Phylogeny, classification and Evolutionary origin of crawling water beetles (family: Haliplidae)
Haliplidae is a small family of only some 200 species distributed worldwide, but most diverse in the holarctic.The family includes 5 genera, two of which are monotypic (Algophilus in South Africa and Apteraliplus on the North American west coast), and one include 2 palearctic and 4 nearctic species (Brychius). The remaining two genera, Peltodytes and Haliplus are more species rich, widespread, and divided into 2 (Neopeltodytes, Peltodytes) and 6 (Haliplus, Haliplidius, Liaphlus, Neohaliplus, Paraliaphlus and Phalilus) subgenera respectively.
The generic statuses of Algophilus and Apteraliplus have been questioned by Beutel & Ruhnau (1990). Based on morphological characters they found them to belong inside Liaphlus, however they are still recognized in the latest world catalogue (Nilsson & Vondel, 2005). The relationship between Brychius, Peltodytes and Haliplus has been hypothesized as (Peltodytes (Brychius, Haliplus)) based on morphology.
In this project we use a 6kbp multiple gene dataset to estimate the phylogeny of Haliplidae, test the placement of Algophilus and Apteraliplus and the monophyly of subgenera. Taxon sampling include representatives of all genera and all but one subgenus (Phalilus with two rare species of New Caledonia and N. Australia ) Genes we use are: 12S, 16S, 18S, 28S, COI, COII, CytB and Histone 3.
Haliplidae is a very old family, and a Triassic fossil described in a separate extinct family Triaplidae (Etymology: Triassic + Haliplidae), can be linked to Haliplidae based on their enlarged metacoxal plates. We will use this fossil to date the phylogeny and estimate the age of genera and potentially couple some splits to biogeographic platetectonic events of continent movements.
Project leader:
Johannes Bergsten
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