Article
Food Science & Technology
Tisorn Songsermsawas, Athur Mabiso, Aslihan Arslan, Cristina Chiarella, Sara Savastano
Summary: Small island developing states in the Pacific face multiple development challenges, such as rapid population growth and high transportation costs. This paper assesses the impacts of value chain development projects in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands on dietary diversity and food security, finding positive impacts on dietary diversity in both countries, but improved food security only in Solomon Islands.
GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY-AGRICULTURE POLICY ECONOMICS AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Bryan D. Lessard, Nina Kurucz, Juanita Rodriguez, Jane Carter, Christopher M. Hardy
Summary: Through morphological and molecular identification, the presence of Culex tritaeniorhynchus in the Darwin and Katherine regions of the Northern Territory of Australia has been confirmed, with genetic information provided. Specimens from the Northern Territory formed a monophyletic clade with those from Timor-Leste and Southeast Asia.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marta Kolanowska, Marta Kras, Slawomir Nowak, Dariusz L. Szlachetko
Summary: This study provides a taxonomic synopsis of the orchid genus Habenaria in New Guinea and adjacent islands, confirming the occurrence of 27 species in the study area, 16 of which are endemic to New Guinea. The paper includes morphological characteristics and illustrations of floral segments, the description of a new species, selection of four neotypes, and an updated key to species groups. Additionally, the importance of diagnostic floral characters in Habenaria is discussed.
Article
Zoology
Marco A. Zumbado Echavarria, Edwin A. Barrantes Barrantes, Ericka E. Helmick, Charles R. Bartlett, Brian W. Bahder
Summary: Recent surveys in Costa Rica have found many previously unknown species of planthoppers, mainly in the Derbidae and Cixiidae families, on palm trees. A specimen collected from palm trees in the Los Angeles cloud forest in Costa Rica was identified as a new species of the genus Herpis (Derbidae). Additional molecular data for the COI gene and 18S rRNA gene were provided to support the classification of the new species within the genus Herpis.
Article
Zoology
Peter R. Wilson, Ian R. Johnson, David J. Lohman
Summary: The paper describes a new species, Jamides wananga sp. n., from Papua New Guinea and Torres Strait using DNA sequence data and morphology to distinguish between subspecies. It also provides notes on habitat and behavior of the species.
Article
Oceanography
Xu Chong, Xing Junhui, Gong Wei, Zhang Hao, Xu Haowei, Xu Xiaoyu
Summary: The Papua New Guinea-Solomon (PN-SL) arc is a region with active crustal motions and strong geological actions. In this study, researchers used gravity data and density inversion methods to reveal the density structure of the PN-SL subduction system. The results show that density differences between the plates on the two sides of the trench play a significant role in plate subduction. However, further research is still needed for this subduction system.
JOURNAL OF OCEAN UNIVERSITY OF CHINA
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Pirada Sumanon, Wolf L. Eiserhardt, Henrik Balslev, Timothy M. A. Utteridge
Summary: This article describes and illustrates six new species of Maesa from Papua New Guinea, and discusses their taxonomic affinities.
Article
Horticulture
Maria Gladysheva-Azgari, Fedor Sharko, Natalia Slobodova, Kristina Petrova, Eugenia Boulygina, Svetlana Tsygankova, Irina Mitrofanova
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the plastid genomes of Actinidia species and found that the gene composition and sequences are conserved. However, some species showed significant structural rearrangements in their chloroplast chromosomes, resulting in the presence of two main forms.
Article
Zoology
Andreyi Khalaim, Claire Villemant
Summary: This paper introduces ten new species of Diaparsis Forster in Papua New Guinea, bringing the total number of known Diaparsis species to nineteen in the region.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
John D. Hart, Pkb Mahesh, Viola Kwa, Matthew Reeve, Hafizur Rahman Chowdhury, Gregory Jilini, Rooney Jagilly, Baakai Kamoriki, Rodley Ruskin, Paison Dakulala, Paulus Ripa, Dale Frank, Theresa Lei, Tim Adair, Deirdre McLaughlin, Ian D. Riley, Alan D. Lopez
Summary: The study revealed significant differences in cause of death patterns between Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. Papua New Guinea had higher infectious mortality, while Solomon Islands showed a higher non-communicable disease mortality, indicating different stages in their epidemiological transition.
LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH-WESTERN PACIFIC
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
John Deli, Camila Gonzalez-Beiras, Georgia S. Guldan, Rachael L. Moses, Jordanna Dally, Ryan Moseley, Fionnuala T. Lundy, Marc Corbacho-Monne, Stephen L. Walker, Maria Ubals Cazorla, Dan Ouchi, Rui Fang, Marie Briggs, Robert Kiapranis, Martha Yahimbu, Oriol Mitja, Thomas A. K. Prescott
Summary: This study assessed the efficacy of Ficus septica exudate in treating cutaneous ulcers and found that it has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The exudate, which is rich in ficuseptine, showed similar healing efficacy to Savlon antiseptic cream and standard treatment with soap and water. These findings have important implications for public health.
Article
Parasitology
Wilmer Amaya-Mejia, Molly Dodge, Brett Morris, John P. Dumbacher, Ravinder N. M. Sehgal
Summary: The island archipelagos of Papua New Guinea provide a unique ecological framework for studying haemosporidian parasite differentiation and geographic structure. The diverse avifauna of these islands have been found to harbor a wide range of avian blood parasites. This study identified 40 new lineages of haemosporidians, including a previously undescribed genus in the region, and revealed heterogeneous patterns of parasite diversity and host specificity across different islands.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Nicolas Lavesque, Guillemine Daffe, Christopher Glasby, Stephane Hourdez, Pat Hutchings
Summary: Three new species of Marphysa have been discovered and described from deep-sea sunken vegetation off Papua New Guinea. The classification and identification were conducted using both morphology and molecular data.
Article
Zoology
Rainer Gunther, Chris Dahl, Stephen J. Richards
Summary: A new species of the microhylid genus Xenorhina has been described from the lowlands of northwestern Papua New Guinea. This medium-sized species can be distinguished by its unique features and produces a melodic advertisement call with a duration of 141-165 ms.
VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Claudia A. Silva-Segundo, Rene Funes-Rodriguez, Jaime Gomez-Gutierrez, Griselda Gallegos-Simental, Sergio Hernandez-Trujillo, Anidia Blanco-Jarvio
Summary: This study validated the diagnostic characteristics of three Caranx species larvae through DNA barcoding analysis, and confirmed the morphological taxonomic assignation of C. caballus fish larvae for the first time. Molecular evidence showed that fish larvae previously described as C. sexfasciatus had high genetic similarity with Caranx caninus adults.
JOURNAL OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jacopo D'Ercole, Vlad Dinca, Paul A. Opler, Norbert Kondla, Christian Schmidt, Jarrett D. Phillips, Robert Robbins, John M. Burns, Scott E. Miller, Nick Grishin, Evgeny Zakharov, Jeremy R. DeWaard, Sujeevan Ratnasingham, Paul D. N. Hebert
Summary: This study established a DNA barcode reference library for North American butterflies and identified patterns of sequence variation that suggest the need for further taxonomic study and assessment of cryptic diversity. Most species were monophyletic, but some shared barcodes, particularly in regions affected by glacial periods.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Jadranka Rota, Victoria Twort, Andrea Chiocchio, Carlos Pena, Christopher W. Wheat, Lauri Kaila, Niklas Wahlberg
Summary: This study assesses the causes and consequences of conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses in butterflies and moths. The researchers find that compositional bias and model violations may lead to inconsistent phylogenetic hypotheses. While there is some phylogenetic signal, certain relationships within the lepidopteran tree of life remain unresolved, highlighting the challenge of taxon sampling in phylogenomic analyses.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alyssa M. Fontanilla, Gibson Aubona, Mentap Sisol, Ilari Kuukkanen, Juha-Pekka Salminen, Scott E. Miller, Jeremy D. Holloway, Vojtech Novotny, Martin Volf, Simon T. Segar
Summary: This study focuses on two species of Asota moths from New Guinea, and found that despite feeding on different species of figs, they share similar alkaloid profiles. This indicates that a limited number of plant compounds have a conserved ecological function in these two moth species.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Pagi S. S. Toko, Bonny Koane, Kenneth Molem, Scott E. E. Miller, Vojtech Novotny
Summary: The elevation gradients in tropical rainforests represent global maxima of biodiversity and are important for community studies. We surveyed geometrid moths in Papua New Guinea and found high diversity, with molecular data playing an important role in taxonomy. The richness of species and beta diversity of communities showed interesting patterns along the elevation gradient.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Reza Zahiri, Jeremy D. Holloway, Jadranka Rota, B. Christian Schmidt, Markku J. Pellinen, Ian J. Kitching, Scott E. Miller, Niklas Wahlberg
Summary: In this study, a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the family Euteliidae was conducted to clarify deep divergences and evolutionary relationships. The analysis utilized a dataset consisting of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA loci and applied model-based phylogenetic methods. The results revealed two subfamilies, Euteliinae and Stictopterinae, and two tribes, Stictopterini and Odontini. Taxonomic revisions were needed as several genera were found to be polyphyletic. New genera were described and taxonomic changes were established. The study also provided insights into the divergence times and larval hostplants for the family.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Bernardo F. Santos, Meredith E. Miller, Margarita Miklasevskaja, Jaclyn T. A. McKeown, Niamh E. Redmond, Jonathan A. Coddington, Jessica Bird, Scott E. Miller, Ashton Smith, Sean G. Brady, Matthew L. Buffington, M. Lourdes Chamorro, Torsten Dikow, Michael W. Gates, Paul Goldstein, Alexander Konstantinov, Robert Kula, Nicholas D. Silverson, M. Alma Solis, Stephanie L. de Waard, Suresh Naik, Nadya Nikolova, Mikko Pentinsaari, Sean W. J. Prosser, Jayme E. Sones, Evgeny V. Zakharov, Jeremy R. deWaard
Summary: The use of DNA barcoding has revolutionized biodiversity science, but the lack of comprehensive and reliable reference libraries for poorly known taxa remains a challenge. This study utilized the collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History to generate DNA barcoding sequences for terrestrial arthropod genera that were previously not recorded in major public sequence databases. The combination of Sanger and Next-Generation Sequencing approaches maximized sequence recovery and minimized cost. The obtained sequences provide valuable resources for future biodiversity research and can be accessed through various data portals.
BIODIVERSITY DATA JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Valerie Levesque-Beaudin, Meredith E. Miller, Torsten Dikow, Scott E. Miller, Sean W. J. Prosser, Evgeny V. Zakharov, Jaclyn T. A. McKeown, Jayme E. Sones, Niamh E. Redmond, Jonathan A. Coddington, Bernardo F. Santos, Jessica Bird, Jeremy R. deWaard
Summary: Natural history collections are important repositories of knowledge on species and biodiversity. Making this knowledge accessible to society is crucial, and the development of a workflow for 'museum harvesting' of Diptera specimens from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History is a significant step in this direction. The workflow includes on-site and off-site processing, DNA barcoding, and the subsequent taxonomic assignment of specimens.
BIODIVERSITY DATA JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Ryan A. St Laurent, Paul Z. Goldstein, James S. Miller, Amanda Markee, Hermann S. Staude, Akito Y. Kawahara, Scott E. Miller, Robert K. Robbins
Summary: This study presents the first molecular phylogeny of Cerurinae moths, confirming their monophyletic status. The origin of Cerurinae is inferred to be Africa, with subsequent colonization of the Palearctic, the Americas, Indomalaya, and Australasia during the Miocene. The global spread of Cerurinae may have been facilitated by the distribution of their primary caterpillar foodplants in the Salicaceae family. State-dependent diversification analyses suggest that cerurines diversified most rapidly in temperate climates.
INSECT SYSTEMATICS AND DIVERSITY
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Caitlin N. Terry, Aura M. Alonso-Rodriguez, Scott E. Miller, Catherine M. Hulshof
Summary: This study summarizes past research on Lepidoptera in Puerto Rico and proposes areas of priority for future ecological research. The study found that there is a lack of understanding in native moth taxonomy and recent research has focused mainly on short-term evaluations of agricultural pests. The study recommends prioritizing ecological research to better understand the diversity and distribution changes of Lepidoptera and to conserve this biologically and economically significant group.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Meng Li, Anna Runemark, Noelie Guilcher, Julio Hernandez, Jadranka Rota, Mikkel Brydegaard
Summary: Due to the decline in insect diversity and populations, there is an increased need for monitoring insects. Entomological lidars and photonic sensors can remotely identify and monitor flying insects by analyzing their backscattered signal. It has been discovered that the backscattered light from insects primarily comes from their wings, and the thin membranes of these wings can display unique soap-bubble colors associated with wing thickness. With a hyperspectral camera, these colors can be captured and used to accurately identify wing thickness. The study demonstrates that spectral fringes can provide complementary information for remote species identification.
IEEE JOURNAL OF SELECTED TOPICS IN QUANTUM ELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Meng Li, Anna Runemark, Julio Hernandez, Jadranka Rota, Rune Bygebjerg, Mikkel Brydegaard
Summary: This study utilizes spectral analysis and hyperspectral imaging to remotely identify and monitor insect species and sexes by studying wing interference signals. The research achieves high accuracy in identification and provides new insights into hover fly biology, offering promising developments in automated pollinator surveillance.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
John W. Brown, Scott E. Miller
Summary: Two new species of Xenolepis from Papua New Guinea were described and illustrated. Their larval forms were collected from various plant species, including the first reported food plants for Xenolepis. The study also provided DNA barcodes and illustrations of the male genitalia of an undescribed species.
JOURNAL OF ASIA-PACIFIC BIODIVERSITY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Meng Li, Clara Seinsche, Samuel Jansson, Julio Hernandez, Jadranka Rota, Eric Warrant, Mikkel Brydegaard
Summary: In this study, infrared polarimetric hyperspectral imaging was used to analyze wing characteristics of moth species. It was found that the wings appeared glossy and reflective under infrared light, providing a unique way to differentiate between different species. Using comprehensive models, the spectral, polarimetric, and angular optical properties of the wings could be reduced to just 11 parameters, which were significantly different between species. These findings have the potential to greatly enhance remote identification of free-flying moth species.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Kevin L. Keegan, Jadranka Rota, Reza Zahiri, Alberto Zilli, Niklas Wahlberg, B. Christian Schmidt, J. Donald Lafontaine, Paul Z. Goldstein, David L. Wagner
Summary: Noctuidae, one of the most diverse and economically important animal lineages in the world, was studied using eight protein-coding genes to infer phylogeny and make taxonomic adjustments. Significant changes were made to the classification, including the recognition of new subfamilies and the reassignment of various genera to different groups. The study also discussed the implications of the results on the understanding of noctuid biogeography and life histories.
INSECT SYSTEMATICS AND DIVERSITY
(2021)
