Systematics and evolution of the Australian subterranean hydroporine diving beetles (Dytiscidae), with notes on Carabhydrus

Leys, Remko; Watts, Chris

doi:10.1071/is07034

Cited by 59 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…All three localities are in a very small area and probably in the same calcrete body, although we know very little about the actual complexity of these habitats and some recent studies suggest that they are much patchier than previously suspected Guzik et al, 2008). A significant difference in size between these two closely related species is very characteristic of selective pressures associated with recent sympatric distribution, and it is well documented in this region for many sympatric sister species of diving beetles (Leys et al, 2003;Leys and Watts, 2008).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

First record of the harpacticoid genusNitocrellopsis(Copepoda, Ameiridae) in Australia, with descriptions of three new species

Karanovic

2010

Ann. Limnol. - Int. J. Lim.

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-Three new freshwater ameirid species were discovered in the Western Australian subterranean habitats and described in this paper. They all proved to belong to the genus Nitocrellopsis Galassi, De Laurentiis & Dole-Olivier, 1999, representing the first record of this genus in Australia. Nitocrellopsis operculata sp. nov. was collected in 2003 in the Pilbara region, during the Pilbara Regional Survey, led by the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC). It can be distinguished from all other congeners by the reduced armature of the antennal exopod, which is an autapomorphic feature. Also, no other species of Nitocrellopsis has cuticular windows on prosomal or urosomal somites, or six elements on the third exopodal segment of the second leg. Nitocrellopsis halsei sp. nov. and N. pinderi sp. nov. are sister-species, collected in 2007 in the neighbouring Yilgarn region, by the private environmental consulting company Bennelongia Pty Ltd. Numerous morphological similarities include somite ornamentation, armature patterns of the swimming legs and the fifth leg, as well as the shape and armature of the antennula, antenna and almost all mouth appendages, while the main differences between the two are observed in the body size and habitus appearance, caudal rami shape and size, presence/absence of large lateral pores on the fourth pedigerous somite, number of spinules on the anal operculum, number of setae on the madibular endopod, and shape of the exopod of the fifth leg. Although they differ from any other congener by a combination of characters, no significant autapomorphic features were observed. In order to find a more natural allocation of these three species, a cladistic analysis is performed on all current members of Nitocrellopsis and three outgroup taxa, based on 45 morphological characters. The resulting cladogram shows that the ingroup is well defined by at least four synapomorphies, but the Australian species from the two regions are only remotely related to each other, showing the importance of looking at small-scale patterns when inferring Gondwanan biogeography. Three sister-species pairs are recognized in the genus and a key to all 12 members is provided.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

First record of the harpacticoid genusNitocrellopsis(Copepoda, Ameiridae) in Australia, with descriptions of three new species

Karanovic

2010

Ann. Limnol. - Int. J. Lim.

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“…In the Yilgarn and Pilbara regions a myriad of short-range endemic species, including both stygobitic (Taiti and Humphreys 2001;Leys et al 2003;Leys and Watts 2008;Page et al 2008;Guzik et al 2009;Bradford et al 2010) and troglobitic (Humphreys and Adams 2001;Harvey et al 2008) taxa have been identified. Much of this diversity is likely to have resulted from vicariance associated with the aridification of the Australian continent after the late Miocene (Byrne et al 2008), which led to biotic isolation of calcretes and other subterranean habitats (e.g.…”

Section: The Predicted Origins Of This Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

VIEWPOINT. Is the Australian subterranean fauna uniquely diverse?

Guzik

Austin

Cooper

et al. 2010

Invert. Systematics

Self Cite

109

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Abstract. Australia was historically considered a poor prospect for subterranean fauna but, in reality, the continent holds a great variety of subterranean habitats, with associated faunas, found both in karst and non-karst environments. This paper critically examines the diversity of subterranean fauna in several key regions for the mostly arid western half of Australia. We aimed to document levels of species richness for major taxon groups and examine the degree of uniqueness of the fauna. We also wanted to compare the composition of these ecosystems, and their origins, with other regions of subterranean diversity world-wide. Using information on the number of 'described' and 'known' invertebrate species (recognised based on morphological and/or molecular data), we predict that the total subterranean fauna for the western half of the continent is 4140 species, of which~10% is described and 9% is 'known' but not yet described. The stygofauna, water beetles, ostracods and copepods have the largest number of described species, while arachnids dominate the described troglofauna. Conversely, copepods, water beetles and isopods are the poorest known groups with less than 20% described species, while hexapods (comprising mostly Collembola, Coleoptera, Blattodea and Hemiptera) are the least known of the troglofauna. Compared with other regions of the world, we consider the Australian subterranean fauna to be unique in its diversity compared with the northern hemisphere for three key reasons: the range and diversity of subterranean habitats is both extensive and novel; direct faunal links to ancient Pangaea and Gondwana are evident, emphasising their early biogeographic history; and Miocene aridification, rather than Pleistocene post-ice age driven diversification events

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“…The major beetle families found in caves are ground beetles (Carabidae: Trechinae), followed by small carrion beetles (Cholevidae or Cholevinae within Leiodidae) and rove beetles (Staphylinidae) (Moldovan, 2005) with large distributions in the palearctic and nearctic ecozones. In addition, a large diversity of aquatic troglobiotic diving beetles (Dytiscidae) has been discovered in Australia (Faille et al, 2010;Leys and Watts, 2008;Leys et al, 2003;Ribera et al, 2010). The Coleoptera are thus an ideal study group to explore the breadth of cave-adaptive states.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phototransduction and clock gene expression in the troglobiont beetlePtomaphagus hirtusof Mammoth cave

Friedrich

Chen

Daines

et al. 2011

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYObligatory cave species exhibit dramatic trait modifications such as eye reduction, loss of pigmentation and an increase in touch receptors. As molecular studies of cave adaptation have largely concentrated on vertebrate models, it is not yet possible to probe for genetic universalities underlying cave adaptation. We have therefore begun to study the strongly cave-adapted small carrion beetle Ptomaphagus hirtus. For over 100 years, this flightless signature inhabitant of Mammoth Cave, the world's largest known cave system, has been considered blind despite the presence of residual lens structures. By deep sequencing of the adult head transcriptome, we discovered the transcripts of all core members of the phototransduction protein machinery. Combined with the absence of transcripts of select structural photoreceptor and eye pigmentation genes, these data suggest a reduced but functional visual system in P. hirtus. This conclusion was corroborated by a negative phototactic response of P. hirtus in light/dark choice tests. We further detected the expression of the complete circadian clock gene network in P. hirtus, raising the possibility of a role of light sensation in the regulation of oscillating processes. We speculate that P. hirtus is representative of a large number of animal species with highly reduced but persisting visual capacities in the twilight zone of the subterranean realm. These can now be studied on a broad comparative scale given the efficiency of transcript discovery by next-generation sequencing.

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Systematics and evolution of the Australian subterranean hydroporine diving beetles (Dytiscidae), with notes on Carabhydrus

Cited by 59 publications

References 15 publications

First record of the harpacticoid genusNitocrellopsis(Copepoda, Ameiridae) in Australia, with descriptions of three new species

First record of the harpacticoid genusNitocrellopsis(Copepoda, Ameiridae) in Australia, with descriptions of three new species

VIEWPOINT. Is the Australian subterranean fauna uniquely diverse?

Phototransduction and clock gene expression in the troglobiont beetlePtomaphagus hirtusof Mammoth cave

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