and C. mayri, belong to the well defined C. arpi species group, of Guayana Shield affinity, whereas C. crossi is sister to a large and widespread group beginning with the C. nubilus species group, and C. clavijoi is sister to C. tesselatus within the latter group.