PHYLOGENY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY OF EUR YME TOPUM BLANCHARD, 1844 (COLEOPTERA: CLERIDAE: PHYLLOBAENINAE)

Abstract

A phylogenetic analysis of a genus of Chilean Cleridae (Coleóptera) is carríed on in this paper, following
the principies poslulaled by W. Hennig (1968) and later authors. The relationships of Eurymetopum to
other austral Phyllobaeninae genera (Lemidia, Isolemidia, Parmius and Paupris, which conform the external
group), are discussed.
The recognition of apomorphic characters makes possible to formúlate phylogenetic propositions
for the different species, which are shown in four cladograms: one for species not assigned to groups,
but which inelude the ancestors of them, and the rest of three cladograms are for each of the groups.
In all involved cases a description and a discussion of the divergence of species, the monophyly of
sister groups justified by synapomorphies and the phenomena of convergence and paralelism
(homoplasia) or regression that might show, are duly treated looking for a parsimonious explanation.
From a biogeographic viewpoint the concepts and methods of vicariance are applied in order to
interpret the distribution of the species of the groups.
After recognizing the areas of endemism, area cladograms for each species group were prepared,
which were then compared looking for congruence zones, later shown in the reduced area cladogram.
A theoretical sequence of vicariant events is made and related to geographic and climatic phenomena
experienced in the area. The importance of the pleistocene glacial phenomena in the differenciation of
the biota is recognized. The influence of dispersión in the modification of the original allopatric
distribution pattern which brings to the present configuraron of the distribution of the species, is also
discussed.