Morphology-Based Phylogeny of the Genus Ceracis Mellié (Coleoptera: Ciidae), with Descriptions of Seven New Genera and Twelve New Species from the Neotropical Region

We tested the monophyly of Ceracis Mellié, 1849 based on a phylogenetic analysis of morphological characters. Ceracis was confirmed to be polyphyletic, with the furcifer-group and several Ceracis-like lineages recognized as separate clades. We describe seven new genera: Abebaeocis gen. nov., Alcecis gen. nov., Anartioscelos gen. nov., Atomocis gen. nov., Gyraleosomus gen. nov., Insolitocis gen. nov., and Lipedanicis gen. nov.; and twelve new species: Abebaeocis phiaronotus sp. nov., Anartioscelos aptenus sp. nov., Anartioscelos involucris sp. nov., Anartioscelos lawrencei sp. nov., Atomocis carinatus sp. nov., Atomocis melanus sp. nov., Gyraleosomus boliviensis sp. nov., Insolitocis panamensis sp. nov., Lipedanicis adelphus sp. nov., Lipedanicis agastor sp. nov., Lipedanicis epamphoterus sp. nov. and Lipedanicis geminus sp. nov. The following new combinations are proposed, based on species excluded from Ceracis: Abebaeocis taurulus (Jacquelin-Duval, 1857) comb. nov., Alcecis particularis (Pic, 1922) comb. nov., Anartioscelos bifurcus (Gorham, 1898) comb. nov., and Anartioscelos laticornis (Pic, 1922) comb. nov. Anartioscelos hoseri (Makhan, Saeizad et Hawkeswood, 2013) comb. nov. is proposed for a species currently placed in Falsocis Pic, 1916. Lectotypes are designated for Ceracis bifurcus Gorham, 1898, Ceracis bison Reitter, 1878, Ceracis laticornis Pic, 1922, Ceracis particularis Pic, 1922 and Ennearthron taurulus Jacquelin-Duval, 1857. We redescribe species and provide identification keys when necessary, and discuss the morphological affinities of the new genera within Ciidae.