Research

15 pages, 1305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From Abundance to Extinction: Evolutionary History of European Aedemonini (Curculionidae) with a Description of the First Representative from Rovno Amber

by Andrei A. Legalov, Dmitry V. Vasilenko and Evgeny E. Perkovsky

Diversity 2023, 15(3), 376; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030376 - 05 Mar 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1330

Abstract

Fossil weevils of the subfamily Molytinae are currently represented by 103 species in 42 genera from 14 tribes. Fossil records of the tribe Aedemonini are known from the Eocene of Europe. This tribe makes up 22% of the London Clay weevil specimens identified [...] Read more.

Fossil weevils of the subfamily Molytinae are currently represented by 103 species in 42 genera from 14 tribes. Fossil records of the tribe Aedemonini are known from the Eocene of Europe. This tribe makes up 22% of the London Clay weevil specimens identified to the genus level and 16% of the Curculionidae genera. At present, the distribution of this tribe is mainly paleotropical, but it was very prominent in the paratropical biota of the London Clay in the early Eocene, and it was still represented in the biota of the amber forests of Europe that retained some tropical elements in the Priabonian. A new species, Electrorhinus vlaskini n. sp., from the tribe Aedemonini of the subfamily Molytinae, is described from Rovno amber. It differs from E. friedhelmi in the smaller body size, finely faceted eyes, a coarser rugose pronotum, and sparser scales on the body. A list of the fossil Molytinae is compiled. This is the first record of a weevil of the subfamily Molytinae in Rovno amber, and the second finding of a representative of the genus Electrorhinus in the late Eocene and the third record of a species of Aedemonini preserved as a fossil. A key to European species of Molytinae with a rostral channel from Europe is given. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematics, Evolution and Ecology of Holarctic Insect Species)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 2610 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Economics of a Feeding Budget: A Case of Diversity of Host Plants for Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera) Feeding on Leaves and Needles

by Vladislav Soukhovolsky, Olga Tarasova, Sergey Pavlushin, Ekaterina Osokina, Yuriy Akhanaev, Anton Kovalev and Vyacheslav Martemyanov

Diversity 2023, 15(1), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15010102 - 12 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1173

Abstract

Relationships were analyzed among the energy-related characteristics of feed consumption by caterpillars of the spongy moth (also known as gypsy moth) Lymantria dispar L., survival of individuals, and fecundity of females depending on the species of a host plant. An optimization model of [...] Read more.

Relationships were analyzed among the energy-related characteristics of feed consumption by caterpillars of the spongy moth (also known as gypsy moth) Lymantria dispar L., survival of individuals, and fecundity of females depending on the species of a host plant. An optimization model of feed consumption was used for the calculations. In this model, efficiency of consumption depends on two parameters: efficiency of metabolic degradation of feed and efficiency of caterpillar biomass synthesis. Experiments were conducted regarding the feeding of caterpillars on the leaves of silver birch Betula pendula Roth. and needles of Siberian larch Larix sibirica Ldb. and Scotch pine Pinus sylvestris L. On the basis of the results of experiments, “costs” of the feed for females and males were calculated, the consumption efficiency of different types of feed was found, and the relationship between efficiency of feed consumption and female fecundity was determined. The proposed approach can be employed to assess feeding efficiency of insects in various habitats. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematics, Evolution and Ecology of Holarctic Insect Species)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 9389 KiB

Open AccessArticle

New Data on the Distribution of Southern Forests for the West Siberian Plain during the Late Pleistocene: A Paleoentomological Approach

by Anna A. Gurina, Roman Y. Dudko, Alexander V. Ivanov, Alexey A. Kotov, Yuri E. Mikhailov, Alexander A. Prokin, Alexander S. Prosvirov, Alexey Y. Solodovnikov, Evgenii V. Zinovyev and Andrei A. Legalov

Diversity 2023, 15(1), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15010056 - 03 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2234

Abstract

Subfossil remains of insects and branchiopod crustaceans (Cladocera and Notostraca) found in three late Pleistocene deposits in the Novosibirsk region in the vicinity of the village of Suzun have been described. The calibrated radiocarbon dates for these deposits were 24,893–25,966 cal BP (Suzun-1), [...] Read more.

Subfossil remains of insects and branchiopod crustaceans (Cladocera and Notostraca) found in three late Pleistocene deposits in the Novosibirsk region in the vicinity of the village of Suzun have been described. The calibrated radiocarbon dates for these deposits were 24,893–25,966 cal BP (Suzun-1), 20,379–20,699 cal BP (Suzun-2), and 27,693–28,126 cal BP (Nizhny Suzun), which correspond to the onset of marine isotope stage 2 (MIS 2). The insect assemblages of these deposits are mainly represented by Coleoptera, which are noteworthy for high taxonomic and ecological diversity. At least 194 beetle species from 21 families have been found altogether. Of them, 74 species were found in the Pleistocene deposits of Western Siberia for the first time. All deposits were similar in species composition of beetles; Carabidae and Curculionidae prevailed everywhere. The ecological composition was dominated by steppe and tundra-steppe species; aquatic and riparian groups were also well represented. The Cladoceran and notostracan taxa revealed in Suzun-1 and Suzun-2 are characteristic of recent steppes rather than the forest zone of Western Siberia. The studied entomocomplexes are congruent with the periglacial “Otiorhynchus-type” fauna that inhabited the southern part of the West Siberian Plain at the end of the Pleistocene and had no close contemporary analogues. Cold and dry conditions, as well as the prevailing open landscapes of the tundra-steppe type, were the reconstructed conditions for this fauna. At the same time, the Suzun-1 and Suzun-2 entomocomplexes had a distinctive feature, namely a high proportion of forest species associated with both coniferous and deciduous trees. According to these data, at the beginning of MIS 2 in the Upper Ob region, spruce forests with the participation of small-leaved species (birch) were present. They were probably confined to river valleys and were not widely distributed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematics, Evolution and Ecology of Holarctic Insect Species)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 8211 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fossil History of Ambrosia Beetles (Coleoptera; Platypodidae) with Description of a New Genus from Dominican Amber

by Andrei A. Legalov and George O. Poinar, Jr.

Diversity 2023, 15(1), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15010045 - 30 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1666

Abstract

The fossil record of ambrosia beetles is summarized and a new genus and species in the subfamily Mecopelminae, Gongyloceria dominicana gen. et sp. nov. is described. The new genus differs from the extant genus Mecopelmus Blackman, 1944, possessing weakly elongated tarsi, finely faceted [...] Read more.

The fossil record of ambrosia beetles is summarized and a new genus and species in the subfamily Mecopelminae, Gongyloceria dominicana gen. et sp. nov. is described. The new genus differs from the extant genus Mecopelmus Blackman, 1944, possessing weakly elongated tarsi, finely faceted eyes, a scape not reaching the posterior margin of the eye, coarsely sculptured pronotum and elytra, and a larger body size. It is the first Miocene record of the Mecopelminae. The genus Xyleborites Wickham, 1913, placem. n. is transferred from the Scolytidae to the Platypodidae. A list of the fossil Platypodidae, including a key to the subfamilies and tribes of ambrosia beetles, is presented. Xyleborites longipennis Wickham, 1913 and Gongyloceria dominicana sp. nov. may have been related to Paullinieae recorded from the late Eocene and the early Miocene of North and Central America. Distribution maps with fossil records for ambrosia beetles are included. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematics, Evolution and Ecology of Holarctic Insect Species)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1636 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Regulatory Processes in Populations of Forest Insects (A Case Study of Insect Species Damaging the Pine Pinus sylvestris L. in Forests of SIBERIA)

by Vladislav Soukhovolsky, Tamara Ovchinnikova, Olga Tarasova, Yulia Ivanova and Anton Kovalev

Diversity 2022, 14(12), 1038; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14121038 - 26 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1247

Abstract

The present study addresses the population dynamics of five species of phyllophagous forest insects in five habitats located in the Krasnoturansk pine forest (south Middle Siberia). Based on the data of insect surveys obtained during 1979–2016, autoregressive (AR) models of population dynamics have [...] Read more.

The present study addresses the population dynamics of five species of phyllophagous forest insects in five habitats located in the Krasnoturansk pine forest (south Middle Siberia). Based on the data of insect surveys obtained during 1979–2016, autoregressive (AR) models of population dynamics have been proposed, with the current population density being dependent on population densities of the preceding years. Methods of calculation of the autoregression order and coefficients of AR equations have been presented. The study shows that, for different insect species in different habitats, the lags between the current population density and the densities of the previous years are not the same. AR equations characterize positive and negative feedbacks regulating population dynamics. By using AR equations, up to 90% of population density variance can be taken into account. Stability margin, which is calculated from coefficients of AR models, has been proposed as a parameter to assess the stability of population dynamics. A small stability margin indicates a high risk of outbreak of an insect species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematics, Evolution and Ecology of Holarctic Insect Species)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 818 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Meet Me Halfway: Will Photoperiodic Responses of Interpopulation Hybrids of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) Promote or Constrain Subsequent Invasions?

by Sergey Ya. Reznik, Natalia N. Karpun, Margarita Yu. Dolgovskaya, Aida Kh. Saulich and Dmitry L. Musolin

Diversity 2022, 14(10), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14100878 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1358

Abstract

Biological invasions often result from multiple invasion events. In the case of several subsequent invasive episodes, ‘newcomers’ are usually poorly adapted to local environmental conditions in contrast to the representatives of the already-established invasive population of the same species. Therefore, the mode of [...] Read more.

Biological invasions often result from multiple invasion events. In the case of several subsequent invasive episodes, ‘newcomers’ are usually poorly adapted to local environmental conditions in contrast to the representatives of the already-established invasive population of the same species. Therefore, the mode of inheritance of life-history features determining the survival and performance of interpopulation hybrids is an important component of invasiveness. We investigated the mode of inheritance of the photoperiodic response in the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, by crossing between the native population of South Korea and the invasive population of the Black Sea coast of Russia. The aim of this study was to predict the overwintering potential of the progeny from possible crosses between representatives of the native and invasive populations. The pre-adult development time and the incidence of winter adult diapause in the progeny of the interpopulation crosses were close to the average of the values recorded in ‘pure’ (unmixed) crosses. Female and male genotypes were equally important in the determination of these characters. Such a mode of inheritance is most likely determined by a polygenic control and would only partially promote subsequent invasion events from the native South Asian range of H. halys into Europe. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematics, Evolution and Ecology of Holarctic Insect Species)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 35535 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Overview of Gracillariidae Leaf Mining Moths in Slovenia with New Records for the Country

by Stanislav Gomboc and Natalia I. Kirichenko

Diversity 2022, 14(10), 811; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14100811 - 28 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1804

Abstract

Gracillariidae is one of the richest families of leaf mining moths, known by its ornamental and orchard plant pests expanding their primary ranges. We here provide a revised checklist of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) of Slovenia that presently accounts for 123 species. Among them, four [...] Read more.

Gracillariidae is one of the richest families of leaf mining moths, known by its ornamental and orchard plant pests expanding their primary ranges. We here provide a revised checklist of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) of Slovenia that presently accounts for 123 species. Among them, four species, Dialectica imperialella (Zeller, 1847), Phyllonorycter abrasella (Duponchel, 1843), Ph. trifoliella (Gerasimov, 1933), and Phyllocnistis valentinensis M. Hering, 1936, are new records for the country. The distribution of the other three species in Slovenia, Caloptilia honoratella (Rebel, 1914), Dialectica scalariella (Zeller, 1850), and Ph. messaniella (Zeller, 1846), is clarified. For the above seven species, short synopses of the bionomics, a current range, and images of biotopes, adult moths and their genitalia are provided. For P. valentinensis sampled at a larval stage, the DNA barcode was obtained to confirm the species identification. Given the known distribution of some of the newly recorded moths in Europe, we believe that these species do not represent a new invasion but rather are discoveries of native species, except for the newly documented Ph. trifoliella in Slovenia, which is likely to be an alien species for the country. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematics, Evolution and Ecology of Holarctic Insect Species)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 2785 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The American Tribes Anypotactini and Eudiagogini (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) in Eocene of Europe as Indicators of Eocene Climate with Description a New Species

by Andrei A. Legalov, Dmitry V. Vasilenko and Evgeny E. Perkovsky

Diversity 2022, 14(9), 767; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14090767 - 16 Sep 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 1654

Abstract

From the modern distribution of the tribes Anypotactini and Eudiagogini (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), it can be assumed that the climate of the late Eocene amber forests was similar to that of the Valdivian temperate forests. A new species, Paonaupactus zosimovichi [...] Read more.

From the modern distribution of the tribes Anypotactini and Eudiagogini (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), it can be assumed that the climate of the late Eocene amber forests was similar to that of the Valdivian temperate forests. A new species, Paonaupactus zosimovichi sp. n. from the tribe Anypotactini of the subfamily Entiminae is described from Late Eocene Rovno amber. It differs from Paonaupactus gracilis by its rarer, decumbent scales on the elytral interstriae, elytral interstriae, which are clearly visible between scales, and its smaller body size. This is the third species of the genus Paonaupactus found in Rovno amber. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematics, Evolution and Ecology of Holarctic Insect Species)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

34 pages, 6249 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Hymenopterous Parasitoids of the Lime Leaf Miner Phyllonorycter issikii (Kumata) (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) from Its Native and Invaded Regions in Asian Russia

by Oksana V. Kosheleva, Sergey A. Belokobylskij and Natalia I. Kirichenko

Diversity 2022, 14(9), 707; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14090707 - 26 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1569

Abstract

The lime leaf miner Phyllonorycter issikii (Kumata) (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) is an east Asian pest, which has recently distributed across the Palaearctic. Here, we provide the novel data on the diversity of its parasitoids in the Russian Far East (native region) and western Siberia [...] Read more.

The lime leaf miner Phyllonorycter issikii (Kumata) (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) is an east Asian pest, which has recently distributed across the Palaearctic. Here, we provide the novel data on the diversity of its parasitoids in the Russian Far East (native region) and western Siberia (invaded region). Overall, 19 parasitoids from the Eulophidae (17 species) and Braconidae (2 species) reared from the Ph. issikii larvae and pupae were identified based on morphology and/or DNA barcoding. Among them, 12 species were detected in the Primorskiy Territory (Russian Far East) and 10 species in the Novosibirsk Province (Western Siberia), with only 3 shared species, namely Chrysocharis laomedon (Walker), Elachertus inunctus Nees and Sympiesis gordius (Walker). Pleurotroppopsis japonica (Kamijo) is a novel record for Russia, whereas the other eight eulophids are novel for the Novosibisk Province and two for the Primorskiy Territory. The eulophid Mischotetrastichus nadezhdae (Kostjukov) was recorded as a parasitoid of Ph. issikii for the first time. Four new species were described from the Primorskiy Territory: Achrysocharoides nagasawi sp. nov., A. carinatus sp. nov., Cirrospilus ussuriensis sp. nov., Pholetesor nataliae sp. nov. For all parasitoids, the distribution and hosts are listed; the majority of the species are illustrated. In addition, a checklist of the Ph. issikii parasitoids counting 79 species is compiled for the Palaearctic region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematics, Evolution and Ecology of Holarctic Insect Species)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Systematics, Evolution and Ecology of Holarctic Insect Species

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (9 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI