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b'The attelabid genus Euops SCHOENHERR is demonstrated to constitute a monophyletic group\\nbased on the following synapomorphies: 1) mycetangia of the female for storage of fungus\\nspores consisting of three different reservoirs and associated setose structures, 2) a patch of\\nmodified setae of the female venter, usually associated with exocrinous glands, 3) enlarged\\neyes. Systematics, evolutionary history and biology of Curculionoidea and Attelabidae are\\nsummarized.\\nThe "Papuan region" is treated herein as comprising the provinces of Maluku and\\nIrian Jaya of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. A summary of the\\nnatural history of this region is given. Approximately two years were spent in the field to\\nsupplement the sparse material available from museum collections for this study.\\nSelected, monophyletic species groups of Euops are treated in a monographic way:\\nthe spinosus-group (ten species described as new), the pygmaeus-group (one species\\nredescribed, 13 species described as new), the quadrifasciculatus-group (four species\\nredescribed, six species described as new), the simulans-group (three species redescribed,\\n19 species described as new), and the subgenus Neosynaptops (two species redescribed,\\nseven species described as new). These monographs are attached to the present summary\\nas appendices.\\nNew standards are proposed for taxonomic descriptions of Euops species: the\\ntransfer apparatus of the male genitalia proved to be of critical importance for the diagnosis\\nof species. Other characters of male and female genitalia, of the mouthparts, the metanotum,\\nand the proventriculus are useful in phylogenetic reconstruction and in the diagnosis of\\nspecies groups. These and other characters are described for the first time. Methods for their\\nappropriate preparation and examination by SEM and light microscopy are proposed.\\nThe literature published on Euops is reviewed and a bibliography is given. At the\\ncommencement of this study (1998), 134 species and 10 subspecies of Euops were\\nrecognized as valid worldwide. A synopsis of Papuan Euops is given. Before the\\ncommencement of this study 24 valid species of Papuan Euops, based on inadequate\\ndescriptions, were known to science. These are redescribed to meet the new standards.\\nWhere necessary, lectotypes are designated. One species (E. picipes VOSS) is placed into\\nsynonymy. One subspecific name (Euops femoralis f. ruficornis Voss) is elevated to species\\nlevel. 52 species are added by formal descriptions. At present (2002), 76 described species\\nare reported for the Papuan region, constituting 40 % of the world fauna (189 described\\nspecies). Another 108 undescribed species from the Papuan region are listed. These could\\nnot be described herein but they will be so in later publications. Thus, at present 184 Euops\\nspecies are known from the Papuan region constituting 58 % of the world fauna (320\\nascertained species).\\nCladistic analyses are performed for each of the monographed species groups. An\\noverall analysis is done using selected species. Five other genera of Attelabidae were\\nincluded as outgroup representatives. The monophyly of the recognized species groups of\\nEuops was confirmed except for the simulans-group which is difficult to define at its base. A\\nclade comprising Apoderus, Lamprolabus and Euscelophilus is supported mainly by derived\\ncharacters of the prementum, plesiomorphic in Attelabus and in Euops. It is predicted that\\nthe rank of the "Apoderinae" will have to be downgraded after a phylogenetic analysis of the\\nAttelabidae.\\nThe worldwide distribution of Euops is a paleotropical one. This could reflect an\\nancient Gondwanic pattern or a more recent one through rapid dispersal. Evidence for and\\nagainst each hypothesis is discussed. Within the Papuan region most species groups of\\nEuops are strictly confined to the area of the Sahul shelf. Off-shore islands, such as Maluku\\nor the Solomons, have a depauperate fauna. The areas of endemism observed are usually\\nnot compatible with geological terrains. Rapid dispersal overland is postulated. The\\nPhilippines and Sulawesi adjoining to the West have a speciose but uniform fauna, belonging\\nexclusively to the subgenus Suniops. The fauna of Maluku consists of equal parts of Suniops\\nspecies arrived from the west and of other species of Papuan Euops groups from the east.\\nThere is little overlap between the Papuan fauna of Euops and a moderately rich Australian\\none. The origins of the highly secluded Papuan fauna of Euops remain obscure.\\nAlthough Euops occupies an altitudinal range from sea level to 3535 m, there is a\\nmaximum of diversity between 700 m and 800 m altitude. Diversity remains at a high level to\\nan altitude of 1600 m or further, with an increase in the endemism of species. This pattern is\\ndifferent from groups such as birds and ants, whose diversity decreases evenly along an\\naltitudinal gradient. It is suggested that this fact should be considered in priority assessments\\nfor conservation measures.\\nA table of the association with host plants is given. Species of the pygmaeus-group\\nare reported to feed exclusively on the fresh leaf flush of Nothofagus. Species of its\\npresumed adelphotaxon, the quadrifasciculatus-group, are recorded from Myrtaceae. Such a\\npattern is unusual among phytophagous insects and different scenarios for a host switch are\\ndiscussed.\\nPreliminary data on the association with fungi are provided. Fungi isolated from the\\nmycetangia of different Euops species exhibit different mycological characters (e.g.\\ncoloration) and presumably belong to different species. They all belong to the genus\\nPenicillium. It was found that spores obtained from the mycetangia can be stored for\\nextended periods in sterilized water. Future studies should make use of this fact to export\\nfungus samples and to cultivate them under more favourable laboratory conditions than\\nusually available in tropical countries.\\nA trend curve of the discovery of Euops species in the Papuan region is discussed. It\\nreveals that the saturation phase is not yet reached. It is estimated that the area studied\\nharbours at least 300 species of Euops, making it the most diverse region for this genus in\\nthe world.'