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A second new species of ice crawlers from China (Insecta: Grylloblattodea), with thorax evolution and the prediction of potential distribution

Bai, Ming and Jarvis, Karl and Wang, Shu-Yong and Song, Ke-Qing and Wang, Yan-Ping and Wang, Zhi-Liang and Li, Wen-Zhu and Wang, Wei and Yang, Xing-Ke (2010) A second new species of ice crawlers from China (Insecta: Grylloblattodea), with thorax evolution and the prediction of potential distribution. PLoS ONE, 5 (9). e12850. ISSN 1932-6203

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Publisher’s or external URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0012850

Abstract

Modern grylloblattids are one of the least diverse of the modern insect orders. The thorax changes in morphology might be associated with the changes of the function of the forelegs, wing loss, changes in behavior and adaptation to habitat. As temperature is the main barrier for migration of modern grylloblattids, the range of each species is extremely limited. The potential distribution areas of grylloblattids remain unclear. A second new species of ice crawlers (Insecta: Grylloblattodea), Grylloblattella cheni Bai, Wang et Yang sp. nov., is described from China. The distribution map and key to species of Grylloblattella are given. A comparison of the thorax of extant and extinct Grylloblattodea is presented, with an emphasis on the pronotum using geometric morphometric analysis, which may reflect thorax adaptation and the evolution of Grylloblattodea. Potential global distribution of grylloblattids is inferred. Highly diversified pronota of extinct Grylloblattodea may reflect diverse habitats and niches. The relatively homogeneous pronota of modern grylloblattids might be explained by two hypotheses: synapomorphy or convergent evolution. Most fossils of Grylloblattodea contain an obviously longer meso- and metathorax than prothorax. The length of the meso- and metathorax of modern grylloblattids is normally shorter than the prothorax. This may be associated with the wing loss, which is accompanied by muscle reduction and changes to the thoracic skeleton system. Threats to grylloblattids and several conservation comments are also provided.

Item Type: Article
ID number or DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012850
Keywords: animal morphology; China; flightlessness; Grylloblattodea; habitat (Ecology); Insects; mantophasmatodea; morphology; order; Persistence; Phylogeny; Species; taxonomy; Temperature; Thorax (Insect anatomy)
Subjects: Q Science > QL Zoology
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status: Faculty/Staff
Department/Unit: Research Centers > Landscape Conservation Initiative
Date Deposited: 16 Oct 2015 19:45
URI: http://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/1708

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