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French RLK, Kowalewska Groszkowska M, Rowe L, Mahler DL, Karpiński L. Why the Long "Horns"? Fine-Scale Morphology Suggests Tactile Demands Contributed to the Exaggeration of Male Longhorned Beetle Antennae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Ecol Evol 2025; 15:e71380. [PMID: 40352624 PMCID: PMC12061553 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.71380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2025] [Revised: 04/14/2025] [Accepted: 04/15/2025] [Indexed: 05/14/2025] Open
Abstract
Insect antennae are covered in hairlike sensilla that detect diverse environmental cues. Selection on these functions has produced a bewildering variety of antennal forms, including many examples of sexual dimorphism (SD). Antenna length SD is particularly common, but poorly understood, in longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Extremely elongate male antennae may extend the reach of individuals searching for mates, enabling rapid recognition via antennal contact. Alternatively, they may increase sensitivity to airborne pheromones by bearing more olfactory sensilla. We tested these hypotheses by modeling sensillum distributions and abundances across species and sexes of Anoplistes, a cerambycid genus with extensive variation in antenna length and SD. We found limited evidence that olfactory sensillum abundance scales with antenna segment length; instead, mechano- and contact chemosensory sensilla cluster near the antenna tip, consistent with contact-mediated mate recognition. If the tip segment serves an important tactile role, that may explain why it is exceptionally elongated in males of several species with long, sexually dimorphic antennae. In other Anoplistes species with strong antennal SD, however, all segments exhibit similar levels of dimorphism. Collectively, our results suggest that alternative pathways to antenna SD evolved rapidly in Anoplistes, perhaps due to different patterns of selection on tactile sensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowan L. K. French
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | | | - Locke Rowe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - D. Luke Mahler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Lech Karpiński
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of SciencesWarszawaPoland
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Campello L, Vaz S, Mermudes JRM, Ferreira ALD, Silveira LFL. Comparative morphology and key to Amydetinae genera, with description of three new firefly species (Coleoptera, Lampyridae). Zookeys 2022; 1114:131-166. [PMID: 36761699 PMCID: PMC9848971 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1114.77692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amydetinae is an exclusively Neotropical subfamily of fireflies, distributed among three genera: Amydetes Illiger, 1807, Magnoculus McDermott, 1964, and Memoan Silveira & Mermudes, 2013. Here, we describe three new species of Amydetinae: two belonging to Amydetes (A.alexi sp. nov. and A.marolae sp. nov.) and one to the previously monotypic Memoan (Me.conani sp. nov.). All three species are known only from the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. Endoskeletal structures of Memoan and Magnoculus species are described and compared with those of Amydetes for the first time. After studying the type material, Photinusfruhstorferi Pic, 1942 is transferred to Memoan, generating Memoanfruhstorferi comb. nov., and Me.ciceroi Silveira & Mermudes, 2013 syn. nov. is placed as a junior synonym. We also redescribe Magnoculusobscurus Olivier, 1885 and compare it to other species of genus and to other amydetine taxa to identify potential new diagnostic traits for the Amydetinae and its constituting genera. We provide an updated diagnosis for Memoan, illustrations for all four species, and a distribution map for the three new species, as well as a key to adult males of the three amydetine genera, and an updated key to Amydetes species based on males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Campello
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva–Laboratório de Entomologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, A1–107, Bloco A, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Stephanie Vaz
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva–Laboratório de Entomologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, A1–107, Bloco A, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - José R. M. Mermudes
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva–Laboratório de Entomologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, A1–107, Bloco A, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - André L. D. Ferreira
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva–Laboratório de Entomologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, A1–107, Bloco A, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Luiz F. L. Silveira
- Laboratório de Entomologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, A1-107, Bloco A, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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Ge X, Yuan L, Kang Y, Liu T, Liu H, Yang Y. Characterization of the First Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Cyphonocerinae (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) with Implications for Phylogeny and Evolution of Fireflies. INSECTS 2021; 12:570. [PMID: 34206376 PMCID: PMC8307346 DOI: 10.3390/insects12070570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Complete mitochondrial genomes are valuable resources for phylogenetics in insects. The Cyphonoceridae represents an important lineage of fireflies. However, no complete mitogenome is available until now. Here, the first complete mitochondrial genome from this subfamily was reported, with Cyphonocerus sanguineus klapperichi as a representative. The mitogenome of C. sanguineus klapperichi was conserved in the structure and comparable to that of others in size and A+T content. Nucleotide composition was A+T-biased, and all genes exhibited a positive AT-skew and negative GC-skew. Two types of tandem repeat sequence units were present in the control region (136 bp × 2; 171 bp × 2 + 9 bp). For reconstruction of Lampyridae's phylogeny, three different datasets were analyzed by both maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods. As a result, the same topology was produced by both ML analysis of 13 protein-coding genes and 2rRNA and BI analysis of 37 genes. The results indicated that Lampyridae, Lampyrinae, Luciolinae (excluding Emeia) were monophyletic, but Ototretinae was paraphyletic, of which Stenocladius was recovered as the sister taxon to all others, while Drilaster was more closely related to Cyphonocerinae; Phturinae + Emeia were included in a monophyletic clade, which comprised sister groups with Lampyridae. Vesta was deeply rooted in the Luciolinae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Ge
- The Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application, School of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; (X.G.); (L.Y.); (Y.K.); (T.L.)
| | - Lilan Yuan
- The Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application, School of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; (X.G.); (L.Y.); (Y.K.); (T.L.)
- College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, China
| | - Ya Kang
- The Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application, School of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; (X.G.); (L.Y.); (Y.K.); (T.L.)
| | - Tong Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application, School of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; (X.G.); (L.Y.); (Y.K.); (T.L.)
| | - Haoyu Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application, School of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; (X.G.); (L.Y.); (Y.K.); (T.L.)
| | - Yuxia Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Application, School of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; (X.G.); (L.Y.); (Y.K.); (T.L.)
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Li YD, Kundrata R, Tihelka E, Liu Z, Huang D, Cai C. Cretophengodidae, a new Cretaceous beetle family, sheds light on the evolution of bioluminescence. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202730. [PMID: 33468008 PMCID: PMC7893276 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescent beetles of the superfamily Elateroidea (fireflies, fire beetles, glow-worms) are the most speciose group of terrestrial light-producing animals. The evolution of bioluminescence in elateroids is associated with unusual morphological modifications, such as soft-bodiedness and neoteny, but the fragmentary nature of the fossil record discloses little about the origin of these adaptations. We report the discovery of a new bioluminescent elateroid beetle family from the mid-Cretaceous of northern Myanmar (ca 99 Ma), Cretophengodidae fam. nov. Cretophengodes azari gen. et sp. nov. belongs to the bioluminescent lampyroid clade, and would appear to represent a transitional fossil linking the soft-bodied Phengodidae + Rhagophthalmidae clade and hard-bodied elateroids. The fossil male possesses a light organ on the abdomen which presumably served a defensive function, documenting a Cretaceous radiation of bioluminescent beetles coinciding with the diversification of major insectivore groups such as frogs and stem-group birds. The discovery adds a key branch to the elateroid tree of life and sheds light on the evolution of soft-bodiedness and the historical biogeography of elateroid beetles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Da Li
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Robin Kundrata
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, 77900 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Erik Tihelka
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Zhenhua Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China
- Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO National Research Collections Australia, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Diying Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenyang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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Silveira LFL, Khattar G, Vaz S, Wilson VA, Souto PM, Mermudes JRM, Stanger-Hall KF, Macedo MV, Monteiro RF. Natural history of the fireflies of the Serra dos Órgãos mountain range (Brazil: Rio de Janeiro) – one of the ‘hottest’ firefly spots on Earth, with a key to genera (Coleoptera: Lampyridae). J NAT HIST 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2020.1749323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luiz F L Silveira
- Department of Biology, Cullowhee, NC, USA
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Insetos, Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Khattar
- Laboratory of Community and Quantitative Ecology, Biology Department, Concordia University, Loyola Campus, Montreal, Canada
| | - Stephanie Vaz
- Laboratório de Entomologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Vinicius A. Wilson
- Laboratório de Orthopterologia, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil
| | - Paula M. Souto
- Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia de Biossistemas (DCEB), Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - José R. M. Mermudes
- Laboratório de Entomologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | | | - Margarete V. Macedo
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Insetos, Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ricardo F. Monteiro
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Insetos, Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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