Testing the monophyly of the subtribe Deronectina and the phylogenetic position of the Nearctic endemic genus Leconectes Fery & Ribera, 2018 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Hydroporinae) based on larval morphology

We describe the larvae of the monotypic Nearctic endemic diving beetle Leconectes striatellus (LeConte, 1852), including detailed morphometric, chaetotaxic, and porotaxic analyses of the cephalic capsule, head appendages, legs, terminal abdominal segment and urogomphi in order to discover useful characters for distinguishing Leconcetes Fery & Ribera, 2018 larvae from those of other known Deronectina genera i.e., Deuteronectes Guignot, 1945, Deronectes Sharp, 1882, Hornectes Fery & Ribera, 2018, Nectoporus Guignot, 1950, Neonectes J. Balfour-Browne, 1944, Oreodytes Seidlitz, 1887, and Scarodytes Gozis, 1914.

A parsimony analysis based on 75 larval characters was conducted using the program TNT. The main conclusions arising from this analysis are: (1) Deronectina are monophyletic; (2) Deronectes is sister to other Deronectina; (3) Scarodytes and Leconectes are monophyletic and belong to a lineage best adapted for swimming; (4) Nectoporus and Deuteronectes represent two strongly supported monophyletic entities.