A High-Quality Phased Genome Assembly of Stinging Nettle ( ssp. ).

Stinging nettles () have a long history of association with human civilization, having been used as a source of textile fibers, food and medicine. Here, we present a chromosome-level, phased genome assembly for a diploid female clone of from Romania. Using a combination of PacBio HiFi, Oxford Nanopore, and Illumina sequencing, as well as Hi-C long-range interaction data (using a novel Hi-C protocol presented here), we assembled two haplotypes of 574.

Rapid Loss of Nutritional Symbionts in an Endemic Hawaiian Herbivore Radiation Is Associated with Plant Galling Habit.

Insect herbivores frequently cospeciate with symbionts that enable them to survive on nutritionally unbalanced diets. While ancient symbiont gain and loss events have been pivotal for insect diversification and feeding niche specialization, evidence of recent events is scarce. We examine the recent loss of nutritional symbionts (in as little as 1 MY) in sap-feeding Pariaconus, an endemic Hawaiian insect genus that has undergone adaptive radiation, evolving various galling and free-living ecologies on a single host-plant species, Metrosideros polymorpha within the last ∼5 MY.

Report of two distinct ribotypes in ITS sequences of (Poaceae) in western Canada and Alaska.

Background: L. (reed canary grass) is a widely occurring grass throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, it is thought to consist of introduced agricultural forms from Europe as well as native populations.

Origins of the central Macaronesian psyllid lineages (Hemiptera; Psylloidea) with characterization of a new island radiation on endemic Convolvulus floridus (Convolvulaceae) in the Canary Islands.

A molecular survey of native and adventive psyllids in the central Macaronesian islands provides the first comprehensive phylogenetic assessment of the origins of the psyllid fauna of the Canary and Madeira archipelagos. We employ a maximum likelihood backbone constraint analysis to place the central Macaronesian taxa within the Psylloidea mitogenome phylogeny. The native psyllid fauna in these central Macaronesian islands results from an estimated 26 independent colonization events.

Establishing reliable DNA barcoding primers for jumping plant lice (Psylloidea, Hemiptera).

Objectives: DNA Barcoding has proven to be a reliable method for rapid insect identification. The success of this method is based on the amplification of a specific region, the 'Folmer' barcode region at the 5´ start of the cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene (cox1), with universal primers. Previous studies showed failures of standard "universal" primers to amplify this region in psyllids.

The Hidden Secrets of Psylloidea: Biology, Behavior, Symbionts, and Ecology.

Psyllids constitute a diverse group of sap-feeding Sternorrhyncha that were relatively obscure until it was discovered that a handful of species transmit bacterial plant pathogens. Yet the superfamily Psylloidea is much richer than the sum of its crop-associated vectors, with over 4,000 described species exhibiting diverse life histories and host exploitation strategies. A growing body of research is uncovering fascinating insights into psyllid evolution, biology, behavior, and species interactions.

Chloroplast markers for the Malvaceae and the plastome of Henderson's checkermallow (Sidalcea hendersonii S.Wats.), a rare plant from the Pacific Northwest.

Objective: Sidalcea is a genus of flowering plants restricted to the west coast of North America, commonly known as checkermallows. Remarkably, of the ~ 30 recognized species, 16 are of conservation concern (vulnerable, imperilled or critically imperilled). To facilitate biological studies in this genus, and in the wider Malvaceae, we have sequenced the whole plastid genome of Sidalcea hendersonii.

Biotremology: Vibrational communication of Psylloidea.

Psyllids perform duetting via vibrational signals between genders that are important in pre-copulation species specific recognition. To date, vibrational behavior has been recorded in more than 100 species of psyllid, which is still only a small fraction of the ∼4000 described species. In this overview, we categorize the duet behavior into (1) reciprocal duets, (2) engaged duets, (3) three-way duets and (4) loose duets.

Uncovering Symbionts Across the Psyllid Tree of Life and the Discovery of a New Liberibacter Species, "" Liberibacter capsica.

Sap-feeding insects in the order Hemiptera associate with obligate endosymbionts that are required for survival and facultative endosymbionts that can potentially modify resistance to stress, enemies, development, and reproduction. In the superfamily Psylloidea, the jumping plant lice (psyllids), less is known about the diversity and prevalence of their endosymbionts compared to other sap-feeding pests such as aphids (Aphididae). To address this knowledge gap, using 16S rRNA sequencing we identify symbionts across divergent psyllid host lineages from around the world.

transect of Europe: records of willow-associated weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) from Greece to Arctic Norway, with insights from DNA barcoding.

Background: Curculionid beetles associated with willow ( spp.) were surveyed at 42 sites across Europe, from Greece (lat. 38.

transect of Europe: additional leaf beetle (Chrysomelidae) records and insights from chrysomelid DNA barcoding.

Occurrence patterns of chrysomelid beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), associated with willow ( spp.) at 42 sites across Europe, have previously been described. The sites form a transect from Greece (lat.

On the origin of orphan hybrids between and .

We report the investigation of an × population in British Columbia that is disjunct from its parents-the latter species is present locally but ecologically separated, while the former is entirely absent. To confirm hybridity, we used multivariate analysis of floral characters of field-sampled populations to ordinate phenotypes of putative hybrids in relation to those of the parental species. Microsatellite genotypes at 11 loci from 72 parental-type and putative hybrid individuals were analysed to assess evidence for admixture.

Revision of the Hawaiian psyllid genus , with descriptions of seven new species (Hemiptera, Psylloidea, Triozidae).

The endemic Hawaiian genus Caldwell, 1940 is highly distinctive due to the extremely long genal processes. In addition, some of the immatures are ornamented with extraordinary tubercles and tentacles. Two species are redescribed, and seven new species are described, bringing the total number of species in the genus to nine.

Using herbarium-derived DNAs to assemble a large-scale DNA barcode library for the vascular plants of Canada.

Premise Of The Study: Constructing complete, accurate plant DNA barcode reference libraries can be logistically challenging for large-scale floras. Here we demonstrate the promise and challenges of using herbarium collections for building a DNA barcode reference library for the vascular plant flora of Canada.

Methods: Our study examined 20,816 specimens representing 5076 of 5190 vascular plant species in Canada (98%).

Making the most of your host: the -feeding psyllids (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) of the Hawaiian Islands.

The Hawaiian psyllids (Psylloidea, Triozidae) feeding on Metrosideros (Myrtaceae) constitute a remarkable radiation of more than 35 species. This monophyletic group has diversified on a single, highly polymorphic host plant species, Metrosideros polymorpha. Eleven Metrosideros-feeding species included in the Insects of Hawaii by Zimmerman are redescribed, and an additional 25 new species are described.

Emerging New Crop Pests: Ecological Modelling and Analysis of the South American Potato Psyllid Russelliana solanicola (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) and Its Wild Relatives.

Food security is threatened by newly emerging pests with increased invasive potential accelerated through globalization. The Neotropical jumping plant louse Russelliana solanicola Tuthill is currently a localized potato pest and probable vector of plant pathogens. It is an unusually polyphagous species and is widely distributed in and along the Andes.

The transcriptional landscape of insect galls: psyllid (Hemiptera) gall formation in Hawaiian Metrosideros polymorpha (Myrtaceae).

Background: Recent studies show that galling Hymenoptera and Diptera are able to synthesize the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (auxin) from tryptophan and that plant response to insect-produced auxin is implicated in gall formation. We examined the leaf transcriptome of galled and ungalled leaves of individuals of the Hawaiian endemic plant Metrosideros polymorpha (Myrtaceae) subject to infestation by psyllid (Hemiptera) gall-makers in the genus Trioza (Triozidae).

Results: Transcript libraries were sequenced using Illumina technology and the reads assembled de novo into contigs.

Understanding the spectacular failure of DNA barcoding in willows (Salix): does this result from a trans-specific selective sweep?

Willows (Salix: Salicaceae) form a major ecological component of Holarctic floras and consequently are an obvious target for a DNA-based identification system. We surveyed two to seven plastid genome regions (~3.8 kb; ~3% of the genome) from 71 Salix species across all five subgenera, to assess their performance as DNA barcode markers.

Semiochemical and Vibrational Cues and Signals Mediating Mate Finding and Courtship in Psylloidea (Hemiptera): A Synthesis.

Mate finding and courtship involve complex interactions that require close coordination between individuals of the opposite gender. Well-organized signalling systems, sometimes involving a combination of signal modalities, are required to convey species-specific and individual information to members of the opposite gender. Previous studies of psyllids have focused on single-signal modalities and have largely ignored the potentially interdependent nature of different types of signals.

Spatial patterns of plant diversity below-ground as revealed by DNA barcoding.

Our understanding of the spatial organization of root diversity in plant communities and of the mechanisms of community assembly has been limited by our ability to identify plants based on root tissue, especially in diverse communities. Here, we test the effectiveness of the plastid gene rbcL, a core plant DNA barcoding marker, for investigating spatial patterns of root diversity, and relate observed patterns to above-ground community structure. We collected 3800 root fragments from four randomly positioned, 1-m-deep soil profiles (two vertical transects per plot), located in an old-field community in southern Ontario, Canada, and extracted and sequenced DNA from 1531 subsampled fragments.

Are plant species inherently harder to discriminate than animal species using DNA barcoding markers?

The ability to discriminate between species using barcoding loci has proved more difficult in plants than animals, raising the possibility that plant species boundaries are less well defined. Here, we review a selection of published barcoding data sets to compare species discrimination in plants vs. animals.

Genetic structure of the polymorphic metrosideros (Myrtaceae) complex in the Hwaiian islands using nuclear microsatellite data.

Background: Five species of Metrosideros (Myrtaceae) are recognized in the Hawaiian Islands, including the widespread M. polymorpha, and are characterized by a multitude of distinctive, yet overlapping, habit, ecological, and morphological forms. It remains unclear, despite several previous studies, whether the morphological variation within Hawaiian Metrosideros is due to hybridization, genetic polymorphism, phenotypic plasticity, or some combination of these processes.