Subtribal classification of Metriorrhynchini (Insecta: Coleoptera: Lycidae): an integrative approach using molecular phylogeny and morphology of adults and larvae

The classification of Metriorrhynchini, the most diverse lineage of net-winged beetles (Lycidae) containing ~ 1400 species, is revised on the basis of three-marker molecular phylogeny of 175 ingroup taxa, and the adult and larval morphology. The study uses the molecular phylogeny for identification of major lineages and critically considers morphology when adult morphology and sparse information of immature stages alone did not provide enough information for building a robust classification. Reconstruction of the ancestral states of morphological characters on the phylogenetic tree recovered from DNA data presents evidence for multiple origins of the four-costae pattern on the elytra, shortened elytral costa 1, patterns of pronotal areolae and flabellate antennae. As a consequence, revised morphological delineations of the subtribes and genera are proposed: three major lineages are defined as Metriorrhynchina Kleine, 1926, Metanoeina subtrib. nov. and Cautirina subtrib. nov. The subtribes Trichalina Kleine, 1928 and Hemiconderina Bocak & Bocakova, 1990 are synonymized with Metriorrhynchina Kleine, 1926. Metanoeina are studied in detail and three genera are placed in the subtribe: Metanoeus Waterhouse, 1879, Xylometanoeus gen. nov., and Matsudanoeus gen. nov., with Xylometanoeus japonicus (Bourgeois, 1902) comb. nov. and Matsudanoeus yuasai (Nakane, 1969), comb. nov. as type species, respectively. Xylobanus basivittatus Nakane, 1970 is transferred to Xylometanoeus. The concepts of genera Cautires and Xylobanus are based on male and female genitalia. Additionally, the molecular hypothesis is supported by morphology of larvae, when newly proposed Cautirina are characterized by entire tergites in contrast to the longitudinally divided mesoand metathoracic tergites of Metanoeina and Metriorrhynchina. Larval characters support the placement of Xylometanoeus in Metanoeina and the close relationships of Matsudanoeus and Metanoeus. The simultaneous consideration of DNA-based phylogeny and morphology of adults and larvae rejects taxa based on diagnostically usable but strongly homoplastic characters and provides a framework for a robust classification of Metriorrhynchini

Molecular phylogeny of Metanoeina net-winged beetles identifies Ochinoeus, a new genus from China and Laos (Coleoptera: Lycidae)

Kubecek, Vaclav, Bray, Timothy C., Bocak, Ladislav (2015): Molecular phylogeny of Metanoeina net-winged beetles identifies Ochinoeus, a new genus from China and Laos (Coleoptera: Lycidae). Zootaxa 3955 (1): 113-122, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3955.1.

Subtribal classification of Metriorrhynchini (Insecta: Coleoptera: Lycidae): an integrative approach using molecular phylogeny and morphology of adults and larvae

The classification of Metriorrhynchini, the most diverse lineage of net-winged beetles (Lycidae) containing ~ 1400 species, is revised on the basis of three-marker molecular phylogeny of 175 ingroup taxa, and the adult and larval morphology. The study uses the molecular phylogeny for identification of major lineages and critically considers morphology when adult morphology and sparse information of immature stages alone did not provide enough information for building a robust classification. Reconstruction of the ancestral states of morphological characters on the phylogenetic tree recovered from DNA data presents evidence for multiple origins of the four-costae pattern on the elytra, shortened elytral costa 1, patterns of pronotal areolae and flabellate antennae. As a consequence, revised morphological delineations of the subtribes and genera are proposed: three major lineages are defined as Metriorrhynchina Kleine, 1926, Metanoeina subtrib. nov. and Cautirina subtrib. nov. The subtribes Trichalina Kleine, 1928 and Hemiconderina Bocak & Bocakova, 1990 are synonymized with Metriorrhynchina Kleine, 1926. Metanoeina are studied in detail and three genera are placed in the subtribe: Metanoeus Waterhouse, 1879, Xylometanoeus gen. nov., and Matsudanoeus gen. nov., with Xylometanoeus japonicus (Bourgeois, 1902) comb. nov. and Matsudanoeus yuasai (Nakane, 1969), comb. nov. as type species, respectively. Xylobanus basivittatus Nakane, 1970 is transferred to Xylometanoeus. The concepts of genera Cautires and Xylobanus are based on male and female genitalia. Additionally, the molecular hypothesis is supported by morphology of larvae, when newly proposed Cautirina are characterized by entire tergites in contrast to the longitudinally divided mesoand metathoracic tergites of Metanoeina and Metriorrhynchina. Larval characters support the placement of Xylometanoeus in Metanoeina and the close relationships of Matsudanoeus and Metanoeus. The simultaneous consideration of DNA-based phylogeny and morphology of adults and larvae rejects taxa based on diagnostically usable but strongly homoplastic characters and provides a framework for a robust classification of Metriorrhynchini

Generation of extended pulse trains of minimum duration by passive negative feedback applied to solid-state Q-switched lasers

Intracavity self-focusing in a thin two-photon absorber acts, in combination with pinholes, as an efficient power and energy limiter in flashlamp (pulsed) and arc lamp (CW) pumped actively passively mode-locked crystalline Nd-doped lasers. Power limiting by the intracavity two-photon absorber is exploited to create the condition for optimum pulse compression in the saturable absorber. Additional pulse shortening is due to the elimination of the pulse tail by self-defocusing in the nonlinear crystal. Extracavity and intracavity measurements, as well as three-dimensional computer simulations, give a complete understanding of the pulse evolution in the cavity, including the two mechanisms of pulse shaping and compression. In conjunction with the stabilization mechanism (energy limiting), the pulse train is stretched up to several \u3bcs

The dynamics of telomere length in primary and metastatic colorectal cancer lesions

Abstract Telomeric sequences, the structures comprised of hexanucleotide repeats and associated proteins, play a pivotal role in chromosome end protection and preservation of genomic stability. Herein we address telomere length (TL) dynamics in primary colorectal cancer (CRC) tumour tissues and corresponding liver metastases. TL was measured by multiplex monochrome real-time qPCR in paired samples of primary tumours and liver metastases along with non-cancerous reference tissues obtained from 51 patients diagnosed with metastatic CRC. Telomere shortening was observed in the majority of primary tumour tissues compared to non-cancerous mucosa (84.1%, p < 0.0001). Tumours located within the proximal colon had shorter TL than those in the rectum (p < 0.05). TL in liver metastases was not significantly different from that in primary tumours (p = 0.41). TL in metastatic tissue was shorter in the patients diagnosed with metachronous liver metastases than in those diagnosed with synchronous liver metastases (p = 0.03). The metastatic liver lesions size correlated with the TL in metastases (p < 0.05). Following the neoadjuvant treatment, the patients with rectal cancer had shortened telomeres in tumour tissue than prior to the therapy (p = 0.01). Patients with a TL ratio between tumour tissue and the adjacent non-cancerous mucosa of ≥ 0.387 were associated with increased overall survival (p = 0.01). This study provides insights into TL dynamics during progression of the disease. The results show TL differences in metastatic lesions and may help in clinical practice to predict the patient’s prognosis