Abstract: Nine new species of Chimarra (Philopotamidae) are described from the Solomon Islands. Chimarra maculata, C. veveensis, C. babarensis, and C. ventrospina are described from Kolombangara Island; and C. talinensis, C. kolombangensis, C. vitapinensis, C. solomonensis, and C. rosavensis were described from both Guadalcanal Island and Kolombangara Island. Chimarra biramosa Kimmins was collected from both Kolombangara Island and Guadalcanal Island.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The insecticides dichlorvos, paradichlorobenzene and naphthalene have been commonly used to eradicate pest insects from natural history collections. However, it is not known how these chemicals affect the DNA of the specimens in the collections. We thus tested the effect of dichlorvos, paradichlorobenzene and naphthalene on DNA of insects (Musca domestica) by extracting and amplifying DNA from specimens exposed to insecticides in two different concentrations over increasing time intervals. RESULTS: The results clearly show that dichlorvos impedes both extraction and amplification of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA after relatively short time, whereas paradichlorobenzene and naphthalene do not. CONCLUSION: Collections treated with paradichlorobenzene and naphthalene, are better preserved concerning DNA, than those treated with dichlorvos. Non toxic pest control methods should, however, be preferred due to physical damage of specimens and putative health risks by chemicals.
Abstract: n area, New Caledonia is the smallest of the world’s 25 official biodiversity hotspots, but in many taxonomic groups, the island has the highest concentration of species on earth, particularly so in the freshwater insect order Trichoptera. This study aims at applying molecular data and morphology for estimating the real species diversity of the genus Agmina on New Caledonia and investigating potential effects of ultramafic rock substrate on diversification. A dated molecular phylogeny was applied to study diversity and diversification related to geological substrate using the dispersal–extinction–cladogenesis model, diva and Bayesian ancestral character reconstruction. More than 47 species (> 63%) were unknown to science. Initial radiation occurred on ultramafic substrate followed by several independent dispersal events to nonultramafic substrate. The rate of shift from ultramafic to nonultramafic substrate was significantly higher than the rate of shift in the opposite direction, indicating a possible cost associated with living on ultramafic substrate.
