Phylogenetic relationships of butterflies of the tribe Acraeini (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae) and the evolution of host plant use

The tribe Acraeini (Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae) is believed to comprise between one and seven genera, with the greatest diversity in Africa. The genera Abananote, Altinote, and Actinote (s. str.) are distributed in the Neotropics, while the genera Acraea, Bematistes, Miyana, and Pardopsis have a Palaeotropical distribution. The monotypic Pardopsis use herbaceous plants of the family Violaceae, Acraea and Bematistes feed selectively on plants with cyanoglycosides belonging to many plant families, but preferentially to Passifloraceae, and all Neotropical species with a known life cycle feed on Asteraceae only. Here, a molecular phylogeny is proposed for the butterflies of the tribe Acraeini based on sequences of COI, EF-1alpha and wgl. Both Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian analyses showed that the tribe is monophyletic, once the genus Pardopsis is excluded, since it appears to be related to Argynnini. The existing genus Acraea is a paraphyletic group with regard to the South American genera, and the species of Acraea belonging to the group of "Old World Actinote" is the sister group of the Neotropical genera. The monophyly of South American clade is strongly supported, suggesting a single colonization event of South America. The New World Actinote (s. str.) is monophyletic, and sister to Abananote+Altinote (polyphyletic). Based on the present results it was possible to propose a scenario for the evolution in host plant use within Acraeini, mainly concerning the use of Asteraceae by the South American genera.     

Pameridea (Hemiptera: Miridae): Predaceous bugs specific to the highly viscid plant genus Roridula

Abstract. The South African genus Pameridea and its two species are redescribed. The tribe Pamerideini, founded for this genus only, is removed from synonymy with Mirini (subfamily Mirinae) and transferred to Dicyphini (subfamily Bryocorinae), falling as a synonym of the subtribe Dicyphina. The bugs live only on intensely viscid small shrubs of the genus Roridula. This plant genus is the only member of its family but the bug genus is closely related to two widespread tropical dicyphine genera.     

Trichelodes (=Hexanodes), type of Trichelodini new tribe,and its affinities with the Trinodini (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)

Abstract

Hexanodes Blair, 1941 from New Zealand is synonymous with the Australian genus Trichelodes Carter, 1935, here transferred from the Dascillidae (sensu Carter) to the monotypic new dermestid tribe Trichelodini. Couplets for Trichelodini and the closely related Trinodini are given for integration into Crowson's key to the subfamilies (= tribes?) of Dermestidae. The genera of Trinodini and the two known species of Trichelodes are keyed. Trichelodes delicatula (Australia) and T. vulgata (New Zealand) are redescribed; a lectotype is designated for vulgata, and its synonymy is updated.     

Inflorescence morphology of some South American Anacardiaceae and the possible phylogenetic trends

Barfod, A. 1988. Inflorescence morphology of some South American Anacardiaceae and the possible phylogenetic trends. - Nord. J. Bot. 8: 3–11. Copenhagen. ISSN 0107–055X.
The inflorescences of 15 native and one introduced species of South American Anacardiaceae belonging to the genera Anacardium, Loxopterygium, Mangifera, Mauria, Mosquitoxylon, Schinus, Spondias, Tapirira and Toxicodendron are described according to the terminology of Troll and coworkers. The tribal divisions in the Anacardiaceae are supported by the inflorescence morphology. Tribe Spondia-deae has paniculate inflorescences whereas tribe Anacardieae and tribe Rhoeae both have thyrsoids. Toxicodendron is exceptional for the tribe Rhoeae having axillary panicles. Thyrosids are hypothesized derived from panicles by a two step process including neoteny and enriching by cymose branching.     

A revision of the South American taxa Elnoretta Alexander, Euvaldiviana Alexander and Valdiviana Alexander (Diptera: Tipulidae), with a discussion on their phylogeny

Abstract The South American tipulid taxa Elnoretta, Euvaldiviana and Valdiviana are revised. Type material of all described species was examined. Euvaldiviana is raised from subgeneric to generic rank. The synonymy of Valdiviana synempora and V. neuquenensis is established. Details of the genitalia of the five recognized species as well as external characters are illustrated. A phylogeny is presented of a monophyletic group containing Elnoretta, Euvaldiviana and Valdiviana together with the genera Acracantha (Australia) and Austrotipula (New Zealand).     

Molecular Systematics and Evolution of Arabidopsis and Arabis

Abstract: We provide a phylogenetic analysis of the genera Arabidopsis and Arabis based on nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences. We show that traditional taxonomical concepts within tribe Ara-bideae, which includes these genera, are highly artificial. Arabis and Arabidopsis are paraphyletic and consist of several different independent lineages. The genus Capsella, originally placed in tribe Lepideae, is related to North American Arabis and the Arabidopsis thaliana lineage. Other genera, including East Asian Yin-shania, North American Halimolobus, cosmopolitan Barbarea and Cardamine, and European Aubrieta are positioned among different Arabis lineages. One Arabis species, Arabis pauciflora, is only distantly related to tribe Arabideae. Base chromosome number reduction from n = 8 to n = 5 to 7 occurred several times, suggesting that lower base chromosome numbers than n = 8 are derived in tribe Arabideae. Current knowledge on the evolution and systematics of the genera Arabis and Arabidopsis and relationships within the mustard family are summarized and discussed in the light of convergent evolution and transfer of knowledge from Arabidopsis thaliana as a molecular model plant to other species of the Cruciferae.     

The Genus Uroleucon Mordvilko (Insecta, Aphidoidea) in South America, with a key and descriptions of four new species

Uroleucon is one of only two genera of Aphidinae to have undergone significant speciation in South America, with a group of about 14 endemic, morphologically similar species feeding on native Compositae, especially Baccharis . Multivariate morphometrics (canonical variates analysis, CVA) was used to discriminate between these species and compare them with the North American subgenus Lambersius , in which most of them have hitherto been placed. It is concluded that they probably form a separate monophyletic group. Four new species are described in this group— brevisiphon, essigi, petrohuense and pseudomuennosum— and five names are placed in synonymy. Of the other species of Uroleucon in South America, U. lizerianum is widespread and feeds on many species of native and introduced Compositae; it is morphometrically inseparable from the North American species U. ambrosiae and is probably an introduced form of that species, but has consistently fewer secondary rhinaria. A key is provided to the 19 available species of Uroleucon recorded from South America.     

The tribal position of Oedera L. (Compositae)

l position of Oedera L. (Compositae). The South African genus Oedera L. (Compositae-Anthemideae) is shown to be closely related to the South African genera Relhania and Leysera . A transfer of Oedera from the tribe Anthemideae to the tribe Inuleae is proposed. Several synapomorphies, like a two-layered sexine, concave leaves, pappus of connate scales, long and slender cypselas define the monophyletic group. The pollen-wall morphology of Oedera is described and the chromosome number 2 n = 14 is reported.     

The monophyly of the subfamily Perisphaeriinae (Dictyoptera: Blattaria: Blaberidae)

A new definition of the subfamily Perisphaeriinae is given on the basis of five synapomorphies described from male and female genitalia and head morphology. The subfamily comprises eighteen genera: Bantua , Compsagis , Cyrtotria , Derocalymma , Ellipsica , Elliptoblatta , Gymnonyx , Hostilia , Laxta , Neolaxta , Perisphaeria , Perisphaerus , Pilema , Platysilpha , Poeciloblatta , Pseudoglomeris , Trichoblatta , Zuluia . Two genera are newly assigned to the Perisphaeriinae: Laxta and Neolaxta . Four genera are removed from the Perisphaeriinae: Aptera , Blepharodera , Eustegasta , Isoniscus . One new generic synonymy is proposed: Pronaonota as a synonym of Pilema . The subfamily has a large geographical range including tropical Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Asia and Australia.     

中脉叶蜂族系统分类研究(膜翅目:叶蜂科)

本文系统厘订了中国中脉叶蜂族叶蜂,记述了１个新记录属种和２个新种：斑角狭脉叶蜂Ｍｅｇａｄｉｎｅｕｒａ ｇｒａｎｄｉｓ Ａｎｄｒｅ中国新纪录属种,黑背樟叶蜂Ｍｏｒｉｃｅｌｌａ ｎｉｇｒｉｔａ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．新种,中华中脉叶蜂Ｍｅｓｏｎｅｕｒａ ｓｉｎｉｃａ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．新种。恢复樟叶蜂属Ｍｏｒｉｃｅｌｌａ Ｒｏｈｗｅｒ的有效属地位,该属与近缘的Ｍｅｓｏｎｅｕｒａ属在上颚、触角、复眼、淡膜区、爪、翅     

A revision of the genus Dolichos (Fabaceae,Papilionoideae, Phaseoleae), including Lesotho and Swaziland

A revision of the genus Dolichos in South Africa (Lesotho and Swaziland included) is presented. This legume genus, belonging to the bean tribe Phaseoleae, mainly has an African distribution, extending into Asia. In South Africa it is represented by nine species, two (D. sericeus and D. trilobus) of which extend into Tropical Africa. Dolichos is closely related to the genus Macrotyloma from which it can be distinguished by the short standard appendages, reticulate pollen and the generally purple flowers (standard appendages long, pollen tuberculate or spinulose and flowers yellow or orange in Macrotyloma). It also has affinities with the genera Dipogon and Lablab. The correct nomenclature, as well as complete synonymy, typification and distribution maps of all the species are provided.     

A new concept of the generic composition of the geometrid moth tribe Ennomini (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) based on functional morphology of the male genitalia

Two unique apomorphies in the skeleto-muscular apparatus of the male genitalia in a series of genera of the subfamily Ennominae have been discovered: (1) a more or less broad membranous area on the ventral side of the vinculum, partly or completely dividing this sclerite along the sagittal plane, and (2) the paired muscle m ₃ attached distally to the medial invagination of the basal portion of the juxta. Such a structure provides resilient flexion of the ventral portion of the vinculum in the sagittal plane as the valvae are abducted by contraction of muscle m ₃. Based on these apomorphies and taking into account the general morphological pattern in the Ennominae, a new generic composition of the tribe Ennomini including 148 valid genera is proposed. A new diagnosis for Ennomini as a monophyletic group is given, with the following synonymy of the family group names established: Ennomini sensu novo = Urapteridae, syn. n.; = Odopteridi; = Emplocidae, syn. n.; = Oxydiidae, syn. n.; = Pantheridae, syn. n.; = Nephodiinae, syn. n.; = Leuculinae, syn. n.; = Cingiliini, syn. n. The musculature of the male genitalia in Ennomos infidelis and Ourapteryx koreana is described for the first time and that of Tristrophis veneris is revised. The American origin of the tribe Ennomini is hypothesized. The mainly Palaearctic tribe Prosopolophini is regarded as a probable sister group of Ennomini sensu novo.     

Review of the genus Stephanospathius Belokobylskij, 1992 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), with discussion of their tribal position

A review of the Afrotropical genus Stephanospathius Belokobylskij is provided. A new species Stephanospathius benoitisp. n. from the Republic of Congo, and the male and, for the first time, the female of Stephanospathius ornatipes (Kieffer) are described. A discussion of the status and composition of the tribe Stephaniscini is given and a new name for this tribe, Leptospathiini, nom. n., is proposed. A key to the included genera and a key to species of Stephanospathius are provided.     

Cave insects with sex‐reversed genitalia had their most recent common ancestor in West Gondwana (Psocodea: Prionoglarididae: Speleketorinae)

The divergence date and ancestral distributional area of the psocid subfamily Speleketorinae, which includes taxa with reversed genitalia (female penis and male vagina of Afrotrogla and Neotrogla, tribe Sensitibillini), were estimated. The most basal divergence of the subfamily (between the North American Speleketor and the tribe Sensitibillini) was estimated to have occurred according to the separation between the North American continent and Gondwana, ca. 175 Ma. The most basal divergence of Sensitibillini (between African Afrotrogla + Sensitibilla and Brazilian Neotrogla) was estimated to have occurred according to the split of West Gondwana (separation between the African and South American continents), ca. 127 Ma. The biome of the ancestral distributional area of Sensitibillini (inland of West Gondwana) is believed to be arid to semi‐arid, which might strengthen the reversed sexual selection and then facilitate the origin of preadaptive features related to the evolution of a female penis. All extant Sensitibillini species inhabit carbonatic caves, but geological evidence suggested independent shifts of these genera to the carbonatic cave habitat in the Tertiary/Quaternary.     

THE SISTER GROUP OF THE PALEOTROPICAL TRIBE ARGOSTEMMATEAE: A REDEFINED NEOTROPICAL TRIBE HAMELIEAE (RUBIACEAE, RUBIOIDEAE)

Abstract— The sister group of the monophyletic tribe Argostemmateae, including Argostemma and Neurocalyx , is not the tribe Hedyotideae, or a part of it, as earlier assumed, but the monophyletic tribe Hamelieae, here redefined. It comprises the genera Hamelia, Hoffmannia (here including Xerococcus), Deppea (here including Schenckia), Pinarophyllon , and Omiltemia . The two tribes Argostemmateae and Hamelieae are a monophyletic group characterized by seven synapomorphies. A cladogram is presented showing the relationships of the seven genera based on 31 characters. One group of characters, the aestivation of the corolla, is shown to be much more complicated than hitherto assumed. In the Hamelieae the aestivation can be imbricate (to the right or to the left and quincuncial or not), contorted (to the right), alternative, or even valvate. The Argostemmateae occur in the Old World Tropics, and their distribution supports the hypothesis that at least parts of southeast Asia are a part of Gondwanaland. The vicariant pattern within the Argostemmateae indicates that the large area from west Africa through northern India to southeast Asia is vicariant to Ceylon and southern India. The distribution of the Old World tribe Argostemmateae is vicariant to the essentially Central American tribe Hamelieae.     

A Taxonomic Review of the Genera of the Aphelenchoidea (Fuchs, 1937) Thorne, 1949 (Nematoda: Tylenchida)

This generic level taxonomic review of the nematode superfamily Aphelenchoidea is based upon a study of specimens from 24 of the 28 described genera. The diagnoses of these genera are presented, and some are emended with new information. One new genus, Huntaphelenchoides, and five new combinations are proposed. The families Paraphelenchidae and Anomyctidae are placed in synonymy with Aphelenchidae and Aphelenchoididae, respectively. The genera Asteroaphelenchoides and Pseudaphelencboides are placed in synonymy under the genus Aphelenchoides. Rare male and/or female specimens of Peraphelenchus, Anomyctus, Laimaphelenchus, Aphelenchus, Cryptaphelenchoides, Megadorus, Tylaphelenchus, and Entaphelenchus, are redescribed and illustrated. Four plates, containing 106 original drawings of the males, females, stylets, and spicules of representatives of 22 aphelenchoid genera, are presented.     

潜叶蜂族研究(膜翅目:叶峰科)(英文)

本文记述中国潜叶蜂族Fenusini6属8种,其中包括2新属6新种及4新组合种：大眼郑潜叶蜂Zhenginamegommagen．etsp．nov,吕氏华潜叶蜂Sinofeunsaluigen．etsp．nov,黑鳞丝潜叶蜂Messanigrotegulasp．nov,痕缝脊潜叶蜂Parnavestigialissp．nov,沟缝脊潜叶蜂Parnadistinctasp．nov,黄首原潜叶蜂Profenusaxanthocephalasp．nov．;槭树雅潜叶蜂Anafsnusaacericola（Xiao1992）comb．nov。恢复臀潜叶蜂属AfusaMalaise,将ParafenusaZhelochovtsev（1976）降为AfusaMalaise1964的次异名,原Paarafenusa属下的种类移入Afusa属,建立3个新组合：Afusapruni（Zhelochovtsev1976）comb．nov,Afusacerasi（Zhelochovtsev1976）comb．nov,Afusamaharibiana（Zhelochovtsev1976）comb．nov。新属新种附有主要形态特征图。文中还编制了潜叶蜂族的已知底检索表和Profenusa,Anafeausa,Parna属的已知种检索表。雅潜叶蜂属Anafenusa和脊潜叶蜂属Parna为中国新纪录属。迄今,潜叶蜂族已知24属约60种;中国已记述12属22种。     

The diversification of South American murid rodents: evidence from mitochondrial DNA sequence data for the akodontine tribe

Phylogenetic relationships based on 801 base pairs (bp) of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene are examined for eight genera and 28 species of the akodontine tribe of South American murid rodents. The akodontine tribe comprises some 35% of the total diversity of the subfamily Sigmodontinae, but the current taxonomy at virtually all levels is uncertain because of inadequate generic diagnoses and assessments of variation and trends in traditional morphological characters. Monophyly of the tribe cannot be resolved by the sequence data, based on comparisons to outgroup taxa in three other tribes (Oryzomyini, Phyllotini, and Thomasomyini). However, highly corroborated monophyletic units within the group are obtained in a variety of both parsimony and distance analyses. These include a redefined and numerically dominant genus Akodon (with Microxus and Hypsimys as synonyms), Bolomys, Lenoxus, Oxymycterus, and a strongly supported assemblage that includes the central Andean Chroeomys and 'Akodon' andinus and the southern Abrothrix, 'Akodon' olivaceus, and the long-clawed mice of the genera Notiomys, Geoxus, and Chelemys. Sequence divergence within species is typically less than 5%, although levels can reach 10% for some highly polytypic forms. Divergence among genera within the tribe reaches 35% in corrected estimates, a level that is as great as that among representatives of different tribes. Changes in the current classification of akodontines are suggested based on these data, and the timing and place of origin of the tribe and its radiation is discussed.