Systematics of Paronellinae Börner, 1913 (Collembola: Entomobryomorpha: Paronellidae) with emphasis on the taxonomy of Trogolaphysa Mills, 1938

• Grant number: 13/26335-9
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2014
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal researcher: Eduardo Andrade Botelho de Almeida
• Grantee: Fábio Gonçalves de Lima Oliveira
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 16/14847-3 - Systematics of Paronellinae Börner, 1913 (Collembola: Entomobryomorpha: Paronellidae), BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Current knowledge about taxonomy, in particular phylogenetic relationships within Collembola, is meager. Among extant families in the Order Entomobryomorpha, lies the family Paronellidae, which comprises two subfamilies: Cyphoderinae (12 genera, 128 species) and Paronellinae (23 genera, 385 species). The latter subfamily is the focus of this research proposal. Amidst the few studies that have dealt with the systematics of Paronellinae, hypotheses for relationships among some genera of Paronellinae were proposed, and some authors have disputed the monophyly of the subfamily. Nonetheless, not a single one explicit analytical phylogenetic study was conducted so far, thus making the majority of these systematic debates unfruitful. Despite the uncertainties surrounding phylogenetic relationships within Paronellinae, some important taxonomic proposals have been put forward during recent decades, the tribal limits have changed, and some genera have been synonymized. One of the paronelline genera is Trogolaphysa (Troglopedetini), which is geographically restricted to the Neotropical Region. Although this is a relatively diverse and widely distributed genus in the New World, it is noticeable that there are records of Trogolaphysa in only 15% of Brazilian states, reflecting the lack of research devoted to this taxon. In a recently published article, it was proposed that chaetotaxy would be a useful source of characters for species description and diagnosis, but information about this character complex is unavailable for all species with occurrence in Brazil. In this research proposal, the main goal presented is the advancement of systematics of Paronellinae (Collembola: Entomobryomorpha: Paronellidae), with emphasis on the taxonomic knowledge of Trogolaphysa. An investigation about the phylogenetic relationships within Paronellinae will subsidize taxonomic adjustments that will be well grounded on explicit hypotheses and will clarify the limits of supra-specific paronelline taxa. In order to achieve these goals, a comparative study will be pursued using morphological data characters sampling Paronellinae and various outgroup taxa. At least 46 terminal species will be sampled, 35 of which being classified within Paronellinae and 11 belonging to Cyphoderinae (Paronellidae), and representatives of Entomobryidae (subfamilies Entomobryinae, Orchesellinae, and Capbryinae) and Microfalculidae. Molecular data from the mitochondrial gene COI will be sampled so as to complement the morphological data matrix. The three following major results are expected from this study: (1) better understanding of the phylogenetic relationships of Paronellinae and advancements in its classification; (2) a taxonomic revision of the species of Trogolaphysa known to occur in Brazil; and (3) increased number of geographical records of Paronellinae and better understanding of their taxa, under the perspective of historical biogeography. (AU)

Scientific publications

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(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

OLIVEIRA, FABIO G. L.; CIPOLA, NIKOLAS G.; ALMEIDA, EDUARDO A. B. Systematics and biogeography of Salina MacGillivray (Collembola: Entomobryoidea), with emphasis on the species groups in the New World. Insect Systematics and Evolution, v. 51, n. 1, p. 81-138, DEC 2020. Web of Science Citations: 0.

OLIVEIRA, FABIO G. L.; GREENSLADE, PENELOPE; BELLINI, BRUNO CAVALCANTE. Four new species of Plumachaetas Salmon (Collembola: Entomobryoidea) from Oceania with comments on the genus and a key to species. Zootaxa, v. 4706, n. 1, p. 121-146, DEC 6 2019. Web of Science Citations: 0.

CIPOLA, NIKOLAS GIOIA; DE LIMA OLIVEIRA, FABIO GONCALVES. A new species of Campylothorax Schott, 1893 (Collembola, Paronellidae) from Brazilian Amazon, with an identification key to the genus. Zootaxa, v. 4109, n. 4, p. 487-495, MAY 10 2016. Web of Science Citations: 1.

CIPOLA, NIKOLAS GIOIA; DE LIMA OLIVEIRA, FABIO GONCALVES; DE MORAIS, JOSE WELLINGTON; BELLINI, BRUNO CAVALCANTE. The Heteromurini Absolon & Ksenemann (Collembola, Entomobryidae): a review of the genera status and diagnoses, keys for species of Alloscopus Borner and Heteromurtrella Mari Mutt and description of a new species. Zootaxa, v. 4084, n. 2, p. 151-186, FEB 25 2016. Web of Science Citations: 3.