Unraveling the phylogeographic histories of species remains a key endeavor for comprehending the evolutionary processes contributing to the rich biodiversity and high endemism found in East Asia. In this study, we explored the phylogeographic patterns and demographic histories of three endemic fishfly and dobsonfly species ( Neochauliodes formosanus, Protohermes costalis, and Neoneuromus orientalis) belonging to the holometabolan order Megaloptera. These species, which share a broad and largely overlapping distribution, were analyzed using comprehensive mitogenomic data. Our findings revealed a consistent influence of vicariance on the population isolation of Neoc. formosanus and P. costalis between Hainan, Taiwan, and the East Asian mainland during the early Pleistocene, potentially hindering subsequent colonization of the later diverged Neon. orientalis to these islands. Additionally, we unveiled the dual function of the major mountain ranges in East Asia, serving both as barriers and conduits, in shaping the population structure of all three species. Notably, we demonstrated that these co-distributed species originated from Southwest, Southern, and eastern Central China, respectively, then subsequently migrated along multi-directional routes, leading to their sympatric distribution on the East Asian mainland. Furthermore, our results highlighted the significance of Pleistocene land bridges along the eastern coast of East Asia in facilitating the dispersal of mountain-dwelling insects with low dispersal ability. Overall, this study provides novel insight into the synergistic impact of Pleistocene geological and climatic events in shaping the diversity and distribution of aquatic insects in East Asia.
揭示东亚物种谱系地理历史是理解东亚区系丰富的生物多样性和物种特有性演化的关键。该研究基于全面的线粒体基因组数据，重建了三种东亚特有的广翅目齿蛉科同域广布物种（台湾斑鱼蛉 Neochauliodes formosanus、花边星齿蛉 Protohermes costalis 和东方齿蛉 Neoneuromus orientalis）的谱系地理格局和种群历史。研究结果表明，台湾斑鱼蛉和花边星齿蛉的海南和台湾岛屿种群与东亚大陆种群在更新世早期受到一致性的地理隔离事件发生分化，这也可能是阻碍更晚分化的东方齿蛉扩散到这些岛屿的原因。该研究进一步揭示了东亚大陆主要山脉在塑造这三个物种种群结构方面发挥屏障和通道的双重作用。值得注意的是，研究表明了这三个同域广布物种分别起源于中国西南部、华南或华中东部，随后发生多方向的扩散，形成了当前东亚大陆的同域分布的格局。研究结果还强调了东亚东海岸更新世陆桥的重要性，特别是促进具有山地栖境和低扩散能力昆虫物种的扩散作用。该研究为更新世地质和气候事件对东亚水生昆虫多样性和分布的协同影响提供了新的见解。.

More than 50% of all animal species are insects that undergo complete metamorphosis. The key innovation of these holometabolous insects is a pupal stage between the larva and adult when most structures are completely rebuilt. Why this extreme lifestyle evolved is unclear. Here, we test the hypothesis that a trade-off between growth and differentiation explains the evolution of this novelty. Using a comparative approach, we find that holometabolous insects grow much faster than hemimetabolous insects. Using a theoretical model, we then show how holometaboly evolves under a growth-differentiation trade-off and identify conditions under which such temporal decoupling of growth and differentiation is favored. Our work supports the notion that the holometabolous life history evolved to remove developmental constraints on fast growth, primarily under high mortality.

The larvae of Neuroptera are predators that feed by injecting bioactive compounds into their prey and then suctioning the fluids through modified mouthparts. We explore the evolutionary history of this feeding structure through the examination of a new fossil larva preserved in Late Cretaceous Kachin amber, which we describe as new genus and species, Electroxipheus veneficus gen et sp. nov. X-ray phase-contrast microtomography enabled us to study the anatomy of the larva in 3D, including the structure of the mouthparts and that of the venom delivery system. The specimen exhibited a unique combination of morphological traits not found in any known fossil or extant lacewing, including an unusual structure of the antenna. Phylogenetic analyses, incorporating a selection of living and fossil larval Neuroptera and enforcing maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference, identified the larva as belonging to the stem group Mantispoidea. The larva shows that the anatomy of the feeding and venom-delivery apparatus has remained unchanged in Neuroptera from the Cretaceous to the present. The morphology of the specimen suggests that it was an active predator, in contrast with the scarcely mobile, specialized relatives, like mantispids and berothids.

Raphidioptera (snakeflies) are a holometabolan order with the least species diversity but play a pivotal role in understanding the origin of complete metamorphosis. Here, we provide an annotated, chromosome-level reference genome assembly for an Asian endemic snakefly Mongoloraphidia duomilia (Yang, 1998) of the family Raphidiidae, assembled using PacBio HiFi and Hi-C data from female specimens. The resulting assembly is 653.56 Mb, of which 97.90% is anchored into 13 chromosomes. The scaffold N50 is 53.50 Mb, and BUSCO completeness is 97.80%. Repetitive elements comprise 64.31% of the genome (366.04 Mb). We identified 599 noncoding RNAs and predicted 11,141 protein-coding genes in the genome (97.70% BUSCO completeness). The new snakefly genome will facilitate comparison of genome architecture across Neuropterida and Holometabola and shed light on the ecological and evolutionary transitions between Neuropterida and Coleopterida.

Although the monophyly of Paraneoptera (=hemipteroid orders or Acercaria, composed of Psocodea, Thysanoptera and Hemiptera) has been widely accepted morphologically, the results from molecular phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses contradict this hypothesis. In particular, phylogenomic analyses provide strong bootstrap support for the sister group relationship between Psocodea and Holometabola, that is, paraphyly of Paraneoptera. Here, we examined the pterothoracic musculature of Paraneoptera, as well as a wide range of other neopterous insect orders, and analysed its phylogenetic implication. By using the synchrotron microcomputed tomography (µCT) and parsimony-based ancestral state reconstruction, several apomorphic conditions suggesting the monophyly of Paraneoptera, such as the absence of the II/IIItpm7, IIscm3, IIIspm2 and IIIscm3 muscles, were identified. In contrast, no characters supporting Psocodea + Holometabola were recovered from the thoracic muscles. These results provide additional support for the monophyly of Paraneoptera, together with the previously detected morphological apomorphies of the head, wing base, and abdomen.

Phylogenetic relationships among Holometabola have been the subject of controversy. The value of the wing base structure in phylogenetic analysis has been demonstrated but remains largely underexplored and scarce in studies of Holometabola. We studied the phylogenetic relationships among Holometabola (excluding Siphonaptera), focusing exclusively on wing base structure. Cladistic assessments were conducted using 53 morphological data points derived from the bases of both the forewing and hindwing. The results of wing base data revealed a sister relationship between Hymenoptera and remaining orders. The sister-group relationships between Strepsiptera and Coleoptera, Mecoptera and Diptera, Trichoptera and Lepidoptera, and Neuropterida and Coleopterida were corroborated. In Neuropterida, our results recovered the sister relationship between Megaloptera and Neuroptera, as well as the monophyly of Megaloptera.

A little-known antlion genus, i.e., Holzezus Krivokhatsky, 1992, with its type species H. compactus Krivokhatsky, 1992, is first recorded from China based on newly collected specimens from Turpan-Hami region of Xinjiang. In this region, another rare genus Subgulina Krivokhatsky, 1996, with its type species S. kerzhneri Krivokhatsky, 1996, in which the males possess a sac-like structure from the gula, is rediscovered from China. In addition, we briefly discuss the complicated phylogenetic relationships among the genera of Myrmecaelurini and other related lineages with similar habitat preference to the arid areas.

Fernando A. Silveira had the unique combination of being a sagacious scientist and a remarkable human being. Throughout his career, he made significant contributions to understanding bee diversity and keenly spread this scientific information to the academic community at large and beyond the university walls. His rich character, warm heart, strong voice and laughter are missed by those privileged to be Fernandos students, friends, mentors, and family. In this volume, we honor Fernando A. Silveira, who prematurely passed away at the age of 62, leaving three sons, his wife, and numerous friends.

We describe a new species of the genus Calamoceras which currently has only two species: Calamoceras illiesi Malicky & Kumanski 1974 and Calamoceras marsupus Brauer 1865. We also discuss its ecology by analyzing some biophysical parameters. The larva and the adult of this new species, Calamoceras riffensis sp. nov. have been found by specialists from the Rif region in northwestern Morocco since 1998. All the specimens collected differ from the two known species by conspicuous morphological differences.

In this paper we describe the main morphological characteristics that distinguish the full-grown larva of Athripsodes taounate taounate, an Iberic-Maghrebian endemic. The conspecificity of the larva and adult was confirmed by DNA analysis. Morphological features that discriminate it from the described Iberian-Maghrebian species of Athripsodes are given.