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Introduction
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Publications
Publications (17)
Hybridisation is commonly observed in geographical zones of contact between distinct lineages. These contact zones have long been of interest for biogeographers because they provide insight into the evolutionary and ecological processes that influence the distribution of species as well as the process of speciation. Here we review research on hybri...
Worldwide, Scarabaeidae are coprophages, feeding on mammalian dung. In New Zealand, endemic Scarabaeidae are restricted to forested habitats, where they have evolved a more generalised diet of carrion and dung from a variety of fauna. The scarab beetle Saphobius sp. A is an undescribed flightless dung beetle endemic to New Zealand. The diet of Saph...
Stick and leaf insects (Phasmatodea) are large terrestrial herbivorous arthropods known for masquerading as plant parts such as bark, twigs and leaves. Their evolutionary history is largely shaped by convergent evolution associated with adaptive radiations on geographically isolated landmasses that have repeatedly generated ground-dwelling ecomorph...
The southern Appalachian Mountains in eastern North America host exceptional diversity, a substantial proportion of which has been generated in place. Yet, beyond broad generalities, bio- and phylogeographical patterns, and the temporal scale of diversification in the region are poorly resolved. Using one mitochondrial and one nuclear marker, we an...
The outcome of competition between different reproductive strategies within a single species can be used to infer selective advantage of the winning strategy. Where multiple populations have independently lost or gained sexual reproduction it is possible to investigate whether the advantage is contingent on local conditions. In the New Zealand stic...
Documenting natural hybrid systems builds our understanding of mate choice, reproductive isolation, and speciation. The stick insect species Clitarchus hookeri and C. tepaki differ in their genital morphology and hybridize along a narrow peninsula in northern New Zealand. We utilize three lines of evidence to understand the role of premating isolat...
Background:
Southern Appalachian forests are dominated by second-growth vegetation following decades of intensive forestry and agricultural use, although some old-growth patches remain. While it's been shown that second-growth areas may exhibit comparable species richness to old-growth in the area, the extent to which populations of arthropods in...
Old-growth forests represent rare and disappearing vestiges of minimally impacted biodiversity, and their preservation has been embraced as an important conservation priority. While second-growth-forests may develop many old-growth features, their value for conservation of arthropod biodiversity is debated. We compare the observed and estimated lea...
Historic geological and climatic events such as tectonic activity, volcanism and glaciation have significantly impacted the distribution and genetic signature of organisms. In New Zealand, glacial cycles during the late Pliocene and throughout the Pleistocene caused the loss of large areas of forest habitat and many species are proposed to have bee...
Aim
Comparisons of independent secondary contact events provide insights into allopatric speciation. The geographic distribution of Clitarchus stick insects across northern New Zealand corresponds to islands that existed in the Pliocene. Subsequent joining to the mainland provided multiple opportunities for secondary contact. We address the hypothe...
In animals with internal fertilization, male genitalia exhibit higher rates of divergence compared with other morphological trails. Recent evidence suggests sexual selection drives such as rapid and divergent trait evolution. External male genital structures which clasp or stimulate the female’s exterior are likely to be under similar selective con...
For animals that exhibit a scramble competition mating system, sexual selection pressures on mate searching ability are expected to be strong. Scramble competition mating systems evolve when populations provide females with equal accessibility to all male competitors, yet sex ratio and population density influences mating systems and varies seasona...
We describe two new species of Clitarchus Stål from Northland, New Zealand. Clitarchus rakauwhakanekeneke sp. nov. is described from the Poor Knights Islands and Clitarchus tepaki sp. nov. is described from the Te Paki / North Cape area and the Karikari Peninsula at the northernmost tip of New Zealand. Two new synonymies are proposed including Cli-...
Although hybridisation is common in animals, it rarely results in speciation. Yet, many examples of hybrid species have been documented in one animal group, the stick insects (Phasmida).
The N ew Z ealand stick insect A canthoxyla is of particular interest as the entire genus is of hybrid origin and consists of eight morphological forms recognised...
Questions
Question (1)
I am wanting to film invertebrates that visit baited boxes out in the field overnight. This will be compared to boxes where I will collect the invertebrates, an important comparison for considering the influence of observers. I am exploring time-lapse recorder options. Has anyone had experience in filming similar situations and can make recommendations?