Mycangia of the ambrosia beetle, Austroplatypus incompertus (Schedl) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Platypodinae)

Abstract  Ambrosia beetles have an obligate relationship with the ambrosia fungi that they feed on. This requires that the beetles have means to transport those fungi when they colonise new hosts. Some ambrosia beetles have special structures called mycangia to transport fungi in. This paper describes the mycangia of the ambrosia beetle Austroplatypus incompertus and illustrates how the mycangical hairs are probably used by the beetle to acquire fungal spores for transport. The mycangia and probable method of fungal acquisition of this species are compared with those of other ambrosia beetles.     

Ploidy of the eusocial beetle Austroplatypus incompertus (Schedl) (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) and implications for the evolution of eusociality

In the hymenopterans, haplodiploidy, leading to high-genetic relatedness amongst full sisters has been regarded as critical to kin selection and inclusive fitness hypotheses that explain the evolution of eusociality and altruistic behaviours. Recent evidence for independent origins of eusociality in phylogenetically diverse taxa has led to the controversy regarding the general importance of relatedness to eusociality and its evolution. Here, we developed a highly polymorphic microsatellite marker to test whether the eusocial ambrosia beetle Austroplatypus incompertus (Schedl) is haplodiploid or diplodiploid. We found that both males and females of A. incompertus are diploid, signifying that altruistic behaviour resulting from relatedness asymmetries did not play a role in the evolution of eusocialty in this species. This provides additional evidence against the haplodiploidy hypothesis and implicates alternative hypotheses for the evolution of eusociality.     

Successful development of microsatellite markers in a challenging species: the horizontal borer Austroplatypus incompertus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The analysis of microsatellite loci has allowed significant advances in evolutionary biology and pest management. However, until very recently, the potential benefits have been compromised by the high costs of developing these neutral markers. High-throughput sequencing provides a solution to this problem. We describe the development of 13 microsatellite markers for the eusocial ambrosia beetle, Austroplatypus incompertus, a significant pest of forests in southeast Australia. The frequency of microsatellite repeats in the genome of A. incompertus was determined to be low, and previous attempts at microsatellite isolation using a traditional genomic library were problematic. Here, we utilised two protocols, microsatellite-enriched genomic library construction and high-throughput 454 sequencing and characterised 13 loci which were polymorphic among 32 individuals. Numbers of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 17, and observed and expected heterozygosities from 0.344 to 0.767 and from 0.507 to 0.860, respectively. These microsatellites have the resolution required to analyse fine-scale colony and population genetic structure. Our work demonstrates the utility of next-generation 454 sequencing as a method for rapid and cost-effective acquisition of microsatellites where other techniques have failed, or for taxa where marker development has historically been both complicated and expensive.     

Taxonomic changes in palaeotropical Xyleborini (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae)

Following the recent reclassification of the Palaeotropic xyleborine genera (Hulcr and Cognato in press), additional species are transferred to correct genera or synonymized based on analysis of their morphological characters. The following species are given new combinations: Debus amphicranoides (Hagedorn), comb. n., Debus birmanus (Eggers, 1930), comb. n., Debus dolosus (Blandford, 1896), comb. n., Debus eximius (Schedl, 1970), comb. n., Debus interponens (Schedl, 1954), comb. n., Debus robustipennis (Schedl, 1954), comb. n., Debus spinatus (Eggers, 1923), comb. n., Microperus alpha (Beeson, 1929), comb. n., Microperus corporaali (Eggers), comb. n., Microperus eucalyptica (Schedl, 1938), comb. n., Microperus nugax (Schedl, 1939), comb. n., Pseudowebbia percorthylus (Schedl, 1935), comb. n., Truncaudum circumcinctus (Schedl, 1941), comb. n.THE FOLLOWING SPECIES ARE SYNONYMIZED: Arixyleborus hirtipennis (Eggers), syn. n., with Arixyleborus puberulus (Blandford); Coptoborus palmeri (Hopkins), syn. n., with Debus emarginatus (Eichhoff); Coptoborus terminaliae (Hopkins), syn. n., with Debus emarginatus (Eichhoff); Cyclorhipidion polyodon (Eggers), syn. n., with Truncaudum agnatum (Eggers); Euwallacea artelaevis (Schedl), syn. n., with Planiculus bicolor (Blandford); Xyleborinus perminutissimus (Schedl), syn. n., with Xyleborinus perpusillus (Eggers); Xyleborus exesus Blandford, syn. n., with Debus emarginatus (Eichhoff); Xyleborus fulvulus (Schedl), syn. n., with Microperus corporaali (Eggers); Xyleborus marginicollis (Schedl), syn. n., with Diuncus justus (Schedl); Xyleborus shoreae Stebbing, syn. n., with Debus fallax (Eichhoff).THE FOLLOWING SPECIES ARE GIVEN NEW STATUS: Streptocranus superbus (Schedl, 1951), restored name; Webbia divisus Browne, 1972, restored name; Webbia penicillatus (Hagedorn, 1910), restored name. Genus Taphrodasus Wood (1980) is declared not valid.     

Taxonomic notes on the afrotropical genera Hapalogenius Hagedorn, Hylesinopsis Eggers, and Rhopalopselion Hagedorn (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae)

Taxonomic confusion among the afrotropical scolytine genera Hapalogenius Hagedorn, Hylesinopsis Eggers and Rhopalopselion Hagedorn, and their synonyms is discussed with especial reference to the catalogues of Wood and Bright (1992), and Alonso-Zarazaga and Lyal (2009). A key is given to separate the three genera recognised, and the species considered to be included in each genus are listed. Hylesinopsis is resurrected from synonymy with Hapalogenius, and shown not to be closely related to it. Chilodendron Schedl is considered to be a synonym of Hylesinopsis and not of Xylechinus Chapuis. The following new synonymy is proposed at specific level: Hapalogenius africanus (Eggers) (= Hapalogenius lesnei Eggers, = Metahylesinus brincki Schedl); Hapalogenius fuscipennis (Chapuis) (= Hapalogenius bimaculatus Eggers); Hapalogenius oblongus (Eggers) (= Metahylesinus striatus Schedl); Hylesinopsis fasciata (Hagedorn) (= Kissophagus punctatus Eggers); Phrixosoma niger Eggers (= Hapalogenius niger Schedl). The following species are returned to Hylesinopsis from Hapalogenius to which they were transferred by Alonso-Zarazaga and Lyal (2009): Hylesinopsis alluaudi (Lepesme), Hylesinopsis angolensis (Schedl), Hylesinopsis arabiae (Schedl), Hylesinopsis atra (Nunberg), Hylesinopsis confusa (Eggers), Hylesinopsis decellei (Nunberg), Hylesinopsis dubia Eggers, Hylesinopsis emarginata (Nunberg), Hylesinopsis fasciata (Hagedorn), Hylesinopsis ficus (Schedl), Hylesinopsis granulata (Lepesme), Hylesinopsis hirsuta (Schedl), Hylesinopsis joveri (Schedl), Hylesinopsis pauliani (Lepesme), Hylesinopsis punctata (Eggers), Hylesinopsis saudiarabiae (Schedl). The following new combination is given: Hylesinopsis leprosula (Browne) from Cryphalus Erichson. New distributional records are given for some species.     

New species of Pachycotes Sharp and Xylechinus Chapuis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae,Tomicini) from New Caledonian Araucaria spp. (Coniferales: Araucariaceae)

Abstract

Three new bark beetle species, Pachycotes grandis sp. n., P. engelsi sp. n., and Xylechinus araucariae sp. n. (Curculionidae, Scolytinae, Tomicini), are described and illustrated. Brief notes on their life histories are given. The beetles were collected from dead branches and logs of Araucaria laubenfelsii and A. muelleri trees in New Caledonia. In addition, a key for all nine known Pachycotes species (P. araucariae Schedl, P. australis Schedl, P. clavatus Schedl, P. grandis sp. n., P. engelsi sp. n., P. kuscheli Schedl, P. minor Wood, P. peregrinus (Chapuis), and P. villosus Schedl) is presented.     

New data on Neotropical Scolytus Geoffroy, 1762 with description of five new species from Peru (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae)

Five new species of Scolytus Geoffroy, 1762 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) are described from Peru, namely Scolytus woodi, Scolytus carveli, Scolytus vagabundus, Scolytus lindemani, Scolytus mozolevskae .The following new synonym is established: Scolytus angustatus Browne, 1970 (= Scolytus facialis Schedl, 1973, syn. n.) New records of the Scolytus species in Loreto, Junin ,Cusco and Madre de Dios Provinces are given and the biology of the genus representatives is discussed.     

Revision of the genus Phloeoditica Schedl - with description of two new genera and two new species in Phloeosinini (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae)

The genus Phloeoditica Schedl currently includes four species from Southeast Asia. These species vary substantially in important morphological characters and indicate the existence of multiple genera for these species. A revision based on morphological and in part molecular data resulted in the transfer of Phloeoditica setosa to Pseudoxylechinus the erection of a new genus Asiophilus for Phloeoditica phloeosinoides and a new species Asiophilus macropunctatus from Vietnam. Another new genus with affinities to Phloeoditica is described based on the new species Microditica uniseriata from Thailand. The new genera are included in a revised key to the tribe Phloeosinini.     

Cladistic review of generic taxonomic characters in Xyleborina (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)

Abstract A cladistic analysis of morphological characters of the subtribe Xyleborina (Curculionidae, Scolytinae) is presented. An examination of individual characters revealed little phylogenetic information in many characters currently used for delimiting genera. Phylogenetically stable characters were used for the evaluation of the contemporary generic concept. The following genera have been recovered as monophyletic: Cnestus, Dryocoetoides, Eccoptopterus, Xylosandrus, Schedlia, Sampsonius and Taurodemus. The following genera have been found to be polyphyletic: Amasa, Ambrosiodmus, Arixyleborus, Coptoborus, Coptodryas, Cryptoxyleborus, Cyclorhipidion, Euwallacea, Leptoxyleborus, Taphrodasus, Theoborus, Webbia, Xyleborinus and Xyleborus. The analysis permitted the resurrection of four genera: Anisandrus, Microperus, Pseudowebbia and Streptocranus. A number of new combinations at specific level are given: Anisandrus cornutus (Schaufuss, 1891), A. dispar (Fabricius, 1792), A. eggersi (Beeson, 1930), A. improbus (Sampson, 1913), A. longidens (Eggers, 1930), A. maiche Stark, 1936, A. obesus (LeConte, 1868), A. sayi Hopkins, 1915, A. apicalis (Blandford, 1894), A. hirtus (Hagedorn, 1904), Microperus myristicae (Schedl, 1939), M. eucalypticus (Schedl, 1938), M. huangi (Browne, 1983), M. intermedius (Eggers, 1923), M. kadoyamaensis (Murayama, 1934), Pseudowebbia armifer (Schedl, 1942), P. seriata Browne, 1963, P. squamatilis (Schedl, 1955), P. trepanicauda (Eggers, 1923), P. curvatus (Browne, 1986), Streptocranus bicolor Browne, 1949, S. bicuspis (Eggers, 1940), S. capucinulus (Schedl, 1942), S. forficatus (Schedl, 1957), S. fragilis Browne, 1949, S. longicauda Browne, 1960, S. longispinis Browne, 1986, S. mirabilis Schedl, 1939, S. usagaricus (Eggers, 1922), S. sexdentatus (Eggers, 1940). The characters most useful for generic‐level taxonomy of Xyleborina were identified and their states refined and illustrated. An accompanying illustrated multiple‐entry electronic key for the updated xyleborine classification has been published on‐line at www.scolytid.msu.edu .     

Studies on West Indian Scolytidae (coleoptera) 2. new distribution records and descriptions of a new genus and species

New distribution records for some Scolytidae occurring in the West Indies are presented. Xylebo‐rus solitariceps Schedl is transferred to Theoborus Hopkins. A new genus, Tryponophellos, and a new species, T. necopinus, are described from Cuba.     

中国巢针蓟马属分类记述(缨翅目,蓟马科)

对中国巢针蓟马属Caliothrips Daniel进行了分类记述,描述了1个中国新纪录种——海岛巢针蓟马Caliothrips insularis(Hood)。文中提供了该属属征及种检索表、地理分布及生物学;新纪录种的形态描述、寄主植物、分布、形态特征图和形态照片。研究标本保存于中国科学院动物研究所国家动物博物馆。     

方胫莫蛛新种记述及其与毛笔莫蛛的比较(蜘蛛目,皿蛛科)

记述中国皿蛛科1新纪录属和1新种：莫蛛属Moebelia Dahl,1886,方胫莫蛛 Moebelia rectangula sp.nov.模式标本保存于中国科学院动物研究所,北京. 方胫莫蛛,新种Moebelia rectangula sp.nov.（图1～11） 正模♂,河北嶂石岩, 2005-09-12 ,李枢强采;副模8♀♀,12 ♂♂,河北嶂石岩,李枢强等采; 4♀♀,7♂♂,北京门头沟,王倩等采。 新种与产自芬兰的毛笔莫蛛Moebelia penicillata（图12～22）相近,两者主要区别：前者触肢胫节无毛笔状毛簇;前者触肢前侧胫节突方形,后者锥形;前者超盾片突无三角形片状突起;前者外雌器后缘比后者宽;前者纳精囊之间的距离窄于后者。