A second locality for the Namib darkling beetle Onymacris brainei (Tenebrionidae , Coleoptera) and first report on its molecular phylogenetic placement

Onymacris brainei Penrith , 1984 - the most recent species of Onymacris to be described - is known only from its type locality in the Namib Desert , adjacent to the Cunene River in northern Namibia. No additional specimens are known to have been collected beyond the type series. Herein , we report on eight specimens discovered at a second site near the original locality. DNA from four beetles was used to determine the phylogenetic placement of O. brainei among congeners , based on sequence data from one nuclear (histone III) and two mitochondrial (cox1 , cox2) genes. Maximum likelihood analysis identifies O. brainei as a member of the 'white' Onymacris clade , in which it forms a strongly supported subclade with O. bicolor and O. marginipennis. More broadly , its phylogenetic placement augments previous molecular results that revealed a sister taxon relationship between the 'white' Onymacris and a second genus , Physadesmia. The paraphyly of Onymacris with respect to Physadesmia highlights a need for nomenclatural change , but revision should await acquisition of genetic data for the few species outstanding in both genera