Journal articles on the topic 'Insects molecular taxonomy'
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Petitpierre, Eduard. "Molecular cytogenetics and taxonomy of insects, with particular reference to the coleoptera." International Journal of Insect Morphology and Embryology 25, no. 1-2 (January 1996): 115–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0020-7322(95)00024-0.
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Kostygov, Alexei Y., Marina N. Malysheva, Anna I. Ganyukova, Alexey V. Razygraev, Daria O. Drachko, Vyacheslav Yurchenko, Vera V. Agasoi, and Alexander O. Frolov. "The Roles of Mosquitoes in the Circulation of Monoxenous Trypanosomatids in Temperate Climates." Pathogens 11, no. 11 (November 11, 2022): 1326. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11111326.
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Monoxenous (insect-restricted) trypanosomatids are highly diverse and abundant in nature. While many papers focus on the taxonomy and distribution of these parasites, studies on their biology are still scarce. In particular, this concerns trypanosomatids inhabiting the ubiquitous mosquitoes. To shed light on the circulation of monoxenous trypanosomatids with the participation of mosquitoes, we performed a multifaceted study combining the examination of naturally- and experimentally-infected insects using light and electron microscopy and molecular identification of parasites. Our examination of overwintering mosquitoes (genera Culex and Culiseta) revealed that their guts contained living trypanosomatids, which can be spread during the next season. Experimental infections with Crithidia spp. demonstrated that imagines represent permissive hosts, while larvae are resistant to these parasites. We argue that for the parasites with wide specificity, mosquitoes act as facultative hosts. Other trypanosomatids may have specific adaptations for vertical transmission in these insects at the expense of their potential to infect a wider range of hosts and, consequently, abundance in nature.
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Ramos, Márcio V., Larissa B. N. Freitas, Emanuel A. Bezerra, Francimauro Sousa Morais, João P. M. S. Lima, Pedro F. N. Souza, Cristina P. S. Carvalho, and Cleverson D. T. Freitas. "Structural Analysis Revealed the Interaction of Cardenolides from Calotropis procera with Na+/K+ ATPases from Herbivores." Protein & Peptide Letters 29, no. 1 (January 2022): 89–101. http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/0929866528666211207111011.
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Background: The herbivores Danaus plexippus (Lepidoptera), Oncopeltus fasciatus, and Aphis nerii (Hemiptera) are special insects that feed on Calotropis procera (Apocynaceae) (Sodom Apple). At least 35 chemically distinct cardenolides have been reported in C. procera. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the interaction between cardenolides and Na+/K+ ATPases from herbivores. Methods: The Na+/K+ ATPases from these insects were modeled, and docking studies were performed involving cardenolides from C. procera. Results: The replacement of serine in sensitive Na+/K+ ATPase by histidine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine in the structures examined suggested spatial impairment caused by interaction, probably making the herbivorous insects resistant against the cardenolides of C. procera. In addition, the ability of the insects to avoid cardenolide toxicity was not correlated with cardenolide polarity. Therefore, the plant fights predation through molecular diversity, and the insects, regardless of their taxonomy, face this molecular diversity through amino acid replacements at key positions of the enzyme targeted by the cardenolides. Conclusions: The results show the arsenal of chemically distinct cardenolides synthesized by the C. procera.
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RASOOL, Ajaz, Tariq AHMAD, Bashir Ahmad GANAI, and Shaziya GULL. "An overview of molecular identification of insect fauna with special emphasis on chalcid wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) of India." Acta agriculturae Slovenica 111, no. 1 (April 8, 2018): 229. http://dx.doi.org/10.14720/aas.2018.111.1.22.
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Identifying organisms has grown in importance as we monitor the biological effects of global climate change and attempt to preserve species diversity in the face of accelerating habitat destruction. Classical taxonomy falls short in this race to catalogue biological diversity before it disappears. Differentiating subtle anatomical differences between closely related species requires the subjective judgment of highly trained specialists – and few are being trained in institutes today. DNA barcodes allow non-experts to objectively identify species – from small, damaged, or even industrially processed material. The aim of DNA barcoding is to establish a shared community resource of DNA sequences commonly used for identification, discrimination or taxonomic classification of organisms. It is a method that uses a short genetic marker in an organism's DNA to identify and distinguish its belonging from particular species, varieties or inter varieties. This simple technique has attracted attention from taxonomists, ecologists, conservation biologists, agriculturists, plant-quarantine officers and studies using the DNA barcode has rapidly increased. The extreme diversity of insects and their economical, epidemiological and agricultural importance have made them a major target of DNA barcoding. In this review, we present an overview of DNA barcoding of insects with emphasis on Chalcid wasps of India.
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Langor, David W., H. E. James Hammond, John R. Spence, Joshua Jacobs, and Tyler P. Cobb. "Saproxylic insect assemblages in Canadian forests: diversity, ecology, and conservation." Canadian Entomologist 140, no. 4 (August 2008): 453–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/n07-ls02.
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AbstractSaproxylic insect assemblages inhabiting dead wood in Canadian forests are highly diverse and variable but quite poorly understood. Adequate assessment of these assemblages poses significant challenges with respect to sampling, taxonomy, and analysis. Their assessment is nonetheless critical to attaining the broad goals of sustainable forest management because such species are disproportionately threatened elsewhere by the reductions in dead wood generally associated with commercial exploitation of northern forests. The composition of the saproxylic fauna is influenced by many factors, including tree species, degree of decay, stand age, and cause of tree death. Wildfire and forest harvesting have differential impacts on saproxylic insect assemblages and on their recovery in postdisturbance stands. Exploration of saproxylic insect responses to variable retention harvesting and experimental burns is contributing to the development of prescriptions for conserving saproxylic insects in boreal forests. Understanding of processes that determine diversity patterns and responses of saproxylic insects would benefit from increased attention to natural history. Such work should aim to provide a habitat-classification system for dead wood to better identify habitats (and associated species) at risk as a result of forest management. This tool could also be used to improve strategies to better maintain saproxylic organisms and their central nutrient-cycling functions in managed forests.
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Kim, Hajin, Sang Eon Shin, Kwang Soo Ko, Seong Hwan Park, and Kexuan Tang. "The Application of Mitochondrial COI Gene-Based Molecular Identification of Forensically Important Scuttle Flies (Diptera: Phoridae) in Korea." BioMed Research International 2020 (September 28, 2020): 1–6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/6235848.
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Phoridae are a family of necrophagous flies commonly found in indoor death scene. They account for approximately 19.7% of the entomofauna in human cadavers in Korea. Additionally, this taxon is an indicator of indoor hygiene, and these flies appear in environments where access by other necrophagous insects is difficult, such as enclosed rooms. Thus, they are likely to be used as forensic evidence. Despite their importance in forensic investigations and environmental hygiene, detailed studies on the taxonomy and molecular barcoding for this family are scarce, including in Korea. Because accurate taxonomic information regarding necrophagous insects collected from a death-related scene is essential during medicolegal investigations, molecular barcoding data could be useful as well as reliable. In this paper, full-length nucleotide sequences of genes coding for the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) in 79 Phoridae larvae collected from 20 medicolegal autopsy cases in Korea were phylogenetically analyzed by comparing their sequences to the foreign barcoding data of Phoridae. Six mitochondrial haplogroups were identified, which two of them matched to foreign Phoridae fly species haplotypes, Megaselia scalaris (Loew, 1866) and M. spiracularis Schmitz 1938. Taxonomies of five other haplogroups, with nucleotide distances ranging from 1.68% to 2.26% from the M. scalaris group, could not be confirmed solely based on the molecular barcoding data. Further research should be performed to determine whether these five haplogroups are diverged conspecifics of M. scalaris or a closely related sister cryptic species of M. scalaris.
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MARDEN, JAMES H. "Maximum Lift Production During Takeoff in Flying Animals." Journal of Experimental Biology 130, no. 1 (July 1, 1987): 235–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.130.1.235.
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Maximum lift production during takeoff in still air was determined for a wide variety of insects and a small sample of birds and bats, and was compared with variation in morphology, taxonomy and wingbeat type. Maximum lift per unit flight muscle mass was remarkably similar between taxonomic groups (54–63 N kg−1), except for animals using clap-and-fling wingbeats, where muscle mass-specific lift increased by about 25 % (72–86 N kg−1). Muscle mass-specific lift was independent of body mass, wing loading, disk loading and aspect ratio. Birds and bats yielded results indistinguishable from insects using conventional wingbeats. Interspecific differences in short-duration powered flight and takeoff ability are shown to be caused primarily by differences in flight muscle ratio, which ranges from 0.115 to 0.560 among species studied to date. These results contradict theoretical predictions that maximum mass-specific power output and lift production should decrease with increasing body mass and wing disk loading.
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Vilas-Bôas, G. T., A. P. S. Peruca, and O. M. N. Arantes. "Biology and taxonomy ofBacillus cereus,Bacillus anthracis, andBacillus thuringiensis." Canadian Journal of Microbiology 53, no. 6 (June 2007): 673–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/w07-029.
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Three species of the Bacillus cereus group (Bacillus cereus, Bacillus anthracis , and Bacillus thuringiensis ) have a marked impact on human activity. Bacillus cereus and B. anthracis are important pathogens of mammals, including humans, and B. thuringiensis is extensively used in the biological control of insects. The microbiological, biochemical, and genetic characteristics of these three species are reviewed, together with a discussion of several genomic studies conducted on strains of B. cereus group. Using bacterial systematic concepts, we speculate that to understand the taxonomic relationship within this group of bacteria, special attention should be devoted also to the ecology and the population genetics of these species.
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DOBRAJC, Maja, Sebastjan RADIŠEK, Jernej JAKŠE, and Stanislav TRDAN. "Tradicionalne in molekularne metode za determinacijo ščitkarjev (Aleyrodidae)." Acta agriculturae Slovenica 116, no. 2 (December 23, 2020): 369. http://dx.doi.org/10.14720/aas.2020.116.2.1949.
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<p>Whiteflies (Aleyrodidae) is small group of insects (Insecta) that comprises around 1500 species from 160 genera. Whiteflies damage important cultivated and ornamental plants by sucking plants juice. Most of the species are from tropical area, in our region they are the most common in greenhouses. Because worldwide transport, whiteflies become invasive all around the world. The identification of whiteflies species in adult stage is problematic. Morphological differentiation of pupae is one of the better methods for determining identity of species, but it may vary depending on the host plant on which they develop which can lead to misidentifications and erroneous naming of new species. The application of genetic diagnostics under the umbrella of classical taxonomy was imperative for successful development and delivery of the biological control program, phylogenetics and plans for biological control. The most common modern techniques for whiteflies determination are computer programs for photography analysis, molecular methods with DNA isolation and sequencing.</p>
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Manfrino, Romina, Alejandra Gutierrez, Flavia Diez del Valle, Christina Schuster, Haifa Ben Gharsa, Claudia López Lastra, and Andreas Leclerque. "First Description of Akanthomyces uredinophilus comb. nov. from Hemipteran Insects in America." Diversity 14, no. 12 (December 15, 2022): 1118. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d14121118.
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Filamentous fungi of the genera Lecanicillium and Akanthomyces (Ascomycota: Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) have been isolated from a variety of insect orders and are of particular interest as biological control agents for phloem-sucking plant pests. Three aphid- and whitefly-pathogenic fungal strains that had been isolated from naturally infected Trialeurodes vaporariorum and Myzus persicae in Argentina were assigned to the species Lecanicillium uredinophilum by combined analyses of morphology and ITS, LSU, EF1A, RPB1 and RPB2-based molecular taxonomy, giving rise to both the first description of this fungus from hemipteran insects and its first report from outside South-East Asia, especially from the American continent. A combination of phylogenetic reconstruction and analysis of pair-wise sequence similarities demonstrated that—reflecting recent changes in the systematics of Cordycipitaceae—the entire species L. uredinophilum should be transferred to the genus Akanthomyces. Consequently, the introduction of a new taxon, Akanthomaces uredinophilus comb. nov., was proposed. Moreover, extensive data mining for cryptic A. uredinophilus sequences revealed that (i) the fungus is geographically widely distributed, including earlier unrecognized isolations from further American countries such as the USA, Mexico, and Colombia, and (ii) entomopathogenic and mycoparasitic lifestyles are predominant in this species.
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Handoo, Zafar, Mihail Kantor, and Lynn Carta. "Taxonomy and Identification of Principal Foliar Nematode Species (Aphelenchoides and Litylenchus)." Plants 9, no. 11 (November 4, 2020): 1490. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/plants9111490.
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Nematodes are Earth’s most numerous multicellular animals and include species that feed on bacteria, fungi, plants, insects, and animals. Foliar nematodes are mostly pathogens of ornamental crops in greenhouses, nurseries, forest trees, and field crops. Nematode identification has traditionally relied on morphological and anatomical characters using light microscopy and, in some cases, scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This review focuses on morphometrical and brief molecular details and key characteristics of some of the most widely distributed and economically important foliar nematodes that can aid in their identification. Aphelenchoides genus includes some of the most widely distributed nematodes that can cause crop damages and losses to agricultural, horticultural, and forestry crops. Morphological details of the most common species of Aphelenchoides (A. besseyi, A. bicaudatus, A. fragariae, A. ritzemabosi) are given with brief molecular details, including distribution, identification, conclusion, and future directions, as well as an updated list of the nominal species with its synonyms. Litylenchus is a relatively new genus described in 2011 and includes two species and one subspecies. Species included in the Litylenchus are important emerging foliar pathogens parasitizing trees and bushes, especially beech trees in the United States of America. Brief morphological details of all Litylenchus species are provided.
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Oliveira, Pablo Viana, Alexandre Rosa dos Santos, Emily Lopes Olive, Karolinni Bianchi Britto, Francine Alves Nogueira de Almeida, Vitor Cezar Pacheco da Silva, Carolina Barros Machado, et al. "Molecular Species Delimitation Using COI Barcodes of Mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) from Coffee Plants in Espírito Santo, Brazil." Diversity 15, no. 2 (February 20, 2023): 305. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d15020305.
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Mealybugs are insects belonging to the family Pseudococcidae. This family includes many plant-pest species with similar morphologies, which may lead to errors in mealybug identification and delimitation. In the present study, we employed molecular-species-delimitation approaches based on distance (ASAP) and coalescence (GMYC and mPTP) methods to identify mealybugs collected from coffee and other plant hosts in the states of Espírito Santo, Bahia, Minas Gerais, and Pernambuco, Brazil. We obtained 171 new COI sequences, and 565 from the BOLD Systems database, representing 26 candidate species of Pseudococcidae. The MOTUs estimated were not congruent across different methods (ASAP-25; GMYC-30; mPTP-22). Misidentifications were revealed in the sequences from the BOLD Systems database involving Phenacoccus solani × Ph. solenopsis, Ph. tucumanus × Ph. baccharidis, and Planacoccus citri × Pl. minor species. Ten mealybug species were collected from coffee plants in Espírito Santo. Due to the incorrect labeling of the species sequences, the COI barcode library of the dataset from the database needs to be carefully analyzed to avoid the misidentification of species. The systematics and taxonomy of mealybugs may be improved by integrative taxonomy which may facilitate the integrated pest management of these pests.
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van Frankenhuyzen, Kees, Christopher Lucarotti, and Robert Lavallée. "Canadian contributions to forest insect pathology and to the use of pathogens in forest pest management." Canadian Entomologist 148, S1 (June 25, 2015): S210—S238. http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/tce.2015.20.
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AbstractThe study of insect pathogens became established as a distinct discipline in the late 1940s. In the ~65 years that followed, forest pest management was the main theatre for the development and practice of insect pathology in Canada. Researchers from the federal government and academic institutions contributed to the growing discipline by acquiring foundational knowledge on taxonomy, mode of action, natural occurrence, and ecological role of key pathogens infecting forest pest insects, covering an array of fungi, Microsporidia, viruses, and bacteria. The ultimate goal was to develop pathogen-based alternatives to synthetic insecticides used in large-scale forest protection programmes throughout eastern Canada. That goal was achieved through the development of baculovirus-based products for control of gypsy moths (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), tussock moths (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), and various sawfly (Hymenoptera) species, which are now in the hands of private industry and poised for growing operational use. The second success was the development of products based onBacillus thuringiensisBerliner (Bacillaceae), which have almost entirely replaced synthetic insecticides in forest protection. We review those successes and other key Canadian contributions to forest insect pathology within the context of emerging digital, molecular, and other technologies, and show how they have altered today’s face of forest pest management in Canada.
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Maslov, Dmitri A., Fred R. Opperdoes, Alexei Y. Kostygov, Hassan Hashimi, Julius Lukeš, and Vyacheslav Yurchenko. "Recent advances in trypanosomatid research: genome organization, expression, metabolism, taxonomy and evolution." Parasitology 146, no. 1 (June 14, 2018): 1–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0031182018000951.
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AbstractUnicellular flagellates of the family Trypanosomatidae are obligatory parasites of invertebrates, vertebrates and plants. Dixenous species are aetiological agents of a number of diseases in humans, domestic animals and plants. Their monoxenous relatives are restricted to insects. Because of the high biological diversity, adaptability to dramatically different environmental conditions, and omnipresence, these protists have major impact on all biotic communities that still needs to be fully elucidated. In addition, as these organisms represent a highly divergent evolutionary lineage, they are strikingly different from the common ‘model system’ eukaryotes, such as some mammals, plants or fungi. A number of excellent reviews, published over the past decade, were dedicated to specialized topics from the areas of trypanosomatid molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, host–parasite relationships or other aspects of these fascinating organisms. However, there is a need for a more comprehensive review that summarizing recent advances in the studies of trypanosomatids in the last 30 years, a task, which we tried to accomplish with the current paper.
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Landry, Benoit S., Louise Dextraze, and Guy Boivin. "Random amplified polymorphic DNA markers for DNA fingerprinting and genetic variability assessment of minute parasitic wasp species (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae and Trichogrammatidae) used in biological control programs of phytophagous insects." Genome 36, no. 3 (June 1, 1993): 580–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/g93-078.
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Biological control of insects that feed on our crops has become more practical in recent years by mass release of egg parasitoid microhymenoptera. Trichogramma species are now commercially reared and spread in commercial fields to control specific insect pests. Microhymenoptera species are, however, very small and morphologically indistinguishable within species, although strains of a given species differ in their efficiency to control specific insect pests. Traditional taxonomy is unable to differentiate microhymenoptera species at the strain level. It is becoming increasingly important to develop a reliable system to monitor genetic variations both within and between strains of commercially important microhymenoptera, to detect genetic drift occurring during several generations of multiplication, to protect patents, and to certify the lots of commercially released microhymenoptera. We have developed a system based on DNA markers to rapidly characterize individuals of five species of microhymenoptera from the genus Anaphes and Trichogramma including a new species of Anaphes not previously described. The main components of our system are a rapid and simple DNA micro-extraction method and fast DNA polymorphism analyses based on random amplified polymorphic DNA markers.Key words: genetic mapping, population genetics, Anaphes spp., Trichogramma spp., RAPD, DNA markers, DNA fingerprinting.
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Sukhikh, Igor, Kirill Ustyantsev, Alexander Bugrov, Michael Sergeev, Victor Fet, and Alexander Blinov. "The Evaluation of Genetic Relationships within Acridid Grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Caelifera, Acrididae) on the Subfamily Level Using Molecular Markers." Folia Biologica 67, no. 3 (September 30, 2019): 119–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.3409/fb_67-3.12.
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Over the last few decades, molecular markers have been extensively used to study phylogeny, population dynamics, and genome mapping in insects and other taxa. Phylogenetic methods using DNA markers are inexpensive, fast and simple to use, and may help greatly to resolve phylogenetic relationships in groups with problematic taxonomy. However, different markers have various levels of phylogenetic resolution, and it's important to choose the right set of molecular markers for a studied taxonomy level. Acrididae is the most diverse family of grasshoppers. Many attempts to resolve the phylogenetic relationships within it did not result in a clear picture, partially because of the limited number of molecular markers used. We have tested a phylogenetic resolution of three sets of the most commonly utilized mitochondrial molecular markers available for Acrididae sequences in the database: (i) complete protein-coding mitochondrial sequences, (ii) concatenated mitochondrial genes COI, COII, and Cytb, and (iii) concatenated mitochondrial genes COI and COII. We then complemented the analysis by testing the nuclear ITS2 region. Adequate phylogenetic resolution of Acrididae subfamilies can be achieved using three (COI, COII, and Cytb) or more mitochondrial markers. Moreover, we found the ITS2 and concatenated COI/COII markers to be the least informative, providing a poor resolution. All the studied acridids fall into three well-supported phylogenetic groups that include 13 subfamilies. Acridinae, Gomphocerinae, Oedipodinae, and Catantopinae are shown to be polyphyletic, while the remaining subfamilies are in accordance with current Acrididae systematics. Our study provides a basis for more comprehensive phylogenetic analyses of Acrididae on the subfamily and lower levels.
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Argüello Caro, E. B., A. D. Dumón, M. F. Mattio, V. Alemandri, and G. Truol. "A molecular framework for the identification of planthopper vectors (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) of central Argentina." Bulletin of Entomological Research 105, no. 6 (September 10, 2015): 754–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007485315000735.
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AbstractPlanthoppers are important worldwide crop pests as well as vectors of numerous diseases. Different species transmit Mal de Río Cuarto virus, which causes the most economically important corn disease in central Argentina. Epidemiological studies rely on the accurate identification of the species present in the field. Presently, morphological identification of planthoppers requires taxonomic expertise and there are no taxonomic keys for females and nymphs. Nevertheless, no molecular protocols are available for accurate species identification of most frequent delphacid species from central Argentina. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of the cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI) as a DNA barcode and its digestion with restriction enzymes (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism, RFLP) for the identification of the most common species of planthoppers in central Argentina. We amplified and sequenced a 843 bp fragment of the COI gene of taxonomically identified specimens and evaluated its use as a DNA barcode. Restriction enzymes were also selected for digesting the COI fragment via RFLP. The high interspecific variability (20.79%; ± 2.32%) and low intraspecific divergence (0.12%; ± 0.17%) observed in the studied species, demonstrate the effectiveness of the COI gene for species identification of major vector delphacids affecting corn crops in Argentina. Moreover, the digestion of this COI gene fragment with Bfa I and Apo I enzymes allows a fast and cost-effective species identification method when numerous specimens need to be processed. Both molecular techniques developed here, allow the accurate identification of planthopper species at regional scale. These new tools would assist traditional identification of these insects, especially for aiding non-experts in morphological taxonomy.
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Cherevatov, O. V., E. O. Melnik, and R. A. Volkov. "Polymorphism of COI gene in honey bees from different regions of Ukraine." Visnik ukrains'kogo tovaristva genetikiv i selekcioneriv 18, no. 1-2 (January 29, 2021): 22–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.7124/visnyk.utgis.18.1-2.1351.
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Aim. The rapidly evolving mitochondrial CoI gene is widely used in the molecular taxonomy of insects to identify closely related forms. Accordingly, to assess the distribution of subspecies / breeds of Apis mellifera in Ukraine, sequencing and comparison of this gene was performed for bees from different geographical regions. Methods. PCR amplification and sequencing of CoI. Results. Breed-specific mutations in the CoI gene have been identified for the Dark European, Carpathian and Ukrainian Steppe honey bees, which are widely distributed in Ukraine. It was found that the current distribution of these breeds does not correspond to the traditional zoning. Conclusions. The widespread practice of importing the genetic material of Apis mellifera from different regions of Ukraine leads to uncontrolled hybridization and represents a threat to the conservation of aboriginal breeds of honey bees.Keywords: biodiversity, mitochondrial DNA, molecular markers, cytochrome oxidase, Apis mellifera.
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Roshka, N. M., A. R. Volkova, and I. I. Panchuk. "Molecular organization of 5S ribosomal DNA of Apis mellifera ligustica." Visnik ukrains'kogo tovaristva genetikiv i selekcioneriv 19, no. 1-2 (December 31, 2021): 31–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.7124/visnyk.utgis.19.1-2.1438.
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Aim. 5S rDNA belongs to the moderately repeated, tandemly arranged sequences composed of coding regions and intergenic spacers (IGS). The IGS comparison is successfully used for the study of microevolution and in the molecular taxonomy of plants, vertebrates and some invertebrates. However, 5S rDNA of insects still remains insufficiently characterized. In this article, we analyze the molecular organization and polymorphism of 5S rDNA IGS of Apis mellifera ligustica. Methods. DNA extraction, PCR amplification, cloning of 5S rDNA, sequencing, bioinformatics analysis. Results. The 5S rDNA IGS of A. m. ligustica was cloned into the plasmid vector and sequenced. The obtained sequences were compared with the same genomic region of A. m. carnica. It was found that the genome of A. m. ligustica contains one class of IGS, which is represented by structural subclasses 1A, 1B, 1G and 1F. Two of these subclasses, 1G and 1F, which are identified here for the first time, are specific for A. m. ligustica. Conclusions. The obtained results show a high intra- and intergenomic polymorphism of 5S rDNA within the subspecies of Apis mellifera.Keywords: 5S rDNA, intergenic spacer, repeated sequences, Apis mellifera, Apidae.
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Audisio, P., H. Brustel, G. M. Carpaneto, G. Coletti, E. Mancini, M. Trizzino, G. Antonini, and A. De Biase. "Data on molecular taxonomy and genetic diversification of the European Hermit beetles, a species complex of endangered insects (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae,Osmoderma)." Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 47, no. 1 (February 2009): 88–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0469.2008.00475.x.
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Pinto, Israel de Souza, Bruno Leite Rodrigues, Thais de Araujo-Pereira, Paloma Helena Fernandes Shimabukuro, Daniela de Pita-Pereira, Constança Britto, and Reginaldo Peçanha Brazil. "DNA barcoding of sand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) from the western Brazilian Amazon." PLOS ONE 18, no. 2 (February 2, 2023): e0281289. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281289.
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The subfamily Phlebotominae comprises important insects for public health. The use of complementary tools such as molecular taxonomy is necessary for interspecific delimitation and/or discovery of cryptic species. Here, we evaluated the DNA barcoding tool to identify different species in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon. For this, we collected sand flies in forest fragments along the highway BR-317, in the municipality of Brasiléia, state of Acre, Brazil. The specimens were DNA-barcoded using a fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. The sequences were analyzed to generate K2P pairwise genetic distances and a Neighbour-joining tree. The sand fly barcodes were also clustered into Molecular Operation Taxonomic Units (MOTU) using Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) approach. A total of 59 COI sequences comprising 22 nominal species and ten genera were generated. Of these, 11 species had not been sequenced before, thus being new COI sequences to science. Intraspecific genetic distances ranged between 0 and 4.9%, with Pintomyia serrana presenting the highest values of genetic distance, in addition to having been partitioned into three MOTUs. Regarding the distances to the nearest neighbour, all species present higher values in relation to the maximum intraspecific distance, in addition to forming well supported clusters in the neighbour-joining analysis. The DNA barcoding approach is useful for the molecular identification of sand flies from Brasiléia, state of Acre, and was efficient in detecting cryptic diversity of five species which can be confirmed in future studies using an integrative approach. We also generated new COI barcodes for Trichophoromyia auraensis, Nyssomyia shawi, and Psychodopygus paraensis, which may play a role in the transmission of Leishmania spp. in the Brazilian Amazon.
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Csősz, Sándor, and Brian L. Fisher. "Taxonomic revision of the Malagasy members of theNesomyrmex angulatusspecies group using the automated morphological species delineation protocol NC-PART-clustering." PeerJ 4 (March 10, 2016): e1796. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1796.
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Background.Applying quantitative morphological approaches in systematics research is a promising way to discover cryptic biological diversity. Information obtained through twenty-first century science poses new challenges to taxonomy by offering the possibility of increased objectivity in independent and automated hypothesis formation. In recent years a number of promising new algorithmic approaches have been developed to recognize morphological diversity among insects based on multivariate morphometric analyses. These algorithms objectively delimit components in the data by automatically assigning objects into clusters.Method.In this paper, hypotheses on the diversity of the MalagasyNesomyrmex angulatusgroup are formulated via a highly automated protocol involving a fusion of two algorithms, (1) Nest Centroid clustering (NC clustering) and (2) Partitioning Algorithm based on Recursive Thresholding (PART). Both algorithms assign samples into clusters, making the class assignment results of different algorithms readily inferable. The results were tested by confirmatory cross-validated Linear Discriminant Analysis (LOOCV-LDA).Results.Here we reveal the diversity of a unique and largely unexplored fragment of the Malagasy ant fauna using NC-PART-clustering on continuous morphological data, an approach that brings increased objectivity to taxonomy. We describe eight morphologically distinct species, including seven new species:Nesomyrmex angulatus(Mayr, 1862),N. bidentatussp. n.,N. clypeatussp. n.,N. deviussp. n.,N. exiguussp. n.,N. fragilissp. n.,N. gracilissp. n., andN. hirtellussp. n.. An identification key for their worker castes using morphometric data is provided.Conclusions.Combining the dimensionality reduction feature of NC clustering with the assignment of samples into clusters by PART advances the automatization of morphometry-based alpha taxonomy.
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MALUMPHY, CHRISTOPHER, KATHERINE WALSH, M. BELEN SUAREZ, DOMINIQUE W. COLLINS, and NIEL BOONHAM. "Morphological and molecular identification of all developmental stages of four whitefly species (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) commonly intercepted in quarantine." Zootaxa 2118, no. 1 (May 27, 2009): 1–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2118.1.1.
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Whiteflies are inadvertently, but commonly, transported in international plant trade. Rapid, accurate identification is the essential first step when such insects are intercepted by quarantine authorities. Whitefly taxonomy, and identification, is almost entirely based on the fourth-larval instar or puparium, but often only the eggs, early larval instars or adults are detected. Morphological descriptions of the egg, first three larval stages and adult are presented for four species commonly detected in trade, Bemisia afer (Priesner & Hosny), B. tabaci (Gennadius), Trialeurodes ricini (Misra) and Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood). Morphological characters are provided that enable most life stage/species combinations in these four species to be distinguished. The structure of the antenna is a reliable and simple character for separating the four larval instars. Phenotypic plasticity, previously only reported in the puparial stage, also occurs in the second and third-larval instars. Where morphological separation of two species is sometimes inconclusive, or impossible, identification can be achieved using four real-time PCR assays, designed and validated to distinguish between the four species. The assays are generic in their set-up and can be multiplexed to form two reactions allowing discrimination of B. afer and B. tabaci in one well, and T. ricini and T. vaporariorum in another.
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Yu, Feng-Ming, Kandawatte Wedaralalage Thilini Chethana, De-Ping Wei, Jian-Wei Liu, Qi Zhao, Song-Ming Tang, Lu Li, and Kevin David Hyde. "Comprehensive Review of Tolypocladium and Description of a Novel Lineage from Southwest China." Pathogens 10, no. 11 (October 27, 2021): 1389. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10111389.
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Tolypocladium, a diverse genus of fungicolous fungi belonging to Ophiocordycipitaceae, includes saprotrophic soil inhabitants, plant endophytes and pathogens of insects, nematodes, rotifers, and parasites of truffle-like fungi. Here, we review the research progress achieved for Tolypocladium regarding its taxonomy, species diversity, geographic distribution, host affiliations and ecological diversity. Furthermore, an undescribed taxon from China was established using morphology and multi-gene phylogeny. Tolypocladium inusitaticapitatum is introduced as a new species parasitizing ectomycorrhizal Elaphomyces species. It is diagnosed by its irregularly enlarged fertile heads and lemon, yellow-to-dark-brown, smooth and nearly cylindrical stipe. Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU, LSU, ITS, TEF1-α and RPB2 sequence data showed T. inusitaticapitatum to be an independent lineage separated from T. flavonigrum in the clade comprising T. capitatum, T. fractum and T. longisegmentatum. A key for identifying the sexual Tolypocladium species is also provided.
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Tan, Y., Y. Zhang, Z. J. Huo, X. R. Zhou, and B. P. Pang. "Molecular cloning of heat shock protein 10 (Hsp10) and 60 (Hsp60) cDNAs from Galeruca daurica (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and their expression analysis." Bulletin of Entomological Research 108, no. 4 (October 30, 2017): 510–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007485317001079.
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AbstractGaleruca daurica (Joannis) is a new outbreak pest in the Inner Mongolia grasslands in northern China. Heat shock protein 10 and 60 (Hsp10 and Hsp60) genes of G. daurica, designated as GdHsp10 and GdHsp60, were cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends techniques. Sequence analysis showed that GdHsp10 and GdHsp60 encoded polypeptides of 104 and 573 amino acids, respectively. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis clearly revealed that the amino acids of GdHsp10 and GdHsp60 had high homology and were clustered with other Hsp10 and Hsp60 genes in insects which are highly relative with G. daurica based on morphologic taxonomy. The mRNA expression analysis by real-time PCR revealed that GdHsp10 and GdHsp60 were expressed at all development stages and in all tissues examined, but expressed highest in eggs and in adults’ abdomen; both heat and cold stresses could induce mRNA expression of GdHsp10 and GdHsp60 in the 2nd instar larvae; the two Hsp genes were expressed from high to low with the extension of treatment time in G. daurica eggs exposed to freezing point. Overall, our study provides useful information to understand temperature stress responses of Hsp60 and Hsp10 in G. daurica, and provides a basis to further study functions of Hsp60/Hsp10 relative to thermotolerance and cold hardiness mechanism.
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Duran, Daniel P., and Stephen J. Roman. "Description of a new halophilic tiger beetle in the genus Eunota (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae, Cicindelini) identified using morphology, phylogenetics and biogeography." PLOS ONE 16, no. 10 (October 13, 2021): e0257108. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257108.
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Tiger beetles are a popular group of insects amongst amateur naturalists, and are well-represented in museum and private collections. New species descriptions plateaued in the 19th century, but there is a recent resurgence of discoveries as integrative taxonomy methods, guided by molecular systematics, uncover “cryptic” tiger beetle diversity. In this paper, we describe a new species using multiple data types. This new species, Eunota mecocheila Duran and Roman n. sp., is in the tribe Cicindelini, and is described from specimens collected in saline muddy ditches in northern Mexico. This species is closely related to E. circumpicta (LaFerté-Sénectère, 1841), but is separated based on morphological differences, geographic range, and genetic differentiation. Little is known about the biology or distribution of this species and it has only been collected from two sites in the state of Coahuila. Given the location of this new species, and its genetic divergence from its closest relative, E. circumpicta, we discuss the historical biogeography that may have led to isolation and speciation. The male and female dorsal, lateral and frontal habitus and the male aedeagus are shown.
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Li, Shu-Yi, Yan-Min Zhao, Bing-Xin Guo, Chen-Hong Li, Bing-Jiao Sun, and Xiao-Long Lin. "Comparative Analysis of Mitogenomes of Chironomus (Diptera: Chironomidae)." Insects 13, no. 12 (December 16, 2022): 1164. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects13121164.
Full textAbstract:
(1) Background: Chironomids are biological indicators, playing an important role in monitoring and assessing the changes in water ecosystems. Mitochondrial genomes have been widely applied as a molecular marker to analyze the taxonomy and phylogeny of insects. However, knowledge of the mitogenomes of Chironomus species is scarce at present, which limits our understanding of the evolutionary relationships among Chironomus. (2) Methods: In our study, the mitogenomes and their basic structure of 12 Chironomus species and one Microchironomus species were newly sequenced. Combined with reported mitogenomes, a total of 15 mitogenomes of Chironomus were selected for a comparative mitogenomic analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction of Chironomus. (3) Results: Each mitogenome of the Chironomus species has the typical 37 genes and a control region. The basic structure of the whole mitogenomes of Chironomus species is relatively conservative, and the genetic arrangements stay the same as the ancestral mitogenome. (4) Conclusions: Our study enriches the library of mitogenomes of chironomids and provides a valuable resource for understanding the evolutionary history of Chironomus.
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Rudoy, Andrey, Chao-Dong Zhu, Rafael R. Ferrari, and Yan-Zhou Zhang. "Integrative taxonomy based on morphometric and molecular data supports recognition of the three cryptic species within the Encyrtus sasakii complex (Hymenoptera, Encyrtidae)." Journal of Hymenoptera Research 90 (April 29, 2022): 129–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/jhr.90.75807.
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Morphometrics has established itself as one of the most powerful tools for species delimitation, particularly for morphologically-conserved groups of insects. An interesting example is the parasitoid Encyrtus sasakii Ishii (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Encyrtidae), which was recently subdivided into three cryptic species that are seemingly well-delimited with the available DNA data but nearly indistinguishable morphologically. Here, we performed linear morphometric analyses of the antenna as well as shape analyses of the ovipositor and hypopygium (the last two are key structures associated with host location and selection) to shed further light on the taxonomic status of the E. sasakii complex. Principal component analyses were carried out to visualize the amount and direction of shape variation in the ovipositor and hypopygium. Complementarily, we constructed phylogenetic trees using a Bayesian approach based on two markers (28S and COI). We found statistically-significant differences in the relative size of the funicle and of the two proximal claval antennomeres among the three species. Our analyses also indicated that the outer plates of the ovipositor show remarkable allometric changes and that both the stylus and shield of the ovipositor are relatively well conserved among species. We nonetheless found consistent interspecific differences in the shape of the 2nd outer plate of the ovipositor and hypopygium. Also, both our COI and combined trees recovered three strongly-supported major clades, each corresponding to one of the three cryptic species. We discuss that changes in the shape of the ovipositor may have played an important role in host shift and speciation within the E. sasakii complex. Even though the recent descriptions of both E. eulecaniumiae Wang & Zhang, 2016 and E. rhodococcusiae Wang & Zhang, 2016 appear not to fully satisfy the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a simple resolution for the sake of taxonomic stability is proposed herein.
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Gimmel, Matthew L., Karol Szawaryn, Chenyang Cai, and Richard A. B. Leschen. "Mesozoic sooty mould beetles as living relicts in New Zealand." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 286, no. 1917 (December 18, 2019): 20192176. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.2176.
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New Zealand is an island continent that completed its split from the Gondwanan continent at 52 Ma, harbouring an iconic biota of tuatara, kiwi and weta. The sooty mould community is a distinctive trophic element of New Zealand forest ecosystems that is driven by plant-feeding sternorrhynchan Hemiptera. These produce honeydew, which supports fungal growth, which in turn supports numerous endemic invertebrates, including endemic New Zealand beetle families. Ancient New Zealand insect fossils are rare but a single fossil of a sooty mould cyclaxyrid was recently described from Cretaceous Burmese amber, a family that was previously known from two extant New Zealand species. Well-preserved fossils like this one are recasting Earth history, and, based on a wealth of additional specimens, we re-evaluate the taxonomy of Cretaceous cyclaxyrids and one Eocene species here transferred to Cyclaxyridae. Cyclaxyridae are highly tied to the sooty mould community and have now been discovered to occur in disparate biogeographic realms in deep time. Our discovery indicates that the family, and perhaps the sooty mould community in general, was widespread in Pangaea from at least the Cretaceous and survived as a relict in New Zealand. Persistence of a sooty mould ecosystem in New Zealand and fungal specialization may not necessarily be an evolutionary ‘dead-end’ for cyclaxyrids and other insects.
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Cherevatov, Oleksandr, and Nadiia Roshka. "Polymorphism of the СоІІ gene of honey bees in the western regions of Ukraine." Biolohichni systemy 12, no. 2 (December 23, 2020): 174–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.31861/biosystems2020.02.174.
Full textAbstract:
Due to active human intervention in natural genetic and population processes, survival and distribution areas of honey bees have been negatively affected. Preservation of the gene pool of aboriginal bees that are well adapted to local environmental conditions is an urgent problem that cannot be solved without the use of molecular methods to monitor the genetic composition of local populations. This type of research requires the use of state-of-the-art approaches based on application of molecular markers. In the molecular taxonomy of insects, mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase genes are widely used to identify closely related forms. The peculiarity of mtDNA is that it is maternally inherited, and the mitochondrial molecular markers are not separated by recombination. The СоІІ gene encoding the second subunit of cytochrome oxidase is widely used to descriminate the subspecies of honey bee. Therefore, to assess the distribution of different subspecies / breeds of Apis mellifera in Ukraine, the 5′-region of the СоІІ gene was sequenced and compared for bees from different geographical regions. In the CoII gene, base substitutions were found, which makes it possible to distinguish between honey bees of the Carpathian and Ukrainian steppe breeds, which are widespread in Ukraine. It has been revealed that the distribution of these breeds does not always correspond to the official zoning. The widespread practice in Ukraine of transporting the genetic material of Apis mellifera from different regions leads to uncontrolled hybridization and poses a threat to the preservation of aboriginal breeds of honey bees.
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STEVENS, NICHOLAS B., ANDREW D. AUSTIN, and JOHN T. JENNINGS. "Diversity, distribution and taxonomy of the Australian agathidine genera Camptothlipsis Enderlein, Lytopylus Foerster and Therophilus Wesmael (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae)." Zootaxa 2887, no. 1 (May 23, 2011): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2887.1.1.
Full textAbstract:
The braconid subfamily Agathidinae is a large group of koinobiont endoparasitic wasps of lepidopteran larvae. Until recently, three of the 10 agathidine genera that occur in Australia, Camptothlipsis Enderlein, Lytopylus Foerster and Therophilus Wesmael, were treated as synonyms of Bassus F. s.l. Of these three genera, Therophilus is the most speciose and widely distributed in Australia, and is one of only two agathidine genera whose members are associated with a putative mimicry complex of braconid wasps and other insects comprising species that have a distinctive black, red-orange and white colour pattern. Australian species, previously considered under Bassus s.l., have received little attention since their original description nearly 90 years ago and, not surprisingly, this earlier work is insufficient for reliable species identification. The present study updates the taxonomy of the described species, presents a more thorough assessment of intraspecific variation, and provides a key for species of Therophilus. Four new species are described that support morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies on the Australian fauna: Camptothlipsis oliveri Stevens n. sp., representing the first described species for this genus in Australia, and Therophilus aalvikorum Stevens n. sp., T. mishae Stevens n. sp., and T. stephensae Stevens n. sp., whose descriptions also extend the morphological limits of Therophilus in Australia. In addition, the introduced Lytopylus rufipes (Nees von Esenbeck) is redescribed, this species representing the only member of the genus known from Australia. Significantly, two species of Therophilus, T. unimaculatus (Turner) and T. rugosus (Turner), are important parasitoids of the native Australian lepidopterans Etiella behrii Zeller (Pyralidae) and Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) (Tortricidae) that have become significant pests in southern and eastern Australia, as well as in several other countries.
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Hausner, G., M. Iranpour, J. J. Kim, C. Breuil, C. N. Davis, E. A. Gibb, J. Reid, P. C. Loewen, and A. A. Hopkin. "Fungi vectored by the introduced bark beetle Tomicus piniperda in Ontario, Canada, and comments on the taxonomy of Leptographium lundbergii, Leptographium terebrantis, Leptographium truncatum, and Leptographium wingfieldii." Canadian Journal of Botany 83, no. 10 (October 2005): 1222–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/b05-095.
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Fungi isolated from Tomicus piniperda (L.) galleries in infected trap logs, standing trees, and directly from insects were identified using morphological features and molecular data obtained from the mitochondrial and nuclear DNA region. Identified strains represented Leptographium wingfieldii Morelet, Leptographium procerum (Kendr.) Wingf., Leptographium lundbergii Lag. & Melin sensu Jacobs & Wingfield, Ophiostoma ips (Rumb.) Nannf., Ophiostoma minus (Hedg.) H. & P. Syd., and Sphaeropsis sapinea sensu lato. Leptographium wingfieldii is believed to be a potentially pathogenic introduced fungus, but sequence data suggest a possible connection between it and the teleomorph of Ophiostoma aureum (Robinson-Jeffrey & Davids.) T.C. Harrington (reported from British Columbia and the western United States). Our data also show that the ex-type culture of Leptographium terebrantis Barras & Perry, a species very similar morphologically to L. wingfieldii, also grouped with L. wingfieldii. We also identified strains of Leptographium truncatum (Wingf. & Marasas) Wingf.; this species has been synonymized with L. lundbergii, but our data indicate that these are distinct species, and therefore, the name L. truncatum should be reinstated. We also report the extended presence of L. procerum in Ontario. Previously viewed as a “southern” species frequently associated with pine-root decline diseases, it has been infrequently reported from New York state and but once each from Ontario and Quebec.
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González-Vaquero, Rocío Ana, Arturo Roig-Alsina, and Laurence Packer. "DNA barcoding as a useful tool in the systematic study of wild bees of the tribe Augochlorini (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)." Genome 59, no. 10 (October 2016): 889–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/gen-2016-0006.
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Special care is needed in the delimitation and identification of halictid bee species, which are renowned for being morphologically monotonous. Corynura Spinola and Halictillus Moure (Halictidae: Augochlorini) contain species that are key elements in southern South American ecosystems. These bees are very difficult to identify due to close morphological similarity among species and high sexual dimorphism. We analyzed 170 barcode-compliant COI sequences from 19 species. DNA barcodes were useful to confirm gender associations and to detect two new cryptic species. Interspecific distances were significantly higher than those reported for other bees. Maximum intraspecific divergence was less than 1% in 14 species. Barcode index numbers (BINs) were useful to identify putative species that need further study. More than one BIN was assigned to five species. The name Corynura patagonica (Cockerell) probably refers to two cryptic species. The results suggest that Corynura and Halictillus species can be identified using DNA barcodes. The sequences of the species included in this study can be used as a reference to assess the identification of unknown specimens. This study provides additional support for the use of DNA barcodes in bee taxonomy and the identification of specimens, which is particularly relevant in insects of ecological importance such as pollinators.
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Martoni, Francesco, Alexander M. Piper, Brendan C. Rodoni, and Mark J. Blacket. "Disentangling bias for non-destructive insect metabarcoding." PeerJ 10 (February 23, 2022): e12981. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.12981.
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A fast and reliable method for obtaining a species-level identification is a fundamental requirement for a wide range of activities, from plant protection and invasive species management to biodiversity assessments and ecological studies. For insects, novel molecular techniques such as DNA metabarcoding have emerged as a rapid alternative to traditional morphological identification, reducing the dependence on limited taxonomic experts. Until recently, molecular techniques have required a destructive DNA extraction, precluding the possibility of preserving voucher specimens for future studies, or species descriptions. Here we paired insect metabarcoding with two recent non-destructive DNA extraction protocols, to obtain a rapid and high-throughput taxonomic identification of diverse insect taxa while retaining a physical voucher specimen. The aim of this work was to explore how non-destructive extraction protocols impact the semi-quantitative nature of metabarcoding, which alongside species presence/absence also provides a quantitative, but biased, representation of their relative abundances. By using a series of mock communities representing each stage of a typical metabarcoding workflow we were able to determine how different morphological (i.e., insect biomass and exoskeleton hardness) and molecular traits (i.e., primer mismatch and amplicon GC%), interact with different protocol steps to introduce quantitative bias into non-destructive metabarcoding results. We discuss the relevance of taxonomic bias to metabarcoding identification of insects and potential approaches to account for it.
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Ferrauto, Tomassino, Domenico Parisi, Gabriele Di Stefano, and Gianluca Baldassarre. "Different Genetic Algorithms and the Evolution of Specialization: A Study with Groups of Simulated Neural Robots." Artificial Life 19, no. 2 (April 2013): 221–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/artl_a_00106.
Full textAbstract:
Organisms that live in groups, from microbial symbionts to social insects and schooling fish, exhibit a number of highly efficient cooperative behaviors, often based on role taking and specialization. These behaviors are relevant not only for the biologist but also for the engineer interested in decentralized collective robotics. We address these phenomena by carrying out experiments with groups of two simulated robots controlled by neural networks whose connection weights are evolved by using genetic algorithms. These algorithms and controllers are well suited to autonomously find solutions for decentralized collective robotic tasks based on principles of self-organization. The article first presents a taxonomy of role-taking and specialization mechanisms related to evolved neural network controllers. Then it introduces two cooperation tasks, which can be accomplished by either role taking or specialization, and uses these tasks to compare four different genetic algorithms to evaluate their capacity to evolve a suitable behavioral strategy, which depends on the task demands. Interestingly, only one of the four algorithms, which appears to have more biological plausibility, is capable of evolving role taking or specialization when they are needed. The results are relevant for both collective robotics and biology, as they can provide useful hints on the different processes that can lead to the emergence of specialization in robots and organisms.
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Cannings, Robert A. "Odonata of Canada." ZooKeys 819 (January 24, 2019): 227–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.819.25780.
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Since Corbet’s thorough 1979 overview of Canadian Odonata, hundreds of regional works on taxonomy, faunistics, distribution, life history, ecology and behaviour have been written. Canada records 214 species of Odonata, an increase of 20 since the 1979 assessment. Estimates of unrecorded species are small; this reflects the well-known nature of the fauna. A major impetus for surveys and analyses of the status of species is the work of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada which provides a scientifically sound classification of wildlife species potentially at risk. As of 2017, six species have been designated “Endangered” and two “Special Concern” (only five of which are officially listed under the Federal Species at Risk Act (SARA)). The Order provides a good example of molecular barcoding effort in insects, as many well-accepted morphological species in Canada have been barcoded to some degree. However, more barcoding of accurately identified specimens of many species is still required, especially in most of the larger families, which have less than 70% of their species barcoded. Corbet noted that the larvae of 15 Canadian species were unknown, but almost all larvae are now well, or cursorily, described. Extensive surveys have greatly improved our understanding of species’ geographical distributions, habitat requirements and conservation status but more research is required to better define occurrence, abundance and biological details for almost all species.
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Spratt, David M., and Ian Beveridge. "Wildlife parasitology in Australia: past, present and future." Australian Journal of Zoology 66, no. 4 (2018): 286. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo19017.
Full textAbstract:
Wildlife parasitology is a highly diverse area of research encompassing many fields including taxonomy, ecology, pathology and epidemiology, and with participants from extremely disparate scientific fields. In addition, the organisms studied are highly dissimilar, ranging from platyhelminths, nematodes and acanthocephalans to insects, arachnids, crustaceans and protists. This review of the parasites of wildlife in Australia highlights the advances made to date, focussing on the work, interests and major findings of researchers over the years and identifies current significant gaps that exist in our understanding. The review is divided into three sections covering protist, helminth and arthropod parasites. The challenge to document the diversity of parasites in Australia continues at a traditional level but the advent of molecular methods has heightened the significance of this issue. Modern methods are providing an avenue for major advances in documenting and restructuring the phylogeny of protistan parasites in particular, while facilitating the recognition of species complexes in helminth taxa previously defined by traditional morphological methods. The life cycles, ecology and general biology of most parasites of wildlife in Australia are extremely poorly understood. While the phylogenetic origins of the Australian vertebrate fauna are complex, so too are the likely origins of their parasites, which do not necessarily mirror those of their hosts. This aspect of parasite evolution is a continuing area for research in the case of helminths, but remains to be addressed for many other parasitic groups.
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Monaghan, Michael T., Michael Balke, T. Ryan Gregory, and Alfried P. Vogler. "DNA-based species delineation in tropical beetles using mitochondrial and nuclear markers." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 360, no. 1462 (September 12, 2005): 1925–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2005.1724.
Full textAbstract:
DNA barcoding has been successfully implemented in the identification of previously described species, and in the process has revealed several cryptic species. It has been noted that such methods could also greatly assist in the discovery and delineation of undescribed species in poorly studied groups, although to date the feasibility of such an approach has not been examined explicitly. Here, we investigate the possibility of using short mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences to delimit putative species in groups lacking an existing taxonomic framework. We focussed on poorly known tropical water beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Hydrophilidae) from Madagascar and dung beetles (Scarabaeidae) in the genus Canthon from the Neotropics. Mitochondrial DNA sequence variation proved to be highly structured, with >95% of the observed variation existing between discrete sets of very closely related genotypes. Sequence variation in nuclear 28S rRNA among the same individuals was lower by at least an order of magnitude, but 16 different genotypes were found in water beetles and 12 genotypes in Canthon , differing from each other by a minimum of two base pairs. The distribution of these 28S rRNA genotypes in individuals exactly matched the distribution of mtDNA clusters, suggesting that mtDNA patterns were not misleading because of introgression. Moreover, in a few cases where sequence information was available in GenBank for morphologically defined species of Canthon , these matched some of the DNA-based clusters. These findings demonstrate that clusters of close relatives can be identified readily in the sequence variation obtained in field collected samples, and that these clusters are likely to correspond to either previously described or unknown species. The results suggest that DNA-assisted taxonomy will not require more than a short fragment of mtDNA to provide a largely accurate picture of species boundaries in these groups. Applied on a large scale, this DNA-based approach could greatly improve the rate of species discovery in the large assemblages of insects that remain undescribed.
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Didier, E. S., C. R. Vossbrinck, M. D. Baker, L. B. Rogers, D. C. Bertucci, and J. A. Shadduck. "Identification and characterization of threeEncephalitozoon cuniculistrains." Parasitology 111, no. 4 (November 1995): 411–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0031182000065914.
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SUMMARYMicrosporidia are increasingly recognized as causing opportunistic infections in immunocompromised individuals.Encephalitozoon cuniculiis probably the most studied mammalian microsporidian that infects insects and mammals, including man. In this study, 8E. cuniculiisolates were compared and were found to fall into 3 strains. Strain type I includes the rabbit type isolate, as well as isolates from an additional rabbit, a dwarf rabbit, and a mouse. Strain type II includes 2 murine isolates and strain type III includes 2 isolates obtained from domestic dogs. By SDS-PAGE, the 3 strains differ primarily in the molecular weight range of 54–59 kDa where strain type I displays an apparent broad singlet at 57 kDa, strain type II displays an apparent doublet at 54 and 58 kDa, and strain type III displays an apparent broad band at 59 kDa. Antigenic differences were detected in the molecular weight regions of 54–58 kDa as well as 28–40 kDa by Western blot immunodetection using murine antisera raised againstE. cuniculi, Encephalitozoon hellem,and theEncephalitozoon-like Septata intestinalis.Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products containing only small subunit rDNA sequences from the differentE. cuniculiisolates formed homoduplexes whereas PCR products containing intergenic rRNA gene sequences formed heteroduplexes in mobility shift analyses.FokI digestion of the PCR products containing the intergenic rRNA gene region resulted in unique restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns, and DNA sequencing demonstrated that in the intergenic spacer region, the sequence 5'-GTTT-3' was repeated 3 times in strain type I, twice in strain type II, and 4 times in strain type III. This study indicates that there exist at least 3E. cuniculistrains which may become important in the epidemiology of humanE. cuniculiinfections. Furthermore, as additionalE. cuniculiisolates are characterized, these strains will be named or reclassified once the criteria for taxonomy and phylogenetic tree construction for microsporidia become better defined.
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Ritter, Camila D., Sibylle Häggqvist, Dave Karlsson, Ilari E. Sääksjärvi, A. Muthama Muasya, R. Henrik Nilsson, and Alexandre Antonelli. "Biodiversity assessments in the 21st century: the potential of insect traps to complement environmental samples for estimating eukaryotic and prokaryotic diversity using high-throughput DNA metabarcoding." Genome 62, no. 3 (March 2019): 147–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/gen-2018-0096.
Full textAbstract:
The rapid loss of biodiversity, coupled with difficulties in species identification, call for innovative approaches to assess biodiversity. Insects make up a substantial proportion of extant diversity and play fundamental roles in any given ecosystem. To complement morphological species identification, new techniques such as metabarcoding make it possible to quantify insect diversity and insect–ecosystem interactions through DNA sequencing. Here we examine the potential of bulk insect samples (i.e., containing many non-sorted specimens) to assess prokaryote and eukaryote biodiversity and to complement the taxonomic coverage of soil samples. We sampled 25 sites on three continents and in various ecosystems, collecting insects with SLAM traps (Brazil) and Malaise traps (South Africa and Sweden). We then compared our diversity estimates with the results obtained with biodiversity data from soil samples from the same localities. We found a largely different taxonomic composition between the soil and insect samples, testifying to the potential of bulk insect samples to complement soil samples. Finally, we found that non-destructive DNA extraction protocols, which preserve insect specimens for morphological studies, constitute a promising choice for cost-effective biodiversity assessments. We propose that the sampling and sequencing of insect samples should become a standard complement for biodiversity studies based on environmental DNA.
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Glastad, Karl M., Brendan G. Hunt, and Michael A. D. Goodisman. "Epigenetics in Insects: Genome Regulation and the Generation of Phenotypic Diversity." Annual Review of Entomology 64, no. 1 (January 7, 2019): 185–203. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-011118-111914.
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Epigenetic inheritance is fundamentally important to cellular differentiation and developmental plasticity. In this review, we provide an introduction to the field of molecular epigenetics in insects. Epigenetic information is passed across cell divisions through the methylation of DNA, the modification of histone proteins, and the activity of noncoding RNAs. Much of our knowledge of insect epigenetics has been gleaned from a few model species. However, more studies of epigenetic information in traditionally nonmodel taxa will help advance our understanding of the developmental and evolutionary significance of epigenetic inheritance in insects. To this end, we also provide a brief overview of techniques for profiling and perturbing individual facets of the epigenome. Doing so in diverse cellular, developmental, and taxonomic contexts will collectively help shed new light on how genome regulation results in the generation of diversity in insect form and function.
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Guzmán-Larralde, Adriana J., Alba P. Suaste-Dzul, Adrien Gallou, and Kenzy I. Peña-Carrillo. "DNA recovery from microhymenoptera using six non-destructive methodologies with considerations for subsequent preparation of museum slides." Genome 60, no. 1 (January 2017): 85–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/gen-2015-0172.
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Because of the tiny size of microhymenoptera, successful morphological identification typically requires specific mounting protocols that require time, skills, and experience. Molecular taxonomic identification is an alternative, but many DNA extraction protocols call for maceration of the whole specimen, which is not compatible with preserving museum vouchers. Thus, non-destructive DNA isolation methods are attractive alternatives for obtaining DNA without damaging sample individuals. However, their performance needs to be assessed in microhymenopterans. We evaluated six non-destructive methods: (A) DNeasy® Blood & Tissue Kit; (B) DNeasy® Blood & Tissue Kit, modified; (C) Protocol with CaCl2 buffer; (D) Protocol with CaCl2 buffer, modified; (E) HotSHOT; and (F) Direct PCR. The performance of each DNA extraction method was tested across several microhymenopteran species by attempting to amplify the mitochondrial gene COI from insect specimens of varying ages: 1 day, 4 months, 3 years, 12 years, and 23 years. Methods B and D allowed COI amplification in all insects, while methods A, C, and E were successful in DNA amplification from insects up to 12 years old. Method F, the fastest, was useful in insects up to 4 months old. Finally, we adapted permanent slide preparation in Canada balsam for every technique. The results reported allow for combining morphological and molecular methodologies for taxonomic studies.
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Marokhazi, Judit, Nicholas Waterfield, Gaelle LeGoff, Edward Feil, Richard Stabler, Jason Hinds, Andras Fodor, and Richard H. ffrench-Constant. "Using a DNA Microarray To Investigate the Distribution of Insect Virulence Factors in Strains of Photorhabdus Bacteria." Journal of Bacteriology 185, no. 15 (August 1, 2003): 4648–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jb.185.15.4648-4656.2003.
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ABSTRACT Photorhabdus is an insect-pathogenic bacterium in which oral toxicity to insects is found in two distinct taxonomic groups. Using a DNA microarray and comparative genomics, we show that oral toxicity is associated with toxin complex genes tcaABC and that this locus can be mobilized or deleted within different strains.
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NORMARK, BENJAMIN B., AKIKO OKUSU, GEOFFREY E. MORSE, DANIEL A. PETERSON, TAKAO ITIOKA, and SCOTT A. SCHNEIDER. "Phylogeny and classification of armored scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Diaspididae)." Zootaxa 4616, no. 1 (June 17, 2019): 1–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4616.1.1.
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Armored scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Diaspididae) are major economic pests and are among the world's most invasive species. Here we describe a system of specimen and identification management that establishes a basis for well-vouchered molecular identification. We also present an expanded Bayesian phylogenetic analysis based on concatenated fragments of 4 genetic loci: the large ribosomal subunit (28S), elongation factor-1 alpha (EF-1α), cytochrome oxidase I and II (COI‒II), and the small ribosomal subunit (16S) of the primary endosymbiont, Uzinura diaspidicola (Bacteroidetes: Flavobacteriales). Our sample includes 1,389 individuals, representing 11 outgroup species and at least 311 described and 61 undescribed diaspidid species. The results broadly support Takagi's 2002 classification but indicate that some revisions are needed. We propose a revised classification recognizing 4 subfamilies: Ancepaspidinae Borchsenius, new rank, Furcaspidinae Balachowsky, new rank, Diaspidinae Targioni Tozzetti, and Aspidiotinae Westwood. Within Aspidiotinae, in addition to the existing tribes Aspidiotini Westwood, Parlatoriini Leonardi, Odonaspidini Ferris, Leucaspidini Atkinson, and Smilacicolini Takagi, we recognize as tribes Gymnaspidini Balachowsky, new rank, and Aonidiini Balachowsky, new rank. Within Diaspidinae we recognize the 2 tribes Lepidosaphidini Shimer and Diaspidini Targioni Tozzetti, and within Diaspidini we recognize three subtribes: Diaspidina Targioni Tozzetti, Fioriniina Leonardi, and Chionaspidina Brues & Melander. We regard Kuwanaspidina Borchsenius as a junior synonym of Fioriniina, Thysanaspidini Takagi as a junior synonym of Leucaspidini, and Protodiaspidina Takagi and Ulucoccinae Takagi as junior synonyms of Chionaspidina. To clarify the composition of the higher taxa we describe 2 new genera for Australian species heretofore misplaced in the genus Ancepaspis Ferris: Brimblecombia Normark (Aonidiini) and Hendersonaspis Normark (Leucaspidini). We also propose many additional minor modifications to the taxonomy of Diaspididae, including the following new combinations, revived combinations, and replacement names: Aonidia edgerleyi (Mamet), new combination (from Bigymnaspis Balachowsky); Aonidomytilus espinosai Porter, revived combination (from Porterinaspis González); Aspidiotus badius (Brain), new combination (this and the next 5 Aspidiotus species all from Aonidia Targioni Tozzetti); Aspidiotus biafrae (Lindinger), new combination; Aspidiotus chaetachmeae (Brain), new combination; Aspidiotus laticornis (Balachowsky), new combination; Aspidiotus rhusae (Brain), new combination; Aspidiotus sclerosus (Munting), new combination; Brimblecombia asperata (Brimblecombe), new combination (this and the next 5 Brimblecombia species all from Ancepaspis); Brimblecombia longicauda (Brimblecombe), new combination; Brimblecombia magnicauda (Brimblecombe), new combination; Brimblecombia reticulata (Brimblecombe), new combination; Brimblecombia rotundicauda (Brimblecombe), new combination; Brimblecombia striata (Brimblecombe), new combination; Cooleyaspis pseudomorpha (Leonardi), new combination (from Dinaspis Leonardi); Cupidaspis wilkeyi (Howell & Tippins), new combination (from Paracupidaspis Howell & Tippins); Cupressaspis isfarensis Borchsenius, revived combination (this species, the next 2 species in Cupressaspis Borchsenius, revived genus, and the next 9 species in Diaspidiotus Cockerell all from Aonidia); Cupressaspis mediterranea (Lindinger), revived combination; Cupressaspis relicta (Balachowsky), new combination; Diaspidiotus atlanticus (Ferris), new combination; Diaspidiotus marginalis (Brain), new combination; Diaspidiotus maroccanus (Balachowsky), new combination; Diaspidiotus mesembryanthemae (Brain), new combination; Diaspidiotus opertus (De Lotto), new combination; Diaspidiotus shastae (Coleman), new combination; Diaspidiotus simplex (Leonardi), new combination; Diaspidiotus visci (Hall), new combination; Diaspidiotus yomae (Munting), new combination; Diaspis arundinariae (Tippins & Howell), new combination (from Geodiaspis Tippins & Howell); Duplachionaspis arecibo (Howell), new combination (this and the next 10 Duplachionaspis MacGillivray species all from Haliaspis Takagi); Duplachionaspis asymmetrica Ferris, revived combination; Duplachionaspis distichlii (Ferris), revived combination; Duplachionaspis litoralis Ferris, revived combination; Duplachionaspis mackenziei McDaniel, revived combination; Duplachionaspis milleri (Howell), new combination; Duplachionaspis nakaharai (Howell), new combination; Duplachionaspis peninsularis (Howell), new combination; Duplachionaspis spartinae (Comstock), revived combination; Duplachionaspis texana (Liu & Howell) new combination; Duplachionaspis uniolae (Takagi), new combination; Duplachionaspis mutica (Williams) (from Aloaspis Williams), new combination; Epidiaspis doumtsopi (Schneider), new combination (from Diaspis Costa); Fiorinia ficicola (Takahashi), new combination (from Ichthyaspis Takagi); Fiorinia macroprocta (Leonardi), revived combination (this and the next 2 species of Fiorinia Targioni Tozzetti all from Trullifiorinia Leonardi); Fiorinia rubrolineata Leonardi, revived combination; Fiorinia scrobicularum Green, revived combination; Genaparlatoria pseudaspidiotus (Lindinger), revived combination (from Parlatoria); Greeniella acaciae (Froggatt), new combination (this and the next 4 Greeniella Cockerell species all from Gymnaspis Newstead); Greeniella cassida (Hall & Williams), new combination; Greeniella grandis (Green), new combination; Greeniella perpusilla (Maskell), new combination; Greeniella serrata (Froggatt), new combination; Hendersonaspis anomala (Green), new combination (from Ancepaspis); Hulaspis bulba (Munting), new combination (this and the next Hulaspis Hall species both from Andaspis MacGillivray); Hulaspis formicarum (Ben-Dov), new combination; Lepidosaphes antidesmae (Rao in Rao & Ferris), new combination (this and the next 19 species all from Andaspis); Lepidosaphes arcana (Matile-Ferrero), new combination; Lepidosaphes betulae (Borchsenius), new combination; Lepidosaphes citricola (Young & Hu), new combination; Lepidosaphes conocarpi (Takagi), new combination; Lepidosaphes crawi (Cockerell), revived combination; Lepidosaphes erythrinae Rutherford, revived combination; Lepidosaphes incisor Green, revived combination; Lepidosaphes indica (Borchsenius), new combination; Lepidosaphes kashicola Takahashi, revived combination; Lepidosaphes kazimiae (Williams), new combination; Lepidosaphes laurentina (Almeida), new combination; Lepidosaphes maai (Williams & Watson), new combination; Lepidosaphes mackieana McKenzie, revived combination; Lepidosaphes micropori (Borchsenius), new combination; Lepidosaphes punicae Laing, revived combination; Lepidosaphes quercicola (Borchsenius), new combination; Lepidosaphes recurrens (Takagi & Kawai), new combination; Lepidosaphes viticis (Takagi), new combination; Lepidosaphes xishuanbannae (Young & Hu), new combination; Lepidosaphes giffardi (Adachi & Fullaway), new combination (from Carulaspis MacGillivray); Lepidosaphes garciniae (Young & Hu), new combination (this and the next 2 species all from Ductofrontaspis Young & Hu); Lepidosaphes huangyangensis (Young & Hu), new combination; Lepidosaphes jingdongensis (Young & Hu), new combination; Lepidosaphes recurvata (Froggatt), revived combination (from Metandaspis Williams); Lepidosaphes ficicola Takahashi, revived combination (this and the next 2 species all from Ungulaspis MacGillivray); Lepidosaphes pinicolous Chen, revived combination; Lepidosaphes ungulata Green, revived combination; Lepidosaphes serrulata (Ganguli), new combination (from Velataspis Ferris); Lepidosaphes huyoung Normark, replacement name for Andaspis ficicola Young & Hu; Lepidosaphes tangi Normark, replacement name for Andaspis schimae Tang; Lepidosaphes yuanfeng Normark, replacement name for Andaspis keteleeriae Yuan & Feng; Leucaspis ilicitana (Gómez-Menor), new combination (from Aonidia); Lopholeucaspis spinomarginata (Green), new combination (from Gymnaspis); Melanaspis campylanthi (Lindinger), new combination (from Aonidia); Mohelnaspis bidens (Green), new combination (from Fiorinia); Parlatoria affinis (Ramakrishna Ayyar), new combination (this and the next 4 Parlatoria species all from Gymnaspis); Parlatoria ficus (Ramakrishna Ayyar), new combination; Parlatoria mangiferae (Ramakrishna Ayyar), new combination; Parlatoria ramakrishnai (Green), new combination; Parlatoria sclerosa (Munting), new combination; Parlatoria bullata (Green), new combination (from Bigymnaspis); Parlatoria leucaspis (Lindinger), new combination (this and the next species both from Cryptoparlatorea Lindinger); Parlatoria pini (Takahashi), new combination; Parlatoria tangi Normark, replacement name for Parlatoria pini Tang; Pseudoparlatoria bennetti (Williams), new combination (from Parlagena McKenzie); Pseudoparlatoria chinchonae (McKenzie), new combination (from Protodiaspis Cockerell); Pseudoparlatoria larreae (Leonardi), revived combination (from Protargionia Leonardi); Quernaspis lepineyi (Balachowsky), new combination (from Chionaspis); Rhizaspidiotus nullispinus (Munting), new combination (from Aonidia); Rolaspis marginalis (Leonardi), new combination (from Lepidosaphes); Salicicola lepelleyi (De Lotto), new combination (from Anotaspis Ferris); Tecaspis giffardi (Leonardi), new combination (from Dinaspis); Trullifiorinia geijeriae (Froggatt), new combination (from Fiorinia); Trullifiorinia nigra (Lindinger), new combination (from Crypthemichionaspis Lindinger); and Voraspis olivina (Leonardi), new combination (from Lepidosaphes).
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Csősz, Sándor, Ferenc Báthori, Mathieu Molet, Gábor Majoros, and Zoltán Rádai. "From Parasitized to Healthy-Looking Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Morphological Reconstruction Using Algorithmic Processing." Life 12, no. 5 (April 22, 2022): 625. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/life12050625.
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Background: Parasites cause predictable alternative phenotypes of host individuals. Investigating these parasitogenic phenotypes may be essential in cases where parasitism is common or taxa is described based on a parasitized individual. Ignoring them could lead to erroneous conclusions in biodiversity-focused research, taxonomy, evolution, and ecology. However, to date, integrating alternative phenotypes into a set of wild-type individuals in morphometric analysis poses extraordinary challenges to experts. This paper presents an approach for reconstructing the putative healthy morphology of parasitized ants using algorithmic processing. Our concept enables the integration of alternative parasitogenic phenotypes in morphometric analyses. Methods: We tested the applicability of our strategy in a large pool of Cestoda-infected and healthy individuals of three Temnothorax ant species (T. nylanderi, T. sordidulus, and T. unifasciatus). We assessed the stability and convergence of morphological changes caused by parasitism across species. We used an artificial neural network-based multiclass classifier model to predict species based on morphological trait values and the presence of parasite infection. Results: Infection causes predictable morphological changes in each species, although these changes proved to be species-specific. Therefore, integrating alternative parasitogenic phenotypes in morphometric analyses can be achieved at the species level, and a prior species hypothesis is required. Conclusion: Despite the above limitation, the concept is appropriate. Beyond parasitogenic phenotypes, our approach can also integrate morphometric data of an array of alternative phenotypes (subcastes in social insects, alternative morphs in polyphenic species, and alternative sexes in sexually dimorphic species) whose integrability had not been resolved before.
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Garland, J. A. "IDENTIFICATION OF CHRYSOPIDAE IN CANADA, WITH BIONOMIC NOTES (NEUROPTERA)." Canadian Entomologist 117, no. 6 (June 1985): 737–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/ent117737-6.
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AbstractChrysopidae in Canada comprise 24 species in 9 genera and 2 subfamilies. Additional southern species are mentioned, 1 as a new combination, and other nomenclatorial changes are reviewed in relation to the Canadian fauna. Generic diagnosis of males employs sternum VIII + IX, the arcessus, gonapsis, pseudopenis, and tignum. Generic diagnosis of females is based on the dorsal furrow, ectoprocts, spermatheca, subgenitale, and a non-genitalic trait, the innermost gradate crossvein in the wings. The ecological implications and inherent difficulties in taxonomy are discussed for coloration in Chrysopidae, to develop a practical key to differentiate 26 species using color and other non-genitalic traits. A checklist summarizes maps of the geographic distribution in Canada and notes species in Alaska, based on specimens examined. Patterns of distribution for the Canadian chrysopid fauna are either Holarctic for 1 species or indigenously Nearctic, with eastern, western, or boreal foci. Disjunctions are apparent for species with a more southern, transcontinental distribution, which enter Canada primarily in Ontario and British Columbia. Life-history and bionomic notes are limited to 6 species in Canada, for which synonymies and figures are based on specimens examined. Most data originate from studies performed in Ontario. There are 5 species of parasites from 2 chrysopids. Hosts include 11 species of insects and mites, with 2 cases of hyperpredation. Three insecticides account for the more recent scarcity of chrysopids in the Niagara region. Conclusions relate the following: variable color in the 1 Holarctic species to post-glacial mingling in the northwest; gaps in temporal and spatial distribution to extinctions in progress; and renewed interest in Chrysopidae to earlier research on this group in Canada.
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SITOMPUL, AIDA FITRIANI, ELIDA HAFNI SIREGAR, DEWI IMELDA ROESMA, DAHELMI DAHELMI, and EKO PRASETYA. "Molecular identification of coffee (Coffea arabica) pollinator insects in North Sumatra, Indonesia based on designed COI primers." Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity 19, no. 5 (September 21, 2018): 1876–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d190540.
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Sitompul F, Siregar EH, Roesma DI, Dahelmi, Prasetya E. 2018. Molecular identification of coffee (Coffea arabica) pollinator insects in North Sumatra, Indonesia based on designed COI primers. Biodiversitas 19: 1877-1883. Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) is one of the most important economic commodities in the province of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Insects associated with pollination of C. arabica are one of the key factors for successful cultivation of C. arabica, but, the research regarding of these was still limited. The population of coffee plant is scattered across the highlands of Indonesia and the pollination of C. arabica is strongly believed linked to a diverse group of pollinating insects. However, lack of taxonomic identification of insects pollinating these plants has become one of constraints to succeed the cultivation of C. Arabica. This study aimed to analyze types and variations of pollinating insects of C. arabica in the province of North Sumatra, Indonesia, using DNA barcoding. DNA barcoding is now considered an alternative method of molecular identification. Sixteen of C. arabica flower visitors were captured in different planting location in North Sumatra province. Using mtDNA markers, the cytochrome oxidase subunit sequence I (COI), about 12 pollinator insect species were identified based on the COI sequence i.e Amegilla cingulata, Apis dorsata, Apis cerana, Trigona chanchamayoensis, Idiella divisa, Dolichopodidae sp., Allactoneura sp., Stomorhina discolor, Phytomia erratica, Rhiniidae sp., Melipona bicolor, and Hymenoptera sp.
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Barroso, Paulo Cézar Salgado, Rodolpho Santos Telles Menezes, Marcio Luiz de Oliveira, and Alexandre Somavilla. "A systematic review of the Neotropical social wasp genus Angiopolybia Araujo, 1946 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): species delimitation, morphological diagnosis, and geographical distribution." Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 80 (March 2, 2022): 75–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/asp.80.e71492.
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For the Neotropical genus AngiopolybiaAraujo 1946, several phenotypic forms were previously described, however, they have not been studied within an integrative taxonomic framework. Here, we used molecular data (variation of two mitochondrial genetic markers with molecular species delimitation methods) and morphology (adult morphology, male genitalia, and scanning electron microscopy images) to test the number of species within Angiopolybia. Specifically, we investigated the taxonomic validity of the morphological variants A. pallens dark morph, A. paraensis morph paraensis, A. paraensis morph ruficornis, and A. paraensis morph obscurior. Moreover, we reviewed the taxonomy and geographic distribution of the genus. Our results of morphological and molecular analyses are compatible with the current classification of Angiopolybia, and we did not find reasons to propose the morphological variants of A. pallens and A. paraensis as valid species. Additionally, we reassess the spatial range of the four Angiopolybia species and provide refined maps of their geographical distributions.
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Høye, Toke T., Johanna Ärje, Kim Bjerge, Oskar L. P. Hansen, Alexandros Iosifidis, Florian Leese, Hjalte M. R. Mann, Kristian Meissner, Claus Melvad, and Jenni Raitoharju. "Deep learning and computer vision will transform entomology." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118, no. 2 (January 11, 2021): e2002545117. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2002545117.
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Most animal species on Earth are insects, and recent reports suggest that their abundance is in drastic decline. Although these reports come from a wide range of insect taxa and regions, the evidence to assess the extent of the phenomenon is sparse. Insect populations are challenging to study, and most monitoring methods are labor intensive and inefficient. Advances in computer vision and deep learning provide potential new solutions to this global challenge. Cameras and other sensors can effectively, continuously, and noninvasively perform entomological observations throughout diurnal and seasonal cycles. The physical appearance of specimens can also be captured by automated imaging in the laboratory. When trained on these data, deep learning models can provide estimates of insect abundance, biomass, and diversity. Further, deep learning models can quantify variation in phenotypic traits, behavior, and interactions. Here, we connect recent developments in deep learning and computer vision to the urgent demand for more cost-efficient monitoring of insects and other invertebrates. We present examples of sensor-based monitoring of insects. We show how deep learning tools can be applied to exceptionally large datasets to derive ecological information and discuss the challenges that lie ahead for the implementation of such solutions in entomology. We identify four focal areas, which will facilitate this transformation: 1) validation of image-based taxonomic identification; 2) generation of sufficient training data; 3) development of public, curated reference databases; and 4) solutions to integrate deep learning and molecular tools.
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Nicholson, David B., Andrew J. Ross, and Peter J. Mayhew. "Fossil evidence for key innovations in the evolution of insect diversity." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 281, no. 1793 (October 22, 2014): 20141823. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.1823.
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Explaining the taxonomic richness of the insects, comprising over half of all described species, is a major challenge in evolutionary biology. Previously, several evolutionary novelties (key innovations) have been posited to contribute to that richness, including the insect bauplan , wings, wing folding and complete metamorphosis, but evidence over their relative importance and modes of action is sparse and equivocal. Here, a new dataset on the first and last occurrences of fossil hexapod (insects and close relatives) families is used to show that basal families of winged insects (Palaeoptera, e.g. dragonflies) show higher origination and extinction rates in the fossil record than basal wingless groups (Apterygota, e.g. silverfish). Origination and extinction rates were maintained at levels similar to Palaeoptera in the more derived Polyneoptera (e.g. cockroaches) and Paraneoptera (e.g. true bugs), but extinction rates subsequently reduced in the very rich group of insects with complete metamorphosis (Holometabola, e.g. beetles). Holometabola show evidence of a recent slow-down in their high net diversification rate, whereas other winged taxa continue to diversify at constant but low rates. These data suggest that wings and complete metamorphosis have had the most effect on family-level insect macroevolution, and point to specific mechanisms by which they have influenced insect diversity through time.