Project description:The tribe Eschatoporini Blaisdell, 1906 is reinstated, based on molecular and morphological data, and the spelling corrected as Eschatoporiini. The tribe currently includes only the cave-dwelling genus Eschatoporis Blaisdell, 1906 from California, which is associated with underground aquifers. A second species of Eschatoporis is described from a cave in Napa County, California. The phylogenetic placement of Eschatoporiini within the Lagriinae is examined, and notes on the biology of Eschatoporis are provided.
Project description:Hunchback darkling beetles of the Ibero-Maghrebian genus Misolampus Latreille, 1807 (Tenebrionidae, Stenochiinae) encompass six species: M. gibbulus (Herbst, 1799), M. goudotii Guérin-Méneville, 1834, M. lusitanicus Brême, 1842, M. ramburii Brême, 1842, M. scabricollis Graells, 1849, and M. subglaber Rosenhauer, 1856. Previously known distribution ranges of the species were delineated using many old records, the persistence of such populations being questionable under the current situation of global biodiversity loss. Additionally, the status of geographically isolated populations of the genus have been the subject of taxonomic controversy. An exhaustive bibliographical revision and field search was undertaken, and the Misolampus collection of the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC) was revised. The aims are to (i) provide an updated geographic distribution range for the species of Misolampus; (ii) to determine the taxonomic status of controversial populations; (iii) to provide a catalogue for Misolampus; and (iv) to discuss the conservation status of these saproxylic beetles. As a result, a catalogue including synonymies and type localities, geographical records, diagnoses, and information on natural history for all species of Misolampus is presented. The results reveal that the distribution ranges of the species of Misolampus have not undergone a reduction in the last century, and indicate the presence of the genus in areas where it had never been recorded before. The morphological variability of M. goudotii drove the proposal of different taxa that are here formally synonymised as follows: M. goudotii Guérin-Méneville, 1834 = M. erichsoni Vauloger de Beaupré, 1900, syn. nov. = M. peyerimhoffi Antoine, 1926, syn. nov.
Project description:The diversity of Ceriantharia is known from studies formally describing species from the late 18th Century onwards. However, no nomenclators including a list and discussion of all valid species have been produced since a list discussed by Carlgren in 1912. The present nomenclator presents a complete list of adult species of Ceriantharia of the World, including a discussion on each species. It includes the three families (Arachnactidae, Botrucnidiferidae, Cerianthidae) and the currently accepted 54 species based on their adult form. This study serves as a presentation of the "state-of-the-art" list of species of Ceriantharia, and includes a species identification key to support taxonomic identification. Additional in-depth species-by-species investigations for almost all cerianthid species is still needed, as the information available for most of these species is quite superficial.
Project description:A new species of the genus Synersaga Gozmány, Synersaga mondulkiriensissp. n., is described from Cambodia. The genus is diagnosed, and a global catalogue for the genus is provided.
Project description:Since the publication of the ground-breaking "Catalogue of the scorpions of the world (1758-1998)" (Fet et al. 2000) the number of species in the scorpion genus Buthus Leach, 1815 has increased 10-fold, and this genus is now the fourth largest within the Buthidae, with 52 valid named species. Here we revise and update the available information regarding Buthus. A new combination is proposed: Buthus halius (C. L. Koch, 1839), comb. n. from Portugal and Spain. B. halius is removed from junior synonymy with Buthus occitanus (Amoreux, 1789), and proposed as a senior synonym of B. ibericus Lourenço & Vachon, 2004, syn. n. Moreover, following I.C.Z.N. article 23.9.2 we propose to maintain as valid B. ibericus(nomen protectum) and to consider the disued B. halius as a nomen oblitum . Buthus europaeus tridentatus Franganillo, 1918 is proposed as a junior synonym of B. occitanus (Amoreux, 1789), syn. n.Buthus sabulicola Touloun, 2012 is proposed as a junior synonym of Buthus bonito Lourenço & Geniez, 2005, syn. n.Buthus occitanus tunetanus neeli Gysin, 1969 is proposed as an informal senior synonym of Buthus tassili Lourenço, 2002, informal syn. n. Two taxa are rised to species rank, Buthus nigrovesiculosus Hirst, 1925, stat. n. and Buthus parroti Vachon, 1949, stat. n.. We further confirm the restricted distribution of B. occitanus that is confined to southeastern France and northwestern Iberian Peninsula and does not occur in North Africa. Additionally, Androctonus barbouri (Werner, 1932), comb. n. from the Agadir region of Morocco, is hereby transferred to the genus Androctonus. We summarize and provide a critical appraisal of the diagnostic characters currently in use for the genus. The catalogue section considers the names for species, subspecies and varieties that have been used for Buthus scorpions. Information about types, including collection numbers and localities are included when available. Finally, an annotated listing of synonymies and an updated bibliography are given.
Project description:A collection of 237,000 expressed sequence tags generated by the Sugarcane EST sequencing project (SUCEST) was analyzed in search of signal transduction components. The SUCAST (Sugarcane Signal Transduction) Catalogue contains over 3500 components, with around 2900 involved in several aspects of cell signaling and transcription. Sequence comparisons and conserved protein domain analysis revealed 477 receptors, 510 protein kinases, 107 protein phosphatases, a large number of small GTPases, G-proteins, members of the calcium and inositol metabolism, and other signal transduction-related proteins. Over 600 transcription factors were also indexed. Moreover, 437 genes with no matches in the public databases and 111 genes of unknown function were catalogued. Several of the SUCEST cDNA libraries were derived from plants submitted to abiotic stresses or infected with endophytic nitrogen fixing bacteria and stress and pathogen response-related genes were also annotated. The abundance of transcripts among six different sugarcane tissues (flowers, roots, leaves, lateral buds, 1st and 4th internodes) was evaluated using microarrays and expression profile clustering. We identified 216 genes that are significantly more abundant in one of the tissues analyzed. A subset of the data was validated by real-time PCR. Additionally, genes with similar expression levels among different tissues were identified. The characterization of these elements and their promoters can aid in the development of tools for the genetic manipulation of this plant species and other economically important grasses. Keywords: other
Project description:The immatures stages of 8 of the 11 genera (Amastris Stål, Bajulata Ball, Erosne Stål, Harmonides Kirkaldy, Idioderma Van Duzee, Neotynelia Creão-Duarte & Sakakibara, Tynelia Stål, and Vanduzea Goding) of the tribe Amastrini are described for the first time along with brief diagnoses of Membracidae and the subfamily Smiliinae. A key to genera and notes on biology are provided. Multiple species of most genera are illustrated. Based on its distinct nymphal morphology, Vanduzea laeta nolina Ball is elevated to specific rank as Vanduzea nolina stat. n., and Bajulata, despite the superficial similarity of its adults to those of Vanduzea, is confirmed as warranting generic rank based on its unique nymphal morphology. Colombia is a new country record for Tynelia.
Project description:Xyleborini is the largest tribe of Scolytinae accounting for about 1300 species worldwide; all species are primarily xylomycetophagous, developing on symbiotic fungi farmed in plant woody tissues. Xyleborini wood-boring action, associated with the inoculum of symbiotic fungi, can lead, sometimes, to the emergence of host plant dieback, wood damage and death; for this reason, multiple Xyleborini are major pests on both cultivated, forest and ornamental trees. Many Xyleborini are invasive worldwide and great effort is expended to manage their biological invasions or prevent new arrivals. Imports of host plants often have a primary role as a pathway for introduction and are frequently responsible for the establishment of species in non-native environments. In this context, data availability on Xyleborini host plants is a major limiting factor in the development of effective detection and monitoring strategies as well as a fundamental variable to consider in risk assessment of plant pests and invasive species. This contribution provides updated host records and the hosts economic categorization for the 1293 Xyleborini known worldwide to date.
Project description:Background and aimsTribe Arabideae are the most species-rich monophyletic lineage in Brassicaceae. More than 500 species are distributed in the majority of mountain and alpine regions worldwide. This study provides the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis for the species assemblage and tests for association of trait and characters, providing the first explanations for the enormous species radiation since the mid Miocene.MethodsPhylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence variation of nuclear encoded loci and plastid DNA are used to unravel a reliable phylogenetic tree. Trait and ancestral area reconstructions were performed and lineage-specific diversification rates were calculated to explain various radiations in the last 15 Myr in space and time.Key resultsA well-resolved phylogenetic tree demonstrates the paraphyly of the genus Arabis and a new systematic concept is established. Initially, multiple radiations involved a split between lowland annuals and mountain/alpine perennial sister species. Subsequently, increased speciation rates occur in the perennial lineages. The centre of origin of tribe Arabideae is most likely the Irano-Turanian region from which the various clades colonized the temperate mountain and alpine regions of the world.ConclusionsMid Miocene early diversification started with increased speciation rates due to the emergence of various annual lineages. Subsequent radiations were mostly driven by diversification within perennial species during the Pliocene, but increased speciation rates also occurred during that epoch. Taxonomic concepts in Arabis are still in need of a major taxonomic revision to define monophyletic groups.
Project description:The Rubiaceae tribe Rubieae has a world-wide distribution with up to 1,000 species. These collectively exhibit an enormous ecological and morphological diversity, making Rubieae an excellent group for macro- and microevolutionary studies. Previous molecular phylogenetic analyses used only a limited sampling within the tribe or missed lineages crucial for understanding character evolution in this group. Here, we analyze sequences from two plastid spacer regions as well as morphological and biogeographic data from an extensive and evenly distributed sampling to establish a sound phylogenetic framework. This framework serves as a basis for our investigation of the evolution of important morphological characters and the biogeographic history of the Rubieae. The tribe includes three major clades, the Kelloggiinae Clade (Kelloggia), the Rubiinae Clade (Didymaea, Rubia) and the most species-rich Galiinae Clade (Asperula, Callipeltis, Crucianella, Cruciata, Galium, Mericarpaea, Phuopsis, Sherardia, Valantia). Within the Galiinae Clade, the largest genera Galium and Asperula are para- and polyphyletic, respectively. Smaller clades, however, usually correspond to currently recognized taxa (small genera or sections within genera), which may be used as starting points for a refined classification in this clade. Life-form (perennial versus annual), flower shape (long versus short corolla tube) and fruit characters (dry versus fleshy, with or without uncinate hairs) are highly homoplasious and have changed multiple times independently. Inference on the evolution of leaf whorls, a characteristic feature of the tribe, is sensitive to model choice. Multi-parted leaf whorls appear to have originated from opposite leaves with two small interpetiolar stipules that are subsequently enlarged and increased in number. Early diversification of Rubieae probably started during the Miocene in western Eurasia. Disjunctions between the Old and the New World possibly are due to connections via a North Atlantic land bridge. Diversification of the Galiineae Clade started later in the Miocene, probably in the Mediterranean, from where lineages reached, often multiple times, Africa, eastern Asia and further on the Americas and Australia.