Gerasimos Cassis

Systematics, Biodiversity, Biogeography, and Host Associations of the Miridae (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Cimicomorpha)

The Miridae, a hyperdiverse family containing more than 11,020 valid described species, are discussed and the pertinent literature is reviewed. Diagnoses for the family and subfamilies are given. Color habitus photos are presented for representatives of most of the 35 currently recognized tribes. Key morphological character systems are discussed and illustrated, including pretarsal structures, femoral trichobothria, external efferent system of the metathoracic glands, male and female genitalia, and molecular markers. A historical comparison of tribal classifications and the most up-to-date classification are presented in tabular form. A brief history of the classification of each of the eight recognized subfamilies is presented. Distributional patterns and relative generic diversity across biogeographic regions are discussed; generic diversity by biogeographic region is presented in tabular form. Taxonomic accumulation graphs are presented by biogeographic region, indicating an ongoing need for taxonomic work in the Southern Hemisphere, and most particularly in Australia. Host plant associations are evaluated graphically, showing high specificity for many taxa and a preference among phytophagous taxa for the Asteridae and Rosidae.

The fourth‐corner solution – using predictive models to understand how species traits interact with the environment

Summary An important problem encountered by ecologists in species distribution modelling (SDM) and in multivariate analysis is that of understanding why environmental responses differ across species, and how differences are mediated by functional traits. We describe a simple, generic approach to this problem – the core idea being to fit a predictive model for species abundance (or presence/absence) as a function of environmental variables, species traits and their interaction. We show that this method can be understood as a model-based approach to the fourth-corner problem – the problem of studying the environment–trait association using matrices of abundance or presence/absence data across species, environmental data across sites and trait data across species. The matrix of environment–trait interaction coefficients is the fourth corner. We illustrate that compared with existing approaches to the fourth-corner problem, the proposed model-based approach has advantages in interpretability and its capacity to perform model selection and make predictions. To illustrate the method we used a generalized linear model with a LASSO penalty, fitted to data sets from four different studies requiring different models, illustrating the flexibility of the proposed approach. Predictive performance of the model is compared with that of fitting SDMs separately to each species, and in each case, it is shown that the trait model, despite being much simpler, had comparable predictive performance, even significantly outperforming separate SDMs in some cases.

Human remains from the Pleistocene-Holocene transition of southwest China suggest a complex evolutionary history for East Asians.

Background Later Pleistocene human evolution in East Asia remains poorly understood owing to a scarcity of well described, reliably classified and accurately dated fossils. Southwest China has been identified from genetic research as a hotspot of human diversity, containing ancient mtDNA and Y-DNA lineages, and has yielded a number of human remains thought to derive from Pleistocene deposits. We have prepared, reconstructed, described and dated a new partial skull from a consolidated sediment block collected in 1979 from the site of Longlin Cave (Guangxi Province). We also undertook new excavations at Maludong (Yunnan Province) to clarify the stratigraphy and dating of a large sample of mostly undescribed human remains from the site. Methodology/Principal Findings We undertook a detailed comparison of cranial, including a virtual endocast for the Maludong calotte, mandibular and dental remains from these two localities. Both samples probably derive from the same population, exhibiting an unusual mixture of modern human traits, characters probably plesiomorphic for later Homo, and some unusual features. We dated charcoal with AMS radiocarbon dating and speleothem with the Uranium-series technique and the results show both samples to be from the Pleistocene-Holocene transition: ∼14.3-11.5 ka. Conclusions/Significance Our analysis suggests two plausible explanations for the morphology sampled at Longlin Cave and Maludong. First, it may represent a late-surviving archaic population, perhaps paralleling the situation seen in North Africa as indicated by remains from Dar-es-Soltane and Temara, and maybe also in southern China at Zhirendong. Alternatively, East Asia may have been colonised during multiple waves during the Pleistocene, with the Longlin-Maludong morphology possibly reflecting deep population substructure in Africa prior to modern humans dispersing into Eurasia.

Traumatic Insemination in Terrestrial Arthropods

Traumatic insemination is a bizarre form of mating practiced by some invertebrates in which males use hypodermic genitalia to penetrate their partners body wall during copulation, frequently bypassing the female genital tract and ejaculating into their blood system. The requirements for traumatic insemination to evolve are stringent, yet surprisingly it has arisen multiple times within invertebrates. In terrestrial arthropods traumatic insemination is most prevalent in the true bug infraorder Cimicomorpha, where it has evolved independently at least three times. Traumatic insemination is thought to occur in the Strepsiptera and has recently been recorded in fruit fly and spider lineages. We review the putative selective pressures that may have led to the evolution of traumatic insemination across these lineages, as well as the pressures that continue to drive divergence in male and female reproductive morphology and behavior. Traumatic insemination mechanisms and attributes are compared across independent lineages.

Phylogeny and systematics of the subfamily Bryocorinae based on morphology with emphasis on the tribe Dicyphini sensu Schuh

The classification of the hyperdiverse true bug family Miridae is far from settled, and is particularly contentious for the cosmopolitan subfamily Bryocorinae. The morphological diversity within the subfamily is pronounced, and a lack of explicit character formulation hampers stability in the classification. Molecular partitions are few and only a handful of taxa have been sequenced. In this study the phylogeny of the subfamily Bryocorinae has been analysed based on morphological data alone, with an emphasis on evaluating the tribe Dicyphina sensu Schuh, 1976, within which distinct groups of taxa exist. A broad sample of taxa was examined from each of the bryocorine tribes. A broad range of outgroup taxa from most of the other mirid subfamilies was also examined to test for bryocorine monophyly, ingroup relationships and to determine character polarity. In total a matrix comprising 44 ingroup, 15 outgroup taxa and 111 morphological characters was constructed. The phylogenetic analysis resulted in a monophyletic subfamily Bryocorinae sensu Schuh (1976, 1995), except for the genus Palaucoris, which is nested within Cylapinae. The tribe Dicyphini sensu Schuh (1976, 1995) has been rejected. The subtribe Odoniellina is synonymized with the subtribe Monaloniina and the subtribes Dicyphina, Monaloniina and Eccritotarsina are now elevated to tribal level, with the Dicyphini now restricted in composition and definition. The genus Felisacus is highly autapomorphic and a new tribe – the Felisacini – is erected for the included taxa. This phylogeny of the tribes of the Bryocorinae comprises the following sister‐group relationships: Dicyphini ((Bryocorini + Eccritotarsini)(Felisicini + Monaloniini)).

Myrtlemiris, a new genus and new species of Australian plant bugs (Insecta: Heteroptera: Miridae): systematics, phylogeny and host associations

A new Australian genus of Orthotylinae, Myrtlemiris Cheng, Mututantri & Cassis gen.n., is described, with nine included species described as new to science (M. agnewsp.n., M. astartephilasp.n., M. meanarrasp.n., M. newmanensissp.n., M. rubrocuneatussp.n., M. russulatussp.n., M. silveiraesp.n., M. tesselatussp.n., M. yalgoosp.n.). A phylogenetic analysis based on 39 morphological characters is presented for all Myrtlemiris species and 6 outgroup taxa. This analysis establishes Myrtlemiris as monophyletic, defined by a broad apophysis on the left paramere. A key to species is provided and diagnostic characters are illustrated. Myrtlemiris is endemic to southwest Western Australia. Host plants for Myrtlemiris species are near restricted to the myrtaceous tribe Chamelaucieae.

Systematics, phylogeny and host associations of the Australian endemic monaloniine genus Rayieria Odhiambo (Insecta : Heteroptera : Miridae : Bryocorinae)

Abstract. The Australian endemic plant bug genus Rayieria Odhiambo (Heteroptera : Miridae : Bryocorinae : Monaloniina) is revised. Ten species are described as new to science: Rayieria acaciae, sp. nov., R. albaornata, sp. nov., R. decorata, sp. nov., R. frontalis, sp. nov., R. gearyi, sp. nov., R. grandiocula, sp. nov., R. kennedyi, sp. nov., R. minuta, sp. nov.. R. queenslandica, sp. nov., and R. rubranigra, sp. nov. Rayieria braconoides (Walker) and R. tumidiceps (Horváth) are synonymised with R. basifer (Walker), syn. nov. Diagnoses, descriptions, distribution records and host-plant information for all species are given. Digital habitus illustrations of males and females are provided for most species and sexes where available. Male and female genitalia are illustrated for each species. A key to all species is given. Phylogenetic analysis of the ingroup relationships of Rayieria is given, based on 11 ingroups, 16 outgroups and 56 morphological characters. The analysis supports monophyly of Rayieria and establishes a clade comprising all other elongate monaloniine genera, inclusive of Arthriticus Bergroth, Ragwelellus Odhiambo, Helopeltis Signoret and Monalonion Herrich-Schaeffer. Braconid-mimic species of Rayieria are reported. Host-plant associations for this genus and the subtribe Monaloniina are discussed.

SCHUHIRANDELLA FULVA, NEW GENUS AND NEW SPECIES FROM WESTERN AUSTRALIA (HEMIPTERA: HETEROPTERA: MIRIDAE: BRYOCORINAE: MONALONIINA)

Abstract Schuhirandella fulva, a new genus and new species from Western Australia, is described. A differential diagnosis for the genus is given, and is compared to other monaloniine and odonielline Bryocorinae. Digital images of habitus, SEM images, drawings of male and female genitalia, and information on host plants are provided.

Systematics and host plant associations of a new genus of Acacia-inhabiting plant bugs from arid Australia (Insecta : Hemiptera : Heteroptera : Miridae : Orthotylinae)

Abstract. Acaciacapsus, gen. nov. is described as a new plant bug genus, with eight new included species: A. amadeus, sp. nov.; A. appha, sp. nov.; A. aureolus, sp. nov.; A. bournda, sp. nov.; A. emeraldensis, sp. nov.; A. lolworthensis, sp. nov.; A. millstreamensis, sp. nov.; and A. woodwardi, sp. nov. Differential diagnoses and descriptions are given for all species, including salient characters, and the male and female genitalia. An identification key is provided to species. Male genitalia are illustrated, and a habitus photograph is provided for each species. Female genitalia are illustrated for two species. The genus is putatively an Acacia specialist, and has cryptozoic yellowish colouration. The species are primarily found in arid and semi-arid regions of non-monsoonal regions of Australia. The collection events are digitised and their distributions mapped. A phylogeny of species is given. Modifications are given to male genitalic homologies and are discussed in reference to other Australian orthotylines.

Plant bugs, plant interactions and the radiation of a species rich clade in south-western Australia: Naranjakotta, gen. nov. and eighteen new species (Insecta : Heteroptera : Miridae : Orthotylinae)

Abstract. New surveys from the Bush Blitz and Planetary Biodiversity Inventory programs has revealed a largely unknown biota of plant bugs in Australia. The mirid subfamily Orthotylinae has exploded in Australia, in association with perennial shrubs in arid and semi-arid Australia. This work documents the discovery of a new clade of 18 new species of the plant bug subfamily Orthotylinae. These new species belong to Naranjakotta, gen. nov., which was analysed phylogenetically and found to be monophyletic. The distribution of Naranjakotta and included species are documented, and analysed in reference to the distribution of all other orthotylines across continental Australia. A paralogy-free subtree analysis was conducted based on a recent phytogeographic classification, which resulted in the recognition of eastern and western subclades, with Tasmania and the Eyre Peninsula unresolved. The host plant associations were optimised at generic and ordinal levels to the Naranjakotta phylogeny and an ancestral Lamiales association for Naranjakotta and an ancestral Acacia association for a subclade of Naranjakotta were found. The eighteen new species described in this work are: N. bicolorata, sp. nov., N. chinnocki, sp. nov., N. cryptandraphila, sp. nov., N. dimorpha, sp. nov., N. graphica, sp. nov., N. hakeaphila, sp. nov., N. hibbertiaphila, sp. nov., N. hyalina, sp. nov., N. keraudrenia, sp. nov., N. lochada, sp. nov., N. macfarlanei, sp. nov., N. minor, sp. nov., N. myrtlephila, sp. nov., N. rosa, sp. nov., N. splendida, sp. nov., N. unicolorata, sp. nov., N. wanarra, sp. nov. and N. watheroo, sp. nov. Orthotylus sidnicus (Stål) is transferred to Naranjakotta.