CLADISTIC AND PHENETIC STUDIES OF GENERA OF AFROTROPICAL CRYPTOBIINA (COLEOPTERA STAPHYLINIDAE PAEDERINAE) .1. CLADISTIC APPROACH

The monophyly of Staphylinidae, Paederinae and Cryptobiina is discusse d. Using a cladistic analysis based on 40 exoskeletal characters, a hy pothesis on the phylogeny of genera of Afrotropical Cryptobiina is pro posed. The cladogram clearly shows that these beetles have evolved alo ng three main pathways. Pathway 1 relates to a single genus, Matropium , the representatives of which exhibit many characters in plesiomorphi c state and inhabit soil organic horizons of the Afroalpine zone in Za ire. With regard to pathways 2 and 3, the observation of certain morph ological traits (e.g. the shape of metanotum, the design of mesocoxal cavities) leads to the assumption that genera have developed distinct predation strategies and/or locomotion modalities: on the one hand, th ree strictly forest dwelling genera (Cryptofagiella, Pachyryptum and N itidicryptum) have specialized towards a modality of running down or s talking prey in the rain forest; on the other hand, the eight remainin g genera would have gained the ability either to hunt by flight or to move quickly in connection with an increase of flight performances, he ad mobility and visual acuity. This latter evolutionary pattern appear s to be particularly evident in highly evolved genera like Monocrypta, Afrophitodum and Ophitodum.