Fitness benefits of the fruit fly <i>Rhagoletis alternata</i> on a non-native rose host

Many species have been introduced worldwide into areas outside their natural range. Often these non-native species are introduced without their natural enemies, which sometimes leads to uncontrolled population growth. It is rarely reported that an introduced species provides a new resource for a native species. The rose hips of the Japanese rose, Rosa rugosa, which has been introduced in large parts of Europe, are infested by the native monophagous tephritid fruit fly Rhagoletis alternata. We studied differences in fitness benefits between R. alternata larvae using R. rugosa as well as native Rosa species in the Netherlands. R. alternata pupae were larger and heavier when the larvae fed on rose hips of R. rugosa. Larvae feeding on R. rugosa were parasitized less frequently by parasitic wasps than were larvae feeding on native roses. The differences in parasitization are probably due to morphological differences between the native and non-native rose hips: the hypanthium of a R. rugosa hip is thicker and provides the larvae with the possibility to feed deeper into the hip, meaning that the parasitoids cannot reach them with their ovipositor and the larvae escape parasitization. Our study shows that native species switching to a novel non-native host can experience fitness benefits compared to the original native host

Phylogeography of Bornean land snails suggests long-distance dispersal as a cause of endemism

Aim: Islands are often hotspots of endemism due to their isolation, making colonization a rare event, and hence facilitating allopatric speciation. Dispersal usually occurs between nearby locations according to a stepping-stone model. We aimed to reconstruct colonization and speciation processes in an endemic-rich system of land-based islands that does not seem to follow the obvious stepping-stone model of dispersal. Location: Five land-based habitat archipelagos of limestone outcrops in the floodplain of the Kinabatangan River in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Methods: We studied the phylogeography of three species complexes of endemic land snails, using multiple genetic markers. We calculated genetic distances between populations, applied BEAST2 to reconstruct phylogenies for each taxon, and subsequently reconstructed ancestral ranges using ‘BIOGEOBEARS’. Results: We found spatial genetic structure among nearby locations to be highly pronounced for each taxon. Genetic correlation was present at small spatial scales only, and disappeared at distances of five kilometres and above. Most archipelagos have been colonized from within the region multiple times over the past three million years, in 78% of cases as a result of long-distance dispersal or dispersal from non-adjacent limestone outcrops. The flow of the main geographical feature within the region, the Kinabatangan River, did not play a role. Main conclusions: Phylogeographic structure in these Bornean land snails has only partly been determined by small-scale dispersal, where it leads to isolation-by-distance, but mostly by long-distance dispersal. Our results demonstrate that island endemic taxa only very locally follow a simple stepping-stone model, whilst dispersal to non-adjacent islands, and especially long-distance dispersal, is most important. This leads to the formation of highly localized, isolated “endemic populations” forming the onset of a complex radiation of endemic species

A molecular and conchological dissection of the "scaly" <i>Georissa</i> of Malaysian Borneo (Gastropoda, Neritimorpha, Hydrocenidae)

The Bornean hydrocenids have so far been understudied compared to other non-pulmonate snails in this region. In the present study, we review a first group of minute land snail species belonging to the genus Georissa (Gastropoda, Hydrocenidae) from Malaysian Borneo. This group is restricted to the species with conspicuous scale-like sculpture on the shell. Based on materials from recent fieldwork, museums, and personal collections, Malaysian Borneo hydrocenids are more complex and diverse in shell characters than previously anticipated. Here, a molecular, conchological, and biogeographic study of this "scaly group" is presented. We recognise 13 species of which six are new to science, namely Georissa anyiensis sp. n., Georissa muluensis sp. n., Georissa bauensis sp. n., Georissa silaburensis sp. n., Georissa kinabatanganensis sp. n., and Georissa sepulutensis sp. n

A review of the Cholevinae from the island of Borneo (Coleoptera, Leiodidae)

The available knowledge of the round fungus beetle subfamily Cholevinae (Leiodidae) from the island of Borneo is reviewed, and the results of newly studied material presented. The currently known 30 species (of which 14 are newly described herein) represent the genera Micronemadus (one species), Catops (one species), Baryodirus (one species), Ptomaphaginus (14 species), and Ptomaphaminus (13 species). The following new species are described: Micronemadus sondaicus Schilthuizen &amp;amp; Perreau, sp. n., Ptomaphaginus grandis Schilthuizen &amp;amp; Perreau, sp. n., P. louis Schilthuizen &amp;amp; Perreau, sp. n., P. muluensis Schilthuizen &amp;amp; Perreau, sp. n., and P. isabellarossellini Schilthuizen, Njunjić &amp;amp; Perreau, sp. n., and Ptomaphaminus kinabatanganensis Njunjić, Schilthuizen &amp;amp; Perreau, sp. n., P. testaceus Schilthuizen &amp;amp; Perreau, sp. n., P. nanus Schilthuizen &amp;amp; Perreau, sp. n., P. marshalli Schilthuizen &amp;amp; Perreau, sp. n., P. hanskii Schilthuizen &amp;amp; Perreau, sp. n., P. sarawacensis Schilthuizen &amp;amp; Perreau, sp. n., P. layangensis Schilthuizen &amp;amp; Perreau, sp. n., P. microphallus Schilthuizen &amp;amp; Perreau, sp. n., and P. alabensis Schilthuizen &amp;amp; Perreau, sp. n. It is expected that the cholevine biodiversity of Borneo is still far from completely known. Nonetheless, provisional identification keys to all species known so far are presented

Conchological and molecular analysis of the "non-scaly" Bornean <i>Georissa</i> with descriptions of three new species (Gastropoda, Neritimorpha, Hydrocenidae)

The Bornean representatives of the genus Georissa (Hydrocenidae) have small, dextral, conical, calcareous shells consisting of ca. three teleoconch whorls. Our recent study on the Georissa of Malaysian Borneo has revealed high intra- and inter-specific variation in the "scaly" group (a group of species with striking scale-like surface sculpture). The present study on the "non-scaly" Georissa is the continuation of the species revision for the genus. The "non-scaly" species are also diverse in shell sculptures. This informal group comprises Georissa with subtle spiral and/or radial sculpture. The combination of detailed conchological usessment and molecular analyses provides clear distinctions for each of the species. Conchological, molecular, and biogeographic details are presented for 16 species of "non-scaly" Georissa. Three of these are new to science, namely Georissa corrugata sp. n., Georissa insulae sp. n., and Georissa trusmadi sp. n.</p

Species identification skills predict in-depth knowledge about species

To raise biodiversity awareness effectively, communicators should be aware of knowledge levels in their audiences. Species identification skills have been used in the past as a measure of what people know about species, yet it is not known whether they serve as good indicators. To study the link between species identification and in-depth species knowledge, we presented an animal knowledge test to an online audience of over 7,000 Dutch adults, and used correlation and regression analyses to determine the extent to which species identification predicts in-depth knowledge about species’ origin, habitat, diet, and behavior. We found that in-depth knowledge was higher in those who correctly identified species as compared with those who did not correctly identify species, for all four types of in-depth knowledge. Moreover, as compared to alternative variables (work, age, gender, and educational level), species identification was by far the best predictor for in-depth knowledge about species. However, species identification levels were generally higher than levels of in-depth knowledge, and knowledge gaps and misconceptions were uncovered. The results confirm the value of species identification tests, but also highlight limitations and challenges that should be taken into account when establishing knowledge levels and communicating biodiversity

Candidate genes for shell colour polymorphism in [i]Cepaea nemoralis[i]

The characteristic ground colour and banding patterns on shells of the land snail Cepaea nemoralis form a classic study system for genetics and adaptation. We use RNAseq analysis to identify candidate genes underlying this polymorphism. We sequenced cDNA from the body and the mantle (the shell-producing tissue) of four individuals of two phenotypes and produced a de novo transcriptome of 147,397 contigs. Differential expression analysis identified a set of 1,961 transcripts that were upregulated in mantle tissue. Sequence variant analysis resulted in a set of 2,592 transcripts with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that differed consistently between the phenotypes. Combining these results yielded a set of 197 candidate transcripts, of which 38 were annotated. Four of these transcripts are involved in production of the shell&apos;s nacreous layer. Comparison with morph-associated RAD-tags from a published study yielded seven transcripts that were annotated as metallothionein, a protein that is thought to inhibit the production of melanin in melanocytes. These results thus provide an excellent starting point for the elucidation of the genetic regulation of the Cepaea nemoralis shell colou