Recircumscription of the genera Goniozus and Sierola (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) based on morphological and molecular evidence.

A number of undescribed species of the bethylid genera Goniozus and Sierola have been discovered in Australia and North America with character states that had previously been thought to be exclusive to one or the other, prompting a re-examination of the generic boundaries. Analysis of a large dataset of cytochrome oxidase I mtDNA sequences and key morphological characters found that Goniozus is well defined by two insertion-deletion events in COI. The traditional morphological characters can also be used to separate the genera, but variation within the regional fauna must be taken into account.

Single-fly genome assemblies fill major phylogenomic gaps across the Drosophilidae Tree of Life.

Long-read sequencing is driving rapid progress in genome assembly across all major groups of life, including species of the family Drosophilidae, a longtime model system for genetics, genomics, and evolution. We previously developed a cost-effective hybrid Oxford Nanopore (ONT) long-read and Illumina short-read sequencing approach and used it to assemble 101 drosophilid genomes from laboratory cultures, greatly increasing the number of genome assemblies for this taxonomic group. The next major challenge is to address the laboratory culture bias in taxon sampling by sequencing genomes of species that cannot easily be reared in the lab.

Single-fly assemblies fill major phylogenomic gaps across the Drosophilidae Tree of Life.

Long-read sequencing is driving rapid progress in genome assembly across all major groups of life, including species of the family Drosophilidae, a longtime model system for genetics, genomics, and evolution. We previously developed a cost-effective hybrid Oxford Nanopore (ONT) long-read and Illumina short-read sequencing approach and used it to assemble 101 drosophilid genomes from laboratory cultures, greatly increasing the number of genome assemblies for this taxonomic group. The next major challenge is to address the laboratory culture bias in taxon sampling by sequencing genomes of species that cannot easily be reared in the lab.

The Transmission Patterns of the Endosymbiont within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae Adaptive Radiation.

The evolution of endosymbionts and their hosts can lead to highly dynamic interactions with varying fitness effects for both the endosymbiont and host species. , a ubiquitous endosymbiont of arthropods and nematodes, can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on host fitness. We documented the occurrence and patterns of transmission of within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae and examined the potential contributions of to the rapid diversification of their hosts.

Reproductive Capacity Evolves in Response to Ecology through Common Changes in Cell Number in Hawaiian Drosophila.

Lifetime reproductive capacity is a critical fitness component. In insects, female reproductive capacity is largely determined by the number of ovarioles, the egg-producing subunits of the ovary [e.g.

The Native Hawaiian Insect Microbiome Initiative: A Critical Perspective for Hawaiian Insect Evolution.

Insects associate with a diversity of microbes that can shape host ecology and diversity by providing essential biological and adaptive services. For most insect groups, the evolutionary implications of host-microbe interactions remain poorly understood. Geographically discrete areas with high biodiversity offer powerful, simplified model systems to better understand insect-microbe interactions.

Rapid adaptive radiation and host plant conservation in the Hawaiian picture wing Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae).

The Hawaiian picture wing Drosophila are a striking example of adaptive radiation in specialist saprophages on an island system. We use DNA sequences from five nuclear genes with a total of 4260 nucleotides to provide a comprehensive phylogeny and biogeographic analysis of 90 species in the Hawaiian Drosophila picture wing clade. The current analysis indicates that the evolution of the picture wing clade took place more recently than previously suggested.

Phylogenetics of the antopocerus-modified tarsus clade of Hawaiian Drosophila: diversification across the Hawaiian Islands.

The Hawaiian Drosophilidae radiation is an ecologically and morphologically diverse clade of almost 700 described species. A phylogenetic approach is key to understanding the evolutionary forces that have given rise to this diverse lineage. Here we infer the phylogeny for the antopocerus, modified tarsus and ciliated tarsus (AMC) clade, a lineage comprising 16% (91 of 687 species) of the described Hawaiian Drosophilidae.

Studies in hawaiian Diptera I: new distributional records for endemic asteia (asteiidae).

New island records are reported for five species of Asteia endemic to the Hawaiian Islands (Asteiahawaiiensis, Asteiamauiensis, Asteiamolokaiensis, Asteiapalikuensis, Asteiasabroskyi). These new records expand our understanding of distributions in Asteia, change the percentage of single island endemics from 78% to 33%, and have significance in how we view the process of diversification acting in this lineage. We also present a list of the known rearing records for two species in this group.

DNA barcoding a regional fauna: Irish solitary bees.

As the globally dominant group of pollinators, bees provide a key ecosystem service for natural and agricultural landscapes. Their corresponding global decline thus poses an important threat to plant populations and the ecosystems they support. Bee conservation requires rapid and effective tools to identify and delineate species.

Mitochondrial heteroplasmy and DNA barcoding in Hawaiian Hylaeus (Nesoprosopis) bees (Hymenoptera: Colletidae).

Background: The past several years have seen a flurry of papers seeking to clarify the utility and limits of DNA barcoding, particularly in areas such as species discovery and paralogy due to nuclear pseudogenes. Heteroplasmy, the coexistence of multiple mitochondrial haplotypes in a single organism, has been cited as a potentially serious problem for DNA barcoding but its effect on identification accuracy has not been tested. In addition, few studies of barcoding have tested a large group of closely-related species with a well-established morphological taxonomy.

Tissue segregation of mitochondrial haplotypes in heteroplasmic Hawaiian bees: implications for DNA barcoding.

The issue of mitochondrial heteroplasmy has been cited as a theoretical problem for DNA barcoding but is only beginning to be examined in natural systems. We sequenced multiple DNA extractions from 20 individuals of four Hawaiian Hylaeus bee species known to be heteroplasmic. All species showed strong differences at polymorphic sites between abdominal and muscle tissue in most individuals, and only two individuals had no obvious segregation.

Low nuclear DNA variation supports a recent origin of Hawaiian Hylaeus bees (Hymenoptera: Colletidae).

Previous phylogenetic work on the Hawaiian bees of the genus Hylaeus, based on mitochondrial DNA and morphology, appeared to support a recent origin for the group, but support for the resulting tree was weak. Four nuclear genes with varying evolutionary rates -- arginine kinase, EF-1alpha, opsin, and wingless -- were sequenced for a reduced taxon set in an attempt to find one or more data set that would provide better support. All showed very low variation (<2%) in the ingroup.