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  • Discovery of a new gall-inducing species, Aciurina luminaria (Insecta, Diptera, Tephritidae) via multi-trait integrative taxonomy
Title: Discovery of a new gall-inducing species, Aciurina luminaria (Insecta, Diptera, Tephritidae) via multi-trait integrative taxonomy
Integrative taxonomic practices that combine multiple lines of evidence for species delimitation greatly improve our understanding of intra- and inter-species variation and biodiversity. However, extended phenotypes remain underutilized despite their potential as a species-specific set of extracorporeal morphological and life history traits. Primarily relying on variations in wing patterns has caused taxonomic confusion in the genusAciurina, which are gall-inducing flies on Asteraceae plants in western North America. However, species display distinct gall morphologies that can be crucial for species identification. Here we investigate a unique gall morphotype in New Mexico and Colorado that was previously described as a variant of that induced byAciurina bigeloviae(Cockerell, 1890). Our analysis has discovered several consistent features that distinguish it from galls ofA. bigeloviae. A comprehensive description ofAciurina luminariaBaine,sp. nov.and its gall is provided through integrative taxonomic study of gall morphology, host plant ecology, wing morphometrics, and reduced-representation genome sequencing.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2021744
PAR ID:
10609089
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Zoo Keys
Date Published:
Journal Name:
ZooKeys
Volume:
1214
ISSN:
1313-2989
Page Range / eLocation ID:
217 to 236
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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