A Hainanese in the haze a phylogenetically unplaceable Oriental blowfly

A large and colourful blow fly recently collected in the montane forests of southern Hainan Island represents an undescribed species with a surprising mixture of oestroid features. The species is presented and the possible phylogenetic relationships are discussed, based on both morphological and molecular evidence. The species has a distinctive blowfly-like appearance, but morphological data fail to support inclusion of the species within any of the currently accepted calliphoroid families or subfamilies. The large posterior thoracic spiracle, which is non-operculate and possesses a large, continuous ventral fringe, is a striking match to the condition found in the exclusively Neotropical Mesembrinellidae. Even the anterior spiracle, which has a fringe with a tear-shaped dorsal opening, agrees with the Mesembrinellidae. However, the biogeographical disjunction would appear to make this relationship highly unlikely. The stem vein is setose dorsally, as in the Mesembrinellidae, Rhiniidae, and the Chrysomyinae (incl. Toxotarsinae), but no other morphological evidence supports an affiliation with either of these taxa. Molecular data based on 18S, 28S, COI, CAD, EF1a and TPI are still inconclusive, but point to a sister-group relationship with Phumosia Robineau-Desvoidy (Phumosiinae)

Africa Expedition 2018

Collection trip with 4 persons in total: Pierfilippo Cerretti (Sapienza Università di Roma), Thomas Pape (University of Copenhagen), Silvia Gisondi (Sapienza Università di Roma), Arn Rytter Jensen (Sapienza Università di Roma). Car rented: A 4x4 Toyota Double cab with camping gear and special tents on top of the car. The car would be picked up at the Cape Town International Airport 18 November, and dropped off at Windhoek the 24 November. The plan was to drive to the different localities, collect and camp at the locality

A Hainanese in the haze a phylogenetically unplaceable Oriental blowfly - Abstract

A large and colourful blow fly recently collected in the montane forests of southern Hainan Island represents an undescribed species with a surprising mixture of oestroid features. The species is presented and the possible phylogenetic relationships are discussed, based on both morphological and molecular evidence. The species has a distinctive blowfly-like appearance, but morphological data fail to support inclusion of the species within any of the currently accepted calliphoroid families or subfamilies. The large posterior thoracic spiracle, which is non-operculate and possesses a large, continuous ventral fringe, is a striking match to the condition found in the exclusively Neotropical Mesembrinellidae. Even the anterior spiracle, which has a fringe with a tear-shaped dorsal opening, agrees with the Mesembrinellidae. However, the biogeographical disjunction would appear to make this relationship highly unlikely. The stem vein is setose dorsally, as in the Mesembrinellidae, Rhiniidae, and the Chrysomyinae (incl. Toxotarsinae), but no other morphological evidence supports an affiliation with either of these taxa. Molecular data based on 18S, 28S, COI, CAD, EF1a and TPI are still inconclusive, but point to a sister-group relationship with Phumosia Robineau-Desvoidy (Phumosiinae)

A total-evidence approach resolves phylogenetic placement of ‘Cafius’ gigas, a unique recently extinct rove beetle from Lord Howe Island

Cafius gigas Lea, 1929 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) was a large rove beetle endemic to Lord Howe Island (LHI) resembling Cafius and the LHI flightless endemic Hesperus dolichoderes (Lea, 1925). Like several other LHI endemics, C. gigas became extinct due to human-introduced rats. It is a legacy species valuable for understanding the LHI biota in terms of evolutionary biology and historical biogeography. Whether C. gigas was a member of Cafius Curtis, 1829, restricted to oceanic shores and prone to trans-oceanic dispersal, or related to H. dolichoderes, would have different implications. We subjected C. gigas to a total-evidence phylogenetic analyses of morphological and molecular data using model-based and parsimony methods. As a result, it is transferred to Hesperus Fauvel, 1874 with the new combination Hesperus gigas (Lea, 1929) comb. nov. Our analysis indicates that the montane leaf litter inhabitant H. gigas evolved neither in situ nor from a seashore Cafius-ancestor, or from an ancestor shared by two other LHI endemic congeners, Hesperus pacificus Olliff, 1887 and H. dolichoderes. It also suggests that all three Hesperus species that currently occur on LHI could have evolved on various seamounts at various times before reaching LHI

Variation in juvenile stages and success of male acquisition in Danish and French populations of the parasitic barnacle Sacculina carcini (Cirripedia: Rhizocephala) parasitizing the shore crab Carcinus maenas

Population and developmental characteristics of the rhizocephalan parasite Sacculina carcini were studied in the Limfjord, Denmark and at Roscoff, France. The frequency of juvenile externae in the Limfjord was higher during summer (69.8% of all externae) than during winter (43%). At Roscoff, 62.6% of externae were juvenile in May-June, but only 8.4% in September. The percentage of juveniles with settled males in the Limfjord was higher in summer (20.7% of all juveniles) compared to winter (6.7%). Juveniles at Roscoff in summer had less success in male acquisition (18.0%). The mean number of settled male cyprids per juvenile externa was 0.56 in summer and 0.12 during winter in the Limfjord, but only 0.27 in the summer at Roscoff. Laboratory kept virgin externae invaded by male cyprids ceased to attract additional males within 5–6 days after the first male settlement and then grew into adults within 3 weeks. Externae without males, kept in isolation, did not grow or show any other signs of maturation. Our results confirm and extend previous data on the role of males and their effect on externa development in S. carcini, and show that the success of male acquisition is susceptible to both seasonal and regional variation

Phylogenetic relationships of the woodlouse flies (Diptera: Rhinophorinae) and the cluster flies (Diptera: Polleniidae).

Phylogenetic relationships within the oestroid subclades Rhinophorinae (Calliphoridae) and Polleniidae were reconstructed for the first time, applying a Sanger sequencing approach using the two protein-coding nuclear markers CAD (carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 2, aspartate transcarbamylase, and dihydroorotase; 1794 bp) and MCS (molybdenum cofactor sulfurase; 2078 bp). Three genera of Polleniidae and nineteen genera of Rhinophorinae were analyzed together with a selection of taxa representing the major lineages of Oestroidea (non-rhinophorine Calliphoridae, Oestridae, Sarcophagidae, Tachinidae). The selected markers provide good resolution and moderate to strong support of the distal branches, but weak support for several deeper nodes. Polleniidae (cluster flies) emerge as monophyletic and their sister-group relationship to Tachinidae is confirmed. Morinia Robineau-Desvoidy as currently circumscribed emerges as paraphyletic with regard to Melanodexia Williston, and Pollenia Robineau-Desvoidy is the sister taxon of the Morinia-Melanodexia clade. We propose a classification with two subfamilies, Moriniinae Townsend (including Morinia, Melanodexia, and Alvamaja Rognes), and Polleniinae Brauer & Bergenstamm (including Pollenia, Dexopollenia Townsend, and Xanthotryxus Aldrich). Anthracomyza Malloch and Nesodexia Villeneuve are considered as Oestroidea incertae sedis pending further study. Rhinophorinae (woodlouse flies) emerge as monophyletic and sister to a clade composed of (Ameniinae + (Ameniinae + Phumosiinae)), and a tribal classification is proposed with the subfamily divided into Rhinophorini Robineau-Desvoidy, 1863 and Phytonini Robineau-Desvoidy, 1863 (the Stevenia-group and the Phyto-group of authors, respectively). Oxytachina Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1891, stat. rev. is resurrected to contain nine Afrotropical rhinophorine species currently assigned to genus Rhinomorinia Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1891: Oxytachina approximata (Crosskey, 1977) comb. nov., O. atra (Bischof, 1904) comb. nov., O. bisetosa (Crosskey, 1977) comb. nov., O. capensis (Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1893) comb. nov., O. scutellata (Crosskey, 1977) comb. nov., O. setitibia (Crosskey, 1977) comb. nov., O. verticalis (Crosskey, 1977) comb. nov., O. vittata Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1891, and O. xanthocephala (Bezzi, 1908) comb. nov