Abstract
A new genus and species of Stereomerini, Cheleion malayanum gen. n. and sp. n., are described based on a single specimen from the Malacca peninsula in Malaysia. It is the first stereomerine found on the mainland of the Asian continent. A key to genera of Stereomerini and a phylogenetic estimate of the stereomerines using 24 species representing 7 tribes of Aphodiinae based on 53 morphological characters. The phylogenetic analysis places the new species within the tribe Stereomerini as a sister to the monophyletic group including Adebrattia, Austaloxenella, Bruneixenus, Pseudostereomera and Stereomera. A survey is given of the various taxa of Aphodiinae that are termite and/or ant inquilines, or have been presumed to be so based on morphology, and their phylogeny is discussed.
Keywords: termite association, Aphodiinae tribes, synechthran morphology
Cheleion gen. n.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CC1002E4-849C-437A-BAEF-678474600B59
Type species. Cheleion malayanum sp. n., here designated.
Etymology. Genus name after the ancient Greek name for shell; gender is neuter.
Vårdal, H. & Forshage, M. 2010. A new genus and species and a revised phylogeny of Stereomerini (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Aphodiinae), with notes on assumedly termitophilic aphodiines. ZooKeys, 34, 55–76. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.34.264
