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1. Systematics and biogeography of the Holarctic dragonfly genus Somatochlora (Anisoptera: Corduliidae)

   https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12672  

   Goodman, Aaron; Abbott, John; Breinholt, Jesse W; Bybee, Seth; Frandsen, Paul B; Guralnick, Rob; Kalkman, Vincent J; Kohli, Manpreet; Newton, Lacie; Ware, Jessica L (February 2025, Systematic Entomology)

   Abstract The striped emeralds (SomatochloraSelys) are a Holarctic group of medium‐sized metallic green dragonflies that mainly inhabit bogs and seepages, alpine streams, lakes, channels and lowland brooks. With 42 species they are the most diverse genus within Corduliidae (Odonata: Anisoptera). Systematic, taxonomic and biogeographic resolution withinSomatochloraremains unclear, with numerous hypotheses of relatedness based on wing veins, male claspers (epiproct and paraprocts) and nymphs. Furthermore,Somatochlora borisiwas recently described as a new genus (Corduliochlora) based on 17 morphological characters, but its position with respect toSomatochlorais unclear. We present a phylogenetic reconstruction ofSomatochlorausing Anchored Hybrid Enrichment (AHE) sequences of 40/42Somatochloraspecies (includingCorduliochlora borisi). Our data recover the monophyly ofSomatochlora, withC. borisirecovered as sister to the remainingSomatochlora. We also recover three highly supported clades and one of mixed support; this lack of resolution is most likely due to incomplete lineage sorting, third‐codon position saturation based on iterative analyses run on variations of our dataset and hybridization. Furthermore, we constructed a dataset for all species based on 20 morphological characters from the literature which were used to evaluate phylogenetic groups recovered with molecular data; the data support the validity ofCorduliochloraas a genus distinct fromSomatochlora. Finally, divergence time estimation and biogeographic analysis indicateSomatochloraoriginated in the Western North Hemisphere during the Miocene, with three dispersal events to the Eastern North Hemisphere (11, 7 and 5 Ma, respectively) across the Beringian Land Bridge. 

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2. Phylogenetic review of the millipede genus Cherokia Chamberlin, 1949 (Polydesmida, Xystodesmidae)

   https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1106.81386  

   Vasquez-Valverde, Luisa Fernanda; Marek, Paul E. (June 2022, ZooKeys)

   The millipede genus Cherokia Chamberlin, 1949 is a monospecific taxon, with the type species Cherokia georgiana (Bollman, 1889). The last revision of the genus was made by Hoffman (1960) where he established three subspecies. Here we used molecular phylogenetics to assess the genus and evaluate whether it is a monophyletic group, and if the subspecies are each monophyletic. We included material from literature records and three natural history collections. Newly collected samples were obtained through a citizen science project. Morphological characters underlying subspecies groups—the shape of the paranota, body size, and coloration—were evaluated. A molecular phylogeny of the genus was estimated based on DNA sequences for seven gene loci, and a species delimitation analysis was used to evaluate the status of the subspecies. The documented geographical range of Cherokia in the United States was expanded to include a newly reported state record (Virginia) and about 160 new localities compared to the previously known range. Morphological characters, which included the shape of the paranota and body size that had been historically used to establish subspecies, showed clinal variation with a direct relationship with geographical distribution and elevation, but not with phylogeny. Coloration was highly variable and did not accord with geography or phylogeny. The phylogeny recovered Cherokia as a monophyletic lineage, and the species delimitation test supported the existence of a single species. The subspecies Cherokia georgiana ducilla (Chamberlin, 1939) and Cherokia georgiana latassa Hoffman, 1960 have been synonymized with Cherokia georgiana . The molecular and morphological evidence showed that Cherokia is a monospecific genus with the sole species, Cherokia georgiana , being geographically widespread and highly variable in its morphology. 

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3. A revision of the wilsoni species group in the millipede genus Nannaria Chamberlin, 1918 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Xystodesmidae)

   https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1096.73485  

   Hennen, Derek A.; Means, Jackson C.; Marek, Paul E. (April 2022, ZooKeys)

   Although many new species of the millipede genus Nannaria Chamberlin, 1918 have been known from museum collections for over half a century, a systematic revision has not been undertaken until recently. There are two species groups in the genus: the minor species group and the wilsoni species group. In this study, the wilsoni species group was investigated. Specimens were collected from throughout its distribution in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States and used for a multi-gene molecular phylogeny. The phylogenetic tree recovered Nannaria and the two species groups as monophyletic, with Oenomaea pulchella as its sister group. Seventeen new species were described, bringing the composition of the wilsoni species group to 24 species, more than tripling its known diversity, and increasing the total number of described Nannaria species to 78. The genus now has the greatest number of species in the family Xystodesmidae. Museum holdings of Nannaria were catalogued, and a total of 1,835 records used to produce a distribution map of the species group. Live photographs, illustrations of diagnostic characters, ecological notes, and conservation statuses are given. The wilsoni species group is restricted to the Appalachian region, unlike the widely-distributed minor species group (known throughout eastern North America), and has a distinct gap in its distribution in northeastern Tennessee and adjacent northwestern North Carolina. The wilsoni species group seems to be adapted to mesic microhabitats in middle to high elevation forests in eastern North America. New species are expected to be discovered in the southern Appalachian Mountains. 

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4. Phylogenomics Resolves the Relationships within Antennaria (Asteraceae, Gnaphalieae) and Yields New Insights into its Morphological Character Evolution and Biogeography

   https://doi.org/10.1600/036364420X15862837791221  

   Thapa, Ramhari; Bayer, Randall J.; Mandel, Jennifer R. (June 2020, Systematic Botany)

   Abstract— Antennaria are dioecious perennial herbs distributed mainly in the Holarctic Region, with their major center of diversity in the Rocky Mountains of Western North America. The genus comprises 33 known sexual diploid/tetraploid species and at least five polyploid agamic complexes which mostly reproduce by forming asexual seeds. We performed a phylogenetic reconstruction of the 31 sexually-reproducing Antennaria species using a novel target enrichment method that employs custom capture probes designed to work across Asteraceae. Both concatenated and coalescent-based analyses of DNA sequence data from hundreds of nuclear loci recovered Antennaria as a monophyletic group except for the long-disputed species, Antennaria linearifolia , which was recovered outside of the genus. Antennaria was further resolved into three distinct, major lineages. Analysis of ancestral state reconstruction of 12 taxonomically important morphological characters elucidated patterns of character evolution throughout the genus. Estimations of ancestral geographic ranges and molecular dating analyses demonstrated the Rocky Mountain region, including the Vancouverian Province, as the center of origin for the genus Antennaria, around 5.8 MYA. Subsequent dispersals of Antennaria into the Arctic and Appalachian provinces, Canadian provinces, and Eurasia took place roughly 3.2 MYA, 2.4 MYA, and 1.6 MYA, respectively. Biogeographical stochastic mapping indicated that 51.4% of biogeographical events were based on within-area speciation. The remaining 48.6% of the events were divided into two types of dispersals: 1) range expansion dispersals (anagenic, 37%), and 2) founder/jump dispersals (cladogenic, 11.6%). Our results provide a framework for future evolutionary studies of Antennaria, including speciation, origin(s) of polyploidy, and agamospermy in the genus. 

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5. Phylogenetic systematics of the genus Cyerce (Mollusca: Heterobranchia: Sacoglossa: Caliphyllidae) from the Pacific and Indian oceans with descriptions of nine new species

   https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf030  

   Moreno, Karina; Medrano, Sabrina; Gosliner, Terrence_M; Wilson, Nerida_G; Krug, Patrick_J; Valdés, Ángel (May 2025, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society)

   Abstract The genus Cyerce Bergh, 1870 has been a model for the study of defensive strategies, including chemical defences, ceratal autotomy, and crypsis or aposematism. Specialization on different algae and diverse genital armatures also make Cyerce a useful system for investigating speciation by host shift versus sexual selection. Here, we review the genus Cyerce in the Pacific and Indian oceans using molecular and morphological data. Two mitochondrial genes (COI and 16S) and one nuclear gene (H3) were sequenced from 154 specimens, including representatives from the Atlantic Ocean. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses were used to generate phylogenetic hypotheses. Species delimitation analyses performed on COI sequences recovered 17 genetically distinct Pacific and Indian Ocean species of Cyerce, 10 of which are new to science. Nine new species are named herein (C. takanoi sp. nov., C. katiae sp. nov., C. trowbridgeae sp. nov., C. blackburnae sp. nov., C. tutela sp. nov., C. basi sp. nov., C. whaapi sp. nov., C. goodheartae sp. nov., and C. liliuokalaniae sp. nov.). The 10th species, from the Red Sea, is not named due to the absence of internal anatomical data. These findings increase the species richness in Cyerce by about two-thirds, and demonstrate that even conspicuous taxa harbour considerable cryptic diversity. 

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