Search

Aim: Flower traits are critical to the mutualistic networks that underpin ecosystem function. However, the broad‐scale drivers of flower traits are unclear. Using the megadiverse islands of Malesia, we test three hypotheses: (1) Flower size, openness and colourfulness (i.e. the trend from white to colourful flowers) will decrease with increasing temperature, but not with increasing precipitation seasonality. (2) Flower size, openness and colourfulness will increase with island area, and decrease with isolation. (3) Models parameterised by climate, rather than non‐climatic island characteristics will have the greatest predictive capacity as climate affects both pollinator communities and energetic/physiological constraints upon flower traits. Location: Fourteen Malesian islands. Taxon: Angiosperms. Methods: We applied Bayesian phylogenetic models of occurrence for >2500 species in 400 m elevation bands, across islands, as a function of flower trait interactions with either climatic variables or islands characteristics. We compare predictive capacity of models based on climate versus island characteristics using Leave One Out‐Cross Validation. Results: All six flower traits examined varied with at least temperature, precipitation seasonality, island area and isolation. Flowers are larger in cold environments. The lowland tropics are mostly inhabited by white flowered species. At cold high elevations, red and pink flowered species are more frequent whereas green and purple flowered species increase in the drought‐prone seasonally dry tropics. Flower openness declined with precipitation seasonality and increased with isolation. Models parameterised by climate performed best for perianth length, red and white flowers, whereas pink flowers and flower openness were better predicted using island characteristics. Main Conclusions: There are relationships between flower traits and climatic gradients within Malesia. However, island characteristics have also left a legacy upon current flower trait distributions. These island biogeographical impacts are likely key for the eco‐evolutionary drivers of flower traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of Bulbophyllum,B. barcelonae and B. pelseri are described here from the Pantabangan‐Carranglan Watershed Forest Reserve, Luzon Island, Philippines. Bulbophyllum barcelonae resembles B. charisae, but differs by having smaller vegetative parts, ovate petals with a rounded apex, and a labellum with two ridges that are strongly angled outwards the adaxial surface, rounded proximal crests, and a canaliculate abaxial surface. Bulbophyllum pelseri resembles B. aureobrunneum but differs by having caducous sheath covering the pseudobulbs, punctulate leaf surface, shorter leaves, absence of transverse callus in median portion of labellum, median portion with short, rounded ridge, rounded apex, and triangular stelidia. These discoveries increase to 207, the known species of Bulbophyllum in the Philippines. An Abstract in Philipino can be found in the Supporting information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of polymorphism in the Calamus javensis complex has been examined by various techniques in several publications. A wide range of morphological variation was identified during these studies. Characters showing high variation were leaf sheath and ocrea morphology, number and arrangement of leaflets, length and arrangement of the rachillas. All names used in the complex are here regarded as synonyms of C. javensis except C. tenompokensis, which is retained as a distinct species. One variety is recognized, C. javensis var. polyphyllus (including C. acuminatus). Using morphological characters, we recognized 11 informal (often not monophyletic) forms within C. javensis var. javensis. Here we present identification keys, descriptions and notes of all recognisable forms, varieties and species included in the Calamus javensis complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a Commentary on Prohaska et al. (2023), 240: 2513–2529. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: The spurge family Euphorbiaceae is prominent in tropical rainforests worldwide, particularly in Asia. There is little consensus on the biogeographic origins of the family or its principal lineages. No confirmed spurge macrofossils have come from Gondwana. Methods: We describe the first Gondwanan macrofossils of Euphorbiaceae, represented by two infructescences and associated peltate leaves from the early Eocene (52 Myr ago [Ma]) Laguna del Hunco site in Chubut, Argentina. Results: The infructescences are panicles bearing tiny, pedicellate, spineless capsular fruits with two locules, two axile lenticular seeds, and two unbranched, plumose stigmas. The fossils' character combination only occurs today in some species of the Macaranga‐Mallotus clade (MMC; Euphorbiaceae), a widespread Old‐World understory group often thought to have tropical Asian origins. The associated leaves are consistent with extant Macaranga. Conclusions: The new fossils are the oldest known for the MMC, demonstrating its Gondwanan history and marking its divergence by at least 52 Ma. This discovery makes an Asian origin of the MMC unlikely because immense oceanic distances separated Asia and South America 52 Ma. The only other MMC reproductive fossils so far known are also from the southern hemisphere (early Miocene, southern New Zealand), far from the Asian tropics. The MMC, along with many other Gondwanan survivors, most likely entered Asia during the Neogene Sahul‐Sunda collision. Our discovery adds to a substantial series of well‐dated, well‐preserved fossils from one undersampled region, Patagonia, that have changed our understanding of plant biogeographic history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual effects of spatial distance and environment shape archipelagic floras. In Malesia, there are multiple environmental stressors associated with increasing uplands, drought, and metal‐rich ultramafic soils. Here, we examine the contrasting impacts of multifactorial environmental stress and spatial distance upon Lamiaceae species distributions. We used a phylogenetic generalized mixed effects model of species occurrence across Malesia's taxonomic database working group areas from Peninsular Malaysia to New Guinea. Predictor variables were environmental stress, spatial distance between areas and two trait principal component axes responsible for increasing fruit and leaf size and a negative correlation between flower size and plant height. We found that Lamiaceae species with smaller fruits and leaves are more likely to tolerate environmental stress and become widely distributed across megadiverse Malesian islands. How global species distribution and diversification are shaped by multifactorial environmental stress requires further examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The region of Tropical Southeast Asia and the Malay Archipelago is a very appealing area for research due to its outstanding biodiversity, being one of the most species‐rich areas in the world with high levels of endemism, and due to its complex geological history. The high number of species in tribe Dissochaeteae (Melastomataceae) and their tendency to narrow endemism make the tribe an ideal group for examining biogeographic patterns. We sampled 58 accessions spread over 42 accepted and two undescribed species of the Dissochaeteae. Two nuclear (ETS, ITS) and four chloroplast regions (ndhF, psbK‐psbL, rbcL, rpl16) were used for divergence time estimation and ancestral area reconstruction. Results from the molecular dating analysis suggest that the diversity of Dissochaeteae in the Southeast Asian region resulted from a South American ancestor in the late Eocene. The ancestor of the Dissochaeteae might have migrated from South America to Southeast Asia via North America and then entered Eurasia over the North Atlantic land bridge during the Eocene. The origin and early diversification of the Dissochaeteae in Southeast Asia dates back to the middle Oligocene, and most of the genera originated during the Miocene. Indochina and Borneo are most likely the area of origin for the most recent common ancestor of the Dissochaeteae and for many of the early diverging clades of some genera within Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the environmental impact study for a proposed nickel mine near Weda Bay on Halmahera in North Moluccas (Maluku Utara Province), Indonesia, two unknown Euphorbiaceae were discovered. Morphological comparisons and molecular phylogenetic analyses using four markers (plastid trnL‐F and rbcL, and nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer and external transcribed spacer) indicated that they should be recognized as constituting a new, distinct genus of two species, which are described and illustrated here as Weda fragarioides and Weda lutea. The new taxa are members of the Australasian tribe Ricinocarpeae in subfamily Crotonoideae, and they are most closely related to Alphandia. In contrast with the otherwise mostly sclerophyllous Ricinocarpeae, Weda possesses stellate to dendritic hairs, large, long‐petiolate, glandular leaves, and inflorescences with a pair of large, leafy, subopposite bracts. The two narrowly distributed species are distinguished from each other by vegetative and floral features, molecular data, and elevational preferences. Leaf elemental analysis of Weda indicated manganese, but not nickel, accumulation. Newly resolved generic relationships and potential morphological synapomorphies within Crotonoideae are discussed, and the circumscription of Ricinocarpeae is expanded from 7 to 11 genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphophallus minimus (Araceae) is herein described and illustrated as a new species from the montane forest of Nueva Ecija, Luzon island, Philippines. A. minimus has an overall resemblance to Amorphophallus palawanensis Bogner and Hett., however, it is easily distinguished by having a club‐shaped and colliculate appendix that is contiguous with the male zone, oblate stamens (2 per flower), presence of leaf bulbils, and its overall small dimensions. Amorphophallus minimus is currently the only species in the Philippines found to inhabit a montane forest ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Amorphophallus is described and illustrated here, from the province of Camarines Norte, Luzon island, the Philippines. The new species, A. caudatus, is morphologically close to A. luzoniensis in having a verruculose spadix, a similar spathe shape, and similar size of the ovary. However, the new species is distinct by its larger leaves, a longer peduncle, a longer and wider spathe, an inflated, verruculose spadix which strongly narrows to the caudate upper half, a fusiform ovary, and a shorter style with a shallowly 2–3‐lobed stigma. The peculiar shape of the spadix with its verruculose inflated base and caudate upper half is unique amongst Philippine Amorphophallus species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large, tropical island of Borneo has some of the world's richest habitats for plant life, but faces increasing pressures from anthropogenic activities that threaten its biodiversity. With a good portion of the Bornean flora not critically studied, a comprehensive documentation of the numerous endemic taxa expected for the island is not yet complete. It is not known what the relative significance of endemic genera is compared to Bornean centres of endemism documented or predicted through modelling, and if they can inform current conservation plans. As a first step, we here present a synopsis of the endemic genera of Borneo, based on a comprehensive study of literature, herbarium specimens and distributional data, and an investigation of whether the genera have been included in molecular phylogenetic studies that confirm their monophyly. Such a review is timely since many generic delimitations have been shaped by molecular evidence used to test morphology‐based taxonomy, while botanical collection and revisionary efforts continue. Our findings suggest that 65 vascular plant genera from 25 families may be considered endemic to Borneo. More than two‐thirds (48) of these genera have had at least one species included in molecular phylogenetic studies, but of these, only 39 have been sufficiently sampled to be considered monophyletic with high confidence, or they are monotypic. Slightly over half (38) of the endemic genera are herbaceous. A majority of the genera have fruits or seeds specialised for dispersal by abiotic vectors, or unspecialised seeds. Almost two‐thirds (42) of the endemic genera are monotypic, and some of these could represent relict lineages. We expect the current list of endemic genera to be relatively stable and aligned with recent taxonomic concepts, and that it serves to illuminate an interesting aspect of Borneo's unique assemblage of endemic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monophyly of Boronia (Rutaceae) was tested using 134 accessions of 120 species belonging to 39 genera from subfamily Amyridoideae. Taxa included representatives of all eight sections of Boronia plus species of most genera in the two main clades related to Boronia that had been identified by earlier studies. These samples included a good representation of genera from both rainforest and sclerophyllous biomes. Maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference analyses were performed using three plastid markers (psbA‐trnH, trnL‐trnF, rbcL) and two nuclear ribosomal markers (ITS, ETS). Separate analyses of plastid and nuclear sequences using either maximum parsimony or Bayesian inference analyses recovered similar topologies. Apart from Boronia, the broad generic relationships of previous analyses were largely supported. Boronia is polyphyletic with section Cyanothamnus being more closely related to a large clade containing genera found in rainforest, including Melicope, Acronychia and their relatives. The remaining seven sections of Boronia formed a strongly supported and isolated group. Boronia sensu stricto is sister to a clade containing the Cyanothamnus‐Melicope‐Acronychia clade plus a clade containing Euodia, Zieria and other small genera found in rainforest or sclerophyllous communities. Issues with circumscriptions of ingroups and outgroups for previous analyses of Boronia and the complex relationship between Australasian genera found in rainforest and sclerophyllous communities are both discussed. Cyanothamnus is reinstated at generic level. Appropriate nomenclatural changes are made to transfer all currently recognised series, species, subspecies and varieties of Boronia sect. Cyanothamnus to the genus Cyanothamnus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The biogeographical and habitat history of the species‐rich angiosperm genus Artabotrys is reconstructed to assess hypotheses relating to processes that underlie palaeotropical intercontinental disjunction (PID) and regional diversification patterns. Location: Palaeotropics. Taxon: Artabotrys (Annonaceae). Methods: Phylogenetic relationships were estimated based on 53 Artabotrys species, using four chloroplast and 10 nuclear markers (c. 15.7 kb). Divergence times were estimated using two fossil calibrations and an uncorrelated lognormal relaxed clock model. Ancestral range estimation was performed under a dispersal–extinction–cladogenesis model while ancestral habitat reconstruction was conducted using the BAYAREALIKE model. Results: Artabotrys is unequivocally monophyletic, with a species‐rich main Artabotrys clade (MAC) comprising distinct African and Asian sister clades, and an early divergent grade (EDG) comprising two African species. An ancestral range in Africa is inferred, with a single dispersal to Asia. The PID at the MAC crown occurred in the Miocene. A broad habitat tolerance spanning rain forests and seasonally dry forests/savannas was inferred at the MAC stem and crown nodes. Several shifts from rain forests to seasonally dry habitats were inferred, but there is no indication of a reverse transition. Main conclusions: The most plausible explanation for the PID involves overland migration across Arabia in the Miocene, prior to subsequent climate deterioration. Long‐standing differences in climatic niche may have resulted in a significant yet porous biogeographical divide at the Isthmus of Kra, but Wallace's line does not reflect differences in climatic niches. Niche conservatism is an underlying pattern in Artabotrys, with local niche shifts occurring rather recently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A phylogenetic hypothesis for the genus Dendrochilum s.l. (including Bracisepalum) is based on nucleotide sequences of the nuclear ribosomal ITS and two plastid regions (matK, ycf1). The trees based on parsimony analysis of the nrITS and plastid partitions, respectively, are largely congruent, the only strongly supported conflict being the exact position of D. arachnites. Maximum likelihood analysis of the combined molecular matrix resulted in a tree with very high topological congruence to the parsimony consensus tree and to a fossil‐calibrated Bayesian inference tree that was used for dating. Our results confirm that monophyly of Dendrochilum is only supported if Bracisepalum is included in the former. They also suggest that only two subgenera (Dendrochilum, Platyclinis) should be recognized, whereas all other subgenera and sections previously proposed on a morphological basis should be treated as synonyms of subg. Platyclinis. Indeed, mapping of five vegetative and nine floral characters of alleged systematic value, using DELTRAN and ACCTRAN optimization, demonstrates pronounced morphological homoplasy. Molecular time calibration dates the origin of the genus to the Miocene and contradicts the hypothesis that most extant Dendrochilum species did not evolve until the Holocene. Inferred phylogenetic relationships between extant species, in combination with previously identified hotspots of narrow endemism, suggest that species endemism in Dendrochilum is predominantly centric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The historical biogeography of the species-rich flowering plant genus Goniothalamus ( c. 130 species) and the wider Annonaceae tribe Annoneae is investigated to evaluate hypotheses regarding the processes underlying tropical intercontinental disjunctions ('long-distance dispersal [ LDD]' versus 'boreotropics') and floristic exchange between biodiversity hotspots in tropical Asia. Location Tropics, tropical Asia. Methods Divergence time estimation was based on plastid DNA sequence data ( c. 10 kb; 164 Annonaceae accessions, including 65 Goniothalamus species) using an uncorrelated lognormal relaxed clock model and two fossil calibrations. Likelihood ancestral range estimation was performed using dispersal-extinction-cladogenesis models with and without time-stratified dispersal constraints. Results The boreotropics model incorporating high chances for intercontinental dispersal during 68-34 Ma fitted the data significantly better than LDD models enforcing low intercontinental dispersal rates. Multiple vicariance events were identified in Annoneae including at the Annoneae crown node (57-49 Ma, Africa/S+N America), and the Disepalum- Asimina split (27-24 Ma, Asia/N America). A wide ancestral range in continental SE Asia, W and E Malesia was inferred at the Goniothalamus crown node (24-21 Ma). Several dispersal events from continental SE Asia/W Malesia were identified in the Miocene: two north-eastwards to the Philippines, one eastwards to the Sahul Shelf and two westwards to India. Main conclusions The boreotropics hypothesis provides a well-supported, plausible explanation for the disjunctions and dispersal-vicariance patterns in tribe Annoneae. The wide distribution inferred at the Goniothalamus crown node indicates that its ancestors already bridged the marine gap between the Sunda and Sahul Shelves by LDD or rafting on tectonic plate microfragments. Dispersal across long-standing water bodies in Malesia occurred multiple times from the early Miocene as marine gaps decreased following tectonic plate convergence and land emergence. Substantially older crown group divergence estimates compared with previous studies indicate that hypotheses of rapid recent radiation in Goniothalamus must be rejected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The aim was to characterize the temporal dynamics of the Sahul-Sunda floristic exchange using published dated molecular phylogenies. Location The Sahul and Sunda shelves in Australasia and Southeast Asia. Methods Dated molecular phylogenies were compiled from the literature for plant clades that contained at least one node representing a biogeographical disjunction between the Sahul and Sunda shelves. For these nodes the age, ancestral geographical area and propagule type were determined. Results We analysed 49 clades from 21 published phylogenies representing a diverse set of angiosperm lineages. The inferred age of the disjunctions ranged from c. 33 Ma to c. 1 Ma; the earliest age marked the onset of the Sahul-Sunda floristic exchange. Disjunctions (resulting from dispersal/migration events) occurred at the rate of 0.41 per 2 Myr between 34 and 12 Ma. Thereafter the rate sharply increased, coincident with the shelves effectively merging. For nearly two-thirds (63%) of the nodes Sunda was the ancestral area, and for 90% the ancestral species possessed zoochorous propagules. Main conclusions There is strong support for a dynamic model of floristic exchange between Sahul and Sunda. Fewer (18%) disjunctions occurred prior to Sahul and Sunda merging around 12 Ma, which we attribute to a combination of the effect of overwater dispersal barriers and relatively stable, saturated species assemblages resistant to the establishment of newly arrived lineages. The exchange, once underway, was strongly asymmetrical; eastwards migration into Sahul predominated over the reverse by a factor of c. 2.4. As zoochorous lineages were overrepresented among the successful dispersers, we infer a strong role for localized animal dispersal across narrow water barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

the past, the circumscription of the large genus Psychotria (Rubiaceae) was difficult, until molecular phylogenetic studies revealed its considerable paraphyly, enabling the delimitation of its major lineages and the grouping of related genera, and most notably the separation of Psychotria and its relatives (former Psychotrieae) into two tribes: Psychotrieae and Palicou-reeae. The genus Margaritopsis, which is included in Palicoureeae, encompasses 27 Neotropical species, and in previous studies these have been shown to be close relatives of a group of eight Psychotria species that occur over a large region extending from South-East Asia to tropical South Pacific through Malesia (= the AMP region, defined as including South-East Asia, Malesia, tropical Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, New Caledonia and Polynesia). A molecular phylogenetic study, using one nuclear DNA region (ITS) and four plastid DNA regions (ndhF, rpsló, tmH-psbA, trnT-F), is undertaken in order to test the place-ment of 17 AMP Psychotria species within Palicoureeae. The phylogenetic results show that they form a monophyletic clade (= clade G), which also includes the monotypic Fijian genus Readea and Hodgkinsoniafrutescens from Australia. Clade G is embedded in a well-supported grade with five Neotropical representatives of Margaritopsis. A morphological survey based on twenty characters, with the potential to circumscribe generic entities, shows that the monophyly of clade G is supported by a character combination that is similar to species of Neotropical Margaritopsis, confirming their inclusion in this genus. Taxo-nomic and nomenclatural work on these species is required to formalize nomenclatural implications. Based on the same set of morphological characters, but in absence of molecular data, 28 other Psychotria species from the AMP region were detected as likely candidates for inclusion in Margaritopsis, allowing the estimation of species richness of clade G to be a minimum of 47 species. Within clade G, five well-supported subciades and a Readea lineage are delimited and each of these is generally supported by unique morphological features. Phylogenetic topologies reveal biogeographical patterns, including a main route of dispersal from western to eastern parts of the AMP region, with subsequent dispersals between archipelagos in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species within Rhododendron sect. Schistanthe (= sect. Vireya), a taxon unique for its tropical habitat, distinctive leaf scales, and tailed seeds, have diversified greatly in morphological features. The section contains over 300 species, occurring mainly on the Malay Peninsula, New Guinea, and the islands between. An analysis based on the combined sequences of three nuclear genes supports a phylogeny in which sect. Schisranthe (less R. santapaui) is rnonophyletic, with well-defined clades corresponding to subsections Euvireya, Malayovireya, Pseudovireya, and Discovireya. Within subsect. Euvireya, molecular-phylogenetic groupings follow geography more closely than traditional taxonomic groupings based upon morphology. One of the two most derived clades contains exclusively species from New Guinea, Australia, and the Solomon Islands. The results are consistent with a stepwise phylogeographic history of sect. Schistanthe, beginning in Asia, proceeding eastward and reaching New Guinea within the last 15 Ma, when movement of the Australian tectonic plate brought New Guinea into the Malesian domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The identification of spatial patterns of species richness at regional scales, such as biodiversity hotspots, is complicated in invertebrate taxa (particularly those from tropical regions) by incomplete and biased inventory data. Estimation techniques of regional species richness from incompletely sampled landscapes have recently become available, but their applicability to data from museum collections and local taxonomic checklists has not been investigated. 2. We use records of sphingid moths in grid cells of 1° latitude and longitude on 14 Malesian islands to estimate the total species richness of these islands, as well as that of the whole archipelago, by five parametric and nonparametric estimation techniques. We compare these values to figures based on GIS-supported estimates of geographical ranges of each species. 3. Our analyses suggest that the F3 estimator of regional species richness leads to least deviation from the GIS-based estimate, followed by Chao2 and ICE, which are often employed in local comparisons. Overestimation occurred more often than underestimation and estimates of well-sampled islands (with many available grid cells) are less deviant than those of poorly sampled islands. We did not obtain conclusive results as to whether strongly undersampled grid cells are better excluded from an analysis (at the cost of reduced grid cell number) or not. 4. Synthesis and applications. In agreement with some previously published assessments, we conclude that the F3 estimator has the greatest potential for predicting regional species richness in partially sampled landscapes. Sample-based methods for estimating regional species richness can provide an alternative to the much more work-intensive geographical modelling of species distributions, which may facilitate the inclusion of tropical invertebrate groups in documenting global diversity patterns. However, under conditions of incomplete, non-systematic sampling, which is typical for museum and checklist data, errors can still be large, particularly if the number of sampling units (e.g. grid cells) is low. Estimation values should not be interpreted uncritically when the data conditions that lead to biased values are not precisely defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim This analysis of moth (Lepidoptera) communities colonizing an alien tree invading secondary rain forest vegetation in Melanesia examines the predictability of insect herbivorous communities across distances of tens to thousands of km and the effect of dispersal barriers on community composition in the tropics. Location Six secondary rain forest sites were studied within four equidistant yet distinct geographic areas of the New Guinea mainland and the Bismarck Archipelago, including two watershed areas (Madang and Sepik) on mainland New Guinea and the adjacent large island of New Britain and small island of Unea. Methods The analysis is based on feeding records obtained by quantitative sampling and rearing of caterpillars from the alien host Spathodea campanulata (Bignoniaceae). It examines the variation in Lepidoptera community composition at six study sites distributed on three adjacent islands ranging in size from 30 to 865,000 km2. Results Spathodea campanulata was colonized by 54 folivorous species of Lepidoptera. Most of them were generalists, feeding on > 1 native plant family. However, the three most abundant species representing 83% of all individuals ( Acherontia lachesis, Hyblaea puera complex and Psilogramma menephron) were relatively host specific, feeding predominantly on a single native family that is not the Bignoniaceae. Most of the 23 species analysed in detail had a wide geographic distribution, including 13 species spanning the entire 1000-km study transect. While the Lepidoptera in two New Guinea areas 280 km apart were similar to each other, there was a discontinuity in species composition between New Guinea and the smaller islands. However, no negative effect of small islands on species richness was detected. Main conclusions Spathodea campanulata was rapidly colonized by folivorous Lepidoptera communities with species richness and dominance structure indistinguishable from the assemblages feeding on native hosts, despite its phylogenetic isolation from the native vegetation. Although most species were generalists, the highest population densities were reached by relatively specialized species, similar to the communities on native hosts. The species turnover across distances from 10 to 1000 km was relatively low as most of the species had wide geographic ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim We tested various species-level traits for their potential to explain species’ range sizes and dispersal abilities. Location Southeast Asia and Malay Archipelago. Methods We used published maps of geographical distribution estimates for sphingid moths to calculate range areas and classify species according to their dispersion across (present or historical) water straits in the Malay Archipelago. We tested forewing length (FWL), wing load (thorax width/FWL), presence or absence of a functional proboscis (i.e. adult feeding), larval diet breadth and larval diet composition for univariate correlations with range size and inter-island dispersion. We used multivariate, phylogenetically controlled models to test for independent effects of parameters. Results Range size correlated strongly with larval diet breadth, a result that was also confirmed in the multivariate model. Adult feeding had a significant impact on range sizes only within the multivariate model, but not in the univariate correlation. Dispersal class also correlated with larval diet breadth, but was additionally influenced by forewing length, wing load and larval diet composition. A univariate effect of adult feeding became non-significant in the multivariate, phylogenetically controlled model. Main conclusions Larval diet breadth is the best predictor of range size as well as inter-island dispersion, confirming the importance of niche breadth on the geographic ranges of species. A number of other factors are shown to have additional impact on predictions of range size or inter-island dispersal ability. Our analyses cannot determine the causal mechanisms of these correlations, but may stimulate further research on the adaptive significance of traits affecting range size and dispersal in this system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Vireya rhododendrons are distinctive and easily recognizable by their general form; however, they are virtually circumscribed geographically, predominantly distributed throughout the biogeographically intriguing Malesian Archipelago. Hypotheses of the evolutionary relationships of the group have been proposed but the biogeography of vireyas has not been analysed based on molecular phylogeny. Recently, the first detailed molecular phylogenetic investigation of section Vireya was completed based on cp- and nrDNA sequence data, therefore making this cladistic biogeographic study of vireya rhododendrons possible. Location Malesia, Australia, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Himalayas, north Vietnam and south China. Methods Based on distribution maps, areas of endemism were determined for the biogeographic region of Malesia. Area relationships were analysed based on a recent molecular phylogeny of species in section Vireya. The method of paralogy-free subtree analysis was applied. Results Individual distribution maps were produced for 74 species of Rhododendron section Vireya. Species clades with bootstrap support proved to be biogeographically informative. Major clades correspond to three regions: eastern Malesia, western/middle Malesia and Taiwan/north Vietnam/south China. Within eastern Malesia, Australia, New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and Solomon Islands are related. In western Malesia, northern Philippines, Borneo, southern Moluccas and north and west Sulawesi are related. These areas are more distantly related to Sumatra, the Malay peninsula, Java, Bali, Palawan, Lesser Sunda islands and the southern Philippines. The position of the Himalayas is equivocal and part of a basal polytomy in the summary area cladogram. Main conclusions Two alternative hypotheses are proposed for the evolution of vireya rhododendrons based on the pattern of area relationships. The first hypothesis is that the vireyas are an old group, with ancestors present on Gondwana, rifting north in the Cretaceous. The second alternative hypothesis is that vireyas are a young group that has dispersed eastwards from India to Australia and the Solomon Islands since the current Malesian islands formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Platycerium is one of the few pantropical epiphytic fern genera with six species in Afro-Madagascar, 8–11 Australasian species, and a single species in tropical South America. Nucleotide sequences of four chloroplast DNA markers are employed to reconstruct the phylogeny of these ferns and to explore their historical biogeography. The data set was designed to resolve conflicting hypotheses on the relationships within the genus that were based on previous phylogenetic studies exploring morphological evidence. Our results suggest a basal split of Platycerium into two well-supported clades. One clade comprises species occurring in Africa, Madagascar, and South America, whereas the second clade contains exclusively Australasian species. The latter clade is further divided into a clade corresponding to P. bifurcatum and its putative segregates and a clade of seven species occurring from Indochina throughout the Malesian region to New Guinea and Australia. The Afro-Madagascan clade includes a clade of two species found in tropical Africa and a clade of four species that includes three species endemic to Madagascar. The single neotropical species of this genus, P. andinum, is nested within the Afro-Madagascan clade but is not closely related to any extant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This analysis of caterpillar (Lepidoptera) beta-diversity between tropical lowlands and highlands attempts to separate the effects of between-site (1) turnover of herbivore species on particular host plants, (2) changes in host use by herbivores, and (3) turnover of plant species on changes in herbivore assemblages. Two rain forest areas 130 km and 1700 altitudinal metres apart were studied in Papua New Guinea: one in the lowlands (100 m a.s.l.) on the northern coast of the island and one in the central New Guinean cordillera at 1800 m a.s.l. The analysis is based on caterpillar feeding records obtained by quantitative sampling and rearing of caterpillars from four Ficus species studied in the mountains and 21 Ficus species and 62 plant species from other genera and families studied in the lowlands, including three Ficus species studied in both areas. Only 17% of species feeding on Ficus in the highlands also occurred in the lowlands. These species represented 1–46% of individuals in caterpillar assemblages on particular Ficus hosts. Widespread species included both Ficus specialists and generalists feeding on numerous plant families. Some of the Ficus specialists changed their preferred host species with altitude. High species turnover was not explained by changes in the species composition of host plants with altitude as lowland and montane assemblages feeding on the same Ficus species showed high turnover. Despite the rarity of widespread caterpillars, the lowland and montane Ficus assemblages were remarkably similar in their dominance structure, species richness, host specificity, generic composition and familial composition. Ficus-feeding Lepidoptera assemblages between tropical lowlands and highlands are characterized by substantial species turnover not explained by altitudinal changes in the composition of the vegetation. Further, species-rich plant genera can support caterpillar assemblages with relatively low beta-diversity compared with species-poor genera as caterpillars can switch their host preferences from one congeneric host species to another along an altitudinal gradient. Closely related plant species can thus represent a broad, continuously distributed resource along such gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim A comparison of biodiversity patterns within Malesia in relation to surface area. Location Analysis of the patterns in species richness and endemism of vascular plants in the five major Malesian islands, i.e. Java, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Borneo and New Guinea. Methods Available data on species richness and species ranges in correlation with the surface area of the respective islands were examined in this work. Estimations of total species numbers for these islands are presented based on extrapolation of all available published Flora Malesiana information and recent checklists, all in all comprising 12,000 different species. The regression analysis of overall species richness and endemism were studied for all species together as well as for different plant families to compare the fit with the Arrhenius species-area model. Results The five islands form a series of independent areas of increasing size suited for an analysis of the species-area relationships at the regional scale. All species taken together and those of families with even distribution throughout Malesia show significant species-area relationships. Non-significant relationships were detected in families with western or eastern-centred Malesian distribution patterns. Relationships between number of endemic species and surface area are significant for all species and for the majority of the families with significant species-area relationships. Main conclusions Species-area relationships of families appear to be dependent on species number. Families with high numbers of species usually have a significant species-area relationship whereas small families have not. For the families that display an eastern or western Malesian centred pattern, a historical biogeographical explanation should be invoked. Island surface area appears to be a predictor for island percent endemism in Malesian vascular plants. None of the islands appears to be a hotspot of endemism nor of species diversity, as no significant departure from the Arrhenius model was noted for any of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We characterized a plant–caterpillar food web from secondary vegetation in a New Guinean rain forest that included 63 plant species (87.5% of the total basal area), 546 Lepidoptera species and 1679 trophic links between them. The strongest 14 associations involved 50% of all individual caterpillars while some links were extremely rare. A caterpillar randomly picked from the vegetation will, with≥ 50% probability, (1) feed on one to three host plants (of the 63 studied), (2) feed on< 20% of local plant biomass and (3) have≥ 90% of population concentrated on a single host plant species. Generalist species were quantitatively unimportant. Caterpillar assemblages on locally monotypic plant genera were distinct, while sympatric congeneric hosts shared many caterpillar species. The partitioning of the plant–caterpillar food web thus depends on the composition of the vegetation. In secondary forest the predominant plant genera were locally monotypic and supported locally isolated caterpillar assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanoneuron, a genus of five species in the Rubiaceae, was described from Borneo and Sulawesi. We show that the occurrence of the genus in Sulawesi was probably derived from careless specimen labeling, and that Cyanoneuron should be considered endemic only to Borneo according to present knowledge. Erroneous collection localities in natural history specimen data can lead to the wrong interpretation of species distribution patterns, so care should be taken to verify specimen records before they are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]