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Discovery of two new Diaulota Casey species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) from coastal Hokkaido, Japan based on morphological and molecular characters
Abstract
Diaulota hokkaidona Ahn and Ôhara, sp. n. and Diaulota oharai Ahn and Yoo, sp. n. are described from coastal Hokkaido, Japan. Diaulota hokkaidona Ahn and Ôhara, sp. n. is very similar to D. aokii Sawada and cannot be distinguished by the external morphological characters but they are separated by the structures of median lobe of aedeagus and molecular characters (COI). They can be regarded as cryptic species. The minimum interspecific difference between Diaulota aokii and Diaulota hokkaidona Ahn and Ôhara, sp. n. (6.7%) was much higher than the maximum intraspecific difference of Diaulota hokkaidona Ahn and Ôhara, sp. n. (0.7%) and they contained 17 and 13 molecular diagnostic characters, respectively. The molecular analyses support the validity of two new species based on morphological characters. A revised key is provided for separation of the known species of Diaulota Casey, and descriptions with illustrations of diagnostic features of two new species are presented.
... Japanese species of this tribe have been extensively studied (e.g., Sawada, 1971Sawada, , 1991Ono & Maruyama, 2014;Song et al., 2018). However, some of Dr. Kohei Sawada's described species, namely Diaulota aokii, D. pacifica and Amblopusa pacifica, were subsequently redescribed without reference to Japanese specimens, leading to misidentifications (Ahn & Ashe, 1995;Ahn, 1996Ahn, , 2023. ...
... Recently, Song et al. (2018) described a species, D. hokkaidona previously considered as "D. aokii" from Hokkaidô, Alaska, and Kamchatka, so the true D. aokii was considered to be distributed in Honshû and Korea. ...
... The representation of the Korean "D. aokii" in Ahn (1996) and Song et al., (2018) is likely a result of misidentification. Given that recent phylogenetic investigations (Ahn & Ashe, 1996b;Ahn et al., 2010;Song et al., 2018;Yoo & Ahn, 2021) were founded on this erroneous identification, it is imperative to conduct further analyses of Diaulota based on the accurate identification. ...
Japanese fauna of the intertidal rove beetle of tribe Liparocephalini Fenyes, 1918 is reviewed and six genera and 26 species are recognized. A new genus, Rotundicephala Tasaku, Ono & Maruyama, gen. n., is described to include R. pacifica (Sawada, 1971) comb. n. (type species; transferred from Diaulota), R. koreana (Yoo & Ahn, 2021), comb. n. (transferred from Diaulota) and R. koheii Tasaku, Ono & Maruyama, sp. n. Four new species are described: Diaulota decipiens Tasaku, Ono & Maruyama, sp. n., which has been confused with “D. aokii”, D. orientalis Tasaku, Ono & Maruyama, sp. n., R. koheii Tasaku, Ono & Maruyama, sp. n., and Paramblopusa sumikawai Tasaku, Ono & Maruyama, sp. n. Three species, Amblopusa brevipes Casey, 1893, D. submarina Ahn, 2023 and R. koreana, are reported from Japan for the first time. We provide keys to genera and species, illustrations of mouth parts and diagnostic characteristics of each genus, and diagnostic characteristics and illustrations of the genitalia of almost all species. Biogeographical patterns of Diaulota and Rotundicephala gen. n., and the tribal range and monophyly of Liparocephalini are discussed. Three genus-group: the Liparocephalus genus-group, the Amblopusa genus-group, and the Paramblopusa genus-group are recognized in the tribe, but Baeostethus Broun, 1909 known from New Zealand is regarded as incertae sedis. The genera Ashella Klimaszewski, 2020 and Ianmoorea Ahn, 2006 are excluded from Liparocephalini.
... The intertidal genus Diaulota Casey contains 11 species and occurs on the rocky shores along the Pacific coasts of Northern hemisphere (Frank and Ahn, 2011). Since the genus was established by Casey (1893), they were revised (Ahn, 1996) and three additional species were described on the East Asian coasts (Song et al., 2018;Yoo and Ahn, 2021). Song et al. (2018) suggested that D. aokii Sawada and D. hokkaidona Ahn and Ôhara were cryptic species. ...
... Since the genus was established by Casey (1893), they were revised (Ahn, 1996) and three additional species were described on the East Asian coasts (Song et al., 2018;Yoo and Ahn, 2021). Song et al. (2018) suggested that D. aokii Sawada and D. hokkaidona Ahn and Ôhara were cryptic species. While working on the phylogeny of Diaulota, I recognized that there were two lineages, each with a long branch within D. uenoi (Sawada) clade, which implied that there might be cryptic species (unpublished data). ...
... Terms used here generally followed Sawada (1972), but I followed Ashe (1984) in some cases, especially for the aedeagus and mouthparts. Key to the species of Diaulota from the world (Updated and revised from Ahn, 1996;Song et al., 2018;Yoo and Ahn, 2021. Note that dissections of the male genitalia are essential for correct species identification.) ...
Taxonomy of the intertidal Diaulota Casey is briefly reviewed and 12 species are listed including a new species. Diaulota submarina sp. nov. is described with illustrations of diagnostic characters and a revised key to the species of Diaulota is provided. The new species is remarkably similar to D. uenoi (Sawada) and indistinguishable by external morphological characters. They can be regarded as cryptic species.
... Liparocephalini Fenyes containing 33 species in seven genera worldwide are confined to intertidal habitats along the Pacific coasts (Ahn and Frank, 2011;Ono and Maruyama, 2014;Ahn, 2017, 2020;Song et al., 2018). They have been known as a monophyletic lineage based on the following synapomorphies: seta v absent on mentum, one medial seta present on prementum, contiguous mesocoxal cavities, and galea with several setae only on mesal surface and apex with setae (Ahn, 2004;Ahn et al., 2010). ...
Diaulota koreana Yoo and Ahn new species is described in the intertidal zones of the southern part of the Korean peninsula and illustrations of diagnostic characters are presented. A cladistic analysis of the Liparocephalini based on 50 adult characters suggests that the new species belongs to the genus Diaulota Casey within the Liparocephalini. Similarities and differences among the liparocephaline genera are presented. Phylogenetic relationships of Diaulota koreana Yoo and Ahn new species among the Liparocephalini are briefly discussed.
An integrative taxonomic analysis of Hierodula patellifera (Audinet-Serville) is presented based on morphological and molecular characters (COI, 28S rDNA). During repeated trips to the Korean peninsula, we collected unusual specimens from Wanju-gun. They were similar to H. patellifera, but can be distinguished by a larger body size, the number and shape of spines on foreleg, and the shape of male genitalia. To examine the phenotypes and delimit H. patellifera from fourteen sampled populations, we used forecoxal spines and male genitalia as key morphological characters, as well as molecular data including gene tree monophyly and genetic divergence data. The molecular analyses (p-distance, neighbor-joining, and parsimony analyses) did not separate the specimens as two distinct species. The diagnostic characters of H. patellifera are illustrated with habitus images.
A taxonomic review of the marine littoral genus Iotarphia Cameron is presented. Three species are recognized, one of which is described as a new species (I. magna Song & Ahn, sp. n.) based on morphological and molecular characters. Genetic divergence of COI using uncorrected p-distance among Iotarphia species ranged from 10% to 11.6%, while intraspecific divergence ranged from 0% to 1.3%. All three species were strongly supported as a single lineage on both neighbor-joining and parsimony trees. The genus Iotarphia and I. australis Cameron are redescribed with illustrations of diagnostic characters. The female of I. rufobrunnea is characterized for the first time. A key and comparison table for similarities and differences among the species are presented.
We present the latest version of the Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA) software, which contains many sophisticated
methods and tools for phylogenomics and phylomedicine. In this major upgrade, MEGA has been optimized for use on 64-bit computing
systems for analyzing bigger datasets. Researchers can now explore and analyze tens of thousands of sequences in MEGA. The
new version also provides an advanced wizard for building timetrees and includes a new functionality to automatically predict
gene duplication events in gene family trees. The 64-bit MEGA is made available in two interfaces: graphical and command line.
The graphical user interface (GUI) is a native Microsoft Windows application that can also be used on Mac OSX. The command
line MEGA is available as native applications for Windows, Linux, and Mac OSX. They are intended for use in high-throughput
and scripted analysis. Both versions are available from www.megasoftware.net free of charge.
Insect mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) genes are used as a model to examine the within-gene heterogeneity of evolutionary rate and its implications for evolutionary analyses. The complete sequence (1537 bp) of the meadow grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus) COI gene has been determined, and compared with eight other insect COI genes at both the DNA and amino acid sequence levels. This reveals that different regions evolve at different rates, and the patterns of sequence variability seems associated with functional constraints on the protein. The COOH-terminal was found to be significantly more variable than internal loops (I), external loops (E), transmembrane helices (M) or the NH2 terminal. The central region of COI (M5-M8) has lower levels of sequence variability, which is related to several important functional domains in this region. Highly conserved primers which amplify regions of different variabilities have been designed to cover the entire insect COI gene. These primers have been shown to amplify COI in a wide range of species, representing all the major insect groups; some even in an arachnid. Implications of the observed evolutionary pattern for phylogenetic analysis are discussed, with particular regard to the choice of regions of suitable variability for specific phylogenetic projects.
The terrestrial mammalian fauna of the North Japanese island, Hokkaido, is more similar to that of Southern Siberia than to the main island of Japan, Honshu. Three species of the genus Myodes (Muridae, Rodentia) are found on Hokkaido, but not on Honshu. While Myodes rufocanus and M. rutilus are widely distributed across Hokkaido as well as the Eurasian continent, M. rex, which is endemic to Hokkaido and its adjacent islands, shows a discontinuous distribution pattern. We analyzed the phylogeographic history of M. rex using the mitochondrial DNA control region in order to interpret their discontinuous distribution pattern. Phylogenetic relationships among 54 distinct haplotypes showed that M. rex can be divided into four clades that occur on the northern, central, and southern regions of the Hokkaido mainland and on Rishiri Island, respectively. The phylogroups in the northern and central regions were largely separated in space, although several areas of sympatry were found. The phylogroup in the southern region, which was clearly separated from other phylogroups, showed markedly low genetic variability. All analyzed individuals from the population on Rishiri belonged to a separate lineage. Across a range of divergence rate estimates, we dated the basal divergence of all phylogroups to the mid to late Pleistocene, with subsequent signals of population expansion within lineages. We conclude that current phylogeographic structure in M. rex likely reflects Pleistocene survival in several separate refugia in situ. Past glacial ages have thus played an important role in shaping the current distribution patterns of mammalian species on Hokkaido.
Tan, D. S. H., Ang, Y., Lim, G. S., Ismail, M. R. B. & Meier, R. (2010). From ‘cryptic species’ to integrative taxonomy: an iterative process involving DNA sequences, morphology, and behaviour leads to the resurrection of Sepsis pyrrhosoma (Sepsidae: Diptera). —Zoologica Scripta, 39, 51–61.
The increased availability of DNA sequences has led to a surge of ‘cryptic species’ in the literature. These units are usually proposed based on finding genetically distinct lineages within species that were initially defined based on morphological characters. However, few authors attempt to confirm whether these ‘cryptic’ units are species and even fewer authors are explicit about which species concept is applied. Here, we use an example from Sepsidae (Diptera) to demonstrate how cryptic species can be validated by an iterative process involving several data sources and an evaluation of the data under different species concepts. A phylogeographic analysis based on 50 specimens for five species of the flavimana group revealed deep mitochondrial splits within Sepsis flavimana which was suggestive of a cryptic species. We resolve the initial conflict between DNA sequences and morphology by adding new morphological data as well as behavioural evidence and tests for reproductive isolation. One cryptic species is confirmed and Sepsis pyrrhosoma, a former synonym of S. flavimana, is here shown to be a valid species under most species concepts. We can thus document that the same data can lead to similar conclusions under conflicting concepts once different kinds of data are integrated.
Here we present evidence, based on 10 datasets comprising 5283 sequences for 200 genera, that the use of the Kimura-2-parameter (K2P) model in DNA-barcoding studies is poorly justified. We demonstrate that K2P is neither expected nor confirmed to be an appropriate model for closely related COI sequences. In addition, we show that the use of uncorrected distances yields higher or similar identification success rates for neighbour-joining trees and distance-based identification techniques. K2P also does not widen the barcoding gap for closely related sequences. We conclude that the spread of K2P through the barcoding literature is difficult to explain, and urge the use of evidence-based approaches to DNA barcoding.
© The Willi Hennig Society 2011.
We provide a list of the 392 described species of Staphylinidae confined to coastal habitats worldwide. The list is in taxonomic sequence by subfamily, tribe, and genus and includes 91 genera. We provide the page reference of the original description of every species and genus listed and of many synonyms. We note the existence of recent reviews, phylogenies and keys of each of the tribes and genera included. Coastal Staphylinidae contain eight subfamilies: Microsilphinae, Omaliinae, Pselaphinae, Aleocharinae, Oxytelinae, Scydmaeninae, Paederinae, and Staphylininae.
By ‘coastal habitats’ we mean habitats existing on the sea coast and subject to inundation or at least splashing by the very highest tides. This includes rocky, boulder, coral, sandy, and muddy seashores, and at least portions of salt-marshes, estuaries, and mangrove swamps. We exclude the sand dune habitat and higher parts of sea-cliffs.
The list notes distribution of all the species, first according to the ocean or sea on whose shores it has been recorded, and second by country (and for the larger countries by province or state). Although this distribution is undoubtedly incomplete, it provides a basis for future development of a dedicated database.
The ‘Habitats, Habits, and Classificatory Notes’ section is designed to provide ecologists with further taxonomic and ecological information. It includes references to descriptions of the immature stages, behavior of adults and immatures, their food, natural enemies, and habitat. We would have preferred to separate these entities, but current knowledge of ecology is developed in few instances beyond natural history.
The Pacific Ocean basin was the origin and contributed to the dispersal of the majority of specialist coastal Staphylinidae at the level of genus. However, at the level of species, species belonging to non-coastal-specialist genera are about as likely to occur on the shores of other oceans as on the shores of the Pacific. This difference is a reflection of the antiquity of coastal genera and species.
A complete bibliography, and habitat and habitus photographs of some representative coastal Staphylinidae species are provided.
The myrmecophilous hoverfly, Microdon mutabilis, is listed as a 'Rare' or 'Nationally Notable Species' in UK Red Data Books. As an obligate social parasite, feeding only from ant colonies, its life-style satisfies theoretical conditions under which cryptic speciation is predicted to evolve; namely, strong selection for nonmorphological adaptations that enhance its exploitation of a local subspecies or populations of its host. Samples of larvae and pupae in Ireland, Scotland and England showed that M. mutabilis exploits a single and different host ant species on different sites across its range. In nine southern English colonies, 95.6% of infested nests were of Myrmica scabrinodis whereas in six Irish and two Scottish colonies 100% and 94.2%, respectively, of the infested nests were of Formica lemani, despite M. scabrinodis being common at all sites. Although the adults from 'scabrinodis' (and 'lemani) populations are cryptic, morphometric measurements of pupae showed consistent diagnostic characters that were sufficiently distinct for these ecotypes to be classed as separate species. We conclude that M. mutabilis is the 'lemani-type' and designate the 'scabrinodis-type' as a new species, Microdon myrmicae spec. nov. Thus, one of the listed threatened species of the British Isles becomes two species, each possessing about half the number of populations and occupying half the range of the original 'species'. Each also inhabits a different seral stage within grassland or heathland, and will require a different management regime if its declining populations are to be conserved. 'M. mutabills' is reported with other host ant species on the European continent. In the light of our results, these may prove to be additional cryptic species. We suggest that cryptic speciation is apt to evolve in species, such as myrmecophiles, endoparasites and koinobiont parasitoids, whose life-styles result in strong selection on their physiological or behavioural characters. The implications for Red Data Book classifications and for practical conservation are discussed.
Methodology for detailed dissections of the phylogenetically most informative structures from adult aleocharine staphylinid beetles is provided. These methods include specimen preparation, relaxation, clearing, bleaching, dehydration and full dissection. A detailed summary of mouthpart and male and female genitalic dissections is provided. Recently described character systems, including those of the mouthparts and the thoracic regions, have been successfully used in phylogenetic studies of aleocharine staphylinids. This paper provides the first thorough description of the techniques necessary to reveal these character systems.
The taxonomic challenge posed by cryptic species (two or more distinct species classified as a single species) has been recognized for nearly 300 years, but the advent of relatively inexpensive and rapid DNA sequencing has given biologists a new tool for detecting and differentiating morphologically similar species. Here, we synthesize the literature on cryptic and sibling species and discuss trends in their discovery. However, a lack of systematic studies leaves many questions open, such as whether cryptic species are more common in particular habitats, latitudes or taxonomic groups. The discovery of cryptic species is likely to be non-random with regard to taxon and biome and, hence, could have profound implications for evolutionary theory, biogeography and conservation planning.
We investigated the species trees, temporal divergence and historical biogeography of Emplenota Casey and Triochara Bern-hauer (ET clade hereafter), subgenera of the Aleochara coastal staphylinid beetles, to determine their place of origin. We explored a multilocus dataset to infer gene trees and species trees based on traditional concatenated and multispecies coalescent-based approaches using both model-(maximum likelihood and Bayesian) and parsimony-based methods. The multilocus dataset comprised DNA sequences from five nuclear genes (ArgK, CAD, EF1-a, wg and 28S) and three mitochondrial genes (COI, COII and 16S). *BEAST analysis according to a coalescent-based approach resolved the following phylogenetic relationships: ((A. trisulcata (A. nubis + A. zerchei)) (A. obscurella ((A. pacifica (A. curtidens + A. litoralis)) (A. hayamai (A. yamato (A. fuci-cola (A. segregata + A. puetzi))))))). Using a relaxed molecular clock, we reconstructed a time-calibrated phylogeny for this group. Furthermore, to account for the historical biogeography of the ET clade at the ages of major divergences, we investigated the ancestral area based on a time-calibrated phylogeny. Biogeographical analyses suggested that the ancestor of the ET clade was widely distributed along the eastern and western Palearctic and the western Nearctic coasts in the early Miocene. According to reconstruction of the ancestral area, one dispersal and three vicariance events were required, and the analyses indicated that vicariance events were important in shaping its current distribution patterns. Most of the divergence events occurred in the late Miocene and early Pliocene along the Pacific coasts, and the East Asian seacoasts harboured the most species-rich fauna, including eight of the 13 species in the ET clade.
Version 1.5 of the computer program TNT completely integrates landmark data into phylogenetic analysis. Landmark data consist of coordinates (in two or three dimensions) for the terminal taxa; TNT reconstructs shapes for the internal nodes such that the difference between ancestor and descendant shapes for all tree branches sums up to a minimum; this sum is used as tree score. Landmark data can be analysed alone or in combination with standard characters; all the applicable commands and options in TNT can be used transparently after reading a landmark data set. The program continues implementing all the types of analyses in former versions, including discrete and continuous characters (which can now be read at any scale, and automatically rescaled by TNT). Using algorithms described in this paper, searches for landmark data can be made tens to hundreds of times faster than it was possible before (from T to 3T times faster, where T is the number of taxa), thus making phylogenetic analysis of landmarks feasible even on standard personal computers.
A systematic review of the aleocharine genus Diaulota Casey is presented. Diaulota is redescribed, and eight species are recognized, one of which, D. alaskana Ahn, is a new species. Late-instar larvae of D. densissima Casey, D. fulviventris Moore, and D. harteri Moore are redescribed and late-instar larvae of D. aokii Sawada and D. uenol (Sawada) are described for the first time. Genoplectes Sawada is synonymized under Diaulota Casey. A lectotype is designated for D. densissima. A key is provided for separation of the known species of Diaulota, and illustrations of diagnostic features are presented.
Evolution, weighting, and phylogenetic utility of mitochondrial gene sequences and a compilation of conserved polymerase chain reaction primers. C SIMON, F FRATI, A BECKENBACH, B CRESPI, H LIU, P
To assess the accuracy of species delimitation and phylogenetic relationships of the Aleochara fucicola species complex, we performed molecular phylogenetic analyses. Detailed micromorphological characters were also examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The molecular data set included two mitochondrial (COI and COII) and three nuclear protein-coding genes (CAD, EF1-α and wg) for 19 populations of five species. Significant discordance was found between mitochondrial and nuclear gene trees. Two species, A. puetzi (Assing) and A. segregata Yamamoto and Maruyama, were not separated in the mitochondrial gene trees, but clearly were differentiated in the nuclear and concatenated gene trees. The SEM data also supported the separation of these two species, but an analysis of genetic divergence data did not. Adaptation to extremely harsh environments might reduce morphological variation in the A. fucicola species complex during the colonization of seashores. We present a multilocus phylogeny of the species complex. It suggests that the ancestor of the A. fucicola species complex occurred along the southern coasts of Northeast Asia, followed by dispersals to northern coasts.
Jeon, M.-J., Song, J.-H. & Ahn, K.-J. (2012). Molecular phylogeny of the marine littoral genus Cafius (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae) and implications for classification. —Zoologica Scripta, 41, 150–159.
A phylogenetic analysis of the marine littoral genus Cafius Stephens is presented based on molecular characters. The data set comprised partial mitochondrial COI (910 bp), COII (369 bp), 12S rDNA (351–354 bp), 16S rDNA (505–509 bp) and nearly complete sequences of 18S rDNA (1814–1830 bp) for 37 species. Twenty-seven Cafius species, representing five of six subgenera, two Remus Holme species, three Phucobius Sharp species, monotypic Thinocafius Steel and four outgroups were included. The sequences were analysed simultaneously by parsimony analysis in Tree Analysis Using New Technology (TNT) with traditional manual alignment, direct optimization (DO) in the program POY4 under a variety of gap costs and partitioned Bayesian analysis for the combined data. The genus Cafius and nearly all of its subgenera were not supported as being monophyletic. Instead, all analyses (parsimony trees, DO tree under equal weighting and Bayesian tree) showed monophyly of Cafius + Phucobius + Remus + Thinocafius (clade Z) and all seven nested clades (A–G). However, the phylogenetic relationships among clades A–G differed among the analyses. The genus Phucobius was recovered as a monophyletic group within Cafius. The genus Remus was not monophyletic but formed a clade with C. rufescens Sharp and C. rufifrons Bierig within Cafius. The genus Thinocafius formed a clade with C. caviceps Broun, C. litoreus (Broun) and C. quadriimpressus (White) within Cafius. We propose new concepts for the genus Cafius and its related genera, and the seven nested clades.
Two common rove beetles inhabit the intertidal rocky shores of British Columbia: Liparocephalus cordicollis Le Conte and Diaulota densissima Casey. Liparocephalus cordicollis, the more abundant of the two, is a predator that feeds preferentially on small chironomid larvae. Adults and larvae of this species can withstand submergence in seawater at 10 °C for more than 2 weeks. Thus they are able to survive continuous inundation from one spring tide to the next, just above lowest tide levels. Adults of L. cordicollis are osmotic regulators and can stabilize their body weight at salinities varying from 2 to 45‰. Both of these staphylinid species respire above and below water. Oxygen consumption of L. cordicollis in air at 10 °C was 376 ± 59 μL O2∙g−1∙h−1, but when the beetles were immersed in seawater at the same temperature the respiration rate was reduced to 45 ± 8 μL O2∙g−1∙h−1. During submersion, temperature-dependent reactions were observed (Q10 = 2). Respiration was constant within the salinity range of 2–30‰, but at higher levels (45‰) oxygen consumption increased to 55 ± 5 μL∙g−1∙h−1. When L. cordicollis was exposed to warm, dry conditions (simulating low tide on a warm summer day) the rate of evaporation from the cuticle was very high, calculated at 175 μg H2O loss per cm2 body surface per hour per mm Hg saturation deficit. The LT50 (mean lethal time) for a laboratory population was 2.5 h at a vapor pressure deficit of 7 mm Hg. In the larvae of beetles of the two species, asynchrony of growth in the population occurs because submerged larvae stop feeding and growing. Consequently, the development of individuals living near the low tide line is protracted compared with that of individuals living in the midlittoral zone.
A phylogenetic analysis of the tribe Liparocephalini Fenyes is presented based on morphological and molecular characters. The data set comprised 50 adult morphological characters, partial COI (907 bp), COII (366 bp) and 12S rDNA (325–355 bp), and nearly complete sequences of 18S rDNA (1768–1902 bp) for 21 species. Eighteen species of liparocephaline beetles from all eight genera and three outgroups, are included. The sequences were analysed separately and simultaneously with morphological characters by direct optimization in the program POY4 and by partitioned Bayesian analysis for the combined data. The direct optimization (DO) tree for the combined data under equal weighting, which also shows a minimum incongruence length difference value, resulted in a monophyletic Liparocephalini with the following patterns of phylogenetic relationships (outgroup ((Baeostethus, Ianmoorea) (Paramblopusa ((Amblopusa, Halorhadinus) (Liparocephalus, Diaulota))))). A sensitivity analysis using 16 different parameter sets for the combined data shows the monophyly of the liparocephalines and all its genera under all parameter sets. Bayesian analysis resulted in topological differences in comparison with the DO tree under equal weighting only in the position of the genus Paramblopusa and clade (Amblopusa + Halorhadinus), which were reversed. Historical biogeography and the stepwise evolutionary colonization of intertidal habitat in the Liparocephalini are discussed. Based on the biogeographical analyses, we hypothesize that the ancestor of the Liparocephalini occurred along the Panthallassan Ocean, the direct antecedent of the Pacific Ocean, followed by repeated dispersals to the Nearctic from the Palearctic. We also hypothesize that ancestors of the Liparocephalini appear to have arisen in the littoral zone of beaches and then colonized rocky reef areas in the low tidal zone later through high- to mid-tide zones.
© The Willi Hennig Society 2009.
Some simple formulae were obtained which enable us to estimate evolutionary distances in terms of the number of nucleotide substitutions (and, also, the evolutionary rates when the divergence times are known). In comparing a pair of nucleotide sequences, we distinguish two types of differences; if homologous sites are occupied by different nucleotide bases but both are purines or both pyrimidines, the difference is called type I (or "transition" type), while, if one of the two is a purine and the other is a pyrimidine, the difference is called type II (or "transversion" type). Letting P and Q be respectively the fractions of nucleotide sites showing type I and type II differences between two sequences compared, then the evolutionary distance per site is K = -(1/2) ln [(1-2P-Q) square root of 1-2Q]. The evolutionary rate per year is then given by k = K/(2T), where T is the time since the divergence of the two sequences. If only the third codon positions are compared, the synonymous component of the evolutionary base substitutions per site is estimated by K'S = -(1/2) ln (1-2P-Q). Also, formulae for standard errors were obtained. Some examples were worked out using reported globin sequences to show that synonymous substitutions occur at much higher rates than amino acid-altering substitutions in evolution.
Insect mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) genes are used as a model to examine the within-gene heterogeneity of evolutionary rate and its implications for evolutionary analyses. The complete sequence (1537 bp) of the meadow grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus) COI gene has been determined, and compared with eight other insect COI genes at both the DNA and amino acid sequence levels. This reveals that different regions evolve at different rates, and the patterns of sequence variability seems associated with functional constraints on the protein. The COOH-terminal was found to be significantly more variable than internal loops (I), external loops (E), transmembrane helices (M) or the NH2 terminal. The central region of COI (M5-M8) has lower levels of sequence variability, which is related to several important functional domains in this region. Highly conserved primers which amplify regions of different variabilities have been designed to cover the entire insect COI gene. These primers have been shown to amplify COI in a wide range of species, representing all the major insect groups; some even in an arachnid. Implications of the observed evolutionary pattern for phylogenetic analysis are discussed, with particular regard to the choice of regions of suitable variability for specific phylogenetic projects.
We investigated the phylogenetic relationships of carrion beetles (Coleoptera, Silphidae) using 2094 bp of their mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I and II and tRNA leucine gene sequences. Shorter fragments of this gene region previously have been used to establish generic relationships in insects. In this study, they provided more than sufficient resolution, although the third positions of the protein-coding sequences reached saturation for the deeper divergences. This first published phylogeny for the Silphidae comprises 23 species from 13 genera sampled across the geographic range of the family. In addition, we included species from three related families as outgroups. One of these families, the Agyrtidae, was, until recently, included in the Silphidae, but its resolution here justifies its current position as a separate family. The silphid subfamilies Nicrophorinae and Silphinae are monophyletic in all analyses. All genera for which several species were sampled are supported as monophyletic groups, with the exception of the genus Silpha. European and North American representatives of two Nicrophorus species described from both continents are supported as each others' closest relatives. The lineage that colonized Gondwanaland and that most likely originated in the Palearctic is the most basal within the Silphinae.
The zonal distribution of three species of Staphylinidae in the rocky intertidal zone in California (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)
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203-210.
- J.-H Song
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Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology 21 (2018) 930-936
Generic revision of the subtribe Gyrophaenina (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) with a review of the described subgenera and major features of evolution
- Ashe
Ashe, J.S., 1984. Generic revision of the subtribe Gyrophaenina (Coleoptera:
Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) with a review of the described subgenera and major
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When rare species become endangered: cryptic speciation in myrmecophilous hoverflies
- Schönrogge
XII. Subfamily Aleocharinae Fleming 1821
- Ashe