Recent evolutionary history of Chrysoperla externa (Hagen 1861) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) in Brazil.

This work aimed to elucidate the distribution of Chrysoperla externa haplotypes and investigate whether it exhibits structure based on genetic composition as opposed to geographic location. The genetic diversity of C. externa, analyzed by AMOVA using the COI and 16S rRNA genes as mitochondrial markers, showed significant haplotype structure arising from genetic differences that was not associated with sampling location. This was reflected in the network grouping. Bayesian inference showed that haplotype distribution may have its origins in C. externa divergence into two distinct clades, which dispersed to various locations, and their subsequent diversification. The evolutionary history of C. externa may include multiple ancestral haplotypes differentiating within the same geographic area to generate the current broad genetic diversity, so that the earlier geographical history has been erased, and now we have highlighted its more recent genetic history.

Phylogenetic reconstruction of Syntermitinae (Isoptera, Termitidae) based on morphological and molecular data.

The subfamily Syntermitinae comprises a group of Neotropical termites with 18 genera and 101 species described. It has been considered a natural group, but relationships among the genera within the subfamily remain uncertain, and some genera appear to be non-monophyletic. Here, we provide a comprehensive phylogeny including six Neotropical species of Termitinae as outgroup, 42 Syntermitinae species as ingroup, 92 morphological characters (from external and internal anatomy of soldier and worker castes) and 117 molecular sequences (109 obtained for this study and 8 from GenBank) of 4 gene regions (41 and 22 from Cytochrome Oxidase I and II respectively, 19 from Cytochrome b, and 35 from 16S rDNA). Morphological and molecular data were analyzed in combination, with the Bayesian inference method, and the important aspects of termite biology, defense and feeding habits are discussed based on the resulting tree. Although useful for providing diagnostic characters, the morphology of the soldier caste reveals several cases of convergence; whereas the feeding habit shows indications of evolutionary significance.