Revision of the genera of Heligmonellidae (Nematoda, Heligmosomoidea), parasitic in Muridae from New Guinea

Up to now, 24 genera of Nematoda belonging to the Nippostrongylinae (Heligmonellidae) have been reported from New Guinean murid rodents. Nine of these genera have been reviewed in previous works. In the present work, another 11 genera are re-examined on morphological characters mainly corresponding to the synlophe and to a lesser degree to the bursa. This re-examination leads us to recognize three valid genera: Melomystrongylus, Pogonomystrongylus and Nugininema. The remaining genera appear to us insufficiently described or seem to involve more than one taxon; we consider them genera inquirenda. These are: Mawsonema, Montistrongylus, Parvinema, Missimstrongylus, Flannerystrongylus, Helgenema and Paramelomystrongylus. The genus Rodentanema does not belong to the Nippostrongylinae but to the Herpetostrongylidae (Heligmosomoidea). In addition to the three genera recognized herein, nine other genera of Nippostrongylinae are present in New Guinea: Equilophos, Hasanuddinia, Hasegawanema, Hughjonestrongylus, Lesleyella, Macrostrongylus, Nippostrongylus, Parasabanema and Sanduanensis. Several species attributed to the genera Bunomystrongylus, Chisholmia, Odilia and Sabanema are insufficiently described and their generic assignment could not be rectified or ratified. Consequently, the presence of these latter genera in New Guinean rodents remains unconfirmed, until more complete descriptions or illustrations are provided.

Social Substitutability and the Emergence of War and Segmental, Multilevel Society

Raymond Kelly's widely cited Warless Societies and the Origin of War (University of Michigan Press, 2000) seeks to explain the origins of two central signatures of human society: war and segmented-i.e., multilevel-societies. Both, he argues, arose with the emergence of a social-substitutability principle, a rule that establishes a collective identity among a set of individuals such that any one member becomes equivalent to, and responsible for the actions of, the others. This principle emerged during the Holocene, when population increase gave rise to the first lethal ambushes. By its nature, ambush obscures attackers' identities. Those attempting to retaliate for the ambush were therefore obliged to target members of the ambushers' group indiscriminately-i.e., based on a social-substitutability principle. Kelly's proposals draw welcome attention to a widespread, deeply influential, and unsettling human behavior, the disposition to hold everyone in a group culpable for the actions of a few, a proclivity that all too often results in mass slaughter. His general argument, however, is logically and empirically deficient, and cross-cultural evidence on ambush in contact-era New Guinea undermines his anonymity-of-ambush hypothesis. What then accounts for war and multilevel society? The New Guinea evidence strongly supports a contention that social-substitutability behavior arose not from offensive military action (i.e., ambush) but from the defensive military response to ambush. These findings render the social-substitutability argument's unconventional definition of war superfluous, undermine its chronology for the emergence of war, and underwrite an alternative scenario for the origins of multilevel, segmented society.

The rise of New Guinea and the fall of Neogene global temperatures

The ~2,000-km-long Central Range of New Guinea is a hotspot of modern carbon sequestration due to the chemical weathering of igneous rocks with steep topography in the warm wet tropics. These high mountains formed in a collision between the Australian plate and ophiolite-bearing volcanic arc terranes, but poor resolution of the uplift and exhumation history has precluded assessments of the impact on global climate change. Here, we develop a palinspastic reconstruction of the Central Range orogen with existing surface geological constraints and seismic data to generate time-temperature paths and estimate volumes of eroded material. New (U-Th)/He thermochronology data reveal rapid uplift and regional denudation between 10 and 6 Mya. Erosion fluxes from the palinspastic reconstruction, calibrated for time with the thermochronological data, were used as input to a coupled global climate and weathering model. This model estimates 0.6 to 1.2 °C of cooling associated with the Late Miocene rise of New Guinea due to increased silicate weathering alone, and this CO2 sink continues to the present. Our data and modeling experiments support the hypothesis that tropical arc-continent collision and the rise of New Guinea contributed to Neogene cooling due to increased silicate weathering.

nov., a new genus of Australasian diving beetles (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae), with the discovery of 31 new species from New Guinea

Herein, Austrelatusgen. nov. (type species: Copelatusirregularis W.J. Macleay, 1871) is described for a distinctive lineage of predominantly Australasian species previously assigned to Copelatus Erichson, 1832. The new genus was retrieved as well supported, monophyletic clade in phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences data using Bayesian and parsimony approaches. The main morphological diagnostic character of Austrelatus is a complex median lobe of the aedeagus, with evident dorsal and ventral sclerites usually divided in apical half into two lobes of different shape or otherwise modified. Morphological comparison of the new genus with other Copelatinae genera, especially with Copelatus and Exocelina Broun, 1886, and a generic key to the New Guinean Copelatinae are provided. New combinations are established for 31 already described species mainly from the Australian Region (all from Copelatus): Austrelatusadelbert (Megna, Atthakor, Manaono, Hendrich & Balke, 2017), comb. nov.; A.badeni (Sharp, 1882), comb. nov.; A.bakewelli (J. Balfour-Browne, 1939), comb. nov.; A.baranensis (Hájek, Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke, 2021), comb. nov.; A.bougainvillensis (Hájek, Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke, 2021), comb. nov.; A.boukali (Hendrich & Balke, 1998), comb. nov.; A.clarki (Sharp, 1882), comb. nov.; A.daemeli (Sharp, 1882), comb. nov.; A.davidi (Wewalka, 2017), comb. nov.; A.deccanensis (Sheth, Ghate & Hájek, 2018), comb. nov.; A.fidschiensis (Zimmermann, 1928), comb. nov.; A.gestroi (Régimbart, 1892), comb. nov.; A.irregularis (W.J. Macleay, 1871), comb. nov.; A.kaszabi (Guignot, 1956), comb. nov.; A.kietensis (Hájek, Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke, 2021), comb. nov.; A.laevipennis (Hájek, Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke, 2021), comb. nov.; A.luteomaculatus (Guignot, 1956), comb. nov.; A.maushomi (Sheth, Ghate & Hájek, 2018), comb. nov.; A.neoguineensis (Zimmermann, 1919), comb. nov.; A.nigrolineatus (Sharp, 1882), comb. nov.; A.papuensis (J. Balfour-Browne, 1939), comb. nov.; A.parallelus (Zimmermann, 1920a), comb. nov.; A.schuhi (Hendrich & Balke, 1998), comb. nov.; A.sibelaemontis (Hájek, Hendrich, Hawlitschek & Balke, 2010), comb. nov.; A.strigosulus (Fairmaire, 1878), comb. nov.; A.ternatensis (Régimbart, 1899), comb. nov.; A.uludanuensis (Hendrich & Balke, 1995), comb. nov.; A.urceolus (Hájek, Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke, 2021), comb. nov.; A.variistriatus (Hájek, Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke, 2021), comb. nov.; A.wallacei (J. Balfour-Browne, 1939), comb. nov. and A.xanthocephalus (Régimbart, 1899), comb. nov.Austrelatus species from New Guinea are divided into two informal species groups, the A.neoguineensis group and A.papuensis group, and A.fumatosp. nov. and A.setiphallussp. nov. standing aside of them. The A.neoguineensis group is introduced with three previously known species and 29 new species described here based on the morphological characters and Cox1 data: Austrelatusbaliemsp. nov., A.bormensissp. nov., A.brazzasp. nov., A.debulensissp. nov., A.fakfaksp. nov., A.febrisaurisp. nov., A.fojaensissp. nov., A.garainensissp. nov., A.innominatussp. nov., A.lembenensissp. nov., A.lisaesp. nov., A.manokwariensissp. nov., A.mimikasp. nov., A.mirificussp. nov., A.moreguinensissp. nov., A.nadjaesp. nov., A.oksibilensissp. nov., A.pseudoneoguineensissp. nov., A.pseudoksibilensissp. nov., A.rajaampatensissp. nov., A.rouaffersp. nov., A.rugosussp. nov., A.sandaunensissp. nov., A.sarmiensissp. nov., A.securiformissp. nov., A.testegensissp. nov., A.toricellisp. nov., A.vagauensissp. nov., and A.wanggarensissp. nov.Copelatusvagestriatus Zimmermann, 1919, syn. nov. is recognised as a junior subjective synonym of A.clarki (Sharp, 1882). The lectotypes of Copelatusgestroi Régimbart, 1892, C.neoguineensis Zimmermann, 1919 and C.xanthocephalus Régimbart, 1899 are designated. All species are (re)described, and their important species characters (genitalia, habitus, and colour patterns) are illustrated. Keys to all species are provided. The known distribution and habitat preferences of each species are outlined briefly. New Guinean Austrelatus occupy a variety of stagnant water habitats, either lentic sensu stricto, or standing water associated with lotic habitats (e.g., backflows, rockpools, intermittent / ephemeral stream pools).

Diversification of the sleepers (Gobiiformes: Gobioidei: Eleotridae) and evolution of the root gobioid families

Eleotridae (sleepers) and five smaller families are the earliest diverging lineages within Gobioidei. Most inhabit freshwaters in and around the Indo-Pacific, but Eleotridae also includes species that have invaded the Neotropics as well as several inland radiations in the freshwaters of Australia, New Zealand, and New Guinea. Previous efforts to infer phylogeny of these families have been based on sets of mitochondrial or nuclear loci and have yielded uncertain resolution of clades within Eleotridae. We expand the taxon sampling of previous studies and use genomic data from nuclear ultraconserved elements (UCEs) to infer phylogeny, then calibrate the hypothesis with recently discovered fossils. Our hypothesis clarifies ambiguously resolved relationships, provides a timescale for divergences, and indicates the core crown Eleotridae diverged over a short period 24.3-26.3 Ma in the late Oligocene. Within Eleotridae, we evaluate diversification dynamics with BAMM and find evidence for an overall slowdown in diversification over the past 35 Ma, but with a sharp increase 3.5 Ma in the genus Mogurnda, a clade of brightly colored species found in the freshwaters of Australia and New Guinea.

Species coexistence by wide constant size spacing

We consider the distribution of fruit pigeons of the genera Ptilinopus and Ducula on the island of New Guinea. Of the 21 species, between six and eight coexist inside humid lowland forests. We conducted or analyzed 31 surveys at 16 different sites, resurveying some sites in different years. The species coexisting at any single site in a single year are a highly nonrandom selection of the species to which that site is geographically accessible. Their sizes are both much more widely spread and more uniformly spaced than in random sets of species drawn from the locally available species pool. We also present a detailed case study of a highly mobile species that has been recorded on every ornithologically explored island in the West Papuan island group west of New Guinea. That species' rareness on just three well-surveyed islands within the group cannot be due to an inability to reach them. Instead, its local status decreases from abundant resident to rare vagrant in parallel with increasing weight proximity of the other resident species.

Casualties during Australian military operations in New Guinea 1914-1919

Casualties during the occupation of German New Guinea by the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force starting in September 1914 were limited to six dead during a few initial armed clashes and the loss of RAN submarine AE-1, followed by a few years of tropical disease exposures. A dengue epidemic affected most soldiers within a month of their arrival in Rabaul. Subsequently, a malaria epidemic swept through the occupation forces in January 1915 infecting a majority of the soldiers and killing five. Malaria was eventually controlled by daily draughts of quinine solution. Diarrhoea/dysentery was a particular concern among the local contract labour force. Skin diseases were a major chronic problem of tropical service. Twenty-seven non-combat deaths over 4 years (<1%/year) were considered a 'healthy' outcome for the occupation force which consisted largely of men unfit for active service in the Australian Imperial Force. No one should under-estimate the modern requirement to protect non-immune soldiers or travellers going to Papua New Guinea for extended periods.

A species-group key and notes on phylogeny and character evolution in New Guinean Exocelina Broun, 1886 diving beetles (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae)

Detailed information about the known species groups of Exocelina Broun, 1886 from New Guinea is presented, including species numbers, distribution, and references of species-group diagnoses, keys to the species, and species descriptions. An identification key to all species groups is provided. Phylogeny and morphological character evolution are discussed.

Revision of the Assassin Bug Genus Sigicoris stat. nov. Based on Morphological Study and Molecular Phylogeny (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Peiratinae)

Peiratinae is a cosmopolitan subfamily within Reduviidae with more than 300 known species in 34 genera. There are also some taxa endemic to islands, but their taxonomic status and biology require further study. After examining type specimens of the peiratine species distributed in New Guinea, we found that some of them share many morphological characters, though they were previously assigned in different genera. The phylogenetic analysis based on cytochrome oxidase I, 16S ribosomal RNA and 18S ribosomal RNA genes involving 38 species in 25 genera also supports the result of the morphological study that these species should be involved in a separate genus. In the present study, the subgenus Ectomocoris (Sigicoris) Miller, 1958 is elevated to genus level, Sigicoris stat. nov. Three new combinations, S. brumalis comb. nov., S. gracilis comb. nov., S. sexguttatus comb. nov. and one new species, S. dominiqueae sp. nov. are described or redescribed. The lectotype of Brachysandalus sexguttatus is designated, and Pirates concinnus syn. nov. is treated as the junior synonym of S. sexguttatus comb. nov. A key is provided to separate the four species of this genus. The systematic relationships, diagnosis, distribution and habitat of Sigicoris stat. nov. are briefly discussed.

A revision of Lycianthes (Solanaceae) in Australia, New Guinea, and the Pacific

The genus Lycianthes (Dunal) Hassl. (Solanaceae) has in the past been treated as a section of the large genus Solanum L., but is more closely related to Capsicum L. The eighteen species of Lycianthes occurring in Australia, New Guinea (defined as the island of New Guinea, comprising Papua New Guinea [incl. Bougainville] and the Indonesian provinces of Papua Barat and Papua, plus the surrounding islands connected during the last glacial maximum) and the Pacific Islands are here treated in full, with complete descriptions, including synonymy, typifications and synonyms, distribution maps and illustrations. The history of taxonomic treatment of the genus in the region is also discussed. These taxa occupy a diverse range of forested habitats, and are in diverse in habit, from small shrubs to large canopy lianas to epiphytic shrubs. They are for the most part rarely collected, and many are endemic (14 of the 18 species treated here). Australia has a single endemic Lycianthes species (L.shanesii (F.Muell.) A.R.Bean). Nine species are found in both Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, one in Indonesia only, four in Papua New Guinea only, and L.vitiensis (Seem). A.R.Bean is known from Bougainville (Papua New Guinea) and the south Pacific as far east as Samoa. Lyciantheslucens S.Knapp sp. nov. is described from the islands of Lihir, New Ireland and the Louisiade Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. The cultivated L.rantonnetii (Carrière) Bitter is also treated in full, in this region known currently only from Australia; it is native to southern South America. Preliminary conservation assessments are presented for all species except the cultivated L.rantonnetii.

Cryptic extinction risk in a western Pacific lizard radiation

Cryptic ecologies, the Wallacean Shortfall of undocumented species' geographical ranges and the Linnaean Shortfall of undescribed diversity, are all major barriers to conservation assessment. When these factors overlap with drivers of extinction risk, such as insular distributions, the number of threatened species in a region or clade may be underestimated, a situation we term 'cryptic extinction risk'. The genus Lepidodactylus is a diverse radiation of insular and arboreal geckos that occurs across the western Pacific. Previous work on Lepidodactylus showed evidence of evolutionary displacement around continental fringes, suggesting an inherent vulnerability to extinction from factors such as competition and predation. We sought to (1) comprehensively review status and threats, (2) estimate the number of undescribed species, and (3) estimate extinction risk in data deficient and candidate species, in Lepidodactylus. From our updated IUCN Red List assessment, 60% of the 58 recognized species are threatened (n = 15) or Data Deficient (n = 21), which is higher than reported for most other lizard groups. Species from the smaller and isolated Pacific islands are of greatest conservation concern, with most either threatened or Data Deficient, and all particularly vulnerable to invasive species. We estimated 32 undescribed candidate species and linear modelling predicted that an additional 18 species, among these and the data deficient species, are threatened with extinction. Focusing efforts to resolve the taxonomy and conservation status of key taxa, especially on small islands in the Pacific, is a high priority for conserving this remarkably diverse, yet poorly understood, lizard fauna. Our data highlight how cryptic ecologies and cryptic diversity combine and lead to significant underestimation of extinction risk.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10531-022-02412-x.

The symmetry spectrum in a hybridising, tropical group of rhododendrons

Many diverse plant clades possess bilaterally symmetrical flowers and specialised pollination syndromes, suggesting that these traits may promote diversification. We examined the evolution of diverse floral morphologies in a species-rich tropical radiation of Rhododendron. We used restriction-site associated DNA sequencing on 114 taxa from Rhododendron sect. Schistanthe to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships and examine hybridisation. We then captured and quantified floral variation using geometric morphometric analyses, which we interpreted in a phylogenetic context. We uncovered phylogenetic conflict and uncertainty caused by introgression within and between clades. Morphometric analyses revealed flower symmetry to be a morphological continuum without clear transitions between radial and bilateral symmetry. Tropical Rhododendron species that began diversifying into New Guinea c. 6 million years ago expanded into novel floral morphological space. Our results showed that the evolution of tropical Rhododendron is characterised by recent speciation, recurrent hybridisation and the origin of floral novelty. Floral variation evolved via changes to multiple components of the corolla that are only recognised in geometric morphometrics with both front and side views of flowers.

Systematics and biogeography of the whistlers (Aves: Pachycephalidae) inferred from ultraconserved elements and ancestral area reconstruction

The utility of islands as natural laboratories of evolution is exemplified in the patterns of differentiation in widespread, phenotypically variable lineages. The whistlers (Aves: Pachycephalidae) are one of the most complex avian radiations, with a combination of widespread and locally endemic taxa spanning the vast archipelagos of the Indo-Pacific, making them an ideal group to study patterns and processes of diversification on islands. Here, we present a robust, species-level phylogeny of all five genera and 85% of species within Pachycephalidae, based on thousands of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) generated with a target-capture approach and high-throughput sequencing. We clarify phylogenetic relationships within Pachycephala and report on divergence timing and ancestral range estimation. We explored multiple biogeographic coding schemes that incorporated geological uncertainty in this complex region. The biogeographic origin of this group was difficult to discern, likely owing to aspects of dynamic Earth history in the Indo-Pacific. The Australo-Papuan region was the likely origin of crown-group whistlers, but the specific ancestral area could not be identified more precisely than Australia or New Guinea, and Wallacea may have played a larger role than previously realized in the evolutionary history of whistlers. Multiple independent colonizations of island archipelagos across Melanesia, Wallacea, and the Philippines contributed to the relatively high species richness of extant whistlers. This work refines our understanding of one of the regions' most celebrated bird lineages and adds to our growing knowledge about the patterns and processes of diversification in the Indo-Pacific.

Spatiotemporal patterns of avian host-parasite interactions in the face of biogeographical range expansions

Exploration of interactions between hosts and parasitic symbionts is important for our understanding of the temporal and spatial distribution of organisms. For example, host colonization of new geographical regions may alter levels of infections and parasite specificity, and even allow hosts to escape from co-evolved parasites, consequently shaping spatial distributions and community structure of both host and parasite. Here we investigate the effect of host colonization of new regions and the elevational distribution of host-parasite associations between birds and their vector-transmitted haemosporidian blood parasites in two geological and geographical settings: mountains of New Guinea and the Canary Islands. Our results demonstrate that bird communities in younger regions have significantly lower levels of parasitism compared to those of older regions. Furthermore, host-parasite network analyses demonstrate that blood parasites may respond differently after arriving to a new region, through adaptations that allow for either expanding (Canary Islands) or retaining (New Guinea) their host niches. The spatial prevalence patterns along elevational gradients differed in the two regions, suggesting that region-specific biotic (e.g., host community) and abiotic factors (e.g., temperature) govern prevalence patterns. Our findings suggest that the spatiotemporal range dynamics in host-parasite systems are driven by multiple factors, but that host and parasite community compositions and colonization histories are of particular importance.

Compound Specific Trends of Chemical Defences in Ficus Along an Elevational Gradient Reflect a Complex Selective Landscape

Elevational gradients affect the production of plant secondary metabolites through changes in both biotic and abiotic conditions. Previous studies have suggested both elevational increases and decreases in host-plant chemical defences. We analysed the correlation of alkaloids and polyphenols with elevation in a community of nine Ficus species along a continuously forested elevational gradient in Papua New Guinea. We sampled 204 insect species feeding on the leaves of these hosts and correlated their community structure to the focal compounds. Additionally, we explored species richness of folivorous mammals along the gradient. When we accounted for Ficus species identity, we found a general elevational increase in flavonoids and alkaloids. Elevational trends in non-flavonol polyphenols were less pronounced or showed non-linear correlations with elevation. Polyphenols responded more strongly to changes in temperature and humidity than alkaloids. The abundance of insect herbivores decreased with elevation, while the species richness of folivorous mammals showed an elevational increase. Insect community structure was affected mainly by alkaloid concentration and diversity. Although our results show an elevational increase in several groups of metabolites, the drivers behind these trends likely differ. Flavonoids may provide figs with protection against abiotic stressors. In contrast, alkaloids affect insect herbivores and may provide protection against mammalian herbivores and pathogens. Concurrent analysis of multiple compound groups alongside ecological data is an important approach for understanding the selective landscape that shapes plant defences.

New names and status for Pacific spiny species of Solanum (Solanaceae, subgenus Leptostemonum Bitter; the Leptostemonum Clade)

Five new species of spiny solanums (Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum Bitter; the Leptostemonum Clade) are described from the islands of the Pacific. Two of the new species are from Fiji (S. pseudopedunculatum D.McClelland, sp. nov. and S. ratale D.McClelland, sp. nov.), two from New Caledonia (S. memoayanum D.McClelland, sp. nov. and S. semisucculentum D.McClelland, sp. nov.), one from Papua New Guinea (S. labyrinthinum D.McClelland, sp. nov.) and another from Vanuatu (S. vanuatuense D.McClelland, sp. nov.). A new status and combination is provided for the rare Hawaiian endemic S. caumii (F.Br.) D.McClelland, comb. et stat. nov. and a new type designated for S. peekelii Bitter of Papua New Guinea, for which a description is also provided. All species are illustrated with digitized herbarium specimens, mapped and have been assigned a preliminary conservation status using current IUCN guidelines. Details of all specimens examined are provided in a Suppl. materials 1: file SM1.

Reconstructing the Complex Evolutionary History of the Papuasian Schefflera Radiation Through Herbariomics

With its large proportion of endemic taxa, complex geological past, and location at the confluence of the highly diverse Malesian and Australian floristic regions, Papuasia - the floristic region comprising the Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands - represents an ideal natural experiment in plant biogeography. However, scattered knowledge of its flora and limited representation in herbaria have hindered our understanding of the drivers of its diversity. Focusing on the woody angiosperm genus Schefflera (Araliaceae), we ask whether its morphologically defined infrageneric groupings are monophyletic, when these lineages diverged, and where (within Papuasia or elsewhere) they diversified. To address these questions, we use a high-throughput sequencing approach (Hyb-Seq) which combines target capture (with an angiosperm-wide bait kit targeting 353 single-copy nuclear loci) and genome shotgun sequencing (which allows retrieval of regions in high-copy number, e.g., organellar DNA) of historical herbarium collections. To reconstruct the evolutionary history of the genus we reconstruct molecular phylogenies with Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, and pseudo-coalescent approaches, and co-estimate divergence times and ancestral areas in a Bayesian framework. We find strong support for most infrageneric morphological groupings, as currently circumscribed, and we show the efficacy of the Angiosperms-353 probe kit in resolving both deep and shallow phylogenetic relationships. We infer a sequence of colonization to explain the present-day distribution of Schefflera in Papuasia: from the Sunda Shelf, Schefflera arrived to the Woodlark plate (present-day eastern New Guinea) in the late Oligocene (when most of New Guinea was submerged) and, subsequently (throughout the Miocene), it migrated westwards (to the Maoke and Bird's Head Plates and thereon) and further diversified, in agreement with previous reconstructions.

New Genus and Two New Species of Chewing Lice (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) Parasitizing New Guinean Peltops (Passeriformes: Artamidae)

The genus Sarahcultrix n. gen. (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) is described and illustrated based on 2 new species of chewing lice from New Guinean birds in the genus Peltops Wagler, 1829 (Passeriformes: Artamidae). These species are: Sarahcultrix ypsilophora n. sp. ex Peltops montanus Stresemann, 1921, and Sarahcultrix sphenura n. sp. ex Peltops blainvillii (Garnot, 1827).

Animal industry and veterinary science in eastern New Guinea 1: before World War II

Until the latter part of the nineteenth century, there were no domestic animals other than pigs, dogs and poultry in the island of New Guinea. From 1889 onwards, occupying authorities, missionaries and settlers from Germany, the UK, Japan and Australia imported ruminants, pigs and horses. Some of these importations were from Asia. This paper describes some outcomes of those importations and the potential hazards for Australia entailed in them.

Persistence of multiple patterns and intraspecific polymorphism in multi-species Müllerian communities of net-winged beetles

BACKGROUND

In contrast to traditional models of purifying selection and a single aposematic signal in Müllerian complexes, some communities of unprofitable prey contain members with multiple aposematic patterns. Processes responsible for diversity in aposematic signaling are poorly understood and large multi-species communities are seldom considered.

RESULTS

We analyzed the phylogeny and aposematic patterns of closely related Eniclases net-winged beetles in New Guinea using mtDNA and nextRAD data. We suggest three clades of closely related and incompletely reproductively isolated lineages, detail the extent of polymorphism among Eniclases, and categorize their low-contrast aposematic patterns. The warning signal of Eniclases consists of body shape and color, with ambiguous color perception under some circumstances, i.e., when resting on the undersides of leaves. Field observations suggest that perception of the aposematic signal is affected by beetle behavior and environmental conditions. Local communities containing Eniclases consisted of 7-85 metriorrhynchine species assigned to 3-10 colour patterns.

CONCLUSION

As a result, we suggest that under certain light conditions the aposematic colour signal is less apparent than the body shape in net-winged beetle communities. We document variable environmental factors in our study area and highly diverse multi-species communities of other net-winged beetles. Which implies dynamically changing community structure in space and time. Variable environmental conditions and diverse community composition are suggested to be favorable for the persistence of multiple aposematic patterns, imperfect mimics, and intraspecific polymorphism. Further research should identify the relative effect of these factors on purifying selection and the alleles which are responsible for phenotypic differences.

The mitochondrial genome of the black-tailed dasyure (Murexia melanurus)

In this study, we report the mitochondrial genome of the black-tailed dasyure (Murexia melanurus) of New Guinea. The circular genome is 17,736 bp in length and has an AT content of 60.5%. Its gene content – 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal (rRNA) genes, 21 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, a tRNA pseudogene (tRNA^Lys), and a non-coding control region (CR) – and gene arrangement are consistent with previous marsupial mitogenome assemblies.

Introduction of the Exocelinacasuarina-group, with a key to its representatives and descriptions of 19 new species from New Guinea (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae)

Nineteen new species of Exocelina Broun, 1886 from New Guinea are described herein: E.adelbertensis sp. n., E.ambua sp. n., E.bewani sp. n., E.cyclops sp. n., E.ibalimi sp. n., E.keki sp. n., E.kumulensis sp. n., E.mendiensis sp. n., E.menyamya sp. n., E.okapa sp. n., E.piusi sp. n., E.pseudofume sp. n., E.pseudopusilla sp. n., E.pusilla sp. n., E.sima sp. n., E.simbaiensis sp. n., E.simbaijimi sp. n., E.sumokedi sp. n., and E.yoginofi sp. n. All of them, together with five already described species, have been united into the newly defined casuarina-group, a polyphyletic complex of related species with similar shape of the median lobe and paramere setation. An identification key to all known species of the group is provided, and important diagnostic characters (habitus, color, male protarsomeres 4-5, median lobes, and parameres) are illustrated. Data on the distribution of the species are given, showing that most of the species occur in the central, mountain part of Papua New Guinea.

Miscellanea Miridologica V. Taxonomy and chorology of new or little known taxa of Continental New Guinea and neighboring islands (Insecta, Heteroptera, Miridae)

Gressitocorishenryi (Deraeocorinae, Deraeocorini) is described as a new species on the basis of the female holotype from Syoubri vill(age), Arfak Mounts, Doberai Peninsula, Papua Barat, Indonesia. Additional data on distribution are provided for 17 species of Cylapinae, Deraeocorinae, Mirinae, Orthotylinae and Phylinae. Trigonotylustenuis is cited for the first time from Papua New Guinea.

Phylogeography and population genomics of a lotic water beetle across a complex tropical landscape

The habitat template concept applied to a freshwater system indicates that lotic species, or those which occupy permanent habitats along stream courses, are less dispersive than lentic species, or those that occur in more ephemeral aquatic habitats. Thus, populations of lotic species will be more structured than those of lentic species. Stream courses include both flowing water and small, stagnant microhabitats that can provide refuge when streams are low. Many species occur in these microhabitats but remain poorly studied. Here, we present population genetic data for one such species, the tropical diving beetle Exocelina manokwariensis (Dytiscidae), sampled from six localities along a ~300 km transect across the Birds Head Peninsula of New Guinea. Molecular data from both mitochondrial (CO1 sequences) and nuclear (ddRAD loci) regions document fine-scale population structure across populations that are ~45 km apart. Our results are concordant with previous phylogenetic and macroecological studies that applied the habitat template concept to aquatic systems. This study also illustrates that these diverse but mostly overlooked microhabitats are promising study systems in freshwater ecology and evolutionary biology. With the advent of next-generation sequencing, fine-scale population genomic studies are feasible for small nonmodel organisms to help illuminate the effect of habitat stability on species' natural history, population structure and geographic distribution.

Two new species of crayfish of the genus Cherax from Indonesian New Guinea (Crustacea, Decapoda, Parastacidae)

Two new species of the genus Cherax are described and illustrated. Cheraxmosessalossasp. n., endemic to the Klademak Creek drainage in Sorong, in the western part of the Kepala Burung (Vogelkop) peninsula, West Papua, Indonesia, is described, figured and compared with its closest relatives, Cheraxmisolicus Holthuis, 1949 and Cheraxwarsamsonicus. The new species may be easily distinguished from both by the shape of the rostrum, the shape of the chelae, the presence of five cervical spines, the shape of the scaphocerite, and short scattered hairs on the carapace. Cheraxalyciaesp. n., endemic to creeks in the Digul River drainage in the eastern part of the Boven Digoel Regency, Papua, Indonesia, is described, figured, and compared with its closest relative, Cheraxpeknyi Lukhaup & Herbert, 2008. The new species may be easily distinguished from Cheraxpeknyi by the shape of the chelae, presence of a soft patch on the chelae of the males, and colouration. A molecular phylogeny based on two mitochondrial gene fragments, 16S and COI, supports the morphology-based description of the two new species, which can also be clearly distinguished by sequence differences.

Distinctive courtship phenotype of the Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-Paradise Lophorina niedda Mayr, 1930 confirms new species status

The birds-of-paradise (Aves: Paradisaeidae) are a quintessential example of elaborate ornamental diversification among animals. Ornamental evolution in the birds-of-paradise is exemplified by the presence of a highly integrated courtship phenotype, which is the whole package of plumage ornaments, behaviors and sounds that each species uses during courtship. Characterizing a species' courtship phenotype is therefore a key part of evolutionary and taxonomic investigation in the group. With its unprecedented transmogrification from bird-like form into something abstract and otherworldly, the courtship phenotype of the Superb Bird-of-Paradise, Lophorina superba, is one of the most remarkable of all. Recent research by Irestedt et al. (2017) suggests that the genus Lophorina is not a single species but is likely a complex of three allopatric species spanning the island of New Guinea: L. niedda in the Bird's Head Peninsula of the west, L. superba throughout the central cordillera and L. minor in the Papuan Peninsula of the east. Of these, niedda is the most phenotypically divergent with plumage traits hypothesized to possibly produce differences in ornamental appearance during display. However, the whole courtship phenotype of niedda has not been documented and so the actual extent of differences in ornamental appearance during courtship remain unknown. Here we analyze the first audiovisual recordings of niedda and compare its courtship phenotype with superba to test the hypothesis of potential differences in ornamental appearance. Our main goals are to: (1) provide the first description of the courtship phenotype of niedda in the wild, (2) determine if and how the niedda courtship phenotype differs from superba and (3) evaluate any uncovered differences in light of niedda's newly recognized species status. Our secondary goal is to provide a more thorough characterization of courtship phenotype diversity within the genus Lophorina to facilitate future comparative study within the genus and family. Results show that the niedda courtship phenotype differs substantially from superba in numerous aspects of ornamental appearance, display behavior and sound. We highlight six key differences and conclude that the new species status of niedda is corroborated by the distinctly differentiated ornamental features documented here. With full species status, niedda becomes the fourth endemic bird-of-paradise to the Bird's Head region of Indonesian New Guinea (i.e., the Vogelkop Peninsula), a fact that underscores the importance of this region as a center of endemic biodiversity worthy of enhanced conservation protection.

Molecular phylogenetics and species limits in a cryptically coloured radiation of Australo-Papuan passerine birds (Pachycephalidae: Colluricincla)

Detailed knowledge of species limits is an essential component of the study of biodiversity. Although accurate species delimitation usually requires detailed knowledge of both genetic and phenotypic variation, such variation may be limited or unavailable for some groups. In this study, we reconstruct a molecular phylogeny for all currently recognized species and subspecies of Australasian shrikethrushes (Colluricincla), including the first sequences of the poorly known C. tenebrosa. Using a novel method for species delimitation, the multi-rate Poisson Tree Process (mPTP), in concordance with the phylogenetic data, we estimate species limits in this genetically diverse, but phenotypically subtly differentiated complex of birds. In line with previous studies, we find that one species, the little shrikethrush (C. megarhyncha) is characterized by deep divergences among populations. Delimitation results suggest that these clades represent distinct species and we consequently propose a new classification. Furthermore, our findings suggest that C. megarhyncha melanorhyncha of Biak Island does not belong in this genus, but is nested within the whistlers (Pachycephala) as sister to P. phaionota. This study represents a useful example of species delimitation when phenotypic variation is limited or poorly defined.

An ant genus-group (Prenolepis) illuminates the biogeography and drivers of insect diversification in the Indo-Pacific

The Malay Archipelago and the tropical South Pacific (hereafter the Indo-Pacific region) are considered biodiversity hotspots, yet a general understanding of the origins and diversification of species-rich groups in the region remains elusive. We aimed to test hypotheses for the evolutionary processes driving insect species diversity in the Indo-Pacific using a higher-level and comprehensive phylogenetic hypothesis for an ant clade consisting of seven genera. We estimated divergence times and reconstructed the biogeographical history of ant species in the Prenolepis genus-group (Formicidae: Formicinae: Lasiini). We used a fossil-calibrated phylogeny to infer ancestral geographical ranges utilizing a biogeographic model that includes founder-event speciation. Ancestral state reconstructions of the ants' ecological preferences, and diversification rates were estimated for selected Indo-Pacific clades. Overall, we report that faunal interchange between Asia and Australia has occurred since at least 20-25 Ma, and early dispersal to the Fijian Basin happened during the early and mid-Miocene (ca. 10-20 Ma). Differences in diversification rates across Indo-Pacific clades may be related to ecological preference breadth, which in turn may have facilitated geographical range expansions. Ancient dispersal routes suggested by our results agree with the palaeogeography of the region. For this particular group of ants, the rapid orogenesis in New Guinea and possibly subsequent ecological shifts may have promoted their rapid diversification and widespread distribution across the Indo-Pacific.

Descriptions of two new species and one new subspecies from the Exocelina okbapensis-group, and notes on the E. aipo-group (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae)

Two new species and one new subspecies of Exocelina Broun, 1886 from New Guinea are described: E. okbapensis Shaverdo & Balke, sp. n., E. okbapensis hajeki Shaverdo & Balke, ssp. n., and E. may Shaverdo & Balke, sp. n. These and two already described species are assigned to the E. okbapensis-group, which is morphologically (based on setation of the paramere) and phylogenetically close to the E. aipo-group. On the latter, morphological and taxonomic notes are provided. An identification key to all known species of the groups is presented, and important diagnostic characters are illustrated. Data on the species distributions are mapped and show that the species occur only in the central mountain part of the island restricted by Wamena in the west and Sandaun Province in the east.

Community structure of insect herbivores is driven by conservatism, escalation and divergence of defensive traits in Ficus

Escalation (macroevolutionary increase) or divergence (disparity between relatives) in trait values are two frequent outcomes of the plant-herbivore arms race. We studied the defences and caterpillars associated with 21 sympatric New Guinean figs. Herbivore generalists were concentrated on hosts with low protease and oxidative activity. The distribution of specialists correlated with phylogeny, protease and trichomes. Additionally, highly specialised Asota moths used alkaloid rich plants. The evolution of proteases was conserved, alkaloid diversity has escalated across the studied species, oxidative activity has escalated within one clade, and trichomes have diverged across the phylogeny. Herbivore specificity correlated with their response to host defences: escalating traits largely affected generalists and divergent traits specialists; but the effect of escalating traits on extreme specialists was positive. In turn, the evolution of defences in Ficus can be driven towards both escalation and divergence in individual traits, in combination providing protection against a broad spectrum of herbivores.

Visual and acoustic components of courtship in the bird-of-paradise genus Astrapia (Aves: Paradisaeidae)

The distinctive and divergent courtship phenotypes of the birds-of-paradise make them an important group for gaining insights into the evolution of sexually selected phenotypic evolution. The genus Astrapia includes five long-tailed species that inhabit New Guinea’s montane forests. The visual and acoustic components of courtship among Astrapia species are very poorly known. In this study, we use audiovisual data from a natural history collection of animal behavior to fill gaps in knowledge about the visual and acoustic components of Astrapia courtship. We report seven distinct male behaviors and two female specific behaviors along with distinct vocalizations and wing-produced sonations for all five species. These results provide the most complete assessment of courtship in the genus Astrapia to date and provide a valuable baseline for future research, including comparative and evolutionary studies among these and other bird-of-paradise species.

Cherax warsamsonicus, a new species of crayfish from the Kepala Burung (Vogelkop) peninsula in West Papua, Indonesia (Crustacea, Decapoda, Parastacidae)

A new species, Cherax warsamsonicussp. n., endemic to the Warsamson River drainage, in the western part of the Kepala Burung (Vogelkop) peninsula, West Papua, Indonesia, is described, figured and compared with its closely related species, Cherax misolicus Holthuis, 1949. The new species may be easily distinguished from C. misolicus by the shape of the rostrum, absence of setae on the rostrum, the shape of the chelae, the presence of 3-4 cervical spines and by using sequence divergence, which is substantial for considering C. warsamsonicussp. n. to be a new species. The new species is collected and exported for ornamental purposes and its commercial name in the pet trade is Cherax "irian jaya", Cherax "pink coral", or Cherax "hoa creek". Due to similar colouration it is often confused with the recently described Cherax pulcher Lukhaup, 2015.

Six new species of the genus Exocelina Broun, 1886 from Wano Land, New Guinea (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae)

Six new species of New Guinea Exocelina Broun, 1886 are described in this paper: E.iratoisp. n., E.likuisp. n., E.puisp. n., E.pulukensissp. n., E.tomhansisp. n., and E.wigodukensissp. n. Although different morphologically, together with Exocelinaascendens (Balke, 1998), E.bagus (Balke & Hendrich, 2001), and E.ransikiensis Shaverdo, Panjaitan & Balke, 2016, they are found to form a monophyletic clade and be closely related to representatives of the E.ekari-group, based on preliminary analysis of sequence data. An identification key to the species is provided, and important diagnostic characters are illustrated. The present data on the species’ distribution show that most of them are local endemics.

Taxonomic revision of New Guinea diving beetles of the Exocelina danae group, with the description of ten new species (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae)

Ten new species of Exocelina Broun, 1886 from New Guinea are described: Exocelinaandakombensissp. n., Exocelinagarainasp. n., Exocelinainjiensissp. n., Exocelinakabwumensissp. n., Exocelinamarawagasp. n., Exocelinaposmanisp. n., Exocelinatekadusp. n., Exocelinavariratasp. n., Exocelinawareagasp. n., and Exocelinawoitapensissp. n. All of them together with five already described species are united into the newly defined Exocelinadanae-group (with Exocelinamiriae-subgroup), a polyphyletic complex of related species with lateral setation on the median lobe. In the light of newly available material, all previously described species of the Exocelinarivulus-group are considered to belong to a single species, Exocelinadamantiensis (Balke, 1998), which is now placed into the Exocelinadanae-group, and three new synonyms are therefore proposed: Exocelinamadangensis (Balke, 2001) syn. n., Exocelinapatepensis (Balke, 1998) syn. n., and Exocelinarivulus (Balke, 1998) syn. n. Exocelinatarmluensis (Balke, 1998) syn. n. is a junior synonym of Exocelinadanae (Balke, 1998). Redescription of Exocelinaatratus (Balfour-Browne, 1939) is provided based on its type material. An identification key to all known species of the group is provided, and important diagnostic characters are illustrated. Data on the species distribution are given, showing that whilst most species are local endemics, Exocelinadamantiensis is extremely widely distributed.

Four new species of Trigonopterus Fauvel from the island of New Britain (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)

The hyperdiverse genus Trigonopterus has its center of diversity in Melanesia, but only a single species is recorded from the Bismarck Archipelago to date. Here we describe four new species from the island of New Britain: Trigonopterus chewbacca sp. n., Trigonopterus obsidianus sp. n., Trigonopterus puncticollis sp. n. and Trigonopterus silaliensis sp. n. We provide cytochrome oxidase subunit I (cox1) sequences of the new species and a key to all five species known from the Bismarck Archipelago.

A bioarchaeological analysis of oral and physiological health on the south coast of New Guinea

OBJECTIVES

The south coast of New Guinea has a complex prehistory known for its exchange systems that linked distinct cultural groups living along the coast, inland, and on offshore islands. Here we compare the palaeohealth of two relatively contemporaneous skeletal samples from the south coast of New Guinea (850-200 BP) that were from two ecologically different sites (one inland and one offshore island) and likely represent distinct cultural groups. We aim to elucidate health patterns that may provide information about the specific lifeways and quality of life of each community.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Oral conditions (caries, calculus, alveolar lesions, and antemortem tooth loss [AMTL]) were analyzed macroscopically to assess possible intra- and inter-population variation in oral and physiological health. The frequency of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) was also used as a nonspecific indicator of stress to assess childhood health at each site.

RESULTS

The inhabitants from the small offshore island of Motupore, thought to be associated with Austronesian-speaking Motu tribes, displayed different patterns of oral pathological conditions (more carious lesions on the tooth crown and calculus) and LEH (lower frequencies) compared with inland people residing at the site of Nebira.

DISCUSSION

It is suggested that the causes for the variation in oral and physiological health were likely multifactorial and potentially associated with variables such as the ecological and geographical settings of the sites, cultural differences, infectious disease, differential fertility and, potentially, diet. This research provides previously unknown information about possible culturally-moderated practices that affected health in the past. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:414-426, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Two new species of Limbodessus diving beetles from New Guinea - short verbal descriptions flanked by online content (digital photography, μCT scans, drawings and DNA sequence data)

BACKGROUND

To date only one species of Limbodessus diving beetles has been reported from the Island of New Guinea, L. compactus (Clark, 1862), which is widerspread in the Australian region.

NEW INFORMATION

We describe two new species of microendemic New Guinea Limbodessus and use a compact descriptive format flanked by enriched online content in wiki powered species pages. Limbodessus baliem sp.n. is described from ca. 1,600 m altitude in the Baliem Valley of Papua and Limbodessus alexanderi sp.n. from >3,000 m altitude north of Sugapa, Papua. Based on our analysis, we also transfer three species from other genera to Limbodessus Guignot, 1939, with the following changes: Limbodessus deflectus (Ordish, 1966), new combination; Limbodessus leveri (J. Balfour-Browne, 1944), new combination; and Limbodessus plicatus (Sharp, 1882), new combination.

Crossing the line: increasing body size in a trans-Wallacean lizard radiation (Cyrtodactylus, Gekkota)

The region between the Asian and Australian continental plates (Wallacea) demarcates the transition between two differentiated regional biotas. Despite this striking pattern, some terrestrial lineages have successfully traversed the marine barriers of Wallacea and subsequently diversified in newly colonized regions. The hypothesis that these dispersals between biogeographic realms are correlated with detectable shifts in evolutionary trajectory has however rarely been tested. Here, we analyse the evolution of body size in a widespread and exceptionally diverse group of gekkotan lizards (Cyrtodactylus), and show that a clade that has dispersed eastwards and radiated in the Australopapuan region appears to have significantly expanded its body size 'envelope' and repeatedly evolved gigantism. This pattern suggests that the biotic composition of the proto-Papuan Archipelago provided a permissive environment in which new colonists were released from evolutionary constraints operating to the west of Wallacea.

The mosquito Anopheles (Cellia) oreios sp. n., formerly species 6 of the Australasian Anopheles farauti complex, and a critical review of its biology and relation to disease

Species 6 of the Australasian Anopheles farauti sibling species complex (Diptera: Culicidae) is described and formally named Anopheles oreios Bangs & Harbach, sp. n. Adult, pupal and fourth-instar larval specimens collected in the Baliem Valley, Papua Province, Indonesia, are characterized and compared with those of Anopheles farauti, Anopheles hinesorum, Anopheles irenicus and Anopheles torresiensis (formerly informally denoted as species 1, 2, 7 and 3, respectively). The variable wings of adult females, the male genitalia, the pupa and the fourth-instar larva of An. oreios are illustrated and DNA sequence data are included for regions coding for sections of the mitochondrial COI and COII genes. The biology of An. oreios and its relation to malaria transmission are discussed in detail and contrasted with the biology and disease relations of some members of the An. farauti and Anopheles punctulatus sibling species complexes.

Description of 23 new species of the Exocelinaekari-group from New Guinea, with a key to all representatives of the species group (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae)

Twenty three new species of Exocelina Broun, 1886 from New Guinea are described herein: Exocelinabewaniensissp. n., Exocelinabismarckensissp. n., Exocelinacraterensissp. n., Exocelinagorokaensissp. n., Exocelinaherowanasp. n., Exocelinajimiensissp. n., Exocelinakislisp. n., Exocelinaksionsekisp. n., Exocelinalembenasp. n., Exocelinamantembusp. n., Exocelinamichaelensissp. n., Exocelinapinocchiosp. n., Exocelinapseudoastrophallussp. n., Exocelinapseudobifidasp. n., Exocelinapseudoedeltraudaesp. n., Exocelinapseudoemesp. n., Exocelinasandaunensissp. n., Exocelinasimbaiareasp. n., Exocelinaskaleisp. n., Exocelinatabubilensissp. n., Exocelinatariensissp. n., Exocelinavovaisp. n., and Exocelinawannangensissp. n. All of them have been found to belong to the Exocelinaekari-group. An identification key to all known species of the group is provided, and important diagnostic characters (habitus, color, male antennae, protarsomeres 4–5, median lobes, and parameres) are illustrated. Data on the distribution of the new species and some already described species are given.

Spatial congruence in language and species richness but not threat in the world's top linguistic hotspot

Languages share key evolutionary properties with biological species, and global-level spatial congruence in richness and threat is documented between languages and several taxonomic groups. However, there is little understanding of the functional connection between diversification or extinction in languages and species, or the relationship between linguistic and species richness across different spatial scales. New Guinea is the world's most linguistically rich region and contains extremely high biological diversity. We demonstrate significant positive relationships between language and mammal richness in New Guinea across multiple spatial scales, revealing a likely functional relationship over scales at which infra-island diversification may occur. However, correlations are driven by spatial congruence between low levels of language and species richness. Regional biocultural richness may have showed closer congruence before New Guinea's linguistic landscape was altered by Holocene demographic events. In contrast to global studies, we demonstrate a significant negative correlation across New Guinea between areas with high levels of threatened languages and threatened mammals, indicating that landscape-scale threats differ between these groups. Spatial resource prioritization to conserve biodiversity may not benefit threatened languages, and conservation policy must adopt a multi-faceted approach to protect biocultural diversity as a whole.

A new opiine (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) from Australia with discussion of Diachasma Foerster

A new species of Opiinae, Diachasma dentatum Shirley, Restuccia & Ly, is described from Australia. This species is similar to several other Australian opiines previously described or included in the genus Diachasma, but the mandibles are unusually broad, nearly exodont. Notable differences between Australian and Palaearctic Diachasma are discussed. Diachasma tasmaniae Fischer, 1995, originally described from Tasmania and New South Wales, is newly recorded from Victoria. Diachasma rufipes Szépligeti, 1905 is transferred to Notiopambolus, new combination.

n., the only known pond species of New Guinea Exocelina Broun, 1886 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae)

Exocelina baliem sp. n. is described from the Baliem Valley in the Central Mountain Range of New Guinea (Papua Province, Indonesia). Having striolate elytra, different structure and setation of the male and female genitalia and tarsomeres, and inhabiting swampy ponds, the new species differs from all known New Guinea species, which have smooth elytra and are stream associated. It forms a monophyletic group with the Australian Exocelina ferruginea (Sharp, 1882) and New Caledonian Exocelina inexspectata Wewalka, Balke & Hendrich, 2010, based on shape of the paramere and structure of the male tarsi. Habitus, protarsomeres, and male and female genitalia are illustrated, comparing some structures with Exocelina ferruginea and two New Guinea stream species. We briefly discuss the biogeographic relevance of this discovery.

Multilocus population genetic analysis of the Southwest Pacific malaria vector Anopheles punctulatus

The population structure and history of the cryptic malaria vector species, Anopheles punctulatus (Doenitz), was investigated throughout Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands with the aim of detailing genetic subdivisions and the potential for movement through this biogeographically complex region. We obtained larval collections from over 80 sites and utilised a diverse array of molecular markers that evolve through different processes. Individuals were initially identified to species and genotyped using the ribosomal DNA second internal transcribed spacer. DNA sequencing of a single copy nuclear ribosomal protein S9 and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I loci were then investigated and 12 nuclear microsatellite markers were developed and analysed. Our data revealed three genetically distinct populations--one in Papua New Guinea, the second on Buka Island (Bougainville Province, Papua New Guinea), and the third on Guadalcanal Island (Solomon Islands). Genetic differentiation within Papua New Guinea was much lower than that found in studies of other closely related species in the region. The data does suggest that A. punctulatus has undergone a population bottleneck followed by a recent population and range expansion in Papua New Guinea. Humans and regional economic growth may be facilitating this population expansion, as A. punctulatus is able to rapidly occupy human modified landscapes and traverse unsealed roads. We therefore anticipate extensive movement of this species through New Guinea--particularly into the highlands, with a potential increase in malaria frequency in a warming climate--as well as relatively unrestricted gene flow of advantageous alleles that may confound vector control efforts.

Australasian sky islands act as a diversity pump facilitating peripheral speciation and complex reversal from narrow endemic to widespread ecological supertramp

The Australasian archipelago is biologically extremely diverse as a result of a highly puzzling geological and biological evolution. Unveiling the underlying mechanisms has never been more attainable as molecular phylogenetic and geological methods improve, and has become a research priority considering increasing human-mediated loss of biodiversity. However, studies of finer scaled evolutionary patterns remain rare particularly for megadiverse Melanesian biota. While oceanic islands have received some attention in the region, likewise insular mountain blocks that serve as species pumps remain understudied, even though Australasia, for example, features some of the most spectacular tropical alpine habitats in the World. Here, we sequenced almost 2 kb of mitochondrial DNA from the widespread diving beetle Rhantus suturalis from across Australasia and the Indomalayan Archipelago, including remote New Guinean highlands. Based on expert taxonomy with a multigene phylogenetic backbone study, and combining molecular phylogenetics, phylogeography, divergence time estimation, and historical demography, we recover comparably low geographic signal, but complex phylogenetic relationships and population structure within R. suturalis. Four narrowly endemic New Guinea highland species are subordinated and two populations (New Guinea, New Zealand) seem to constitute cases of ongoing speciation. We reveal repeated colonization of remote mountain chains where haplotypes out of a core clade of very widespread haplotypes syntopically might occur with well-isolated ones. These results are corroborated by a Pleistocene origin approximately 2.4 Ma ago, followed by a sudden demographic expansion 600,000 years ago that may have been initiated through climatic adaptations. This study is a snapshot of the early stages of lineage diversification by peripatric speciation in Australasia, and supports New Guinea sky islands as cradles of evolution, in line with geological evidence suggesting very recent origin of high altitudes in the region.

Taxonomy of new relatives of Onthophagus catenatus Lansberge, 1883 from New Guinea (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae)

Four new taxa from New Guinea are proposed in the dung beetle genus Onthophagus Latreille, 1802, all in the operational group of Onthophagus catenatus Lansberge, 1883. The group is discussed, defined, and the five taxa included are listed, keyed, and diagnosed. Three new species are described: Onthophagus abmisibilus (from West New Guinea, Indonesia), Onthophagus kokodanus, Onthophagus kokosquamatus (both from Papua New Guinea). One new species comprises a lowland and an upland subspecies: Onthophagus kokodanus kokodanus and kokodanus hagenaltus (both in Papua New Guinea).

A new species of Lesticus Dejean, 1828 (Coleoptera, Carabidae) from the Finisterre Range, Papua New Guinea and a key to the genera of pterostichine-like Harpalinae of New Guinea

Lesticus finisterrae (Carabidae: Pterostichini) sp. n. (type locality: Finisterre Range, Papua New Guinea), is described and characters to differentiate it from other "Trigonotomi" species are given. A key to the genera of pterostichine-like Harpalinae of the island, including all genera of Morionini, Cratocerini, Drimostomatini, Abacetini, Loxandrini and Pterostichini, is provided. The genus Rhytisternus (Pterostichini) is for the first time reported from New Guinea, represented by the likely adventive species Rhytisternus laevis (Macleay). The previously unknown male of Stegazopteryx ivimkaensis Will (Drimostomatini) is described.

Race, Medicine, and Colonial Rule in the Mandated Territory of New Guinea

Public health in the Mandated Territory of New Guinea shared characteristics with regimes in other colonial territories. The protection of European health and ensuring a supply of efficient indigenous labour were the principle aims of the public health regime. Measures to control infectious disease focused on racial segregation of urban spaces, surveillance, and control of indigenous mobility. Yet, if the mandate did not systemically encourage projects in preventive health and social medicine, wider public engagement with the international discourse of indigenous welfare and uplift surrounding it at times shaped colonial administration indirectly. One Director of Public Health in New Guinea, Raphael Cilento, invoked the terms of the mandate during acrimonious debates over nutrition in the 1920s that led to significant changes to rations included in the Native Labour Ordinance.

Five new species of Rhodamnia (Myrtaceae, Myrteae) from New Guinea

Five new species of Rhodamnia are proposed for New Guinea, including Rhodamnia asekiensis, Rhodamnia daymanensis, Rhodamnia makumak, Rhodamnia taratot, and Rhodamnia waigeoensis. Rhodamnia sharpeana, known previously only in Australia, is reported for the first time for Papua New Guinea. Detailed species descriptions and associated taxonomic data are provided for all species. A key is provided for species of Rhodamnia with stellate trichomes. Given the overall paucity of collections, all species are tentatively assigned as Data Deficient following IUCN conservation recommendations.

Introduction of the Exocelina ekari-group with descriptions of 22 new species from New Guinea (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae)

The Exocelina ekari-group is here introduced and defined mainly on the basis of a discontinuous outline of the median lobe of the aedeagus. The group is known only from New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea). It contained four species to date: Exocelina astrophallus (Balke, 1998), Exocelina atowaso (Shaverdo, Sagata & Balke, 2005), Exocelina munaso (Shaverdo, Sagata & Balke, 2005), and Exocelina polita (Sharp, 1882). Twenty two new species are described herein: Exocelina alexanderisp. n., Exocelina anggiensissp. n., Exocelina arfakensissp. n., Exocelina bifidasp. n., Exocelina brahminensissp. n., Exocelina bundiensissp. n., Exocelina edeltraudaesp. n., Exocelina ekarisp. n., Exocelina emesp. n., Exocelina evelyncheesmanaesp. n., Exocelina hansferyisp. n., Exocelina irianensissp. n., Exocelina kakapupusp. n., Exocelina knoepfchensp. n., Exocelina oceaisp. n., Exocelina pseudosoppisp. n., Exocelina soppisp. n., Exocelina uniposp. n., Exocelina utowaensissp. n., Exocelina waigeoensissp. n., Exocelina weylandensissp. n., and Exocelina wondiwoiensissp. n. The lectotype of Copelatus politus Sharp, 1882 is designated. A checklist and identification key to all species of the group are provided and important diagnostic characters (habitus, color, male antennae and protarsomeres 4–5, median lobes and parameres) are illustrated. Data on the distribution and habitat requirements are given. Representatives of the Exocelina ekari-group are so far mostly known from lowland to lower montane habitats of the northern and central parts of New Guinea, the group is less diverse in higher altitudes.