Book Review: Brentidae of the World (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea)

Book Review: SFORZI, A., AND L. BARTOLOZZI. 2004. Brentidae of the World (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea). Monografie XXXIX (39), Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Torino, Italy. 976 pp., 225 figs. Hardcover. ISBN 88-86041-35-7. Price: € 50.00 + postage. May be ordered from the Museo Regionale di Scienze Regionali, via Giolitti, 10123 Torino, Italy. E-mail: [email protected]

Biological taxonomy and ontology development: scope and limitations

The prospects of integrating full-blown biological taxonomies into an ontological reasoning framework are reviewed. We contrast the common usage of a static 'snapshot' hierarchy in ontological representations of taxonomy with a more realistic situation that involves dynamic, piece-meal revisions of particular taxonomic groups and requires alignment with relevant preceding perspectives. Taxonomic practice is characterized by a range of phenomena that are orthogonal to the logical semantic background from which ontological entities and relationships originate, and therefore pose special challenges to ontological representation and reasoning. Among these phenomena are: (1) the notion that there is a single phylogenetic hierarchy in nature which taxonomy can only gradually approximate; (2) the evolvability of taxa which means that taxon-defining features may be lost in subordinate members or independently gained across multiple sections of the tree of life; (3) the hybrid approach of defining taxa both in reference to properties (intensional) and members (ostensive) which undermines the individual/class dichotomy sustaining conventional ontologies; (4) the idiosyncratic yet inferentially valuable usage of Linnaean ranks; (5) the indelible and semantically complex 250-year legacy of nomenclatural and taxonomic changes that characterizes the current system; (6) the insufficient taxonomic exploration of large portions of the tree of life; and the need to use a sophisticated terminology for aligning taxonomic entities in order to integrate both (7) single and (8) multiple hierarchies. We briefly such how such integration may proceed based on an initial expert alignment of concept relationship and subsequent use of first-order logic algorithms to maximize consistency, reveal implied relationships, and ultimately merge taxonomies.
 In light of the aforementioned obstacles, we suggest that research along the taxonomy/ontology interface should focus on either strictly nomenclatural entities or specialize in ontology-driven methods for producing alignments between multiple taxonomies. We furthermore suggest that the prospects of developing successful ontologies for taxonomy will largely depend on the ability of the taxonomic expert community to present their phylogenies and classifications in a way that is more compatible with ontological reasoning than concurrent practice. Minimally, this means (1) adopting rigorous standards for linking new core taxonomies to relevant peripheral taxonomies through comprehensive alignments so that their ontological/taxonomic connections are transparent; (2) using lineage-specific ontological standards for phenotype-based accounts of taxa while taking into account the phylogenetic contextuality of phenotypic descriptors; (3) presenting all nomenclatural and taxonomic novelties in an explicit, ontology-compatible format, including intensional and ostensive definitions; and (4) offering comprehensive intensional/ostensive alignments to entities in relevant preceding taxonomies

Taxonomy for Humans or Computers? Cognitive Pragmatics for Big Data

Criticism of big data has focused on showing that more is not necessarily better, in the sense that data may lose their value when taken out of context and aggregated together. The next step is to incorporate an awareness of pitfalls for aggregation into the design of data infrastructure and institutions. A common strategy minimizes aggregation errors by increasing the precision of our conventions for identifying and classifying data. As a counterpoint, we argue that there are pragmatic trade-offs between precision and ambiguity that are key to designing effective solutions for generating big data about biodiversity. We focus on the importance of theory-dependence as a source of ambiguity in taxonomic nomenclature and hence a persistent challenge for implementing a single, long-term solution to storing and accessing meaningful sets of biological specimens. We argue that ambiguity does have a positive role to play in scientific progress as a tool for efficiently symbolizing multiple aspects of taxa and mediating between conflicting hypotheses about their nature. Pursuing a deeper understanding of the trade-offs and synthesis of precision and ambiguity as virtues of scientific language and communication systems then offers a productive next step for realizing sound, big biodiversity data services

The bees of Greater Puerto Rico (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila)

The bee fauna of the Greater Puerto Rico area was studied. A review of the previous relevant studies is presented. An annotated catalog and information about the origin and distributional patterns are also provided. Thirty-nine species of bees occur in Puerto Rico and adjacent islands. This fauna is composed of four elements: exclusive Puerto Rican endemics (26.5%); Antillean endemics occurring on multiple islands (76.5%); continental species that have also colonized the Antilles (23.5%); and species introduced through human activity (12.8%). The bee fauna was both low in its diversity and showed the highest level of disharmony in relation to other faunas of the Greater Antilles. A lectotype is here designated for Agapostemon krugii Wolcott, 1936

BIOLOGICAL TAXONOMY AND ONTOLOGY DEVELOPMENT: SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

The prospects of integrating full-blown biological taxonomies into an ontological reasoning framework are critically reviewed. The common usage of a static 'snapshot' hierarchy in ontological representations of taxonomy is contrasted with a more realistic situation that involves dynamic, piece-meal revisions of particular taxonomic groups and requires alignment with relevant preceding perspectives. Taxonomic practice is characterized by a range of phenomena that are orthogonal to the logical background from which ontological entities and relationships originate, and therefore pose special challenges to ontological representation and reasoning. Among these phenomena are: (1) the notion that there is a single phylogenetic hierarchy in nature which taxonomy can only gradually approximate; (2) the evolvability of taxa which means that taxon-defining features may be lost in subordinate members or independently gained across multiple sections of the tree of life; (3) the hybrid approach of defining taxa both in reference to properties (intensional) and members (ostensive) which undermines the individual/class dichotomy sustaining conventional ontologies; (4) the idiosyncratic yet inferentially valuable usage of Linnaean ranks; (5) the indelible and semantically complex 250-year legacy of nomenclatural and taxonomic changes that characterizes the current system; (6) the insufficient taxonomic exploration of large portions of the tree of life; and the need to use a sophisticated terminology for aligning taxonomic entities in order to integrate both (7) single and (8) multiple hierarchies. It is suggested that research along the taxonomy/ontology interface should focus on either strictly nomenclatural entities or specialize in ontology-driven methods for producing alignments between multiple taxonomies

Book Review: \u3ci\u3eBrentidae of the World (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea)\u3c/i\u3e (Sforzi, A., and L. Bartolozzi)

This new book on the Brentidae of the World was originally conceived as an update of Richard Kleine’s (1938) checklist. It turned out to be much more. The checklist evolved into a comprehensive and meticulously annotated catalogue. A long introductory section was added, and enriched with clear illustrations and superb color photographs of charismatic specimens. It could stand on its own as a smaller book on the biology and taxonomic history of brentid beetles. The editors also enlisted a select group of experts to contribute four chapters on lineages recently placed within or close to the family. The result is a volume of nearly 1000 pages whose quality and scope measure up to the higher standards of the recent Coleoptera literature

The bees of Greater Puerto Rico (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila)

The bee fauna of the Greater Puerto Rico area was studied. A review of the previous relevant studies is presented. An annotated catalog and information about the origin and distributional patterns are also provided. Thirty-nine species of bees occur in Puerto Rico and adjacent islands. This fauna is composed of four elements: exclusive Puerto Rican endemics (26.5%); Antillean endemics occurring on multiple islands (76.5%); continental species that have also colonized the Antilles (23.5%); and species introduced through human activity (12.8%). The bee fauna was both low in its diversity and showed the highest level of disharmony in relation to other faunas of the Greater Antilles. A lectotype is here designated for Agapostemon krugii Wolcott, 1936. La fauna de abejas del área del Gran Puerto Rico fue estudiada. Se revisaron los primeros estudios relevantes sobre este tema. Se presenta un catálogo anotado e información sobre el origen y los patrones de distribución. En Puerto Rico y sus islas adyacentes viven 39 especies de abejas. Esta fauna está compuesta por cuatro elementos: especies endémicas de esta área (26.5%); endémicas antillanas que aparecen en varias islas (76.5%); especies continentales que han colonizado las Antillas (23.5%); y especies introducidas por la actividad antrópica (12.8%). La fauna de abejas tuvo poca diversidad y mostró el mayor grado de desarmonía, en relación con las otras faunas de las Grandes Antillas. El lectótipo de Agapostemon krugii Wolcott, 1936 es designado en este trabajo

Estructura de la fauna de escarabajos (Insecta: Coleoptera) en bosques remanentes del oeste de Puerto Rico

We studied the richness and abundance of beetle families in two successional forest fragments located in close proximity on the campus of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM), western Puerto Rico. The study period extended from April to December 2005 and included nine monthly repetitions of quantitative samples using necrophilous, pitfall, and light traps. A total of 30 beetle families—48% of the families reported on the Island—and 38,126 individuals were obtained. The among-site variation was low, as both sites were dominated by beetles belonging to the families Curculionidae, Nitidulidae, Staphylinidae, Scarabaeidae, and Hydrophilidae (in order of abundance). These families represent a range of feeding habits and jointly constituted more than 93% of the samples. The light traps were most effective in maximizing the sampled beetle diversity. The abundance of most groups was correlated with the seasonal changes in climate and resource availability, and peaked in the middle of the rainy season in August. In summary, the forest fragments of the UPRM campus harbor a surprisingly diverse and temporally dynamic beetle fauna. More wide-ranging assessments of coleopteran communities residing in successional forests in Puerto Rico are needed to characterize and preserve these valuable habitats.Se estudió la riqueza y abundancia de familias de escarabajos en dos fragmentos de bosques sucesionales en localidades cercanas en el campus de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Mayagüez (UPRM), en el oeste de Puerto Rico. El periodo de estudio se extendió de abril a diciembre de 2005, e incluyó nueve repeticiones mensuales de muestreos cuantitativos usando trampas necrófilas, de caída y de luz. Se obtuvo un total de 30 familias de escarabajos—48% de las familias reportadas para la Isla—y 38,126 individuos. La variación entre sitios fue baja, ya que en ambos sitios dominaron escarabajos pertenecientes a las familias Curculionidae, Nitidulidae, Staphylinidae, Scarabaeidae, e Hydrophilidae (en orden de abundancia). Estas familias representan un rango amplio de hábitos alimenticios y en conjunto constituyeron más del 93% de las muestras. Las trampas de luz fueron las más efectivas para obtener la mayor diversidad muestreada de escarabajos. La abundancia de la mayoría de los grupos se correlacionó con los cambios estacionales climáticos y la disponibilidad de recursos, y llegó a su máximo a mediados de la época lluviosa en agosto. En resumen, los fragmentos de bosque del campus UPRM albergan una fauna de escarabajos sorprendentemente diversa y dinámica. Se requiere de evaluaciones más amplias de las comunidades de coleópteros residentes en bosques sucesionales de Puerto Rico para caracterizar y preservar estos habitats valiosos

Descriptions of four new species of Minyomerus Horn, 1876 sec. Jansen & Franz, 2018 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), with notes on their distribution and phylogeny

This contribution adopts the taxonomic concept approach, including the use of taxonomic concept labels (name sec. [according to] source) and region connection calculus-5 (RCC–5) articulations and alignments. Prior to this study, the broad-nosed weevil genus Minyomerus Horn, 1876 sec. Jansen & Franz, 2015 (Curculionidae [non-focal]: Entiminae [non-focal]: Tanymecini [non-focal]) contained 17 species distributed throughout the desert and plains regions of North America. In this review of Minyomerus sec. Jansen & Franz, 2018, we describe the following four species as new to science: Minyomerus ampullaceus sec. Jansen & Franz, 2018 (henceforth: [JF2018]), new species, Minyomerus franko [JF2018], new species, Minyomerus sculptilis [JF2018], new species, and Minyomerus tylotos [JF2018], new species. The four new species are added to, and integrated with, the preceding revision, and an updated key and phylogeny of Minyomerus [JF2018] are presented. A cladistic analysis using 52 morphological characters of 26 terminal taxa (5/21 outgroup/ingroup) yielded a single most-parsimonious cladogram (Length = 99 steps, consistency index = 60, retention index = 80). The analysis reaffirms the monophyly of Minyomerus [JF2018] with eight unreversed synapomorphies. The species-group placements, possible biogeographic origins, and natural history of the new species are discussed in detail