Petr Janšta

A molecular phylogeny of the Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera).

Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera) are extremely diverse with more than 23,000 species described and over 500,000 species estimated to exist. This is the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the superfamily based on a molecular analysis of 18S and 28S ribosomal gene regions for 19 families, 72 subfamilies, 343 genera and 649 species. The 56 outgroups are comprised of Ceraphronoidea and most proctotrupomorph families, including Mymarommatidae. Data alignment and the impact of ambiguous regions are explored using a secondary structure analysis and automated (MAFFT) alignments of the core and pairing regions and regions of ambiguous alignment. Both likelihood and parsimony approaches are used to analyze the data. Overall there is no impact of alignment method, and few but substantial differences between likelihood and parsimony approaches. Monophyly of Chalcidoidea and a sister group relationship between Mymaridae and the remaining Chalcidoidea is strongly supported in all analyses. Either Mymarommatoidea or Diaprioidea are the sister group of Chalcidoidea depending on the analysis. Likelihood analyses place Rotoitidae as the sister group of the remaining Chalcidoidea after Mymaridae, whereas parsimony nests them within Chalcidoidea. Some traditional family groups are supported as monophyletic (Agaonidae, Eucharitidae, Encyrtidae, Eulophidae, Leucospidae, Mymaridae, Ormyridae, Signiphoridae, Tanaostigmatidae and Trichogrammatidae). Several other families are paraphyletic (Perilampidae) or polyphyletic (Aphelinidae, Chalcididae, Eupelmidae, Eurytomidae, Pteromalidae, Tetracampidae and Torymidae). Evolutionary scenarios discussed for Chalcidoidea include the evolution of phytophagy, egg parasitism, sternorrhynchan parasitism, hypermetamorphic development and heteronomy.

Fine structure of the midgut epithelium in two Archaeognatha, Lepismachilis notata and Machilis hrabei (Insecta), in relation to its degeneration and regeneration

In two archaeognathans, Lepismachilis notata and Machilis hrabei, the midgut epithelium and processes of its regeneration and degeneration have been described at the ultrastructural level.In both analysed species, the midgut epithelium is composed of epithelial and regenerative cells (regenerative nests). The epithelial cells show distinct regionalization in organelles distribution with the basal, perinuclear, and apical regions being distinguished. Degeneration of epithelial cells proceeds in a necrotic way (continuous degeneration) during the entire life of adult specimens, but just before each moult degeneration intensifies. Apoptosis has been observed. Regenerative cells fulfil the role of midgut stem cells. Some of them proliferate, while the others differentiate into epithelial cells.We compared the organisation of the midgut epithelium of M. hrabei and L. notata with zygentoman species, which have just been described.

Immature stages of Euchirinae (Coleoptera : Scarabaeoidea): genera Cheirotonus and Propomacrus with comments on their phylogeny based on larval and adult characters

We report the discovery of the larvae of Propomacrus bimucronatus (Pallas, 1781) in their natural habitat; providing notes on their biology based on field observations and laboratory-bred specimens. We give a detailed description of Cheirotonus formosanus Ohaus, 1913 and P. cypriacus Alexis & Markis, 2002 larvae as well as a redescription of the immature stages of P. bimucronatus and present the first diagnosis of larval Euchirinae. Based on 105 morphological and ecological characters of adults and larvae in 24 taxa of Scarabaeoidea, we discuss the phylogenetic relationships of Euchirinae within the group. Our results corroborate Euchirinae monophyly, supported by two larval synapomorphic characters; however, no adult autapomorphic characters were detected. The results of 15 separate phylogenetic analyses (differing in the set of terminalia, characters and in the optimality criteria) indicate a possible sister group relationship between Euchirinae and a clade comprising Melolonthinae + Rutelinae + Dynastinae, with Cetoniinae being a sister group to the whole clade. Larval characters represent a valuable source of information for the systematics of Scarabaeoidea; however, special effort should be paid to improve the still unsatisfactory sampling of immature data.

Specialization of pollination systems of two co-flowering phenotypically generalized Hypericum species (Hypericaceae) in Cameroon

The degree of specialization in plant–pollinator relationships is probably the most intensively discussed topic of pollination biology. Phenotypically generalized flowers are typically also considered to be generalized ecologically and/or functionally. Our study focuses on visitors to flowers of Hypericum roeperianum and H. revolutum, two closely related co-flowering Afromontane plants with flat flowers, which can be visited by many insects. We collected insect visitors and recorded their behaviour. Both Hypericum species were visited by large numbers of morphospecies and functional groups, which might indicate that they are highly generalized plants. Nevertheless, after including the visitors’ abundance, behaviour and contact with the plants’ reproductive organs, only a single carpenter bee species could be considered an effective pollinator of H. roeperianum, and a few smaller bee species (mainly Apis mellifera and Meliplebeia ogouensis) could be considered as effective pollinators of H. revolutum. Despite the fact that the flowers appear at first glance phenotypically generalized, both species seem to be ecologically and functionally specialized for bee pollination. Our results indicate that even phenotypically generalized flowers can be functionally and ecologically specialized. More precise knowledge of their visitors’ behaviour is crucial for understanding their pollination systems. Our results cast doubts upon the currently leading opinion that generalization prevails in pollination systems, as such conclusions are based mainly on community-wide studies, which usually do not consider the true role of insect visitors.

Torymidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) revised: molecular phylogeny, circumscription and reclassification of the family with discussion of its biogeography and evolution of life‐history traits

A phylogeny of the Torymidae (Chalcidoidea) is estimated using 4734 nucleotides from five genes. Twelve outgroups and 235 ingroup taxa are used, representing about 70% of the recognized genera. Our analyses do not recover Torymidae as monophyletic and we recognize instead two families: Megastigmidae (stat. rev.) and Torymidae s.s. (stat. rev.). Within Torymidae s.s., we recognize six subfamilies and six tribes, including Chalcimerinae, Glyphomerinae and Microdontomerinae (subf. nov.), and two new tribes: Boucekinini and Propalachiini (trib. nov.). Seven unclassified genera (i.e. Cryptopristus, Echthrodape, Exopristoides, Exopristus, part of Glyphomerus, Thaumatorymus, Zaglyptonotus) are assigned to tribes within our new classification. Five genera are restored from synonymy—Ameromicrus and Didactyliocerus from under Torymoides (stat. rev.), Iridophaga and Iridophagoides from under Podagrionella (stat. rev.) and Nannocerus from under Torymus (stat. rev.)—and three genera are synonymized—Allotorymus under Torymussyn. nov., Ditropinotus under Eridontomerussyn. nov. and Pseuderimerus under Erimerussyn. nov. A Palaearctic or Eurasian origin for Torymidae is proposed. The ancestral area of Megastigmidae is indicated as the Australian region. The most probable ancestral life strategy for Torymidae s.s. is ectoparasitism on gall‐forming Cynipidae. The life strategy and putative hosts of the common ancestor of Megastigmidae remain uncertain.

Insect community on Jurinea cyanoides (Asteraceae), a plant species protected under NATURA 2000

Abstract The plant Jurinea cyanoides (L.) Reichenbach (Asteraceae), protected under the European Commission Directive on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (92/43/EEC), is critically endangered in Central Europe. The centre of its continuous range of distribution is in Ukraine and in a part of European Russia. Natural isolated populations have refugial distribution in the Czech Republic and Germany. Interactions of insects from different feeding guilds (i.e., phytophages, pollinators, parasitoids, predators) with J. cyanoides were studied in central Ukraine, Czech Republic and Germany. The insect community identified on J. cyanoides and differences in its composition on robust populations of plant in contrast to sparsely populated periphery of its range are discussed. Altogether 78 species belonging to six orders (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and Neuroptera) were recorded. Larvae of the pyralid moth (genus Dioryctria), tephritid fruit flies (Acanthiophilus helianthi), and several polyphagous Heteroptera species are identified as main taxa feeding on inflorescences and seeds of J. cyanoides, with a potential to reduce the plant’s sexual reproduction. The impact of phytophagous insects is, however, considered only a secondary reason for the decline of the Czech populations of J. cyanoides on which a fairly low number of insect species were recorded in comparison with Ukraine and Germany; habitat loss and inbreeding effect are probably major negative factors. Several new host plant-insect and host-parasitoid associations are reported for insects on J. cyanoides.

Isolation and characterisation of microsatellite markers for Mylothris jacksoni knutsoni (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), an endemic butterfly of the Gulf of Guinea Highlands

Abstract Eight polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and characterized for the Mylothris jacksoni knutsoni, an endemic butterfly of endangered montane habitats of the Gulf of Guinea Highlands, West/Central Africa. The loci were tested for polymorphism in 30 individuals from the Nkogam Massif, western Cameroon. The detected numbers of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 5, and the observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.200 to 0.867, and from 0.186 to 0.739, respectively. All loci were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, and no evidence of linkage disequilibrium was found. Despite its uniqueness, the biota of this area is still understudied and this is the first study describing microsatellite loci for any African species of the Pieridae family, as well as of any butterfly of the study area.