Phylogeny of xanthopygine rove beetles (Coleoptera) based on six molecular loci

The rove beetle subtribe Xanthopygina (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Staphylinini) is a species‐rich group of 27 neotropical genera that contains some of the largest and most brightly coloured of all staphylinid beetles. The monophyly of the subtribe has never been tested before, using a large dataset of taxa and genes. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses are used on individual genes (COI, 28S rDNA, wingless, arginine kinase, CAD and topoisomerase I) and the partitioned concatenated dataset to test for monophyly and examine the relationships among Xanthopygina genera. Xanthopygina (excluding Philothalpus) are shown to be a monophyletic group with strong support values. The genus Philothalpus is removed from Xanthopygina and placed in the tribe Staphylinini as incertae sedis. Four distinct clades of Xanthopygina genera are recognized. The origin of Xanthopygina is hypothesized to be in the Late Cretaceous or later and the origin of myrmecophilous adaptations is discussed.     

Phylogeny and historical biogeography of leafhopper subfamily Iassinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) with a revised tribal classification based on morphological and molecular data

Phylogenetic relationships among major lineages of the leafhopper subfamily Iassinae were explored by analysing a dataset of 91 discrete morphological characters and DNA sequence data from nuclear 28S rDNA and histone H3 genes and mitochondrial 12S rDNA. Bayesian, maximum‐likelihood and maximum parsimony analyses yielded similar tree topologies that were well resolved with strong branch support except at the base of the tree, resulting in equivocal support for inclusion of Bythoniini as a tribe of Iassinae but strong support for the monophyly of Iassinae (excluding Bythoniini) and most previously recognized iassine tribes. Divergence times for recovered nodes were estimated using a Bayesian relaxed clock method with two fossil calibration points. The results suggest that the deepest divergences coincided with Gondwanan vicariant events but that more recent divergences resulted from long‐range dispersal and colonization. Biogeographical analyses suggest that the group most likely has a Neotropical origin. The following changes to the taxonomic classification are proposed: establishment of three new tribes, Batracomorphini trib.n. (based on type genus Batracomorphus Lewis), Hoplojassini trib.n. (based on type genus Hoplojassus Dietrich and including one other South American genus), Lipokrisnini trib.n. (based on type genus Lipokrisna Freytag and including two other endemic Caribbean genera); Krisnini is redefined to include only the Old World genera Krisna and Gessius; Iassini is redefined to include only the type genus and four endemic Afrotropical genera; Bascarrhinus Fowler and Platyhynna Berg, recently treated as genera incertae sedis, are placed in Hyalojassini; Thalattoscopus Kirkaldy is added to the previously monobasic tribe Trocnadini. Iassinae now includes 12 tribes, all of which appear to be monophyletic. Revised morphological diagnoses of the subfamily and each of the included tribes are provided and a key to tribes is also given. This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:41295B68‐2DAB‐4C4F‐B260‐F7C054922173 .     

Phylogeny of Adramini (Diptera,Tephritidae) based on integrative evidence

Species of the tribe Adramini (Tephritidae: Trypetinae) are usually slender, and some specific species have eyes borne at the ends of their long stalks. This tribe is mainly distributed in the tropics and subtropics of the Afrotropical, Oriental and Australasian Regions; relatively few species occur in the Palearctic and Nearctic Regions. The phylogeny of the tribe Adramini is presented here based on analysis of morphological and molecular information (DNA sequences of nuclear 28S rDNA, mitochondrial COI and COII, and 16S rDNA genes) for its representative species in most genera. Three monophyletic groups (Adrama‐com‐group, Pelmatops‐com‐group and Dimeringophrys‐com‐group) were discovered in the combined morphological and molecular tree. The results showed moderate support for the monophyly of Adramini and strong support for most of its genera. However, Euphranta appears to be polyphyletic. Sapadrama, Celidodacus and Euphranta are basal taxon, and Coelopacidia, Soita and Trypanophion are closely related to the stalk‐eyed fruit flies (Pelmatops + Pseudopelmatops). A hypothesis regarding the morphology–function relationships for two main groups of Adramini (Adrama‐group and Pelmatops‐group) with different evolving probabilities is inferred. Sapadrama is proposed be removed from Adramini; a new genus, Ichneumonomacula Chen gen. n. and a new species Ichneumonmacula wangyongi Chen sp. n., are recognized and described, and a key to recognize the genera of Adramini around the world is provided.     

PHYLOGENY OF THE HYDRODICTYACEAE (CHLOROPHYCEAE): INFERENCES FROM rDNA DATA1

The hydrodictyacean green algal lineage has been the focus of much research due to the fossil record of at least some members, their ornamented cell walls, and their distinctive reproductive strategies. The phylogeny of the family was, until recently, exclusively morphology based. This investigation examines hydrodictyacean isolates from several culture collections, focusing on sequences from ribosomal data: 18S rDNA, 26S rDNA (partial), and internal transcribed spacer (ITS)‐2 data. Results from phylogenetic analyses of independent and combined data matrices support the Hydrodictyaceae as a monophyletic lineage that includes isolates of Chlorotetraedron, Hydrodictyon, Pediastrum, Sorastrum, and Tetraedron. Phylogenetic analyses of rDNA data indicate that the three‐dimensional coenobium of Hydrodictyon is evolutionarily distinct from the three‐dimensional coenobium of Sorastrum. The more robust aspects of the ITS‐2 data corroborate the 18S+26S rDNA topology and provide a structural autapomorphy for the Hydrodictyaceae and Neochloridaceae, that is, an abridgment of helix IV in the secondary structure. The rDNA data do not support monophyly of Pediastrum but rather suggest the existence of four additional hydrodictyacean genera: Monactinus, Parapediastrum, Pseudopediastrum, and Stauridium.     

Molecular phylogeny of Entomobrya (Collembola: Entomobryidae) from China: Color pattern groups and multiple origins

Highly diversified colorations among springtails (Collembola) have been widely used for species diagnosis, but their phylogenetic significance is poorly known. We addressed this issue in the largest Entomobryinae genus Entomobrya, which possesses variable color patterns among species. The relationships within the genus and to other genera have also rarely been studied. Based on material mainly from China, we have conducted a multilocus phylogeny and topology tests with likelihood and Bayesian algorithms, and accordingly demonstrated the non-monophyly of Chinese Entomobrya. The division of five clades, including Entomobrya and several related genera, coincided well with five types of colorations, respectively. Further analyses of divergence time and historical biogeography revealed that Chinese Entomobrya originated mainly from Palearctic (northern and western) China in the Paleocene and Eocene. This study highlights the great phylo? genetic values as well as taxonomic uses of coloration in Chinese Entomobrya. Multiple phylogenetic and biogeographic origins of Entomobrya imply its complicated relationships with both scaled and unsealed genera of Entomobryinae.     

Phylogeny of split‐footed lacewings (Neuroptera,Nymphidae), with descriptions of new Cretaceous fossil species from China

A phylogeny of the lacewing family Nymphidae based on morphology and DNA sequences is presented including representatives of all living genera and selected fossil genera. Widely distributed Jurassic and Cretaceous genera gave rise to recent taxa now restricted to Australasia. Two previously defined clades (i.e. Nymphinae and Myiodactylinae) were recovered and reflect the diverging adult and larval morphology of members of these two subfamilies. From Chinese Cretaceous deposits, a new genus (Spilonymphes gen. nov.) is described with one new species, as well as new species described in the genera Baissoleon Makarkin and Sialium Westwood.     

Monophyly of Euaesthetinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae): phylogenetic evidence from adults and larvae,review of austral genera,and new larval descriptions

Abstract We develop a morphological dataset for the rove beetle subfamily Euaesthetinae comprising 167 morphological characters (135 adult and 32 larval) scored from 30 terminal taxa including 25 ingroup terminals (from subfamilies Euaesthetinae and Steninae) and five outgroups. Four maximum parsimony analyses using different sets of terminals and character sets were run to test the monophyly of (1) Euaesthetinae, (2) Steninae, (3) Euaesthetinae + Steninae, (4) euaesthetine tribes Austroesthetini, Alzadaesthetini, Euaesthetini, Fenderiini and Stenaesthetini, and (5) the ten currently known austral endemic genera together. Analyses of adult and larval character sets separately and in combination recovered the monophyly of Euaesthetinae, Steninae, and both subfamilies together, with strong support. Analysis of 13 ingroup terminals for which complete data were available suggests that monophyly of Euaesthetinae is supported by 19 synapomorphies (13 adult, six larval), of Steninae by 23 synapomorphies (14 adult, nine larval), and of both subfamilies together by 24 synapomorphies (21 adult, three larval). Within Euaesthetinae, only the tribe Stenaesthetini was recovered as monophyletic based on adult characters, and in no analyses were the ten austral endemic genera recovered as a monophyletic group. Phylogenetic relationships among euaesthetine genera were weakly supported, although analyses including adult characters supported monophyly of Octavius and Protopristus separately, and of Octavius + Protopristus, Austroesthetus + Chilioesthetus and Edaphus + Euaesthetus. Steninae may include a third genus comprising two undescribed species probably possessing a ‘stick–capture’ method of prey capture, similar to that in Stenus. These two species formed a strongly supported clade recovered as the sister group of Stenus based on adult characters. Diagnoses and a key to adults are provided for the 15 euaesthetine genera currently known from the austral region (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and southern South America). Euaesthetine larvae previously were known only for Euaesthetus, and we describe the larvae of nine more genera and provide the first larval identification key for genera of Euaesthetinae.     

Mitochondrial phylogenomics,the origin of swallowtail butterflies,and the impact of the number of clocks in Bayesian molecular dating

Swallowtail butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) have been instrumental in understanding many foundational concepts in biology; despite this, a resolved and robust phylogeny of the group has been a major impediment to elucidating patterns and processes of their ecological and evolutionary history. This study presents a mitogenomic, time‐calibrated phylogeny for all swallowtail genera. A shotgun sequencing approach was performed to obtain 32 complete mitogenomes that were added to available butterfly mitogenomes, resulting in a dataset including 142 butterfly taxa (and four outgroups) representing all butterfly families. Phylogenetic analyses were carried out under maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inferences (BIs) with alternative partitioning strategies and the mixture (CAT) model. To test competing hypotheses about the systematics of Papilionidae, such as the enigmatic position of Baronia brevicornis or the status of the tribe Teinopalpini, we estimated the marginal likelihood of alternative topologies and computed Bayes factors. Estimates of divergence times were assessed using a Bayesian relaxed‐clock approach calibrated with six fossils while testing for the number of clocks. The results recovered a well‐resolved and supported phylogeny confirming that Baroniinae is sister to Parnassiinae + Papilioninae, both recovered as monophyletic. It also laid the foundations for classification at tribe and genus level, suggesting that the tribe Teinopalpini only contains the genus Teinopalpus (Meandrusa being sister to Papilio ). The number of molecular clocks in dating analyses had a significant impact on divergence times. A single clock recovered an origin of butterflies in the Cretaceous (98, 66–188 Ma) and also for swallowtails (85, 55–163 Ma), while partitioning the clocks yielded an origin of Papilionoidea in the very Late Cretaceous (71, 64–86 Ma), and all butterfly families originated in the aftermath of the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction. These results challenge previous studies suggesting that butterflies appeared in the Early Cretaceous, 110 Ma, concurrently with the rise of angiosperms.     

CRYPTOMONAD EVOLUTION: NUCLEAR 18S rDNA PHYLOGENY VERSUS CELL MORPHOLOGY AND PIGMENTATION1

A nuclear18S rDNA phylogeny for cryptomonad algae is presented, including 11 species yet to be investigated by molecular means. The phylogenetic positions of the cryptomonad genera Campylomonas and Plagioselmis are assessed for the first time. Campylomonas groups most closely with morphologically similar species with the same accessory pigment from the genus Cryptomonas. Plagioselmis groups with the genera Teleaulax and Geminigera forming a clade whose members are united by unusual thylakoid arrangement. Nuclear 18S rDNA phylogeny divides cryptomonads into seven major lineages, two of which consist of the monospecific genera Proteomonas and Falcomonas. Analysis of nuclear18S rDNA sequence supports suggestions that a Falcomonas‐like cryptomonad gave rise to all other blue‐green cryptomonads. New sequence from the plastid‐lacking cryptomonad genus Goniomonas is also included, and the order of divergence of the major cryptomonad lineages is discussed. The morphology, number, and pigmentation of the cryptomonad plastidial complex are congruent with nuclear 18S rDNA phylogenies. Host cell features, such as periplast type, furrow/gullet system, and cell shape, can be more variable and may be markedly different in species that are closely related by nuclear 18S rDNA phylogeny. Conversely, some species that are not closely related by molecular phylogeny may display a very similar, possibly primitive, periplast and furrow morphology.     

The first Ironomyiidae from mid‐Cretaceous Burmese amber provides insights into the phylogeny of Phoroidea (Diptera: Cyclorrhapha)

Macalpinomyia jiewenae gen. et sp.n. is described from the mid‐Cretaceous (～99 Ma) amber of Myanmar. Macalpinomyia jiewenae is the first Oriental representative of the enigmatic family Ironomyiidae (Diptera: Phoroidea), currently known from a single extant genus restricted to southeastern Australia, plus a monotypic genus from Canadian amber and three controversial genera based on impression fossils from China, Mongolia and Russia. A phylogenetic analysis of all Phoroidea families, including all ironomyiid extant and extinct genera, corroborates the monophyly of Ironomyiidae, and Macalpinomyia gen.n. is assigned to the subfamily Sinolestinae. Cretonomyiinae subfam.n. , is erected to accommodate the basal lineage of Ironomyiidae. Lebambromyia acrai Grimaldi & Cumming, previously placed in Ironomyiidae, is supported as an early branching lineage of Platypezidae. Our topology proposes that Ironomyiidae is sister to the remaining Phoroidea. The phylogenetic results, in combination with the fossil ages and relevant molecular divergence time analysis, suggests that Ironomyiidae probably originated at least in the Berriasian of the Early Cretaceous (～140 Ma). This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5DFFC944‐1350‐418E‐BCDC‐BB87FC013D5D .     

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     

Phylogeny,classification and evolution of the water scavenger beetle tribe Hydrobiusini inferred from morphology and molecules (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Hydrophilinae)

The water scavenger beetle tribe Hydrobiusini contains 47 species in eight genera distributed worldwide. Most species of the tribe are aquatic, although several species are known to occur in waterfalls or tree mosses. Some members of the tribe are known to communicate via underwater stridulation. While recent morphological and molecular‐based phylogenies have affirmed the monophyly of the tribe as currently circumscribed, doubts remain about the monophyly of included genera. Here we use morphological and molecular data to infer a species‐level phylogeny of the Hydrobiusini. The monophyly of the tribe is decisively supported, as is the monophyly of most genera. The genus Hydrobius was found to be polyphyletic, and as a result the genus Limnohydrobius stat. rev. is removed from synonymy with Hydrobius, yielding three new combinations: L. melaenus comb.n. , L. orientalis comb.n. , and L. tumbius comb.n. Recent changes to the species‐level taxonomy of Hydrobius are reviewed. The morphology of the stridulatory apparatus has undergone a single remarkable transformation within the lineage, from a simple, unmodified pars stridens to one that is highly organized and complex. We present an updated key to genera, revised generic diagnoses and a list of the known distributions for all species within the tribe.     

Evolution of Philopotinae,with a revision and phylogeny of the New World spider fly genus Philopota Wiedemann (Diptera,Acroceridae)

Philopotinae are hunchbacked spider flies represented by 63 fossil and extant species in 15 genera worldwide. Philopota Wiedemann, 1830, is the most species‐rich genus within the subfamily. Here, the evolution of Philopotinae is discussed, and a revision and phylogeny of Philopota based on adult morphology are presented. Nine of the 12 extant Philopotinae genera were included in our analysis, and 22 species were recognized in Philopota, of which 13 are described as new. Seven new synonymies are proposed. The phylogenetic analysis included 33 terminal taxa (22 ingroup and 11 outgroup species) and used 53 morphological characters, resulting in a single most parsimonious tree under equal weights. The monophyly of Philopota is recovered, and the Palaearctic genus Oligoneura is hypothesized as its sister‐group.     

The systematic position of Ergasticus (Decapoda,Brachyura) and allied genera,a molecular and morphological approach

The complete larval series (zoea I, zoea II and megalopa) of the crab Ergasticus clouei is described and illustrated based on plankton samples from Mediterranean waters. The zoea II and megalopal stages, previously unknown, are described here for the first time. Nucleotide sequence analysis of two gene regions (16S rDNA and Cox1 genes) confirmed the assignment of these larvae to Ergasticus clouei. The molecular analyses and the morphology of the larval stages revealed large differences between Ergasticus and Inachus, the type genus of the family Inachidae. In fact, E. clouei larvae presented a series of morphological characters, such as antennal shape and mouthparts setation pattern that placed them closer to the family Oregoniidae. The phylogenetic analyses also showed significant support for the monophyly of the Oregoniidae + Ergasticus group. The data argue for removal of Ergasticus and the related genera (Bothromaia, Pleisticanthoides, Parapleisticantha and Pleistacantha) from the Inachidae and their placement within the Oregoniidae as a separate subfamily, Pleistacanthinae ?tev?i?, 2005. Our results demonstrate that larval stages provide reliable morphological traits, independent from those of adults, to help resolving relationships among Majoidea genera.     

Phylogeography of the Indo‐West Pacific maskrays (Dasyatidae,Neotrygon): a complex example of chondrichthyan radiation in the Cenozoic

Maskrays of the genus Neotrygon (Dasyatidae) have dispersed widely in the Indo‐West Pacific being represented largely by an assemblage of narrow‐ranging coastal endemics. Phylogenetic reconstruction methods reproduced nearly identical and statistically robust topologies supporting the monophyly of the genus Neotrygon within the family Dasyatidae, the genus Taeniura being consistently basal to Neotrygon, and Dasyatis being polyphyletic to the genera Taeniurops and Pteroplatytrygon. The Neotrygon kuhlii complex, once considered to be an assemblage of color variants of the same biological species, is the most derived and widely dispersed subgroup of the genus. Mitochondrial (COI, 16S) and nuclear (RAG1) phylogenies used in synergy with molecular dating identified paleoclimatic fluctuations responsible for periods of vicariance and dispersal promoting population fragmentation and speciation in Neotrygon. Signatures of population differentiation exist in N. ningalooensis and N. annotata, yet a large‐scale geological event, such as the collision between the Australian and Eurasian Plates, coupled with subsequent sea‐level falls, appears to have separated a once homogeneous population of the ancestral form of N. kuhlii into southern Indian Ocean and northern Pacific taxa some 4–16 million years ago. Repeated climatic oscillations, and the subsequent establishment of land and shallow sea connections within and between Australia and parts of the Indo‐Malay Archipelago, have both promoted speciation and established zones of secondary contact within the Indian and Pacific Ocean basins.     

ELLIPTOCHLORIS MARINA SP. NOV. (TREBOUXIOPHYCEAE,CHLOROPHYTA), SYMBIOTIC GREEN ALGA OF THE TEMPERATE PACIFIC SEA ANEMONES ANTHOPLEURA XANTHOGRAMMICA AND A. ELEGANTISSIMA (ANTHOZOA,CNIDARIA)1

Symbiotic green algae from two species of intertidal Pacific sea anemones, Anthopleura elegantissima and Anthopleura xanthogrammica, were collected from the northeastern Pacific coast of North America across the known range of the symbiont. Freshly isolated Anthopleura symbionts were used for both morphological and molecular analyses because Anthopleura symbiont cultures were not available. Light and transmission electron microscopy supported previous morphological studies, showing the symbionts consist of spherical unicells from 5 to 10 μm in diameter, with numerous vesicles, and a single bilobed chloroplast. Pyrenoids were not seen in LM, but a thylakoid‐free area was observed in TEM, consistent with previous findings. Many algal cells extracted from fresh anemone tissue were observed in the process of division, producing two autospores within a maternal cell wall. The morphology of the green symbionts matches that of Elliptochloris Tscherm.‐Woess. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of the nuclear SSU rDNA and the plastid encoded gene for the large subunit of RUBISCO (rbcL) support the monophyly of these green algal symbionts, regardless of host species and geographic origin. Phylogenetically, sequences of the Anthopleura symbionts are nested within the genus Elliptochloris and are distinct from sequences of all other Elliptochloris spp. examined. Given the ecological and phylogenetic distinctions among the green algal symbionts in Anthopleura spp. and the named species of Elliptochloris, we designate the green algal symbionts as a new species, Elliptochloris marina (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta).     

A molecular timescale for the evolution of the African freshwater fish family Kneriidae (Teleostei: Gonorynchiformes)

We re-examine the phylogenetic relationships of the family Kneriidae using whole mitogenome sequences across all four kneriid genera including the two recently recognized species of Cromeria (C. nilotica and C. occidentalis), and we provide a timescale to discuss the evolution of the family. The resulting phylogeny supports the monophyly of the family Kneriidae and the monophyly of the genus Cromeria. The two Cromeria species exhibit large genetic divergence (18.2%) that is comparable to those between Grasseichthys gabonensis and each two Cromeria species (16.9 and 19.0%). The three paedomorphic kneriid species (C. occidentalis, C. nilotica and G. gabonensis) do not form a monophyletic group, but the alternative hypothesis in which they are monophyletic cannot be statistically rejected. Two alternative relaxed molecular-clock Bayesian analyses, differing on how we time-calibrated the phylogenetic tree using the fossil record, support a Late Jurassic or Late Cretaceous origin of the African freshwater gonorynchiforms. The early diversification of the family Kneriidae is concomitant with the reductions or loss of several morphological characters that took place in a relatively short time interval of about 12–21 million years either during the Eocene or at the end of the Late Cretaceous.     

Molecular Phylogeny of the Family Ophryscolecidae (Ciliophora,Litostomatea) Inferred from 18S rDNA Sequences

The 18S rDNA was used to infer oral ciliature patterns of evolution within the family Ophryoscolecidae, with the addition of five new sequences of ciliates from the genus Ostracodinium. Our data confirmed the monophyly of the subfamilies Entodiniinae and Ophryoscolecinae, but more analysis would be required for the definition of the status of the subfamily Diplodiniinae. The oral infraciliature patterns reflect evolutionary divergence in the family Ophryscolecidae, observing monophyly on Entodinium‐type, Diplodinium‐type, Ostracodinium‐type, Epidinium‐type, and Ophryoscolex‐type. The ancestral infraciliature of Entodinium‐type cannot be proven, however, the position of Entodinium‐type showed closer of Diplodinium‐type than Ophryoscolex‐type, corroborating previous studies using morphological characters. The observed inconsistencies reflect the need to increase the number of 18S rDNA sequences to family Ophryoscolecidae and investigate the evolution of this group using other molecular markers.     

A new genus of mantidflies discovered in the Oriental region,with a higher‐level phylogeny of Mantispidae (Neuroptera) using DNA sequences and morphology

A remarkable new genus and two new species of Mantispidae (Neuroptera) are described from the Oriental region. Allomantispa Liu, Wu, Winterton & Ohl gen.n. , currently including A. tibetana Liu, Wu & Winterton sp.n. and A. mirimaculata Liu & Ohl sp.n. The new genus is placed in the subfamily Drepanicinae based on a series of morphological characteristics and on the results of total evidence phylogenetic analyses. Bayesian and Parsimony analyses were undertaken using three gene loci (CAD, 16S rDNA and COI) combined with 74 morphological characters from living and fossil exemplars of Mantispidae (17 genera), Rhachiberothidae (two genera) and Berothidae (five genera), with outgroup taxa from Dilaridae and Osmylidae. The resultant phylogeny presented here recovered a monophyletic Mantispidae with ?Mesomantispinae sister to the rest of the family. Relationships among Mantispidae, Rhachiberothidae and Berothidae support Rhachiberothidae as a separate family sister to Mantispidae. Within Mantispidae, Drepanicinae are a monophyletic clade sister to Calomantispinae and Mantispinae. In a combined analysis, Allomantispa gen.n. was recovered in a clade comprising Ditaxis McLachlan from Australia, and two fossil genera from the Palaearctic, ?Promantispa Panfilov (Kazakhstan; late Jurassic) and ?Liassochrysa Ansorge & Schlüter (Germany; Jurassic), suggesting a highly disjunct and relictual distribution for the family. This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:464B06E8‐47E6‐482E‐8136‐83FE3B2E9D6B .     

The ant subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): phylogeny and evolution of big-eyed arboreal ants

Abstract. The ant subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae comprises three genera of hyperoptic, arboreal ants, widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions: Pseudomyrmex (∼200 species, New World), Myrcidris (two species, South America) and Tetraponera (∼100 species, Palaeotropics). The phylogenetic relationships among these ants were investigated using DNA sequence data (∼5.2 kb from 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, wingless, abdominal-A, and long-wavelength rhodopsin genes) and 144 morphological characters, both separately and in combination. Data were gathered from a representative set of forty-nine pseudomyrmecine species, plus eighteen species from various outgroups. There was substantial agreement among the results obtained from different datasets, and from different methods of phylogenetic inference (parsimony, Bayesian inference). The monophyly of the following groups is strongly supported (100% bootstrap support and 1.00 posterior probability in the molecular dataset): Pseudomyrmecinae, Pseudomyrmex, and Pseudomyrmex + Myrcidris. The status of the genus Tetraponera is less clear: the DNA sequence data indicate that the genus is paraphyletic, but morphological features and a unique insertion in the 28S gene support the monophyly of this taxon. Seven of nine Pseudomyrmex species groups, established previously on the basis of morphology alone, are strongly upheld, but monophyly is rejected for the P. pallens group and the P. viduus group. In the latter case, molecular evidence indicates the existence of two independent clades, associated with the ant-plants Triplaris and Tachigali, respectively, whose convergent morphological features had caused them to be placed erroneously in the same species group. The present results confirm an earlier assertion that obligate associations with domatia-bearing plants have arisen at least twelve times in the subfamily. Molecular and morphological data support the hypothesis of a sister-group relationship between Pseudomyrmecinae and Myrmeciinae (84% parsimony bootstrap, combined dataset), which implies a Cretaceous origin of the stem-group pseudomyrmecines in the southern hemisphere. Pseudomyrmecines appear to have arisen in the Palaeotropics and later dispersed from Africa to South America, where they experienced a pronounced burst of diversification.