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Several recent studies have detected and described complexes of cryptic and sibling species in the genus Merodon (Diptera, Syrphidae). One representative of these complexes is the Merodon avidus complex that contains four sibling species, which have proven difficult to distinguish using traditional morphological characters. In the present study, we use two geometric morphometric approaches, as well as molecular characters of the 5’-end of the mtDNA COI gene, to delimit sibling taxa. Analyses based on these data were used to strengthen species boundaries within the complex, and to validate the status of a previously-recognized cryptic taxon from Lesvos Island (Greece), here described as Merodon megavidus Vujić & Radenković sp. nov. Geometric morphometric results of both wing and surstylus shape confirm the present classification for three sibling species-M. avidus (Rossi, 1790), M. moenium Wiedemann in Meigen, 1822 and M. ibericus Vujić, 2015-and, importantly, clearly discriminate the newly-described taxon Merodon megavidus sp. nov. In addition to our geometric morphometric results, supporting characters were obtained from molecular analyses of mtDNA COI sequences, which clearly differentiated M. megavidus sp. nov. from the other members of the M. avidus complex. Molecular analyses revealed that the earliest divergence of M. ibericus occurred around 800 ky BP, while the most recent separation happened between M. avidus and M. moenium around 87 ky BP.
Paramacrobiotus bengalensis sp. nov. was discovered in a moss sample collected from a tree in West Bengal, India. We describe this new species using detailed morphological and morphometric data obtained from phase contrast microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, along with molecular and phylogenetic data analyses. Due to the presence of a cap-like structure at the distal portion of egg processes, the new species showed the highest similarity with Paramacrobiotus garynahi (Kaczmarek, Michalczyk & Diduszko, 2005), Paramacrobiotus alekseevi (Tumanov, 2005), Paramacrobiotus filipi Dudziak, Stec & Michalczyk, 2020, Paramacrobiotus sagani Daza, Caicedo, Lisi & Quiroga, 2017, Paramacrobiotus vanescens (Pilato, Binda & Catanzaro, 1991) and Paramacrobiotus gadabouti Kayastha, Stec, Mioduchowska & Kaczmarek, 2023. However, it can be differentiated from them by some morphological and morphometric characteristics. The genetic data corroborated our phenotypic outcome further supporting the new species hypothesis.
A new species of Bathynellidae is described from Colorado (USA). Hobbsinella gunnisonensis Camacho & Taylor sp. nov. displays a unique combination of morphological characters including seven-segmented antenna lacking medial seta on exopod, antennule slightly longer than antenna, three-segmented mandibular palp, four articles on endopod of thoracopods I to VII and five spines on sympod and three spines on endopod of the uropods. Partial sequences of cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and 18S have been obtained from several specimens of the new species. The mitocondrial and nuclear DNA data complement the traditional morphological taxonomic description support the validity of the new species. Molecular data for the Bathynellidae demonstrate the presence of two highly divergent genetic units, with the new species placed in the genus Hobbsinella. With the description of Hobbsinella gunnisonensis Camacho & Taylor sp. nov. and its molecular characterization, we discovered an interesting distribution of the genus, which occurs in both sides of the Continental Divide (Texas and Colorado) and different habitats.
Flesh flies (Sarcophagidae) are necrophagous insects initially colonizing on a corpse. The species-specific developmental data of the flies collected from a death scene can be used to estimate the minimum postmortem interval (PMImin). Thus, the first crucial step is to correctly identify the fly species. Because of the high similarity among species of flesh flies, DNA-based identification is considered more favorable than morphology-based identification. In this study, we demonstrated the effectiveness of combined sequences (2216 to 2218 bp) of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and II genes (COI and COII) for identification of the following 14 forensically important flesh fly species in Thailand: Boettcherisca nathani Lopes, Fengia ostindicae (Senior-White), Harpagophalla kempi (Senior-White), Liopygia ruficornis (Fabricius), Lioproctia pattoni (Senior-White), Lioproctia saprianovae (Pape & Bänziger), Parasarcophaga albiceps (Meigen), Parasarcophaga brevicornis (Ho), Parasarcophaga dux (Thomson), Parasarcophaga misera (Walker), Sarcorohdendorfia antilope (Böttcher), Sarcorohdendorfia inextricata (Walker), Sarcorohdendorfia seniorwhitei (Ho) and Seniorwhitea princeps (Wiedemann). Nucleotide variations of Thai flesh flies were evenly distributed throughout the COI-COII genes. Mean intra- and interspecific variations ranged from 0.00 to 0.96% and 5.22% to 12.31%, respectively. Using Best Match (BM) and Best Close Match (BCM) criteria, identification success for the combined genes was 100%, while the All Species Barcodes (ASB) criterion showed 76.74% success. Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference (BI) phylogenetic analyses yielded similar tree topologies of monophyletic clades between species with very strong support values. The achieved sequences covering 14 forensically important flesh fly species including newly submitted sequences for B. nathani, F. ostindicae and S. seniorwhitei, can serve as a reliable reference database for further forensic entomological research in Thailand and in other areas where those species occur.
Three new species of Kynotus from the Central Highlands of Madagascar (Clitellata, Megadrili)
(2017)
The earthworm fauna of Madagascar is scarcely known. A recently launched exploration of the soil fauna (“Global Change and Soil Macrofauna Diversity in Madagascar”) resulted in the discovery of six new earthworm species belonging to the Malagasy endemic family Kynotidae. The success of the collecting campaign carried out between 2008 and 2011 inspired a new exploration of the earthworm fauna across the Central Highland Region of the island in the spring of 2015. During this expedition, two new species of Kynotus, K. ankisiranus sp. nov. and K. voimmanus sp. nov., were discovered. Barcoding of the recently collected species of Kynotus revealed that the unpigmented worms referred previously to K. alaotranus Michaelsen, 1897 also represented a new, still undescribed species, K. blancharti sp. nov.
In this study, we examine 500 specimens of Anaplecta collected from China, of which 26 samples were used for COI sequencing. We confirm eight new species, i.e., Anaplecta corneola Deng & Che sp. nov., Anaplecta staminiformis Deng & Che sp. nov., Anaplecta arcuata Deng & Che sp. nov., Anaplecta strigata Deng & Che sp. nov., Anaplecta furcata Deng & Che sp. nov., Anaplecta cruciata Deng & Che sp. nov., Anaplecta nigra Deng & Che sp. nov. and Anaplecta bicolor Deng & Che sp. nov. based on morphological and molecular data using ABGD and GMYC analyses. The results of ABGD and GMYC were basically consistent with the morphospecies of Anaplecta. The intraspecific and interspecific genetic distances of Anaplecta ranged from 0 to 6.6% and 16.8% to 31.8%, respectively. We found the male genitalia of Anaplecta to exhibit intraspecific variation, especially in the phallomeres.
Drepanosticta kosterini sp. nov. (holotype ♂, from Gunung Penrissen, Kuching Division, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, deposited in RMNH) is described from both sexes. It is the sister species of D. actaeon Laidlaw, 1934; a fresh description of the male of D. actaeon and the first description of the female are given, along with discussion of variation in this species. Both D. actaeon and D. kosterini are considered to belong to a species group also including D. rufostigma (Selys, 1886) and a preliminary discussion of variation in this species is given, along with illustrations of both sexes. A neighbour joining COI gene tree for D. actaeon and D. kosterini is presented. The relationships of D. actaeon, D. kosterini and D. rufostigma to other members of the Platystictidae are briefly discussed.
Records of Odonata from Gunung Melatai, Nanga Gaat and the Kastima Logging area, all in Sarawak’s Kapit Division, are presented. The most notable records are of Matronoides cyaneipennis Förster, 1897 and Heliogomphus blandulus Lieftinck, 1929. A distribution map for Matronoides cyaneipennis and updated distribution maps for three species from the Coeliccia borneensisgroup are given. Tentative identifications to species of previously published records of Idionyx females are given. The genus Heliogomphus in Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore is reviewed and a simple one marker molecular analysis is presented for the genus in this region. Based on reexamination of specimens from the genus and the molecular results, an additional member of the genus is reported from Borneo: H. sp. cf olivaceus Lieftinck, 1961. Although both morphological and molecular results remain incomplete, it does appear likely that there is at least one more species of Heliogomphus present in Borneo than has been recognised until now, and that H. borneensis Lieftinck, 1964 may be a junior synonym of H. kelantanensis (Laidlaw, 1902).
The small conoidean Hemilienardia ocellata is one of the easily recognizable Indo-Pacific “turrids”, primarily because of its remarkable eyespot colour pattern. Morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed four species that share this “characteristic” colour pattern but demonstrate consistent differences in size and shell proportions. Three new species – Hemilienardia acinonyx sp. nov. from the Philippines, H. lynx sp. nov. from Papua New Guinea and H. pardus sp. nov. from the Society and Loyalty Islands – are described based on the results of phylogenetic analyses. Although the H. ocellata species complex clade falls in a monophyletic Hemilienardia, H. ocellata and H. acinonyx sp. nov. possess a radula with semi-enrolled or notably flattened triangular marginal teeth, a condition that diverges substantially from the standard radular morphology of Hemilienardia and other raphitomids.
A new genus and species, Richerius marqueti gen. et sp. nov., of a crab of the family Hymenosomatidae MacLeay, 1838 are described from the inland waters of New Caledonia based on several specimens collected in two streams at altitudes of 180 m and 500 m, respectively. Richerius marqueti gen. et sp. nov. was compared to the other freshwater species known in New Caledonia, Odiomaris pilosus (A. Milne-Edwards, 1873), and to species of Amarinus Lucas, 1980, a genus comprising many freshwater species in New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea, but never recorded in New Caledonia. The barcode fragment of the COI mitochondrial gene was sequenced for seven specimens of R. marqueti gen. et sp. nov., and all sequences were deposited in GenBank. A brief and updated review of the New Caledonian marine and freshwater hymenosmatid fauna is provided.