New Early Cretaceous weevil taxa from Spain (Coleoptera, Curculionoidea)

New genera Distenorrhinoides (type species D. simulator n.sp.) and Microbrenthorrhinus (type species M. martinezi n.sp.) (Nemonychidae, Brenthorrhininae) are described as well as the new species Brenthorrhinoides lacasai (Nemponychidae), Gobicar hispanicus and Cretonanophyes rugosithorax ( Eccoptarthridae)

New Early Cretaceous weevil taxa from Spain (Coleoptera, Curculionoidea)

New genera Distenorrhinoides (type species D. simulator n.sp.) and Microbrenthorrhinus (type species M. martinezi n.sp.) (Nemonychidae, Brenthorrhininae) are described as well as the new species Brenthorrhinoides lacasai (Nemponychidae), Gobicar hispanicus and Cretonanophyes rugosithorax ( Eccoptarthridae).New genera Distenorrhinoides (type species D. simulator n.sp.) and Microbrenthorrhinus (type species M. martinezi n.sp.) (Nemonychidae, Brenthorrhininae) are described as well as the new species Brenthorrhinoides lacasai (Nemponychidae), Gobicar hispanicus and Cretonanophyes rugosithorax ( Eccoptarthridae)

Evolution of host plant use and diversification in a species complex of parasitic weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) represent one of the most diverse groups of organisms on Earth; interactions with their host plants have been recognized to play a central role in their remarkable diversity, yet the exact mechanisms and factors still remain poorly understood. Using phylogenetic comparative analyses, here we investigate the evolution of host use and its possible role in diversification processes of Rhinusa and Gymnetron, two closely related groups of weevils that feed and develop inside plant tissues of hosts within the families Scrophulariaceae and Plantaginaceae. We found strong evidence for phylogenetic conservatism of host use at the plant family level, most likely due to substantial differences in the chemical composition of hosts, reducing the probability of shifts between host families. In contrast, the use of different plant organs represents a more labile ecological trait and ecological niche expansion that allows a finer partitioning of resources. Rhinusa and Gymnetron weevils initially specialized on plants within Scrophulariaceae and then shifted to the closely related Plantaginaceae; likewise, a gall inducing behavior evolved from non-galler weevils, possibly in response to resource competition, as galls facilitate larval development by providing enhanced nutrition and a favorable microhabitat. Results from trait-dependent diversification analyses suggest that both use of hosts within Plantaginaceae and parasitism on fruits and seed capsules are associated with enhanced diversification of Rhinusa and Gymnetron via low extinction rates. Our study provides quantitative evidence and insights on the ecological factors that can promote diversification in phytophagous insects that feed and develop inside plant tissues

Changes to the Fossil Record of Insects through Fifteen Years of Discovery

The first and last occurrences of hexapod families in the fossil record are compiled from publications up to end-2009. The major features of these data are compared with those of previous datasets (1993 and 1994). About a third of families (>400) are new to the fossil record since 1994, over half of the earlier, existing families have experienced changes in their known stratigraphic range and only about ten percent have unchanged ranges. Despite these significant additions to knowledge, the broad pattern of described richness through time remains similar, with described richness increasing steadily through geological history and a shift in dominant taxa, from Palaeoptera and Polyneoptera to Paraneoptera and Holometabola, after the Palaeozoic. However, after detrending, described richness is not well correlated with the earlier datasets, indicating significant changes in shorter-term patterns. There is reduced Palaeozoic richness, peaking at a different time, and a less pronounced Permian decline. A pronounced Triassic peak and decline is shown, and the plateau from the mid Early Cretaceous to the end of the period remains, albeit at substantially higher richness compared to earlier datasets. Origination and extinction rates are broadly similar to before, with a broad decline in both through time but episodic peaks, including end-Permian turnover. Origination more consistently exceeds extinction compared to previous datasets and exceptions are mainly in the Palaeozoic. These changes suggest that some inferences about causal mechanisms in insect macroevolution are likely to differ as well