Abstract

MANJARRES HERNANDEZ, Elsa Helena  and  MOLANO RENDON, Fredy. Male Genital Parts as Taxonomic Character in Coprophagous Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Ciencia en Desarrollo [online]. 2013, vol.4, n.2, pp.39-47. ISSN 0121-7488.

Scarabaeidae is a family of coprophagous beetles which are important as bioindicators of disturbed areas of different habitats. The taxonomy of the group has been quite elaborated and for most of the groups there are recent revisions, however one of the most interesting patterns in the evolution of animals with internal fertilization is the diversity of the morphology of the male genital organ, besides, the male genitalia has characters where the variation is minor compared to the external morphology. Thus, genitalia analysis helps the separation of closely related species and supraspecific taxonomy, due to genital structures change linearly at a constant speed that the characters derived from external morphology. To address the analysis of male genitalia and its prospects, it is important to collect the works that have been developed on coleopterans, to lay the groundwork for upcoming studies on the male genitalia of these groups

Keywords : Aedeagus; Sclerites; Male genitalia; Parameres; Internal sac; Scarabaeidae.

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