Refine
Year of publication
Document Type
- Article (18)
- Part of Periodical (18)
Language
- English (36)
Has Fulltext
- yes (36)
Is part of the Bibliography
- no (36)
Keywords
- DNA barcoding (36) (remove)
Platystasius transversus (Thomson) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) is a rarely collected egg parasitoid of Leptura aurulenta Fabricius (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Four female specimens were found in Germany, a new country record for the genus and species. Illustrations, DNA barcodes, and an updated distribution are provided. We review its taxonomic history, biology, and ecological associations.
Background: The angiosperm family Bromeliaceae comprises over 3.500 species characterized by exceptionally high morphological and ecological diversity, but a very low genetic variation. In many genera, plants are vegetatively very similar which makes determination of non flowering bromeliads difficult. This is particularly problematic with living collections where plants are often cultivated over decades without flowering. DNA barcoding is therefore a very promising approach to provide reliable and convenient assistance in species determination. However, the observed low genetic variation of canonical barcoding markers in bromeliads causes problems.
Result. In this study the low-copy nuclear gene Agt1 is identified as a novel DNA barcoding marker suitable for molecular identification of closely related bromeliad species. Combining a comparatively slowly evolving exon sequence with an adjacent, genetically highly variable intron, correctly matching MegaBLAST based species identification rate was found to be approximately double the highest rate yet reported for bromeliads using other barcode markers.
Conclusion. In the present work, we characterize Agt1 as a novel plant DNA barcoding marker to be used for barcoding of bromeliads, a plant group with low genetic variation. Moreover, we provide a comprehensive marker sequence dataset for further use in the bromeliad research community.
Two new species of Leptanilloides are described: L. copalinga Delsinne & Donoso sp. nov. and L. prometea Delsinne & Donoso sp. nov., based on workers collected in the leaf litter and soil of the Andes of southern Ecuador. Both species belong to the L. biconstricta species-group (formally diagnosed here). The metatibial gland, considered a synapomorphy for Dorylinae, is observed in L. prometea sp. nov. but seems absent in L. copalinga sp. nov. We provide a COI DNA barcode for both species and a revised key for the worker caste of all known species in the genus. We also describe a single male identified as a potential new Leptanilloides species on the basis of morphology. Furthermore, its mitochondrial COI gene sequence does not match any previously barcoded species. However, we refrain from giving it a specific name because of our lack of knowledge about the worker caste. So far, half of the 14 Leptanilloides species have been discovered above 1500 m in the mountain forests or páramos of the Ecuadorian Andes, confirming, if needed, the biological significance of these threatened habitats.
This paper describes five new Ceratitis species from the eastern and southern parts of the Afrotropical Region: C. (Pterandrus) quilicii De Meyer, Mwatawala & Virgilio sp. nov.; C. (Ceratalaspis) pallidula De Meyer, Mwatawala & Virgilio sp. nov.; C. (Ceratalaspis) taitaensis De Meyer & Copeland sp. nov.; C. (Ceratalaspis) sawahilensis De Meyer & Virgilio sp. nov.; and C. (Ceratalaspis) flavipennata De Meyer & Virgilio sp. nov. Their relationships with closely allied species within their respective subgenera are discussed where appropriate, and diagnostic characters are given. DNA barcodes are provided for all new species. In addition, the hitherto unknown male of C. (Pardalaspis) serrata De Meyer, 1996 is described, based on material collected in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Recognition of these new species and sexes is the result of an integrative approach using morphological characters and DNA data.
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 the southwest of Sri Aman Division and the extreme east of Serian Division in Sarawak are presented. The sampled areas are interesting not only because they are poorly known for Odonata but also because many are just to the south and west of the Lupar Line which is a division between the ancient Sunda shelf and more recent geological formations. Differences between the odonate faunas on either side of the Lupar Line are discussed. Eightyfive species of Odonata were recorded during the surveys reported on. The single most notable record is that of Coeliccia southwelli Dow & Reels, 2011, which represents a considerable extension to the known range of this species. Other interesting records include Telosticta dupophila (Lieftinck, 1933), T. species cf longigaster Dow & Orr, 2012, Podolestes parvus Dow & Ngiam, 2019 and Heliogomphus species cf olivaceous Lieftinck, 1961. Variation in the markings of Stenagrion dubium (Laidlaw, 1912) across its range is discussed and a gene tree using the COI marker is presented to illustrate the high variability of this species in this marker. However the variability in COI does not appear to be correlated with other characters.
We recognize and review 40 species of Chlamydastis Meyrick, 1916 (Lepidoptera: Depressariidae) from Costa Rica, including four previously described (i.e., C. vividella (Busck, 1914), revived status; C. phytoptera (Busck, 1914); C. orion Busck, 1920; and C. ungulifera (Meyrick, 1929)) and 36 new species: C. abelulatei Phillips and Brown, new species; C. carolinagodoyae Phillips and Brown, new species; C. angelsolisi Phillips and Brown, new species; C. lindapitkinae Phillips and Brown, new species; C. iangauldi Phillips and Brown, new species; C. anniapicadoae Phillips and Brown, new species; C. antonioazofeifai Phillips and Brown, new species; C. mignondavisae Phillips and Brown, new species; C. marianofigueresi Phillips and Brown, new species; C. colleenhitchcockae Phillips and Brown, new species; C. bernardoespinozai Phillips and Brown, new species; C. bobandersoni Phillips and Brown, new species; C. carlosviquezi Phillips and Brown, new species; C. christerhanssoni Phillips and Brown, new species; C. christhompsoni Phillips and Brown, new species; C. paulhansoni Phillips and Brown, new species; C. elenaulateae Phillips and Brown, new species; C. gladysrojasae Phillips and Brown, new species; C. powelli Phillips and Brown, new species; C. gracewoodae Phillips and Brown, new species; C. juanmatai Phillips and Brown, new species; C. isidrochaconi Phillips and Brown, new species; C. jimlewisi Phillips and Brown, new species; C. jimmilleri Phillips and Brown, new species; C. montywoodi Phillips and Brown, new species; C. johnnoyesi Phillips and Brown, new species; C. luisdiegogomezi Phillips and Brown, new species; C. paulthiaucourti Phillips and Brown, new species; C. dondavisi Phillips and Brown, new species; C. irenecanasae Phillips and Brown, new species; C. manuelzumbadoi Phillips and Brown, new species; C. noramartinae Phillips and Brown, new species; C. vitorbeckeri Phillips and Brown, new species; C. ronaldzunigai Phillips and Brown, new species; C. munifigueresae Phillips and Brown, new species; and C. willsflowersi Phillips and Brown, new species.COI nucleotide sequences (“DNA barcodes”) were obtained for 33 of the species, which helped associate males with females for sexually dimorphic species and revealed a few cryptic, presumably evolutionary siblings. We illustrate adults of all species, along with their male and female genitalia, where available.Nineteen species were reared from caterpillars, and their foodplants are listed. In Costa Rica, 15 species of Chlamydastis are recorded exclusively from Sapotaceae; one species each exclusively from Clethraceae, Vochysiaceae, Combretaceae, and Melastomataceae. Larvae are illustrated for 10 of the 36 new species, and superficial larval descriptions are provided based on photographs and notes. Of the 40 species of Chlamydastis reported from Costa Rica, 32 have been light-collected or reared from Área de Conservación Guanacaste.
The genus Cotesia Cameron, 1891 is one of the most diverse of the Microgastrinae, a subfamily of wasps that are exclusively endoparasitic on lepidopteran larvae. Species of Cotesia are widely utilised as biological control agents across the world. In Australia, there are currently 10 confirmed native species as well as four species introduced for the management of lepidopteran pests. The genus is morphologically conserved and has not been studied in the Australasian region for many decades. In this study, we use both comparative morphology and sequence data from the COI gene to delineate species, and in so doing describe seven new species from Australia: C. lasallei sp. nov., C. medusae sp. nov., C. ocellata sp. nov., C. reidarum sp. nov., C. scripta sp. nov., C. tjapekki sp. nov. and C. wonboynensis sp. nov., raising the number of species of Cotesia formally recorded in Australia to 21. We also provide updated descriptions of the previously described native species, diagnoses for the introduced species and a key to all currently described species found on the continent and from Papua New Guinea. This study treats only a fraction of the likely diversity of Cotesia, but provides a solid framework for future work.
Despite several decades of active research, there are still substantial gaps in the knowledge of parasitoid wasps in Australia, with many families and genera yet to be revised using modern approaches and only a fraction of the estimated fauna currently described. The genus Glyptapanteles Ashmead, 1904 is a member of the subfamily Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and all species in the subfamily are lepidopteran parasitoids. The genus previously contained only three species known from Australia: G. deliasa Austin & Dangerfield, 1992, G. drioplanetus Fagan-Jeffries & Austin, 2021 and G. mnesampela Austin, 2000. To undertake a revision of this morphologically-conserved group in Australia, we used a combination of molecular (cytochrome oxidase subunit one (COI) and wingless genes) and minimal morphological data to delimit and describe an additional 31 species: G. austini Fagan-Jeffries & Bird sp. nov. and the following 30 species all authored by Fagan-Jeffries, Bird & Austin: G. albigena sp. nov., G. andamookaensis sp. nov., G. arcanus sp. nov., G. aspersus sp. nov., G. austrinus sp. nov., G. baylessi sp. nov., G. bradfordae sp. nov., G. cooperi sp. nov., G. doreyi sp. nov., G. dowtoni sp. nov., G. eburneus sp. nov., G. erucadesolator sp. nov., G. ferrugineus sp. nov., G. foraminous sp. nov., G. goodwinnoakes sp. nov., G. guzikae sp. nov., G. harveyi sp. nov., G. kingae sp. nov., G. kittelae sp. nov., G. kurandaensis sp. nov., G. lambkinae sp. nov., G. lessardi sp. nov., G. mouldsi sp. nov., G. niveus sp. nov., G. rixi sp. nov., G. rodriguezae sp. nov., G. ruhri sp. nov., G. sanniopolus sp. nov., G. vergrandiacus sp. nov. and G. wrightae sp. nov. We provide a key to species groups and to the species able to be identified on morphological characters alone. Additionally, we provide a brief discussion of the difficulties in describing small, morphologically conserved wasps and the challenges associated with revising the taxonomy of hyperdiverse taxa in the context of the planned mission of Taxonomy Australia to accelerate the documentation of Australia’s biodiversity.