Reconstructing the nonadaptive radiation of an ancient lineage of ground‐dwelling stick insects (Phasmatodea: Heteropterygidae)

Stick and leaf insects (Phasmatodea) are large terrestrial herbivorous arthropods known for masquerading as plant parts such as bark, twigs and leaves. Their evolutionary history is largely shaped by convergent evolution associated with adaptive radiations on geographically isolated landmasses that have repeatedly generated ground-dwelling ecomorphs. The members of one lineage, however, the Oriental Heteropterygidae, are morphologically rather uniform, and have a predominantly ground-dwelling lifestyle. The phylogeny of Heteropterygidae that comprises approximately 130 described species is controversial and remains uncertain. In particular, the systematic position of the giant Jungle Nymph Heteropteryx dilatata, whose males are capable of flight and exhibit the most plesiomorphic wing morphology among extant phasmatodeans, is of major interest to the scientific community. Here, we analysed a set of seven nuclear and mitochondrial genes to infer the phylogeny of Heteropterygidae covering the group's overall diversity. The divergence time estimation and reconstruction of the historical biogeography resulted in an ancestral distribution across Sundaland with long distance dispersal events to Wallacea, the Philippines and the South Pacific. We were able to resolve the relationships among the three principal subgroups of Heteropterygidae and revealed the Dataminae, which contain entirely wingless small forms, as the sister group of Heteropteryginae + Obriminae. Within Heteropteryginae, Haaniella is recovered as paraphyletic in regard to Heteropteryx. Consequently, Heteropteryx must be considered a subordinate taxon deeply embedded within a flightless clade of stick insects. Within Obriminae, the Bornean Hoploclonia is strongly supported as the earliest diverging lineage. Based on this finding, we recognize only two tribes of equal rank among Obriminae, the Hoplocloniini trib. nov. and Obrimini sensu nov. Within the latter, we demonstrate that previous tribal assignments do not reflect phylogenetic relationships and that a basal splitting event occurred between the wing-bearing clade Miroceramia + Pterobrimus and the remaining wingless Obrimini. The Philippine genus Tisamenus is paraphyletic with regard to Ilocano hebardi, thus, we transfer the latter species to Tisamenus as Tisamenus hebardi comb. nov. and synonymize Ilocano with Tisamenus. We discuss character transformations in the light of the new phylogenetic results and conclude that the current taxonomic diversity appears to be mainly driven by allopatry and not to be the result of niche differentiation. This radiation is thus best described as a nonadaptive radiation

The 1975-76 Drought - a contemporary and retrospective review

The 1975-76 drought is the most severe experienced in the UK during the period for which instrumented records are available. This report comprises a contemporary and comprehensive review of the drought and its wide range of impacts together with a retrospective analysis, undertaken in 2010. The latter, benefitting in particular from an additional 35 years of river flow data, confirms the outstanding nature of the 1975-76 drought

Pretoriana, no. 019, April 1956

Editorial -- Jaarverslag=Annual report -- Die Rustenburgse Kruger-standbeeld / H.M. Rex -- Memories III / T.J. Rodd

Pretoriana, no. 021, Oct. 1956

Time marches on -- Van Elandslaagte na St. Helena / J. Ploeger -- Pretorianers van weleer / W.J. de Kock -- Memories V / by Mrs T.J. Rodda -- 'n Geskiedkundige skets van die Mount Holyoke Seminary / J. Ploeger -- Nog 'n keer die spotprente in die Staatsmodelskoo

Pretoriana, no. 18, Dec. 1955

Die Eeufeesjaar is verby / W. Punt -- Albert Brodrick : winkelier en digter van ou-Pretoria /H.M. Rex -- Memories II / by Mrs T.J. Rodda -- Wie was hulle? -- Kleinenberg en Kleynenberg

Pretoriana, no. 020, Jul 1956

Wyle Mnr. Just de Loor -- Sir Winston does not remember / C.J. Beanes -- Tekeninge wat verdwyn het / J. Ploeger -- Memories IV / by Mrs T.J. Rodda -- Enige herinneringe van tant Malie Postma / R. Peacock -- Oudste skool moet monument word -- Geldverduistering op Barberton -- 'n Besondere onderskeidin

The effective management of national hydrometric data: experiences from the United Kingdom

Access to hydrometric information underpins many areas of effective water management. This paper explores the operational practices of one National Hydrological Information Service, the UK National River Flow Archive, in collating, managing and providing access to river flow data. An information lifecycle approach to hydrometric data management is advocated, with the paper detailing current UK procedures in the areas of: monitoring network design and development; data sensing and recording; validation and archival; synthesis and analysis and, data dissemination. The methods and policies outlined in this paper are widely transferable to other hydrological data archives around the world