diverged in certain shape components that normally distin- guish major and minor male morphs. Second, comparison of covariation of body regions (head vs. pronotum) in the three populations showed that populations diverged in the nature of... more
diverged in certain shape components that normally distin- guish major and minor male morphs. Second, comparison of covariation of body regions (head vs. pronotum) in the three populations showed that populations diverged in the nature of this covariation, suggesting that different body regions are not totally constrained to evolve in concert. Lastly, and most importantly, the analysis of genitalic shape
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ABSTRACT The European Alps support several ground beetle Nebria (Nebriola) species, which are morphologically similar. A study conducted on a Nebriola population located between the Eastern Pennine and Western Lepontine Italian Alps... more
ABSTRACT The European Alps support several ground beetle Nebria (Nebriola) species, which are morphologically similar. A study conducted on a Nebriola population located between the Eastern Pennine and Western Lepontine Italian Alps revealed the presence of two species, Nebria (Nebriola) cordicollis and N. (Nebriola) gosteliae, and some individuals that possibly represented an unknown taxonomic unit (UTU). Therefore, to further elucidate and characterise the morphological units at the site, we completed a comparative analysis using geometric morphometrics applying the semilandmarks approach. We examined the pronotum, the right elytron, and the median lobe of aedeagus. The quantitative analysis evaluated the overall variation in shape and size of the three structures. Results supported the hypothesised presence of three distinct groups of individuals, with different morphologies for the anatomical traits examined. The pronotum and median lobe of aedeagus exhibited more marked differences among the groups, while the right elytron showed reduced differentiation. These results confirmed that the three groups were separate taxa, and were therefore correctly classified. Based on our findings, we considered the UTU a new species, which is here described as Nebria (Nebriola) casalei sp. nov.
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ABSTRACT The morphology of the 1st and 2nd larval instars of A. immaturus (Mulsant, 1842) is described and illustrated here for the first time, with an emphasis on the cephalic capsule, head appendages, legs, and last abdominal segments.... more
ABSTRACT The morphology of the 1st and 2nd larval instars of A. immaturus (Mulsant, 1842) is described and illustrated here for the first time, with an emphasis on the cephalic capsule, head appendages, legs, and last abdominal segments. The cephalic capsule size was employed to determine the larval instar, while the genital disc was employed to assess the sex of the larvae. The growth and sex ratio of A. immaturus were analyzed.
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Ground beetles include many species of rather recent evolutionary origin that are extremely similar in their external morphology. We used geometric morphometrics to quantify the relative degree of morphological divergence in three closely... more
Ground beetles include many species of rather recent evolutionary origin that are extremely similar in their external morphology. We used geometric morphometrics to quantify the relative degree of morphological divergence in three closely related polytypic alpine species of the genus Nebria, subgenus Nebriola (Nebria cordicollis, N. laticollis and N. fontinalis). To examine evolutionary patterns, we adopted a hierarchical design, using