Review of the flower-inhabiting water scavenger beetle genus Cycreon (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae), with descriptions of new species and comments on its biology

The hydrophilid genus Cycreon Orchymont, 1919, previously known from two historical specimens only, is reviewed based on the numerous material collected recently from the inflorescences of various Araceae species in the Malay Peninsula and Borneo. Four species are recognized in the genus: C. sculpturatus Orchymont, 1919 from Sumatra, C. armandi Shatrovskiy, 2017 from Singapore, C. adolescens sp. n. from peninsular Malaysia, and C. floricola sp. n. with two subspecies, the nominotypical one from Peninsular Malaysia, and C. floricola borneanus subsp. n. from Borneo. All species are very similar, differing only by the pronotal punctation, shape of the clypeus and the mentum, and the form of the median lobe of the aedeagus. Specimens of C. floricola sp. n. and C. adolescens sp. n. were collected from inflorescences of various genera of the family Araceae. The field observations and analysis of mid gut contents indicates that they feed on organic material on internal organs of the inflorescences, including the pollen of the host plant. They were also observed to carry a large amount of pollen and are likely pollinators of their host species of Araceae

Comparative Study of the Performance of Two Different Luciferases for the Analysis of Fumonisin B1 in Wheat Samples

The development of two different immunoassays for the determination of fumonisin B1 in wheat samples is reported. A previously described mimopeptide for fumonisin B1 (FB1) was used to produce fusion proteins in combination with two different luciferases: Gaussia luciferase (GLuc) and NanoLuc luciferase (NLuc). The production, expression and the development of two immunoassays based on these fusion proteins (A2- GLuc and A2-NLuc) is detailed. The assay showing the best performance, A2-NLuc, with a limit of detection of 0.61 ngmL 1 and a dynamic range from 1.9 to 95 ngmL 1 , was employed for the analysis of spiked wheat samples, a reference matrix material, as well as naturally contaminated wheat samples. The recoveries obtained in the spiked samples were acceptable, between 81.5 and 109%, with relative standard deviations lower than 14%. The analysis of naturally contaminated wheat was validated by a liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass detection method

Larval chaetotaxy and morphology are highly homoplastic yet phylogenetically informative in Hydrobiusini water scavenger beetles (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae)

Phylogenetic analyses testing the monophyly of the tribe Hydrobiusini and the relationships among its genera are performed based on a data matrix including characters of larval morphology and morphometrics, larval chaetotaxy and adult morphology, including eight of the nine hydrobiusine genera plus 15 outgroup taxa. The head chaetotaxy of six genera of the tribe Hydrobiusini is described (Ametor, Hybogralius, Hydramara, Limnohydrobius, Limnoxenus and Sperchopsis). Morphometric characters derived from the head capsule and mouthparts are included. All characters are illustrated in detail. The analyses performed on the above datasets and their combinations reveal the monophyly of the Hydrobiusini except for Hybogralius, and reconstruct the internal topology of the tribe, largely correspondingto results of previous molecular analyses. Hybogralius groups with genera having larvae adapted to underwater feeding in all analyses. The position of the genus Tritonus within the Laccobiini is questioned by our analyses, which suggest a closer relationship with the tribes Hydrophilini or Hydrobiusini. Larval characters are revealed as highly homoplastic, with chaetotaxic characters performing slightly worse than usual larval morphology. Nonetheless, they are phylogenetically informative and useful for testing phylogenetic hypotheses resulting from analyses of molecules or adult morphology. A key to larvae of the genera of the Hydrobiusini is presented.Fil: Archangelsky, Miguel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica; ArgentinaFil: Martínez Román, Nicolás Rafael. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica; ArgentinaFil: Fikacek, Martin. Charles University. Faculty of Science. Department of Zoology; República Checa. National Museum. Department of Entomology; República Chec

Exceptionally preserved beetles in a Triassic coprolite of putative dinosauriform origin

The Triassic was a crucial period for the early evolution and diversification of insects, including Coleoptera(1-3)-the most diverse order of organisms on Earth. The study of Triassic beetles, however, relies almost exclusively on flattened fossils with limited character preservation. Using synchrotron microtomography, we investigated a fragmentary Upper Triassic coprolite, which contains a rich record of 3D-preserved minute beetle remains of Triamyxa coprolithica gen. et sp. nov. Some specimens are nearly complete, preserving delicate structures of the legs and antennae. Most of them are congruent morphologically, implying that they are conspecific. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that T. coprolithica is a member of Myxophaga, a small suborder of beetles with a sparse fossil record, and that it represents the only member of the extinct family Triamyxidae fam. nov. Our findings highlight that coprolites can contain insect remains, which are almost as well preserved as in amber. They are thus an important source of information for exploring insect evolution before the Cretaceous-Neogene "amber time window."Treated as food residues, insect remains preserved in coprolites also have important implications for the paleoecology of insectivores, in this case, likely the dinosauriform Silesaurus opolensis

Bioluminescent detection of zearalenone using recombinant peptidomimetic Gaussia luciferase fusion protein

The development of a bioluminescent immunosensor is reported for the determination of zearalenone (ZEA) based on a peptide mimetic identified by phage display. The peptide mimetic GW, with a peptide sequence GWWGPYGEIELL, was used to create recombinant fusion proteins with the bioluminescent Gaussia luciferase (GLuc) that were directly used as tracers for toxin detection in a competitive immunoassay without the need for secondary antibodies or further labeling. The bioluminescent sensor, based on protein G–coupled magnetic beads for antibody immobilization, enabled determination of ZEA with a detection limit of 4.2 ng/mL (corresponding to 420 μg/kg in food samples) and an IC50 value of 11.0 ng/mL. The sensor performance was evaluated in spiked maize and wheat samples, with recoveries ranging from 87 to 106% (RSD < 20%, n = 3). Finally, the developed method was applied to the analysis of a naturally contaminated reference matrix material and good agreement with the reported concentrations was obtained.UCM for a predoctoral contractDepto. de Química AnalíticaFac. de Ciencias QuímicasFALSEpu

Front Cover: Comparative Study of the Performance of Two Different Luciferases for the Analysis of Fumonisin B1 in Wheat Samples (Anal. Sens. 4/2022)

The cover picture shows a competitive immunoassay between a fumonisin B1 mimopeptide fused to the NanoLuc luciferase and the mycotoxin for the binding sites of the anti‐fumonisin B1 antibody immobilized onto magnetic microparticles. More information can be found in the Research Article by E. Benito‐Peña, M. C. Moreno‐Bondi, and co‐workers

Figure 24 from: Nasserzadeh H, Alipanah H, Gilasian E (2017) Phylogenetic study of the genus Sternolophus Solier (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae) based on adult morphology. ZooKeys 712: 69-85. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.712.14085

The phylogeny of the hydrophilid genus Sternolophus Solier, 1834 was examined in this study using 60 morphological adult characters, eight of them continuous and 52 discrete. The cladistic analysis resulted in a single most parsimonious tree with two major subclades corresponding, respectively, to species previously assigned to the subgenera Sternolophus s. str. Solier and Neosternolophus Zaitzev, although they are not re-instated. The species groups S. angolensis (Erichson, 1843) and S. solieri Castelnau, 1840 are recovered as monophyletic. The biogeography and diversification of the species of Sternolophus are briefly discussed