Related Species Research Articles

Complete Chloroplast Genome of Crassula aquatica: Comparative Genomic Analysis and Phylogenetic Relationships

Background/Objectives: Crassula aquatica (L.) Schonl. is a very small annual plant growing along riverbanks. Chloroplast (cp) genomes, crucial for photosynthesis, are highly conserved and play a key role in understanding plant evolution. In this study, we conducted cp genome analysis of C. aquatica, aiming to elucidate its phylogenetic position and structural variations. We analyzed and described the features of the complete cp genome of C. aquatica and conducted comparative analysis with the cp genomes of closely related taxa. Rsults: The cp genome was 144,503 bp in length and exhibited the typical quadripartite structure, consisting of a large single-copy region (LSC; 77,993 bp), a small single-copy region (SSC; 16,784 bp), and two inverted repeats (24,863 bp). The cp genome of C. aquatica comprised 113 unique genes, including 79 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 30 tRNAs, and 4 rRNA genes. Comparative genomic analysis of 13 other Crassula species and six outgroups demonstrated highly conserved gene content and order among Crassula species. However, notable differences were observed, including the complete loss of the rpoC1 intron in C. aquatica and several closely related species, which may serve as a synapomorphic trait supporting the monophyly of the subgenus Disporocarpa. We analyzed the nucleotide diversity among 14 Crassula cp genomes and identified five highly variable regions (pi > 0.08) in the IGS regions. Phylogenetic analysis based on 78 PCGs confirmed the monophyly of Crassula and its division into two subgenera: Crassula and Disporocarpa. Although the phylogenetic tree supported the subgeneric classification system, the sectional classification system requires reassessment. Conclusions: In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis of the cp genome of the genus Crassula. We inferred evolutionary trends within the Crassula cp genome and provided molecular evidence supporting the integration of the genus Tillaea into the genus Crassula. However, as this study does not represent all species within the genus Tillaea, further comprehensive phylogenetic analyses are requrired.

First De Novo genome assembly and characterization of Gaultheria prostrata.

Gaultheria Kalm ex L. (Ericaceae), a type of evergreen shrub, known as a natural source of methyl salicylate, possesses rich germplasm resources, strong habitat adaptability, significant ornamental value, and noteworthy pharmacological activities. However, due to the paucity of whole genomic information, genetically deep research in these areas remains limited. Consequently, we intend to obtain genome data through high-throughput sequencing, gene annotation, flow cytometry, transcription factors prediction and genetic marker analysis for a representative species of this genus, with Gaultheria prostrata selected for our study. In this study, we preliminarily obtained the genome of G. prostrata through next-generation sequencing methods. Utilizing 47.94 Gb of high-quality sequence data (108.95× coverage), assembled into 114,436 scaffolds, with an N50 length of 33,667 bp. The genome size assembled by SOAPdenovo, approximately 417 Mb, corresponded closely to predictions by flow cytometry (440 Mb) and k-mer analysis (447 Mb). The genome integrity was evaluated using BUSCO with 91%. The heterozygosity ratio was 0.159%, the GC content was 38.85%, and the repetitive regions encompassed over 34.6% of the genome. A total of 26,497 protein-coding genes have been predicted and annotated across Nr, Swissprot, GO, KEGG, and Pfam databases. Among these, 14,377 and 2,387 genes received functional annotation in Nr and Swissprot, respectively; 21,895, 24,424, and 22,330 genes were similarly annotated in GO, KEGG, and Pfam. Moreover, A total of 279,785 SSRs were identified and 345,270 primers for these SSRs were designed. Within the various nucleotide types of SSRs, AG/CT and AAG/CTT constituted the predominant dinucleotide and trinucleotide repeat types in G. prostrata. In addition, 1,395 transcription factors (TFs) from 75 TF families, 462 transcription regulators (TRs) from 33 TR families and 840 protein kinase (PKs) from 118 PK families were identified in this genome. We also performed phylogenetic analyses of G. prostrata and related species, including estimation of divergence times and expansion and contraction analyses, followed by positive selection analyses of orthologous gene pairs of G. prostrata and its close relative Vaccinium corymbosum. These results provide a reference for in-depth study of genus Gaultheria, contributing to future functional and comparative genomics analyses and providing supporting data for the development of molecular markers.

Pan-Chloroplast Genomes Reveal the Accession-Specific Marker for Gastrodia elata f. glauca.

Gastrodia elata rhizomes have been applied as traditional medicinal materials for thousands of years. In China, G. elata f. elata (red flower and stem, Ge), G. elata f. viridis (green, Gv), and G. elata f. glauca (black, Gg) represent the primary cultivars in artificial cultivation. Although the annual output of G. elata amounts to 150,000 tons, only 20% is Gg. The long production period, low yield, and high quality of Gg led to its extremely high market prices. However, an effective method to identify this crude drug based solely on its morphological or chemical characteristics is lacking. In this study, the complete chloroplast genomes of three G. elata variants were sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform. Another 21 chloroplast genomes from Gastrodia species, which have published in previous reports, were combined and analyzed together. Our results showed that larger genomic sizes, fewer long tandem repeats, and more simple sequence repeats were the major features of the Gg chloroplast genomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Gg samples were separately clustered in a subclade. Moreover, an accession-specific marker was successfully developed and validated for distinguishing additional rhizome samples. Our study provides investigations of the taxonomic relationships of Gastrodia species. The molecular marker will be useful for differentiating Gastrodia products on the market.

Tubaria asiatica (Tubariaceae), a new species from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

A new Tubaria (Tubariaceae) species, Tubaria asiatica is described and illustrated from district Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan, based on morphological and phylogenetic analysis of ITS and 28S sequences. The most closely related species is Tubaria conspersa, but it differs from it due to its pale orange to orange‐tinged dark brown pileus adnate lamellae, dark brown–orange, cylindrical to subcylindrical stipe, oblong, ellipsoid, lacrymoid, rhomboid basidiospores, clavate cheilocystidia and basidia with long sterigmata. Morphological descriptions, colored photographs, microscopic structures and a comparative combined ITS‐28S‐based phylogenetic analysis is presented with reference to the newly described species.

Prediction of the Infrared Absorbance Intensities and Frequencies of Hydrocarbons: A Message Passing Neural Network Approach.

Accurately and efficiently predicting the infrared (IR) spectra of a molecule can provide insights into the structure-properties relationships of molecular species, which has led to a proliferation of machine learning tools designed for this purpose. However, earlier studies have focused primarily on obtaining normalized IR spectra, which limits their potential for a comprehensive analysis of molecular behavior in the IR range. For instance, to fully understand and predict the optical properties, such as the transparency characteristics, it is necessary to predict the molar absorptivity IR spectra instead. Here, we propose a graph-based communicative message passing neural network algorithm that can predict both the peak positions and absolute intensities corresponding to density functional theory calculated molar absorptivities in the IR domain. By modifying existing spectral loss functions, we show that our method is able to predict with DFT-accuracy level the IR molar absorptivities of a series of hydrocarbons containing up to ten carbon atoms and apply the model to a set of larger molecules. We also compare the predicted spectra with those generated by the direct message passing neural network. The results suggest that both algorithms demonstrate similar predictive capabilities for hydrocarbons, indicating that either model could be effectively used in future research on spectral prediction for such systems.

Characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the chloroplast genome of Diospyros aff. oleifera

The Diospyros genus (Ebenaceae) has significant economic value. During field surveys, we discovered a Diospyros specimen showing morphological overlap with both D. oleifera and D. kaki var. silvestris, provisionally named Diospyros aff. oleifera. To resolve its taxonomy, we sequenced and analyzed its chloroplast genome. The complete chloroplast genome is 157,732 bp with a quadripartite structure. mVISTA analysis revealed unique sequence variations compared to related species. Phylogenetic analysis using 75 protein-coding genes grouped it with D. oleifera, indicating their close relationship. Our findings suggest this specimen likely represents a novel, undescribed species. This study provides insights into Diospyros diversity and a foundation for future research.

Hybridization has localized effect on genetic variation in closely related pine species

BackgroundHybridization is a known phenomenon in nature but its genetic impact on populations of parental species remains less understood. We investigated the evolutionary consequences of the interspecific gene flow in several contact zones of closely related pine species. Using a set of genetic markers from both nuclear and organellar genomes, we analyzed four hybrid zones (384 individuals) and a large panel of reference allopatric populations of parental taxa (2104 individuals from 96 stands).ResultsWe observed reduced genetic diversity in maternally transmitted mitochondrial genomes of pure pine species and hybrids from contact zones compared to reference allopatric populations. The distribution of mtDNA haplotypes followed geographic rather than species boundaries. Additionally, no new haplotypes emerged in the contact zones, instead these zones contained the most common local variants. However, species diverged significantly at nuclear genomes and populations in contact zones exhibited similar or higher genetic diversity compared to the reference stands. There were no signs of admixture in any allopatric population, while clear admixture was evident in the contact zones, indicating that hybridization has a geographically localized effect on the genetic variation of the analyzed pine species.ConclusionsOur results suggest that hybrid zones act as sinks rather than melting pots of genetic diversity. Hybridization influences sympatric populations but is confined to contact zones. The spectrum of parental species ancestry in hybrids reflects the old evolutionary history of the sympatric populations. These findings also imply that introgression may play a crucial role in the adaptation of hybrids to specific environments.

Carvacrol enhances antioxidant activity and slows down cell wall metabolism by maintaining the energy level of 'Guifei' mango.

Postharvest mango fruit are highly susceptible to rapid ripening, softening and senescence, greatly limiting their distribution. In this study, we evaluated the potential effects of carvacrol (0.06 g L-1) on mango (25 ± 1 °C) and the mechanisms by which it regulates antioxidant activity, energy and cell wall metabolism. The results showed that carvacrol treatment delayed the 'Guifei' mango color transformation (from green to yellow) and the decrease in firmness, titratable acidity, weight loss and soluble solids content, and suppressed the increase in relative conductivity, malondialdehyde content and reactive oxygen species (H2O2 and O2 ·-) as well as enhancing antioxidant activity. In addition, carvacrol treatment increased ascorbic acid and reduced glutathione levels, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase and dehydroascorbate reductase activities in mango. Meanwhile, energy level (adenosine triphosphate, adenosine diphosphate, adenosine monophosphate and energy charge) content and energy metabolizing enzyme activities (H+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase, succinate dehydrogenasepears and cytochrome C oxidase) were increased on carvacrol treatment, which resulted in the maintenance of higher energy levels. Finally, the application of carvacrol was effective in maintaining firmness and cell wall components by inhibiting the activities of polygalacturonase, cellulase, pectin methyl esterase and β-galactosidase. The current study demonstrates that carvacrol effectively delays the ripening and softening of mangoes by modulating energy metabolism and cell wall dynamics through the attenuation of oxidative stress. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Stable isotope ratios indicate trophic niche overlap in three sympatric delphinid species in the Eastern Ionian Sea

AbstractStudying the sympatric ecology of closely related marine top predator species is of interest both from an ecological and conservation standpoint, because it provides insights into ecosystem functioning, how such species avoid competitive exclusion, and how human stressors may impact these patterns. In this study, we examine the isotopic niche of three sympatric dolphin species that inhabit the eastern Ionian Sea: the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), and the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). We used carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope ratios to construct three‐dimensional isotope niches and calculate niche sizes and their overlaps among the three species to study interspecific competition for resources. Common dolphin niche overlapped with that of the striped dolphin by 77%, suggesting potential resource competition between these two species. The niche overlap between striped/common dolphins and bottlenose dolphins was much lower (47%). Large differences in isotopic ratios were found between the bottlenose dolphins of the Ionian Sea and those of a largely isolated population in the adjacent semienclosed Gulf of Ambracia, further corroborating the previously documented isolation between the two populations.

Novel Fosfomycin Resistance Mechanism in Pseudomonas entomophila Due to Atypical Pho Regulon Control of GlpT

Background/Objectives: Pseudomonas entomophila is a ubiquitous bacterium capable of killing insects of different orders and has become a model for host–pathogen studies and a promising tool for biological pest control. In the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, spontaneous resistance to fosfomycin arises almost exclusively from mutations in the glycerol-3-phosphate transporter (GlpT), the drug’s sole entry route in this species. Here, we investigated whether this specificity is conserved in P. entomophila, as it could provide a valuable marker system for studying mutation rates and spectra and for selection in genetic engineering. Methods: We isolated 16 independent spontaneous fosfomycin-resistant mutants in P. entomophila, and studied the genetic basis of the resistance using a combination of sequencing, phenotyping and computational approaches. Results: We only found two mutants without alterations in glpT or any of its known regulatory elements. Whole-genome sequencing revealed unique inactivating mutations in phoU, a key regulator of the phosphate starvation (Pho) regulon. Computational analyses identified a PhoB binding site in the glpT promoter, and experiments showed that phoU inactivation reduced glpT expression nearly 20-fold. While placing a sugar-phosphate transporter under the Pho regulon may seem advantageous, bioinformatic analysis shows this configuration is atypical among pseudomonads. Conclusions: this atypical Pho regulon control of GlpT probably reflects the peculiarities of P. entomophila’s habitat and lifestyle; highlighting how readily regulatory evolution can lead to the rapid divergence of resistance mechanisms, even among closely related species.

Captive Breeding Reveals Insights Into the Ecology and Reproductive Biology of 11 Little-Known Malagasy Frog Species.

Amphibians are facing an extinction crisis, with ex situ programs increasingly being used as a tool for their conservation. However, conservation efforts are often limited because we do not understand the ecological, behavioral, and life history traits of many amphibian species. Here, we report on the seasonal breeding patterns, egg-laying behavior, clutch size, and development of 11 frog species maintained at a conservation breeding facility in Andasibe, Madagascar. The frogs exhibited diverse breeding strategies aligned with life history theory. Counting the eggs in 1239 egg masses across these 11 species, we found endotrophic microhylids and terrestrial-breeding species had the smallest clutch size yet completed metamorphosis quickly, whereas species that laid eggs above or in water with exotrophic larvae had larger clutch sizes and took longer to develop. Most reproduction in captivity occurred during the warm, rainy season and followed seasonal patterns in temperature variation. Yet, Mantidactylus betsileanus bred throughout the year, and Heterixalus betsileo required additional environmental stimuli to trigger reproduction. Notably, we confirmed that Gephyromantis mitsinjo lays eggs on land with tadpoles developing terrestrially within jelly, a behavior previously theorized but which until now remained unobserved. Such observations show how captive breeding programs can be used to gain valuable data on the life history traits of species that are otherwise challenging to observe in nature. Our findings can be used to assess threats to closely related species, helping inform conservation efforts in a country harboring exceptional amphibian species richness and endemism.

Regional specialization, polyploidy, and seminal fluid transcripts in the Drosophila female reproductive tract

Sexual reproduction requires the choreographed interaction of female cells and molecules with sperm and seminal fluid. In internally fertilizing animals, these interactions are managed by specialized tissues within the female reproductive tract (FRT), such as a uterus, glands, and sperm storage organs. However, female somatic reproductive tissues remain understudied, hindering insight into the molecular interactions that support fertility. Here, we report the identification, molecular characterization, and analysis of cell types throughout the somatic FRT in the premier Drosophila melanogaster model system. We find that the uterine epithelia is composed of 11 distinct cell types with well-delineated spatial domains, likely corresponding to functionally specialized surfaces that interact with gametes and reproductive fluids. Polyploidy is pervasive: More than half of lower reproductive tract cells are ≥4C. While seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) are typically thought of as male products that are transferred to females, we find that specialized cell types in the sperm storage organs heavily invest in expressing SFP genes. Rates of amino acid divergence between closely related species indicate heterogeneous evolutionary processes acting on male-limited versus female-expressed seminal fluid genes. Together, our results emphasize that more than 40% of annotated seminal fluid genes are better described as shared components of reproductive transcriptomes, which may function cooperatively to support spermatozoa. More broadly, our work provides the molecular foundation for improved technologies to catalyze the functional characterization of the FRT.

When sounds come alive: animacy in the auditory sense.

Despite the interest in animacy perception, few studies have considered sensory modalities other than vision. However, even everyday experience suggests that the auditory sense can also contribute to the recognition of animate beings, for example through the identification of voice-like sounds or through the perception of sounds that are the by-products of locomotion. Here we review the studies that have investigated the responses of humans and other animals to different acoustic features that may indicate the presence of a living entity, with particular attention to the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying such perception. Specifically, we have identified three different auditory animacy cues in the existing literature, namely voicelikeness, consonance, and acoustic motion. While the first two characteristics are clearly exclusive to the auditory sense and indicate the presence of an animate being capable of producing vocalizations or harmonic sounds-with the adaptive value of consonance also being exploited in musical compositions in which the musician wants to convey certain meanings-acoustic movement is, on the other hand, closely linked to the perception of animacy in the visual sense, in particular to self-propelled and biological motion stimuli. The results presented here support the existence of a multifaceted auditory sense of animacy that is shared by different distantly related species and probably represents an innate predisposition, and also suggest that the mechanisms underlying the perception of living things may all be part of an integrated network involving different sensory modalities.

Parasitic plants show striking convergence in host preference across angiosperm lineages.

The host specificity of a parasite underpins its ecology, distribution, invasive potential and adaptability, yet for most parasitic plants host ranges are poorly understood. We examine host-parasite relationships across lineages to infer how host specificity may have influenced the evolution of parasitism in plants. Host preference data for all plant holoparasite species were manually collected from literature and herbarium specimens, then analysed to investigate and visualise host diversity and specificity. We reveal a disproportionality in host preference across host lineages: the Asteraceae contains 10% of angiosperm diversity but is infected by 31% of parasite species; meanwhile Monocots comprise 23% but are infected by just 3.2%. Furthermore, we observe striking convergence in host preference: Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae and Fabaceae are infected by six, five and four independent parasite lineages, respectively. We also demonstrate considerable variation in the degree of host specificity among closely related parasite species; a result that does not reflect the expectation of holoparasites - especially endoparasites - as host specialists. The marked pattern of convergence in preference across disparate lineages points to a common pathway in the evolution of parasitism of eudicots in preference to monocots, which may have in turn have been driven by a divergence in host root and vascular architecture. The unexpected variation in host specificity among closely related species suggests that even apparent generalists may comprise cryptic host-specific taxa. This highlights the value of host preference as an additional consideration in parasitic plant taxonomy. Together, our data point to a complex interplay between ecological and physiological factors driving the evolution of host-parasite interactions. Moreover, they emphasize how little is known about the ecology of most holoparasitic plants, a group of organisms that are especially vulnerable at a time of unprecedented biodiversity loss and extinction.

Spiroplasma endosymbiont reduction of host lipid synthesis and Stomoxyn-like peptide contribute to trypanosome resistance in the tsetse fly Glossina fuscipes.

The tsetse fly, Glossina fuscipes fuscipes ( Gff ) is of high public health relevance. Gff exhibits strong innate resistance to trypanosomes, especially when infected with the endosymbiotic bacterium Spiroplasma . This study investigated how the bacterium Spiroplasma inside Gff enables them to be resistant to trypanosome infection. Our results indicate alterations in host lipid metabolism with reduction in levels of triglycerides, suggesting a potential metabolic barrier that limits the viability to parasite. In addition, we discovered a small peptide, stomoxyn, exclusively in Gff and related Palpalis tsetse species. We have shown that Gff synthetic Stomoxyn has antibacterial and antitrypanosomal properties and lowering Stomoxyn levels in Gff correlates with increased parasite prevalence. We suggest that strategies to increase Spiroplasma prevalence or enhance stomoxyn expression through paratransgenic approaches could be promising avenues for reducing trypanosomiasis transmission.

Lethrus (Heteroplistodus) kucerai (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae: Lethrinae), a new species from China

Lethrus (Heteroplistodus) kucerai Hillert, Král & Bagaturov, new species, from Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi provinces of China is described. Relevant diagnostic characters (e.g. genae margin, surface of head, pronotum and elytra, lateral margin of pronotum and elytra, apical spur of protibia) are compared with the morphologically similar and probably closely related species L. (H.) potanini Jakovlev, 1889. Relevant diagnostic characters including the aedeagus of both species are depicted. Lectotype for Lethrus conformis Frivaldszky, 1890 is designated. Distribution of both species from China and Mongolia is summarized and mapped.

Ketone body oxidation and susceptibility to ethyl acetoacetate in a novel hemolytic multidrug-resistant strain Leptospira interrogans KeTo originated from sewage water

Terrestrial and aquatic environments contaminated with animal urine may contribute to the transmission of Leptospira, a causative agent of leptospirosis in humans and wild/domesticated animals. Although enormous amounts of work have been done decoding the ecophysiology, the factors governing the cell growth and virulence in Leptospires derived from environmental samples still remain elusive. Here, we show oxidation of a wide array of organic acids including acetoacetate by a new strain of Leptospira interrogans designated as KeTo, isolated from a sewage sample originating from a wildlife enclosure located at Mangalore, India. We further demonstrate the susceptibility of KeTo to ethyl ester of acetoacetate (ethyl acetoacetate, EA). A 4.7 Mbp genome of KeTo shared the highest relatedness to pathogenic L. interrogans RGAT (99.3%), followed by L. kirschneri 3522CT (91.3%) and other related species of Leptospira (80.8‒74.3%), and harbored genes encoding acetoacetyl-CoA synthetase and acetoacetate decarboxylase respectively involved in the acetoacetate utilization and acetone formation. In line with this, strain KeTo oxidized acetoacetate when supplied as a sole carbon. Aqueous EA suppressed biofilm formation (p < 0.0001) of KeTo in basal Ellinghausen–McCullough–Johnson–Harris (EMJH) medium. Similarly, significant inhibition in the growth/biofilm of Leptospira was recorded in semisolid EMJH with/without blood supplementation when exposed to volatile EA. The extent of ketone body oxidation and susceptibility to EA was found to vary with strain as evident through the analysis of L. interrogans serogroup Australis sv. Australis strain Ballico and L. interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae sv. Lai Like strain AF61. In conclusion, our study demonstrated the ketone body metabolic ability and susceptibility to an esterified derivative of a major ketone body in the tested strains of L. interrogans. Molecular aspects governing EA-driven growth inhibition warrant further investigations to develop optimal therapeutics for leptospirosis.

Description of a new species of Anomala Samouelle, 1819 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) from the Nanling Mountains (China) and remarks on three related species

Anomala calceuiformis Huang &amp; Lu, sp. nov. is described as a new species based on specimens collected from Mangshan National Nature Reserve, Hunan Province, China. Anomala calceuiformis sp. nov., which has an elongate, red-brown body, a strongly reflected clypeus, and convex elytral intervals, is similar to Anomala fukiensis Machatschke, 1955, Anomala longicarcarata Lin, 2002, and Anomala spatuliformis Lin, 2002. Here we provide a key to these species, describe and diagnose each of them, and compile a distribution map. In addition, the Cytochrome oxidase I (COI) DNA sequence of Anomala calceuiformis sp. nov. is provided. The morphological features that distinguish Anomala calceuiformis sp. nov. from related species are discussed.

Host and habitat shape ectoparasite diversity on Mastomys natalensis and Mastomys coucha (Muridae).

Mastomys natalensis and M. coucha are commensal rodent species endemic to Africa. A recent taxonomic revision within Mastomys leaves the parasite–host list of M. natalensis questionable and that of M. coucha incomplete. The current study aimed to develop a better understanding of the ectoparasite diversity associated with the 2 distinct but closely related rodent species and to explore the influence of host and habitat type on ectoparasite infestations. Between 2014 and 2020, 590 rodents were trapped in 3 habitat types (village, agriculture and natural) across a wildlife-human/domestic animal interface. In total 48 epifaunistic species (45 ectoparasitic and 3 predatory) represented by 29 genera from 4 taxonomic groups (fleas, lice, mites and ticks) were recorded. Only 50% of the epifauna were shared between the 2 rodent species, with mites the most speciose taxon in both host species. The abundance of epifaunistic individuals, and also those of mites and fleas, were significantly higher on male M. natalensis, while ticks were significantly higher on reproductively active M. natalensis. For both rodent species, infestations by most epifaunistic taxa (on M. natalensis) and some taxa (on M. coucha) were significantly lower in the village as opposed to the less disturbed agricultural and natural habitat types. The study highlights the importance of host life history, even in closely related rodent species, in shaping parasite profiles and a loss of parasite diversity in more extreme anthropogenic habitats.

Phylogenetic and divergence analysis of Pentatomidae, with a comparison of the mitochondrial genomes of two related species (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae).

Pentatomidae, the most diverse family of Pentatomoidea, is found worldwide. Currently, the phylogenetic relationships among Pentatomidae tribes remain unstable, and subfamily divergence has not been estimated. Here, we sequenced and analyzed the complete mitochondrial genomes of two species of Lelia, and studied the phylogenetic relationships among Pentatominae tribes. We also selected three available fossil as the calibration points in the family, and preliminarily discussed the divergence time of Pentatomidae. Trees of Pentatomidae were reconstructed using the Bayesian inference method. Divergence times of Pentatominae were estimated based on the nucleotide sequences of protein-coding genes with a relaxed clock log-normal model in BEASTv.1.8.2. The results showed that the gene arrangements, nucleotide composition, and codon preferences were highly conserved in Lelia. Further, a phylogenetic analysis recovered Eysarcorini, Strachiini, Phyllocephalini, and Menidini as monophyletic with strong support, however, the monophyly of Antestiini, Nezarini, Carpocorini, Pentatomini and Cappaeini were rejected. Moreover, Pentatominae diverged from Pentatomidae soon after the origin of the Cretaceous Period, at approximately 110.38 Ma. This study enriches the mitochondrial genome database of Pentatomidae and provides a reference for further phylogenetic studies, and provides a more accurate estimate of divergence time.