Water beetles of Madagascar
Tip-dated phylogeny of whirligig beetles revealing Malagasy Heterogyrus milloti to be the oldest lineage ever dated from Madagascar. From Gustafson et al (2017b).
Summary
This project explores the diversity and spatial distribution of water beetles on Madagascar and we also use phylogenetic approaches to understand the origin, relationships and evolution of the fauna. Madagascar is a globally unique biodiversity hotspot with great challenges to both conservation and documentation of the fauna. Freshwater habitats are strongly affected by deforestation but also by eutrophication and invasive species, while at the same time knowledge of the aquatic insect diversity is fragmentary.
Localities on Madagaskar
We have sampled water beetles at over 550 localities across the island since 2006 (see map). The known number of species of the largest family of water beetles, Dytiscidae (diving beetles), has increased with about 35%, from 160 to around 220 that we know of today. Most of the new species have been discovered in a handful of endemic radiations, mainly Madaglymbus, Pachynectes, Africophilus, Hovahydrus, Uvarus, Laccophilus and Copelatus. Other groups of large-bodied diving beetles with a larger dispersal capacity, display a mix of endemic and non-endemic species but seemingly never experienced any radiations. Although rare, we have also discovered true Paleoendemics among the water beetle fauna. The Malagasy Striped Whirligig beetle, Heterogyrus milloti, is the oldest endemic lineage of animals ever dated on Madagascar, and in fact it is a survivor of a once more widespread group of whirligig beetles from the Mesozoic that has gone extinct elsewhere.
.
Hydaticus and Cybister species colonized Madagascar multiple times but never radiated. Endemic species in squares. From Bukontaite et al (2015).
Currently we are adding genomic approaches (RAD-seq) to study the most diverse diving beetle radiation (Madaglymbus), and analyze the mode of speciation in the river-dwelling Pachynectes. A dated phylogenetic tree for Dytiscidae globally (in review) will enable more accurate inferences about the tempo and mode of colonization and speciation on the island. New fieldwork in northern Madagascar is planned for February 2017.
This research is funded by the Swedish Research Council, VR.
Project Participants at NRM
Johannes Bergsten (Principal investigator)
Aurélie Désamoré (Alumni, Postdoc)
Rasa Bukontaite (Alumni, PhD)
Sandra Holmgren, (Alumni, Master student)
Anna Hjalmarsson (Alumni, Master student)
Rikard Anderberg (Alumni, Master student)
External Project Participants
Tolotra Ranarilalatiana, Department of Entomology, University of Antananarivo (PhD)
Jacquelin Herisahala Randriamihaja, Department of Entomology, University of Antananarivo (PhD student)
Selected Publications
Bergsten J, Manuel M, Ranarilalatiana T, Ramahandrison AT, Hájek J. In Press. Dytiscidae, diving beetles, tsikovoka. In Goodman, S. M. (principal editor). The natural history of Madagascar, 2nd edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Gustafson, GT, Ranarilalatiana T, Bergsten J. In Press. Gyrinidae, whirligig beetles, fandiorano. In Goodman, S. M. (principal editor). The natural history of Madagascar, 2nd edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Bergsten J, Manuel M. In Press. Noteridae, burrowing water beetles. In Goodman, S. M. (principal editor). The natural history of Madagascar, 2nd edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Bergsten J. In Press. Haliplidae, crawling water beetles. In Goodman, S. M. (principal editor). The natural history of Madagascar, 2nd edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Bergsten J. In Press. Torridincolidae, torrent beetles. In Goodman, S. M. (principal editor). The natural history of Madagascar, 2nd edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Bergsten J. In Press. Hydroscaphidae, skiff beetles. In Goodman, S. M. (principal editor). The natural history of Madagascar, 2nd edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Ranarilalatiana T, Raveloson Ravaomanarivo LH, Bergsten J 2019. Taxonomic revision of the genus Copelatus of Madagascar (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae): the non- erichsonii group species. ZooKeys 869: 19-90. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.869.33997
Perkins PD & Bergsten J. New Myxophagan water beetles from Madagascar (Coleoptera: Torridincolidae, Hydroscaphidae). Zootaxa 4657 (1): 57-96 https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4657.1.2
Ranarilalatiana T, Bergsten J 2019. Discovery of a specialist Copelatinae fauna on Madagascar: highly ephemeral tropical forest floor depressions as an overlooked habitat for diving beetles (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae). ZooKeys 871: 89-118. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.871.36337
Biström, O., Nilsson, A. N., Bergsten, J. (2015). Taxonomic revision of Afrotropical Laccophilus Leach, 1815 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae). Zookeys 542: 1–379. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.542.5975
Bukontaite, R., Ranarilalatiana, T., Randriamihaja, J.,H., Bergsten, J. (2015). In or Out-of-Madagascar?—Colonization Patterns for Large-Bodied Diving Beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). PLoS ONE 10(3): e0120777. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0120777
Gustafson, G.T., Bergsten, J., Ranarilalatiana, T., Randriamihaja, J.H., Miller, K.B. (2017a). The morphology and behavior of the endemic Malagasy whirligig beetle Heterogyrus milloti Legros, 1953 (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae: Heterogyrinae). The Coleopterists Bulletin 71: 315–328. https://doi.org/10.1649/0010-065X-71.2.315
Gustafson, G.T., Prokin, A.A., Bukontaite, R., Bergsten, J., Miller, K.B. (2017b). Tip-dated phylogeny of whirligig beetles reveals ancient lineage surviving on Madagascar. Scientific Reports 7: 8619 doi:10.1038/s41598-017-08403-1
Hjalmarsson, A.E., Bergsten, J., Monaghan, M.T. (2015). Dispersal is linked to habitat use in 59 species of water beetles (Coleoptera: Adephaga) on Madagascar. Ecography 38: 732-739. DOI: 10.1111/ecog.01138
Hjalmarsson, A.E., Bukontaite, R., Ranarilalatiana, T., Randriamihaja, J.H., Bergsten, J. (2013). Taxonomic revision of Madagascan Rhantus (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Colymbetinae) with an emphasis on Manjakatompo as a conservation priority. ZooKeys 350: 21–45, doi:10.3897/zookeys.350.6127
Isambert, B., Bergsten, J., Monaghan, M.T., Andriamizehy, H., Ranarilalatiana, T., Ratsimbazafy, M., Andriniainimanana, J.R., Vogler, A.P. (2011). Endemism and evolutionary history in conflict over Madagascar’s freshwater conservation priorities. Biological Conservation 144: 1902–1909. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2011.04.016
Vondel, B van, Bergsten, J. (2012). Review of the Haliplidae of Madagascar, with descriptions of two new species (Coleoptera) Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 155: 57-66. doi: 10.1163/221194312X651382
Bukontaite R, Miller KB, Bergsten J (2014). The utility of CAD in recovering Gondwanan vicariance events and the evolutionary history of Aciliini (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). BMC Evolutionary Biology 2014, 14:5 pp1-18 doi:10.1186/1471-2148-14-5
PhD & Master degrees
Ranarilalatiana T. 2020. Diversité de Copelatus Erichson, 1832 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae) de Madagascar et des Coléoptères Adephaga aquatiques dans les vestiges forestiers du Haut Plateau Central particulièrement sur les aires protégées de Manjakatompo Ankaratra, d’Ambohitantely et d’Anjozorobe-Angavo. Ph. D. thesis, Faculty of Sciences, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar, 265 pp. Publication in PDF
Bukontaite, R. 2015. Evolution of the Biodiversity Hotspot of Madagascar from the Eye of Diving Beetles: Phylogeny, colonization and speciation. PhD Thesis 39pp + papers I-IV. Department of Zoology. Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. ISBN: 978-91-7649-223-9
Anderberg, R. 2016. The genus Rhantaticus Sharp 1880 revised with integrative taxonomy (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae). Master Thesis, 51pp. Department of Zoology. Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Hjalmarsson, AE. 2012. Dispersal is linked to habitat preference: comparative population genetics of 59 species of tropical aquatic beetles (Coleoptera: Adephaga). Master Thesis, 50pp. Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, germany.
Holmgren, S. 2015. Phylogeny and Diversity of the Madagascan Uvarus - a glimpse into the diving beetle tribe Bidessini (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). Master Thesis, 49pp. Department of Zoology. Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.