Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5828 No. 2: 9 Jun. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-06-09
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5828.2.8
Page range: 333-346
Abstract views: 64
PDF downloaded: 2

Australian Opilonini (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae) part II: description and taxonomy of Megaxestodes gen. nov. and introduction to an informal ‘Zenithicola-complex’ including taxonomic notes and new synonymies

Biosecurity Queensland; Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries; Ecosciences Precinct; GPO Box 267; Brisbane; Queensland; 4001; Australia
Coleoptera Checkered beetles Cleroidea Australia taxonomic review new genus revised status identification key

Abstract

The species constitution and taxonomy of Zenithicola Spinola, 1841 is reviewed, resulting in description of Megaxestodes gen. nov.. for Megaxestodes crassus (Newman, 1840) comb. nov., Megaxestodes funestus (Chevrolat, 1874) comb. nov. and Megaxestodes socius (Chevrolat, 1874) stat. rev., comb. nov., the latter removed from synonymy with M. funestus. Zenithicola cribricollis Pic, 1941 syn. nov. is synonymised with Megaxestodes socius (Chevrolat, 1874) comb. nov., and Clerus obesus White, 1846 syn. nov. removed from synonymy with Megaxestodes crassus and newly synonymised with Megaxestodes funestus. The genera Balcus Sharp, 1877, Mimolesterus Gerstmeier, 1991, Phlogistomorpha Hintz, 1908, Phlogistus Gorham, 1876 and Zenithicola Spinola, 1841 are discussed within the context of a newly defined informal group, the Zenithicola-complex. The taxonomy of several Zenithicola-complex species is revised. New synonymies and combinations include: Aulicus dives Blackburn, 1900 syn. nov. = Phlogistomorpha mastersii (Macleay, 1872); Phlogistus affinis (Gorham, 1876) stat. rev., comb. nov. (removed from synonymy with Phlogistus smaragdinus (Gorham, 1876)); Aulicus corallipes Chevrolat, 1874 syn. nov. = Phlogistus castanipes (Westwood, 1849) stat. rev., comb. nov. (removed from synonymy with Phlogistus instabilis (Newman)); Phlogistus corporaali Pic, 1941 syn. nov. = Phlogistus sculptus (Macleay, 1872); Phlogistus rufimembris Pic, 1941 syn. nov. = Phlogistus niger Hintz, 1908; Phlogistus speciosus Hintz, 1908 syn. nov. = Phlogistus schulzi Hintz, 1908; Aulicus mundus Blackburn, 1900 syn. nov. = Phlogistus viridissimus (Pascoe, 1860) stat. rev., comb. nov. (removed from synonymy with Phlogistus delicatulus (Boheman, 1859)). Xylotretus scrobiculatus Spinola, 1845, hitherto assigned to Zenithicola, is classified as Cleridae incertae sedis. Lectotypes are designated for Clerus obesus White, 1846, Phlogistus remotus Schenkling, 1915, Zenithicola cribricollis Pic, 1941, Zenithicola funestus Chevrolat, 1874 and Zenithicola socius Chevrolat, 1874. Figures of Megaxestodes species and other taxa under discussion are presented.

References

  1. ALA (2026) Atlas of Living Australia website. Available from: https://www.ala.org.au/ (accessed 4 February 2026)
  2. Bartlett, J.S. (2015) New synonymies for Australian Cleridae (Coleoptera). Zootaxa, 4057 (2), 281–287. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4057.2.9
  3. Bartlett, J.S. (2018) Family CLERIDAE Latreille, 1802. Names List for Opilonini Gistel, 1848. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Available from: https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/Opilonini/names (accessed 10 February 2026)
  4. Bartlett, J.S. (2021) A preliminary suprageneric classification for Clerinae (Coleoptera: Cleridae) based on molecular and morphological evidence, including a review of tegminal terminology. Annales Zoologici, 71 (4), 737–766. https://doi.org/10.3161/00034541ANZ2021.71.4.003
  5. Bartlett, J.S. & Lambkin, C.L. (2022) Australian Opilonini (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae) part I: A revised taxonomy for Australian Opilo Latreille including descriptions of new genera and species. Zootaxa (Monograph), 5220 (1), 1–81. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5220.1.1
  6. Blackburn, T. (1891) Further notes on Australian Coleoptera, with descriptions of new genera and species. Part X. Transactions and Proceedings and Report of the Royal Society of South Australia, 14 (2), 292–345.
  7. Blackburn, T. (1892) Coleoptera (Part I). Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 16 (1), 16–61.
  8. Blackburn, T. (1900) Further notes on Australian Coleoptera, with descriptions of new genera and species. Part XXVII. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 24, 113–169.
  9. Bousquet, Y. (2016) Litteratura Coleopterologica (1758–1900): a guide to selected books related to the taxonomy of Coleoptera with publication dates and notes. ZooKeys, 583, 1–776. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.583.7084
  10. Brown, R.W. (1956) Composition of Scientific Words: A manual of methods and a lexicon of materials for the practice of logotechnics. Revised Edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., 900 pp.
  11. Chevrolat, A. (1874) Catalogue des Clérides de la collection de M. A. Chevrolat. Revue et Magasin de Zoologie Pure et Appliquée, Series 3, 2, 252–329.
  12. Clarivate Analytics (2022) Index to Organism Names. World Wide Web electronic resource. Available from: http://www.organismnames.com/ (accessed 3 February 2026)
  13. Clarke, D. (2024) iNaturalist observation. Available from: https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/254267886 (accessed 4 February 2026)
  14. Corporaal, J.B. (1950) Cleridae. In: Hinks, W.D. (Ed.), Coleopterorum Catalogus Supplementa. Pars 23 (Editio secunda). Uitgeverij Dr W. Junk, ‘s-Gravenhague, pp. 1–373.
  15. Edkins, K. (2025) Keith Edkins Nomenclator Generum pages. Available from: https://www.theedkins.co.uk/nomenclator/index.htm (accessed 3 February 2026)
  16. Ekis, G. (1975) Taxonomic and nomenclatural status of clerid taxa described by Massimiliano Spinola (1780–1857) (Coleoptera: Cleridae). Bolletino del Museo di Zoologia dell’ Universita di Torino, 1975 (1), 1–80.
  17. Ekis, G. (1977) Classification, Phylogeny, and Zoogeography of the Genus Perilypus (Coleoptera: Cleridae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, 227, 1–138. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.227
  18. Elston, A.H. (1921) Australian Coleoptera.—Part II. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 45, 143–168.
  19. Gorham, H.S. (1876) Notes on the coleopterous family Cleridae, with descriptions of new genera and species. Cistula Entomologica, 2, 57–106.
  20. Hintz, E. (1908) Das Cleridengenus Phlogistus Gorh. (Col.). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, 1908, 708–715. https://doi.org/10.1002/mmnd.48019080607
  21. ICZN [International Commission For Zoological Nomenclature] (1999) International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. 4th Edition. International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature, London, 306 pp.
  22. iNaturalist (2026) Available from: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 4 February 2026)
  23. Lawrence, J.F., Zhou, Y.-L., Lemann, C., Sinclair, B. & Ślipiński, A. (2021) The hind wing of Coleoptera (Insecta): morphology, nomenclature and phylogenetic significance. Part 1. General discussion and Archostemata-Elateroidea. Annales Zoologici, Warszawa, 71 (3), 421–606. https://doi.org/10.3161/00034541ANZ2021.71.3.001
  24. Lohde, R. (1900) Cleridarum Catalogus. Entomologische Zeitung herausgegeben von dem entomologischen Vereine zu Stettin, 61, 3–148.
  25. Matsuda, R. (1970) Morphology and evolution of the insect thorax. The Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada, 102 (Supplement S76), 5–431. https://doi.org/10.4039/entm10276fv
  26. Maywald, G. (2023) iNaturalist observation. Available from: https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/193974838 (accessed 4 February 2026)
  27. Moore, B.P. (1973) Larvae of Zenithicola crassus (Newman) (Coleoptera: Cleridae) feeding on termites. Australian Entomological Magazine, 1 (4), 48–50.
  28. Opitz, W. (2003) Spermatophores and spermatophore producing internal organs of Cleridae (Coleoptera: Clerinae): Their biological and phylogenetic implications. The Coleopterists Bulletin, 57 (2), 167–190. https://doi.org/10.1649/0010-065X(2003)057[0167:SSPIOO]2.0.CO;2
  29. Pease, C. (2024) iNaturalist observation. Available from: https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/252851304 (accessed 4 February 2026)
  30. Pic, M. (1941) Opuscula martialis II. L’Echange, Revue Linnéenne, Numéro special, 1–16.
  31. Richter, R. (2020) iNaturalist observation. Available from: https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/63868878 (accessed 4 February 2026)
  32. Rosenman, H. (1992) Two Voyages to the South Seas. Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Victoria, xxxvi + 304 pp.
  33. Schenkling, S. (1899) Neue Cleriden des Museums zu Genua nebst Bemerkungen über bereits beschriebene arten. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova, Series 2, 40, 331–346.
  34. Schenkling, S. (1906) Die Cleriden des Deutschen Entomologischen National-Museums, nebst Beschreibungen neuer Arten. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, 1906 (1), 241–320. https://doi.org/10.1002/mmnd.48019060128
  35. Schenkling, S. (1910) Pars 23: Cleridae. In: Schenkling, S. (Ed.), Coleopterorum Catalogus. Vol. X. W. Junk, Berlin, pp. 1–174. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-9697-0
  36. Schenkling, S. (1915) Neue Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Cleriden (Col.) III. Entomologische Mitteilungen, 4 (10/12), 310–322.
  37. Smithsonian Institution Libraries (2006) Sherborn’s Index Animalium—An Electronic Edition by Smithsonian Institution Libraries. Beta Version 2006.01.06. Available from: https://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/IndexAnimalium/ (accessed 3 February 2026)
  38. Spinola, M. (1841) Monographie des Térédiles. Revue Zoologique par La Societé Cuvierienne, 4, 70–76.
  39. Spinola, M. (1845) Essai monographique sur les Clérites. Insectes Coléoptères. Vols. I & II. Imprimerie de fréres Ponthenier, Genes, 419 pp. & 320 pp.
  40. Taylor, K. (2024) iNaturalist observation. Available from: https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/247827357 (accessed 4 February 2026)
  41. Thompson, F. (2022) iNaturalist observation. Available from: https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/141517202 (accessed 4 February 2026)
  42. Wallace, A. (2024) iNaturalist observation. Available from: https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/250429520 (accessed 4 February 2026)
  43. Westwood, J.O. (1853) Descriptions of new species of Cleridae from Asia, Africa and Australia. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 20, 34–55.
  44. White, A. (1849) Nomenclature of coleopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part IV: Cleridae. British Museum, London, iv + 68 pp.

How to Cite

Bartlett, J.S. (2026) Australian Opilonini (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae) part II: description and taxonomy of Megaxestodes gen. nov. and introduction to an informal ‘Zenithicola-complex’ including taxonomic notes and new synonymies. Zootaxa, 5828 (2), 333–346. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5828.2.8