Search

The vespertilionid bat genus Hesperoptenus, comprising only five species and showing a distribution in the tropical regions from India to Sulawesi, was hitherto underrepresented in recent taxonomic studies. Here, modern cytogenetic techniques were applied to compare the karyotypes of two Hesperoptenus species, H. tomesi and H. blanfordi. Despite having the same chromosome number, 2n = 32, the karyotypes of H. tomesi and H. blanfordi were found to differ extensively. Instead, H. tomesi was found to share all nine derived Robertsonian fusion products with the previously published karyotype of H. doriae (2n = 26), which points to a closer relationship between both species. In line with our chromosomal data, mitochondrial DNA analyses also provided evidence for a closer relationship of H. tomesi with H. doriae and H. tickelli, for which no banded karyotype has been examined. Again, H. blanfordi was clearly separated from the remaining Hesperoptenus species. As a consequence, the subgenus Milithronycteris, comprising all species of Hesperoptenus except the type species H. doriae, is rendered paraphyletic. We therefore suggest to synonymize Milthronycteris with the subgenus Hesperoptenus. A chromosomal character, found in all three Hesperoptenus species examined but absent in other vespertilionid genera studied so far, namely a particular G-banding pattern on the homolog to Myotis chromosome MMY13, may serve as a synapomorphy for the genus Hesperoptenus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetic relationships and species delimitation in African Vespertilionini have been a long-standing subject of debate and are still controversial, although recent molecular analyses have shed light onto some of these issues. In this study we employed a comparative cytogenetics approach for the delineation of chromosomal homology and for the detection of shared chromosomal characters, which were then used to support proposed phylogenetic relationships. Here, we present karyotype analyses of five African Vespertilionini, Laephotis kirinyaga (2n = 32), Neoromicia guineensis (2n = 26), Pseudoromicia brunnea (2n = 36), Nycticeinops happoldorum (2n = 24), and Nycticeinops schlieffenii (2n = 34), which were complemented by mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis for species classification of all our specimens. Our cytogenetic analyses revealed that three derived Robertsonian fusion chromosomes, 7/11, 8/9, and 10/12, characterize the karyotypes of four African Vespertilionini genera, i.e. Laephotis, Neoromicia, Afronycteris, and Pseudoromicia, for which we propose to constitute a new subtribe, Laephotina. A rare chromosomal rearrangement, an X-autosome translocation, was found in the studied N. guineensis female. The genus Nycticeinops is characterized by a high intrageneric karyotype diversity. In only two of all four analyzed species, i.e. N. happoldorum and N. crassulus, a common chromosomal feature, the fusion product 1/13 was detected. Further, for the recently described East African serotine, L. kirinyaga, we present the second record for West Africa. The cytochrome b sequence of our N. guineensis specimen from Ivory Coast showed 4% divergence to that of its closest relative, N. somalica from Kenya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detailed karyotype analysis including fluorescence in-situ hybridization with chromosome-specific and sub-regional probes revealed novel cytogenetic signatures for elucidating phylogenetic relationships in Vespertilionoidea. Two shared derived Robertsonian fusions characterize all members of this superfamily. Further, the majority of Molossidae species show karyotypes with 48 chromosomes, including six of seven species studied here, namely Ozimops petersi, Mormopterus jugularis, Tadarida teniotis, Mops mops, Molossus molossus and M. pretiosus. A shared derived feature of all molossid taxa studied is a variant homolog to Myotis myotis chromosome MMY22. Despite their overall similarity in karyotype composition with one large and three medium-sized bi-armed as well as 19 acrocentric to subtelocentric autosomal pairs, our detailed analysis revealed small differences which shed new light onto molossid phylogenetic relationships. Because of the retention of several ancestral chromosomal characters, O. petersi and M. jugularis represent early offshoots of the molossid tree. A unique derived paracentric inversion in the MMY6 homolog unites all other molossids studied so far. The next species to branch off is T. tadarida, followed by a group composed of M. mops and all studied New World taxa, united by a further derived inversion in the MMY5 homolog. In the light of our findings, we recommend to elevate the subspecies M. t. griseiventer to species rank, because the specimen from Venezuela with a 2n = 42 karyotype differed clearly from the nominate subspecies Molossops t. temminckii with 2n = 48. Further, karyotypes of Miniopterus and Natalus were studied. In the 2n = 46 chromosomal complement of the family Miniopteridae a large number of autapomorphic characters were found. Based on the observation of a common derived condition of the MMY22 homolog, we assume that long-winged bats (Miniopteridae) are closer related to vespertilionids than to molossids. Finally, karyotype comparison in Natalus revealed two autapomorphic characters in the 2n = 36 chromosomal complement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being nocturnal, hiding in prickly bushes and shrubs during the day, Eupholidoptera species in Crete and its neighbouring islands are easily overlooked, and until now our knowledge about their distribution was based on some thirty sightings across 11 species. In this paper results are presented of a study of Eupholidoptera specimens collected between 1987 and 2020 by hand-catches and pitfall and fermenting traps on the Greek islands of Crete, Gavdos, Gavdopoula, and Andikithira. Diagnostic features of all known species are presented and illustrated with stacked images. An updated key to all species is provided. Eupholidoptera francisae Tilmans & Odé, sp. nov. from Andikithira and southwestern Crete and Eupholidoptera marietheresae Willemse & Kotitsa, sp. nov. from Mt. Dikti are described. Female E. cretica, E. gemellata, and E. mariannae are described, and the female of E. astyla is redescribed. Bioacoustics for E. francisae Tilmans & Odé, sp. nov., E. giuliae, and E. jacquelinae are presented for the first time. Eupholidoptera smyrnensis is reported for the first time from Crete. A substantial amount of new distribution data for Eupholidoptera species on Crete is presented. The current distribution pattern and first analyses of phylogeny based on molecular data of Eupholidoptera species on Crete are discussed in relation to paleogeographical events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study focuses on the origin, dispersal patterns, evolutionary strategies and systematics of Poecilimon, the largest bush-cricket genus in the Palaearctic with over 150 taxa described. We employ phylogenetic and divergence time estimation analyses based on multilocus sequence data (ND2 + COI + 12 S + 16 S + ITS+28 S), perform ancestral area reconstruction, and track the evolution of behavioural (evolution of sound communication) and morpho-physiological traits (body size and shape, and spermatophore size) in this genus. Based on our results, we propose a revised systematics of Poecilimon, including description of a new species, P. nivalis sp. n., and hypothesize three stages in the evolution of Poecilimon. (1) In the early evolution of the genus in Tortonian, when open dry habitats appeared in the Eastern Mediterranean, diversification rates were low and speciation was possibly induced by vicariance and habitat fragmentation; physiology and morphology during this period retained their ancestral states but the evolution of main lineages may have been accompanied by behavioural specializations. (2) Climate cooling and aridification during the Messinian induced dispersals and adaptation to new habitats, followed by physiological and behavioural adaptations; major clades formed or started diversifying. (3) Starting at the end of Messinian and continuing through the Plio- and Pleistocene, a few dispersal events from Anatolia to the Balkans took place and climatic oscillations were followed by allo- and parapatric divergence of habitat specialists, while ecological adaptations enhanced song diversity and led to morpho-physiological changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical and molecular cytogenetic methods were applied to study the karyotypes of one species of Hipposideridae and three taxa of the Rhinolophidae subgenus Aquias from Malaysian Borneo. Except for four chromosomal pairs with autapomorphic arm combinations, the karyotype of Coelops robinsoni was found to be similar to the closely related Aselliscus stoliczkanus. From the three Rhinolophus taxa studied, only R. trifoliatus was found to share the karyotype with conspecifics from Peninsular Malaysia. In contrast, the karyotype of R. luctus foetidus from Sarawak, Borneo differed in the composition of the Y-autosomal translocation products from the closely related R. morio from Peninsular Malaysia, formerly also a subspecies of R. luctus. Therefore, elevation to specific rank is suggested for R. l. foetidus. Examination of the chromosomal set of male R. sedulus specimens from Borneo with 2n = 45 and a Neo-X1X2Y sex chromosome system revealed extreme differences to the karyotype of specimens from Peninsular Malaysia with 2n = 28, to date also classified as R. sedulus. Therefore, with Sarawak, Borneo, as the type locality for R. sedulus, the taxon from Peninsular Malaysia is here described as a new species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In bush-crickets, males produce a calling song to announce their presence to females. Females ready to mate respond either by a phonotactic approach or signal their presence acoustically by establishing a kind of duet. This duetting behaviour is typical of phaneropterid bush-crickets, of which many species in Europe are flightless. In the long-winged genus Phaneroptera, the females also respond acoustically to the male calling song, which is quite similar in the three west European species in this genus. After acoustical contact, however, the behaviour of males and females of the three species differ markedly. In P. nana, males and females engage in a duet in which the female responds to each syllable of the male song (and he approaches her). In P. falcata, the female only responds to certain elements of the male song that are produced at long intervals. However, after her response the male does not change its song or its position, but often increases its singing activity (and the female approaches him). In P. sparsa the female only responds to particular, very complicated and soft elements of the male song, which are typically repeated at intervals of several to many minutes. After hearing the response, the male drastically changes its song by producing only the soft elements. These parts of the song contain syllables with a unique spectral composition and others that may threaten eavesdropping rivals. In this species both sexes probably move towards each other during mate localization. At present, we can only speculate about the adaptive nature of the different strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hvar Saw Bush-cricket Barbitistes kaltenbachi Harz, 1965 (Phaneropterinae: Barbitistini) and Lesina Bush-cricket Rhacocleis buchichii Brunner von Wattenwyl in Herman 1874 (Tettigoniinae: Platycleidini) are flightless orthopterans restricted to a narrow area in the Mediterranean part of Croatia, both originally described from Hvar Island. In this study, all available information on these two interesting species is presented: data on morphology, bioacoustics, distribution, habitat, and a key to identification of the species belonging to genera Barbitistes and Rhacocleis in Croatia. The songs of both B. kaltenbachi and R. buchichii are described here for the first time, with the former one being the second known example of a synchronising and presumably duetting species. Both species were reassessed according to the IUCN Red List criteria, where B. kaltenbachi should be considered an endangered species, while R. buchichii is suggested to be downgraded to a less threatened category. Biogeography and evolution of the species are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species of Sinocyrtaspis Liu inhabit moist montane environments in south China, and occur allopatrically in restricted regions without overlapping areas. This study presents the first phylogeny of Sinocyrtaspis based on one nuclear DNA sequence [partial ITS1‐5.8S rDNA‐ITS2 (ITS)] as well as two mitochondrial genes [cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and cytochrome b (CYTB)] using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood. In addition, reconstructing the ancestral geographical range on the basis of the combined genes and distribution information, MaxEnt modelling was used to predict potential distribution areas in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the mid‐Holocene, the present‐day and in the year 2070, in order to understand speciation processes and responses to climate change in this genus. The phylogenetic analyses supported the monophyly of Sinocyrtaspis. The results of species delimitation confirmed seven Sinocyrtaspis species and that the speciation events mainly occurred in the late Miocene to early Pliocene when the climate became colder and drier. The conclusions of the phylogeographical analysis are as follows: (i) the centres of origin of Sinocyrtaspis were Hunan and north‐east Guangxi; (ii) two dispersal routes became obvious with the final destinations of Jiangxi and Zhejiang, respectively; (iii) after the Miocene cooling period, the ancestor species partly remained in Guizhou and partly spread; (iv) as a response to climate change, species altered distribution areas by moving along altitude gradients in mountain regions, whereas the anthropogenic global warming trend has promoted some species moving to high‐latitude areas or caused population differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two species of the monogeneric family Nycteridae were studied for the first time with chromosome banding techniques and chromosome painting. The diploid chromosome number of Nycteris macrotis and N. tragata is 40 and 38, respectively. Both karyotypes differ by a translocation, a telomeric fusion and a pericentric inversion. The genus Nycteris shows a highly derived karyotype where the 25 chiropteran evolutionarily conserved units (ECUs) are represented in 37 segments. Chromosome painting with Myotis probes revealed three common features of Nycteris and Emballonura, which are not present in Taphozous. From a cytogenetic point of view, Nycteris is therefore closer related to Emballonura than to Taphozous. Further, an additional synapomorphy for Vespertilioniformes is described, i.e. the synteny of a segment homologous to human chromosome 13 and ECU12a-22a in elements homologous to Myotis chromosome MMY6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a comparative molecular cytogenetic investigation of six emballonurid species using chromosome banding and cross-species chromosome painting with probes from Myotis myotis, supplemented by selected probes from human, tree shrew, and lemur. The main differences between the 2n = 42 Taphozous karyotype and the 2n = 44 chromosomal complement of Saccolaimus can be explained by one Robertsonian fusion, one type-b, and one type-c whole arm reciprocal translocation. The 2n = 24 karyotype of Emballonura is highly derived by splitting of 11 of the 25 chiropteran evolutionarily conserved units resulting in a total number of 36 segments. In contrast to the presence of several autapomorphies in the karyotypes of studied species from both subfamilies, no cytogenetic synapomorphy uniting Taphozoinae and Emballonurinae was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Aerotegmina comprises a group of African canopy-dwelling, predatory bushcrickets (katydids) that is known for its inflated tegmina and the unusually loud and low-frequency calling song of its type species. Here, we describe the songs of another two species of the genus which are much larger than the type species and have an even lower peak frequency. In addition, small and large species differ in song structure. While the type species and closely related forms have a broad banded, multi-peak song with strong components in the audio and ultrasonic range, the species treated here have an extremely narrow banded, resonant song with a carrier frequency of 2 kHz. With Q-values above 100 these sounds belong to the purest songs ever recorded in Orthoptera. Besides describing songs, stridulatory organs and a new species we discuss the possible functions of the song type. A key to the species of Aerotegmina is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors revised the genus Morgenia Karsch, 1890 which now consists of eight species, of which three are here newly described (Morgenia plurimaculata Massa & Moulin, sp. n., M. angustipinnata Massa, sp. n., and M. lehmannorum Heller & Massa, sp. n.). Six of the eight species occur in the Tri National Sangha (TNS) comprising Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve and Dzanga Ndoki National Park (Central African Republic), whose high biodiversity has been recently highlighted. In particular the genus is characterised by the presence of a more or less long spur at the inner mid tibia, different in each species; in M. modulata, it moved lower down into a new position at about ¼ of tibia, which has a hollow underneath where the rest of the spur remains hidden. This is a unique known case in Phaneropterinae. Morphological characters distinguishing males of different species are presented. Bioacoustics of the new species M. lehmannorum are described. The patterns of the chromosome evolution in M. lehmannorum differ from other investigated African Phaneropterinae in terms of chromosome number and morphology, reduced ancestral chromosome number (2n = 25) implying a more derived condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new genera of East African Acrometopini are erected: the monotypic Peronurella n. gen. with P. centralis n. sp. from Miombo woodlands in central Tanzania, and Tenerasphaga n. gen. for a morphological uniform group of species formerly included in Horatosphaga, T. chyuluensis n. sp., T. mbulu n. sp. T. nanyuki, T. nuda n. comb, T. meruensis n. comb, T. tenera n. comb and T. bazeletae n. comb. Additional species are described in the genera Altihoratosphaga, Lamecosoma and Peronura. Keys to African genera of Acrometopini and species of the genus Tenerasphaga are provided. We review the male calling songs and the morphology of the acoustical apparatus and discuss how the morphology of the stridulatory files explains the complicated song patterns and elements. All Acrometopini species showed a plesiomorphic karyotype with a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 31 and a X0 sex chromosome system in males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To find a mate, male and female bush-crickets of the family Phaneropteridae typically engage in duets. The male sings and the female responds. For mutual recognition, the amplitude pattern of the male song and the species-specific timing of the female response have been shown to be very important. In the seven studied species, belonging to the genera Leptophyes and Andreiniimon, these duets are extremely fast and nearly completely in the ultrasonic range. The females produce very short sounds by fast closing movements of the tegmina. They respond with species-specific delays of 20 to 150 ms after the beginning of the male song. The different latency times are probably not important for species recognition, since in sympatric species they are quite similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This is the first study to address the molecular phylogeny of East African Meconematinae. We used DNA sequence data from the three genes cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), 16S rRNA and histone H3 to reconstruct the relationships within the genus Amytta using Bayesian Inference and maximum likelihood. We included 45 individuals representing 19 Meconematinae taxa from Africa, Europe and Australia, and three outgroup species to explore taxonomic limits at different levels. Members of the genus Amytta belong to three related lineages within Meconematinae. Species of Amytta were found to be monophyletic with Meconema and Phlugidia as sister groups. The molecular results are in accordance with previous morphological and ecological studies. Chromosome numbers and the type of sex determination systems found in Amytta agrees with the three lineages also found in the phylogenetic tree. We conclude that the radiation of Amytta species is geological young. Biogeographical patterns caused by climatic fluctuations of the past seen also in other nonrelated Orthoptera taxa such as the coptacrine genus Parepistaurus are the drivers of biodiversity in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many groups of animals, especially insects, genital morphology is species distinctive. This is true of bush-crickets or katydids (Tettigonioidea). The calling songs produced by males are species distinctive and do not change significantly during the early stages of speciation. Their patterns are usually relatively simple. We present an example where none of these assumptions is true. Since the last revision of the genus Ducetia in 1961, one widespread species, Ducetia japonica (Thunberg, 1815) has been thought to be morphologically uniform. It is represented by tens of specimens from south and eastern Asia and Australasia on both sides of Wallace's Line. The male genitalic appendages vary little over the extent of its range. In contrast, the calling songs differ considerably from place to place. Examination of the stridulatory organs of both sexes (located on the first set of wings) reflects the differences in song. The teeth, which produce the sound, differ in shape, number, and size. We present details of the song patterns and the stridulatory organs that produce them. As a result, some synonyms are re-established, and new species are described. Chromosomal information is presented for two species. The origins and the distribution and expansion of the group are detailed. Duets between courting pairs have played an important role in the evolution of this song structure where efforts to trick eavesdropping rivals are common. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]