Pycnomerus thrinax : a new North America zopherid (Coleoptera)

Pycnomerus thrinax Ivie and Slipinski NEW SPECIES is described from the Florida Keys (USA), where it is found in rotting stems of the thatch palm, Thrinax paruiflora Sw. Illustrations and modifications to existing keys are provided

Generic homonyms in the Colydiinae (Coleoptera: Zopheridae)

New replacement names are proposed: Megapnosaurus Ivie, Slipinski and Wegrzynowicz NEW REPLACEMENT NAME for Syntarsus Raath 1969 (Ceratosauria: Coelophysidae), not Syntarsus Fairmaire 1869 (Coleoptera: Zopheridae: Colydiinae); and Stephaniolus Ivie, Slipinski and Wegrzynowicz NEW REPLACEMENT NAME for Pseudotaphrus Stephan 1989 (Coleoptera: Zopheridae: Colydiinae) not Pseudotaphrus Cossmann 1888 (Mollusca: Rissoiidae). These result in the new combinations Megapnosaurus rhodesiensis (Raath 1961) NEW COMBINATION, Megapnosaurus kayentalwtae (Rowe 1989) NEW COMBINATION and Stephanioh£s longus (Stephan 1989) NEW COMBINATION

New records and synonyms in the Colydiinae and Pycnomerini (Coleoptera: Zopheridae)

New synonyms are proposed for: Pethelispa arizonica Dajoz 1992 = Pycnomerus arizonicus Stephan 1989 NEW SYNONYMY; Microprius cubanus Slipinski 1985 = Eudesmula california Dajoz 1992 = Microprius rufulus (Motschulsky 1863) NEW SYNONYMIES; andAulonium chilense Dajoz 1980=Aulonium parallelopedium (Say 1826) NEW SYNONYMY. Colobicus parilis Pascoe is recorded from Louisiana, a new distributional record for the New World

Pollen as alternative source for submissive species in suboptimal circumstances

Insects are known to be the most important pollinators. However, ants are usually considered to be poor pollinators due to their negative effect on flowers and pollen survival. Plants apply various strategies to repell ants from flowers. Consequently pollen consumption is very rarely observed in ants, and, though they are omnivourus, ants are not commonly considered as pollenivores. In suboptimal circumstances, though, species might turn to sources rarely used before. Such suboptimal conditions may arise under strong competitive pressure, as the presence of a supercolonial territorial ant species. We studied the food preferences and competitive strategies of ants within a Formica polyctena supercolony in Central Polish woodland by offering them mixed pollen, and then tuna as animal protein source on the next day. F. polyctena was not interested in pollen baits almost at all, however, Myrmica spp. exploited them most heavily where next day F. polyctena was the most abundant on baits. In the case of the tuna baits there was a negative relationship between the abundance of F. polyctena and Myrmica spp. as predicted by the territorial behaviour of the first species. The results come to support the fact the pollen itself can be used as food source by ants mostly in suboptimal conditions, where food availability is hindered e.g. by superior competitors

Symbiosis and horizontal gene transfer promote herbivory in the megadiverse leaf beetles

: Beetles that feed on the nutritionally depauperate and recalcitrant tissues provided by the leaves, stems, and roots of living plants comprise one-quarter of herbivorous insect species. Among the key adaptations for herbivory are plant cell wall-degrading enzymes (PCWDEs) that break down the fastidious polymers in the cell wall and grant access to the nutritious cell content. While largely absent from the non-herbivorous ancestors of beetles, such PCWDEs were occasionally acquired via horizontal gene transfer (HGT) or by the uptake of digestive symbionts. However, the macroevolutionary dynamics of PCWDEs and their impact on evolutionary transitions in herbivorous insects remained poorly understood. Through genomic and transcriptomic analyses of 74 leaf beetle species and 50 symbionts, we show that multiple independent events of microbe-to-beetle HGT and specialized symbioses drove convergent evolutionary innovations in approximately 21,000 and 13,500 leaf beetle species, respectively. Enzymatic assays indicate that these events significantly expanded the beetles' digestive repertoires and thereby contributed to their adaptation and diversification. Our results exemplify how recurring HGT and symbiont acquisition catalyzed digestive and nutritional adaptations to herbivory and thereby contributed to the evolutionary success of a megadiverse insect taxon

The Beetle Tree of Life Reveals the Order Coleoptera Survived End Permain Mass Extinction to Diversify During the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution

Here we present a phylogeny of beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) based on DNA sequence data from eight nuclear genes, including six single-copy nuclear protein-coding genes, for 367 species representing 172 of 183 extant families. Our results refine existing knowledge of relationships among major groups of beetles. Strepsiptera was confirmed as sister to Coleoptera and each of the suborders of Coleoptera was recovered as monophyletic. Interrelationships among the suborders, namely Polyphaga (Adephaga (Archostemata, Myxophaga)), in our study differ from previous studies. Adephaga comprised two clades corresponding to Hydradephaga and Geadephaga. The series and superfamilies of Polyphaga were mostly monophyletic. The traditional Cucujoidea were recovered in three distantly related clades. Lymexyloidea was recovered within Tenebrionoidea. Several of the series and superfamilies of Polyphaga received moderate to maximal clade support in most analyses, for example Buprestoidea, Chrysomeloidea, Coccinelloidea, Cucujiformia, Curculionoidea, Dascilloidea, Elateroidea, Histeroidea and Hydrophiloidea. However, many of the relationships within Polyphaga lacked compatible resolution under maximum-likelihood and Bayesian inference, and/or lacked consistently strong nodal support. Overall, we recovered slightly younger estimated divergence times than previous studies for most groups of beetles. The ordinal split between Coleoptera and Strepsiptera was estimated to have occurred in the Early Permian. Crown Coleoptera appeared in the Late Permian, and only one or two lineages survived the end-Permian mass extinction, with stem group representatives of all four suborders appearing by the end of the Triassic. The basal split in Polyphaga was estimated to have occurred in the Triassic, with the stem groups of most series and superfamilies originating during the Triassic or Jurassic. Most extant families of beetles were estimated to have Cretaceous origins. Overall, Coleoptera experienced an increase in diversification rate compared to the rest of Neuropteroidea. Furthermore, 10 family-level clades, all in suborder Polyphaga, were identified as having experienced significant increases in diversification rate. These include most beetle species with phytophagous habits, but also several groups not typically or primarily associated with plants. Most of these groups originated in the Cretaceous, which is also when a majority of the most species-rich beetle families first appeared. An additional 12 clades showed evidence for significant decreases in diversification rate. These clades are species-poor in the Modern fauna, but collectively exhibit diverse trophic habits. The apparent success of beetles, as measured by species numbers, may result from their associations with widespread and diverse substrates - especially plants, but also including fungi, wood and leaf litter - but what facilitated these associations in the first place or has allowed these associations to flourish likely varies within and between lineages. Our results provide a uniquely well-resolved temporal and phylogenetic framework for studying patterns of innovation and diversification in Coleoptera, and a foundation for further sampling and resolution of the beetle tree of life.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: Setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others.Fil: Pereira Boeger, Walter Antonio. Universidade Federal do Paraná; BrasilFil: Valim, Michel P.. Universidade Salgado de Oliveira (universo); BrasilFil: Zaher, Hussam. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Rafael, José A.. Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovações. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia; BrasilFil: Forzza, Rafaela C.. Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade; BrasilFil: Reis Percequillo, Alexandre. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Serejo, Cristiana S.. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Garraffoni, André R.S.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Santos, Adalberto J.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Slipinski, Adam. Commonwealth Scientific And Industrial Research Organisation (csiro);Fil: Londoño Burbano, Alejandro. Fundación Miguel Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Santos, Allan P.M.. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Margaría, Cecilia B.. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; ArgentinaFil: Digiani, Maria Celina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; ArgentinaFil: Aquino, Daniel Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; ArgentinaFil: Contreras, Eugenia Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Biología de la Altura; ArgentinaFil: Gallardo, Fabiana Soledad. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; ArgentinaFil: Agrain, Federico Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; ArgentinaFil: Falcao Salles, Frederico. Universidade Federal de Viçosa.; BrasilFil: Flores, Gustavo Ernesto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; ArgentinaFil: Dellapé, Pablo Matías. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; ArgentinaFil: Johnsson, Rodrigo. Universidade Federal da Bahia; BrasilFil: Duarte Simoes, Tacio Vitor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagóica. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Facultad de Ciencias Naturales - Sede Esquel. Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica; ArgentinaFil: Porto, Tiago J.. Universidade Federal da Bahia; BrasilFil: Pardiñas, Ulises Francisco J.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Colombo,Wesley D.. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Tomaszewska, Wioletta. No especifíca;Fil: Ovando, Ximena Maria Constanza. Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora; BrasilFil: Wosiacki, Wolmar B.. No especifíca;Fil: Leite,Yuri L.R.. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; Brasi

Firefly genomes illuminate parallel origins of bioluminescence in beetles

Fireflies and their luminous courtships have inspired centuries of scientific study. Today firefly luciferase is widely used in biotechnology, but the evolutionary origin of bioluminescence within beetles remains unclear. To shed light on this long-standing question, we sequenced the genomes of two firefly species that diverged over 100 million-years-ago: the North American Photinus pyralis and Japanese Aquatica lateralis. To compare bioluminescent origins, we also sequenced the genome of a related click beetle, the Caribbean Ignelater luminosus, with bioluminescent biochemistry near-identical to fireflies, but anatomically unique light organs, suggesting the intriguing hypothesis of parallel gains of bioluminescence. Our analyses support independent gains of bioluminescence in fireflies and click beetles, and provide new insights into the genes, chemical defenses, and symbionts that evolved alongside their luminous lifestyle