Date of Award

12-2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Legacy Department

Entomology

Committee Chair/Advisor

Morse, John C

Committee Member

Adler , Peter H

Committee Member

Gelhaus , Jon K

Committee Member

Turnbull , Matthew W

Abstract

The East Palearctic genus Apatania Kolenati includes 34 species. Thirty-two of these have been described as adults and the other 2 are known only in the larval life stage. Immature stages of most species are not yet known.
A morphological study of these species suggested that 2 of the nominal species are synonyms of other species, reducing the number of valid East Palearctic Apatania species to 30. A phylogeny and classification of the reviewed 30 species is provided for this work. My work does not support Schmid's (1953) groupings of Apatania species. Although recognition of homologues was problematic among the highly diverse genitalia, I was able to infer new monophyletic groups among the East Paleartic species. Eight new species groups (the Apatania tsudai, A. momoyaensis, A. zonella, A. copiosa, A. chokaiensis, A. parvula, A. stigmatella and A. siniaevi Groups) and 5 species incertae sedis are recognized.
Examination of adult males and females resulted in 2 subjective synonyms; Apatania crassa Schmid, 1953, is junior synonym of A. parvula Martynov, 1935; and A. doehleri Schmid, 1954, is junior synonym of A. majuscula McLachlan, 1872.
Keys are provided for identifcation of the 30 valid species based on male and female genitalia. Intraspecific variations also are illustrated.
This is the first comprehensive phylogenetic review of East Palearctic Apatania species and conflicting and supporting evidence for homologies of genitalic structures is considered.

Included in

Entomology Commons

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