Molecular phylogeny in endemic weevils: revision of the genera of Macaronesian Cryptorhynchinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

A molecular phylogeny and lineage age estimates are presented for the Macaronesian representatives of the weevil subfamily Cryptorhynchinae, using two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and 16S). The Bayesian reconstruction is supplemented by observations on morphology, ecology, and reproductive biology. The present study often corroborates the groups previously outlined in higher‐level informal taxonomies. These and further groups are now assigned new taxonomic status. The following genera and subgenera are described (formerly Acalles): Aeoniacalles gen. nov. , Canariacalles gen. nov. , Ficusacalles gen. nov. , Madeiracalles gen. nov. , Silvacalles gen. nov. (with Tolpiacalles subgen. nov. , Tagasastacalles subgen. nov. ), Sonchiacalles gen. nov. , Echiumacalles gen. nov. (monotypic), Lauriacalles gen. nov. (monotypic), and Pseudodichromacalles gen. nov. (monotypic; formerly Dichromacalles). For the western Palaearctic genus Acalles Schoenherr, 1825 the first subgenus Origoacalles subgen. nov. is described and for the genus Onyxacalles Stüben, 1999 the first subgenus Araneacalles subgen. nov. ; Paratorneuma Roudier 1956 resyn. Except for one species of Acalles (Origoacalles), all of these new higher taxa are endemic to the Macaronesian Islands. All new taxa are presented, together with their host plants and further data, in a synoptic tabular overview. Based on the results of our phylogenetic analysis, we advocate the hypothesis that the evolution of the species in the new genera (of which most group into a ‘Macaronesian clade’) began in the comparatively arid succulent bush zone and that the shady and humid laurel forest of the thermo‐Canarian and thermo‐Madeiran zone was entered much later. Our reconstruction implies that the Canarian and Madeiran archipelagos were colonized by Cryptorhynchinae at least seven times from the continent but saw only one considerable adaptive radiation. It also becomes apparent that it is the ancestor species of the genus Canariacalles– and not Pseudodichromacalles– that features a close connection to the south‐western European and north‐western African species of Dichromacalles s.s. Finally, a key is presented for all genera and subgenera of the Macaronesian Cryptorhynchinae. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 160 , 40–87.     

Historical biogeography of the hyperdiverse hidden snout weevils (Coleoptera,Curculionidae, Cryptorhynchinae)

The first dated phylogeny of the weevil subfamily Cryptorhynchinae is presented within a framework of Curculionoidea. The inferred pattern and timing of weevil family relationships are generally congruent with previous studies, but our data are the first to suggest a highly supported sister-group relationship between Attelabidae and Belidae. Our biogeographical inferences suggest that Cryptorhynchinae s.s. originated in the Late Cretaceous (c. 86 Ma) in South America. Within the ‘Acalles group’ and the ‘Cryptorhynchus group’, several independent dispersal events to the Western Palaearctic via the Nearctic occurred in the Late Cretaceous and Early Paleogene. A second southern route via Antarctica may have facilitated the colonization of Australia in the Late Cretaceous (c. 82 Ma), where a diverse Indo-Australian clade probably emerged c. 73 Ma. In the Early Eocene (c. 50–55 Ma), several clades independently dispersed from Australia to proto-New Guinea, i.e. the tribe Arachnopodini s.l., the ‘Rhynchodes group’ and the genus Trigonopterus. New Zealand was first colonized in the Late Palaeocene (c. 60 Ma). Divergence time estimations and biogeographical reconstructions indicate that the colonization of New Guinea is older than expected from current geological reconstructions of the region.     

Panbiogeographical analysis of the shark genus Rhizoprionodon (Chondrichthyes,Carcharhiniformes, Carcharhinidae)

The distributional patterns of the seven species of Rhizoprionodon were analysed using the panbiogeographical method of track analysis. The individual tracks of Rhizoprionodon suggest that the genus is mainly an Indian–Atlantic Ocean group. Five generalized tracks were found: (1) Caribbean, defined by R. porosus and R. terraenovae; (2) eastern coast of South America, defined by R. porosus and R. lalandei; (3) Indian Ocean, defined by R. acutus and R. oligolinx; (4) north‐western Australia, defined by R. acutus, R. oligolinx and R. taylori; (5) north‐north‐eastern Australia, defined by R. acutus and R. taylori. Only R. longurio was not included in any generalized track, and its distribution is restricted to the eastern Pacific Ocean. Two biogeographical nodes were found at the intersection of the generalized tracks 1 and 2 (Caribbean Sea) and generalized tracks 4 and 5 (north Australia). The generalized tracks overlap with those found in several unrelated marine taxa. Overall, the generalized tracks are associated with warm currents. The biogeographical nodes found (Caribbean and Australian) are coincident with the global distribution of mangroves.     

Contrasting phylogeographic signatures in two Australo‐Papuan bowerbird species complexes (Aves: Ailuroedus)

The Australo‐Papuan catbird genus Ailuroedus has a complex distribution and a contested taxonomy. Here, we integrate phylogenetic analysis of DNA data and morphology to study the group's biogeography and to re‐examine its taxonomy. We couple phylogeographic and abiotic data to examine differences between the major groups defined in our phylogenetic analysis. Our results are consistent with Ailuroedus catbirds being divided into two species complexes, one distributed in humid forests in the lowlands on New Guinea and another in comparably drier and colder forests mainly in mid‐mountains on New Guinea and Australia. Vicariant events during the Pliocene are surmised to have been the major force in shaping the contemporary phylogeographical signature of this genus. Several previously suggested vicariant events, such as fragmentation of xeric forests in Australia and the uplift of the central mountain range on New Guinea, are reinforced as important Pliocene barriers for tropical forest taxa in this region. Interaction between Pleistocene climatic fluctuations and differences in habitat requirements may explain a higher and more recent population structures in the mid‐mountain catbird complex and the lack of representatives from the lowland clade in the comparably drier Australia. Phylogeographical patterns in both catbird complexes, respectively, both comply and deviate from other lowland and mid‐mountain taxa in the region. This highlights that taxon‐specific properties, such as their historical spatial and ecological distributions, capacity to disperse and tolerance to habitat changes, affect the phylogeographical histories of organisms. Within both species complexes, the genetic differentiation between several geographically isolated populations was found to exceed those commonly observed for avian sister species. As these genetically distinct taxa also were found to be morphological diagnosable, we suggest a revised classification of the genus Ailuroedus, where we recognize three species within the lowland complex and seven species within the mid‐mountain complex.     

Molecular phylogenetics of Vanda and related genera (Orchidaceae)

The genus Vanda and its affiliated taxa are a diverse group of horticulturally important species of orchids occurring mainly in South‐East Asia, for which generic limits are poorly defined. Here, we present a molecular study using sequence data from three plastid DNA regions. It is shown that Vanda s.l. forms a clade containing approximately 73 species, including the previously accepted genera Ascocentrum, Euanthe, Christensonia, Neofinetia and Trudelia, and the species Aerides flabellata. Resolution of the phylogenetic relationships of species in Vanda s.l. is relatively poor, but existing morphological classifications for Vanda are incongruent with the results produced. Some novel species relationships are revealed, and a new morphological sectional classification is proposed based on support for these groupings and corresponding morphological characters shared by taxa and their geographical distributions. The putative occurrence of multiple pollination syndromes in this group of taxa, combined with complex biogeographical history of the South‐East Asian region, is discussed in the context of these results. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 173 , 549–572.     

Biogeographic history of subterranean isopods from groundwater calcrete islands in Western Australia

Groundwater calcretes in arid central Western Australia contain a diverse invertebrate groundwater fauna (stygofauna). Surveys have uncovered a diverse oniscidean isopod subterranean fauna above the water table (troglofauna), including species of a recently described genus Paraplatyarthrus. The aim of this study was to investigate the biogeographic history of Paraplatyarthrus and the timing of transitions from surface to subterranean habitats. Phylogenetic relationships among the isopod troglofauna from 11 groundwater calcretes along three palaeodrainage systems were assessed using one mitochondrial gene, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI), and two nuclear markers, lysyl‐tRNA synthetase (LysRS) and 18S rRNA (18S) genes. Phylogenetic analyses revealed multiple sister lineage relationships between troglophile and troglobite lineages and evidence for divergent mtDNA lineages within species, providing a range of nodes for dating evolutionary transitions from surface to subterranean habitats. Relaxed molecular clock analyses provided evidence that evolutionary transitions from surface to subterranean environments took place between 13.3 and 1.75 million years ago, coinciding with the onset of aridification of Australia from the late Tertiary. In cases where groundwater calcretes contained multiple species, the taxa were not closely related phylogenetically, suggesting that these calcretes were independently colonised by multiple ancestral species. The study further confirmed the role of late/post‐Miocene aridification as a key driver of the evolution of subterranean invertebrates in the calcrete islands of Western Australia, supporting the climatic relict hypothesis. Troglobites most likely evolved from the troglophile ancestors that were capable of dispersal among, and active colonisation of, calcretes.     

The blackburni/murchisona species complex in Australian Pseudotetracha (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae: Megacephalini): evaluating molecular and karyological evidence

Our phylogenetic analysis of three endemic species of the Australian tiger beetle genus Pseudotetracha (Fleutiaux, 1864) from South Australia used sequences of two fragments of the mitochondrial genes 16S rRNA and cytochrome oxidase III. A matrix for each gene and two combined matrices were constructed. We compared these three riparian species, together with data from nine taxa of this genus available in GenBank, using parsimony and Bayesian methods. These molecular results are in agreement with the phylogenetic hypothesis for the blackburni/murchisona species complex previously proposed based on morphology, whereas other recent molecular analyses have questioned the existence of this species complex. In all of our analyses, samples of P. blackburni divided into two statistically supported clades, one of which is more closely related to P. mendacia and P. pulchra than to the other P. blackburni clade. This suggests the existence of a cryptic new species. Additionally, we analysed chromosomes of the second metaphase cells of members of the two clades. The observations showed different karyotypes as blackburni‐1 has two types of second meiotic metaphase cells with 11 and 12 chromosomes, whereas in blackburni‐2, all cells have 12 chromosomes, adding evidence for the putative existence of two species.     

A revision of the South American genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apuleia</Emphasis> (Leguminosae,Cassieae)

Apuleia Mart., a genus of the Leguminosae native to South America, is revised. Species limits within the genus were tested using morphometrics and shape analysis of leaflets and fruits. Morphological evidence indicates that although there is great variation in Apuleia, the genus cannot be reliably separated into different species or infraspecific taxa. Apuleia is monospecific, comprising the single species A. leiocarpa (Vogel) J. F. Macbr.     

The Genus Pluchea: Phytochemistry,Traditional Uses,and Biological Activities

In this review, literature data on phytochemical and biological investigations on the genus Pluchea are compiled. Pluchea is a genus of flowering plants in the Asteraceae family and comprises ca. 80 species distributed mainly in Northern and Southern America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Sesquiterpenoids and flavonoids are the main constituents of this genus. Compounds isolated from plants of the Pluchea genus display a variety of biological properties, viz., anticancer, antileishmanial, immunosuppressive, antioxidant, anti‐acetylcholinesterase, antimicrobial, trypanocidal, hepatoprotective, cytotoxic, larvicidal, anti‐ulcer, anti‐inflammatory, and antinociceptive activities.     

Phylogeny and phylogeography of squirrel monkeys (genus Saimiri) based on cytochrome b genetic analysis

Squirrel monkeys (genus Saimiri) are distributed over a wide area encompassing the Amazon Basin: French Guiana, Suriname, and Guyana, together with Western Panama and Western Costa Rica. The genus Saimiri includes a complex of species and subspecies displaying considerable morphological variation. Taxonomic and systematic studies have identified, in this genus, one to seven species comprising up to 16 subspecies. The phylogenetic relationships between these taxa are poorly understood. Molecular markers have yielded a consistent framework for the systematics of Central and South American Saimiri, identifying four distinct clades: S. oerstedii, S. sciureus, S. boliviensis, and S. ustus. Here, we reconsider the phylogenetic and biogeographic history of Saimiri on the basis of mitochondrial (mtDNA) sequence data, focusing mostly on individuals originating from the Amazon Basin. We studied 32 monkeys with well‐defined geographic origins and inferred the phylogenetic relationships between them on the basis of full‐length cytochrome b gene nucleotide sequences. The high level of gene diversity observed (0.966) is consistent with the high level of behavioral and morphological variation observed across the geographic range of the genus: 20 mtDNA haplotypes were identified with a maximum divergence of 4.81% between S. b. boliviensis and S. ustus. In addition to confirming the existence of the four clades previously identified on the basis of molecular characters, we suggest several new lineages, including S. s. macrodon, S. s. albigena, S. s. cassiquiarensis, and S. s. collinsi. We also propose new patterns of dispersion and diversification for the genus Saimiri, and discuss the contribution of certain rivers and forest refuges to its structuring. Am. J. Primatol. 72:242–253, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Relationships among the major lineages of Dictyoptera: the effect of outgroup selection on dictyopteran tree topology

Abstract Dictyoptera, comprising Blattaria, Isoptera, and Mantodea, are diverse in appearance and life history, and are strongly supported as monophyletic. We downloaded COII, 16S, 18S, and 28S sequences of 39 dictyopteran species from GenBank. Ribosomal RNA sequences were aligned manually with reference to secondary structure. We included morphological data (maximum of 175 characters) for 12 of these taxa and for an additional 15 dictyopteran taxa (for which we had only morphological data). We had two datasets, a 59‐taxon dataset with five outgroup taxa, from Phasmatodea (2 taxa), Mantophasmatodea (1 taxon), Embioptera (1 taxon), and Grylloblattodea (1 taxon), and a 62‐taxon dataset with three additional outgroup taxa from Plecoptera (1 taxon), Dermaptera (1 taxon) and Orthoptera (1 taxon). We analysed the combined molecular?morphological dataset using the doublet and MK models in Mr Bayes , and using a parsimony heuristic search in paup . Within the monophyletic Mantodea, Mantoida is recovered as sister to the rest of Mantodea, followed by Chaeteessa; the monophyly of most of the more derived families as defined currently is not supported. We recovered novel phylogenetic hypotheses about the taxa within Blattodea (following Hennig, containing Isoptera). Unique to our study, one Bayesian analysis places Polyphagoidea as sister to all other Dictyoptera; other analyses and/or the addition of certain orthopteran sequences, however, place Polyphagoidea more deeply within Dictyoptera. Isoptera falls within the cockroaches, sister to the genus Cryptocercus. Separate parsimony analyses of independent gene fragments suggest that gene selection is an important factor in tree reconstruction. When we varied the ingroup taxa and/or outgroup taxa, the internal dictyopteran relationships differed in the position of several taxa of interest, including Cryptocercus, Polyphaga, Periplaneta and Supella. This provides further evidence that the choice of both outgroup and ingroup taxa greatly affects tree topology.     

Origin and diversification of the cryptic ant genus Stenamma Westwood (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), inferred from multilocus molecular data,biogeography and natural history

The genus Stenamma Westwood comprises a group of cryptic, cold tolerant ants that occur throughout the Holarctic and Middle American regions. Traditional approaches to taxonomy and phylogeny are confounded by multiple factors, including the conservative and often convergent morphology of workers and the rarity of reproductive castes in collections. Monophyly of Stenamma and relationships within the genus are uncertain as nearly all previous taxonomic work has been regional in scope. Furthermore, the sister group to Stenamma has not been well established. Here an extensive molecular dataset consisting of ten genes (～8 kb of data), 48 ingroup taxa (20 Nearctic, 6 Palaearctic and 22 Neotropical) and 8 outgroup taxa (6 closely related non‐Stenamma and 2 additional myrmicines) is used to investigate the broad‐scale phylogeny and evolutionary history of Stenamma. Phylogenetic analysis is performed under maximum likelihood and Bayesian frameworks on individual genes and several alternate concatenated datasets, which are used to investigate the effects of inclusion or exclusion of COI and intronic regions. The timing of Stenamma evolution is inferred in beast and ancestral areas are reconstructed using both the s‐diva and DEC methods, as implemented in the programs rasp and lagrange , respectively. Stenamma is revealed as monophyletic with high support and tentatively is sister to a group of New World species placed currently in Aphaenogaster Mayr and Messor Forel. Within Stenamma, two major clades are recovered: a ‘Holarctic clade’ (HOC) and a ‘Middle American clade’ (MAC). The HOC consists of the European S. striatulum Emery sister to two well‐supported groups, the informal ‘debile’ and ‘brevicorne’ clades. The ‘brevicorne’ clade is entirely Nearctic, whereas the ‘debile’ clade includes both Nearctic and Palaearctic representatives. The MAC occurs from the southern United States to northern South America and, with the exception of S. huachucanum Smith, is almost completely isolated geographically from the HOC. It includes a depauperate northern clade and the ‘MAC core’, which is a diverse assemblage of wet forest adapted species found throughout Central America. Divergence dating and biogeographic reconstruction show that Stenamma is most likely to have originated in the Nearctic at the Eocene–Oligocene boundary (～35 Ma) and diversified more rapidly at 16 and 8 Ma for the HOC and MAC, respectively. Potential environmental factors affecting the evolution of Stenamma include the intense global cooling of the late Eocene combined with aridification and mountain building. The phylogenetic results are discussed in relation to the current Stenamma species groups and several new morphological characters are presented to help in identification.     

Divergence and gene flow in the globally distributed blue‐winged ducks

The ability to disperse over long distances can result in a high propensity for colonizing new geographic regions, including uninhabited continents, and lead to lineage diversification via allopatric speciation. However, high vagility can also result in gene flow between otherwise allopatric populations, and in some cases, parapatric or divergence‐with‐gene‐flow models might be more applicable to widely distributed lineages. Here, we use five nuclear introns and the mitochondrial control region along with Bayesian models of isolation with migration to examine divergence, gene flow, and phylogenetic relationships within a cosmopolitan lineage comprising six species, the blue‐winged ducks (genus Anas), which inhabit all continents except Antarctica. We found two primary sub‐lineages, the globally‐distributed shoveler group and the New World blue‐winged/cinnamon teal group. The blue‐winged/cinnamon sub‐lineage is composed of sister taxa from North America and South America, and taxa with parapatric distributions are characterized by low to moderate levels of gene flow. In contrast, our data support strict allopatry for most comparisons within the shovelers. However, we found evidence of gene flow from the migratory, Holarctic northern shoveler A. clypeata and the more sedentary, African Cape shoveler A. smithii into the Australasian shoveler A. rhynchotis, although we could not reject strict allopatry. Given the diverse mechanisms of speciation within this complex, the shovelers and blue‐winged/cinnamon teals can serve as an effective model system for examining how the genome diverges under different evolutionary processes and how genetic variation is partitioned among highly dispersive taxa.     

Historical biogeography and diversification within the Neotropical parrot genus Pionopsitta (Aves: Psittacidae)

Aim We investigate spatial and temporal patterns of diversification within the Neotropical avifauna using the phylogenetic history of parrots traditionally belonging to the genus Pionopsitta Bonaparte 1854. This genus has long been of interest for those studying Neotropical biogeography and diversity, as it encompasses species that occur in most Neotropical forest areas of endemism. Location The Neotropical lowland forests in South and Central America. Methods Phylogenetic relationships were investigated for all species of the genus Pionopsitta and five other short‐tailed parrot genera using complete sequences of the mitochondrial genes cyt b and ND2 as well as 26 plumage characters. The resulting phylogeny was used to test the monophyly of the genus, investigate species limits, and as a framework for reconstructing their historical biogeography and patterns of diversification. Results We found that the genus Pionopsitta, as previously defined, is not monophyletic and thus the Chocó, Central American and Amazonian species will now have to be placed in the genus Gypopsitta. The molecular and morphological phylogenies are largely congruent, but disagree on the position of one of the Amazon basin taxa. Using molecular sequence data, we estimate that species within Gypopsitta diversified between 8.7 and 0.6 Ma, with the main divergences occurring between 3.3 and 6.4 Ma. These temporal results are compared to other taxa showing similar vicariance patterns. Main conclusions The results suggest that diversification in Gypopsitta was influenced mainly by geotectonic events, marine transgressions and river dynamics, whereas Quaternary glacial cycles of forest change seem to have played a minor role in the origination of the currently recognized species.     

Phylogeny of Mysis (Crustacea, Mysida): history of continental invasions inferred from molecular and morphological data

We studied the phylogenetic history of opossum shrimps of the genus Mysis Latreille, 1802 (Crustacea: Mysida) using parsimony analyses of morphological characters, DNA sequence data from mitochondrial (16S, COI and CytB) and nuclear genes (ITS2, 18S), and eight allozyme loci. With these data we aimed to resolve a long‐debated question of the origin of the non‐marine (continental) taxa in the genus, i.e., “glacial relicts” in circumpolar postglacial lakes and “arctic immigrants” in the Caspian Sea. A simultaneous analysis of the data sets gave a single tree supporting monophyly of all continental species, as well as monophyly of the taxa from circumpolar lakes and from the Caspian Sea. A clade of three circumarctic marine species was sister group to the continental taxa, whereas Atlantic species had more distant relationships to the others. Small molecular differentiation among the morphologically diverse endemic species from the Caspian Sea suggested their recent speciation, while the phenotypically more uniform “glacial relict” species from circumpolar lakes (Mysis relicta group) showed deep molecular divergences. For the length‐variable ITS2 region both direct optimization and a priori alignment procedures gave similar topologies, although the former approach provided a better overall resolution. In terms of partitioned Bremer support (PBS), mitochondrial protein coding genes provided the largest contribution (83%) to the total tree resolution. This estimate however, appears to be partly spurious, due to the concerted inheritance of mitochondrial characters and probable cases of introgression or ancestral polymorphism. © The Willi Hennig Society 2005.     

Phylogeny of the genus Hesperodiaptomus (Copepoda) based on nucleotide sequence data of the nuclear ribosomal gene

The genus Hesperodiaptomus Light, 1938, one of the most diverse groups of freshwater copepods that occur in North and Central America, plays a major role in the food webs of the alpine freshwater communities. Phylogenetic relationships of these taxa remain poorly understood due to difficulties in obtaining reliable morphological characters for phylogenetic analyses. To understand the phylogenetic relationships within this group, we reconstructed a partial phylogeny of the genus Hesperodiaptomus based on nuclear ribosomal gene sequences. Phylogenetic analyses based upon the taxa examined supported the monophyly the genus and revealed two clades. The eiseni clade comprised species that are morphologically similar to Hesperodiaptomus eiseni (Lilljeborg, 1889), and the shoshone clade included species morphologically similar to Hesperodiaptomus shoshone (S.A. Forbes, 1882). The two groups can be distinguished by a modification of the right basis, the arrangement of spinules on the distal pad of the second exopod, and the degree of presence the inner lamellar expansion of the right coxa. Handling editor: P. Spaak     

Phylogeny of the spider genus Ixchela Huber, 2000 (Araneae: Pholcidae) based on morphological and molecular evidence (CO1 and 16S), with a hypothesized diversification in the Pleistocene

The genus Ixchela Huber is composed of 20 species distributed from north‐eastern Mexico to Central America, including the five new species described here from Mexico: I xchela azteca sp. nov. , I xchela jalisco sp. nov. , I xchela mendozai sp. nov. , I xchela purepecha sp. nov. and I xchela tlayuda sp. nov. We test the monophyly and investigate the phylogenetic relationships among species of the genus Ixchela using morphological and molecular data. Parsimony (PA) analysis of 24 taxa and 40 morphological characters with equal and implied weights supported the monophyly of Ixchela with eight morphological synapomorphies. The PA analyses with equal and implied weights, and separate Bayesian inference (BI) analyses for the CO1 gene (506 characters), concatenated gene fragments CO1 + 16S (885 characters), morphology + CO1 (546 characters) and the combined evidence data set (morphology + CO1 + 16S) (925 characters) support the monophyly of Ixchela. Our preferred topology shows two large clades; clade 1 has a natural distribution in the Mesoamerican biotic component, whereas clade 2 predominates in the Mexican Montane biotic component. The genus Ixchela diverged in the late Miocene, and the divergence between the internal clades in the genus occurred in the late Pliocene; by contrast, most of the speciation events seem to have occurred mainly during the Pleistocene, where climatic changes brought on by repeated glaciations played an important role in the diversification of the genus. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London     

The Labeninae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae): a study in phylogenetic reconstruction and evolutionary biology

The internal phylogenetic relationships of the ichneumonid subfamily Labeninae (Hymenoptera) are re‐assessed using 136 characters for 54 species representing all currently known species‐groups. New character sets are used. These include a new form of seta (named the grossulariform setae) which are present on the inner surface of the hind coxa of some females, and the extensive structural modifications of the terminal segments of the female metasoma, which are described and structural homologies established. The monophyly of the Labeninae and of the four component tribes, Groteini, Poecilocryptini, Xenothyrini and Labenini, is demonstrated. The Groteini is shown to be the sister‐group to the Poecilocryptini + (Xenothyrini + Labenini). Monophyletic genera are established, including three new genera: Ozlabium gen. nov. Gauld & Wahl (type‐species 0. arcadium sp. nov.) in the Groteini from Australia; Torquinsha gen. nov. Gauld & Wahl (type‐species Certonotus invictus Porter) in the Labenini from Chile, and Gauldianus gen. nov. Lanfranco (type‐species Gauldianus chilensis sp. nov. Lanfranco) in the Labenini from Chile. Apechoneura is removed from synonymy and re‐instated as a valid genus for a complex of tropical American species. The biogeographic patterns shown by the Labeninae are discussed. Evidence suggests that the group radiated on Gondwanaland after the separation of Africa/India/Madagascar, but prior to the separation of Australia. Species occurring off the southern continental fragments, in North America, are shown to be members of highly derived lineages, a result consistent with the hypothesis that labenines colonized North America recently through Mesoamerica. Patterns of host utilization and mating behaviour are examined for the group. Members of the more derived lineages show progressively more female specializations for attacking hosts deeply concealed in woody substrates. Males in the more specialized lineages are shown to have a wider array of secondary sexual characteristics and genitalic ornamentations than more plesiomorphic taxa.     

Tropical Asian species show that the Old World clade of ‘spiny solanums’ (Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum pro parte: Solanaceae) is not monophyletic

The tropical Asian taxa of the species‐rich genus Solanum (Solanaceae) have been less well studied than their highly diverse New World relatives. Most of these tropical Asian species, including the cultivated brinjal eggplant/aubergine and its wild progenitor, are part of the largest monophyletic Solanum lineage, the ‘spiny solanums’ (subgenus Leptostemonum or the Leptostemonum clade). Here we present the first phylogenetic analysis of spiny solanums that includes broad sampling of the tropical Asian species, with 42 of the 56 currently recognized species represented. Two nuclear and three plastid regions [internal transcribed spacer (ITS), waxy, ndhF‐rpL32, trnS‐trnG and trnT‐trnF] were amplified and used to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods. Our analyses show that Old World spiny solanums do not resolve in a single clade, but are part of three unrelated lineages, suggesting at least three independent introductions from the New World. We identify and describe several monophyletic groups in Old World solanums that have not been previously recognized. Some of these lineages are coherent in terms of morphology and geography, whereas others show considerable morphological variation and enigmatic distribution patterns. Tropical Asia occupies a key position in the biogeography of Old World spiny solanums, with tropical Asian taxa resolved as the closest relatives of diverse groups of species from Australia and Africa.     

Out of the Neotropics: newly discovered relictual species sheds light on the biogeographical history of spider ants (Leptomyrmex,Dolichoderinae, Formicidae)

Spider ants of the genus Leptomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dolichoderinae) are conspicuous species of Australasian rainforests, with putative fossil relatives in the Neotropics and Europe. There is longstanding debate over the biogeographical history of the genus, with the Palaearctic and Neotropical regions proposed as alternate centres of origin. We propose a resolution of this debate with the recent discovery and analysis of an extant species from central Brazil, L. relictus sp.n. , which we describe from workers, males and brood. We sequence ten nuclear genes in the new species and in several Australian Leptomyrmex species, and append these data to a 54‐taxon, 10‐gene data matrix previously generated for the subfamily Dolichoderinae. We conduct phylogenetic and divergence dating analyses, and re‐evaluate the fossil record of the group. We recover Leptomyrmex relictus sp.n. as a member of the Leptomyrmex clade with high support. It is sister to the Australasian species, and the genus Leptomyrmex is, in turn, sister to a pair of Neotropical genera, Forelius and Dorymyrmex. We infer a Neotropical origin for the genus and estimate a mid‐Eocene (46 Ma, 95% CI 56 to 36 Ma) origin for the crown genus and an Oligocene origin for the Australasian clade (29 Ma, 95% CI 40 to 19 Ma). We confirm placement of the Dominican amber species ?L. neotropicus Baroni Urbani in the genus but reject a close relationship with the Palaearctic fossil taxa ?Leptomyrmula Emery and ?Usomyrma Dlussky, Radchenko & Dubovikoff, considering them incertae sedis in the subfamily (Dolichoderinae). In contrast to the mesophilic preferences of the Australasian species of Leptomyrmex, the new Brazilian species inhabits cerrado (dry savannah). Our results support a Neotropical origin for spider ants with dispersal to Australia. Rafting on west‐bound currents and/or a historical diversity imbalance between Australia and South America are proposed as alternate hypotheses to explain a pattern of biased E–W mid‐Tertiary dispersal for ants with austral distributions. This pattern is suggested by our results in conjunction with observations of other ant clades. Overall, our findings highlight the value of integrated taxonomy, critical interpretation of morphology, and a comparative phylogenetic framework when conducting palaeontological and biogeographical studies of insect species. This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6E9E6617‐6E53‐40B8‐82C7‐67F89A83C553 .