<i>Wolbachia</i> springs eternal: symbiosis in Collembola is associated with host ecology

Wolbachia are endosymbiotic alpha-proteobacteria infecting a wide range of arthropods and nematode hosts with diverse interactions, from reproductive parasites to obligate mutualists. Their taxonomy is defined by lineages called supergroups (labelled by letters of the alphabet), while their evolutionary history is complex, with multiple horizontal transfers and secondary losses. One of the least recently derived, supergroup E, infects springtails (Collembola), widely distributed hexapods, with sexual and/or parthenogenetic populations depending on species. To better characterize the diversity of Wolbachia infecting springtails, the presence of Wolbachia was screened in 58 species. Eleven (20%) species were found to be positive, with three Wolbachia genotypes identified for the first time in supergroup A. The novel genotypes infect springtails ecologically and biologically different from those infected by supergroup E. To root the Wolbachia phylogeny, rather than distant other Rickettsiales, supergroup L infecting plant-parasitic nematodes was used here. We hypothesize that the ancestor of Wolbachia was consumed by soil-dwelling nematodes, and was transferred horizontally via plants into aphids, which then infected edaphic arthropods (e.g. springtails and oribatid mites) before expanding into most clades of terrestrial arthropods and filarial nematodes. </jats:p

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Breakaway from a globular body shape: molecular phylogeny reveals the evolutionary history of the enigmatic springtail Mackenziella psocoides

Mackenziella psocoides Hammer, 1953 (Collembola: Mackenziellidae) is a widespread but uncommon springtail. Its unusual body shape (ovoid, with partial coalescence of abdominal segments) has puzzled the specialists for a long time, until the discovery of males allowed to relate the species to a family of globular springtails, the Sminthurididae. Yet, the precise phylogenetic position of M. psocoides, and hence of the Mackenziellidae, remained ambiguous. In this work, we report a new locality for M. psocoides in Germany. We provide the first DNA sequences (nuclear ribosomal DNA operon) for the species, as well as the first images using scanning electron microscopy. We investigate its phylogenetic position based on the molecular data and specify details on its morphology. Our results show that M. psocoides is nested inside of Sminthurididae, as the sister group of Sphaeridia Linnaniemi, 1912. Consequently, Mackenziellidae syn. nov. is here synonymized with Sminthurididae. We include Mackenziella and Sphaeridia in the Sphaeridiainae subfam. nov., a replacement name for Sphaeridiinae Richard, 1968 that is a junior homonym of Sphaeridiinae Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae). Corresponding to its phylogenetic position within Sminthurididae, the evolutionary origin of M. psocoides is younger than previously thought (79 mya +/- 35 my). The lineage accumulated an unusual amount of body modifications involving, among others, the loss of the globular body shape. This rapid rate of evolution is, to our knowledge, unique in springtails. It shows that globular body shape is not an evolutionary dead-end, and the secondary acquisition of a linear body shape and recovery of longitudinal flexibility is still possible

Willemia zeppelini D'Haese & Thibaud, 2011, sp. nov.

Willemia zeppelini sp. nov. Figs 1–5 Type material. Holotype (female) and 2 paratypes (females). Type locality. Brazil, Joao Pessoa, Beach of Tambau, central region, Joao Pessoa, PB. 17.vi. 2010. Other localities. Beach of Camboinha 3, Cabedelo, PB. 19.vi. 2010; 3 specimens, 1 male, 2 females (MNHN- EA010008 to MNHN-EA010010). Description. Body length: holotype 300 µm (MNHN-EA010005), paratypes 270–330 µm (MNHN-EA010006 to MNHN-EA010007). Color in alcohol white, body with short acuminate ordinary chaetae, some slightly longer. Sensory chaetae a little thicker and longer than ordinary chaetae. Tegumental granulation fine and regular. Antennae somewhat shorter than head’s diagonal (40 µm; and 50 µm respectively). Ant. I and Ant. II with 7 and 11 chaetae respectively (Fig. 2). Ant. III and IV only hardly separated. Sensorial organ of Ant. III consisting of a large integumentary fold hiding 2 internal s-microchatae, 2 long guard chaetae, 2 long sensory rods with a dark axis and lighter expansions on both sides, and one ventral microsensillum (Fig. 1). Ant. IV with a large globular apical bulb, microsensillum and subapical organite present. Ant. IV s-chaeta comprising of S 2 / d and S 9 / e 1 absent or not differentiated form ordinary chaetae, S 1 / i 1 and S 8 / e 2 subcylindrical or hardly differentiated from ordinary chaetae, and S 4 / i 2 and S 7 / e 3 enlarged with the shape of a slightly flattened pear. Some variation is observed with S 1, S 8, S 4 and S 7 being in a continuum from subcylindrical hardly differentiated from ordinary chaetae to flattened pear-shaped (Figs 1–2). Postantennal organ with 4 to 5 tubercles (Fig. 3), no eyes. Chaetae a 0 and c 1 absent on the head (Fig. 3). Prelabrum/labrum with 2 /2,5,4 chaetae. Three pairs of labial chaetae. Dorsal body chaetotaxy presented in Fig. 3. The specimens observed present some variation and asymmetries. Chaetae s per half tergum formula: 22 / 11111 generally, in m 7 and p 4 position on thorax II and III terga, in p 4 position on abdominal terga I to IV and p 2 position on Abd. V i.e. chaeta p 2 absent; some specimens have p 2 present (i.e. chaeta s in p 3 position). Thorax II and III with reduced chaetotaxy: a 1, a 2 or m 3 seem to be missing (Fig. 3). Abd. II and III with a 2, but without m -row. Abdomen IV without m 1, m 2, m 3, or m’ 3 or p 5. No anal spine. Ventral tube with 4 + 4 chaetae. Ventral abdominal chaetotaxy as in Fig. 4. Furcula absent. Female genital plate with 2 eugenital chaetae; male genital plate with 8 eugenital chaetae. Anal valves with one hr chaeta and without e and z chaetae (Fig. 4). Tibiotarsal chaetotaxy I, II and III with 12 chaetae each. Unguis with a small empodial appendage and without teeth (Fig. 5). Derivatio nominis. The new species is cordially dedicated to the brazilian collembologist Professor Douglas Zeppelini from Universidade Estadual da Paraiba in Joao Pessoa, who participated to the collection of this new species. Distribution. Phylogenetically, W. zeppelini fits among central american/neotropical species (W. subbulbosa, persimilis -group and W. brevispina) which makes a lot of sense biogeographically. The only other Willemia species recorded from Brazil is W. brevispina Hüther, 1962, found in littoral sand near Rio coast (Thibaud & Palacios-Vargas 1999) and it is one of the closest to the new W. zeppelini on the phylogeny (Fig. 6).Published as part of D'Haese, Cyrille A. & Thibaud, Jean-Marc, 2011, Description and phylogenetic position of a new Willemia species (Collembola: Hypogastruridae) from the littoral coast of Brazil, pp. 33-40 in Zootaxa 2932 on page 34, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20278

FIGURE 2 in A new group of species of the genus Megalothorax (Collembola, Neelidae) with Gondwanan distribution, and introducing an open interactive identification key of Megalothorax species

FIGURE 2. Megalothorax anterolenis sp. nov. (A, B) Labrum anterior process, (A) posterior side, (B) anterior side. (C) Maxillary outer lobe internal side. (D) Mandibula. (E) Maxilla. (F, G) Antenna (F) posterior side, (G) anterior side. (H) Abd. VI tergite and sternite, Abd. V and IV sternites, and posterior side of manubrium and dens (furca), chaeta and lobe in dotted line are missing on the figured specimen but normally present. (I) dens anterior side. (J) Mucro.Published as part of Schneider, Clément, Minor, Maria A. & D'Haese, Cyrille A., 2023, A new group of species of the genus Megalothorax (Collembola, Neelidae) with Gondwanan distribution, and introducing an open interactive identification key of Megalothorax species, pp. 101-121 in Zootaxa 5228 (2) on page 106, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5228.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/753217

FIGURE 7 in A new group of species of the genus Megalothorax (Collembola, Neelidae) with Gondwanan distribution, and introducing an open interactive identification key of Megalothorax species

FIGURE 7. Megalothorax zealanterolenis sp. nov. (A) chaetae of Abd. IV sternites. (B) Leg I. (C) Leg II. (D) Leg III. (E) Claw I. (F) Claw II. (G) Claw III. (H, I, J) Mucro variations.Published as part of Schneider, Clément, Minor, Maria A. & D'Haese, Cyrille A., 2023, A new group of species of the genus Megalothorax (Collembola, Neelidae) with Gondwanan distribution, and introducing an open interactive identification key of Megalothorax species, pp. 101-121 in Zootaxa 5228 (2) on page 113, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5228.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/753217

A new species and first record of the genus Triacanthella Schaffer, 1897 (Collembola, Poduromorpha, Hypogastruridae) for Africa

CITATION: Janion, C., D'Haese C. A. & Deharveng, L. 2012. A new species and first record of the genus Triacanthella Schaffer, 1897 (Collembola, Poduromorpha, Hypogastruridae) for Africa. ZooKeys, 163:57–68, doi: 10.3897/zookeys.163.2298.The original publication is available at http://zookeys.pensoft.netThe first species of the genus Triacanthella to be recorded from Africa is described. Triacanthella madiba sp. n. belongs to the Southern Hemisphere group of the genus. It is morphologically closely related to T. vogeli Weiner & Najt, 1997 from Chile, and appears to be a gondwanian relict. The new species is also the first Triacanthella recorded from a guano habitat.http://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=2384Publisher's versio

FIGURE 6 in A new group of species of the genus Megalothorax (Collembola, Neelidae) with Gondwanan distribution, and introducing an open interactive identification key of Megalothorax species

FIGURE 6. Megalothorax zealanterolenis sp. nov. (A) Chaetotaxy of trunk tergites from Th. I to Abd. V, (B) Head dorsal side. (C) Mandibula. (D) Antenna.Published as part of Schneider, Clément, Minor, Maria A. & D'Haese, Cyrille A., 2023, A new group of species of the genus Megalothorax (Collembola, Neelidae) with Gondwanan distribution, and introducing an open interactive identification key of Megalothorax species, pp. 101-121 in Zootaxa 5228 (2) on page 112, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5228.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/753217