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| Özgül-Siemund, A.; Ahrens, D.. |
| Female genitalia are widely underrepresented in taxonomic studies. Here we investigate the morphological variation among female copulation organs for a group of scarab beetles (Sericini) with similar ecology, external morphology and copulation mechanics. We examined traits qualitatively and quantitatively based on 80 and 18 species (genus Pleophylla), respectively. Additionally we explored whether female genitalia are affected by asymmetry. The vast diversity of slerotised structures including their shapes illustrated the high taxonomic and phylogenetic utility of female genitalia in this group. The morphometric analysis of Pleophylla, confirmed that sclerotisations in the ductus bursae are very suitable for species-level taxonomic purposes. Stable... |
| Tipo: Article / Letter to the editor |
Palavras-chave: Beetles; Female genitalia; Integrative taxonomy; Melolonthinae; Morphology; 42.75; 42.64; 42.62. |
| Ano: 2015 |
URL: http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/record/579124 |
