Description of a new genus and species of Cerophytidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) from Africa with a cladistic analysis of the family.

The family Cerophytidae is revised to include Afrocerophytum vix gen. nov. and sp. nov., from the tropical rainforest of western Africa. Afrocerophytum and A. vix (type locality: Ivory Coast, Tai Region, neighborhood of Gouleako village) are described and illustrated. A key to the Cerophytidae genera is provided. The new genus is distinguished by four autapomorphies: anterior edge of phallobase rounded and not emarginate, base of tergite IX not fused at middle with the base of sternite IX, basal region of penis weakly constricted, and coxites divided into proximal and distal lobes. A cladistic analysis was conducted including all 22 species of known Cerophytidae and using representatives of the families Eucnemidae, Throscidae, Brachypsectridae and Elateridae as outgroups. The strict consensus cladogram produced from the resulting eighteen most parsimonious trees is (Cerophytum (Afrocerophytum (Brachycerophytum, Phytocerum))). Cerophytum, the Holarctic clade, is the sister group of the Gondwanian clade (Afrocerophytum (Brachycerophytum, Phytocerum)); the Ethiopian clade Afrocerophytum is the sister group of the Neotropical clade (Brachycerophytum, Phytocerum).