Reassessment on the monophyly of the fruit-piercing moth, Eudocima bilberg, 1820 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) using molecular data

Eudocima Billberg, 1820 is a group of moths known for their fruit-piercing behaviour. Members of this group are easily distinguished for their bright colour, hind wing patterns, and the robustness of their body. However, the monophyly of this genus is still in dispute. Based on morphological characters, a current study on 48 species of this genus showed that Eudocima is not a monophyletic group. We conducted a preliminary analysis of 25 species of Eudocima based on 632-bp sequences of cytochrome oxidase 1 (COI) to reassess the monophyly of this genus. Using Maximum Parsimony (MP) method, we ran a number of data sets to reconstruct the most appropriate phylogenetic tree. The result showed that Eudocima is a monophyletic group based on a nucleotide weighting of transversion: transitions = 2:1, despite the very low Jackknife support. This result should not be taken as a final conclusion because only about 60% of Eudocima species were included in our analysis. An upcoming study involving all members of this genus is necessary in order to reassess the putative monophyly of this genus.

A phylogenetic study of subgenus Polypompholyx: a parallel radiation of Utricularia (Lentibulariaceae) throughout Australasia

Phylogenetic relationships among 26 of the 37 recognised taxa of Utricularia subgenus Polypompholyx sensu Müller & Borsch were assessed by cladistic analysis of DNA sequences from the plastid rps16 intron. We also examined the placement of the recently described U. simmonsii (sect. Minutae), which was reported to share some morphological characters with subgenus Polypompholyx. We found strong jackknife support for a monophyletic subgenus Polypompholyx lineage; however, our strict consensus tree shows an unresolved relationship between the sections Polypompholyx and Pleiochasia. Within the section Pleiochasia, we found two supported clades, generally differing in a more northern or southern distribution. Despite high levels of morphological heterogeneity and convergence, we found some clade-specific character homogeneity within these two clades, particularly that of growth and bladder-trap form, and floral structure. Bladder-trap form corresponds most strongly with terrestrial v. aquatic habits. The evolution of filiform corolla appendages corresponds with floral colour, and is possibly associated with sexual mimicry, with those of the upper corolla arising twice independently. Furthermore, we found that U. monanthos and U. novae-zelandiae remain synonyms of U. dichotoma, and that U. simmonsii is not included in the subgenus Polypompholyx, but instead is allied with sections Stomoisia and Enskide of subgenus Bivalvaria.

Phylogeny of the clawed lobsters (Crustacea: Decapoda: Homarida)

The generic and familial structure of the clawed lobsters, Homarida, was studied by cladistic analysis. Previous phylogenetic studies of the clawed lobster genera have focussed on the putative nephropoid families: Nephropidae, Thaumastochelidae, and Chilenophoberidae. Recent high-level studies of decapod phylogeny, however, show that in addition to Nephropidae and Thaumastochelidae (both Nephropoidea), the Enoplometopidae (Enoplometopoidea) are ingroup homaridans. Conversely, the homaridan placement of Chilenophoberidae has been questioned, instead possibly having astacidan affinities. This study, building on previous analyses, incorporates additional taxa and data to examine phylogenetic relationships of the genera and families. Analyses were conducted including both extant and extinct taxa (analysis A), and with extant taxa only (analysis B). The resulting topologies from analyses A & B were largely compatible indicating that the phylogenetic signal among homaridan genera was not significantly impacted by fossil taxa. Results support recognition of Nephropoidea, comprising Thaumastochelidae and Nephropidae, and Enoplometopoidea, comprising Enoplometopidae and Uncinidae. Affinities of Chilenophoberidae were found to lie with Astacida rather than Homarida, albeit with weak jackknife support. Thaumastochelidae is strongly supported as monophyletic, with two extant genera and the extinct Oncopareia. Present data, however, are equivocal about an independently monophyletic Nephropidae.

A molecular estimate of the phylogeny of Styphelieae (Ericaceae)

Parsimony analyses of sequence data derived from two regions of the chloroplast genome, matK and the atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer, separately and together, are reported for Styphelieae. Taxonomic sampling includes representatives of all currently accepted genera apart from the two non-Australian monotypics, Cyathopsis Brongn. & Gris and Decatoca F.Muell., and of all subgenera or informal infrageneric groups except for Trochocarpa subgenus Pseudocyathodes Sleumer. A well resolved estimate of the phylogeny of the tribe is obtained, with high levels of jackknife support for terminal groupings. The results provide support for the current concepts of Acrotriche R.Br., Androstoma Hook.f., Croninia J.M.Powell, Cyathodes Labill. sensu Weiller, Leptecophylla C.M.Weiller, Leucopogon R.Br. sensu Taaffe et al., Pentachondra R.Br., Planocarpa C.M.Weiller and Trochocarpa R.Br., but the following genera appear paraphyletic: Astroloma R.Br., Brachyloma Sond., Cyathodes sensu Labill., Leucopogon R.Br. sensu lato, Lissanthe R.Br., Monotoca R.Br. and Styphelia Sm. (sensu Bentham). Several robust clades are identified as potential new genera but formalisation of nomenclatural changes is left, pending morphological analyses of the various clades to identify synapomorphies with which to characterise generic groupings. The general approach to be adopted in this endeavour is discussed, with narrower generic concepts being favoured as more informative and less disruptive of the existing nomenclature.

Generic relationships within and between the gymnosperm families Podocarpaceae and Phyllocladaceae based on an analysis of the chloroplast gene rbcL

Analysis of sequences of the chloroplast gene rbcL for 76 taxa of Podocarpaceae (representing all genera except Parasitaxus) and five species of Phyllocladaceae were undertaken with respect to their relationships to each other and to 28 coniferalean outgroup taxa from seven families. The results indicate that Podocarpaceae are polyphyletic unless expanded to include Phyllocladaceae. Within Podocarpaceae, Sundacarpus is placed in a clade with Prumnopitys, and Falcatifolium is paraphyletic as a basal grade to Dacrydium. Phyllocladus is in an unresloved clade with Halocarpus, Manoao/Lagarostrobos and Prumnopitys/Sundacarpus. The separation of Afrocarpus from Podocarpus and its placement instead as sister to Nageia and Retrophyllum is supported. Podocarpus s. str. is monophyletic, with both subgenera identified, albeit poorly supported. The analysis placed Lepidothamnus and Saxegothaea in an unresolved basal polytomy within the family. There were no clear outgroup relationships with the family. These results differ from the morphological clades found by Kelch (1997), and disagree strongly with his 18S-sequence-based phylogeny (Kelch 1998). However, jackknife support values indicate that although the genera are well supported, relationships both within and between them are not, suggesting that intergeneric relationships in the family require further study. There is also some congruence between our results and those of the gymnosperm 18S study by Chaw et al. (1997), although their study included only three Podocarpaceae and one Phyllocladaceae species.

Phylogenetic analysis of Australian Acacia (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae) by using sequence variations of an intron and two intergenic spacers of chloroplast DNA

Three regions of chloroplast DNA are assessed for their utility for phylogenetic analysis of Acacia subgenus Phyllodineae: psbA–trnH intergenic spacer, the trnL intron and the trnL–trnF intergenic spacer. There are large differences in the lengths of the psbA–trnH spacer (155–440 bp) and trnL–trnF intergenic spacer (101–422 bp) regions, and large multi-residue indels were coded as multistate characters. Overall information content in these regions is relatively low, but the total evidence tree has 12 nodes resolved, five with jackknife support. By using Parkia timoriana as the outgroup, Acacia subgenus Acacia (A. farnesiana) is basal and Acacia subgenus Aculeiferum (A. senegal) is the sister taxon to subgenus Phyllodineae. Although based on a small sample size, within subgenus Phyllodineae, the results of this study have shown that section Alatae is not monophyletic, section Lycopodiifoliae is monophyletic and Botrycephalae is related to members of section Phyllodineae with racemose inflorescences.

Phytogeny and evolution of Caliciaceae, Mycocaliciaceae, and Sphinctrinaceae (Ascomycota), with notes on the evolution of the prototunicate ascus

Small subunit ribosomal DNA has been sequenced from seven members of the ascomycete order Caliciales s.l. (Calicium adspersum, Cyphelium inquinans, Texosporium sancti-jacobi, and Thelomma mammosum (Caliciaceae), Chaenothecopsis savonica and Stenocybe pullatula (Mycocaliciaceae), and Sphinctrina turbinata (Sphinctrinaceae)), included in a matrix of 58 homologous ascomycete sequences and analysed with maximum parsimony analysis. The result shows the Caliciaceae to be a strongly supported monophyletic group within the Lecanorales s.l., although the jackknife support for a monophyletic Lecanorales is low. Mycocaliciaceae and Sphinctrinaceae form a well-supported monophyletic group, grouping with representatives of Eurotiales and Onygenales. This larger group is the sister group to Lecanorales, but the support for this sister-group relationship and the monophyly of the group consisting of Mycocaliciaceae–Sphinctrinaceae and Eurotiales–Onygenales is low. The evolution of the prototunicate ascus is discussed, and it is concluded that there is neither any evidence for a monophyletic Caliciales s.l., nor for the suggested group "Euascomycetideae" sensu Tehler, with the prototunicate Caliciales being the sister group to the rest of the true ascomycetes. Prototunicate asci are shown to have reappeared at least four times in the evolution of the ascomycetes. Key words: Ascomycetes, lichens, molecular evolution, phylogeny, ribosomal DNA, 18S rDNA.