Light-gall tephritid (Aciurina luminaria), a new species via multi-trait integrative taxonomy

NEWS - Researchers investigated a unique gall morphotype in New Mexico and Colorado that was previously described as a variant induced by Aciurina bigeloviae (Cockerell, 1890). They found several consistent features that distinguish it from A. bigeloviae and described it as light-gall tephritid (Aciurina luminaria Baine).

Integrative taxonomic analyses that combine multiple lines of evidence for species delimitation improve understanding of intraspecies, interspecies variation, and biodiversity. However, the expanded phenotype remains underutilized despite its potential as a set of species-specific extracorporeal morphological and life-history traits.

The practice of relying on wing pattern variation has led to taxonomic confusion within the genus Aciurina, a gall-inducing fly of Asteraceae plants in western North America. However, the species exhibit distinct morphologies that are important for species identification.

A. luminaria is univoltine, with a life cycle and phenology similar to A. bigeloviae and A. trixa. Eggs are laid singly in leaf buds on distal plant stems. Galls form at the egg-laying site and the developing larvae feed on the tissue surrounding the central chamber.

In the fall, the galls reach full size, the larvae reach their final instar and chew through the outer layer to create a circular trap door. The larvae stop feeding and overwinter within the gall, then pupate in the spring. The adults hatch in the summer and emerge to find mates.

Host plants include Ericameria nauseosa subsp. ammophila L.C. Anderson which is restricted to the sand dunes and sand flats of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. A flower specimen from a galled plant.

The species epithet is a noun derived from the Spanish word for "light" which is particularly used in the southwestern United States for small decorative lanterns traditionally displayed during the winter months leading up to Christmas.

Original research

Baine Q, White B, Martinson VG, Martinson EO (2024) Discovery of a new gall-inducing species, Aciurina luminaria (Insecta, Diptera, Tephritidae) via multi-trait integrative taxonomy. ZooKeys 1214: 217-236, DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1214.130171

Dlium theDlium

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) manufacture bubble-nets as tools to increase prey intake

NEWS - Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) create bubble net tools while foraging, consisting of internal tangential rings, and actively control the number of rings, their size, depth and horizontal spacing between the surrounding bubbles. These structural elements of the net increase prey intake sevenfold. Researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble nets” for hunting, but the new report shows that the animals also manipulate them in a variety of ways to maximize catches. The behavior places humpbacks among the rare animals that make and use their own tools. “Many animals use tools to help them find food, but very few actually make or modify these tools themselves,” said Lars Bejder, director of the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP), University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Humpback whales in southeast Alaska create elaborate bubble nets to catch krill. They skillfully blow bubbles in patterns that form a web with internal rings. They actively control details such ...

False nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica)

False nettle ( Boehmeria cylindrica ) is a species of plant in the Urticaceae family, a herb or small shrub, up to 160 cm tall, usually monoecious but rarely dioecious. The leaves are paired or alternate, and the inflorescence is a spikelet with a cluster of small bracts at the tip. B. cylindrica generally grows to a height of 50-100 cm. Spine-like hairs form in the leaf axils. The leaves are oval and up to 10 cm long and 4 cm wide. The flowers are green or greenish-white and emerge from the upper leaf axils. Male and female flowers usually grow on separate plants. Male flowers are more numerous among the spikes in clusters. Female flowers are less evenly distributed along the spikes. The small, oval seeds are covered with small, hook-like hairs. Ripe seeds are dark brown. The inflorescence resembles a spike and is up to 3 cm long. This species can be found in moist to mesic deciduous forest habitats, growing abundantly along streambanks, floodplains, and lowlands. B. cylindrica is ...

Alexandrian Laurel (Calophyllum inophyllum)

Alexandrian Laurel ( Calophyllum inophyllum ) is a species of plant in the Calophyllaceae family. It is a low-branching, slow-growing, spreading tree with a wide, irregular crown. It grows up to 30 meters tall, has a cylindrical trunk, and thick, black, and fissured bark. The leaves are thick, oval, with rounded tips, even margins, and a smooth surface. The upper side is dark green and glossy, the underside is bright green, with a central vein in bright green. The leaves are up to 27 cm long, 13 cm wide, and have a 1 cm petiole. Flowers bloom throughout the year, but typically from April to June and October to December. Flowers are 30 mm in diameter and occur in racemose or paniculate inflorescences of four to 15 flowers. The flowers have a sweet aroma and attract numerous pollinating insects. The fruit is round, green, up to 4 cm in diameter, with a large seed in the center. When ripe, the fruit wrinkles and turns yellow to brownish. The fruit is light, with thin, spongy flesh and a...

Dlium