Hendrik Freitag

Ancyronyx Erichson, 1847 (Coleoptera, Elmidae) from Mindoro, Philippines, with description of the larvae and two new species using DNA sequences for the assignment of the developmental stages

Abstract Ancyronyx buhid sp. n. and Ancyronyx tamaraw sp. n. are described based on adults and larvae, matched using their cox1 or cob DNA sequence data. Additional records of Ancyronyx schillhammeri Jäch, 1994 and Ancyronyx minerva Freitag & Jäch, 2007 from Mindoro are listed. The previously unknown larva of Ancyronyx schillhammeri is also described here, aided by cox1 data. The new species and larval stages are described in detail and illustrated by SEM and stacked microscopic images. Keys to the adult and larval Ancyronyx species of Mindoro and an updated checklist of Philippine Ancyronyx species are provided. The usefulness as bioindicators, the phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic aspects affecting the distribution patterns are briefly discussed.

Larvae and a new species of Ancyronyx Erichson, 1847 (Insecta, Coleoptera, Elmidae) from Palawan, Philippines, using DNA sequences for the assignment of the developmental stages

Abstract Ancyronyx montanus sp. n. is described based on adults and larvae, matched using their cox1 DNA sequence data. Larvae of six additional species of Ancyronyx Erichson, 1847 were also described here for the first time, aided by cox1 or cob data: Ancyronyx helgeschneideri Freitag & Jäch, 2007, Ancyronyx minerva Freitag & Jäch, 2007, Ancyronyx patrolus Freitag & Jäch, 2007, Ancyronyx procerus Jäch, 1994, Ancyronyx punkti Freitag & Jäch, 2007, Ancyronyx pseudopatrolus Freitag & Jäch, 2007. Ancyronyx procerus is newly recorded from the Philippines by a larval specimen from Busuanga island. The new species and larval stages are described in detail and illustrated by digital and SEM images. A key to the Ancyronyx larvae of Palawan and an updated checklist of Philippine Ancyronyx is provided.

A Mega-Diverse Water Beetle Genus (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae: Hydraena Kugelann) Commonly Overlooked in Southeast Asia and its Potential Use for Environmental Biomonitoring

This study summarizes the current knowledge of the water beetle genus Hydraena Kugelann in Southeast Asia. The surprising species diversity and endemism rates in Hydraenopsis Janssens, the only subgenus present in Southeast Asia, are discussed. Data of five published Hydraena surveys from the Philippines and Singapore are used to evaluate species richness and the occurrence of species assemblages that are subject to the presence and quality of forests. Species richness was found to be generally higher in old grown forests. Some species appeared to be confined to near-natural forests. The denomination of indicator species is impeded by adequate sampling data, so it is suggested to intensify efforts in taxonomic and ecological research on these water beetles. It is concluded that the species richness and the common occurrence of the genus in the region might make Hydraena useful as biomonitoring organisms.

Hydraena (Hydraenopsis) ateneo, new species (Coleoptera, Hydraenidae) and other aquatic Polyphaga from a small habitat patch in a highly urbanized landscape of Metro Manila, Philippines

Abstract Seven species of Hydraenidae, Hydrophilidae and Elmidae are recorded from temporary freshwater habitats at the Ateneo de Manila University Campus in the metropolitan area of Manila, Philippines. They were identified as Enochrus (Lumetus) fragiloides d’Orchymont, Helochares (Hydrobaticus) lepidus d’Orchymont, Helochares (Helochares) pallens (MacLeay), Hydraena (Hydraenopsis) scabra d’Orchymont, Hydraena (Hydraenopsis) palawanensis Freitag & Jäch (new record for Luzon Island), Stenelmis sp. A further hydraenid species was unknown to science and is newly described: Hydraena (Hydraenopsis) ateneo Freitag, sp. n. Aedeagus, gonocoxite, spermatheca, and female tergite X are illustrated by computer-based line drawings. Habitus images of all three Hydraena Kugelann species recorded and a checklist of the Philippine Hydraena are provided. The presence of these seven species in the Ateneo campus is briefly discussed in regard to the area’s history. Measures to maintain and extend semi-natural islands of biodiversity in urban areas are suggested.

Diversity of aquatic and riparian Coleoptera of the Philippines: checklist, state of knowledge, priorities for future research and conservation

ABSTRACT The diversity of the aquatic and strictly riparian beetles of the Philippines is reviewed. A checklist (with 317 species and subspecies) of the aquatic and riparian Coleoptera of the Philippines is provided for the first time herein. This checklist covers the following families (number of species and subspecies in parentheses): Hydroscaphidae (1), Gyrinidae (15), Dytiscidae (65), Noteridae (4), Haliplidae (2), Hydraenidae (15), Hydrochidae (2), Spercheidae (1), Hydrophilidae (72), Scirtidae (49), Elmidae (23), Dryopidae (2), Psephenidae (16), Eulichadidae (1), Limnichidae (20), Heteroceridae (5), Malachiidae (5), Lampyridae (15), Nitidulidae (4). A total of 201 species and subspecies (63%) are considered to be endemic to the Philippines. Aquatic/riparian beetle genera and families that are still unrecorded but likely to occur in this country are briefly discussed. Based on estimates at the genus level, it is concluded that about 850 aquatic and riparian species can be expected to occur in the Philippines. The implication of the Philippine biogeographic history for this diversity is discussed. The potential of aquatic/riparian beetles as bioindicators is briefly examined. The dilemma of aquatic invertebrate conservation is analysed and priorities for future research are outlined.

The complex evolutionary history and phylogeography of Caridina typus (Crustacea: Decapoda): long-distance dispersal and cryptic allopatric species

The evolutionary history of the old, diverse freshwater shrimp genus Caridina is still poorly understood, despite its vast distribution – from Africa to Polynesia. Here, we used nuclear and mitochondrial DNA to infer the phylogeographic and evolutionary history of C. typus, which is one of only four species distributed across the entire range of the genus. Despite this species’ potential for high levels of gene flow, questions have been raised regarding its phylogeographic structure and taxonomic status. We identified three distinct lineages that likely diverged in the Miocene. Molecular dating and ancestral range reconstructions are congruent with C. typus’ early dispersal to Africa, possibly mediated by the Miocene Indian Ocean Equatorial Jet, followed by back dispersal to Australasia after the Jet’s closure. Furthermore, several different species delimitation methods indicate each lineage represents a distinct (cryptic) species, contradicting current morphospecies delimitation of a single C. typus taxon. The evolutionary history of C. typus lineages is complex, in which ancient oceanic current systems and (currently unrecognised) speciation events preceded secondary sympatry of these cryptic species.

Clues to Aquatic Beetle Research in Southeast Asia: A Multitude of Ecological Niches, Microhabitats and Deduced Field Sampling Techniques

The basic ecological classification of Southeast Asian beetle families that are associated with aquatic habitats is reviewed. The microhabitat preferences of the taxa are examined on family level with generic examples. Suitable collection methods for quantitative and qualitative sampling are suggested which take into account the different ecological adaptation patterns and microhabitat preferences

Three new species of Grouvellinus Champion, 1923 from Maliau Basin, Sabah, Borneo, discovered by citizen scientists during the first Taxon Expedition (Insecta, Coleoptera, Elmidae)

Abstract Further results are presented of the first field course at Maliau Basin, Malaysian Borneo organized by Taxon Expeditions, an organization which enables citizen scientists to be directly involved in taxonomic discoveries. Three new species of the aquatic beetle genus Grouvellinus Champion, 1923, namely G. leonardodicaprioi sp. n., G. andrekuipersi sp. n., and G. quest sp. n. were collected jointly by the citizen scientists and taxonomists during the fieldwork in Maliau Basin. Material was mainly sampled from sandstone bottom rocks of blackwater streams at altitudes between 900 m and 1,000 m using fine-meshed hand-nets. The genus is widely distributed in the Oriental and Palearctic regions, but these are the first records from the island of Borneo.

Vietelmis jablonskii , a new species of riffle beetle from Laos and Thailand and new faunistic records on Vietelmis Delève, 1968 from Malaysia (Coleoptera: Elmidae)

A new species of riffle beetle, Vietelmis jablonskii, from Laos and Thailand is described and illustrated. Differences to other Vietelmis species are discussed and an identification key for the Vietelmis is presented. New faunistic records are provided for V. kovaci Kodada & Čiampor, 2000; the genus Vietelmis is newly recorded for Thailand.

A taxonomic review of the genus Ancyronyx Erichson, 1847 from Sulawesi (Insecta: Coleoptera: Elmidae)

ABSTRACT Ten new species of the genus Ancyronyx Erichson, 1847 from Sulawesi are described along with additions to the original description of Ancyronyx raffaelacatharina Jäch, 2004. Ancyronyx vincentarnoldi sp. nov. belongs to the Ancyronyx variegatus (Germar, 1824) species-group; Ancyronyx breviparamerus sp. nov., Ancyronyx hafti sp. nov., Ancyronyx henningi sp. nov., Ancyronyx konjo sp. nov., Ancyronyx longiparamerus sp. nov., Ancyronyx skalei sp. nov., Ancyronyx schoedli sp. nov., Ancyronyx tobada sp. nov. and Ancyronyx toraja sp. nov. belong to the Ancyronyx patrolus Freitag & Jäch, 2007 species-group. Diagnostic characters are illustrated by photographs of habitus, line drawings of genitalia and by scanning electron micrographs. An updated checklist of all Ancyronyx species including distribution data is provided. Cox1 mitochondrial DNA sequences were amplified for nine of the species listed above and used to construct a haplotype network by the application of statistical parsimony. The molecular data support our morphological species concept except for two taxa that showed little genetic distance, but were distinguishable by the male genitalia. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0E11E48A-CE03-4D6F-B2F9-B83EEFA0790F