A phylogenetic analysis based on morphology reveals the placement of Lycomesus Zaragoza-Caballero & González-Ramírez, 2019 and Lyconotus Green, 1949 within Lycini (Coleoptera: Lycidae), with the description of a new genus from North America

The placement of Lycomesus Zaragoza-Caballero & González-Ramírez, 2019 and Lyconotus Green, 1949 remains uncertain. In order to elucidate the phylogenetic position of these genera within the North American genera and to propose morphological characters that support them, we conducted phylogenetic analyses using parsimony and model-based approaches. Our morphology-based dataset included 91 adult characters from representatives of five genera and 33 species of the Lycini genera of the New and Old Worlds.

We propose a new classification of the North American Lycini, consistent with the phylogenetic hypotheses. This includes the following taxa: Lycomesus Zaragoza-Caballero & González-Ramírez, 2019, Lyconotus Green, 1949 stat. rev., Lycorectus González-Ramírez & Zaragoza-Caballero gen. nov., Neolycus Bourgeois, 1883 and Rhyncheros LeConte, 1881. Additionally, we provide a key and diagnoses for all North American Lycini genera, as well as the morphological characters of males and females that define these genera.

Our results indicate the necessity for a phylogenetic analysis that incorporates South American Lycini. This will enable a more precise generic classification of American Lycini.