Rolf G. Oberprieler

What determines whether a species of insect is described? Evidence from a study of tropical forest beetles

Abstract.  1 The rainforest canopy has been called ‘the last biological frontier’, and if this is true, there should be more undescribed species in this stratum than the ground stratum. 2 Here, we test this and other hypotheses regarding traits of described and undescribed species by a sub‐sample of 156 species into 96 described and 60 undescribed species from a beetle assemblage of 1473 species collected from the canopy and ground in an Australian lowland rainforest. 3 We show that described species are significantly more likely to be in the canopy, are more likely to be larger and, if they are large, are more likely to have been described earlier. 4 Undescribed species are just as likely to be found near the ground as in the canopy and are more likely to be smaller. 5 After the first year of sampling, ‘new’ described and undescribed species not previously encountered continued to appear in each of three further years of trapping. 6 These data show that the canopy fauna is in fact relatively ‘well known’, and that the undescribed species to be found in both strata are likely to be smaller than described species and are less likely to be plant feeders.

Phylogeny of the Oxycoryninae sensu lato (Coleoptera : Belidae) and evolution of host-plant associations

Phylogenetic relationships among the genera of the subfamily Oxycoryninae and other belids (Curculionoidea) were reconstructed by cladistic analysis using 21 terminals and 98 characters: 62 from imaginal morphology, 33 from larval morphology and three biological characters relating to host plants and larval feeding habits. Terminal taxa represent all extant genera of Oxycoryninae, two genera of each of the three tribes of Belinae plus two outgroup taxa used to root the tree. New information on the larvae and biology of the metrioxenines is used in phylogenetic reconstruction. In accord with the single optimal cladogram obtained, a revised classification of the Oxycoryninae is proposed. The subfamily is classified into three tribes (Oxycorynini, Metrioxenini and Aglycyderini), with the tribe Oxycorynini further classified into three subtribes (Oxycraspedina Marvaldi & Oberprieler, subtr. nov., Oxycorynina and Allocorynina) and the tribe Metrioxenini into two subtribes (Metrioxenina and Afrocorynina ( = Hispodini, syn. nov.)). Larval and adult unambiguous synapomorphies defining each clade are identified. Tracing the evolution of biological traits from the phylogenetic estimate indicates that drastic shifts to phylogenetically distant host plants occurred from the ancestral belid association with conifers. Structural, chemical and/or ecological similarities of the plant organs consumed apparently had a major influence in the colonisation of different plant taxa by this group of weevils.

Molecular phylogenetics of Australian weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea): exploring relationships in a hyperdiverse lineage through comparison of independent analyses

With over 60 000 described species in approximately 5800 genera, weevils (Curculionoidea) represent one of the most diverse and species‐rich superfamilies of eukaryotes on the planet. Recent attempts to resolve the phylogeny of family‐group taxa in weevils using morphological, molecular or combined data sets have produced vastly different patterns of relationships, particularly within the largest family, Curculionidae. Here we present an estimation of the phylogeny of Australian weevils and of the divergence dates of the major lineages based on a multi‐gene data set (28S, 16S and COI) spanning ∼3.5 kbp of DNA sequence. We assess its topological similarities to, and differences from, other recently published phylogenetic trees, particularly in relation to taxon sampling and relative diversity of the lineages, and we discuss the implications for weevil systematics. Our results, derived from a different set of taxa that has different combination of loci and different fossil calibration points, recover a number of relationships and age estimates that are congruent with those obtained by other recent weevil phylogeny estimates, indicating that we are beginning to recognise the major monophyletic lineages and reconstruct the major diversification events within Curculionoidea. Resolution of natural groups within families (e.g. subfamilies and tribes) however remains poor, even for studies with the largest volume of sequence data (whole mitochondrial genome analyses), evidently largely due to deficient taxon sampling. Although taxon sampling is known to be one of the most critical determinants of accurate phylogenetic reconstruction, it is rarely addressed in phylogenetic assessments. Our case study of weevils highlights not only its importance, but also the fact that it is very difficult to achieve comprehensive representative sampling in hyperdiverse lineages because of their sheer taxic diversity. Doubts concerning the monophyly of many subordinate lineages exacerbate this problem, restricting the use of exemplar approaches to taxon sampling. The value of comparing different data sets and analyses for assessing systematic relationships is often overlooked, even despite the presence of many conflicting results in previous phylogenetic hypotheses. A summary of relationships recovered relative to taxon sampling and methodological differences between different phylogenetic reconstructions provides an important stepping‐stone in understanding the diversification of weevils.

Annotated catalogue of Australian weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea).

This catalogue presents the first-ever complete inventory of all described taxa of Australian weevils, including both valid and invalid names. The geographical scope spans mainland Australia and its continental islands as well as the subantarctic Heard and McDonald Islands, the Pacific Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands and the Indian-Ocean Christmas Island. 4111 species in 832 genera (including one extinct species and one fossil) are recognised as occurring in this territory, distributed over seven families, 20 subfamilies and 94 tribes. The families and subfamilies are arranged in a currently accepted phylogenetic sequence but the tribes, genera and species in alphabetical order. Introductory chapters outline the discovery and composition of the Australian weevil fauna, the burden of synonymy, the format and conventions of the catalogue and the taxonomic and nomenclatural changes proposed. Sixteen new genera and six new species are described, two new names and 25 new generic and 72 new species synonymies and 189 new combinations are proposed and 46 type species designations are effected. The records of 356 taxa are annotated to justify or explain various taxonomic and nomenclatural acts and issues, covering descriptions of new taxa, new synonymies and generic combinations, artificial taxon concepts, changes in classification and a number of nomenclatural matters. The catalogue of the taxa present in Australia is followed by a list of 19 species incorrectly recorded from Australia or introduced as biocontrol agents but not established, and by one species inquirenda. All these records are also annotated. Two appendices list the 102 species introduced into Australia, both accidental and deliberate (as weed control agents). A bibliography with full references of all original descriptions and pertinent other citations from the literature is provided, and an index to all names concludes the catalogue.

Phylogenomic Data Yield New and Robust Insights into the Phylogeny and Evolution of Weevils

Abstract The phylogeny and evolution of weevils (the beetle superfamily Curculionoidea) has been extensively studied, but many relationships, especially in the large family Curculionidae (true weevils; > 50,000 species), remain uncertain. We used phylogenomic methods to obtain DNA sequences from 522 protein‐coding genes for representatives of all families of weevils and all subfamilies of Curculionidae. Most of our phylogenomic results had strong statistical support, and the inferred relationships were generally congruent with those reported in previous studies, but with some interesting exceptions. Notably, the backbone relationships of the weevil phylogeny were consistently strongly supported, and the former Nemonychidae (pine flower snout beetles) were polyphyletic, with the subfamily Cimberidinae (here elevated to Cimberididae) placed as sister group of all other weevils. The clade comprising the sister families Brentidae (straight‐snouted weevils) and Curculionidae was maximally supported and the composition of both families was firmly established. The contributions of substitution modeling, codon usage and/or mutational bias to differences between trees reconstructed from amino acid and nucleotide sequences were explored. A reconstructed timetree for weevils is consistent with a Mesozoic radiation of gymnosperm‐associated taxa to form most extant families and diversification of Curculionidae alongside flowering plants—first monocots, then other groups—beginning in the Cretaceous.

The host range of the Eucalyptus Weevil, Gonipterus “scutellatus” Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in South Africa

Abstract• IntroductionThe Eucalyptus Weevil (Gonipterus “scutellatus” Gyllenhal) is a notorious pest of eucalypt plantations around the world, but its host range differs across its area of introduction, which may be due to it being a complex of several cryptic species.• ObjectivesThe performance of the weevil was tested on 14 Eucalyptus and one Syzygium species in the laboratory and the field in South Africa.• ResultsThe Weevil exhibited different levels of polyphagy, depending on how the host plants were presented: as bouquets or sleeved branches, in choice or no-choice combinations or in the open field. The fundamental host range in the laboratory was found to be broader than the realized host range in the field. Eucalyptus smithii was found to be the preferred host while Eucalyptus saligna and the native Syzygium myrtifolia were immune to both feeding and oviposition. Adult feeding and oviposition were more selective in the field, and the larvae were found to be less discriminating than the adults.• ConclusionsThe weevil is shown to have a narrow host range within two sections of the subgenus Symphyomyrtus, a finding that could contribute to resolution of the taxonomy of the genus Eucalyptus. Further, it suggests that countries that already have the pest may be susceptible to introductions of additional Gonipterus species.

The diversity of Linnaean communities: a way of detecting invertebrate groups at risk of extinction

SummaryAs ecologists use changes in the relative abundances of species to detect environmental stress in ecological communities, it is possible to do the same for higher taxa (‘Linnaean communities’) by examining the distribution of species between genera. Using an adaptation of Simpson’s diversity index (D), we predict that, like ecological communities, mature Linnaean communities have D values >0.8 and developing and relictual communities have D values <0.8. We show that D values for seven Australian weevil taxa, three indicated to be mature (Amycterini, Aterpini, Leptopiina), two relictual (Nemonychidae, Belinae) and two actively radiating groups (Gonipterini, Cyphicerina), are as predicted. Apparently subdivision of niche space has the same statistical effects in stressed Linnaean communities as it does in ecological communities, with firstly the loss of species in genera with intermediate numbers of species followed by the loss of monotypic genera. Clearly therefore, the protection of monotypic genera in Linnaean communities with low D values should be the highest conservation priority as these are at the highest risk of extinction, while monotypic genera in high-D communities are not at such high risk. Similarly, the geographical distribution of monotypic genera in Linnaean communities with low D values, rather than that of rare species (most of which will be in genera with many species), may constitute a useful way of identifying areas of conservation concern.

Virtual 3D Models of Insects for Accelerated Quarantine Control

We learn from the past that invasive species have caused tremendous damage to native species and serious disruption to agricultural industries. It is crucial for us to prevent this in the future. The first step of this process is to identify correctly an invasive species from native ones. Current identification methods, relying on mainly 2D images, can result in low accuracy and be time consuming. Such methods provide little help to a quarantine officer who has time constraints to response when on duty. To deal with this problem, we propose new solutions using 3D virtual models of insects. We explain how working with insects in the 3D domain can be much better than the 2D domain. We also describe how to create true-color 3D models of insects using an image-based 3D reconstruction method. This method is ideal for quarantine control and inspection tasks that involve the verification of a physical specimen against known invasive species. Finally we show that these insect models provide valuable material for other applications such as research, education, arts and entertainment.

On the biology of Manticora Fabricius (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae), with a description of the larva and taxonomic notes.

tiger beetles of the genus Manticora have generated for more than a century among students and collectors of tiger beetles, little is known about their biology and ecology. Yet, in view of the basal phylogenetic position of the genus (Arndt & Putchkov 1997), knowledge of its larva and larval habits is crucial to understanding its relationships to other cicindeline genera. Unfortunately also, much of the scanty biological information that has been published on these beetles is unsubstantiated or incorrect, as shown by the senior author’s observations in the field and laboratory in southern Africa over a period of twenty years. This paper collates all the behavioural observations of Manticora obtained from mainly three populations representing (according to the current state of taxonomy of the genus) two species. Descriptions of all three larval instars of the genus are provided, based on specimens from these and some other recently sampled populations. Finally, the function of the enlarged mandibles in the males and the bearing of differences in characters of the larvae and of behavioural traits on the taxonomy and species boundaries in the genus are discussed.

Guillermo (Willy) Kuschel (13 July 1918–1 August 2017)

Three weeks after celebrating his 99th birthday in the company of family and friends, Guillermo (Willy) Kuschel completed a manuscript, had a beer and died peacefully in his sleep on the afternoon of 1 August 2017. It was a fitting end for a formidable man who had lived a full life and had gained a reputation as being all but indestructible. Willy is survived by his wife Beverley, their three children and four grandchildren. Born in Frutillar in southern Chile, Willy was the sixth of 11 children to parents of German heritage. He grew up on the family farm, speaking German and Spanish, and left home to attend boarding school. After completing his high-school education, he obtained a Licentiate in Philosophy in 1940 at the University of Chile. He then entered a seminary in Buenos Aires to become a priest, gaining a Licentiate in Theology in 1944. He learned French, classical Greek and Latin as part of his theological training (English came later). Soon after this, he became involved in biological research. Initially strongly interested in botany, he quickly became fascinated by weevils through their associations with plants, and this led to a Licentiate in Biology and Chemistry. He researched the biology and systematics of water weevils in the genus Lissorhoptrus for a PhD degree in biological sciences, conferred in 1953 and being the first PhD degree awarded by the University of Chile (and for all of Chile). From 1950 he was employed by the university as a research entomologist in the Centro de Investigaciones Zoológicas, and in 1957 he became head of the Department of Entomology. During his time at the University of Chile, he was president of the Sociedad Chilena de Entomología