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29 pages, 6044 KB

Open AccessArticle

Collembola from the Gypsum Karst of Sorbas (Almería, Spain), with Descriptions of Three New Species

by Enrique Baquero, Pablo Barranco and Rafael Jordana

Insects 2025, 16(3), 309; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16030309 - 16 Mar 2025

Viewed by 2376

The gypsum karst of Sorbas (Almería, Spain) is home to a diverse community of Collembola. Over seven years of sampling, 7875 specimens were collected from 83 cave visits, representing four orders: Symphypleona (5251 specimens), Entomobryomorpha (2552), Poduromorpha (32), and Neelipleona (29). A total of 25 species were identified. The most abundant are listed in descending order of abundance: Pygmarrhopalites ruizporteroae sp. nov., Pseudosinella najtae, Pygmarrhopalites subbifidus, Troglopedetes machadoi, Pseudosinella sexocellata sp. nov., Pygmarrhopalites torresi sp. nov., and Heteromurus major. Additionally, partial redescriptions of Pseudosinella najtae and Troglopedetes machadoi are provided. This research enhances the taxonomic framework of subterranean Collembola and provides new insights into species differentiation and adaptation. The methodologies applied allow for high-resolution morphological characterization, essential for species delimitation. The results highlight the potential for further discoveries in gypsum caves and emphasize the need for advanced imaging techniques in Collembola taxonomy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Other Arthropods and General Topics)

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24 pages, 3910 KB

Open AccessArticle

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 23 | Viewed by 6194

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 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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19 pages, 2615 KB

Open AccessArticle

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 14 | Viewed by 5083

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 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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22 pages, 4697 KB

Open AccessArticle

Neelipleona and Symphypleona (Collembola) from a Sampling in the Mesovoid Shallow Substratum of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (Madrid and Segovia, Spain): Taxonomy and Biogeography

by Enrique Baquero, Rafael Jordana and Vicente M. Ortuño

Insects 2021, 12(3), 266; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12030266 - 21 Mar 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4080

Abstract

Megalothorax minimus (Neelidae) and Sphaeridia pumilis (Sminthurididae) had already been identified in surface sampling from Sierra de Guadarrama. In Europe, Sminthurinus gisini (Katiannidae) seems to be associated with environments at specific altitudes, and has little representation in this sampling. Pygmarrhopalites custodum Baquero and Jordana sp. nov. (Arrhopalitidae) coexists with two previously identified surface occurring species of the same family (P. elegans and Arrhopalites caecus). However, P. custodum is more abundant, indicating that it occupies an ecological niche tending to troglophile in the mesovoid shallow substratum (MSS). Moreover, it is also more abundant in the MSS of higher altitude corresponding to the bioclimatic zones cryo-oro-Mediterranean and oro-Mediterranean supra forest. Allacma cryptica Baquero and Jordana sp. nov. (Sminthuridae), is another species that had not been previously detected on the surface in the study area. A. cryptica is an addition to a genus which has eight described species. Gisinurus malatestai (Sminthuridae) appears well represented in the MSS, being a species present very occasionally in the Mediterranean area. Two species of the genera Sminthurides (Sminthurididae) and Fasciosminthurus (Bourletiellidae) have been found, but they could not have been identified to the species level. Finally, a few specimens of Dicyrtomina minuta (Dicyrtomidae), an abundant species on the surface, have been captured. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Other Arthropods and General Topics)

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19 pages, 3326 KB

Open AccessArticle

Re-Evaluating the Internal Phylogenetic Relationships of Collembola by Means of Mitogenome Data

by Claudio Cucini, Pietro P. Fanciulli, Francesco Frati, Peter Convey, Francesco Nardi and Antonio Carapelli

Genes 2021, 12(1), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12010044 - 30 Dec 2020

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 6984

Abstract

Collembola are an ancient and early diverging lineage of basal hexapods that occur in virtually all terrestrial habitats on Earth. Phylogenetic relationships between the different orders of Collembola are fiercely debated. Despite a range of studies and the application of both morphological and genetic approaches (singly or in combination) to assess the evolutionary relationships of major lineages in the group, no consensus has been reached. Several mitogenome sequences have been published for key taxa of the class (and their number is increasing rapidly). Here, we describe two new Antarctic Collembola mitogenomes and compare all complete or semi-complete springtail mitogenome sequences available on GenBank in terms of both gene order and DNA sequence analyses in a genome evolution and molecular phylogenetic framework. With minor exceptions, we confirm the monophyly of Poduromorpha and Symphypleona sensu stricto (the latter placed at the most basal position in the springtail phylogenetic tree), whereas monophyly of Neelipleona and Entomobryomorpha is only supported when a handful of critical taxa in these two lineages are excluded. Finally, we review gene order models observed in the class, as well as the overall mitochondrial nucleotide composition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Evolution of the Mitochondrial DNA in Animals)

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20 pages, 2112 KB

Open AccessArticle

Mitochondrial Genome Diversity in Collembola: Phylogeny, Dating and Gene Order

by Chiara Leo, Antonio Carapelli, Francesco Cicconardi, Francesco Frati and Francesco Nardi

Diversity 2019, 11(9), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/d11090169 - 17 Sep 2019

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 10282

Abstract

Collembola (springtails) are an early diverging class of apterygotes, and mark the first substantial radiation of hexapods on land. Despite extensive work, the relationships between major collembolan lineages are still debated and, apart from the Early Devonian fossil Rhyniella praecursor, which demonstrates their antiquity, the time frame of springtail evolution is unknown. In this study, we sequence two new mitochondrial genomes and reanalyze all known Collembola mt-genomes, including selected metagenomic data, to produce an improved phylogenetic hypothesis for the group, develop a tentative time frame for their differentiation, and provide a comprehensive overview of gene order diversity. Our analyses support most taxonomically recognized entities. We find support for an Entomobryomorpha + Symphypleona clade, while the position of Neelipleona could not be assessed with confidence. A Silurian time frame for their basal diversification is recovered, with an indication that divergence times may be fairly old overall. The distribution of mitochondrial gene order indicates the pancrustacean arrangement as plesiomorphic and dominant in the group, with the exception of the family Onychiuridae. We distinguished multiple instances of different arrangements in individual genomes or small clusters. We further discuss the opportunities and drawbacks associated with the inclusion of metagenomic data in a classic study on mitochondrial genome diversity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Evolution of the Mitochondrial DNA in Arthropods)

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