Systematics, Ecology and Taxonomy of Collembola

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2022) | Viewed by 20584

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Botany and Zoology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
Interests: Collembola taxonomy; Collembola systematics; Collembola evolution; Collembola ecology; Collembola ecotoxicology; Collembola behavior

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Guest Editor
Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17, Pl 31-016 Kraków, Poland
Interests: systematics; biogeography; phylogeny; taxonomy; springtails

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Guest Editor
Quantitative Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Interests: soil biodiversity; ecosystem ecology; functional ecology; springtails; microbial ecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a forthcoming Special Issue of Diversity entirely focused on springtails.

With about 9300 nominal species distributed in the majority of the terrestrial habitats, springtails (Collembola) are among the most ecologically important members of soil fauna. Even constituting the largest group of wingless hexapods, it is clear that most living species are still to be discovered and described, especially outside Europe. At the same time, gaps on the knowledge of species distribution, size of their populations, ecological needs, susceptibility to anthropic impacts and even potential extinction threats prevent a clear understanding of local and regional soil dynamics and resilience of springtails in face of human activities. Also, with the advent of new molecular techniques, the systematics of Collembola is being reshaped, and several new hypotheses on the internal relationships and evolution of springtails have been proposed in the past decade. All these fields of research have resulted in outstanding published data and provided ground for further studies of this particular and interesting fauna.

This Special Issue is an exciting opportunity to combine and synthesize data on different research fields, and in this publication we are aiming for providing high quality original papers on systematics, ecology and taxonomy of springtails. Reviews and surveys are also welcome, but they need to provide new relevant insights in their respective research areas. We also expect taxonomic papers not dealing with reviews could present further data on the systematics, distribution or conservation of the studied taxa.

Diversity’s team and we kindly invite you to submit a manuscript focused on any of the above topics. If you are interested in this opportunity or have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Dr. Bruno Bellini
Prof. Dr. Wanda Maria Weiner
Dr. Bruna Winck
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Collembola
  • soil fauna
  • soil dynamics
  • ecology
  • new species
  • taxonomical revisions
  • systematics
  • phylogeny
  • conservation biology

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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10 pages, 960 KiB  
Editorial
Systematics, Ecology and Taxonomy of Collembola: Introduction to the Special Issue
by Bruno Cavalcante Bellini, Wanda Maria Weiner and Bruna Raquel Winck
Diversity 2023, 15(2), 221; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020221 - 3 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 7025
Abstract
Springtails (Collembola) are very small terrestrial arthropods commonly found to be associated with edaphic environments [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematics, Ecology and Taxonomy of Collembola)
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Research

Jump to: Editorial

24 pages, 3910 KiB  
Article
The Evolution of Collembola Higher Taxa (Arthropoda, Hexapoda) Based on Mitogenome Data
by Bruno Cavalcante Bellini, Feng Zhang, Paolla Gabryelle Cavalcante de Souza, Renata Clicia dos Santos-Costa, Gleyce da Silva Medeiros and Nerivânia Nunes Godeiro
Diversity 2023, 15(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15010007 - 21 Dec 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2501
Abstract
Mitogenomes represent useful tools for investigating the phylogeny of many metazoan clades. Regarding Collembola, the use of mitogenomics has already shown promising results, but few published works include sufficient taxon sampling to study its evolution and systematics on a broader scale. Here, we [...] Read more.
Mitogenomes represent useful tools for investigating the phylogeny of many metazoan clades. Regarding Collembola, the use of mitogenomics has already shown promising results, but few published works include sufficient taxon sampling to study its evolution and systematics on a broader scale. Here, we present a phylogenetic study based on the mitogenomes of 124 species from 24 subfamilies, 16 families, and four orders—one of the most comprehensive datasets used in a molecular study of Collembola evolution to date—and compare our results with the trees from recently published papers and traditional systematic hypotheses. Our main analysis supported the validity of the four orders and the clustering of Poduromorpha with Entomobryomorpha (the traditional Arthropleona). Our data also supported the split of Symphypleona s. str. into the Appendiciphora and Sminthuridida suborders, and the division of the Neelipleona into two subfamilies: Neelinae and Neelidinae subfam. nov. On the other hand, the traditional Symphypleona s. lat., Isotomoidea, and all the Isotomidae subfamilies were refuted by our analyses, indicating a need for a systematic revision of the latter family. Though our results are endorsed by many traditional and recent systematic findings, we highlight a need for additional mitogenomic data for some key taxa and the inclusion of nuclear markers to resolve some residual problematic relationships. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematics, Ecology and Taxonomy of Collembola)
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24 pages, 39225 KiB  
Article
A New Genus of Sminthurididae (Collembola, Symphypleona) from Brazil, with Notes on the Systematics of the Family
by Gleyce da Silva Medeiros, Rudy Camilo Nunes, Feng Zhang, Nerivânia Nunes Godeiro and Bruno Cavalcante Bellini
Diversity 2022, 14(11), 960; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14110960 - 9 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1749
Abstract
The Sminthurididae family includes Symphypleona species highly adapted to courtship, with males exhibiting remarkable modifications on their antennae. Here we describe a new Neotropical genus and species of Sminthurididae from a Cerrado-Caatinga ecotonal zone in Brazil. Males of Parasminthurides spinosus gen. nov. sp. [...] Read more.
The Sminthurididae family includes Symphypleona species highly adapted to courtship, with males exhibiting remarkable modifications on their antennae. Here we describe a new Neotropical genus and species of Sminthurididae from a Cerrado-Caatinga ecotonal zone in Brazil. Males of Parasminthurides spinosus gen. nov. sp. nov. have highly dimorphic antennal claspers similar to those of Sminthurides, but its females have unique strong spiniform chaetae on antennal segments II and III as well, which are possibly accessories for the courtship. The new genus can also be diagnosed by its elongated maxillae, males having large dorsal vesicles between abdomen II and III, ungues I–III with similar morphology and sizes, and interno-apical dental chaetae modified into large spiniform chaetae. We also present the main diagnostic features of all Sminthurididae genera, providing a comparative table and an updated identification key for them. Finally, we discuss the previous and current knowledge on the family’s systematics, suggesting some perspectives for future studies in this field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematics, Ecology and Taxonomy of Collembola)
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19 pages, 2615 KiB  
Article
Specific and Intraspecific Diversity of Symphypleona and Neelipleona (Hexapoda: Collembola) in Southern High Appalachia (USA)
by Caroline D. Dukes, Frans Janssens, Ernesto Recuero and Michael S. Caterino
Diversity 2022, 14(10), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14100847 - 7 Oct 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2713
Abstract
Collembola, commonly known as springtails, are important detritivores, abundant in leaf litter and soil globally. Springtails are wingless hexapods with many North American species having wide distributions ranging from as far as Alaska to Mexico. Here, we analyze the occurrence and intraspecific diversity [...] Read more.
Collembola, commonly known as springtails, are important detritivores, abundant in leaf litter and soil globally. Springtails are wingless hexapods with many North American species having wide distributions ranging from as far as Alaska to Mexico. Here, we analyze the occurrence and intraspecific diversity of springtails with a globular body shape (Symphypleona and Neelipleona), in southern high Appalachia, a significant biodiversity hotspot. The peaks of high Appalachia represent ‘sky islands’ due to their physical isolation, and they host numerous endemic species in other taxa. We surveyed globular Collembola through COI metabarcoding, assessing geographic and genetic diversity across localities and species. Intraspecific diversity in globular Collembola was extremely high, suggesting that considerable cryptic speciation has occurred. While we were able to associate morphospecies with described species in most of the major families in the region (Dicyrtomidae, Katiannidae, Sminthuridae, and Sminthurididae), other families (Neelidae, and Arrhopalitidae) are in more pressing need of taxonomic revision before species identities can be confirmed. Due to poor representation in databases, and high intraspecific variability, no identifications were accomplished through comparison with available DNA barcodes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematics, Ecology and Taxonomy of Collembola)
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34 pages, 24512 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Brazilian Entomobryomorpha (Collembola: Hexapoda) with Special Emphasis on the Equatorial Oceanic Islands and Redescription of the First Species of Collembola Recorded in Brazil
by Estevam C. A. de Lima, Bruna C. H. Lopes, Misael A. Oliveira-Neto, Maria Cleide de Mendonça and Douglas Zeppelini
Diversity 2022, 14(7), 553; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14070553 - 9 Jul 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2145
Abstract
We presented a synthesis of Brazilian Entomobryomorpha species and new records of the Brazilian oceanic islands located in the Equatorial Atlantic. In this work, we observed the global distributions of the species that inhabit the Brazilian oceanic islands. We presented distribution maps for [...] Read more.
We presented a synthesis of Brazilian Entomobryomorpha species and new records of the Brazilian oceanic islands located in the Equatorial Atlantic. In this work, we observed the global distributions of the species that inhabit the Brazilian oceanic islands. We presented distribution maps for all species found on the islands and the closest records on the continent. Our study showed that species that occur in the islands also occur in the American continent, mainly in the neotropical region, or are widespread. We established a new neotype of the first species of Collembola described in Brazil together with a detailed morphological study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematics, Ecology and Taxonomy of Collembola)
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15 pages, 1624 KiB  
Article
Diversity Loss of Epigeic Collembola after Grassland Conversion into Eucalyptus Forestry in Brazilian Pampa Domain
by Clécio Danilo Dias da Silva, Bruno Cavalcante Bellini, Vitor Mateus Rigotti, Rudy Camilo Nunes, Luciana da Silva Menezes and Bruna Raquel Winck
Diversity 2022, 14(6), 490; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14060490 - 16 Jun 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3068
Abstract
The Brazilian Pampa is a rich domain mainly represented by grasslands. Conversion of native vegetation into Eucalyptus plantation leads to soil degradation and losses on local fauna and flora. The objectives of this study were to compare the taxonomic structure and abundance of [...] Read more.
The Brazilian Pampa is a rich domain mainly represented by grasslands. Conversion of native vegetation into Eucalyptus plantation leads to soil degradation and losses on local fauna and flora. The objectives of this study were to compare the taxonomic structure and abundance of epigeic springtails (Collembola) in two different types of land-use in the Brazilian Pampa, native grassland and Eucalyptus plantation, as well as to understand the processes that may cause species loss after grassland afforestation. Specimens were sampled in 10 paired plots of grasslands and Eucalyptus in southern Brazil. After sampling, all specimens were sorted, counted and identified. We evaluated the taxonomic composition, alpha and beta diversity, and used Random Forest Analysis to understand the influence of environmental factors on the structure and composition of Collembola communities. We sampled 1249 specimens in 26 morphospecies, and our data support there are significant losses in native Collembola communities after the conversion of grasslands into Eucalyptus plantations regarding abundance, species composition, richness, and alpha diversity. Species turnover better explained the beta diversity, and plant richness and dominance were the main environmental factors driving the Collembola diversity. These results deepen the knowledge of the impacts of native grassland conversion on soil fauna. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematics, Ecology and Taxonomy of Collembola)
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