蛾蛉类昆虫化石研究进展

蛾蛉类昆虫是脉翅目中化石记录最完整的的类群之一,现生类群蛾蛉、美蛉和山蛉统称为蛾蛉科,但是现生类群与化石类群分类标准的不一致性,为蛾蛉类昆虫化石研究带来较大的困难。本文统计了世界已发现的蛾蛉类昆虫化石属种名录,介绍了蛾蛉类昆虫化石研究历史、地质年代及地理分布、系统发育研究进程,并提出了现今有待解决的问题以及对未来研究的展望。     

鸣螽科(直翅目：螽亚目)昆虫研究历史与进展

鸣螽科Prophalangopsidae昆虫作为螽亚目少有的孑遗类群,对认识螽亚目系统发育和演化具有重要意义。本文综述鸣螽科的研究历史;考证并提出鸣螽科及相关类群的中文名;详述鸣螽科昆虫形态特征与生物学特性;介绍近年鸣螽科包括化石与现生属种的分类学及系统发育学研究进展,并讨论其存在的问题及对未来的展望。     

关于停止使用"同翅目Homoptera" 目名的建议

长期以来,在我国昆虫学界,“同翅目Homoptera”和半翅目Hemiptera一直被作为2个并列的昆虫目被广泛使用。传统的“同翅目”被分为3亚目10总科,即鞘喙亚目Coleorrhyncha(包括膜翅蝽总科Peloridioidea)、胸喙亚目Stemorrhyncha(包括木虱总科Psylloidea、粉虱总科Aleyrodoidea、蚧总科Coccoidea和蚜总科Aphidoidea)和头喙亚目Auchenorrhyncha[包括蜡蝉子亚目Fulgoromorpha(包括蜡蝉总科Fulgoroidea)和蝉子亚目Cicadomorpha(包括蝉总科Cicadoidea、沫蝉总科Cercopoidea、叶蝉总科Cicadelloidea和角蝉总科Membracoidea)]。近年来,形态学及分子学特征数据的支序分析研究表明,木虱总科、粉虱总科、蚧总科、蚜总科、蜡蝉总科、蝉总科、沫蝉总科、角蝉总科都是单系群;鞘喙亚目、胸喙亚目、蝉子亚目及蜡蝉子亚目也都是单系群,其相互之间的系统发育关系为：胸喙亚目 (蝉子亚目 (蜡蝉子亚目 (鞘喙亚目 异翅亚目(蝽类)))),它们共同组成了单系的半翅目Hemiptera。系统发育分析表明,在半翅目中,鞘喙亚目与异翅亚目具有最近的亲缘关系,蜡蝉子亚目与鞘喙亚目 异翅亚目是姊妹群,蝉子亚目是蜡蝉子亚目 (鞘喙亚目 异翅亚目)的姐妹群,胸喙亚目是半翅目中最早和最原始的一个分枝。因此传统的“同翅目”并不是一个自然的单系类群,而是一个人为的并系类群。目前,在国际昆虫学界,“同翅目”作为一个人为的并系类群已得到公认和普遍接受,并已不再作为昆虫纲的一个有效目被使用。然而,“同翅目”作为昆虫纲的一个有效目在国内一直被广泛使用,为此,作者建议我国的昆虫学工作者今后应停止使用“同翅目”这一人为的并系目名而使用单系的半翅目目名,即将长期以来一直置于“同翅目”的木虱、粉虱、蚧虫、蚜虫、蝉、沫蝉、叶蝉、角蝉及蜡蝉类昆虫与蝽类昆虫一起作为半翅目的成员对待。     

Hox基因与昆虫翅的特化

自从1978年E.B. Lewis描述了著名的果蝇双胸突变体（bithorax）以来,大量的比较发育遗传学研究为我们揭示了形态进化的遗传基础,从而使形态进化研究进入了一个新的时代。同时,Hox基因的研究也成为这一领域的焦点。本文综述了昆虫翅的起源及其特化类群翅的发育遗传学研究的最新进展。一般认为,原始的有翅昆虫胸腹部多附肢（包括翅）; 之后不同的体节受到了不同Hox的抑制,形成两对翅以及前后翅的分化; Ubx的不同表达导致了前后翅的分化,并且Ubx负责识别后翅。我们选择翅特化最为显著的3个类群——鞘翅目（T2鞘翅）、双翅目（T3平衡棒）和捻翅目（T2平衡棒）,结合Hox的表达情况讨论了翅的特化机理。目前已知双翅目和鞘翅目的翅的控制模式存在巨大差异,两种模式的比较研究对于理解翅的形态进化具有重要的意义。但是对捻翅目昆虫的研究则很少。     

鞘翅目高级阶元分子系统学： 研究现状及存在的问题

鞘翅目是世界上物种最丰富的类群, 分为原鞘亚目（Archostemata Kolbe, 1908）、 藻食亚目（Myxophaga Crowson, 1955）、 肉食亚目（Adephaga Schellenberg, 1806）和多食亚目（Polyphaga Emery, 1886）。随着分子生物学的发展,分子系统学的技术被广泛应用于鞘翅目系统学研究中。本文综述了鞘翅目高级阶元的分子系统学的研究进展及存在问题。基于分子生物学手段, 分子分类学家提出了关于鞘翅目高级阶元分子系统学很多假说, 分子分析结果支持鞘翅目的4个亚目各为单系, 而亚目间的系统关系还不统一。基于分子手段对于亚目内的系统发育关系的研究也有了一定的进展, 比如： 分子系统学结果支持肉食亚目的水生类群和陆生类群分别为单系, 水生类群为一次起源。目前, 鞘翅目高级阶元分子系统学的研究还不够成熟和完善, 主要表现为： 材料选择有限且不均衡、 基因数目和适合度不理想, 以及一些关键节点研究的欠缺。     

美丽花网翅虻Florinemestrius pulcherrimus Ren

本期封面化石照片为美丽花网翅虻Florinemestrius pulcherrimusRen,1998,隶属于双翅目短角亚目网翅虻科,采自中国辽宁省北票市晚侏罗世义县组地层。虫体保存十分完整,不仅翅脉、足、腹部清晰可见,口器以及虫体的细毛均保存良好。在辽西义县地层中还有大量该科的化石,分别归于2属3种。照片中的F.pulcherrimus拥有较短的长喙,另一种Protonemestrius jurassicus的喙近体长一半。现生的网翅虻是主要的访花昆虫,一些种类以花蜜和花汁为食。综合分析这批化石虻类的长喙、体毛以及与现生类群的比较,作者认为这些生活在晚侏罗纪的喜花虻类很可能利…     

世界鞘翅目2020年新分类单元

鞘翅目昆虫是陆地上最大的生物类群, 具有极为丰富的物种多样性和形态多样性, 在陆地生态系统中发挥着重要作用, 与人类社会生产密不可分。定期对世界鞘翅目新分类单元进行汇总整理, 有助于更好地了解鞘翅目多样性的发展动态, 从而促进对生态系统结构与功能的了解以及鞘翅目昆虫资源的开发与保护。本文对2020年发表的世界鞘翅目分类学文献进行了系统地整理与分析。结果表明, 2020年共发表世界鞘翅目新分类单元3,228个(含化石种类), 包括1个新科5个新亚科13个新族218个新属18个新亚属2,973个新种; 提出了1,319个新组合610个新异名49个降级的分类单元及61个升级的分类单元。重点研究的类群包括隐翅虫科(Staphylinidae)、步甲科(Carabidae)、象甲科(Curculionidae)、天牛科(Cerambycidae)等。世界鞘翅目昆虫新物种模式标本产地涉及118个国家和地区, 大部分新物种分布于中国、巴西、墨西哥、厄瓜多尔、印度尼西亚、澳大利亚和越南。收录世界鞘翅目昆虫新发表种的论文/专著共995篇/部, 涉及期刊或出版社141个。2020年, 世界鞘翅目分类学取得了显著进展, 但同时也暴露了新种发现速度略慢于1978-2000年的平均速度以及地区和类群研究力度不均衡的问题, 未来仍需加大投入, 探寻更加高效准确的方法, 以期实现对全球生物多样性的全面评估和保护。     

鞭蝽次目分类学研究进展

鞭蝽次目是异翅亚目(蝽类昆虫)的7个次目之一,由于其体型微小、颜色暗淡、生活习性隐秘等特点,导致其成为蝽类昆虫中目前研究最少、资料最不详尽的类群。该类群在异翅亚目中处在近基部的位置,对于研究异翅亚目的系统发育关系具有重要作用。本文简述了鞭蝽次目的分类学研究历史,回顾了世界及中国的研究概况,并且从经典分类学、比较形态学以及分子系统学等方面对鞭蝽次目最新的研究进展进行综述,简要讨论了目前研究中存在的问题和研究前景。     

常用核基因序列在双翅目昆虫系统学中的研究进展

双翅目昆虫分为长角亚目和短角亚目,前者主要类群包括蚊、蠓、蛉和蚋,后者主要类群为虻类和蝇类。国内外学者对双翅目昆虫形态分类和分子系统发育关系研究均较多。本文整理总结了几种主要核基因在双翅目昆虫进化和系统发育关系的研究资料,结果显示:双翅目的单系性得到了众多形态学、生物学和分子数据的支持,多数系统发育研究认为传统的长角亚目为并系,短角亚目是一个单系,其主要类群舞虻下目、环裂类、有缝组和有瓣蝇类均为单系,但非环裂类、无缝组为并系,无瓣类可能为并系;基本搞清了有重要医学意义和与环境关系密切的类群,特别是有瓣蝇类各科类群分类系统的进化关系;双翅目昆虫发生辐射进化的三个分支节点时间即:低等双翅目(蚊类)2.2亿年、低等短角亚目(虻类)1.8亿年、有缝组(蝇类)6500万年;大量双翅目昆虫自然生命史历经吸血性、植食性和寄生性,有2.6亿年以上的演化历程。从相关核基因研究中总结出:18SrRNA、28SrRNA和CAD基因能很好的解决高级阶元从目到属的系统发育问题;EF-1ɑ基因和White基因更适合从科到属水平的分类阶元;ITS基因一般应用在从属到种水平的低级分类阶元,并被广泛应用到双翅目昆虫分子系统学研究中。     

线粒体DNA序列在半翅目异翅亚目昆虫分子系统学上的应用

随着PCR技术的发展以及大量DNA序列的累积,昆虫分子系统学近年来快速发展。线粒体DNA(mtDNA)序列相对于核内DNA序列进化速率较快,常被用于昆虫的系统发育研究。本文综述了国内外学者利用各种线粒体DNA序列来研究半翅目异翅亚目昆虫系统发育的研究概况。总结发现,COⅠ、COⅡ、12S rDNA、16S rDNA、Cytb、ND1、ND2和ND5等线粒体区段被用于半翅目异翅亚目系统发育的研究,其中以COI、COⅡ、16S rDNA和Cytb应用最广泛,但目前尚缺乏不同分子标记间的联合分析。进一步的研究最好在选定半翅目异翅亚目昆虫的分类阶元(如科间、亚科间、科内属间、种间或种内)后,集中测定线粒体某几个区段的DNA序列,然后进行单一分析和联合分析,并与传统形态学研究结果进行比较,可望全面分析半翅目异翅亚目昆虫的系统发育关系。     

Abundance–body mass relationships among insects along a latitudinal gradient

Abstract We investigated the relationship between abundance and body size (body mass) of 162 insect herbivore species on the host plant Acacia falcata along its entire coastal latitudinal distribution (eastern Australia), spanning a gradient in mean annual temperature of 4.3°C. We extend previous research by assessing these relationships at different spatial scales (latitudes pooled, among latitudes and within latitudes) and at different taxonomic levels (insect phytophages pooled, phytophagous Coleoptera and Hemiptera, and five component suborders/superfamilies). Insect species were collected from two orders (Hemiptera and Coleoptera) and five component suborders/superfamilies. There were no consistent trends in the relationships (linear or polygonal/hump‐shaped) between abundance and body mass when latitudes were pooled, among latitudes, or when phytophagous insect species were separated into their component suborder/superfamily groups. The reason for the lack of consistent trends might be due to the insect herbivores not fully exploiting their host plant and the relative absence of competition among herbivore species for food resources. This is further assessed in relation to the lack of a consistent pattern in species richness of Coleoptera and Hemiptera herbivores from the same dataset and rates of chewing and sap‐sucking herbivory along the same latitudinal gradient. Future studies of abundance–body size relationships are discussed in relation to sampling across environmental gradients and accounting for the influence of host plant identity and insect phylogeny.     

The beetle tree of life reveals that Coleoptera survived end‐Permian mass extinction to diversify during the Cretaceous terrestrial revolution

Here we present a phylogeny of beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) based on DNA sequence data from eight nuclear genes, including six single‐copy nuclear protein‐coding genes, for 367 species representing 172 of 183 extant families. Our results refine existing knowledge of relationships among major groups of beetles. Strepsiptera was confirmed as sister to Coleoptera and each of the suborders of Coleoptera was recovered as monophyletic. Interrelationships among the suborders, namely Polyphaga (Adephaga (Archostemata, Myxophaga)), in our study differ from previous studies. Adephaga comprised two clades corresponding to Hydradephaga and Geadephaga. The series and superfamilies of Polyphaga were mostly monophyletic. The traditional Cucujoidea were recovered in three distantly related clades. Lymexyloidea was recovered within Tenebrionoidea. Several of the series and superfamilies of Polyphaga received moderate to maximal clade support in most analyses, for example Buprestoidea, Chrysomeloidea, Coccinelloidea, Cucujiformia, Curculionoidea, Dascilloidea, Elateroidea, Histeroidea and Hydrophiloidea. However, many of the relationships within Polyphaga lacked compatible resolution under maximum‐likelihood and Bayesian inference, and/or lacked consistently strong nodal support. Overall, we recovered slightly younger estimated divergence times than previous studies for most groups of beetles. The ordinal split between Coleoptera and Strepsiptera was estimated to have occurred in the Early Permian. Crown Coleoptera appeared in the Late Permian, and only one or two lineages survived the end‐Permian mass extinction, with stem group representatives of all four suborders appearing by the end of the Triassic. The basal split in Polyphaga was estimated to have occurred in the Triassic, with the stem groups of most series and superfamilies originating during the Triassic or Jurassic. Most extant families of beetles were estimated to have Cretaceous origins. Overall, Coleoptera experienced an increase in diversification rate compared to the rest of Neuropteroidea. Furthermore, 10 family‐level clades, all in suborder Polyphaga, were identified as having experienced significant increases in diversification rate. These include most beetle species with phytophagous habits, but also several groups not typically or primarily associated with plants. Most of these groups originated in the Cretaceous, which is also when a majority of the most species‐rich beetle families first appeared. An additional 12 clades showed evidence for significant decreases in diversification rate. These clades are species‐poor in the Modern fauna, but collectively exhibit diverse trophic habits. The apparent success of beetles, as measured by species numbers, may result from their associations with widespread and diverse substrates – especially plants, but also including fungi, wood and leaf litter – but what facilitated these associations in the first place or has allowed these associations to flourish likely varies within and between lineages. Our results provide a uniquely well‐resolved temporal and phylogenetic framework for studying patterns of innovation and diversification in Coleoptera, and a foundation for further sampling and resolution of the beetle tree of life.     

Evaluating nuclear protein-coding genes for phylogenetic utility in beetles

Although nuclear protein-coding genes have proven broadly useful for phylogenetic inference, relatively few such genes are regularly employed in studies of Coleoptera, the most diverse insect order. We increase the number of loci available for beetle systematics by developing protocols for three genes previously unused in beetles (alpha-spectrin, RNA polymerase II and topoisomerase I) and by refining protocols for five genes already in use (arginine kinase, CAD, enolase, PEPCK and wingless). We evaluate the phylogenetic performance of each gene in a Bayesian framework against a presumably known test phylogeny. The test phylogeny covers 31 beetle specimens and two outgroup taxa of varying age, including three of the four extant beetle suborders and a denser sampling in Adephaga and in the carabid genus Bembidion. All eight genes perform well for Cenozoic divergences and accurately separate closely related species within Bembidion, but individual genes differ markedly in accuracy over the older Mesozoic and Permian divergences. The concatenated data reconstruct the test phylogeny with high support in both Bayesian and parsimony analyses, indicating that combining data from multiple nuclear loci will be a fruitful approach for assembling the beetle tree of life.     

鞘翅目昆虫线粒体基因组研究进展

鞘翅目（Coleoptera）是世界上最具多样性的类群,具有很高的生态和形态多样性,这些多样性吸引了很多进化生物学家和分类学家的关注。随着分子生物学的发展,分子生物学技术广泛应用于鞘翅目系统学的研究,但随着研究的深入,简单的分子片段已经不能满足研究的需求,需要发掘更新的分子标记。近年来,线粒体全基因组已经成为鞘翅目分子系统学研究中很重要的分子标记之一,并广泛地应用于鞘翅目昆虫各个阶元的研究中。本文就鞘翅目线粒体全基因组的概况、研究进展及存在问题进行了总结和讨论。目前,鞘翅目线粒体基因组的研究主要包括物种线粒体基因组组成与结构、分子系统学和分子进化等方面。线粒体基因组在解决系统发育和进化方面表现出了很多的优越性,然而也存在着一些缺点,如序列难获得、基因类型单一、各基因进化速率不同、应用较局限等。     

Basal relationships of Coleoptera inferred from 18S rDNA sequences

The basal relationships of the hyperdiverse insect order Coleoptera (beetles) have proven difficult to resolve. Examination of beetle suborder relationships using 18S ribosomal DNA reveals a previously unproposed relationship among the four major lineages: [(Archostemata(Myxophaga(Adephaga, Polyphaga)))]. Adding representatives of most other insect orders results in a non-monophyletic Coleoptera. However, constraining Coleoptera and its suborders to be monophyletic, in analyses of beetle and outgroup sequences, also results in the above beetle relationships, with the root placed between Archostemata and the remaining suborders.     

膜翅目精子结构研究新进展

根据观察,膜翅目昆虫精子由顶体,精核,中部,尾部四个主要部分构成。顶体具顶体丝,中部具轴丝,中部与精核间具线粒体衍生物。本文同时对膜翅目,分别隶属12个科,10个总科中的2个亚目昆虫精子的顶体、精核、线粒体衍生物、轴丝等结构的研究状况进行概括,并应用精子结构特征对上述类群的系统发育状况进行讨论。     

Phylogeny of the lice (Insecta, Phthiraptera) inferred from small subunit rRNA

There has been much argument about the phylogenetic relationships of the four suborders of lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera). Lyal's study of the morphology of lice indicated that chewing/biting lice (Mallophaga) are paraphyletic with respect to sucking lice (Anoplura). To test this hypothesis we inferred the phylogeny of 33 species of lice from small subunit (SSU) rRNA sequences (18S rRNA). Liposcelis sp. from the Liposcelididae (Psocoptera) was used for outgroup reference. Phylogenetic relationships among the four suborders of lice inferred from these sequences were the same as those inferred from morphology. The Amblycera is apparently the sister-group to all other lice whereas the Rhynchophthirina is apparently sister to the Anoplura; these two suborders are sister to the Ischnocera, i.e. (Amblycera (Ischnocera (Anoplura, Rhynchophthirina))). Thus, the Mallophaga (Amblycera, Ischnocera, Rhynchophthirina) is apparently paraphyletic with respect to the Anoplura. Our analyses also provide evidence that: (i) each of the three suborders of lice that are well represented in our study (the Amblycera, Ischnocera, and Anoplura) are monophyletic; (ii) the Boopiidae is monophyletic; (iii) the genera Heterodoxus and Latumcephalum (Boopiidae) are more closely related to one another than either is to the genus Boopia (also Boopiidae); (iv) the Ricinidae and Laemobothridae may be sister-taxa; (v) the Philopteridae may be paraphyletic with respect to the Trichodectidae; (vi) the genera Pediculus and Pthirus are more closely related to each other than either is to the genus Pedicinus ; and (vii) in contrast to published data for mitochondrial genes, the rates of nucleotide substitution in the SSU rRNA of lice are not higher than those of other insects, nor do substitution rates in the suborders differ substantially from one another.