Transcriptome-based Phylogeny of the Semi-aquatic Bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerromorpha) Reveals Patterns of Lineage Expansion in a Series of New Adaptive Zones.

Key innovations enable access to new adaptive zones and are often linked to increased species diversification. As such, innovations have attracted much attention, yet their concrete consequences on the subsequent evolutionary trajectory and diversification of the bearing lineages remain unclear. Water striders and relatives (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerromorpha) represent a monophyletic lineage of insects that transitioned to live on the water-air interface and that diversified to occupy ponds, puddles, streams, mangroves and even oceans. This lineage offers an excellent model to study the patterns and processes underlying species diversification following the conquest of new adaptive zones. However, such studies require a reliable and comprehensive phylogeny of the infraorder. Based on whole transcriptomic datasets of 97 species and fossil records, we reconstructed a new phylogeny of the Gerromorpha that resolved inconsistencies and uncovered strong support for previously unknown relationships between some important taxa. We then used this phylogeny to reconstruct the ancestral state of a set of adaptations associated with water surface invasion (fluid locomotion, dispersal and transition to saline waters) and sexual dimorphism. Our results uncovered important patterns and dynamics of phenotypic evolution, revealing how the initial event of water surface invasion enabled multiple subsequent transitions to new adaptive zones on the water surfaces. This phylogeny and the associated transcriptomic datasets constitute highly valuable resources, making Gerromorpha an attractive model lineage to study phenotypic evolution.

Description of a New Species and New Records of Naucoridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Nepomorpha) from Eastern Brazil.

The aquatic bug family Naucoridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Nepomorpha) is currently represented in Brazil by 68 species. Although the diversity of the family has been the target of several recent studies, large areas of the country are still unexplored and several species that have been deposited in entomological collections are waiting for a formal description. Aiming to fill these knowledge gaps, a series of expeditions were carried out in six states of eastern Brazil between 2018 and 2023: Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Pernambuco, and Sergipe. The fieldwork targeted protected areas, but surrounding regions were also explored. The material obtained, in addition to specimens previously deposited in a national entomological collection, revealed the existence of Australambrysus margaritifer Jordão, Santos and Moreira, a new species herein described, and new records for other 11 species and two subspecies belonging to the genera Carvalhoiella De Carlo, 1963, Limnocoris Stål, 1876, Maculambrysus Reynoso-Velasco and Sites 2021, and Pelocoris Stål, 1876.

Locomotory Behavior of Water Striders with Amputated Legs.

The stability of the body during locomotion is a fundamental requirement for walking animals. The mechanisms that coordinate leg movement patterns are even more complex at water-air interfaces. Water striders are agile creatures on the water surface, but they can be vulnerable to leg damage, which can impair their movement. One can assume the presence of certain compensatory biomechanical factors that are involved in the maintenance of postural balance lost after an amputation. Here, we studied changes in load distribution among the legs and assessed the effects of amputation on the locomotory behavior and postural defects that may increase the risk of locomotion failure. Apparently, amputees recover a stable posture by applying leg position modifications (e.g., widening the stance) and by load redistribution to the remaining legs. Water striders showed steering failure after amputation in all cases. Amputations affected locomotion by (1) altering motion features (e.g., shorter swing duration of midlegs), (2) functional constraints on legs, (3) shorter travelled distances, and (4) stronger deviations in the locomotion path. The legs functionally interact with each other, and removal of one leg has detrimental effects on the others. This research may assist the bioinspired design of aquatic robots.

Gerromorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from the Metropolitan Region of Santarém, Brazil, including three new species of Microvelia Westwood, 1834 (Veliidae: Microveliinae).

BACKGROUND: Gerromorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) comprises more than 2100 species of semiaquatic bugs, most of which have the ability to walk on the surface of the water. So far, 238 species have been recorded from Brazil, but several portions of the country remain poorly explored. The Metropolitan Region of Santarém (MRS), Pará State, Brazil, lacks faunistic and taxonomic studies concerning this group and the local fauna is under threat due to human actions. NEW INFORMATION: Aiming to fill gaps concerning the diversity and distribution of Gerromorpha in the Amazon, a survey of the semi-aquatic bugs from the MRS is presented. Collections were made in 33 aquatic ecosystems in the different phytophysiognomies within this area from July 2019 to October 2020. As a result, a checklist with 44 species recorded from the three municipalities of the MRS is presented. Furthermore, three new species of the genus Microvelia Westwood, 1834 (M.belterrensis sp. nov., M.hamadae sp. nov. and M.sousorum sp. nov.) are described, two species are recorded for the first time from Brazil (Microveliaaschnakiranae Makhan, 2014 and Rhagoveliagraziae Galindo-Malagón, Morales & Moreira, 2021), two from Pará State (Microvelialongipes Uhler, 1894 and Paraveliadilatata Polhemus & Polhemus, 1984) and 15 from the MRS (Brachymetralata Shaw, 1933, B.shawi Hungerford & Matsuda, 1957, Tachygerrisadamsoni (Drake, 1942), Microveliapulchella Westwood, 1834, Rhagoveliabrunae Magalhães & Moreira, 2016, R.evidis Bacon, 1948, R.jubata Bacon, 1948, Calliveliaconata (Hungerford, 1929), Oioveliacunucunumana Drake & Maldonado-Capriles, 1952, Paraveliabullialata Polhemus & Polhemus, 1984, Striduliveliaalia (Drake, 1957), S.stridulata (Hungerford, 1929), S.strigosa (Hungerford, 1929), S.tersa (Drake & Harris, 1941) and S.transversa (Hungerford, 1929)).

Environmental Thresholds of Nepomorpha in Cerrado Streams, Brazilian Savannah.

Determining thresholds of species loss in response to gradients of human impact is becoming an increasingly important component of stream conservation and management. We analyzed the thresholds of change in populations and communities of the infraorder Nepomorpha along a gradient of environmental integrity in streams of the Brazilian savannah, based on samples from 20 sites. We used the Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis (TITAN) to identify the location and magnitude of changes associated with the environmental quality and the frequency and abundance of the different taxa. We also used TITAN to calculate the positive and negative thresholds of the community and species along the habitat integrity gradient. Nepomorphan species were generally associated with sites of higher environmental quality, which presented larger populations and greater species richness. Only a few nepomorphan species groups were associated with impacted streams. Thresholds were evident in some aquatic nepomorphan populations, but not for the community as a whole. This indicates that species have idiosyncratic responses to the environmental gradient, but in general nepomorphans appear to be a good indicator of healthy environments or less impacted streams in the Brazilian savannah.

Integrating evo-devo with ecology for a better understanding of phenotypic evolution.

Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) has provided invaluable contributions to our understanding of the mechanistic relationship between genotypic and phenotypic change. Similarly, evolutionary ecology has greatly advanced our understanding of the relationship between the phenotype and the environment. To fully understand the evolution of organismal diversity, a thorough integration of these two fields is required. This integration remains highly challenging because model systems offering a rich ecological and evolutionary background, together with the availability of developmental genetic tools and genomic resources, are scarce. In this review, we introduce the semi-aquatic bugs (Gerromorpha, Heteroptera) as original models well suited to study why and how organisms diversify. The Gerromorpha invaded water surfaces over 200 mya and diversified into a range of remarkable new forms within this new ecological habitat. We summarize the biology and evolutionary history of this group of insects and highlight a set of characters associated with the habitat change and the diversification that followed. We further discuss the morphological, behavioral, molecular and genomic tools available that together make semi-aquatic bugs a prime model for integration across disciplines. We present case studies showing how the implementation and combination of these approaches can advance our understanding of how the interaction between genotypes, phenotypes and the environment drives the evolution of distinct morphologies. Finally, we explain how the same set of experimental designs can be applied in other systems to address similar biological questions.

Distribución esaacial de las especies del géner buenoa kirkaldy 1904 (hemipterra: notonectidae) en tumaco (nariño, Colombia) / Spatial Distribution of the Species of the Genus Buenoa (Hemiptera: Notonectidae) in Tumaco (Nariño, Colombia)

El trabajo se realizó en la finca Mar Agrícola del municipio de Tumaco, con el objetivo de estudiar la distribución de las especies del género Buenoa en condiciones ambientales homogéneas respecto a la temperatura, humedad y altitud, en hábitats acuáticos de agua dulce y otros, con diferentes grados de conductividad y dedicados al criadero del camarón marino Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931). Los lagos estudiados fueron cuatro de agua dulce y cuatro con diferente conductividad, en los meses de junio a noviembre del 2010. Los resultados indican la distribución heterogénea de las especies del género Buenoa con mayor diversidad en ambientes dulceacuícolas (5 especies) y menor abundancia; mientras en ambientes salobres hay menor diversidad (4 especies) y mayor abundancia. Solo la especie Buenoa dactylis Padilla-Gil 2010 se encuentra en ambos ambientes acuícolas. Se discute posibles implicaciones ecológicas que puedan influir en este patrón de distribución.

The work was carried in the Mar Agrícola farm of the municipality Tumaco, with the objective of studying the distribution of the species of the genus Buenoa in homogeneous environmental conditions regarding temperature, humidity, altitude and aquatic habitats of the freshwater and the others with different grade of conductivity and dedicated to the marine shrimp farming Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931). The studied lakes were four of freshwater and four with different conductivity, in the months of June to November 2010. The results showed heterogeneous distribution of the species of the genus Buenoa with major diversity in freshwater (5 species) and lower abundance; while in saltwater had lower diversity (4 species) and major abundance. Only Buenoa dactylis Padilla-Gil 2010 was found in both aquatic environments. It is discussed possible ecological implications than can influence this distribution pattern are discussed.