Article
Zoology
Elynton Alves Do Nascimento, Milada Bocakova
Summary: A new genus Cladocalon is proposed in the subfamily Lycinae, which includes five species. The study provides illustrations of diagnostic features and a key to species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Genta Okude, Minoru Moriyama, Ryouka Kawahara-Miki, Shunsuke Yajima, Takema Fukatsu, Ryo Futahashi
Summary: The functional changes and interactions of transcription factors Kr-h1, broad, and E93 are crucial in the metamorphosis of insects. These findings are significant for understanding the evolution of insect metamorphosis.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Lester J. Perez, Gavin A. Cloherty, Michael G. Berg
Summary: Picobirnaviruses (PBVs) are small double-segmented, double-stranded RNA viruses that are frequently associated with gastrointestinal and respiratory infections. The evolutionary analysis revealed that PBVs emerged simultaneously from avian Reovirus and fungal Partitivirus ancestors, indicating parallel evolution from different hosts has driven the genetic similarities among PBV species. These findings provide insights into the origins and genetic diversification of the Picobirnaviridae family.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sergei E. Tshernyshev
Summary: A new species of soft-winged flower beetle, similar in appearance to a known species but differing in certain characteristics, was described from the Russian Far East. The disjunctive distribution of the new species from the main distribution area of the genus was discussed in relation to forest distribution during specific time periods. Oak trees were identified as the typical habitat for the genus Hypebaeus based on field studies in the UK. The nominative species of the genus, H. flavipes, was redescribed from specimens collected in Great Britain.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Qian Zhao, Diying Huang, Chenyang Cai
Summary: The fossil records of Kateretidae from the Mesozoic are pivotal in understanding the origins and early evolution of the family. Recent discoveries of Cretaceous kateretids have provided valuable insights into the paleodiversity and morphological diversity of these taxa. This study establishes a new genus and species of kateretid beetles, Scaporetes rectus gen. et sp. nov., based on a specimen preserved in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber from northern Myanmar. The new species is characterized by its significantly enlarged scape and extremely small labrum. This discovery highlights the morphological disparity of Kateretidae during the late Mesozoic.
Article
Entomology
Michael G. Branstetter, John T. Longino
Summary: This study investigated the phylogenetic relationships, species boundaries, and divergence dates of New World Cryptopone using phylogenomic data from ultraconserved elements (UCEs), as well as mitogenomes and legacy markers. The results showed that Cryptopone is polyphyletic, with all South American species belonging to a separate genus called Wadeura. The study also identified a single clade of true Cryptopone in North and Central America, with origin dating back to approximately 4.2 million years ago. Taxonomic revisions were made, including the resurrection of Wadeura and the description of new species.
INSECT SYSTEMATICS AND DIVERSITY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Sergey V. Kazantsev
Summary: A new genus and five new species of neotenic lyropaeine net-winged beetles are described from Malaysia and Indonesia. Additionally, a synonym relationship between Horakiella Bocakova and Atamania Kazantsev is proposed, and descriptions of little known species in the subfamily are complemented with macrophotographs.
Article
Entomology
Dominik Kusy, Michal Motyka, Renata Bilkova, Ladislav Bocak
Summary: This study conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the Lycidae genera, resulting in the discovery of new genera and species, as well as the revision of the classification. The research also revealed high phylogenetic diversity and species richness in New Guinea, but lower diversity in the Australian continental fauna.
INSECT SYSTEMATICS AND DIVERSITY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Sergey Kazantsev, Ladislav Bocak
Summary: A new genus and species of net-winged beetles are described from late Eocene Rovno amber of Ukraine. The discovery increases the number of amber taxa of Lycidae in the region to six genera and seven species, with the majority belonging to the subfamily Erotinae. This finding provides new insights into the distribution and diversity of net-winged beetles in amber deposits.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lucio D'Andrea, Nicolas Sierro, Sonia Ouadi, Tomas Hasing, Elijah Rinaldi, Nikolai V. Ivanov, Aureliano Bombarely
Summary: In this study, the researchers analyzed the plastidial and nuclear genes of several Nicotiana diploid species and found that Nicotiana section Suaveolentes is a polyploid tobacco species that originated in Australia through hybridization between diploid relatives.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Zoology
William F. Smith-Vaniz
Summary: This updated review provides information on sixty species of jawfishes from the Indo-West Pacific, including descriptions of eighteen new species. Each species is accompanied by a species account, illustrations or color photographs, complete synonymies, examination of specimens, diagnosis, comparisons, etymology, and distribution maps. Range extensions are reported, and an identification key and frequency tables are provided. The taxonomic status of two species is discussed but remains unresolved without molecular data. Variations in geographic range are described for several species. The study highlights the need for further research on these jawfishes due to limited knowledge.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Uyen Mai, Siavash Mirarab
Summary: This paper introduces a new dating method wLogDate, which formulates dating as a nonconvex optimization problem, minimizing the variance of log-transformed rate multipliers across the tree. The method is shown to be more accurate and robust to various model assumptions than alternatives on simulated and real data.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Unisa Conteh Kanu, E. Zhang, Shen Jianzhong
Summary: In this study, Cytb sequences from Mastacembelus spp. specimens from the Rokel River, Taia/Jong River basins, and Freetown Peninsula were used to conduct a gene-based phylogenetic analysis. The results showed hidden species diversity and suggested the presence of undescribed diversity within M. liberiensis in Sierra Leone. More samples and an integrated approach are needed for further research.
Article
Zoology
Edwin Bedoya-Roqueme, Everton Tizo-Pedroso, Eder Barbier, Andre Felipe De Araujo Lira
Summary: In a study on pseudoscorpions in caves in northeastern Brazil, eight species were identified. The distribution of several species including Pseudochthonius biseriatus Mahnert, 2001, Cryptoditha aff. elegans, Parachernes (P.) nitidimanus (Ellingsen, 1905), Petterchernes brasiliensis Heurtault, 1986, Ceriochernes foliaceosetosus Beier, 1974, and Progarypus setifer Mahnert, 2001 has been extended to include the State of Pernambuco. Additionally, two new species, Geogarypus gollumi sp. nov. (Geogarypidae) and Progarypus smaugi sp. nov. (Hesperolpiidae), have been described.
Article
Zoology
Andrei Grischenko, Dennis P. Gordon, Paul D. Taylor, Piotr Kuklinski, Nina Denisenko, Mary E. Spencer-Jones, Andrew N. Ostrovsky
Summary: This study describes twenty-four recent species of the boreal-Arctic and Pacific cheilostome bryozoan genus Rhamphostomella. The taxonomic revision, morphology, ecology, zoogeography, and identification keys of these species are discussed. The diversity of Rhamphostomella peaks in the northwestern Pacific.
Article
Zoology
Ladislav Bocak, Dominik Kusy, Michal Motyka, Matej Bocek
Article
Entomology
Matej Bocek, Michal Motyka, Dominik Kusy, Ladislav Bocak
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michal Motyka, Matej Bocek, Dominik Kusy, Ladislav Bocak
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Dominik Kusy, Jin-Wu He, Seth M. Bybee, Michal Motyka, Wen-Xuan Bi, Lars Podsiadlowski, Xue-Yan Li, Ladislav Bocak
Summary: The study suggests that bioluminescence in Elateridae, Lampyridae, Phengodidae, and Rhagophthalmidae has a single origin, forming the 'lampyroid clade'. Soft-bodied bioluminescent elateroid beetles likely evolved from fully sclerotized elateroids, with bioluminescence possibly arising in Elateridae in the mid-Cretaceous period in eastern Laurasia. This research provides a phylogenetic framework for studying genomic variation in the evolution of bioluminescence.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Ladislav Bocak, Michal Motyka, Dominik Kusy, Renata Bilkova
Article
Entomology
Dominik Kusy, Michal Motyka, Ladislav Bocak
Summary: The study revisited the classification of click beetles by sequencing mitochondrial genomes of eight species, proposing new subfamilies and transferring groups to new statuses. The deep splits between different subfamilies were supported by phylogenetic analyses using mitochondrial genomes. The results suggest a Gondwanan origin for certain lineages within Elateridae.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michal Motyka, Dominik Kusy, Michal Masek, Matej Bocek, Yun Li, R. Bilkova, Josef Kapitan, Takashi Yagi, Ladislav Bocak
Summary: Biologists have studied the chemical defences and phenetic similarity of net-winged beetles and their co-mimics. The research illustrates the appearance and distribution of hundreds of lycid species and their co-mimics, as well as their evolutionary patterns using a transcriptomic backbone. The study reveals the evolution of aposematic patterns and the complex mimetic communities in different regions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Geology
Ladislav Bocak, Patrick Mueller, Michal Motyka, Dominik Kusy
Summary: Newly available specimens of Prototrichalus provide further diagnostic characters for its phylogenetic classification. Based on detailed descriptions and comparisons, it is revealed that Prototrichalus shares similarities with the tenebrionoid families, leading to its transfer from Elateroidea: Lycidae to Tenebrionoidea incertae sedis. The earlier claim regarding the origin of Prototrichalus and its relation to the net-winged beetles is incorrect. Further discoveries are needed to provide robust evidence for the superficial similarity between Prototrichalus and net-winged beetles.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Michal Motyka, Dominik Kusy, Jiri Hava, Eva Jahodarova, Renata Bilkova, Alfried P. Vogler, Ladislav Bocak
Summary: Dermestidae (Bostrichoidea) exploit diverse food sources, primarily feeding on dried tissue, and evolving from mycetophagy to saprophagy, with a preference for food with low water content. Their evolutionary history involves a transition in lifestyle from cryptic habitats to symbiosis with social insects, ultimately feeding on angiosperm pollen as adults.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Michal Motyka, Dominik Kusy, Matej Bocek, Renata Bilkova, Ladislav Bocak
Summary: The study utilized integrative phylogenomic and three mtDNA fragment analyses to sequence a beetle fauna, revealing many previously unknown species. Additionally, through constrained mtDNA analysis, a biodiversity hotspot and high species-level endemism were identified in New Guinea. Focused field research and subsequent laboratory work were recommended to accelerate the inventorying of hyperdiverse tropical groups.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Brendon E. Boudinot, Martin Fikacek, Ziv E. Lieberman, Dominik Kusy, Ladislav Bocak, Duane D. Mckenna, Rolf Georg Beutel
Summary: This article discusses a study that reanalyzed DNA sequence data of Coleoptera and raises concerns about the methodology and conclusions of the study. The researchers claim comprehensive sampling but their dataset is not the most diverse or largest. Therefore, for those seeking the best estimate of Coleoptera phylogeny and evolution based on molecular data, it is advisable to look elsewhere.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Michal Motyka, Dominik Kusy, Renata Bilkova, Ladislav Bocak
Summary: The red net-winged beetle, Dictyoptera aurora, is a highly endemic species in the elateroid family Lycidae. Through genetic analysis, two genetically distinct species were identified and the name D. coccinata was reinstated for the Nearctic populations. Morphological traits could not reliably distinguish these species except for slight differences in male genitalia. The Fennoscandian populations of these beetles were established through two colonization events after the last glacial maximum. The study highlights the importance of both genetic and ecological factors in shaping the evolutionary history and regional faunas.
Article
Entomology
Andre Silva Roza, Dominik Kusy, Zhendong Lian, Robin Kundrata
Summary: The Elateroidea superfamily is known for its extensive diversity, morphological variation, and specialization in various habitats. With the presence of bioluminescence and paedomorphosis, this group serves as an intriguing model for several studies. While lampyroid clade exhibits these traits through a variety of light displays and body forms, the lack of fossil records has hindered a deeper understanding of their origin and the biogeographic history of the group. In this study, a new fossil species, Cretocydistus wittmeri gen. et sp. nov., is described from the mid-Cretaceous period in northern Myanmar, representing the first fossil of the Phengodidae family. Through our analysis, we tentatively assign this genus to the subfamily Cydistinae, which includes extant species distributed in Asia Minor, the Levant, and Iran. The discovery of this fossil taxon has significant implications for the study of the family and the evolutionary history and biogeography of the lampyroid clade.