Eur. J. Entomol. 101 (2): 293-311, 2004 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2004.039

Larval morphology of three species of Hygrobiidae (Coleoptera: Adephaga: Dytiscoidea) with phylogenetic considerations

Yves ALARIE1, Rolf G. BEUTEL2, Chris H.S. WATTS3
1 Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, ON, Canada; e-mail: yalarie@laurentian.ca
2 Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie, FSN Jena, Germany; e-mail: b5bero@rz.uni-jena.de
3 South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; e-mail: watts.chris@saugosa.gov.sa.au

A provisional larval groundplan of the family Hygrobiidae is provided through descriptions of internal and external features of three of six extant species, Hygrobia hermanni (Fabricius, 1775), H. wattsi Hendrich 2001 and H. australasiae (Clark, 1862) and phylogenetic interpretations. Hygrobiidae larvae are morphologically differing dramatically from all other known Adephaga by 20 autapomorphies. Structures involved with feeding, i.e., mouthparts, prepharynx and foregut are highly modified as a result of a specialisation on small tubificid worms and chironomid larvae. A placement of Hygrobiidae within Dytiscoidea is well supported by the reduced condition of the terminal abdominal segments, and the presence of 10 ancestral setae on femur and a clade comprising Hygrobiidae, Amphizoidae, and Dytiscidae by the presence of thin and elongate caudal tentorial arms, a very strong musculus verticopharyngalis and a longitudinally divided adductor tendon of the mandible. A highly modified foregut, reduced terminal spiracles VIII and the presence of tubular gills are features which distinguish hygrobiid larvae from those of other groups of Dytiscoidea (i.e, Amphizoidae, Noteridae, Dytiscidae). A sister-group relationship between Hygrobiidae and Dytiscidae is indicated by a distinctly shortened and transverse prepharynx and a cerebrum and suboesophaeal ganglion shifted to the anterior third of the head. Larvae of the Australian species H. wattsi and H. australasiae share the presence of a bluntly rounded mandible and an apical position of the primary pore MNd in instar I as potential synapomorphies.

Keywords: Hygrobiidae, Hydradephaga, larvae, morphology, phylogeny, chaetotaxy

Received: May 16, 2003; Revised: January 5, 2004; Accepted: February 12, 2004; Published: June 25, 2004  Show citation

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ALARIE, Y., BEUTEL, R.G., & WATTS, C.H.S. (2004). Larval morphology of three species of Hygrobiidae (Coleoptera: Adephaga: Dytiscoidea) with phylogenetic considerations. EJE, 101(2), 293-311. doi: 10.14411/eje.2004.039
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