Hind wing variation in Leptura annularis complex among European and Asiatic populations (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae)

Climatic oscillations in Quaternary have shaped the co-evolutionary patterns between the Norway spruce and its host-associated herbivore

During the Last Glacial Maximum in the Northern Hemisphere, expanding ice sheets forced a large number of plants, including trees, to retreat from their primary distribution areas. Many host-associated herbivores migrated along with their host plants. Long-lasting geographic isolation between glacial refugia could have been led to the allopatric speciation in separated populations. Here, we have studied whether the migration history of the Norway spruce Picea abies in Quaternary has affected its host-associated herbivorous beetle—Monochamus sartor. By using microsatellite markers accompanied by the geometric morphometrics analysis of wing venation, we have revealed the clear geographic structure of M. sartor in Eurasia, encompassing two main clusters: southern (Alpine–Carpathian) and eastern (including northeastern Europe and Asia), which reflects the northern and southern ecotypes of its host. The two beetles’ lineages probably diverged during the Pleniglacial (57,000—15,000 BC) when their host tree species was undergoing significant range fragmentation and experienced secondary contact during post-glacial recolonization of spruce in the Holocene. A secondary contact of divergent lineages of M. sartor has resulted in the formation of the hybrid zone in northeastern Europe. Our findings suggest that the climatic oscillations during the Pleistocene have driven an insect-plant co-evolutionary process, and have contributed to the formation of the unique biodiversity of Europe.

Does the exposure of parental female adults of the invasive Trogoderma granarium Everts to pirimiphos-methyl on concrete affect the morphology of their adult progeny? A geometric morphometric approach

Insecticidal applications may result to morphological deformations upon exposed insects or their offspring production. In the present study, we tested whether pirimiphos-methyl can induce deformities to wings of progeny production of the invasive khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) when its parental female adults have been treated with this organophosphorus active ingredient. For that purpose, we analysed both elytra and hindwings of both sexes of T. granarium progeny production by using the geometric morphometrics method. Our results showed that the wings of progeny of the pirimiphos-methyl-treated T. granarium parental female adult individuals suffered certain changes in their usual shape depending on size. Deformations occurred on both pairs of wings, but changes were more noticeable on the hindwings. A longer than 5-h exposure of parental female adults to pirimiphos-methyl, resulted in progeny with more deformed wings than in those individuals emerged after the exposure of their parental female adults in shorter periods on the toxicant. Generally, wings of both sexes were sensitive to pirimiphos-methyl, distinguishing the control group from the insecticidal treatments. The existence of deformed adults could be a useful indicator of earlier insecticidal applications as surface treatments and/or grain protectants in the storage facilities.

New data on the longhorn beetles of Mongolia with particular emphasis on the genus Eodorcadion Breuning, 1947 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae)

New data on the distribution, biology, and ecology of the longhorn beetles occurring in Mongolia are presented together with a list of 35 species that were collected during a one-month entomological expedition in August 2015. New localities of some rare taxa endemic to Mongolia, such as Eodorcadiondorcasdorcas (Jakovlev, 1901), E.humeraleimpluviatum (Faldermann, 1833), and E.intermediumintermedium (Jakovlev, 1889) are given. High-quality photographs of several rather unique species, i.e., Pachytodeslongipes (Gebler, 1832), Eodorcadionmaurumaustrale Danilevsky, 2014, E.oryx (Jakovlev, 1895), Monochamusimpluviatusimpluviatus (Motschulsky, 1859), and M.sutorlongulus (Pic, 1898) along with images of their habitats or feeding grounds are also presented. Furthermore, the ecological role of the fireweed Chamaenerionangustifolium (L.) Scop. in the case of boreal anthophilous cerambycid species is highlighted for the first time.