Genital Morphology Research Articles

A new green lacewing species of the extinct subfamily Limaiinae (Insecta: Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) from the mid-Cretaceous of Myanmar

Chrysopidae (green lacewings) is one of the species-rich families of Neuroptera. The Cretaceous fossils of green lacewing currently comprise 11 genera and 26 species. Here we describe a new green lacewing species, Mesypochrysa coadnata sp. nov., from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber of northern Myanmar. The new species belongs to the extinct subfamily Limaiinae and is characterized by the RP with seven zigzagged branches, the forewing CuA with four pectinate branches, and the hind wing CuA with three pectinate branches. The exquisite preservation of the new fossils facilitates the understanding of the genital morphology of the Mesozoic green lacewings.

Rhaucoides Roewer, 1912, an Andean genus with fused tarsomeres: revision with a new generic synonymy and two new species (Opiliones: Cosmetidae: Metergininae)

Rhaucoides Roewer, 1912 is herein revisited and re-diagnosed based on somatic and genital morphology, including the differences of both expanded and unexpanded glans complex shown for the first time in Cosmetidae. The genus is characterized mainly by abdominal ornamentation, coloration and by having the two basalmost tarsomeres of leg I fused. The genus Cumbalia Roewer, 1963 is newly considered a junior synonym of Rhaucoides. The species Cumbalia octomaculata Roewer, 1963, Rhaucoides festae Roewer 1925 and Rhaucoides sulfureus Mello-Leitão 1939 are considered junior subjective synonyms of Rhaucoides riveti Roewer, 1919. Erginus devillei Simon 1879 (currently in Metarhaucus) is transferred to Rhaucoides, resulting in Rhaucoides devillei (Simon 1879), comb. nov. Rhaucoides atahualpa sp. nov. and Rhaucoides nasa sp. nov. are described from Ecuador and Colombia, respectively. Comments about the genital and tarsal morphology in Cosmetidae are provided. A map with the known distribution of the genus, in the Andes of southern Colombia and northern Ecuador, is given. Finally, emended diagnoses are provided for the genera Rhauculus Roewer, 1927 and Reimoserius Roewer 1947. After the type species of Metarhaucus Pickard-Cambridge, 1905 was transferred to Rhaucus Simon, 1879, a few species remained without formal generic allocation. All of those are herein combined either with Rhaucoides (1 species), Rhauculus (5 species) or Reimoserius (1 species).

An updated review of the genus Strigivenifera Hering, 1937 (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea: Chrysopolomidae) with the description of a new species.

Following on from a recent revision by Kurshakov Zolotuhin (2013), the genus Strigivenifera Hering, 1937 is reviewed based on recently-collected material held at the African Natural History Research Trust. Investigation of genital morphology and newly-generated barcodes suggested that the diagnoses provided for the species in the previous revision were not entirely reliable for all taxa and as a result, a surplus of names exist in respect to valid species. The following taxonomic changes are implemented: S. livingstonei Kurshakov Zolotuhin, 2013 syn. n. and S. cruisa Kurshakov Zolotuhin, 2013 syn. n. are synonymised with S. albidiscalis (Hampson, 1910), S. ocellaris Kurshakov Zolotuhin, 2013 syn. n. is synonymised with S. eborea Kurshakov Zolotuhin, 2013 and S. tatooifera Kurshakov Zolotuhin, 2013 syn. n. is synonymised with S. bartschi Kurshakov Zolotuhin, 2013. A new species previously confused with S. ocellaris is described from the Western Area Peninsula in Sierra Leone: S. smithi sp. n. The intraspecific variability of the species together with appropriate diagnostic characters for identification are discussed and illustrated and an updated list of the valid species of the genus is provided.

From the Ethiopian Bale Mountains hotspotFilopalpinae subfam. nov., a new taxon of Laniatorean harvestmen based on external and genital morphology (Arachnida, Opiliones, Assamiidae).

Filopalpinae subfam. nov. is proposed as a new subfamily within family Assamiidae based on a new genus, Filopalpus gen. nov. and on five new species: F. joschmidti sp. nov., F. bale sp. nov., F. kakaensis sp. nov., F. altomontanus sp. nov. and F. niger sp. nov. All originate from the highlands of Ethiopia, namely the Bale Mountains and adjacent volcanoes in Oromia State. Species of the new subfamily are characterized by dense body cover with pointed tubercles causing a hedgehog appearance of the body (dorsal side, partly ventral side), extreme sexual dimorphism in pedipalps (in males thread-like long and thin surpassing body length by about four to six times, devoid of apophyses and thorns; in females short and stout about body length, with a distal grasping hand formed by apophyses and strong setae of tibia and tarsus, and tarsal claw). Male genital morphology is characterized by a hemolymph-pressure system of truncus penis and glans, a dorsal sub-distal tube-like glans with an inner prickly funnel, which is everted by hemolymph pressure during courtship. These male genital characters place the present species in Assamiidae, but external morphology points to a strongly different separate evolutionary unit within this family. The five species known to date were secured at altitudes between 2830 and 4100 m. At least two of the collecting areas are now devoid of forest due to human impact. To secure the present specimens at high-altitude localities was possible only by searching in remote microhabitats unavailable for cattle and man-made fire. A perspective on current subfamilies of Assamiidae and on pedipalpal morphology and evolution is presented.

Niche modelling and comparative morphology untangle taxonomy of the Dysschema eurocilia clade (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) and reveal a relictual Pleistocene Arc distribution

Dysschema is the largest genus in Pericopina, with 69 species. The highly polymorphic species D. eurocilia (Cramer, 1777) was recently united in a clade with three other species: D. aorsa (Boisduval, 1870) stat. rev., D. bivittata (Walker, 1854) stat. rev. and D. molesta (Hering, 1925) stat. rev. Typological taxonomic treatment and lack of understanding of geographic distributions contributed to a proliferation of publications and disputed validity of names. We analysed the genital morphology and wing patterns for the four putative species in the ‘D. eurocilia clade’ and estimated the ecological niche using Ecological Niche Modelling (ENM) to clarify taxonomic scenarios, delimit species and infer speciation mechanisms. We also used ENM to understand the distributions of phenotypes of D. eurocilia. The morphological data and ENM suggested an alternative hypothesis to previous taxonomic works on species within the ‘D. eurocilia clade’. The ENM also revealed distribution patterns supporting the northern Andes as a geographic barrier between Central and South America, while the interconnected Andean valleys might represent areas of sympatry. Additionally, the predicted distribution showed that certain phenotypes in D. eurocilia have distribution through the South American diagonal of open formations, which might represent a relictual distribution known as the Pleistocene Arc.

Taxonomic revision of the Apiomerus maya species group (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae).

The Apiomerus maya species group of the genus Apiomerus Hahn, 1831 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae: Apiomerini), the bee assassins, is revised. Four species that are native to parts of Mexico and Central America are recognized and redescribed: Apiomerus maya Dispons, 1971, A. pipil Dispons, 1971, A. venosus Stl, 1872, and A. immundus Bergroth, 1898. Intraspecific polychromatism and male genital morphology are documented for the group. The taxonomy of two previously recognized species is updated: A. tristis Champion, 1899 syn. nov. is here synonymized with A. venosus and A. guatemalensis Dispons, 1971 syn. nov. with A. pipil.

Three new species of the spider genus Liphistius (Araneae, Mesothelae, Liphistiidae) from Thailand.

We diagnose and describe three new species of the primitively segmented spider genus Liphistius from Thailand, based on male palp and female genital morphology: L.hatyai Zhan & Xu, sp. nov. (♂♀), L.keeratikiati Zhan & Xu, sp. nov. (♂♀), and L.inthanon Zhan & Xu, sp. nov. (♂♀). The classification of the three new species of Liphistius is discussed: L.hatyai sp. nov. and L.keeratikiati sp. nov. are assigned to the trang-group, and L.inthanon sp. nov. is placed in the bristowei-group according to male palp and female genital morphology.

The habitat use and trophic niche comparisons among closely related land snails in Northeast Asia

AbstractThe diversification of phenotypes and species has been a major concern in evolutionary biology. Both resource competition and predator–prey interactions have been suggested as mechanisms that drive phenotypic divergence and speciation, but the latter has attracted much less attention than the former. TheKaraftohelixland snails in Northeast Asia provide an excellent model to investigate the effects of competition and predation on the divergence process. This is because (1) all species—especiallyKaraftohelix edithaandKaraftohelix gainesiin northern Japan—are closely related and sometimes indistinguishable by genital morphologies and neutral nuclear and mitochondrial DNA markers, despite the distinct phenotypes among species; (2) two different anti‐predatory strategies (i.e., passive and active defenses) are observed for each species in this group; and (3) multiple species have generally overlapping distributions and were often observed at exactly the same time and place. In this study, we conducted quantitative quadrat surveys and carbon/nitrogen stable isotope analyses to compare the microhabitat and trophic niches amongKaraftohelixland snails and estimated the cause of adaptive radiation in this taxon. All the results indicated that the differences in microhabitats and trophic niches amongKaraftohelixland snails—especially between the most closely related sister species,K. edithaandK. gainesiin northern Japan—were too small to promote the adaptive radiation in this group. Therefore, it is difficult to explain the extreme divergence of phenotypes and species amongKaraftohelixland snails in Northeast Asia based on environmental adaptation through resource competition and/or reproductive interference.

The identities of two species in the Pterostichus macrogenys species group of subterranean carabid beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) revealed by external morphometric analysis and comparative genital morphology

The Pterostichus macrogenys species group is an endemic subterranean Japanese carabid lineage that shows marked regional differentiation, but unresolved taxonomic issues remain, even at the species level. Based on morphological examinations of the genital structures of newly collected specimens and an external morphometric analysis of all the species concerned, P. falcispinus Sasakawa, 2005 syn. nov. is synonymized with P. asahinus Habu & Baba, 1960, and P. awashimaensissp. nov. is described from Awashima Island, a small island off the coast of Honshu. Based on external morphometrics, P. awashimaensis was determined to be most similar to P. yahikosanus Sasakawa, 2009, but its external and genital features differ distinctly from the latter species and it is thought to be more ancestral.

A standardized nomenclature and atlas of the female terminalia of Drosophila melanogaster

ABSTRACT The model organism Drosophila melanogaster has become a focal system for investigations of rapidly evolving genital morphology as well as the development and functions of insect reproductive structures. To follow up on a previous paper outlining unifying terminology for the structures of the male terminalia in this species, we offer here a detailed description of the female terminalia of D. melanogaster. Informative diagrams and micrographs are presented to provide a comprehensive overview of the external and internal reproductive structures of females. We propose a collection of terms and definitions to standardize the terminology associated with the female terminalia in D. melanogaster and we provide a correspondence table with the terms previously used. Unifying terminology for both males and females in this species will help to facilitate communication between various disciplines, as well as aid in synthesizing research across publications within a discipline that has historically focused principally on male features. Our efforts to refine and standardize the terminology should expand the utility of this important model system for addressing questions related to the development and evolution of animal genitalia, and morphology in general.

Divergent Genital Morphologies and Female-Male Covariation in Watersnakes.

Genital evolution can be driven by diverse selective pressures. Across taxa we see evidence of covariation between males and females, as well as divergent genital morphologies between closely related species. Quantitative analyses of morphological changes in coevolving male and female genitalia have not yet been shown in vertebrates. This study uses 2D and 3D geometric morphometrics to quantitatively compare the complex shapes of vaginal pouches and hemipenes across three species of watersnakes (the sister taxa Nerodia fasciata, N. sipedon, and a close relative N. rhombifer) to address the relationship between genital morphology and divergence time in a system where sexual conflict may have driven sexually antagonistic coevolution of genital traits. Our pairwise comparisons of shape differences across species show that the sister species have male and female genitalia that are significantly different from each other, but more similar to each other than to N. rhombifer. We also determine that the main axes of shape variation are the same for males and females, with changes that relate to deeper bilobation of the vaginal pouch and hemipenes. In males, the protrusion of the region of spines at the base of the hemipene trades off with the degree of bilobation, suggesting amelioration of sexual conflict, perhaps driven by changes in the relative size of the entrance of the vaginal pouch that could have made spines less effective.

Revealing the diversity of ant-eating spiders in Colombia I: morphology, distribution and taxonomy of the barronus group of the genus Tenedos O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 (Araneae: Zodariidae).

The genus Tenedos O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897 is the most diverse among Neotropical Zodariids. It is composed of 44 species, fourteen of which occur in Brazil, while in Colombia, the diversity of the genus is poorly known, with only seven species recorded for the country. Based on genital morphology, several species groups can be distinguished within the genus, but these have not been formally established. We propose the species group barronus to include 41 species, 34 of which are distributed in Colombia and the other seven exclusively occurring in: Brazil (one Amazonian species), Peru (three Andean species), and Venezuela (three Andean species). The previously proposed species Tenedos andes Jocqu Baert, 2002; T. peckorum Jocqu Baert, 2002; T. jocquei Quijano Galvis, 2018 and T. capote Jocqu Baert, 2002 are redescribed based on the type material and the females of the two former species are described for the first time. T. barronus (Chamberlin, 1925) and T. persulcatus Jocqu Baert, 2002 are reported for Colombia for the first time, the female of the latter is described. Twenty-eight new species are herein described, illustrated and their distributions are represented (species listed according to morphological affinities): T. ayo sp. n. (), T. calebi sp. n. (), T. caqueta sp. n. (), T. choco sp. n. (), T. cofan sp. n. (), T. dankittipakuli sp. n. (), T. eberhardi sp. n. (), T. neitai sp. n. (), T. tama sp. n. (), T. griswoldi sp. n. (), T. guacharos sp. n. (), T. henrardi sp. n. (), T. humboldti sp. n. (), T. carlosprietoi sp. n. (), T. narinensis sp. n. (), T. mesa sp. n. (), T. macagual sp. n. (), T. marquetones sp. n. (), T. medina sp. n. () , T. pensilvania sp. n. (), T. piedecuesta sp. n. (), T. quipile sp. n. (), T. santarosa sp. n. (), T. luzmarinae sp. n. (), T. tatama sp. n. (), T. ticuna sp. n. (), T. wayuu sp. n. () and T. yurayaco sp. n. (). We further provide new morphological data for some species included in the barronus group, and briefly discuss some aspects on morphological affinities and distribution between the species, based on a comparison with Tenedos type species, T. lautus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1897. Distribution maps for all Colombian species, including new records for T. barronus and T. persulcatus, are also herein included. Additionally, an identification key for all species of the barronus group is provided.

Evolution of genes involved in the unusual genitals of the bear macaque, Macaca arctoides.

Genital divergence is thought to contribute to reproductive barriers by establishing a “lock‐and‐key" mechanism for reproductive compatibility. One such example, Macaca arctoides, the bear macaque, has compensatory changes in both male and female genital morphology as compared to close relatives. M. arctoides also has a complex evolutionary history, having extensive introgression between the fascicularis and sinica macaque species groups. Here, phylogenetic relationships were analyzed via whole‐genome sequences from five species, including M. arctoides, and two species each from the putative parental species groups. This analysis revealed ~3x more genomic regions supported placement in the sinica species group as compared to the fascicularis species group. Additionally, introgression analysis of the M. arctoides genome revealed it is a mosaic of recent polymorphisms shared with both species groups. To examine the evolution of their unique genital morphology further, the prevalence of candidate genes involved in genital morphology was compared against genome‐wide outliers in various population genetic metrics of diversity, divergence, introgression, and selection, while accounting for background variation in recombination rate. This analysis identified 67 outlier genes, including several genes that influence baculum morphology in mice, which were of interest since the bear macaque has the longest primate baculum. The mean of four of the seven population genetic metrics was statistically different in the candidate genes as compared to the rest of the genome, suggesting that genes involved in genital morphology have increased divergence and decreased diversity beyond expectations. These results highlight specific genes that may have played a role in shaping the unique genital morphology in the bear macaque.

The description of a new species of Anarthrotarsus Šilhavý from Greece and a discussion about the genus (Arachnida: Opiliones: Trogulidae)

Anarthrotarsus trichasi sp. nov., a second species of the genus Anarthrotarsus Šilhavý, 1967 is described based on fresh material from the northeastern part of the island of Crete, Greece. The male holotype of the type species of the genus Anarthrotarsus was discovered on the island of Corfu, Ionian Islands, Greece, but no other conspecific specimens were found there ever since. This also holds true for the population from Crete, from where a female paratype was collected. Genital morphology of male specimens from both populations markedly differs, and that of the holotype from Corfu is even unique among Trogulidae. Though the tarsal formula (1-1-1-1 in the four walking legs) is identical in both populations, penis morphology, the main generic character of Anarthrotarsus, clearly separates them. A close relationship of A. trichasi sp. nov. with species of the genus Calathocratus Simon, 1879 is supposed but awaits molecular genetic affirmation.

The role of epigynal setae in mate choice in the orb-weaver Leucauge argyra

Male and female genital morphology may have strong effects on fitness in spiders. Females of some species of Leucauge produce mating plugs that partially or totally block the entrances to their insemination ducts on the epigynum, forming barriers that reduce the probabilities of future inseminations. While in some species both females and males participate in plug formation, the mating plugs in L. argyra are produced exclusively by females. The epigynum of L. argyra (Walckenaer 1841) is unusual in having a prominent ventral process covered on its anterior side and around its base with long, thick setae. We tested whether male stimulation of these epigynal setae affected female plug formation by removing them from some females but not others. Females lacking setae produced mating plugs immediately after copulation less often than unmanipulated females. However, 24 hr later the mating plugs had disappeared in many females of the treatment group. Setae removal did not affect the amount of sperm stored in the female spermatheca, or the frequency of female attacks. The rate of male genital inflations correlated positively, but mating duration was negatively correlated with sperm stored in female’s spermathecae. Females attempted to attack small males more often than large males. These findings contribute to our understanding of the function of the setae associated with the female genitalia, and the effect of their tactile stimulation on plug formation, and transference of spermatozoids.

Review of the Afrotropical Thyatirinae (Lepidoptera, Drepanidae) with description of a new genus and a new species.

A taxonomic review of the Afrotropical Thyatirinae is given and a new genus reminiscent of the Oriental Horipsestis Matsumura, 1933 is established for a new East African species: Watsonopsestis smithi gen. n., sp. n. Based on the analysis of the genital morphology, Aethiopsestis austrina nebulosa Watson, 1965, is raised to species rank: A. nebulosa Watson, 1965 stat. n., and the tribe Aethiopsestini is downgraded to subtribe rank: Aethiopsestina Watson, 1965 stat. n. The female adult and genitalia of Aethiopsestis mufindiae Watson, 1965 are illustrated and the latter is described for the first time. New locality records of Marplena designina Lane, 1973, Aethiopsestis nebulosa and A. mufindiae are reported. A distribution map of all known Afrotropical Thyatirinae is provided. The holotypes and additional specimens of all species together with their genitalia are illustrated in 18 colour and 16 black and white figures.

Polygenic sex determination produces modular sex polymorphism in an African cichlid fish

For many vertebrates, a single genetic locus initiates a cascade of developmental sex differences in the gonad and throughout the organism, resulting in adults with two phenotypically distinct sexes. Species with polygenic sex determination (PSD) have multiple interacting sex determination alleles segregating within a single species, allowing for more than two genotypic sexes and scenarios where sex genotype at a given locus can be decoupled from gonadal sex. Here we investigate the effects of PSD on secondary sexual characteristics in the cichlid fish Metriaclima mbenjii, where one female (W) and one male (Y) sex determination allele interact to produce siblings with four possible sex classes: ZZXX females, ZWXX females, ZWXY females, and ZZXY males. We find that PSD in M. mbenjii produces an interplay of sex linkage and sex limitation resulting in modular variation in morphological and behavioral traits. Further, the evolution or introgression of a newly acquired sex determiner creates additional axes of phenotypic variation for varied traits, including genital morphology, craniofacial morphology, gastrointestinal morphology, and home tank behaviors. In contrast to single-locus sex determination, which broadly results in sexual dimorphism, polygenic sex determination can induce higher-order sexual polymorphism. The modularity of secondary sexual characteristics produced by PSD provides context for understanding the evolutionary causes and consequences of maintenance, gain, or loss of sex determination alleles in populations.

Revision of the genus Doratura Sahlberg (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae) with particular regard to its distribution in Italy and description of four new species.

The genus Doratura is revised. Twenty-three valid species are discriminated including four new species: D. lobele sp. nov., D. jole sp. nov., D. roesle sp. nov., and D. vefele sp. nov. The following five species are treated as new synonyms: D. ivanovi Kusnezov, 1928 syn. nov. of D. impudica Horvth, 1897, D. veneta Dlabola, 1959 syn. nov. of D. paludosa Melichar, 1897, D. astrachanica Vilbaste, 1961 syn. nov. of D. rusaevi Kusnezov, 1928, D. littoralis Kuntze, 1937 syn. nov. of D. homophyla (Flor, 1861), and D. arenicola Logvinenko, 1975 syn. nov. of D. caucasica Melichar, 1913. D. paludosa is redescribed. For each species, its habitus and genital morphology are illustrated, a short diagnosis is given, its distribution is outlined and distribution maps are added. If available, data on ecology and phenology are furnished. The Doratura species are distributed in six groups with the exception of D. salina Horvth, 1903, D. horvathi W. Wagner, 1939, and D. lobele sp. nov. For males, an identification key to all Doratura taxa is presented. For females, a preliminary key is proposed. Some other Chiasmini genera are examined in order to suggest possible apomorphic characters in the genus Doratura. Relationships among the Doratura species and the different species groups, distribution patterns, possible hybrids, dispersal strategies in the context of brachyptery, and intraspecific variability in adults and nymphs are discussed.

Review of Calauta Solovyev amp; Witt, 2009 (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae) with description of a new species from Korea.

The genus Calauta Solovyev Witt, 2009 is reviewed with four included species. It is critically compared to other similar genera in Limacodidae based on external and genital morphology. A new species, Calauta koreana sp. nov. is described from the Republic of Korea. A taxonomic transfer of Aphendala notoseusa Wu, 2020 to Calauta is proposed. A distributional range of C. obscura Solovyev, 2017 is expanded with new distributional data. A diagnostic key of all the congeners is given. Photographs of habitus and genitalia are provided for all four species of Calauta.

Associating life stages and sexes of Nearctic Polycentropus Curtis, 1835 (Trichoptera: Polycentropodidae) using mitochondrial DNA barcoding.

Alpha taxonomy of caddisflies (order Trichoptera) is based primarily on male genital morphology. As such, associations of adult females and other life stages typically require conclusive association with the species’ identifiable male. The aim of this study was to use molecular methods to associate females and larvae of Polycentropus species represented in the Nearctic. Analysis of mtCOI sequences using distance‐ and tree‐based methods resulted in the association of larvae for 14 species of Polycentropus (P. alabamensis Hamilton, Harris & Lago, 1990, P. blicklei Ross & Yamamoto 1965, P. carlsoni Morse 1971, P. carolinensis Banks 1905, P. colei Ross 1941, P. confusus Hagen 1861, P. denningi Smith 1962, P. elarus Ross 1944, P. gertschi Denning 1950, Polycentropus halidus Milne 1936, P. maculatus Banks 1908, P. pentus Ross 1941, P. rickeri Yamamoto 1966, and P. variegatus Banks 1900) and females for 2 species (P. carolinensis and P. chelatus Ross & Yamamoto 1965). Searches for, and descriptions of, diagnostic morphological characters for these previously unidentifiable life forms are now possible. The identity of the larva of P. centralis Banks, 1914 is confirmed and some interesting phylogenetic relationships and a possible cryptic species and potential synonyms are implied in the results. Targets for future immature‐ and female–male associations are discussed along with a preliminary assessment of morphological differences among larvae.