Megacraniinae—The Palm Stick Insects: A new subfamily of Old World Phasmatodea and a redefinition of Platycraninae Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1893 (Phasmatodea: “Anareolatae”)

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4896 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-179
Author(s):  
FRANK H. HENNEMANN
Keyword(s):  
Sister Group ◽  
Traditional Treatment ◽  
Old World ◽  
Morphological Studies ◽  
Large Head ◽  
Stick Insects ◽  
Molecular Studies ◽  
Subgenital Plate ◽  
First Time ◽  
Female Abdomen

The subfamily Platycraninae Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1893 is polyphyletic in the traditional treatment. None of the genera attributed to the subfamily is closely related to the type-genus Platycrana Gray, 1835, which has already been suggested by morphological studies. The main key feature of Platycraninae traditionally used to characterize the subfamily, the remarkably large head and strongly enlarged genae (“cheeks”), is not true for Platycrana. Consequently, all other genera, the true “Palm Stick Insects” need to be removed from Platycraninae and are here accommodated in Megacraniinae subfam. nov.. Megacrania Kaup, 1871 is chosen as the type-genus of this new subfamily, because the name very well describes the main characteristic of this clade. Previous molecular studies have shown Megacraniinae subfam. nov. to be a member of the Old World family Phasmatidae s. str. (= Lanceocercata Bradler, 2001), which is characterized by the enlarged, laterally flattened and foliaceous or lanceolate cerci and by the male anal segment longitudinally split into two movable, interiorly dentate hemi-tergites that serve as a clasping apparatus to grasp the female abdomen during copulation and makes lacking a vomer. Neither character is true for Platycrana and Platycraninae sensu nov. respectively. Molecular studies have revealed Platycraninae sensu novo as the sister group of Phasmatidae s. str. (= Lanceocercata). The tribe Stephanacridini Günther, which has previously been without a subfamilar affiliation is transferred as a subordinate taxon of Platycraninae sensu novo. Platycraninae is characterized and distinguished from Phasmatidae s. str. (= Lanceocercata) by the small cylindrical cerci, simple anal segment and presence of a vomer in males, as well as the strongly keeled subgenital plate and remarkably elongated, filiform gonapophysis VIII of females, which greatly project over the apex of the abdomen. Characterizations are presented for Megacraniinae subfam. nov. as well as Platycraninae sensu nov. and its two tribes Platycranini and Stephanacridini. Lists of genera are provided for the three taxa. Three genera are removed from Platycraninae and Megacraniinae subfam. nov.: The Australian Echetlus Stål, 1875 is transferred to Phasmatinae: Acanthomimini and Redtenbacherus Özdikmen & Darilmaz, 2008 and Elicius Günther, 1935 are transferred to Lonchodidae: Necrosciinae. The male of Megacrania spina Hsiung, 2007 as well as the eggs of Megacrania brocki Hsiung, 2002, Erastus apalamnus Rehn, 1904, Ophicrania apterus (Redtenbacher, 1908), Ophicrania nigroplagiatus (Redtenbacher, 1908), Platycrana viridana (Olivier, 1792) and Macrophasma lyratus (Redtenbacher, 1908) are illustrated for the first time. Xenomaches moderata (Kirby, 1884) from the island of Ambon is synonymised with Platycrana viridana (Olivier, 1792) (syn. nov.). 

Dwarves on the roof of the world: A taxonomic revision of the Himalayan Lasiocaryeae Weigend (Boraginaceae)

Phytotaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 297 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
JULIANA CHACÓN ◽  
MOHAN SIWAKOTI ◽  
HARTMUT H. HILGER ◽  
MAXIMILIAN WEIGEND
Keyword(s):  
Taxonomic Revision ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Sister Group Relationship ◽  
Nuclear Region ◽  
Plant Family ◽  
Cushion Plants ◽  
Chloroplast Markers ◽  
Morphological Studies ◽  
The World ◽  
Molecular Studies

Recent molecular studies have contributed significantly to our understanding of the systematics and phylogeny of Boraginaceae. A morphologically interesting placement within this plant family is the sister-group relationship between two Himalayan genera of dwarf annuals (Lasiocaryum and Microcaryum) and the genera Trichodesma and Caccinia, a clade that is sister to the remainder of tribe Cynoglosseae. This study investigates the systematics, taxonomy and relationships of Lasiocaryum and Microcaryum and compares it with other, morphologically similar genera, Setulocarya and Chionocharis. Together, Lasiocaryum, Microcaryum, Setulocarya and Chionocharis include seven species as currently recognized. However, morphological studies show that the monotypic Setulocarya should be treated as a synonym of Lasiocaryum munroi while L. ludlowii is best placed within L. trichocarpum, leading to a total of five species within this clade. Sequences from three chloroplast markers and one nuclear region generated for four of the five species here recognized confirm the monophyly of the clade Chionocharis [Microcaryum + (Lasiocaryum trichocarpum + L. munroi)]. This exclusively Himalayan lineage is morphologically homogeneous, and consists of tiny annual herbs and perennial cushion plants with small, turbinate to oblong-ovoid, pubescent or rugulate nutlets.

A reevaluation of the specimens of Mesocoelium (Trematoda: Mesocoeliidae) in the Colección Nacional de Helmintos, Mexico

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4273 (2) ◽  
pp. 151 ◽  
Author(s):  
ASHLEY SAMARA LÓPEZ-GARCÍA ◽  
LUIS GARCÍA-PRIETO
Keyword(s):  
Species Level ◽  
Body Type ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Morphological Studies ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Molecular Studies ◽  
New Material ◽  
First Time

Species of Mesocoelium Odhner, 1901 (Digenea) are generally similar and are often difficult to distinguish. Currently there are 42 specimens of this genus held in the Colección Nacional de Helmintos (CNHE) of the Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, which previously have been assigned to three species: M. monas Rudolphi, 1819, M. travassosi Pereira & Cuocolo, 1940 and M. leiperi Bhalerao, 1936. Upon reevaluation of these specimens it was determined that 27, could not be assigned to species level and 15 could only be assigned to body type (carli and leiperi) because of the poor conditions of preservation of the material. The remaining 15 specimens were of sufficient quality to be identified to species and were found to represent M. americanum Harwood, 1932, M. danforthi Hoffman, 1935, M. meggitti Bhalerao, 1927, M. cf. americanum Harwood, 1932, and M. cf. danforthi Hoffman, 1935. Neither M. monas nor M. travassosi could be confirmed among these specimens; however, Mesocoelium meggitti (syn. M. travassosi) was confirmed. Mesocoelium danforthi is recorded for the first time in the Mexican collection. The presence of M. cf. gonocephali Singh, 1967 and M. cf. microon Nicoll, 1914 also among the 15 specimens of sufficient quality to be identified to species, needs to be confirmed through collects of new material. Finally, in future studies, we propose to improve the quality of specimens by fixing them considering the modifications to this process proposed herein, and compliment these morphological studies with molecular studies. 

Darwin's two competing phylogenetic trees: marsupials as ancestors or sister taxa?

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. David Archibald
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
Charles Darwin ◽  
The Other ◽  
Charles Lyell ◽  
Single Origin ◽  
Molecular Studies ◽  
Richard Owen ◽  
First Time

Studies of the origin and diversification of major groups of plants and animals are contentious topics in current evolutionary biology. This includes the study of the timing and relationships of the two major clades of extant mammals – marsupials and placentals. Molecular studies concerned with marsupial and placental origin and diversification can be at odds with the fossil record. Such studies are, however, not a recent phenomenon. Over 150 years ago Charles Darwin weighed two alternative views on the origin of marsupials and placentals. Less than a year after the publication of On the origin of species, Darwin outlined these in a letter to Charles Lyell dated 23 September 1860. The letter concluded with two competing phylogenetic diagrams. One showed marsupials as ancestral to both living marsupials and placentals, whereas the other showed a non-marsupial, non-placental as being ancestral to both living marsupials and placentals. These two diagrams are published here for the first time. These are the only such competing phylogenetic diagrams that Darwin is known to have produced. In addition to examining the question of mammalian origins in this letter and in other manuscript notes discussed here, Darwin confronted the broader issue as to whether major groups of animals had a single origin (monophyly) or were the result of “continuous creation” as advocated for some groups by Richard Owen. Charles Lyell had held similar views to those of Owen, but it is clear from correspondence with Darwin that he was beginning to accept the idea of monophyly of major groups.

First description of the male of Cretaconiopteryx grandis Liu & Lu, 2017 (Neuroptera: Coniopterygidae) from the Cretaceous Burmese amber

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4674 (4) ◽  
pp. 482-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
HONGYU LI ◽  
BO WANG ◽  
XINGYUE LIU
Keyword(s):  
Male Genitalia ◽  
Upper Cretaceous ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Sister Group Relationship ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
Representative Species ◽  
First Time

The male of Cretaconiopteryx grandis Liu & Lu, 2017, which is the only representative species of the extinct dustywing subfamily Cretaconiopteryginae, is described for the first time from the Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber. The male genitalia, well preserved in the examined specimen, show a number of plesiomorphic characters, which support the sister group relationship between Coniopterygidae and the rest of extant lacewing families. 

scholarly journals Corallimorpharians (Anthozoa: Corallimorpharia) from the Argentinean Sea

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4688 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-263
Author(s):  
DANIEL LAURETTA ◽  
MARIANO I. MARTINEZ
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Submarine Canyon ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Southwestern Atlantic ◽  
Sea Anemones ◽  
Northern Patagonia ◽  
Stony Corals ◽  
Internal Morphology ◽  
Southwestern Atlantic Ocean ◽  
First Time

Corallimorpharians are a relative small group of anthozoan cnidarians, also known as jewel sea anemones. They resemble actiniarian sea anemones in lacking a skeleton and being solitary, but resemble scleractinian corals in external and internal morphology, and they are considered to be the sister group of the stony corals. Corynactis carnea (=Sphincteractis sanmatiensis) is a small, common and eye catching species that inhabits the shallow water of northern Patagonia and the Argentinean shelf up to 200 m depth. Corallimorphus rigidus is registered for the first time from the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. It is a rather big and rare species that inhabits only the deep sea. Only two specimens were found at 2934 m depth in Mar del Plata submarine canyon, in an area under the influence of the Malvinas current, which may explain its occurrence. These two species are the only two known jewel sea anemones in the Argentinean sea and are reported and described herein. 

Feather mites of the genera Dubininia and Cacatualges (Acari: Xolalgidae) associated with parrots (Aves: Psittaciformes) of the Old World

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4272 (4) ◽  
pp. 451 ◽  
Author(s):  
SERGEY V. MIRONOV ◽  
RAINER EHRNSBERGER ◽  
JACEK DABERT
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
New Guinea ◽  
Melopsittacus Undulatus ◽  
Feather Mites ◽  
Systematic Revision ◽  
Old World ◽  
New Diagnosis ◽  
First Time

This paper gives a systematic revision of feather mites of the genera Dubininia Vassilev, 1958 and Cacatualges Dabert, Badek and Skoracki, 2007 (Xolalgidae: Ingrassiinae) associated with parrots (Aves: Psittaciformes) of the Old World. Five new species are described: Cacatualges probosciger sp. n. from Probosciger aterrimus (Gmelin) (Cacatuidae) from New Guinea, Dubininia charmosynae sp. n. from Charmosyna pulchella Gray GR (Psittaculidae) from New Guinea, D. micropsittae sp. n. from Micropsitta pusio pusio (Scaltter) (Psittaculidae) from New Guinea, D. nestori sp. n. from Nestor notabilis Gould (Strigopidae) from New Zealand, and D. pezopori sp. n. from Pezoporus wallicus (Kerr) (Psittaculidae) from Tasmania, Australia. Four previously described species of Dubininia are redescribed based on material from type hosts: D. curta (Trouessart, 1885) from Platycercus elegans (Gmelin) (Psittaculidae), D. lorina (Trouessart, 1885) from Lorius domicella (Linnaeus) (Psittaculidae), D. melopsittaci Atyeo and Gaud, 1987 from Melopsittacus undulatus (Shaw) (Psittaculidae), and D. psittacina (Trouessart, 1885) from Strigops harboptilus Gray GR (Strigopidae) from New Zealand. A new diagnosis for the genus Dubininia is provided. A key to all presently known Dubininia species is provided for the first time. 

scholarly journals New records of Agromyzidae (Diptera) from Portugal, with an updated checklist

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miloš Černý ◽  
Rui Andrade ◽  
Ana Rita Gonçalves ◽  
Michael von Tschirnhaus
Keyword(s):  
Host Plants ◽  
New Records ◽  
Distribution Data ◽  
New Host ◽  
Old World ◽  
Plant Pest ◽  
First Time ◽  
New Distribution

Abstract New records of 110 species of the acalyptrate Diptera family Agromyzidae are given from Portugal, including Madeira, Porto Santo and the Azores. A quarantine plant pest, Nemorimyza maculosa (Malloch, 1913), was detected in the Old World for the first time. Details on Phytobia xylem- miners and a parthenogenetic Phytomyza species are recorded together with new distribution data. For certain species morphological and taxonomic notes and discussions on known or new host plants are added. A complete checklist of Agromyzidae of Portugal is presented.

scholarly journals Three Complete Mitochondrial Genomes of Orestes guangxiensis, Peruphasma schultei, and Phryganistria guangxiensis (Insecta: Phasmatodea) and Their Phylogeny

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ke-Ke Xu ◽  
Qing-Ping Chen ◽  
Sam Pedro Galilee Ayivi ◽  
Jia-Yin Guan ◽  
Kenneth B. Storey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sister Group ◽  
Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Mitochondrial Genomes ◽  
Sister Group Relationship ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Most Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Stick Insects ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Complete Mitochondrial Genomes

Insects of the order Phasmatodea are mainly distributed in the tropics and subtropics and are best known for their remarkable camouflage as plants. In this study, we sequenced three complete mitochondrial genomes from three different families: Orestes guangxiensis, Peruphasma schultei, and Phryganistria guangxiensis. The lengths of the three mitochondrial genomes were 15,896 bp, 16,869 bp, and 17,005 bp, respectively, and the gene composition and structure of the three stick insects were identical to those of the most recent common ancestor of insects. The phylogenetic relationships among stick insects have been chaotic for a long time. In order to discuss the intra- and inter-ordinal relationship of Phasmatodea, we used the 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) of 85 species for maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) analyses. Results showed that the internal topological structure of Phasmatodea had a few differences in both ML and BI trees and long-branch attraction (LBA) appeared between Embioptera and Zoraptera, which led to a non-monophyletic Phasmatodea. Consequently, after removal of the Embioptera and Zoraptera species, we re-performed ML and BI analyses with the remaining 81 species, which showed identical topology except for the position of Tectarchus ovobessus (Phasmatodea). We recovered the monophyly of Phasmatodea and the sister-group relationship between Phasmatodea and Mantophasmatodea. Our analyses also recovered the monophyly of Heteropterygidae and the paraphyly of Diapheromeridae, Phasmatidae, Lonchodidae, Lonchodinae, and Clitumninae. In this study, Peruphasma schultei (Pseudophasmatidae), Phraortes sp. YW-2014 (Lonchodidae), and species of Diapheromeridae clustered into the clade of Phasmatidae. Within Heteropterygidae, O. guangxiensis was the sister clade to O. mouhotii belonging to Dataminae, and the relationship of (Heteropteryginae + (Dataminae + Obriminae)) was recovered.

scholarly journals A fresh look at Cladarosymblema narrienense, a tetrapodomorph fish (Sarcopterygii: Megalichthyidae) from the Carboniferous of Australia, illuminated via X-ray tomography

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12597
Author(s):  
Alice M. Clement ◽  
Richard Cloutier ◽  
Jing Lu ◽  
Egon Perilli ◽  
Anton Maksimenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Original Description ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Axial Skeleton ◽  
Phylogenetic Position ◽  
Micro Computed Tomography ◽  
Holotype Specimen ◽  
Freshwater Swamp ◽  
The Family ◽  
First Time ◽  
Detailed Work

Background The megalichthyids are one of several clades of extinct tetrapodomorph fish that lived throughout the Devonian–Permian periods. They are advanced “osteolepidid-grade” fishes that lived in freshwater swamp and lake environments, with some taxa growing to very large sizes. They bear cosmine-covered bones and a large premaxillary tusk that lies lingually to a row of small teeth. Diagnosis of the family remains controversial with various authors revising it several times in recent works. There are fewer than 10 genera known globally, and only one member definitively identified from Gondwana. Cladarosymblema narrienense Fox et al. 1995 was described from the Lower Carboniferous Raymond Formation in Queensland, Australia, on the basis of several well-preserved specimens. Despite this detailed work, several aspects of its anatomy remain undescribed. Methods Two especially well-preserved 3D fossils of Cladarosymblema narrienense, including the holotype specimen, are scanned using synchrotron or micro-computed tomography (µCT), and 3D modelled using specialist segmentation and visualisation software. New anatomical detail, in particular internal anatomy, is revealed for the first time in this taxon. A novel phylogenetic matrix, adapted from other recent work on tetrapodomorphs, is used to clarify the interrelationships of the megalichthyids and confirm the phylogenetic position of C. narrienense. Results Never before seen morphological details of the palate, hyoid arch, basibranchial skeleton, pectoral girdle and axial skeleton are revealed and described. Several additional features are confirmed or updated from the original description. Moreover, the first full, virtual cranial endocast of any tetrapodomorph fish is presented and described, giving insight into the early neural adaptations in this group. Phylogenetic analysis confirms the monophyly of the Megalichthyidae with seven genera included (Askerichthys, Cladarosymblema, Ectosteorhachis, Mahalalepis, Megalichthys, Palatinichthys, and Sengoerichthys). The position of the megalichthyids as sister group to canowindrids, crownward of “osteolepidids” (e.g.,Osteolepis and Gogonasus), but below “tristichopterids” such as Eusthenopteron is confirmed, but our findings suggest further work is required to resolve megalichthyid interrelationships.

scholarly journals Amnestus raunoi n. sp. from Iran, the first Old World representative of the New World subfamily Amnestinae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Cydnidae)

1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerzy Lis
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
New World ◽  
Old World ◽  
First Time ◽  
A New Species

Amnestus raunoi, a new species from Iran, the representative of the New World subfamily Amnestinae for the first time recorded in the Old World is described, illustrated and compared with its closest relative - A. pusillus Uhler.

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