Molecular identification is increasingly used to speed up biodiversity surveys and laboratory exp... more Molecular identification is increasingly used to speed up biodiversity surveys and laboratory experiments. However, many groups of organisms cannot be reliably identified using standard databases such as GenBank or BOLD due to lack of sequenced voucher specimens identified by experts. Sometimes a large number of sequences are available, but with too many errors to allow identification. Here, we address this problem for parasitoids of Drosophila by introducing a curated open‐access molecular reference database, DROP (Drosophila parasitoids). Identifying Drosophila parasitoids is challenging and poses a major impediment to realize the full potential of this model system in studies ranging from molecular mechanisms to food webs, and in biological control of Drosophila suzukii. In DROP, genetic data are linked to voucher specimens and, where possible, the voucher specimens are identified by taxonomists and vetted through direct comparison with primary type material. To initiate DROP, we...
The evolution, development and coloration of insect wings remains a puzzling subject in evolution... more The evolution, development and coloration of insect wings remains a puzzling subject in evolutionary research. In basal flying insects such as Odonata, genomic research regarding bauplan evolution is still rare. Here we focus on the world's largest odonate species-the "forest giant" Megaloprepus caerulatus, to explore its potential for looking deeper into the development and evolution of wings. A recently discovered cryptic species complex in this genus previously considered monotypic is characterized by morphological differences in wing shape and color patterns. As a first step toward understanding wing pattern divergence and pathways involved in adaptation and speciation at the genomic level, we present a transcriptome profiling of M. caerulatus using RNA-Seq and compare these data with two other odonate species. The de novo transcriptome assembly consists of 61,560 high quality transcripts and is approximately 93% complete. For almost 75% of the identified transcrip...
ABSTRACT Re-discovered in 1989, the Martha's Vineyard population of the Northeastern Beac... more ABSTRACT Re-discovered in 1989, the Martha's Vineyard population of the Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetle Cicindela d. dorsalis represents a relictual islandic population of a once widespread and abundant insect, now extirpated from mainland New England and a touchstone for barrier beach conservation. Phenology and yearly population fluctuations are examined against a backdrop of major storm events and dune morphology, the dynamic nature of which both constrains and sustains the beetle's viability over time. The population's behavioral and genetic uniqueness are briefly discussed in the context of ongoing reintroduction efforts and recent local mainland extirpation..
Re-discovered in 1989, the Martha's Vineyard population of the Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetl... more Re-discovered in 1989, the Martha's Vineyard population of the Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetle Cicindela d. dorsalis represents a relictual islandic population of a once widespread and abundant insect, now extirpated from mainland New England and a touchstone for barrier beach conservation. Phenology and yearly population fluctuations are examined against a backdrop of major storm events and dune morphology, the dynamic nature of which both constrains and sustains the beetle's viability over time. The population's behavioral and genetic uniqueness are briefly discussed in the context of ongoing reintroduction efforts and recent local mainland extirpation..
The 20th century northeastern regional decline of wild silk moths and certain other macrolepidopt... more The 20th century northeastern regional decline of wild silk moths and certain other macrolepidoptera has been noted for decades, and variously attributed to factors ranging from widespread deployment of pesticides to light pollution and introduced parasitoids. Whatever their respective impact, our understanding of these factors is complicated by land use history and generalized habitat fragmentation. The high concentrations of regionally rare or threatened Lepidoptera on Massachusetts’ offshore islands includes species such as Eacles imperialis (Saturniidae) and Datana contracta (Notodontidae) that have declined or been extirpated from mainland New England. Remnant island populations of declined silk moths—in particular where the introduced parasitoid Compsilura concinnata has not yet been recorded—may corroborate the fly’s primary role in the decline of certain moths. Although historical faunal data for Massachusetts’ offshore islands suggest significant turnover in moths and docum...
Recent studies in the Glaphyriinae have shed light on this taxonomically challenging subfamily in... more Recent studies in the Glaphyriinae have shed light on this taxonomically challenging subfamily in the Pyraloidea. A recent molecular higher-level study showed that the traditional taxonomic concept of the Glaphyriinae should be expanded to include the Evergestinae and Noordinae. Studies on the host plants of the biologically diverse group showed that it is one of the largest clades of Capparidaceae feeders in Lepidoptera. A recent study of the glaphyriine genus, Schacontia, illustrates that morphological evolution of one of the most challenging genera in the Pyraloidea can be elucidated. Historically, the enormous variation of male genitalia and secondary sexual characters has created taxonomic hurdles, but the discovery and combination of molecular, biological, and immature characters have made progress possible.
The Neotropical genus SchacontiaDyar (1914) is reviewed and revised to include eleven species. Sc... more The Neotropical genus SchacontiaDyar (1914) is reviewed and revised to include eleven species. Schacontia replica Dyar, 1914, syn. n. and Schacontia pfeifferi Amsel, 1956, syn. n. are synonymized with Schacontia chanesalis (Druce, 1899) and eight new species are described: Schacontia umbra,sp. n., Schacontia speciosa,sp. n., Schacontia themis, sp. n., Schacontia rasa, sp. n., Schacontia nyx,sp. n., Schacontia clotho, sp. n., Schacontia lachesis, sp. n., and Schacontia atropos, sp. n. Three species, Schacontia medalba, Schacontia chanesalis, and Schacontia ysticalis, are re-described. An analysis of 64 characters (56 binary, 8 multistate; 5 head, 13 thoracic, 13 abdominal, 25 male genitalic, and 8 female genitalic) scored for all Schacontia and three outgroup species (Eustixia pupula Hübner, 1823, Glaphyria sesquistrialis Hübner, 1823, and Hellula undalis (Fabricius, 1781)) retrieved 8 equally most parsimonious trees (L=102, CI=71, RI=84) of which the strict consensus is: [[[[medalba + umbra] + chanesalis] + speciosa] + [ysticalis + [rasa + themis + [atropos + lachesis + nyx + clotho]]]]. The relevance of male secondary sexual characters to the diagnosis of Schacontia species is discussed.
ABSTRACT Summary • Although likely to yield less copious collections than their tropical counterp... more ABSTRACT Summary • Although likely to yield less copious collections than their tropical counterparts, temperate inventories focused on invertebrates require individuals not only trained to deal with a wide array of taxa but also versed in the techniques used to process and archive specimens. • Due in part to the prevalence of physically intensive conservation management practices (e.g. prescribed burning) or resource management practices (e.g. selective logging), and in part to a better understanding of temperate invertebrate faunas relative to their tropical counterparts, temperate conservationists bear an inescapable responsibility for monitoring the effects of such practices on species assemblages of conservation concern. • Counterintuitively, North American conservation programmes, particularly those involving monitoring, run the risk of turning away from concerns for invertebrate assemblages, despite their being relatively well-understood, recognized as powerful conservation tools or indicators, and in some areas the demonstrable majority of the most threatened of animal species. • Synthesis and applications. To prevent further erosion or underuse of invertebrate monitoring and inventories, there is a recognizable need for professional space in the North American conservation community for parataxonomist-like individuals. These should be trained to deal with both the required field procedures and the standards and practices associated with maintaining systematic voucher and reference collections in natural history museums and herbaria. In particular, the relevance of discovery-orientated biological inventories and collections-based systematic research to the design and implementation of adequate natural areas management and monitoring remains underemphasized and underappreciated by some allegedly science-based conservation programmes. Journal of Applied Ecology (2004) 41, 175–180
Journal of the New York Entomological Society, 2002
... III, No. 2. Fincher, GT 1975. Dung beetles of Blackbeard Island (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). C... more ... III, No. 2. Fincher, GT 1975. Dung beetles of Blackbeard Island (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Coleop. ... Cited by. Kyle Beucke. (2009) Beetles (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae, Scarabaeidae, and Silphidae) in Burned and Unburned Pine Barrens in Long Island, New York. ...
Molecular identification is increasingly used to speed up biodiversity surveys and laboratory exp... more Molecular identification is increasingly used to speed up biodiversity surveys and laboratory experiments. However, many groups of organisms cannot be reliably identified using standard databases such as GenBank or BOLD due to lack of sequenced voucher specimens identified by experts. Sometimes a large number of sequences are available, but with too many errors to allow identification. Here, we address this problem for parasitoids of Drosophila by introducing a curated open‐access molecular reference database, DROP (Drosophila parasitoids). Identifying Drosophila parasitoids is challenging and poses a major impediment to realize the full potential of this model system in studies ranging from molecular mechanisms to food webs, and in biological control of Drosophila suzukii. In DROP, genetic data are linked to voucher specimens and, where possible, the voucher specimens are identified by taxonomists and vetted through direct comparison with primary type material. To initiate DROP, we...
The evolution, development and coloration of insect wings remains a puzzling subject in evolution... more The evolution, development and coloration of insect wings remains a puzzling subject in evolutionary research. In basal flying insects such as Odonata, genomic research regarding bauplan evolution is still rare. Here we focus on the world's largest odonate species-the "forest giant" Megaloprepus caerulatus, to explore its potential for looking deeper into the development and evolution of wings. A recently discovered cryptic species complex in this genus previously considered monotypic is characterized by morphological differences in wing shape and color patterns. As a first step toward understanding wing pattern divergence and pathways involved in adaptation and speciation at the genomic level, we present a transcriptome profiling of M. caerulatus using RNA-Seq and compare these data with two other odonate species. The de novo transcriptome assembly consists of 61,560 high quality transcripts and is approximately 93% complete. For almost 75% of the identified transcrip...
ABSTRACT Re-discovered in 1989, the Martha's Vineyard population of the Northeastern Beac... more ABSTRACT Re-discovered in 1989, the Martha's Vineyard population of the Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetle Cicindela d. dorsalis represents a relictual islandic population of a once widespread and abundant insect, now extirpated from mainland New England and a touchstone for barrier beach conservation. Phenology and yearly population fluctuations are examined against a backdrop of major storm events and dune morphology, the dynamic nature of which both constrains and sustains the beetle's viability over time. The population's behavioral and genetic uniqueness are briefly discussed in the context of ongoing reintroduction efforts and recent local mainland extirpation..
Re-discovered in 1989, the Martha's Vineyard population of the Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetl... more Re-discovered in 1989, the Martha's Vineyard population of the Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetle Cicindela d. dorsalis represents a relictual islandic population of a once widespread and abundant insect, now extirpated from mainland New England and a touchstone for barrier beach conservation. Phenology and yearly population fluctuations are examined against a backdrop of major storm events and dune morphology, the dynamic nature of which both constrains and sustains the beetle's viability over time. The population's behavioral and genetic uniqueness are briefly discussed in the context of ongoing reintroduction efforts and recent local mainland extirpation..
The 20th century northeastern regional decline of wild silk moths and certain other macrolepidopt... more The 20th century northeastern regional decline of wild silk moths and certain other macrolepidoptera has been noted for decades, and variously attributed to factors ranging from widespread deployment of pesticides to light pollution and introduced parasitoids. Whatever their respective impact, our understanding of these factors is complicated by land use history and generalized habitat fragmentation. The high concentrations of regionally rare or threatened Lepidoptera on Massachusetts’ offshore islands includes species such as Eacles imperialis (Saturniidae) and Datana contracta (Notodontidae) that have declined or been extirpated from mainland New England. Remnant island populations of declined silk moths—in particular where the introduced parasitoid Compsilura concinnata has not yet been recorded—may corroborate the fly’s primary role in the decline of certain moths. Although historical faunal data for Massachusetts’ offshore islands suggest significant turnover in moths and docum...
Recent studies in the Glaphyriinae have shed light on this taxonomically challenging subfamily in... more Recent studies in the Glaphyriinae have shed light on this taxonomically challenging subfamily in the Pyraloidea. A recent molecular higher-level study showed that the traditional taxonomic concept of the Glaphyriinae should be expanded to include the Evergestinae and Noordinae. Studies on the host plants of the biologically diverse group showed that it is one of the largest clades of Capparidaceae feeders in Lepidoptera. A recent study of the glaphyriine genus, Schacontia, illustrates that morphological evolution of one of the most challenging genera in the Pyraloidea can be elucidated. Historically, the enormous variation of male genitalia and secondary sexual characters has created taxonomic hurdles, but the discovery and combination of molecular, biological, and immature characters have made progress possible.
The Neotropical genus SchacontiaDyar (1914) is reviewed and revised to include eleven species. Sc... more The Neotropical genus SchacontiaDyar (1914) is reviewed and revised to include eleven species. Schacontia replica Dyar, 1914, syn. n. and Schacontia pfeifferi Amsel, 1956, syn. n. are synonymized with Schacontia chanesalis (Druce, 1899) and eight new species are described: Schacontia umbra,sp. n., Schacontia speciosa,sp. n., Schacontia themis, sp. n., Schacontia rasa, sp. n., Schacontia nyx,sp. n., Schacontia clotho, sp. n., Schacontia lachesis, sp. n., and Schacontia atropos, sp. n. Three species, Schacontia medalba, Schacontia chanesalis, and Schacontia ysticalis, are re-described. An analysis of 64 characters (56 binary, 8 multistate; 5 head, 13 thoracic, 13 abdominal, 25 male genitalic, and 8 female genitalic) scored for all Schacontia and three outgroup species (Eustixia pupula Hübner, 1823, Glaphyria sesquistrialis Hübner, 1823, and Hellula undalis (Fabricius, 1781)) retrieved 8 equally most parsimonious trees (L=102, CI=71, RI=84) of which the strict consensus is: [[[[medalba + umbra] + chanesalis] + speciosa] + [ysticalis + [rasa + themis + [atropos + lachesis + nyx + clotho]]]]. The relevance of male secondary sexual characters to the diagnosis of Schacontia species is discussed.
ABSTRACT Summary • Although likely to yield less copious collections than their tropical counterp... more ABSTRACT Summary • Although likely to yield less copious collections than their tropical counterparts, temperate inventories focused on invertebrates require individuals not only trained to deal with a wide array of taxa but also versed in the techniques used to process and archive specimens. • Due in part to the prevalence of physically intensive conservation management practices (e.g. prescribed burning) or resource management practices (e.g. selective logging), and in part to a better understanding of temperate invertebrate faunas relative to their tropical counterparts, temperate conservationists bear an inescapable responsibility for monitoring the effects of such practices on species assemblages of conservation concern. • Counterintuitively, North American conservation programmes, particularly those involving monitoring, run the risk of turning away from concerns for invertebrate assemblages, despite their being relatively well-understood, recognized as powerful conservation tools or indicators, and in some areas the demonstrable majority of the most threatened of animal species. • Synthesis and applications. To prevent further erosion or underuse of invertebrate monitoring and inventories, there is a recognizable need for professional space in the North American conservation community for parataxonomist-like individuals. These should be trained to deal with both the required field procedures and the standards and practices associated with maintaining systematic voucher and reference collections in natural history museums and herbaria. In particular, the relevance of discovery-orientated biological inventories and collections-based systematic research to the design and implementation of adequate natural areas management and monitoring remains underemphasized and underappreciated by some allegedly science-based conservation programmes. Journal of Applied Ecology (2004) 41, 175–180
Journal of the New York Entomological Society, 2002
... III, No. 2. Fincher, GT 1975. Dung beetles of Blackbeard Island (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). C... more ... III, No. 2. Fincher, GT 1975. Dung beetles of Blackbeard Island (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Coleop. ... Cited by. Kyle Beucke. (2009) Beetles (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae, Scarabaeidae, and Silphidae) in Burned and Unburned Pine Barrens in Long Island, New York. ...
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