Marine-terrestrial transition represents an important aspect of organismal evolution that requires numerous morphological and genetic innovations and has been hypothesized to be caused by geological changes. We used talitrid crustaceans with marine-coastal-montane extant species at a global scale to investigate the marine origination and terrestrial adaptation. Using genomic data, we demonstrated that marine ancestors repeatedly colonized montane terrestrial habitats during the Oligocene to Miocene. Biological transitions were well correlated with plate collisions or volcanic island formation, and top-down cladogenesis was observed on the basis of a positive relationship between ancestral habitat elevation and divergence time for montane lineages. We detected convergent variations of convoluted gills and convergent evolution of SMC3 associated with montane transitions. Moreover, using CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis, we proposed that SMC3 potentially regulates the development of exites, such as talitrid gills. Our results provide a living model for understanding biological innovations and related genetic regulatory mechanisms associated with marine-terrestrial transitions.

The Japanese species of the genera Nesticella Lehtinen & Saaristo, 1980 and Howaia Lehtinen & Saaristo, 1980 (Araneae, Nesticidae, Nesticellini) are revised using an integrative taxonomic approach. Their morphology, phylogenetic position within the genera, assignment to species groups, and distribution in mainland Japan and the Ryukyu islands are discussed herein. A phylogenetic and species delimitation analysis was conducted to confirm the boundaries between the putative species that were initially discriminated based on external and genital morphology. As a result of the present study, six species of Nesticella and three species of Howaia are proposed for the fauna of Japan based on the combined results of morphology and molecular analyses. Male and female of the previously known species H. mogera (Yaginuma, 1972), N. brevipes (Yaginuma, 1970), and N. okinawaensis (Yaginuma, 1979) are redescribed and illustrated using type specimens or specimens collected at the type locality. Nesticella terrestris (Yaginuma, 1970) is resurrected as a valid species and distinguished from the closely related N. brevipes based on morphological and molecular evidence. The male of N. terrestris is described for the first time. We herein describe three new species of Nesticella and two new species of Howaia from different islands in the Ryukyu Archipelago, southwest Japan: N. insulanasp. nov. (♂, ♀) from Yonaguni-jima Island, N. occultasp. nov. (♀) from Ishigaki-jima Island, N. silvicolasp. nov. (♂, ♀) from Yakushima Island, H. albasp. nov. (♂, ♀) from Miyako-jima Island and H. subterraneasp. nov. (♀) from Okinoerabu-jima Island. Nesticella occultasp. nov., H. albasp. nov. and H. subterraneasp. nov. dwell exclusively in caves and show extensive morphological adaptation to subterranean life.

Baiyuerius Li, Zhao & Li gen. n., a new genus of the subfamily Coelotinae F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1893 is described, including five new species: B. daxi Li, Zhao & Li sp. n. (♀), B. pindong Li, Zhao & Li sp. n. (♂), B. tamdao Li, Zhao & Li sp. n. (♀), B. zhuping Li, Zhao & Li sp. n. (♂), and B. zuojiang Li, Zhao & Li sp. n. (♂♀), from southern China and the north of Vietnam. Our molecular analysis supports Baiyuerius Li, Zhao & Li gen. n. as monophyletic and as a sister group of the newly established genus Yunguirius.

No abstract

The biology and distribution patterns of the Sahelian mantid species Nilomantis floweri are still insufficiently known. For the first time, records are confirmed of this species from Iran and the distribution map of its native range is updated. Records are compiled from the Sahel zone of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Iran. Detailed information on its biology, oothecal characteristics, male genitalia variation, and intraspecific molecular diversity in the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase are provided, and ecological niche modelling was used to gain insight into the overall species distribution and understand its climatic niche limits. Genetic analysis revealed only one haplotype shared between Iran and Oman. The Iranian populations likely represent two distinct clusters, both more related to the diverse Oman haplotypes than to each other. Based on new data, N. floweri appears to be mostly associated with coastal areas in southwestern Asia, with the vast majority of records found along the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Oman Gulf coasts. This distribution contrasts markedly with N. floweri records in the Sahel, where most collections have been reported in the transitional zone between the southern Sahara and arid thorn savannah, far off the coast. This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of this still enigmatic mantid species.