Evolution of Asian ‘lowland’ taxa in relation to the Alpine–Himalayan Tertiary orogenic belt – Insight from a cladistic analysis of Maladera (Cycloserica) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Sericini)

Among the south Asian Sericini only a very few endemic monophyletic lineages developed in the lowland areas, such as the taxa belonging to Maladera (subgenus Cycloserica). Twenty species of Sericini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) representing the principal lineages of Maladera occurring in the Palearctic region were included in a parsimony analysis based on 37 morphological characters. Maladera (Cycloserica) was found be monophyletic, composed by a clade comprising (Maladera caspia (Cycloserica excisipes, Leucoserica arenicola)) being distributed in the Middle Asian lowlands and its sister group the Maladera quinquidens-group with four endemic species in the Himalayan and North Indian lowlands. The ranges of these two clades as well as of the sister group of Cycloserica reveal a separating effect by the uplifted Himalayan–Alpine belt. It is hypothesized that these two Cycloserica lineages existed before they dispersed into the two separated areas, the northern Indian subcontinent (Himalayas) and the Middle Asian lowland. Due to the sister group relationship of Cycloserica and Leucoserica, both nested deeply within the species of Maladera, it seems reasonable to consider both synonymous with Maladera. Based on this conclusion one new combination is necessary, Maladera (Cycloserica) arenicola, and Leucoserica Reitter, 1896, is placed in synonymy with Cycloserica Reitter, 1896).