Phylogenetic systematics of the Cerylonid Series of Cucujoidea (Coleoptera)

We conduct a large-scale phylogenetic investigation of the Cerylonid Series (C.S.) of Cucujoidea, a diverse group of cucujoid beetles comprising 9,600 species classified in eight families, using morphological data (76 taxa 147 adult and larval characters), molecular data (341 taxa 9 genes: 18S, 28S, H3, 12S, 16S, COI, COII, CAD and ArgK) and a combination of the two datasets.In total, our analyses suggest the following: the C.S. is a monophyletic group based on both morphological and molecular evidence; the superfamily Cucujoidea is paraphyletic with respect to the remaining superfamilies in the series Cucujiformia; the C.S. represents a unique clade within Cucujiformia and should be recognized as its own supferfamily, Coccinelloidea, within the series; Byturidae and Biphyllidae should be transferred to Cleroidea; the C.S. families Corylophidae, Coccinellidae, Latridiidae, and Discolomatidae, are monophyletic; Cerylonidae, Endomychidae, and Bothrideridae are paraphyletic. Bothrideridae is split into two distinct families comprising the former Bothriderinae (as Bothrideridae) and the other including the remaining subfamilies (as Teredidae); the cerylonid subfamily Euxestinae is included within Teredidae; the new concept of Cerylonidae includes the following subfamilies: Ceryloninae, Ostomopsinae, Murmidiinae, Discolomatinae and Loeblioryloninae (inserte sedis); the status of the putative new C.S. family, Akalyptoischiidae, is uncertain; the endomychid subfamily Anamorphinae is elevated to familial status, as Anamorphidae.