Relatedness between NZ native chrysomeline beetles and Paropsis NZ - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Relatedness between NZ native chrysomeline beetles and Paropsis

• NZ chrysomeline fauna: 41 spp. in 5 genera; Aphilon, Caccomolpus,

Chalcolampra, Allocharis, and Cyrtonogetus

• Scion has consulted in detail with, and co-authored publications with

two beetle experts, Dr Chris Reid, Australian Museum, and Dr Rich Leschen, Landcare Research, neither of whom could attend today

• An unpublished review by Leschen and Reid increases our fauna to

51 native species in 6 genera (R. Leschen pers. comm.)

• Dr Reid supervised PhD student Jose Jurado-Rivera who

completed his PhD in 2014 on the phylogeny of chrysomeline beetles, using five gene regions (very robust)

• Analyses show NZ native chrysomeline beetles are very dissimilar

to Australian Paropsines, likely diverging over 40 million years ago (in the Eocene)

* Outgroups included Cassida

A: 60mya - NZ Aphilon &

new genus, and probably

Caccomolpus & and 1 or 2 new

genera to be described 2019

C: 46myaChrysolina D: 42mya - 2 branches- NZ Chalcolampra & Allocharis,

Cyrtonogetus

K: 37mya - Dicranosterna L: 35mya - Gonioctena N: 22mya - All Australian genera incl. Paropsis, Paropsisterna, Trachymela, Paropsides, Peltoschema

Cladistic time-tree

• f Chrysomelinae

All other genera not shown (those not mentioned in this study) In: Jurado-Rivera, J. A. (2014). Filogenia Molecular, Sistemática y Evolución de los Chrysomelinae Australianos (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae). Ph.D. thesis, University of the Balearic Islands, Spain.

A

D C K L

Biology of native chrysomelines

• 5 Genera (Reid 2006) (soon to

be 6) in 2 species groups:

• Aphilon and Caccomolpus

(+2 or 3 new genera)

• Chalcolampra, (including

Allocharis and Cyrtonogetus)

• All “naturally uncommon”
• All but one are flightless
• Few host plants have been
• reported. Beaten from mosses,

ferns, leaf litter, tussocks, etc

• Larvae mainly feed hidden

Chalcolampra spp. (largest, leaf feeding) Aphilon spp. (small, in moss) Caccomolpus spp., ground dwelling? ? Allocharis larva

Scion found and tested one species: Allocharis nr. tarsalis

• Searched sub-alpine Kahurangi

NP with the blessing of Manawhenua ki Mohua and a DOC permit for 18 person days

• Located this species feeding on

Veronica (hebe) albicans

• Largest known Allocharis (R.

Leschen, pers. comm.)

• External leaf feeding larvae
• A poor physiological host for

Eadya daenerys and not very attractive for oviposition

• Other species searched for, e.g.
• C. speculifera proved elusive

Eadya larva could not complete development Allocharis nr. tarsalis Broun

Is Eadya a threat to native chrysomelines?

Native chrysomelines vs Paropsis:

• Phylogenetically distant (diverged

>40mya

• Live in very different habitats

(subalpine)

• Live on very different host plants

(shrubs or mosses, none on any Myrtaceae)

• Many likely to be nocturnal feeders
• Eadya not excited by Allocharis

larvae

• Eadya unable to complete

development in Allocharis Most likely scenario for Eadya attack:

• One or a few Eadya blown into

subalpine zone (unlikely to intentionally disperse there)

• Stumble upon native larva (highly

unlikely to be drawn to either the host plant or the larva by host volatiles)

• Attack native larva (unlikely

without Paropsis larvae to elicit an oviposition response)

• Unable to develop, population

cannot be sustained

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