0000000000158878
AUTHOR
Joaquin Baixeras
showing 31 related works from this author
Two new species of Brusqeulia Razowski & Becker, 2000 from the Neotropics, with comments on the systematic position of the genus in relation to the A…
2018
Two new species of the neotropical genus Brusqeulia Razowski & Becker, 2000, are described and illustrated: B. yunkensis Pérez Santa-Rita & Baixeras, sp. n. from Bolivia and B. araguensis Pérez Sant-Rita & Baixeras, sp. n. from Venezuela. The systematic position and diagnostic characters of the genus are reviewed, resulting in the synonymy of Pinhaisania Razowski & Becker, 2000, with Brusqeulia, and the combination B. crispula (Razowski & Becker, 2000), comb. n. New characters of the female genitalia are discussed.
Re-examining the rare and the lost : a review of fossil Tortricidae (Lepidoptera)
2018
We re-evaluate eleven fossils that have previously been assigned to the family Tortricidae, describe one additional fossil, and assess whether observable morphological features warrant confident assignment of these specimens to this family. We provide an overview of the age and origin of the fossils and comment on their contribution towards understanding the phylogeny of the Lepidoptera. Our results show that only one specimen, Antiquatortia histuroides Brown & Baixeras gen. and sp. nov., shows a character considered synapomorphic for the family. Six other fossils ( Electresia zalesskii Kusnezov, 1941; Tortricidrosis inclusa Skalski, 1973; Tortricites skalskii Kozlov, 1988; Tortricibaltia d…
A large-scale, higher-level, molecular phylogenetic study of the insect order Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies).
2013
Background Higher-level relationships within the Lepidoptera, and particularly within the species-rich subclade Ditrysia, are generally not well understood, although recent studies have yielded progress. We present the most comprehensive molecular analysis of lepidopteran phylogeny to date, focusing on relationships among superfamilies. Methodology / Principal Findings 483 taxa spanning 115 of 124 families were sampled for 19 protein-coding nuclear genes, from which maximum likelihood tree estimates and bootstrap percentages were obtained using GARLI. Assessment of heuristic search effectiveness showed that better trees and higher bootstrap percentages probably remain to be discovered even …
Hylotelephium spectabile, a New Host for Carnation Tortrix Moth (Cacoecimorpha pronubana) and Molecular Characterization in Greece
2021
Simple Summary Hylotelephium spectabile (Saxifragales, Crassulaceae), a widespread ornamental plant was found infested by larvae of Cacoecimorpha pronubana (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) a highly polyphagous pest of a wide range of crop, as well as ornamental plants. To the best of our knowledge, this finding suggests that H. spectabile should be considered a new host plant for C. pronubana. Moreover, molecular characterization of the Greek pest population place it along with European species clade. Abstract Cacoecimorpha pronubana (Hübner) (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) is a highly polyphagous pest of a wide range of crop and ornamental plants. It is of Mediterranean origin and widespread in Europ…
Males of the tortricid moth Amorbia cuneana (Walsingham, 1879) shed their genital spines inside the female during copulation
2018
Abstract The genitalia of most insect species are composed of several structures whose functions are poorly understood in many cases. The deciduous genital spines (deciduous cornuti, DC) found on the endophallus of many species of Lepidoptera are a clear example of this problem. We performed two experimental studies with the western avocado leafroller Amorbia cuneana (Tortricidae), aimed at answering some basic questions about the biology of DC. We found that the number of DC shows positive allometry with male forewing length, indicating that larger males have disproportionally more DC than smaller males. Males, with very few exceptions, shed virtually all their DC in their first copulation…
Two new species of Brusqeulia Razowski & Becker, 2000 from the Neotropics, with comments on the systematic position of the genus in relation to the A…
2018
Two new species of the neotropical genus Brusqeulia Razowski & Becker, 2000, are described and illustrated: B.yunkensis Pérez Santa-Rita & Baixeras, sp. n. from Bolivia and B.araguensis Pérez Sant-Rita & Baixeras, sp. n. from Venezuela. The systematic position and diagnostic characters of the genus are reviewed, resulting in the synonymy of Pinhaisania Razowski & Becker, 2000, with Brusqeulia, and the combination B.crispula (Razowski & Becker, 2000), comb. n. New characters of the female genitalia are discussed.
Dichrorampha dinarica, new species, a century of confusion in European lepidopterology (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) resolved by combining morphology an…
2012
Dichrorampha dinarica, new species, is described from the Dinaric mountains (Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina). The newspecies was formerly confused with D. ligulana (Herrich-Schäffer, 1851) from the Alps and D. rilana Drenowsky, 1909 fromthe Rila mountains (Bulgaria). Therefore, a re-description of D. rilana is provided based on topotypical specimens. The diag-nostic morphological characters of the involved species, supported by significant divergence of the mtDNA barcode (COI fragment of 658 bp), are discussed in detail.
A molecular phylogeny for the leaf-roller moths (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and its implications for classification and life history evolution.
2012
BackgroundTortricidae, one of the largest families of microlepidopterans, comprise about 10,000 described species worldwide, including important pests, biological control agents and experimental models. Understanding of tortricid phylogeny, the basis for a predictive classification, is currently provisional. We present the first detailed molecular estimate of relationships across the tribes and subfamilies of Tortricidae, assess its concordance with previous morphological evidence, and re-examine postulated evolutionary trends in host plant use and biogeography.Methodology/principal findingsWe sequenced up to five nuclear genes (6,633 bp) in each of 52 tortricids spanning all three subfamil…
An Overview of Genus-Level Taxonomic Problems Surrounding <I>Argyroploce</I> Hübner (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), with Description of a New…
2002
Argyroploce unedana Baixeras, new species, is described from the Iberian Peninsula. The species is closely related to A. arbutella (L., 1758), which occurs on most of the European continent; the two species are allopatric. Although they share similar biologies, the two can be distinguished by structures of the male and female genitalia. Genitalia variability is analyzed. Forewing patterns and hindwing anal roll are discussed in relation to their systematic significance. The olethreutine wing pattern is reexamined. A review of the genus-level taxonomic problems surrounding Argyroploce Hubner, [1825] and allied genera suggests a fragile situation in the present systematic scenario within the …
Microstructure and diversity of the bursa copulatrix wall in Tortricidae (Lepidoptera).
2012
The inner surface and muscle structure of the bursa copulatrix are examined for the first time with Electron Microscopy in some representatives of the family Tortricidae (Lepidoptera). The internal microprotuberances reveal taxon dependent characters unstudied in the Lepidoptera until now. Acanthae occur in almost all taxa studied, whereas ctenidia and papillae are found only in representatives of Tortricinae and Olethreutinae, respectively. Muscles are radially arranged from the signa. Areas of muscle insertion on the bursal wall are not covered by other muscle fibers. Muscle attachments to evaginated areas, e.g. capitulum and diverticulum, suggest an apodeme role for these structures, cor…
Immigrant Tortricidae: Holarctic versus Introduced Species in North America
2020
In support of a comprehensive update to the checklist of the moths of North America, we attempt to determine the status of 151 species of Tortricidae present in North America that may be Holarctic, introduced, or sibling species of their European counterparts. Discovering the natural distributions of these taxa is often difficult, if not impossible, but several criteria can be applied to determine if a species that is present in both Europe and North America is natively Holarctic, introduced, or represented by different but closely related species on each continent. We use DNA barcodes (when available), morphology, host plants, and historical records (literature and museum specimens) to mak…
Description of a new genus of Euliina with unique coupling adaptations of the male and female (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Tortricinae: Cochylini)
2017
Ancoruncus langeri, new genus and new species, is described and illustrated from the Neotropics (Bolivia). It is assigned to the tribe Cochylini (subtribe Euliina) in the family Tortricidae. Ancoruncus langeri is characterized by an unusual, strongly developed uncus, distally expanded into an anchor-like, bilobed apical process and a complex gnathos in male genitalia, as well as an unusual configuration of the anterior lobes of the papillae anales, and tergum 8 with the anterior area bearing a double pocket in the female genitalia. The hypothetical dorsal coupling mechanism of the male and female genitalia is discussed.
The enigmatic case of the genus Argyresthia in the Azores Islands (Lepidoptera Argyresthiidae)
2020
The species composition of the genus Argyresthia Hübner, 1825 in the Azores is examined. Argyresthia brumella, sp. nov., is described and illustrated from Terceira and Flores Islands. Argyresthia minusculella Rebel, 1940, syn. nov. and Tinea poecilella Rebel, 1940, syn. nov. are synonymized with Argyresthia atlanticella Rebel, 1940. The high variability of A. atlanticella is revealed through the polymorphic wing pattern and the intraspecific genetic divergence of the DNA barcode COI in the specimens examined.
The Generalist Inside the Specialist: Gut Bacterial Communities of Two Insect Species Feeding on Toxic Plants Are Dominated by Enterococcus sp.
2016
Some specialist insects feed on plants rich in secondary compounds, which pose a major selective pressure on both the phytophagous and the gut microbiota. However, microbial communities of toxic plant feeders are still poorly characterized. Here, we show the bacterial communities of the gut of two specialized Lepidoptera, Hyles euphorbiae and Brithys crini, which exclusively feed on latex-rich Euphorbia sp. and alkaloid-rich Pancratium maritimum, respectively. A metagenomic analysis based on high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that the gut microbiota of both insects is dominated by the phylum Firmicutes, and especially by the common gut inhabitant Enterococcus sp. Staph…
Selecting Microbial Strains from Pine Tree Resin: Biotechnological Applications from a Terpene World
2014
Resin is a chemical and physical defensive barrier secreted by many plants, especially coniferous trees, with insecticidal and antimicrobial properties. The degradation of terpenes, the main components accounting for the toxicity of resin, is highly relevant for a vast range of biotechnological processes, including bioremediation. In the present work, we used a resin-based selective medium in order to study the resin-tolerant microbial communities associated with the galls formed by the moth Retinia resinella; as well as resin from Pinus sylvestris forests, one of the largest ecosystems on Earth and a yet-unexplored source of terpene-degrading microorganisms. The taxonomic and functional di…
First report of Antigastra catalaunalis on sesame in Greece.
2017
Τον Αύγουστο του 2016, καταγράφηκαν σοβαρές προσβολές σε καλλιέργειες σουσαμιού από το έντομο Antigastra catalaunalis (Duponchel) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) σε αγροτικές περιοχές της Περιφερειακής Ενότητας Δράμας. Το A. catalaunalis είναι ένας σημαντικός εχθρός της καλλιέργειας του σουσαμιού σε περιοχές όπου αυτό καλλιεργείται. Παρατηρήθηκαν συμπτώματα προσβολής από τις προνύμφες του εντόμου σε φύλλα, βλαστούς και κάψες. Οι προσβολές καταγράφηκαν σε όλους τους αγρούς με καλλιέργεια σουσαμιού που επιθεωρήθηκαν, με επίπεδα προσβολής υψηλά τα οποία προκάλεσαν οικονομική απώλεια. Στο βαθμό που γνωρίζουμε, αυτή είναι η πρώτη αναφορά σοβαρών προσβολών σουσαμιού από το Α. catalaunalis στην Ελλάδα.
Atypical functioning of female genitalia explains monandry in a butterfly
2021
Monandrous species are rare in nature, especially in animals where males transfer nutrients to females in the ejaculate. The proximate mechanisms responsible for monandry are poorly studied. In butterflies and moths, the male transfers a nutritious spermatophore into the corpus bursae (CB) of the female. The CB is a multifunctional organ that digests the spermatophore and has partial control of the post-mating sexual receptivity of the female. The spermatophore distends the CB and the post-mating sexual receptivity of the female is inversely proportional to the degree of distension. The CB of many butterfly species has a muscular sheath whose contractions mechanically contribute to digest t…
Sexual Selection Within the Female Genitalia in Lepidoptera
2015
The genitalia of male and female Lepidoptera are complex organs, composed of several structures that exhibit great diversity of shapes, sizes, and positions, suggesting that they have evolved in a relatively rapid and divergent way. In this chapter, we explore the selective pressures responsible for the evolution of genital morphology in the Lepidoptera , emphasizing the possible role of post-copulatory intersexual selection (PCIS) mechanisms (cryptic female choice and sexual conflict). Our exploration is in great extent speculative because knowledge on the functional morphology of genitalia in this group is limited. We start by describing the complexity and diversity of genitalia in Lepido…
The Tortricidae described by J. C. Fabricius (Lepidoptera)
2011
The identity and nomenclature of the 88 species of Tortricidae (Lepidoptera) described by J. C. Fabricius are reviewed. Type material deposited in the Natural History Museum Denmark is illustrated. Lectotypes for Tinea compositella (Fabricius, 1775), Pyralis rivellana (Fabricius, 1775) and P. strigana (Fabricius, 1775) are designated. Two new synonymies are proposed: Pyralis marmorana (Fabricius, 1798), syn. n., of Ancylis achatana (Denis and Schiffermuller, 1775), and P. rusticana (Fabricius, 1794), syn. n., of Epinotia solandriana (Linnaeus, 1758). In an appendix, the identity and nomenclature of the 49 species of non-Tortricidae described by Fabricius in the genus Pyralis Linnaeus, 1758 …
Order Lepidoptera Linnaeus, 1758. In: Zhang, Z.-Q. (Ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richn…
2011
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First report of the bordered straw, Heliothis peltigera, οn sunflower in Greece
2017
Τον Ιούνιο 2015, καταγράφηκαν προσβολές καλλιeργeιών ηλιάνθου από το έντομο Heliothis peltigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) σe αγροτικές πeριοχές της Πeριφeρeιακής Eνότητας Δράμας. Παρατηρήθηκαν διαβρώσeις στα φύλλα και στους οφθαλμούς από τις προνύμφeς του eντόμου, κυρίως στα προανθικά στάδια ανάπτυξης. Οι προσβολές παρατηρήθηκαν στο 80% των αγρών που eπισκοπήθηκαν, ωστόσο το eπίπeδο προσβολής των φυτών ήταν χαμηλό (<5%) και δeν διαπιστώθηκe πρόκληση οικονομικής ζημίας στις καλλιέργeιeς. Το H. peltigera έχeι αναφeρθeί από τη Νότια και Κeντρική Eυρώπη, τον Καναδά, τη Μέση Ανατολή και την Αφρική να προσβάλλeι διάφορους ξeνιστές. Προσβολές σe καλλιέργeιeς ηλιάνθου έχουν αναφeρθeί από την Ινδία, …
Description Of A New Species Of Aspinipogon Razowski And Becker, 2010, With The First Reported Female Of The Genus (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
2020
AspinipogonRazowski and Becker, 2010 was described as a monotypic genus from Brazil. Aspinipogon samaypatensis Perez Santa-Rita, Valdivia and Baixeras, new species, is described and illustrated from Bolivia. The female of Aspinipogon is reported for the first time, completing the description of the genus. The unusual combination of characters (e.g., wing pattern and venation, male and female genitalia) are discussed in the context of the enigmatic systematic position of Aspinipogon.
How many scales on the wings? A case study based on Colias crocea (Geoffroy, 1785) (Hexapoda: Lepidoptera, Pieridae)
2019
Abstract The covering by scales of the wings of Lepidoptera contributes to multiple functions that are critical for their survival and reproduction. In order to gain a better understanding about their distribution, we have exhaustively studied 4 specimens of Colias crocea (Geoffroy, 1785). We have quantified the sources of variability affecting scale density. The results indicate that the scale covering of butterfly wings may be remarkably heterogeneous, and that the importance of the sources of variability differs between forewings and hindwings. Thus, in forewing the greatest variability occurs between sectors, while in the hindwings it occurs between sides, with a higher density of scale…
Toward reconstructing the evolution of advanced moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera: Ditrysia): an initial molecular study
2009
AbstractBackgroundIn the mega-diverse insect order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths; 165,000 described species), deeper relationships are little understood within the clade Ditrysia, to which 98% of the species belong. To begin addressing this problem, we tested the ability of five protein-coding nuclear genes (6.7 kb total), and character subsets therein, to resolve relationships among 123 species representing 27 (of 33) superfamilies and 55 (of 100) families of Ditrysia under maximum likelihood analysis.ResultsOur trees show broad concordance with previous morphological hypotheses of ditrysian phylogeny, although most relationships among superfamilies are weakly supported. There are als…
UNA LISTA COMENTADA DE LOS SPHINGIDAE DE BOLIVIA (INSECTA: LEPIDOPTERA)
2001
An annotated checklist of the Sphingidae (hawkmoths) of Bolivia is presented. A total of 189 species and subspecies are confirmed. Locality data derived from specimens in the collections of the Department of Entomology of the Natural History Museum Noel Kempff Mercado of Santa Cruz de la Sierra; the Bolivian Collection of Fauna, La Paz; The Natural History Museum, London; and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, are given. A map of these localities and a synoptic discussion of their geography and ecology are also provided. Data on species not represented in these collections are collated from the publications of J. Haxaire and D. Herbin and presented. Diagnostic features to e…
Is Bactra bactrana (Kennel, 1901) a novel pest of sweet peppers?
2015
AbstractThis is the first report of Bactra bactrana (Kennel, 1901) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) attacking a major solanaceous crop, sweet pepper Capsicum annuum L. The infestation was detected in two greenhouses at the area of Tympaki (Southern Crete, Greece). The moth larvae caused typical symptoms of a fruit borer with numerous small holes on the surface of the peppers and extensive damage on the inside of the fruit as a result of the feeding activity. Unknown factors facilitated this major shift in host range since B. bactrana is typically a stem borer of sedges. In addition, the pest status of B. bactrana is currently under question, as in both cases the infestations by the moth were asso…
Can Deliberately Incomplete Gene Sample Augmentation Improve a Phylogeny Estimate for the Advanced Moths and Butterflies (Hexapoda: Lepidoptera)?
2011
Abstract This paper addresses the question of whether one can economically improve the robustness of a molecular phylogeny estimate by increasing gene sampling in only a subset of taxa, without having the analysis invalidated by artifacts arising from large blocks of missing data. Our case study stems from an ongoing effort to resolve poorly understood deeper relationships in the large clade Ditrysia ( > 150,000 species) of the insect order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). Seeking to remedy the overall weak support for deeper divergences in an initial study based on five nuclear genes (6.6 kb) in 123 exemplars, we nearly tripled the total gene sample (to 26 genes, 18.4 kb) but only in a…
Description and Life History of an Unusual Fern-Feeding Tortricid Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) from Brazil
2004
Tortrimosaica polypodivora Brown & Baixeras, new genus and new species, is described and illustrated from Sao Paulo, Brazil. We also describe and illustrate the last instar and pupa and provide notes on the life history. Larvae of the new species are gall inducers on the stems of Microgramma squamulosa (Kauf.) Sota (Polypodiaceae), an unusual behavior and host for a tortricid. Although placed provisionally in Hilarographini, tribal and subfamilial assignment of the new genus is extremely problematic owing to a mosaic of morphological characters, suggesting placement in a variety of different higher taxa. The larvae have a bisetose L-group on the prothorax, and the pupa has multiple rows of …
A new species of Hedya Hübner from Iran with proposed rearrangement of some species currently assigned to Metendothenia Diakonoff (Lepidoptera: Tortr…
2011
Hedya tritofa, new species, is described and illustrated based on eleven males and five females collected in northern Iran (Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan provinces). Morphology and diagnostic characters of Hedya Hubner, 1825, Metendothenia Diakonoff, 1973, the Olethreutes group of genera, and the Neopotamia group of genera are discussed. We propose the resurrection of the combinations Hedya atropunctana (Zetterstedt, 1840), revised status, and H. separatana (Kearfott, 1907), revised status, and the new combination H. inouei (Kawabe, 1987).
Supplementary material 2 from: Pérez Santa-Rita JV, Baixeras J (2018) Two new species of Brusqeulia Razowski & Becker, 2000 from the Neotropics, with…
2018
Character matrix : Explanation note: Data matrix for phylogenetic analysis.
Supplementary material 1 from: Pérez Santa-Rita JV, Baixeras J (2018) Two new species of Brusqeulia Razowski & Becker, 2000 from the Neotropics, with…
2018
Material examined : Explanation note: Collection data of the voucher material examined.