A rich fauna of subterranean short-range endemic Anillini (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Trechinae) from semi-arid regions of Western Australia

Giachino, Pier Mauro; Eberhard, Stefan; Perina, Giulia

doi:10.3897/zookeys.1044.58844

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Although the date of the split between the clade containing E. persephone and the one containing Siphonotus flavomarginatus is uncertain, divergence may be linked to aridification of the continent between 15–1.75 Ma. The so-called “climatic relict” theory has been useful to explain other such close relationships between troglophilic and epigean taxa, such as springtails, isopods, schizomids, pseudoscorpions, and ground beetles in Western Australia 17 , 33 . This theory suggests that cool-adapted epigean ancestors were gradually driven underground where conditions remained favorable, whilst the surface dried and became uninhabitable; following aridification, epigean lineages underwent extinction thereby fostering allopatric speciation 33 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The so-called “climatic relict” theory has been useful to explain other such close relationships between troglophilic and epigean taxa, such as springtails, isopods, schizomids, pseudoscorpions, and ground beetles in Western Australia 17 , 33 . This theory suggests that cool-adapted epigean ancestors were gradually driven underground where conditions remained favorable, whilst the surface dried and became uninhabitable; following aridification, epigean lineages underwent extinction thereby fostering allopatric speciation 33 . A similar theory has been invoked for faunal radiations in caves, where analogous extreme adaptive shifts also occur accompanied by morphological change: eyelessness, elaboration of mechanical sensation, lack of pigmentation, and leg elongation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The first true millipede—1306 legs long

Marek

Buzatto

Shear

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

632

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The name “millipede” translates to a thousand feet (from mille “thousand” and pes “foot”). However, no millipede has ever been described with more than 750 legs. We discovered a new record-setting species of millipede with 1,306 legs, Eumillipes persephone, from Western Australia. This diminutive animal (0.95 mm wide, 95.7 mm long) has 330 segments, a cone-shaped head with enormous antennae, and a beak for feeding. A distant relative of the previous record holder, Illacme plenipes from California, it belongs to a different order, the Polyzoniida. Discovered 60 m below ground in a drill hole created for mineral exploration, E. persephone possesses troglomorphic features; it lacks eyes and pigmentation, and it has a greatly elongated body—features that stand in stark contrast to its closest surface-dwelling relatives in Australia and all other members of its order. Using phylogenomics, we found that super-elongation (> 180 segments) evolved repeatedly in the millipede class Diplopoda. The striking morphological similarity between E. persephone and I. plenipes is a result of convergent evolution, probably for locomotion in similar soil habitats. Discovered in the resource-rich Goldfields-Esperance region and threatened by encroaching surface mining, documentation of this species and conservation of its habitat are of critical importance.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The first true millipede—1306 legs long

Marek

Buzatto

Shear

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

632

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“…Culver et al (2006), Schuldt & Assmann (2011), Niemiller & Zigler (2013). 54 Ltd (2015), Baehr (2014), Giachino et al (2021), Huber et al (2023).…”

Section: Abb 17: Maurische Netzwühle (Blanus Cinereus) Manche Meinen ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Wie tief ist der Boden? Von belebten Strukturen und Kreaturen des Untergrunds

Trautner

2021

Art Biodiv

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The biologically active part of the earth‘s upper crust is not limited to a layer of the earth‘s surface only a few meters thick but extends much more heterogeneously in its vertical dimension. It extends locally down to a depth of 2 kilometres or more in caves and, in any case, several decametres through gaps, fissures, and crevices. With numerous examples from several continents, this article provides an insight into the diversity of subterranean habitats and the species that colonize them. The term „soil“ is interpreted broadly and discussed in the context of the subterranean part of the Earth‘s „critical zone“. Reference is also made to the potential refugial and corridor function of subterranean habitats in the context of climate change. Soil protection and the protection of subterranean habitats must be considered in a more differentiated and broader way than the „classic“ view, which often focuses on productive, biomass-rich, habitats that are preferred by higher plants. Extreme site conditions often play an important role for biodiversity on the soil, in its uppermost layers and in the „deep soil“; without or with only low suitability for higher plants and without accumulation of biomass, partly also with a dynamic through recurring processes that interrupt soil succession in small (mosaic-like) or large areas. In any case, in terms of biodiversity, this must be given equal consideration or case-by-case, and area-by-area, even priority over other possible soil functions

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“…In this bioregion, potential impacts from mining developments can have major implications for subterranean fauna and their conservation, including loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services such as water purification and nutrient cycling (Boulton et al, 2008;Griebler & Avramov, 2015;Korbel & Hose, 2011;McRae et al, 2015;Saccò et al, 2022;Tang et al, 2008;Venarsky et al, 2022). Despite the ongoing efforts of taxonomic specialists over the last decade to describe the many taxa collected in the region (Giachino et al, 2021;Harvey et al, 2023;Karanovic, 2007;Karanovic, 2006;King et al, 2022;Perina et al, 2018Perina et al, , 2019aSmith et al, 2012;Stringer et al, 2022;Tang et al, 2008), the full extent of the diversity and species distributions of most subterranean fauna in the Pilbara is still poorly known. Challenging factors to species descriptions in these groups include conservative morphology due to convergent evolution (Culver & Pipan, 2009;Juan et al, 2010), difficulties in sampling the underground environment, and quality and quantity of the material collected (Halse, 2018a, b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An integrated study of Atopobathynella (Parabathynellidae, Bathynellacea) species reveals restricted distributions in a complex hydrogeological setting: two new species from the Pilbara (Australia)

Perina,

Camacho,

White

et al. 2024

Contrib. Zool.

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The Pilbara bioregion (Western Australia) has become a hotspot for subterranean fauna as a consequence of many surveys conducted to comply with Western Australian environmental regulation requirements. In this bioregion, mining developments can have major implications for subterranean fauna and their conservation. However the diversity and species distributions of most taxa are still poorly known, including the crustacean family Parabathynellidae. Recent studies on a widespread genus of this family (Atopobathynella) from the Pilbara highlighted several undescribed taxa with interesting patterns of distribution. In the Gudai Darri locality, the northern flank of the Hamersley Range occurs as a stepped escarpment intersected by dykes and gullies, with groundwater occurring within fractured rocks abutting the Fortescue River valley, where a separate regional aquifer occurs. This investigation aimed to observe whether stygofauna species distributions (1) reflected the separation between the two major aquifers within the Hamersley Range and the Fortescue Valley; and (2) were influenced by the presence of dykes. We examined the Atopobathynella species occurring in the study area using morphological and molecular data. The results reflected the hydrogeological complexity of the study area with six new lineages of Atopobathynella, recorded mainly in different gullies, that do not share a most recent common ancestor. Two species are described here A. pagetae sp. nov. and A. lythei sp. nov., and four additional species are delineated through preliminary morphological analyses and molecular data. This study will improve future environmental impact assessments and the understanding of Parabathynellidae taxa distribution in hydrogeological complex areas.

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A rich fauna of subterranean short-range endemic Anillini (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Trechinae) from semi-arid regions of Western Australia

Cited by 8 publications

References 23 publications

The first true millipede—1306 legs long

The first true millipede—1306 legs long

Wie tief ist der Boden? Von belebten Strukturen und Kreaturen des Untergrunds

An integrated study of Atopobathynella (Parabathynellidae, Bathynellacea) species reveals restricted distributions in a complex hydrogeological setting: two new species from the Pilbara (Australia)

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