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1. Four New Species of Haplocauda, with Notes on the Evolutionary Convergence of Copulation Clamps in Lucidotini (Coleoptera: Lampyridae: Lampyrinae)

   https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16080824  

   Zeballos, Leandro; Silveira, Luiz_Felipe_Lima da; Fonseca, Cláudio_Ruy_Vasconcelos da (August 2025, Insects)

   Lampyrinae Lucidotini contains nearly a third of the world’s Lampyridae. The lack of revisions and the overlap of diagnostic features across taxonomic levels have hindered identification and, therefore, further studies of Lucidotini taxa. The use of terminalia and genital traits in Lucidotini phylogenies has been fundamental to inform and update the genus-level delimitations in this group. One important open question is whether the presence of increased-length abdominal segment VIII (in relation to segment VII) in the closely related genera Scissicauda and Haplocauda is synapomorphic or homoplastic. In recent collecting efforts combined with studies of specimens deposited in different scientific collections, we found specimens hypothesized as four new firefly species from the Amazon basin that share the unique characteristics of the male abdomen of Haplocauda species. To test the hypothesis that these new species are monophyletic and sisters to Haplocauda species, and that the augmented segment VIII is synapomorphic to Scissicauda + Haplocauda, we ran phylogenetic analyses building upon a pre-existing character matrix, including a wide sample of Lucidotini and neighboring branches. Our results support the placement of the four new species described here (H. lata sp. nov., H. amazonensis sp. nov., H. aculeata sp. nov. and H. antimary sp. nov.) in Haplocauda. Importantly, one species with regular-sized segment VIII sclerites was recovered as the earliest diverging lineages of Haplocauda, suggesting that segment VIII was augmented at least twice in the Lucidotini—the other one being within Scissicauda. We also report, for the first time, a sympatry between Haplocauda species. We revised the definition of Haplocauda and updated the distribution of H. mendesi and the existing key to species. 

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2. Higher-Level Phylogeny and Reclassification of Lampyridae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea)

   https://doi.org/10.1093/isd/ixz024  

   Martin, Gavin J; Stanger-Hall, Kathrin F; Branham, Marc A; Da Silveira, Luiz F; Lower, Sarah E; Hall, David W; Li, Xue-Yan; Lemmon, Alan R; Moriarty Lemmon, Emily; Bybee, Seth M (November 2019, Insect Systematics and Diversity)

   Jordal, Bjarte (Ed.)

   Abstract Fireflies (Lampyridae Rafinesque) are a diverse family of beetles which exhibit an array of morphologies including varying antennal and photic organ features. Due in part to their morphological diversity, the classification within the Lampyridae has long been in flux. Here we use an anchored hybrid enrichment approach to reconstruct the most extensive molecular phylogeny of Lampyridae to date (436 loci and 98 taxa) and use this phylogeny to evaluate the higher-level classification of the group. None of the currently recognized subfamilies were recovered as monophyletic with high support. We propose several classification changes supported by both phylogenetic and morphological evidence: 1) Pollaclasis Newman, Vestini McDermott (incl. Vesta Laporte, Dodacles Olivier, Dryptelytra Laporte, and Ledocas Olivier), Photoctus McDermott, and Araucariocladus Silveira & Mermudes are transferred to Lampyridae incertae sedis, 2) Psilocladinae Mcdermott, 1964status novum is reestablished for the genus Psilocladus Blanchard, 3) Lamprohizini Kazantsev, 2010 is elevated to Lamprohizinae Kazantsev, 2010status novum and Phausis LeConte is transferred to Lamprohizinae, 4) Memoan Silveira and Mermudes is transferred to Amydetinae Olivier, and 5) Scissicauda McDermott is transferred to Lampyrinae Rafinesque. 

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3. Insect Population Dynamics on the Main Cropping System Experiment at the Kellogg Biological Station, Hickory Corners, MI (1989 to 2019)

   https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/f0776c1574808b08c484c1f7645a7357  

   Landis, Douglas (January 2020, Environmental Data Initiative)

   Dataset Abstract Plant dwelling insect occurrence in the LTER main site (all treatments) of the KBS-LTER has been recorded since 1989 and in the successional and forest sites since 1993. The effort has focused on characterizing the temporal and spatial abundance and diversity of a set of insects representative of a higher order insect trophic level, the herbivore predators. The insect database contains more than 400,000 records and consists of counts of adult insects of fourteen species of Coccinellidae, one species of Chrysopidae, and one species of Lampyridae from 30 sample sites in each of the seven treatments in the LTER Main Site. The standard method used to measure these organisms is a yellow sticky trap. Sampling is conducted weekly during the growing season as described in the sampling protocol. original data source http://lter.kbs.msu.edu/datasets/26 

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4. Type designations for fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) of the Biologia Centrali Americana Gorham, 1881 housed in the Natural History Museum, London

   https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4808.2.11  

   MARTIN, GAVIN J.; POWELL, GARETH S. (July 2020, Zootaxa)

   null (Ed.)

   The Biologia Centrali Americana (B.C.A.) is comprised of eight volumes that deal specifically with Coleoptera. These volumes were split into 18 parts and were published between 1879 and 1911. The family Lampyridae was treated in two parts, the main text (1881) with a supplement (1884). Within volume three, part 2, Gorham lists ~90 species in 14 genera, not including the Phengodini subfamily. Of these, Gorham provided original descriptions for 37 species. During recent research visits (2018 and 2020) the authors were able to study material pertinent to the B.C.A. We were able to confidently designate holotypes, lectotypes, and paralectotypes following ICZN articles 73.1 and 74.1 within these species. Two species described by Gorham (1881) are not treated here. Phaenolis nirgricollis was located with a single specimen, already designate as the holotype. Two female syntypes of Photinus consanguineous were located, however Oliver (1907) synonymized these females with Photinus pyralis. These designations contribute to a larger taxonomic effort to stabilize the nomenclature of this group. The species described in the supplement will be treated in a future work. Subfamilies are listed according to Martin et al. (2019) and genera/species within each subfamily are listed according to the order in Gorham (1881). 

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5. Herbarium specimens reveal herbivory patterns across the genus Cucurbita

   https://doi.org/2021.2007.2021.452357  

   Jenny, L.A.; Shapiro, L.R.; Davis, C.C.; Davies, T.J.; Pierce, N.E.; Meineke, E. (July 2021, bioRxiv)

   PREMISE Quantifying how closely related plant species differ in susceptibility to insect herbivory is important for our understanding of variation in plant-insect ecological interactions and evolutionary pressures on plant functional traits. However, empirically measuring in situ variation in herbivory over the entire geographic range where a plant-insect complex occurs is logistically difficult. Recently, new methods have been developed to use herbarium specimens to investigate patterns in plant-insect interactions across geographic areas, and during periods of accelerating anthropogenic change. Such investigations can provide insights into changes in herbivory intensity and phenology in plants that are of ecological and agricultural importance. METHODS Here, we analyze 274 pressed herbarium samples from all 14 species in the economically important plant genus Cucurbita (Cucurbitaceae) to investigate variation in herbivory damage. This collection is comprised of specimens of wild, undomesticated Cucurbita that were collected from across their native range in the Neotropics and subtropics, and Cucurbita cultivars that were collected from both within their native range and from locations where they have been introduced for agriculture in temperate Eastern North America. RESULTS We find that herbivory is common on individuals of all Cucurbita species collected from throughout their geographic ranges; however, estimates of herbivory varied considerably among individuals, with greater damage observed in specimens collected from unmanaged habitat. We also find evidence that mesophytic species accrue more insect damage than xerophytic species. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that herbarium specimens are a useful resource for understanding ecological interactions between domesticated crop plants and co-evolved insect herbivores. 

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