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\r\nfrom its type locality in the Namib Desert, adjacent to the Cunene River in northern Namibia. No additional\r\nspecimens are known to have been collected beyond the type series. Herein, we report on eight specimens\r\ndiscovered at a second site near the original locality. DNA from four beetles was used to determine\r\nthe phylogenetic placement of O. brainei among congeners, based on sequence data from one nuclear\r\n(histone III) and two mitochondrial (cox1, cox2) genes. Maximum likelihood analysis identifies O. brainei\r\nas a member of the ‘white’ Onymacris clade, in which it forms a strongly supported subclade with O. bicolor\r\nand O. marginipennis. More broadly, its phylogenetic placement augments previous molecular results\r\nthat revealed a sister taxon relationship between the ‘white’ Onymacris and a second genus, Physadesmia.\r\nThe 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