More Like this

1. Species delimitation and invasion history of the balsam woolly adelgid, Adelges ( Dreyfusia ) piceae (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea: Adelgidae), species complex

   https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12456  

   Havill, Nathan P.; Griffin, Brian P.; Andersen, Jeremy C.; Foottit, Robert G.; Justesen, Mathias J.; Caccone, Adalgisa; D'Amico, Vincent; Elkinton, Joseph S. (October 2020, Systematic Entomology)

   Abstract TheAdelges(Dreyfusia)piceae(Ratzeburg) species complex is a taxonomically unstable group of six species. Three of the species are cyclically parthenogenetic [Ad.nordmannianae(Eckstein),Ad.prelli(Grossmann), andAd.merkeri(Eichhorn)] and three are obligately asexual [Ad.piceae,Ad.schneideri(Börner), andAd.nebrodensis(Binazzi & Covassi)]. Some species are high‐impact pests of fir (Abies) trees, so stable species names are needed to communicate effectively about management. Therefore, to refine species delimitation, guided by a reconstruction of their biogeographic history, we genotyped adelgids from Europe, North America, and the Caucasus Mountains region with 19 microsatellite loci, sequenced the COI DNA barcoding region, and compared morphology. Discriminant analysis of principal components of microsatellite genotypes revealed four distinct genetic clusters. Two clusters were morphologically consistent withAd.nordmannianae. One of these clusters consisted of samples from the Caucasus Mountains and northern Turkey, and the other included samples from this region as well as from Europe and North America, whereAd.nordmannianaeis invasive. A third cluster was morphologically consistent withAd.piceae, and included individuals from Europe, where it is native, and North America, where it is invasive. In North America, the majority ofAd.piceaeindividuals were assigned to two geographically widespread clones, suggesting multiple introductions. The fourth cluster included individuals morphologically consistent withAd.prelliorAd.merkeri. However, based on genetic assignments, hybrid simulations, and approximate Bayesian computation, we find it likely that these are contemporary hybrids betweenAd.nordmannianaeandAd.piceaethat arose independently in Europe and North America, so we propose thatAd.prelliandAd.merkeriare invalid. Finally, we synonymiseAd.schneideri(syn.n.)withAd.nordmannianaeand designateAd.nebrodensisas subspeciesAd.piceae nebrodensis(stat.n.). Our revised taxonomy therefore recognises two species:Ad.nordmannianaeandAd.piceae, which we estimate to have diverged recently, during one of the last two interglacial periods. Finally, we comment on this species complex being in the midst of transition between sexual and asexual reproduction, a pattern that is probably common in Adelgidae. 

   more » « less
2. Phylogenomic Delimitation of Morphologically Cryptic Species in Globetrotting Nylanderia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Species Complexes

   https://doi.org/10.1093/isd/ixab027  

   Williams, Jason L; Zhang, Y Miles; LaPolla, John S; Schultz, Ted R; Lucky, Andrea (January 2022, Insect Systematics and Diversity)

   Camacho, Gabriela P (Ed.)

   Abstract The ant genus Nylanderia Emery has a cosmopolitan distribution and includes 150 extant described species and subspecies, with potentially hundreds more undescribed. Global taxonomic revision has long been stalled by strong intra- and interspecific morphological variation, limited numbers of diagnostic characters, and dependence on infrequently collected male specimens for species description and identification. Taxonomy is further complicated by Nylanderia being one of the most frequently intercepted ant genera at ports of entry worldwide, and at least 15 globetrotting species have widespread and expanding ranges, making species-level diagnoses difficult. Three species complexes (‘bourbonica complex’, ‘fulva complex’, and ‘guatemalensis complex’) include globetrotting species. To elucidate the phylogenetic positions of these three complexes and delimit species boundaries within each, we used target enrichment of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) from 165 specimens representing 98 Nylanderia morphospecies worldwide. We also phased the UCEs, effectively doubling sample size and increasing population-level sampling. After recovering strong support for the monophyly of each complex, we extracted COI barcodes and SNPs from the UCE data and tested within-complex morphospecies hypotheses using three molecular delimitation methods (SODA, bPTP, and STACEY). This comparison revealed that most methods tended to over-split taxa, but results from STACEY were most consistent with our morphospecies hypotheses. Using these results, we recommend species boundaries that are conservative and most congruent across all methods. This work emphasizes the importance of integrative taxonomy for invasive species management, as globetrotting occurs independently across at least nine different lineages across Nylanderia. 

   more » « less
3. Comparative genomics of 10 new Caenorhabditis species

   https://doi.org/10.1002/evl3.110  

   Stevens, Lewis; Félix, Marie-Anne; Beltran, Toni; Braendle, Christian; Caurcel, Carlos; Fausett, Sarah; Fitch, David; Frézal, Lise; Gosse, Charlie; Kaur, Taniya; et al (April 2019, Evolution Letters)

   Abstract The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been central to the understanding of metazoan biology. However, C. elegans is but one species among millions and the significance of this important model organism will only be fully revealed if it is placed in a rich evolutionary context. Global sampling efforts have led to the discovery of over 50 putative species from the genus Caenorhabditis, many of which await formal species description. Here, we present species descriptions for 10 new Caenorhabditis species. We also present draft genome sequences for nine of these new species, along with a transcriptome assembly for one. We exploit these whole-genome data to reconstruct the Caenorhabditis phylogeny and use this phylogenetic tree to dissect the evolution of morphology in the genus. We reveal extensive variation in genome size and investigate the molecular processes that underlie this variation. We show unexpected complexity in the evolutionary history of key developmental pathway genes. These new species and the associated genomic resources will be essential in our attempts to understand the evolutionary origins of the C. elegans model. 

   more » « less
4. Four new nodulose-spored species of Inocybe ( Agaricales ) from West Africa

   https://doi.org/10.3114/fuse.2022.10.01  

   Aïgnon, HL; Jabeen, S; Verbeken, A; Matheny, PB; Yorou, NS; Ryberg, M (December 2022, Fungal Systematics and Evolution)

   We describe four new nodulose-spored species ofInocybefrom tropical regions of Africa:I. beninensis, I. flavipes, I. fuscobrunneaandI. pallidiangulata.The new species are recognised based on morphological data and phylogenetic analyses of ITS, 28S andRPB2sequences. Phylogenetic analyses indicated thatI. flavipesandI. beninensisare part of a subclade leading to theI. calidagroup.Inocybe fuscobrunneaappears sister to theI. asterosporagroup.Inocybe pallidiangulatais nested within a clade of mainly tropical species from South Asia, Africa, and South America, close to the subclade ofI. lilacinosquamosaandI. ayangannaefrom Guyana. Complete descriptions and illustrations, including photographs and line drawings, and a key to nodulose-spored taxa of tropical African species ofInocybeare provided. 

   more » « less
5. Evolution, Pollination Biology, and Species Richness of Salvia (Lamiaceae)

   https://doi.org/10.1086/710711  

   Drew, Bryan T. (October 2020, International Journal of Plant Sciences)