Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: ÍTALO SÉRGIO DE OLIVEIRA COSTA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : ÍTALO SÉRGIO DE OLIVEIRA COSTA
DATE: 28/11/2025
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: https://meet.google.com/rjz-gnadbxo
TITLE:

 Morphology, Phylogenetic Position, and Bionomics of Entomobalia Flores and Triplehorn, 2002 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

KEY WORDS:

 Tenebrionidae; Nycteliini; Caatinga; Brazil.

PAGES: 45
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Zoologia
SUBÁREA: Taxonomia dos Grupos Recentes
SUMMARY:

Beetles of the family Tenebrionidae represent one of the most diverse and ecologically significant groups within Coleoptera, with the subfamily Pimeliinae being particularly adapted to arid environments. In South America, the tribe Nycteliini exhibits a high degree of endemism but is represented in Brazil only by the genus Entomobalia Flores & Triplehorn, 2002, which comprises two species restricted to the Caatinga: E. picta (Perty,1830) and E. platynota (Perty, 1830). This study aimed to expand the knowledge about the genus through morphological, ecological, and phylogenetic analyses. The results revealed that both species are nocturnal and detritivorous, exhibiting adaptive water-harvesting behavior typical of semi-arid environments. Detailed morphological revision identified diagnostic characters to be expanded and intraspecific variations, while phylogenetic analysis confirmed the inclusion of Entomobalia within Nycteliini, highlighting its autapomorphies and probable evolutionary isolation. These findings extend the known distribution of the genus and contribute to understanding the diversification and adaptation processes of Tenebrionidae in South American arid ecosystems, while also emphasizing the importance of the Caatinga as an area of endemism and an evolutionary refuge.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 3152261 - ANAMARIA DAL MOLIN
Externo à Instituição - SERGIO ZUCATELI ALOQUIO JUNIOR - UFV
Externo à Instituição - PAULO ROBERTO MARINHO DUARTE - UFMT