Separate Tribe Research Articles

High endemic freshwater mussel (Bivalvia: Unionida) diversity in western Borneo, with description of three new species

Abstract The freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionida) of the biodiversity hotspot Sundaland are experiencing severe anthropogenic threats, whilst their diversity and distribution remain poorly understood. Here, we present the first modern-day data on Unionida diversity and distribution across western Borneo. Mussels were surveyed and collected in the upper Kapuas and Pawan river basins in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, and the Sambas Besar, Sarawak and Batang Sadong river basins in Sarawak, Malaysia. DNA sequencing (COI + 16S + ND1 + 18S + 28S) and morphological analyses were conducted to delineate and identify species, and reconstruct phylogenetic relationships and population genetics. Specimens belonged to six native genera and nine species, of which seven are endemic to Borneo and three are new to science, i.e. Ctenodesma mawonae Zieritz et al., sp. nov., Sarawak basin, and Ctenodesma bersinara Zieritz et al., sp. nov., and Rectidens lauris Zieritz et al., sp. nov., both Pawan basin. The monotypic genera Caudiculatus and Discomya were phylogenetically highly divergent from other known Gonideinae taxa, potentially indicating a separate tribe (for Caudiculatus) and subfamily (for Discomya). In addition, we report new records of the non-native Sinanodonta pacifica Heude, 1878 in the Batang Sadong and Kapuas river basins.

Another one bites the dust: A new Lithoserix species (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae) from the early Oligocene in France, with an evaluation of wing morphometrics

A new Darwin wasp species, Lithoserix oublierisp. nov. is described and illustrated from the early Oligocene limestone formation Calcaires de Campagne-Calavon in the Luberon Region, France. It represents the third species of this extinct genus, which was first described from the late Eocene Florissant Formation in Colorado, US and later found in Aix-en-Provence, France, from the late Oligocene. The taxonomic placement of this genus in the context of tribal classification is analysed and discussed, based on geometric morphometrics of the fore and hind wing venation of fossil and extant Pimplinae species. The results suggest that Lithoserix does not belong to the same group as the extinct genus Crusopimpla, but rather represents a more basal genus within Pimplini or belongs to an extinct separate tribe, closely related to Pimplini.

Аспургиане: 500 стадиев между Фанагорией и Горгиппией

In the ancient literary and cartographic tradition, the mention of the Aspourgians goes back to the information of Strabo (XI. 2, 11; XII. 3, 29), who considered them one of the Meotian tribes, who lived “near” (περὶ) Sindica “in the space of 500 stadia between Phanagoria and Gorgippia. This mention of Aspourgians is connected solely with the fact that in 8 BC. they captured and killed the Roman henchman on the Bosporan throne – Polemo I. In addition, the ethnonym "Aspourgians" appears in Bosporan epigraphic documents of the 3rd century AD, where the nomenclature of the official who controlled the administrative-territorial region is noted – ὁ ἐπὶ τῶν Ἀσπουργιανῶν (CIRB 36, 1246=1248). In historiography, there are many conflicting points of view on the origin, character and historical role of the Aspourgians. However, the prevailing opinion is that the name "Aspourgians" is associated with the name of King Aspourgos (they supported him against Polemo), although Aspourgos is not mentioned in Strabo, and various researchers start his reign attributed to 8 BC. before 14 AD (now confirmed by a new epigraphic monument terminus ante quem – 6/7 AD). At the same time, recognizing the Aspourgians as "barbarians", most scientists consider them not a separate tribe (or its faction), but military settlers (katoikoi) endowed with land in the service of the Bosporan kings, who defended the eastern borders of the state. The author of this article, relying on modern ideas about the paleogeography of the region, an analysis of the administrative-territorial division of the Asian Bosporus and archaeological evidence (both settlements and necropolises), tried to clarify the ideas about the habitat of aspourgians, the chronology of events associated with their appearance in the Bosporus. This made it possible to abandon a number of outdated views and remove some imaginary contradictions between different points of view on the origin and place of the Aspourgians in Bosporan history. Strabo’s “Ἀσπουργιανοί” should be understood as representatives of the Meoto-Sarmatian world settled by the Bosporan kings in the region of the modern region of Anapa-Novorossiysk in order to defend the southeastern borders of the state. These military settlers supported the legitimate heir to the Bosporan throne, Aspurgos, in his struggle against Polemo I, after which they received the name “aspourgianoi”. The compact area of inhabitancy of the “supporters of Aspurg” constituted a special administrative district of the Asian Bosporos, which was ruled by “governors of the <area> aspourgianoi” (οἱ ἐπὶ τῶν Ἀσπουργιανῶν).

A multi-gene phylogenetic analysis of the leafhopper subfamily Typhlocybinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) challenges the traditional view of the evolution of wing venation

Genera of the diverse leafhopper subfamily Typhlocybinae have traditionally been classified into tribes primarily based on characters of the wing venation and an intuitive phylogeny of this group was previously proposed based on the hypothetical pattern of wing vein evolution. Some recent authors suggested that wing vein characters are not always reliable but few attempts have been made to examine the status and relationships of typhlocybine tribes using rigorous phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic analysis of a dataset comprising DNA sequences from five gene regions (H3, H2A, 28S rDNA D2, 16S rDNA, and COI with a total length of 2413 bps) and 61 species representing six previously recognized tribes of Typhlocybinae provides strong support for the monophyly of the subfamily and five of the previously recognized tribes. Most branches received moderate to strong maximum likelihood bootstrap support. The following intertribal relationships were recovered: (Alebrini + Empoascini) + ((Dikraneurini + Erythroneurini) + Typhlocybini). Maximum likelihood analysis recovered Zyginellini (treated as a separate tribe by some authors) as sister to Typhlocybini with low branch support, but the former tribe was derived from within the latter in Bayesian analysis of the same dataset and relationships within Typhlocybini (sensu lato) were generally poorly resolved in both analyses. The relationship of Typhlocybini to other tribes is also unstable, suggesting that more data are needed to resolve the position of this tribe with confidence. Parts of the phylogeny receiving strong support in both analyses contradict the traditional view that Alebrini, the only tribe retaining an appendix in the forewing, is the earliest diverging lineage and possibly gave rise to the other tribes. Ancestral state reconstructions indicate that characters of the wing venation traditionally used for diagnosing typhlocybine tribes are generally conservative but exhibit some homoplasy and may not, by themselves, be reliable for recognizing monophyletic groups within this subfamily.

The enigmatic Amazonian genus Eutrachelophis: morphological evidence and description of new taxa (Serpentes: Dipsadidae: Xenodontini)

Abstract Eutrachelophis contains two species – Eu. bassleri and Eu. steinbachi – that are known from the lowland rainforests of western Amazonia (Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia). Due to their unusual hemipenial morphology, they have been considered to belong to a separate tribe – Eutrachelophiini – of dipsadids. Here, we describe a new species of Eutrachelophis that fills an important morphological gap in the hemipenial pattern known for this genus. Although highly modified, apical disks are recognizable in the hemipenes of both species, supporting their inclusion in the tribe Xenodontini. We further allocate Eu. steinbachi in a new genus, due to the contrasting morphological disparities and lack of uniquely derived features shared with the remaining species of Eutrachelophis. The new genus can be distinguished from all other genera of Dipsadidae by the presence of deeply divided lobes with lobular projections that expand beyond the tip of the sulci, the latter ending on the middle surface of the lobes where it opens at the base of a small nude area considered to be the remnant of the Xenodontini apical disks. The two remaining species of Eutrachelophis retain well-developed Xenodontini apical disks that are expanded throughout the lobular region reaching each other’s edges at midline due to the fusion of both lobes in one unique structure. The condition observed in the genus Lygophis is morphologically intermediate between the highly specialized condition present in Eutrachelophis and the one known to characterize other Xenodontini, supporting the allocation of this genus in the tribe. (Zoobank: www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:96725BD0-D9E6-4A85-A4BD-D6BF988CFC5E)

The chromosomes of Lepturinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) II. A study of eight more species, with focus on Desmocerus palliatus

SummaryFollowing the study of 28 species of Lepturinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) the karyotypes of seven additional Palaearctic and one Nearctic species are established. The 19,X male karyotypes found in genera Stictoleptura (four species), Vadonia and Judolia (one species each) confirm the loss of Y chromosome in Lepturini. The 22,XY male karyotype of Cortodera humeralis is very close to that of some species of Rhagiini (genera Gaurotes, Acmaeops, Dinoptera, all 22,XY) and Grammoptera ruficornis (24,XY) recently reported. We propose that these taxa could form a monophyletic group within Rhagiini. The karyotype of the Nearctic species Desmocerus palliates (23,neoXneoXneoY) is quite different and characterized by the presence of many acrocentric chromosomes and a complex autosome–gonosome translocation. Its particular karyotype is compatible with its present classification within a separate tribe, the Desmocerini.

The phylogenetic position of the morphologically unusual Pleurostichidium falkenbergii (Rhodomelaceae, Rhodophyta) based on plastid phylogenomics

ABSTRACTPleurostichidium falkenbergii is an obligate epiphyte on Xiphophora chondrophylla and is endemic to northern New Zealand. This monotypic genus is characterised by having dorsiventral and laterally compressed thalli with 20 pericentral cells and complete cortication, adventitious trichoblasts, spherical spermatangial branches formed from cortical cells, and stichidia with up to 19 whorled tetrasporangia. This unusual combination of morphological characters among the Rhodomelaceae led to its placement in a separate tribe Pleurostichidieae. The tribal phylogenetic placement has been investigated only using 18S rRNA and remains uncertain. We investigated the phylogenetic affinities of P. falkenbergii using a plastid phylogenomic approach. We sequenced and assembled its plastid genome and inferred a phylogeny along with 45 other rhodomelacean species and 10 outgroup taxa. P. falkenbergii was placed in a highly supported clade containing the tribes Pterosiphonieae, Dipterosiphonieae, Herposiphonieae, and a clade with two species morphologically assigned to Polysiphonia and Melanothamnus, but genetically unrelated to the true Polysiphonia and Melanothamnus lineages. Pleurostichidium falkenbergii was placed as sister to the Pterosiphonieae with moderate support. Considering our results and the unusual combination of vegetative and reproductive characters of Pleurostichidium, we propose to maintain the tribe Pleurostichidieae for this species.

An apterous scelionid wasp in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae)

A remarkably specialized parasitoid wasp of the family Scelionidae (Platygastroidea) is described and figured from mid-Cretaceous (Cenomanian) amber of the Hukawng Valley in northern Myanmar. Geoscelio mckellari Engel and Huang, gen. et sp. nov., is unique for its combination of a compact body, 12 antennal flagellomeres, a 1-2-2 tibial spur formula, a distinct malar sulcus, deeply impressed notauli, complete reduction of the wings, and basal crenulae on the metasomal terga and sterna, among many other features, and is placed within a separate tribe, Geoscelionini Engel and Huang, trib. nov. This is the first flightless species of Platygastroidea known from the Mesozoic, and its affinities with other Mesozoic and extant lineages are discussed.

Morphology-based phylogenetic binning to assess a taxonomic challenge: a case study in Graphidaceae (Ascomycota) requires a new generic name for the widespreadLeptotrema wightii

Molecular phylogenetic analysis presents two challenges when it is transformed into formal classifications: the taxonomic challenge (whether and how to distinguish monophyletic sister clades or how to deal with paraphyletic grades) and the nomenclatural challenge (naming clades, i.e. placing name-giving types accurately on a tree). One approach to the latter is morphology-based phylogenetic binning, which places specimens based on phenotypic features on a molecular tree and assigns uncertainty values to alternative placement options. Here, we use the example of the lichenized fungal genus Leptotrema to demonstrate how morphology-based phylogenetic binning can help to clarify taxonomic and nomenclatural issues when naming phylogenetically defined entities. Leptotrema is known for a common and widespread species, L. wightii, and phylogenetic analyses have been based exclusively on this species, including the recognition of a separate tribe, Leptotremateae. However, the genus name Leptotrema and the tribal name Leptotremateae are based on the name L. zollingeri, which was initially considered to be a synonym of L. wightii, but has recently been shown to represent a distinct species. As L. zollingeri differs considerably in phenotypic features from L. wightii, it can be questioned whether the two are at all related or whether L. zollingeri is actually closer to the genera Myriotrema and Ocellularia in tribe Ocellularieae. The solution to this problem is not trivial, as it affects the correct use of the names Leptotrema and Leptotremateae. Morphology-based phylogenetic binning indeed demonstrated that L. zollingeri clusters with the Myriotrema album group in tribe Ocellularieae with high support. Hence, in contrast with current use, the name Leptotrema becomes available for the M. album group and Leptotremateae becomes a synonym of Ocellularieae. As a consequence, the new names Sanguinotrema and Sanguinotremateae are introduced to accommodate L. wightii and the tribe including this species and the genus Reimnitzia. Although the studied case is specific to lichen fungi, the approach can be used in a much broader context with any kind of taxon or organism. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 179, 436–443.

Phylogeny of the parasitic wasp subfamily Euphorinae (Braconidae) and evolution of its host preferences

AbstractThe braconid subfamily Euphorinae is a large, cosmopolitan group of endoparasitoid wasps. The majority of species attack adult hosts, a strategy that is rare among parasitic wasps, but there are also many species that attack nymphs and larval stages. Euphorine hosts may belong to a variety of insect orders (Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Neuroptera, Psocoptera, Orthoptera and Lepidoptera) although most euphorine tribes are confined to Coleoptera. Here we investigate the phylogenetic relationships of the Euphorinae based on molecular data (3 kb of nucleotide data from four markers:18S,28S,CADandCOI) and propose a higher‐level classification based upon the resulting phylogeny. We also infer the evolution of host associations and discuss the diversification of the Euphorinae. Results from both Bayesian inference and maximum‐likelihood analysis show that the subfamily, as previously circumscribed, is paraphyletic. We propose that the subfamily be expanded to include the tribes Meteorini and Planitorini (Mannokeraia + Planitorus), so that it corresponds to a clade that is strongly supported as monophyletic in our analyses. Based on our results, a revised higher classification of the Euphorinae is proposed, in which 52 extant genera and 14 tribes are recognized. We reinstate the genusMicroctonusbelonging to the tribe Perilitini, and synonymizeUssurarideluswithHoldawayella, SinuatophoruswithEucosmophorus. Furthermore, we propose the following tribal rearrangements:SpathicopisandStenothremmaare transferred to Perilitini;Tuberidelus, EucosmophorusandPlynopsto Cosmophorini;Eccliturato Dinocampini;Chrysopophthorus, HoldawayellaandWesmaeliato Helorimorphini;ProclithroporusandHeiato Townesilitini. The monotypic tribe Cryptoxilonini is synonymized with Cosmophorini. The generaPygostolusandLitostolusare placed in a separate tribe, Pygostolini, previously recognized as a subtribe among the Centistini. Parsimony‐based ancestral state reconstructions suggest that the ancestor of Euphorinae was a parasitoid of lepidopteran larvae, and that a host shift to larval Coleoptera occurred only in one clade of the Meteorini, some members of which secondarily shifted back to larval lepidopteran hosts. In the remainder of the subfamily, there was an initial shift from larval to adult coleopterans, followed by subsequent shifts to adults or larvae of Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Neuroptera, Orthoptera and Psocoptera.

Phylogeny of a new supertribeCephenniitae with generic review ofEutheiini and description of a new tribeMarcepaniini (Coleoptera:Staphylinidae:Scydmaeninae)

AbstractGenera ofEutheiini are reviewed andEutheimorphusis removed from this tribe of ant‐like stone beetles (Scydmaeninae) and transferred toCephenniini. A monogenericMarcepaniinitrib.n.is described to accommodateMarcepaniagen.n.fromMalaysia, with five species:M. semengohensissp.n.(the type species ofMarcepania),M. tuberculatasp.n.,M. seramaensissp.n.,M. minutissimasp.n.andM. elongatasp.n.A phylogenetic analysis of all genera ofCephenniini,Eutheiini andMarcepaniini based on adult morphological characters resulted in recovering a well‐supported monophyletic cladeEutheiini + (Marcepaniini + Cephenniini) and these tribes are included inCephenniitaestat.n.(Eutheiini andCephenniini are therefore removed fromScydmaenitae). Only a weak support for monophyly ofEutheiini was found, but morphological characters allow for maintaining this presumably relic group as a separate tribe. Previously proposed monophyletic groups withinCephenniini were recovered as such, but after inclusion ofEutheimorphus, a sister taxon to the ‘Cephennomicrusgroup’, the latter lineage gained weak statistical support. The evolutionary history ofCephenniitae is discussed, with focus on known northern hemisphere fossils classified inScydmaenitae andHapsomelitae, but possibly closely allied toCephenniitae. Establishing the supertribeCephenniitae is the first step toward a profound reclassification ofScydmaeninae on a robust phylogenetic basis.This published work has been registered in ZooBank,http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B0E1B12D-9587-4C4F-A908-A12A0C424A8C.

Phylogenomics and taxonomy of Lecomtelleae (Poaceae), an isolated panicoid lineage from Madagascar.

An accurate characterization of biodiversity requires analyses of DNA sequences in addition to classical morphological descriptions. New methods based on high-throughput sequencing may allow investigation of specimens with a large set of genetic markers to infer their evolutionary history. In the grass family, the phylogenetic position of the monotypic genus Lecomtella, a rare bamboo-like endemic from Madagascar, has never been appropriately evaluated. Until now its taxonomic treatment has remained controversial, indicating the need for re-evaluation based on a combination of molecular and morphological data. The phylogenetic position of Lecomtella in Poaceae was evaluated based on sequences from the nuclear and plastid genomes generated by next-generation sequencing (NGS). In addition, a detailed morphological description of L. madagascariensis was produced, and its distribution and habit were investigated in order to assess its conservation status. The complete plastid sequence, a ribosomal DNA unit and fragments of low-copy nuclear genes (phyB and ppc) were obtained. All phylogenetic analyses place Lecomtella as an isolated member of the core panicoids, which last shared a common ancestor with other species >20 million years ago. Although Lecomtella exhibits morphological characters typical of Panicoideae, an unusual combination of traits supports its treatment as a separate group. The study showed that NGS can be used to generate abundant phylogenetic information rapidly, opening new avenues for grass phylogenetics. These data clearly showed that Lecomtella forms an isolated lineage, which, in combination with its morphological peculiarities, justifies its treatment as a separate tribe: Lecomtelleae. New descriptions of the tribe, genus and species are presented with a typification, a distribution map and an IUCN conservation assessment.

The phylogenetic position of Pterocephalidium and the new African genus Pterothamnus within an improved classification of Dipsacaceae

AbstractNew data on fruit anatomy, floral characters and pollen morphology are reported for three species of Pterocephalus s.l. in its traditional circumscription: the annual W–Mediterranean Pterocephalus diandrus (now Pterocephalidium diandrum), the shrubby SE African P. centennii, and the E African P. frutescens. For comparison and augmentation of taxonomically relevant data, a few selected taxa of Cephalaria, Dipsacus, Knautia, Succisa, and Succisella were also studied. Important apomorphic differences between P. diandrus, P. centennii and the African P. frutescens as a typical representative of Pterocephalus s.str., support generic status for P. diandrus (as Pterocephalidium diandrum) and also strongly suggest separation of P. centennii from Pterocephalus s.str. as the new monotypic genus Pterothamnus, endemic to Africa (Mozambique). Pterocephalidium and Pterothamnus share several features (presence of floral bracts, 4–merous flowers, epicalyx anatomy, peculiar pollen morphology) and are placed into the new tribe Pterocephalidieae, which is clearly separated from Pterocephalus s.str. Available morphological, anatomical and palynological data support recent DNA–analytical evidence that Pterocephalidieae are related to the former tribes Dipsaceae (including Dipsacus, Cephalaria and possibly Simenia) and Knautieae (only Knautia), plus the new tribes Succiseae (Succisa and Succisella) and Pseudoscabioseae (Pseudoscabiosa). These four tribes constitute the “Dipknautid clade” sensu Carlson & al. and are here united under subfamily Dipsacoideae. Phylogenetically, this is sister to but quite distinct from subfamily Scabiosoideae, which includes the tribes Scabioseae s.str. (Scabiosa s.str., Sixalix, Pterocephalus s.str.) and the new Lomelosieae (Lomelosia, Pycnocomon). The position of the relic E Asian genus Bassecoia (incl. Pterocephalodes) is uncertain. Whereas DNA evidence places it at the base of Dipsacaceae and sister to the rest of the family, morphological characters strongly demonstrate closer affinities to Pseudoscabioseae. As a compromise, Bassecoia is made a separate tribe Bassecoieae, sister to Pseudoscabioseae within Dipsacoideae. This improved classification of Dipsacaceae shows unequivocally that multiplied and plumose calyx teeth, formerly considered exclusive for Pterocephalus, constitute a homoplastic and taxonomically misleading character that has evolved at least six times independently in Dipsacaceae.

Molecular phylogeny and developmental studies of Apoglossum and Paraglossum (Delesseriaceae, Rhodophyta) with a description of Apoglosseae trib. nov.

Our morphological and molecular studies indicate that species from the southern hemisphere previously placed in Delesseria belong in Paraglossum and that Paraglossum and Apoglossum comprise a separate tribe, the Apoglosseae, S.-W. Lin, Fredericq & Hommersand, trib. nov., within the family Delesseriaceae. From a vegetative perspective the Apoglosseae is readily recognized because some or all fourth-order cell rows are formed on the inner sides of third-order cell rows. All fourth-order cell rows grow adaxially in Apoglossum, whereas both adaxial and abaxial cell rows are present in Paraglossum. Periaxial cells do not divide in Apoglossum, whereas they divide transversely in Paraglossum in the same way as in Delesseria. Major branches are formed mainly from the margins of midribs in the Apoglosseae. The procarp consists of a straight carpogonial branch and two sterile cells, with the second formed on the same side as the first. The carpogonium cuts off two connecting cells in tandem from its apical end, the terminal cell being nonfunctional and the subterminal cell typically fusing with the auxiliary cell. Gonimoblast filaments radiate in all directions from the gonimoblast initials and produce carposporangia terminally in branched chains, with pit connections between the inner gonimoblast cells broadening and enlarging. The auxiliary cell, supporting cell, and sterile cells unite into a fusion cell, which remains small in Apoglossum but incorporates the branched inner gonimoblast filaments and cells in the floor of the cystocarp in Paraglossum. Elongated inner cortical cells seen in mature cystocarps in the Delesserieae are absent in the Apoglosseae. Phylogenetic studies based on rbcL (RuBisCO large subunit gene) sequence analyses strongly support the recognition of the Apoglosseae within the subfamily Delesserioideae of the Delesseriaceae, in agreement with our previous observations based primarily on analyses of large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU).

A novel phylogeny-based generic classification for <I>Chenopodium</I> sensu lato, and a tribal rearrangement of <I>Chenopodioideae</I> <I>(Chenopodiaceae)</I>

Fuentes-Bazan S., Uotila P. & Borsch T.: A novel phylogeny-based generic classification for Chenopodium sensu lato, and a tribal rearrangement of Chenopodioideae (Chenopodiaceae). — Willdenowia 42: 5–24. June 2012. — On-line ISSN 1868-6397; © 2012 BGBM Berlin-Dahlem. Stable URL: http//dx.doi.org/10.3372/wi.42.42101Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the subfamily Chenopodioideae of the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae), with the addition of matK/trnK sequences to an existing trnL-F data set, indicates that Chenopodium as traditionally recognised consists of six independent lineages. One of these, the Dysphania-Teloxys clade, had already been recognised previously as a separate tribe Dysphanieae. Of the five others, Chenopodium is here re-defined in a narrow sense so as to be monophyletic. The C. polyspermum, C. rubrum and C. murale clades are successive sisters of a lineage constituted by Atripliceae s.str. plus Chenopodium s.str. Consequently, the long forgotten genera Lipandra (for C. polyspermum) and Oxybasis (for C. rubrum and relatives) are revived, and the new genus Chenopodiastrum (for C. murale and relatives) is published. The afore-mentioned five clades, taken together, are a monophylum corresponding to an enlarged tribe Atripliceae (a name that has priority over Chenopodieae). Last, the Linnaean genus Blitum (for C. capitatum and relatives), enlarged to include C. bonus-henricus, is the sister group of Spinacia in the tribe Anserineae (a name that has priority over Spinacieae). The aromatic species of Dysphania, the related genus Teloxys, as well as Cyclocoma and Suckleya form the enlarged tribe Dysphanieae. Building upon phylogenetic results, the present study provides a modern classification for a globally distributed group of plants that had suffered a complex taxonomic history due to divergent interpretation of single morphological characters for more than two hundred years. The seven genera among which the species traditionally assigned to Chenopodium are now distributed are defined morphologically and keyed out; for four of them (Blitum, Chenopodiastrum, Lipandra, Oxybasis) the component species and subspecies are enumerated and the necessary nomenclatural transfers are effected.

A novel phylogeny-based generic classification forChenopodiumsensu lato, and a tribal rearrangement ofChenopodioideae (Chenopodiaceae)

Abstract Fuentes-Bazan S., Uotila P. & Borsch T.: A novel phylogeny-based generic classification for Chenopodium sensu lato, and a tribal rearrangement of Chenopodioideae (Chenopodiaceae). — Willdenowia 42: 5–24. June 2012. — On-line ISSN 1868-6397; © 2012 BGBM Berlin-Dahlem. Stable URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3372/wi.42.42101 Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the subfamily Chenopodioideae of the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae), with the addition of matK/trnK sequences to an existing trnL-F data set, indicates that Chenopodium as traditionally recognised consists of six independent lineages. One of these, the Dysphania-Teloxys clade, had already been recognised previously as a separate tribe Dysphanieae. Of the five others, Chenopodium is here re-defined in a narrow sense so as to be monophyletic. The C. polyspermum, C. rubrum and C. murale clades are successive sisters of a lineage constituted by Atripliceae s.str. plus Chenopodium s.str. Consequently, the long forgotten genera Lipandra (for C. polysper...

Molecular phylogeny and the time of divergence of minges (Chironomidae, Nematocera, Diptera) inferred from a partial nucleotide sequence of the cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI)

This is the first study to infer the phylogenetic structure of minges of the subfamily Chironominae from the amino acid sequence of cytochrome oxidase I (COI). The subdivision of Chironominae into two tribes, Chironomini and Tanytarsini, has been confirmed. The segregation of the genera Pseudochironomus and Riethia into a separate tribe has not been confirmed. Stenochironomus gibbus forms a branch considerably deviating from the subfamily Chironominae. The genus Micropsectra is formed by a large polyphyletic cluster that also includes the genera Virgotanytharsus, Reotanytharsus, Kenopsectra, and Parapsectra. Tanytarsus is the basal genus of the tribe Tanytarsini. The times of divergence of the main taxa of Chironominae have been estimated. The calculated time of divergence of the genus Chironomus disproves the assumption that it is phylogenetically old.

The phylogenetic and geographic limits of Leptodirini (Insecta: Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Cholevinae), with a description of Sciaphyes shestakovi sp.n. from the Russian Far East

The tribe Leptodirini of the beetle family Leiodidae is one of the most diverse radiations of cave animals, with a distribution centred north of the Mediterranean basin from the Iberian Peninsula to Iran. Six genera outside this core area, most notably Platycholeus Horn, 1880 in the western United States and others in East Asia, have been assumed to be related to Leptodirini. We studied recently collected specimens of three of these extraterritorial genera, namely Platycholeus, Fusi Perkovsky, 1989 and Sciaphyes Jeannel, 1910, and establish their phylogenetic relationships by analysing a combination of ca. 5 Kb of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences with Bayesian Probability and Maximum Likelihood methods. Our results corroborate the previously proposed hypothesis that Platycholeus is the sister group of the remaining Leptodirini, with an estimated age of vicariant separation compatible with the breaking of the Thulean bridge between the Nearctic and the Western Palaearctic in the Early Eocene. We refute close relationship of either Fusi or Sciaphyes to Leptodirini, with the former genus appearing more closely related to Cholevini, and the latter to Anemadini and warranting a separate tribe, Sciaphyini, in agreement with recent treatments. This phylogenetic position of Sciaphyes is in agreement with a parsimony analysis of 28 morphological characters of a representative sample of Cholevinae subgroups. We describe one of the studied Sciaphyes species as S. shestakovi sp. n. and indicate its remarkable morphological differences from its congeners. We hypothesise that the remaining three extraterritorial monotypic genera of “Leptodirini”, namely Proleptodirina Perkovsky, 1998, Sinobathyscia Perreau, 1999 and Coreobathyscia Szymczakowski, 1975 are unlikely to be closely related to the tribe, which probably has its easternmost geographical limits at Zagros and Alborz (= Elburz) mountains in Iran.

First record and redescription of a little known mite species <em>Denheyernaxoides brevirostris</em> (Canestrini, 1886) (Acari: Prostigmata: Cunaxidae) from Ukraine

Abstract The genus Denheyernaxoides Smiley, 1992 is recorded for the first time from Ukraine. The female of Denheyernaxoides brevirostris (Canestrini, 1885) is redescribed, based on specimens from the Crimea. The larva and deutonymph of this species are described for the first time. The author considers the subfamilyDenheyernaxoidinae Smiley, 1992 as a separate tribe (Denheyernaxoidini stat. nov.) in the subfamily Cunaxoidinae Den Heyer, 1979. A key to the Palaearctic cunaxid genera of the subfamily Cunaxoidinae Den Heyer, 1979 is provided.

Pollen and reproductive morphology of Rhigiophyllum and Siphocodo (Campanulaceae): two unique genera of the fynbos vegetation of South Africa

Pollen grains of Rhigiophyllum squarrosum Hochst., Siphocodon spartioides Turcz. and S. debilis Schltr., are flattened and triangular with pores at the angles. This morphology is radically different from known pollen of the Campanulaceae s.sfr:: the Campanulaceae are treated here as a family separate from the Lobeliaceae, Cyphiaceae, Nemacladaceae, Pentaphragmataceae and Sphenocleaceae (Lammers 1992). As traditionally conceived, the Campanulaceae is very heterogeneous and, in many classifications, these families were treated as subfamilies of a much-enlarged Campanulaceae. The consistently different floral morphology, biochemistry and pollen structure of the Lobeliaceae favours the recognition of this predominantly tropical group as a separate family.The pollen grains of these species are described in comparison with other members of the Campanulaceae. Based on surface characteristics of their pollen grains, we conclude that they represent an early offshoot o f the wahlenbergioid line­age in southern Africa. We suggest that this unique pollen may also be the result of a highly selective regime in the fynbos, associated with specialized pollinators, and base-poor soils, in addition to possible adaptations for ant dispersal and fire. Rhigiophyllum Hochst. and Siphocodon Turcz. are also unique in having free carpel-like structures within the ovary. These shrink to form seed pockets around the seeds and disperse as units when the capsule matures. Data from molecular studies support the contention that these taxa form a sister group to all other wahlenbergioids and that this should be formally recognized in a classification system. We treat Rhigiophyllum and Siphocodon within the Campanulaceae: Wahlenbergioideae, as a separate tribe, the Rhigiophylleae tribus nov., the species of which are distinguishable from other wahlenbergioids by unique angulaperturatc pollen, epipetalous stamens, free carpel-like structures and seed pockets.