Roger J. Blahnik

Phylogeny of Trichoptera (Caddisflies): Characterization of Signal and Noise Within Multiple Datasets

Trichoptera are holometabolous insects with aquatic larvae that, together with the Lepidoptera, make up the Amphiesmenoptera. Despite extensive previous morphological work, little phylogenetic agreement has been reached about the relationship among the three suborders--Annulipalpia, Spicipalpia, and Integripalpia--or about the monophyly of Spicipalpia. In an effort to resolve this conflict, we sequenced fragments of the large and small subunit nuclear ribosomal RNAs (1078 nt; D1, D3, V4-5), the nuclear elongation factor 1 alpha gene (EF-1 alpha; 1098 nt), and a fragment of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI; 411 nt). Seventy adult and larval morphological characters were reanalyzed and added to molecular data in a combined analysis. We evaluated signal and homoplasy in each of the molecular datasets and attempted to rank the particular datasets according to how appropriate they were for inferring relationships among suborders. This evaluation included testing for conflict among datasets, comparing tree lengths among alternative hypotheses, measuring the left-skew of tree-length distributions from maximally divergent sets of taxa, evaluating the recovery of expected clades, visualizing whether or not substitutions were accumulating with time, and estimating nucleotide compositional bias. Although all these measures cast doubt on the reliability of the deep-level signal coming from the nucleotides of the COI and EF-1 alpha genes, these data could still be included in combined analyses without overturning the results from the most conservative marker, the rRNA. The different datasets were found to be evolving under extremely different rates. A site-specific likelihood method for dealing with combined data with nonoverlapping parameters was proposed, and a similar weighting scheme under parsimony was evaluated. Among our phylogenetic conclusions, we found Annulipalpia to be the most basal of the three suborders, with Spicipalpia and Integripalpia forming a clade. Monophyly of Annulipalpia and Integripalpia was confirmed, but the relationships among spicipalpians remain equivocal.

Phylogeny of caddisflies (Insecta, Trichoptera)

Trichoptera are holometabolous insects with aquatic larvae that, together with the Lepidoptera, comprise the Amphiesmenoptera. Previous phylogenetic hypotheses and progress on our ongoing data collection are summarized. Fragments of the large and small subunit nuclear ribosomal RNAs (D1, D3, V4–5), the nuclear elongation factor 1 alpha gene and a fragment of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (COI) were sequenced, and molecular data were combined with previously published morphological data. Equally and differentially weighted parsimony analyses were conducted in order to present a phylogeny of Trichoptera, including 43 of 45 families. Our phylogeny closely resembles that proposed by Herbert Ross with respect to the relationships among suborders, with a monophyletic Annulipalpia at the base of the tree, and a clade consisting of Spicipalpia plus a monophyletic Integripalpia. The monophyly of Spicipalpia is weakly supported in the combined equally weighted analysis, and Spicipalpia is paraphyletic in the differentially weighted analysis. Within Integripalpia, our phylogeny recovered monophyletic Plenitentoria, Brevitentoria and Sericostomatoidea. Leptoceroidea was unresolved in the equally weighted analysis and monophyletic in the differentially weighted analysis. Within Annulipalpia, we recovered a basal but paraphyletic Philopotamoidea and a monophyletic Hydropsychoidea.

DNA barcode data confirm new species and reveal cryptic diversity in Chilean Smicridea (Smicridea) (Trichoptera:Hydropsychidae)

Abstract Mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (mtDNA) sequence data have been both heralded and scrutinized for their ability or lack thereof to discriminate among species for identification (DNA barcoding) or description (DNA taxonomy). Few studies have systematically examined the ability of mtDNA from the DNA barcode region (658 base pair fragment of the 5′ terminus of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene) to distinguish species based on range-wide sampling of specimens from closely related species. Here we examined the utility of DNA barcode data for delimiting species, associating life stages, and as a potential genetic marker for phylogeographic studies by analyzing a range-wide sample of closely related Chilean representatives of the caddisfly genus Smicridea subgenus Smicridea. Our data revealed the existence of 7 deeply diverged, previously unrecognized lineages and confirmed the existence of 2 new species: Smicridea (S.) patinae, new species and Smicridea (S.) lourditae, new species. Based on our current taxonomic evaluation, we considered the other 5 lineages to be cryptic species. The DNA barcode data proved useful in delimiting species within Chilean Smicridea (Smicridea) and were suitable for life-stage associations. The data also contained sufficient intraspecific variation to make the DNA barcode a candidate locus for widespread application in phylogeographic studies.

Host phylogeny and specialisation in parasitoids

The host range of insect parasitoids and herbivores is influenced by both preference-related traits which mediate host choice behaviour, and performance-related traits which mediate the physiological suitability of the consumer-resource interaction. In a previous study, we characterised the influence of preference- and performance-related traits on the host range of the aphid parasitoid Binodoxys communis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and herein we build upon those data sets by mapping a series of these traits onto the phylogeny of the (aphid) host species. We found a strong effect of host phylogeny on overall parasitoid reproduction on the 20 host species tested, but no effect of the phylogeny of host plants of the aphids. We found an effect of aphid phylogeny on host acceptance and sting rates (related to preference) from behavioural observations and for pupal survivorship (related to performance), showing that both classes of traits show phylogenetic conservatism with respect to host species.

Checklist of the Trichoptera (Insecta) of Brazil I

We present here a list of Trichoptera species recorded in the literature from Brazil as of September 2003. The total number of species recorded for Brazil is 378. The most diverse family is Hydropsychidae with 103 species; the second most diverse is Hydroptilidae with 50 species, followed by Leptoceridae and Philopotamidae with 41 each. Distributions by state and additional literature relevant to Brazilian Trichoptera are also presented.

Systematics of Chimarrita, a new subgenus of Chimarra (Trichoptera: Philopotamidae)

The subgenus Chimarrita of the genus Chimarra is erected to include three described species, formerly placed in the subgenus Chimarra, and fifteen new species, all with distributions in the Greater Antilles or South America. A phylogeny for the species in the subgenus, and characters supporting monophyly of the subgenus Chimarrita, are proposed, as well as evidence for the monophyly of the subgenera Chimarra and Curgia. Keys are provided for the males and known females of the subgenus. Described species transferred to this subgenus are Chimarra simpliciforma Flint, Chimarra rosalesi Flint, and Chimarra maldonadoi Flint. Chimarra simpliciforma is designated the type species for the subgenus. New species in Chimarra (Chimarrita) described in this paper include: Chimarra akantha (Brazil), C.camella (Brazil), C.camura (Brazil), C.chela (Venezuela), C.forcipata (Venezuela), C.heligma (Brazil), C.heppneri (Peru), C.kontilos (Brazil), C.majuscula (Brazil), C.merengue (Dominican Republic), C.neblina (Venezuela), C.prolata (Ecuador), C.pusilla (Venezuela), C.tortuosa (Brazil), and C.xingu (Brazil).

The Trichoptera barcode initiative: a strategy for generating a species-level Tree of Life.

DNA barcoding was intended as a means to provide species-level identifications through associating DNA sequences from unknown specimens to those from curated reference specimens. Although barcodes were not designed for phylogenetics, they can be beneficial to the completion of the Tree of Life. The barcode database for Trichoptera is relatively comprehensive, with data from every family, approximately two-thirds of the genera, and one-third of the described species. Most Trichoptera, as with most of lifes species, have never been subjected to any formal phylogenetic analysis. Here, we present a phylogeny with over 16 000 unique haplotypes as a working hypothesis that can be updated as our estimates improve. We suggest a strategy of implementing constrained tree searches, which allow larger datasets to dictate the backbone phylogeny, while the barcode data fill out the tips of the tree. We also discuss how this phylogeny could be used to focus taxonomic attention on ambiguous species boundaries and hidden biodiversity. We suggest that systematists continue to differentiate between ‘Barcode Index Numbers’ (BINs) and ‘species’ that have been formally described. Each has utility, but they are not synonyms. We highlight examples of integrative taxonomy, using both barcodes and morphology for species description. This article is part of the themed issue ‘From DNA barcodes to biomes’.

New distribution and species records of Trichoptera from Southern and Southeastern Brazil

We provide here a list of new species records of Trichoptera (Insecta) collected in Southern and Southeastern Brazil. We report 21 new distribution records for the country of Brazil. We also provide new distribution records for 92 species of Trichoptera for the states of Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Parana and Santa Catarina.

Systematics of Otarrha, a new Neotropical subgenus of Chimarra (Trichoptera: Philopotamidae)

Abstract. Subgenus Otarrha is established in genus Chimarra to include eighteen described species formerly placed either in subgenus Chimarra or unplaced to subgenus, and thirteen new species. All species are Neotropical, with collective distributions primarily in the Antilles (Greater and Lesser) and northern South America. One species occurs in southeastern Brazil and another species in Costa Rica and Panama. New species are described, recognized species redescribed (except for C. diannae and C. koki), and a key to the identification of males in the subgenus is provided. Additionally, characters supporting monophyly of the subgenus and a phylogeny of its species are proposed. Described species transferred to this subgenus include Chimarra cubanorum Botosaneanu, C. diakis Flint, C. diannae Flint & Sykora, C. dominicana Flint, C. garciai Botosaneanu, C. guapa Botosaneanu, C. jamaicensis Flint, C. koki Botosaneanu, C. machaerophora Flint, C. patosa Ross, C. puertoricensis Flint, C. quadrifurcata Botosaneanu, C. retrorsa Flint, C. rossi Bueno‐Soria, C. sensillata Flint, C. septemlobata Flint, C. septifera Flint and C. spinulifera Flint. Chimarra patosa is designated the type species of the subgenus. New species described in Otarrha include Chimarra amazonia (Peru), C. barinas (Venezuela), C. darlingtoni (Cuba), C. diaphora (Venezuela), C. incipiens (Venezuela), C. odonta (Brazil), C. parene (Peru), C. parilis (Peru), C. particeps (Peru), C. peruana (Peru), C. phthanorossi (Colombia), C. redonda (Dominican Republic) and C. tachuela (Venezuela). Two additional species are described and left incertae sedis to subgenus, Chimarra usitatissima Flint and C. angularis, sp.n. (Venezuela, Guyana).

New Species of Smicridea (Subgenus Smicridea) from Costa Rica, with a Revision of the Fasciatella Complex (Trichoptera:Hydropsychidae)

Six new species of Smicridea subgenus Smicridea from Central and South America are described: S. aries n. sp., S. gomezi n. sp., and S. gomphotheria n. sp. in the nigripennis group; and S. gemina n. sp., S. catherinae n. sp., and S. hybrida n. sp. in the fasciatella group. Smicridea gemina is erected from within the species S. bivittata (Hagen), and S. catherinae and S. hybrida are erected from within the species S. varia (Banks), whose identity is redefined, and a complex of related and possibly interbreeding species is recognized and termed the fasciatella complex. The fasciatella complex is revised, relationships of the species are discussed and evolutionary mechanisms, involving introgression and sexual selection, are proposed to explain speciation in the group.