Relações filogenéticas de Pseudostigmatidae (Odonata, Zygoptera) e taxonomia de Mecistogaster Rambur, 1842 e Platystigma Kennedy, 1920

Abstract

Pseudostigmatidae has received taxonomic attention in recent years, but there is still a need to better understand its phylogenetic position and whether it is a natural group. Furthermore, so far there is no phylogenetic hypothesis that reflects the diversity found in this family. In order to test the phylogenetic position of Pseudostigmatidae, as well as to reconstruct the relationships between the genera and species of this family, phylogenetic studies were carried out with morphological, molecular and combined morphological and molecular data. For that, the study presented a larger sampling of its internal lineages, addition of new morphological characters and reinterpretation of characters used in previous studies. The positioning of Pseudostigmatidae and the intergeneric and interspecific phylogenetic relationships of this family were inferred through Maximum Parsimony analysis with equal and implicit weighing, and through Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood analyses. In the analyses to infer the position of Pseudostigmatidae, the family was diphyletic, and becomes monophyletic with the transference of Coryphagrion grandis to Coenagrionidae. The results of analyses with morphological data with implicit weighing and with molecular data to verify the relationships between genera and species of Pseudostigmatidae present evidence for the monophyly of Platystigma. Molecular data were essential to complement the elucidation of the phylogenetic relationship between the genera, although the relationship between the species of some genera remains unclear. Therefore, the inclusion of non-sampled species and other genes is suggested for a better definition of hypotheses of the relationship between species, especially Mecistogaster and Platystigma. Additionally, a taxonomic study of the species of these two genera of Pseudostigmatidae was carried out as there are species and subspecies with poorly defined taxonomic status, incompletely described and based on characters that are variable. The study resulted in the redescription of males of Mecistogaster linearis, M. ornata, Platystigma buckleyi and P. jocaste, and in the development of an updated taxonomic key of Mecistogaster with photographs of the main characters. Furthermore, the synonymy of Mecistogaster kesselringi, M. nordestina and M. mielkei with M. amalia is suggested, as well as of Platystigma humaita and P. quadratum with P. buckleyi.