Old lineage on an old island : Pixibinthus, a new cricket genus endemic to New Caledonia shed light on gryllid diversification in a hotspot of biodiversity

Few studies have focused on the early colonization of New Caledonia by insects, after the re-emergence of the main island, 37 Myr ago. Here we investigate the mode and tempo of evolution of a new endemic cricket genus, Pixibinthus, recently discovered in southern New Caledonia. First we formally describe this new monotypic genus found exclusively in the open shrubby vegetation on metalliferous soils, named 'maquis minier', unique to New Caledonia. We then reconstruct a dated molecular phylogeny based on five mitochondrial and four nuclear loci in order to establish relationships of Pixibinthus within Eneopterinae crickets. Pixibinthus is recovered as thesister clade of the endemic genus Agnotecous, mostly rainforest-dwellers. Dating results show that the island colonization by their common ancestor occurred around 34.7 Myr, shortly after New Caledonia re-emergence. Pixibinthus and Agnotecous are then one of the oldest insect lineages documented so far for New Caledonia. This discovery highlights for the first time two clear-cut ecological specializations between sister clades, as Agnotecous is mainly found in rainforests with 19 species, whereas Pixibinthus is found in open habitats with a single documented species. The preference of Pixibinthus for open habitats and of Agnotecous for forest habitats nicely fits an acoustic specialization, either explained by differences in body size or in acoustic properties of their respective habitats. We hypothesize that landscape dynamics, linked to major past climatic events and recent change in fire regimes are possible causes for both present-day low diversity and rarity in genus Pixibinthus. The unique evolutionary history of this old New Caledonian lineage stresses the importance to increase our knowledge on the faunal biodiversity of 'maquis minier', in order to better understand the origin and past dynamics of New Caledonian biota

Ambulatory sleep-wake patterns and variability in young people with emerging mental disorders

Background: The nature of sleep-wake abnormalities in individuals with mental disorders remains unclear. The present study aimed to examine the differences in objective ambulatory measures of the sleep-wake and activity cycles across young people with anxiety, mood or psychotic disorders. Methods: Participants underwent several days of actigraphy monitoring. We divided participants into 5 groups (control, anxiety disorder, unipolar depression, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder) according to primary diagnosis. Results: We enrolled 342 participants aged 12-35 years in our study: 41 healthy controls, 56 with anxiety disorder, 135 with unipolar depression, 80 with bipolar disorder and 30 with psychotic disorders. Compared with the control group, sleep onset tended to occur later in the anxiety, depression and bipolar groups; sleep offset occurred later in all primary diagnosis groups; the sleep period was longer in the anxiety, bipolar and psychosis groups; total sleep time was longer in the psychosis group; and sleep efficiency was lower in the depression group, with a similar tendency for the anxiety and bipolar groups. Sleep parameters were significantly more variable in patient subgroups than in controls. Cosinor analysis revealed delayed circadian activity profiles in the anxiety and bipolar groups and abnormal circadian curve in the psychosis group. Limitations: Although statistical analyses controlled for age, the sample included individuals from preadolescence to adulthood. Most participants from the primary diagnosis subgroups were taking psychotropic medications, and a large proportion had other comorbid mental disorders. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that delayed and disorganized sleep offset times are common in young patients with various mental disorders. However, other sleep-wake cycle disturbances appear to be more prominent in broad diagnostic categories. © 2015 8872147 Canada Inc. or its licensors

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Mating and aggregative behaviors among basal hexapods in the Early Cretaceous

Among the many challenges in paleobiology is the inference and reconstruction of behaviors that rarely, if ever, leave a physical trace on the environment that is suitable for fossilization. Of particular significance are those behaviors tied to mating and courtship, individual interactions critical for species integrity and continuance, as well as those for dispersal, permitting the taxon to expand its distribution as well as access new habitats in the face of local or long-term environmental change. In this context, two recently discovered fossils from the Early Cretaceous amber of Spain (ca. 105 mya) give a detailed view of otherwise fleeting ethologies in Collembola. These occurrences are phylogenetically spaced across the class, and from species representing the two major clades of springtailsÐSymphypleona and Entomobryomorpha. Specifically, we report unique evidence from a symphypleonan male (Pseudosminthurides stoechus SaÂnchez-GarcõÂa & Engel, 2016) with modified antennae that may have functioned as a clasping organ for securing females during mating on water's surface, and from an aggregation of entomobryomorphan individuals (Proisotoma communis Sánchez-García & Engel, 2016) purportedly representing a swarming episode on the forest floor. We demonstrate that the mating behavioral repertoire in P. stoechus, which is associated with considerable morphological adaptations, likely implied elaborate courtship and maneuvering for guarantee sperm transfer in an epineustic species. These discoveries reveal significant behaviors consistent with modern counterparts and a generalized stasis for some ancient hexapod ethologies associated with complex mating and courtship and social or pre-social aggregations, so critical to specific constancy and dispersal

Cardiodactylus Saussure 1878

Genus Cardiodactylus Saussure, 1878 TYPE SPECIES. — Cardiodactylus novaeguineae (Haan, 1842). DIAGNOSIS. — Among Lebinthini genera, Cardiodactylus is characterised by its large size, long wings most often with whitish spots in both sexes, male FW venation (Wshaped harp veins, mirror incomplete generally elongated longitudinally), and male genitalia (pseudepiphallic dorso-lateral ridges, posterior apex of pseudepiphallus more or less spoon-like).Published as part of Robillard, Tony, 2014, Review and revision of the century-old types of Cardiodactylus crickets (Grylloidea, Eneopterinae, Lebinthini), pp. 101-125 in Zoosystema 36 (1) on page 104, DOI: 10.5252/z2014n1a7, http://zenodo.org/record/515914

Lebinthus Stal 1877

Genus Lebinthus Stål, 1877 <p> Type species: <i>Lebinthus bitaeniatus</i> Stål, 1877</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis.</b> Among Lebinthini genera, Lebinthus is more closely related to Agnotecous Saussure, 1878, to which it resembles by microptery and FW venation. It is characterised by its rather smaller size, microptery in both sexes (FW short and hind wings absent), and male FW venation with mirror almost not differentiated from apical field, dorsal field as long or longer than lateral field (it is shorter in <i>Agnotecous</i>), median fold short, triangular and located on dorsum.</p>Published as part of <i>Robillard, Tony, 2010, New species of the genus Lebinthus (Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Eneopterinae, Lebinthini) from Indonesia and the Solomon Islands, pp. 25-48 in Zootaxa 2386</i> on page 26, DOI: <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/193757">10.5281/zenodo.193757</a&gt

Lebinthus buruensis Robillard, 2010, n. sp.

<i>Lebinthus buruensis</i> n. sp. <p>(Figs 1 B, 3B, 4B, 5D–F, 6A, 7A, 8A–C)</p> <p> <b>Type material.</b> Holotype male: Indonesia: Province Maluku: [Pulau] Buru Is., Station 16, 20/ 2-X-1921, leg. L. J. Toxopeus (MZB Orth 1753). Allotype female: same locality as HT, Station 9, 28-VI-1921, leg. L. J. Toxopeus (MZB Orth 1853), (MNHN-ENSIF2365).</p> <p> <b>Type locality.</b> Indonesia, Pulau Buru Island.</p> <p> <b>Etymology.</b> Species named after the type locality of Buru Island, Indonesia.</p> <p> <b>Other material examined.</b> Indonesia: Province Maluku: [Pulau] Buru Is., Station 16, 20/ 2-X-1921, 1 Ƥ juvenile, leg. L. J. Toxopeus (MZB Orth 1846).</p> <p> <b>Distribution.</b> Indonesia, Pulau Buru Is.</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis.</b> Species of small size, with eyes small and little protruding, differing strikingly from other members of the genus by male genitalia.</p> <p> <b>Description.</b> Size small. Colouration brownish. Head dorsum yellowish brown with 6 wide dark brown longitudinal bands. Eyes little protruding. Fastigium wider than long, setose and slightly carenated posteriorly to yellow median ocellus. Scapes yellowish brown with faint dark patterns on facial side; antennae yellowish brown to dark brown. Cheeks dark brown posterior to eye, except ventral margin yellow (Fig. 3 B). Face, front head, mandibles, clypeus and area surrounding median ocellus dorsally black; ventral margins of eyes yellow; faint light brown patterns on epistomal suture, front head and clypeus. Palpi brown. Pronotum: Dorsal disk slightly trapezoidal, straight posteriorly; yellowish brown with dark brown spots, a faint dark brown band medially, lateral margins yellow, anterior and posterior margins with dark brown patterns. Lateral lobes black except a yellow spot on ventral margin (Fig. 3 B). Legs: fore and median femora yellowish brown with dark brown spots on dorsal surface, fore and median tibiae brown. Hind femora red brown mottled with yellow, with striated brown patterns on outer face, 3–5 black spots on each ventral edge; hind tibiae brown, distal half of tarsomeres III-1 dark brown. Hind tibiae with 4–5 inner (m = 4.5, n = 2) and 7–8 outer (m = 7.5, n = 2) spines above spurs and 3 inner (n = 2) and 5–6 outer (m = 5.5, n = 2) spines between spurs. Tarsomeres III-1 with 4 spines on dorsal outer edges (n = 2). Abdomen homogeneously dark brown. Cerci yellowish brown basally, then homogeneously brown.</p> <p> <b>Male:</b> FW setose, not reaching abdomen midlength (Fig. 1 B). FW colouration: Cells and veins homogeneously brown, not translucent. FW venation: Most veins very faint. 1A angle wide (>100°). CuP missing. Harp wide, almost flat, with no harp vein and without a distinctive rounded area. Proximal part of CuA very faint, distal part slightly curved inwards around the median fold. Diagonal vein prolonged posteriorly by a strong elevated vein fused to R. Longitudinal veins very strong at apex, transverse veins very weak or absent, except a faint but wide transverse vein posterior of the undifferentiated mirror (d1). Apical field restricted to 2 cells in E alignment. Lateral field homogeneously brown, except a translucent area on ventral margin; with 5 strong longitudinal veins including MA, R and 3 more ventral veins, the most ventral one bifurcated; latero-dorsal angle made by MP; R without strong bifurcating veins. Subgenital plate trapezoidal, slightly indented posteriorly (Fig. 4 B).</p> <p>Male genitalia (Fig. 5 G–I): Pseudepiphallic sclerite as wide as long, convex dorsally; posterior apex with large triangular lophi, separated by a deep V-shaped indentation; anterior apex straight, its lateral margins slightly curved dorsally. Rami short. Pseudepiphallic parameres very large, trilobate, the posterior lobe short and dorsal, the two other lobes ventral, the posterior one very elongate, surrounding outerly the pseudepiphallic lophi. Ectophallic arc complete, narrow, near basis of pseudepiphallic parameres. Ectophallic fold short and wide, membranous. Ectophallic apodemes parallel and short. Endophallic sclerite short, but exceeding anterior margin of pseudepiphallus, convex dorsally, its posterior apex with a median expansion; endophallic apodeme made of lateral lamellas and a narrow median crest.</p> <p> <b>Female:</b> FW very short (Fig. 6 A), reaching posterior margin of first tergite, not overlapping; homogeneously dark brown, except a lighter area near lateral margin of dorsal field; dorsal field with 4 strong and 1 weak longitudinal veins. Lateral field with 2 strong dark brown longitudinal veins. Ovipositor as long as hind femora; apex lanceolate, darker brown, denticulate on dorsal edge (Fig. 7 A).</p> <p>Female genitalia: Copulatory papilla (Fig. 8 A–C) concave ventrally, well sclerotized except apex and median dorsal area.</p> <p> <b>Juvenile:</b> Subadults similar to adults in colouration, dark brown.</p> <p> <b>Measurements.</b> see Table 1.</p> <p> <b>Habitat and life history traits.</b> unknown.</p> <p> <b>Behaviour.</b> unknown.</p>Published as part of <i>Robillard, Tony, 2010, New species of the genus Lebinthus (Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Eneopterinae, Lebinthini) from Indonesia and the Solomon Islands, pp. 25-48 in Zootaxa 2386</i> on pages 29-32, DOI: <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/193757">10.5281/zenodo.193757</a&gt