Status assessment survey for springtails (Collembola) in Illinois caves: the Salem Plateau

unpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Distribution and genetic variability of Staphylinidae across a gradient of anthropogenically influenced insular landscapes

This paper describes the distribution and genetic variability of rove beetles (Coleoptera Staphylinidae) in anthropogenically influenced insular landscapes. The study was conducted in the Azores archipelago, characterized by high anthropogenic influence and landscape fragmentation. Collections were made in five islands, from eight habitats, along a gradient of anthropogenic influence. The species of Staphylinidae from the Azores collected for this study were widely distributed and showed low habitat fidelity. Rove beetle richness was associated with anthropogenic influence and habitat type, increasing from less to more anthropogenic impacted habitats. However, genetic diversity of profiled species (i.e. with three or more specimens per species/habitat) does not seem affected by anthropogenic influence in the different habitat types, isolation or landscape fragmentation. COI haplotypes were, as a rule, not exclusive to a given island or habitat. High level of genetic divergence and nucleotide saturation was found in closely related morphological designated species, demonstrating possible disparities between currently defined taxonomic units based on morphology and molecular phylogenies of Staphylinidae. This study found evidence of cryptic speciation in the Atheta fungi (Gravenhorst) species complex which had thus far remained undetected. Similar trends were found for Oligota parva Kraatz, Oxytelus sculptus Gravenhorst, Oligota pumilio Kiesenwetter. Previous studies with lower taxonomical resolution may have underestimated the biotic diversity reported in the Azores in comparison to other Macaronesian archipelagos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparative analysis of the dorsal chaetotaxy of Troglopedetes, Trogolaphysa, and Campylothorax supports the synonymization of tribes paronellini and troglopedetini (Collembola: Paronellidae)

Genera in subfamily Paronellinae have been grouped into five tribes, in part based on chaetotaxy. Tribes Bromacanthini, Paronellini, and Troglopedetini are characterized by having rounded scales and reduced or no macrochaetae, and although Bromacanthini harbors two well-differentiated genera, the core genera in tribes Paronellini and Troglopedetini form a homogeneous group where even generic diagnoses were, until recently, unclear. The genera assigned to Troglopedetini (Troglopedetes Absolon, Trogolaphysa Mills, and Cyphoderopsis Carpenter) harbor many species with reduced eyes number, whereas the tribe Paronellini (genera Paronella Schött, Dicranocentruga Wray and Campylothorax Schött) includes species with 6-8 eyes. Recent analyses of the chaetotaxy of Trogolaphysa and Cyphoderopsis suggest that these genera represent specialized forms related to species in Paronellini. The taxonomy of Troglopedetes, the type genus of Troglopedetini, is based almost exclusively on claw and mucro shape and dorsal macrochaetae pattern, and few details of the complete dorsal chaetotaxy of the species are known. This contribution presents a comparative analysis of the complete dorsal chaetotaxy of two species of Troglopedetes from Spain (one new to science), two new species of Trogolaphysa from the Dominican Republic and Martinique, and Campylothorax sabanus with the purpose of identifying aspects of the chaetotaxy that could provide diagnostic characters for the separation of Trogolaphysa and Troglopedetes, and a new diagnosis for tribe Troglopedetini. The analysis shows that neither the number of chaetae nor its organization or pattern of macrochaeta provides diagnostic differences between Trogolaphysa and Troglopedetes. It is also concluded that the separation of Paronellini and Troglopedetini is not justified. Troglopedetini is here synonymized with Paronellini, and a new diagnosis of Paronellini is provided

A bioinventory of select terrestrial insects at Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Nature Preserve (Will County, Illinois)

We conducted an inventory of select terrestrial insect groups at Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Nature Preserve in 2011 and 2012. A total of 823 unique species, representing 19 orders of Hexapods, were recorded using a variety of sampling methods (including: light trapping, pitfall trapping, sweep net, vacuum sample, litter sample, soil core, wine rope, visual transect). Intensive studies focused on springtails (Collembola), grasshoppers, crickets and katydids (Orthoptera), true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), leafhoppers and kin (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha), ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and butterflies and macromoths (Lepidoptera). We estimate that our records comprise around 11% of the total fauna of Hexapoda that occur at this 315--‐acre site. We evaluated sampling completeness for each group and compared, richness, diversity and evenness across habitat types. Special attention was focused on midwestern remnant dependent species, conservative prairie and savanna insects of the Chicago Wilderness region, and species that appear on Illinois' list of species in greatest need of conservation. We provide the Forest Preserve District of Will County with management recommendations relating to the terrestrial for this site, as well as a large collection of images covering many of the species we encountered. Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Nature Preserve contains a variety of rare and understudied species, some of which have only infrequently been encountered. These animals play a Cover photo: Papaipema speciosissima (Noctuidae), the Osmunda Borer Moth 3 wide variety of roles within the ecosystem and various habitats, and warrant special consideration and appreciation not only by land managers but also by the members of the public with an interest in the natural world.unpublishednot peer reviewe

Fully automated sequence alignment methods are comparable to, and much faster than, traditional methods in large data sets: an example with hepatitis B virus

Aligning sequences for phylogenetic analysis (multiple sequence alignment; MSA) is an important, but increasingly computationally expensive step with the recent surge in DNA sequence data. Much of this sequence data is publicly available, but can be extremely fragmentary (i.e., a combination of full genomes and genomic fragments), which can compound the computational issues related to MSA. Traditionally, alignments are produced with automated algorithms and then checked and/or corrected “by eye” prior to phylogenetic inference. However, this manual curation is inefficient at the data scales required of modern phylogenetics and results in alignments that are not reproducible. Recently, methods have been developed for fully automating alignments of large data sets, but it is unclear if these methods produce alignments that result in compatible phylogenies when compared to more traditional alignment approaches that combined automated and manual methods. Here we use approximately 33,000 publicly available sequences from the hepatitis B virus (HBV), a globally distributed and rapidly evolving virus, to compare different alignment approaches. Using one data set comprised exclusively of whole genomes and a second that also included sequence fragments, we compared three MSA methods: (1) a purely automated approach using traditional software, (2) an automated approach including by eye manual editing, and (3) more recent fully automated approaches. To understand how these methods affect phylogenetic results, we compared resulting tree topologies based on these different alignment methods using multiple metrics. We further determined if the monophyly of existing HBV genotypes was supported in phylogenies estimated from each alignment type and under different statistical support thresholds. Traditional and fully automated alignments produced similar HBV phylogenies. Although there was variability between branch support thresholds, allowing lower support thresholds tended to result in more differences among trees. Therefore, differences between the trees could be best explained by phylogenetic uncertainty unrelated to the MSA method used. Nevertheless, automated alignment approaches did not require human intervention and were therefore considerably less time-intensive than traditional approaches. Because of this, we conclude that fully automated algorithms for MSA are fully compatible with older methods even in extremely difficult to align data sets. Additionally, we found that most HBV diagnostic genotypes did not correspond to evolutionarily-sound groups, regardless of alignment type and support threshold. This suggests there may be errors in genotype classification in the database or that HBV genotypes may need a revision

FIGURE 7 in The dorsal chaetotaxy of first instar Trogolaphysa jataca, with description of twelve new species of Neotropical Trogolaphysa (Hexapoda: Collembola: Paronellidae)

FIGURE 7. Trogolaphysa dimorphica sp. nov. A, Dorsal chaetotaxy of head, EOS is the external expression of the 'extra ocular structure'; B, Chaetotaxy of thorax 2–3, insets show variation in mesothoracic macrochaetae number, and organization of inner metathoracic chaetae; C, Dorsal chaetotaxy of abdomen 4 in adult female; D, Dorsal chaetotaxy of abdomen 4 in adult male; E, Female hind claw complex; F, Male hind claw complex; G, Mucro.Published as part of Soto-Adames, Felipe N., 2015, The dorsal chaetotaxy of first instar Trogolaphysa jataca, with description of twelve new species of Neotropical Trogolaphysa (Hexapoda: Collembola: Paronellidae), pp. 1-41 in Zootaxa 4032 (1) on page 15, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4032.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/28974

Legado de Juan A. Torres al conocimiento entomológico en Puerto Rico

Juan Torres was a naturalist. His scientific contributions to entomological themes include studies on Lepidoptera, Isoptera and Hymenoptera, and cover the fields of systematics, biochemistry, blogeography and ecology. From his writings, however, It is clear that his major passion was natural history, particularly the study of ant natural history. His early research on the ecology of ant communities in Puerto Rico set the tone for what would become a lifetime dedicated to elucidating the factors that contribute to the establishment and persistence of ant communities on the Island. His studies on systematics were driven, in part, by a need to clarify the composition of the communities observed. His studies on biochemistry provided the first evidence that alkaloids in the skin of dendrobatid frogs are sequestered from the ants they prey upon. His works on natural history were synthesized in the evaluation of the Theory of Island Biogeography applied to the Bank of Puerto Rico. Also, Torres summarized, in separate publications, knowledge of the Luquillo Sierra Insects and the effects of hurricanes and cyclones on the distribution of Insects In Puerto Rico. The importance of several studies by Torres is evident by the number of researchers who cite his work. His research on ant colonies, published 33 years ago, has been cited more than 100 times, between 8 and 11 times just in the last year. The recent increase in the number of citations suggests that these works are reaching classic status. Due to his unexpected passing, at least one potentially important work, his treatment of the ants of Puerto Rico, was never published. We trust that students will look back at Juan Torres' entomological contributions as a source of inspiration leading to innovative research on the entomofauna of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.Juan Torres fue un naturalista. Sus contribuciones científicas sobre temas entomológicos incluyen estudios sobre Lepidoptera, Isoptera e Hymenoptera, y cubren los campos de sistemática, bioquímica, biogeografía y ecología. Sin embargo, queda claro a partir de sus escritos, que su mayor pasión era el estudio de la historia natural, particularmente la historia natural de las hormigas. Sus primeros estudios sobre la ecología de comunidades en Puerto Rico sentaron la pauta para lo que sería una vida de dedicación a esclarecer los factores que contribuyen al establecimiento y persistencia de las comunidades de hormigas en la isla. Los estudios sobre sistemática se hicieron necesarios para esclarecer la composición de las comunidades bajo investigación. Los estudios sobre bioquímica brindaron la primera evidencia de que los alcaloides en la piel de ranas dendrobátidas son secuestrados de las hormigas que les sirven de alimento. Los trabajos sobre historia natural fueron sintetizados en la evaluación de la teoría de biogeografía insular aplicada al Banco de Puerto Rico. Además, resumió, en publicaciones separadas, el conocimiento sobre los insectos de la Sierra de Luquillo y los efectos de huracanes y ciclones en general sobre la distribución de insectos en Puerto Rico. La importancia de varios de los trabajos de Torres se evidencia en el patrón de citas por otros investigadores. Sus contribuciones sobre comunidades de hormigas, publicadas hace 33 años, tienen más de 100 citas, 8 a 11 de ellas en el último año. El incremento reciente en el número de citas sugiere que estos trabajos van alcanzando el estatus de clásicos. Por lo menos una publicación de importancia, su tratamiento de las hormigas de Puerto Rico, nunca vio la luz debido a su inesperado deceso. Confiamos que nuevos estudiantes de la entomología puertorriqueña evalúen la obra de Juan Torres y sean inspirados por ella a trazar nuevos surcos

A molecular phylogeny of the families and orders of Collembola (Arthropoda: Hexapoda) using the 18S rDNA gene

In this study I investigate the phylogenetic relationships of the families and orders of Collembola, with special reference to six groups that traditionally have been problematic, or that have become problematic with the implementation of the cladistic philosophy to the systematics of the group. Some authors have questioned the monophyly of the order Poduromorpha, as well as the supraordinal categories Arthropleona and Symphypleona (s.l.). In addition the specific phylogenetic affinities of Poduridae, Actaletidae, and Tomoceridae are unresolved.To try to clarify these relationships I sequenced the complete 18S rDNA gene from 21 species of Collembola representing all four orders and 10 of the 13 families commonly recognized. I also sequenced the 18S gene from a jumping bristletail (Microcoryphia: Machillidae), and the house centipede (Chillopoda: Scutigeromorpha). The sequences from these last two species and the sequences from the brine shrimp, Artemia salina, and the beetle Tenebrio molitor, (obtained from Genbank) were used as outgroup in the phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using parsimony and distance (Neighbor-Joining) methods. For the parsimony analysis the data set was subdivided into eight subsets, following suggestions by Smith (1994).Only four taxa were supported by all parsimony analyses. I have attributed the failure of 18S to support the monophyly of groups well supported by morphological characters to differences in rates of evolution among lineages, and to low stemminess in the most parsimonious trees, presumably resulting from bursts of radiation in relatively short periods of time. Implementation of the suggestions of Smith (1994) give an indication of the relative strength of specific nodes but can result in contradictory hypotheses of relationships. In the Neighbor-Joining analyses choice of outgroup did not affect the topology of the tree, but it did affect support for some nodes as measured by bootstrap analysis.The monophyly of Poduromorpha was supported by all analyses. Support for a monophyletic Arthropleona was ambiguous and cannot be resolved at this time. A monophyletic Symphypleona (s.l.) was never supported. The placement of Poduridae in Poduromorpha was always supported, but its affinities within the order could not be unambiguously resolved. All of the iconoclastic propositions of the phylogenetic affinities of Actaletidae were rejected, but the question remains of whether this family is the sister group of Isotomidae or basal to all other Entomobryomorpha. The proper placement of Tomoceridae could not be resolved because in most analyses this taxon clustered with different groups.U of I OnlyETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissio

FIGURES 34–42. All figures show left aspect. 34 in Review of the New World species of Salina (Collembola: Paronellidae) with bidentate mucro, including a key to all New World members of Salina

FIGURES 34–42. All figures show left aspect. 34. Salina trilobata (after Schött 1896), 35. S. mulcahyae, Abd. 2; 36. S. banski, Th. 2; 37. S. decorata (after Mills 1932); 38. S. tristani, Th. 2; 39. S. dedoris/hermana, Th. 2; 40. S. dedoris (after Mari Mutt 1987a); 41. S. hermana (after Mari Mutt 1987a); 42. S. beta (after Christiansen & Bellinger 1980)