Fifty million years of beetle evolution along the Antarctic Polar Front.

Global cooling and glacial-interglacial cycles since Antarctica's isolation have been responsible for the diversification of the region's marine fauna. By contrast, these same Earth system processes are thought to have played little role terrestrially, other than driving widespread extinctions. Here, we show that on islands along the Antarctic Polar Front, paleoclimatic processes have been key to diversification of one of the world's most geographically isolated and unique groups of herbivorous beetles-Ectemnorhinini weevils. Combining phylogenomic, phylogenetic, and phylogeographic approaches, we demonstrate that these weevils colonized the sub-Antarctic islands from Africa at least 50 Ma ago and repeatedly dispersed among them. As the climate cooled from the mid-Miocene, diversification of the beetles accelerated, resulting in two species-rich clades. One of these clades specialized to feed on cryptogams, typical of the polar habitats that came to prevail under Miocene conditions yet remarkable as a food source for any beetle. This clade's most unusual representative is a marine weevil currently undergoing further speciation. The other clade retained the more common weevil habit of feeding on angiosperms, which likely survived glaciation in isolated refugia. Diversification of Ectemnorhinini weevils occurred in synchrony with many other Antarctic radiations, including penguins and notothenioid fishes, and coincided with major environmental changes. Our results thus indicate that geo-climatically driven diversification has progressed similarly for Antarctic marine and terrestrial organisms since the Miocene, potentially constituting a general biodiversity paradigm that should be sought broadly for the region's taxa.

Museomics unveil systematics, diversity and evolution of Australian cycad-pollinating weevils.

Weevils have been shown to play significant roles in the obligate pollination of Australian cycads. In this study, we apply museomics to produce a first molecular phylogeny estimate of the Australian cycad weevils, allowing an assessment of their monophyly, placement and relationships. Divergence dating suggests that the Australian cycad weevils originated from the Late Oligocene to the Middle Miocene and that the main radiation of the cycad-pollinating groups occurred from the Middle to the Late Miocene, which is congruent with the diversification of the Australian cycads, thus refuting any notion of an ancient ciophilous system in Australia. Taxonomic studies reveal the existence of 19 Australian cycad weevil species and that their associations with their hosts are mostly non-species-specific. Co-speciation analysis shows no extensive co-speciation events having occurred in the ciophilous system of Australian cycads. The distribution pattern suggests that geographical factors, rather than diversifying coevolution, constitute the overriding process shaping the Australian cycad weevil diversity. The synchronous radiation of cycads and weevil pollinators is suggested to be a result of the post-Oligocene diversification common in Australian organisms.

Phylogenomic Data Yield New and Robust Insights into the Phylogeny and Evolution of Weevils.

The phylogeny and evolution of weevils (the beetle superfamily Curculionoidea) has been extensively studied, but many relationships, especially in the large family Curculionidae (true weevils; > 50,000 species), remain uncertain. We used phylogenomic methods to obtain DNA sequences from 522 protein-coding genes for representatives of all families of weevils and all subfamilies of Curculionidae. Most of our phylogenomic results had strong statistical support, and the inferred relationships were generally congruent with those reported in previous studies, but with some interesting exceptions. Notably, the backbone relationships of the weevil phylogeny were consistently strongly supported, and the former Nemonychidae (pine flower snout beetles) were polyphyletic, with the subfamily Cimberidinae (here elevated to Cimberididae) placed as sister group of all other weevils. The clade comprising the sister families Brentidae (straight-snouted weevils) and Curculionidae was maximally supported and the composition of both families was firmly established. The contributions of substitution modeling, codon usage and/or mutational bias to differences between trees reconstructed from amino acid and nucleotide sequences were explored. A reconstructed timetree for weevils is consistent with a Mesozoic radiation of gymnosperm-associated taxa to form most extant families and diversification of Curculionidae alongside flowering plants-first monocots, then other groups-beginning in the Cretaceous.

Rhopalomma stefaniae gen. et sp. n., the first ommatid beetle from the Upper Jurassic in Australia (Coleoptera: Archostemata: Ommatidae).

The first Upper Jurassic fossil of the family Ommatidae (Coleoptera: Archostemata) from Australia is described and illustrated from a single specimen discovered at the Talbragar Fish Bed. Rhopalomma stefaniae gen. et sp. n. is classified in Ommatidae based on the length and insertion of the antennae, the tuberculate cuticle, the pattern of elytral striae, the complete epipleura and the presence of scutellary strioles. Due to the lack of preservation of crucial characters, Rhopalomma cannot be assigned to a subfamily and is therefore classified as Ommatidae incertae sedis. Rhopalomma fills an important gap in the fossil record of the family, indicating that Ommatidae occurred in Australia from the Lower Jurassic to the present day. Australia is the only place in the world where this family is found in both the fossil record and the living fauna.

Afrophloeus, a new genus of African weevils of the tribe Embrithini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entiminae), with description of a new species and notes on the composition of Embrithini.

A new genus, Afrophloeus gen. n., is described for three South African weevil species assigned to the tribe Embrithini Marshall: Trachyphloeus spathulatus Boheman (type species), T. squamifer Boheman and Afrophloeus dilaticornis sp. n. Afrophloeus squamifer has been introduced to Australia in 1992 and become an agricultural pest in South Australia in recent years. All three species are illustrated and keyed. The concept and composition of Embrithini is discussed and revised. Thirteen genera are newly transferred to Embrithini: Bryochaeta Pascoe, Cosmorhinus Schoenherr, Cycliscus Schoenherr, Glyptosomus Schoenherr, Porpacus Schoenherr and Syntaphocerus J. Thomson from the tribe Oosomini Lacordaire and Bicodes Marshall, Goniorhinus Faust, Holorygma Marshall, Lecanophora Aurivillius, Neobicodes Hustache, Sympiezorhynchus Schoenherr and Zeugorygma Marshall from the tribe Myorhinini Marseul. Two genera are excluded from Embrithini, Epibrithus Marshall and Rhyncholobus Gahan, left without tribal assignment in Entiminae. In its revised concept the tribe Embrithini includes 67 genera of African Entiminae.

New combinations and synonymies in the weevil genus Lyterius Schnherr (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), with a conspectus of historical works on Daldorffs Sumatran beetles.

In preparation for a future taxonomic revision, we explore provenance, collectors, original owners and current repositories of the type material for three available genus-group names, Lyterius Schnherr, 1844, Barisoma Motschulsky, 1863 and Plaxes Pascoe, 1885, which have been applied to a group of small, relatively flat weevils associated with Pandanaceae. Lectotypes are designated for Rhynchaenus musculus Fabricius, 1802 and Plaxes impar Pascoe, 1885. The lectotype of Rh. musculus is designated as neotype for Curculio abdominalis Weber, 1801, making the species names objective synonyms (reestablished synonymy), with C. abdominalis having date priority. The names Barisoma Motschulsky and Plaxes are placed in synonymy with Lyterius (new synonymies). Five valid species names are recognised in Lyterius, L. abdominalis (Weber), L. dispar (Faust, 1896) new combination, L. impar (Pascoe) new combination, L. instabilis Boheman, 1844 and L. pandanicola (Motschulsky, 1863) new combination. We also provide an overview of the early descriptive works on Sumatran beetles collected by Daldorff and their original owners.

Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Miltotranes Zimmerman, 1994 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae), the Bowenia-Pollinating Cycad Weevils in Australia, with Description of a New Species and Implications for the Systematics of Bowenia.

The Australian endemic weevils of the genus Miltotranes Zimmerman, 1994 (Curculionidae: Molytinae: Tranes group), comprising two species, M. prosternalis (Lea, 1929) and M. subopacus (Lea, 1929), are highly host-specific and the only known pollinators of Bowenia cycads, which comprise two CITES-protected species restricted to Tropical Queensland in Australia. In the present study, the taxonomy of Miltotranes is reviewed, a lectotype for the name Tranes prosternalis Lea, 1929 is designated and a new species associated with the Bowenia population in the McIlwraith Range is described as M. wilsoni sp. n. The descriptions and diagnoses of all species are supplemented with illustrations of their habitus and salient structures, and an identification key to all species and a distribution map are provided. Potential implications of the new species and of the taxonomy and biogeography of Miltotranes overall on the systematics and conservation of Bowenia are discussed.

Mitogenomics and phylogenetics of twelve species of African Saturniidae (Lepidoptera).

African Saturniidae (Lepidoptera) include numerous species consumed at the caterpillar stage throughout the continent, and their importance to local communities as a source of nutrition and seasonal income cannot be overestimated. However, baseline genetic data with utility for the characterization of their diversity, phylogeography and phylogenetic relationships have remained scarce compared to their Asian counterparts. To bridge this gap, we sequenced the mitochondrial genomes of 12 species found in southern Africa for comparative mitogenomics and phylogenetic reconstruction of the family, including the first representatives of the tribes Eochroini and Micragonini. Mitochondrial gene content and organization were conserved across all Saturniidae included in the analyses. The phylogenetic positions of the 12 species were assessed in the context of publicly available mitogenomes using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood (ML) methods. The monophyly of the tribes Saturniini, Attacini, Bunaeini and Micragonini, the sister relationship between Saturniini and Attacini, and the placement of Eochroa trimenii and Rhodinia fugax in the tribes Eochroini and Attacini, respectively, were strongly supported. These results contribute to significantly expanding genetic data available for African Saturniidae and allow for the development of new mitochondrial markers in future studies.

Mitogenomics of the Olive Seed Weevil, Anchonocranus oleae Marshall and Implications for Its Phylogenetic Position in Curculionidae.

Anchonocranus oleae Marshall (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a seed-feeding weevil native to southern Africa; its larvae are known to develop in the fruits of the African Wild Olive and, more rarely, cultivated olives. The species has been mainly found in the Western Cape province of South Africa, but it has remained in relative obscurity because it does not seem to represent a current threat to commercial olive production. As part of an ongoing effort to produce baseline genetic data for olive-associated entomofauna in South Africa, we generated reference DNA barcodes for A. oleae collected from wild and cultivated olives and sequenced its mitogenome for assessment of the phylogenetic position of the species in the family Curculionidae. The mitochondrial phylogeny estimate indicated that A. oleae shares a common ancestor with Elaidobius (tribe Derelomini), but a definite and close relationship to this tribe and the precise tribal placement of A. oleae in the subfamily Curculioninae could not be inferred due to the lack of representative mitogenomes of other relevant curculionine tribes and genera. This study will assist future work on the DNA-based species identification, genetic diversity, and phylogenetic position of the genus Anchonocranus and related taxa.

Undarobius, a new genus of cavernicolous weevils (Curculionidae: Entiminae: Leptopiini) from the Undara Lava Caves in north-eastern Australia, with an overview of anophthalmic and microphthalmic Australian Curculionidae.

Undarobius gen. n., a new genus of cavernicolous weevils with two new species, U. howarthi sp. n. and U. irvini sp. n., is described from the Undara Lava Cave system in north-eastern Queensland, Australia. These are the first cavernicolous weevils to be described from Australia, and U. howarthi is a new addition to the rich arthropod fauna of Bayliss Cave. Undarobius weevils are relatively large in size (4.05.5 mm long), anophthalmic and apterous with a robust, flattened body and long legs. The genus has affinities with Leptopiini, but its placement in the tribe is uncertain. We also provide a list of the known anophthalmic and microphthalmic weevils in Australia, spanning 65 species classified in 20 genera, eight tribes and about seven subfamilies and found in diverse hypogean habitats, mainly leaf litter but also soil, beach sand, subterranean aquifers and mosses.

Imaging of Jurassic fossils from the Talbragar Fish Bed using fluorescence, photoluminescence, and elemental and mineralogical mapping.

The Talbragar Fish Bed is one of Australia's most important Jurassic deposits for freshwater fishes, land plants and aquatic and terrestrial insects. The site has yielded many well preserved fossils, which has led to the formal description of numerous new species and higher taxa. The excellent preservation of many fossils has allowed detailed anatomical studies, e.g. of the early teleost fish Cavenderichthys talbragarensis (Woodward, 1895). Here we report on the fluorescent characteristics and mineral composition of a range of Talbragar fossils. Most specimens fluoresce under ultraviolet, blue and green light. Elemental and mineralogical analyses revealed that the Talbragar fossils consist predominantly of quartz (SiO2), a mineral that is likely to account for the observed fluorescence, with trace kaolinite (Al2Si2O5(OH)4) in some of the fish fossils. Rock matrices are predominantly composed of quartz and goethite (FeO(OH)). Closer inspection of a plant leaf (Pentoxylon australicum White, 1981) establishes fluorescence as a useful tool for the visualisation of anatomical details that are difficult to see under normal light conditions.

The first elateroid beetles (Coleoptera: Polyphaga: Elateroidea) from the Upper Jurassic of Australia.

The first elateroid fossils from the Upper Jurassic Talbragar Fish Bed in Australia are described and illustrated. Wongaroo amplipectorale gen. et sp. n., based on two specimens, is placed in the family Cerophytidae due to its convex, posteriorly weakly angled and laterally carinate pronotum obscuring the head in dorsal view, its relatively long, pointed elytra and slender legs, its 9-striate elytra with deep basal pits and the absence of metacoxal plates. Beattieellus jurassicus gen. et sp. n., described from one specimen, possesses the acutely angled pronotum without a carina on the posterolateral angles and the ventral click apparatus typical of Eucnemidae and is classified in this family. Assignment of it to a eucnemid subfamily is impossible because of the insufficient preservation of relevant characters in the fossil. Four other elateroid fossils, possibly representing eucnemids and elaterids, are illustrated and briefly described but not named, due to their insufficient preservation. These fossils represent the first of their kind in Australia and in the Southern Hemisphere, and Beattieellus is also the oldest eucnemid fossil known and extends the fossil record of Eucnemidae into the Upper Jurassic. The discovery of elateroid fossils in the Talbragar Fish Bed adds to the coleopteran diversity of this ancient lake ecosystem, indicating that it was well wooded and provided suitable habitats of rotten wood for the development of the larvae of these taxa.

Annotated catalogue of Australian weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea).

This catalogue presents the first-ever complete inventory of all described taxa of Australian weevils, including both valid and invalid names. The geographical scope spans mainland Australia and its continental islands as well as the subantarctic Heard and McDonald Islands, the Pacific Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands and the Indian-Ocean Christmas Island. 4111 species in 832 genera (including one extinct species and one fossil) are recognised as occurring in this territory, distributed over seven families, 20 subfamilies and 94 tribes. The families and subfamilies are arranged in a currently accepted phylogenetic sequence but the tribes, genera and species in alphabetical order. Introductory chapters outline the discovery and composition of the Australian weevil fauna, the burden of synonymy, the format and conventions of the catalogue and the taxonomic and nomenclatural changes proposed. Sixteen new genera and six new species are described, two new names and 25 new generic and 72 new species synonymies and 189 new combinations are proposed and 46 type species designations are effected. The records of 356 taxa are annotated to justify or explain various taxonomic and nomenclatural acts and issues, covering descriptions of new taxa, new synonymies and generic combinations, artificial taxon concepts, changes in classification and a number of nomenclatural matters. The catalogue of the taxa present in Australia is followed by a list of 19 species incorrectly recorded from Australia or introduced as biocontrol agents but not established, and by one species inquirenda. All these records are also annotated. Two appendices list the 102 species introduced into Australia, both accidental and deliberate (as weed control agents). A bibliography with full references of all original descriptions and pertinent other citations from the literature is provided, and an index to all names concludes the catalogue.