Date of Award

5-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Plant and Environmental Science

Committee Chair/Advisor

Michael S. Caterino

Committee Member

Peter Adler

Committee Member

Antonio Baeza

Committee Member

David Maddison

Abstract

The shallow subterranean habitats (SSHs) of the eastern United States are reviewed, along with the associated ground beetles (Carabidae). Leaf litter, deep soil, fractured rock layers, and terrestrial epikarst are the predominant SSHs inhabited by Carabidae in the region. The long enigmatic genus Horologion is found, through study of morphology and DNA sequence data, to represent a paleoendemic lineage distributed only in West Virginia and Virginia; the likely sister to Horologion is the Gondwanan tribe Bembidarenini. A new species, Horologion hubbardi sp. n., is described from several individuals collected in or near drip pools in caves; the beetles probably inhabit terrestrial epikarst habitats. The tribe Anillini is the most diverse lineage of Carabidae inhabiting SSHs in the region, with 70 previously described species in two genera. Anillinus species inhabit a wide range of SSH microhabitats, including leaf litter, deep soil, and fractured rock, and exhibit a similarly wide range of associated body forms. The first molecular phylogeny of Appalachian Anillini is presented, based on DNA sequences from six genes. The well-supported topology forms the basis of a new systematic framework for the species, and allows testing of previous phylogenetic hypotheses. Thirteen new species are described and a review of the South Carolina fauna is presented, a unique assemblage in the Appalachian region. The distribution of clades recovered in the molecular phylogeny indicate a complex biogeographic history of dispersal, paleoendemism, local extinction, and recolonization.

Author ORCID Identifier

0000-0002-5226-8725

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