Distinctive but functionally convergent song phenotypes characterize two new allopatric species of the Chrysoperla carnea-group in Asia, Chrysoperla shahrudensis sp. nov. and Chrysoperla bolti sp. nov. (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

Abstract

Chrysoperla shahrudensis sp. nov. is discovered in northern Iran, co-occurring with at least five other cryptic species of the Chrysoperla carnea-group. It is distinguished by the volley period and tonality of its courtship duetting song. Another Asian species from alpine meadows of northern Kyrgyzstan, previously C. ‘adamsi-K’ but here named Chrysoperla bolti sp. nov., has a song distinct from but convergent with both C. shahrudensis and North American Chrysoperla adamsi. Coordinated duets can be established in the laboratory between individuals of C. shahrudensis and recorded songs of either C. bolti or C. adamsi. Such functional song equivalence in distinct allopatric species suggests that repeated episodes of parallel speciation can drive the origin of cryptic species diversity in lacewings. Morphology, life history, and ecology of larvae and adults of C. shahrudensis and C. bolti are then formally described. Adding C. shahrudensis to a large mitochondrial DNA data set for ≈ 21 species shows it to be similar to neither C. adamsi nor C. bolti, further supporting independent, convergent evolution of song rather than song similarity due to relationship. Although C. bolti and C. shahrudensis are both from Asia and share some basic temporal song features, the two taxa are distinct, allopatric biological species.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D9B7BDC9-6C09-468B-A6B-D378628EC557

KEYWORDS:

• Convergent evolution
• courtship song
• duetting
• Eurasia
• parallel speciation
• sibling species
• systematics
• vibration

Acknowledgements

Dr H. Heidari (Centre for Sustainable Development, Iran) and Mr Daniel Bolt (MTM Consulting, Switzerland) helped collect and rear living lacewing specimens over the time period covered by this study. We also thank our valued associates, Drs Masayuki Hayashi and Masashi Nomura (Laboratory of Applied Entomology, Chiba University) and Dr Hideshi Naka (Tottori University, Torrori City, Japan) for DNA extraction, amplification and Sanger sequencing of C. shahrudensis specimens. Finally, we are indebted to Dr Elizabeth Wade (United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Gainesville, FL, USA) for setting up and running Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial sequence data.

We sincerely thank (1) the Ministry of the Environment of Iran and (2) the Kyrgyz Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Natural Resources, for granting us the necessary permits for carrying out fieldwork in Iran (including Golestan National Park) and the Kyrgyz Republic, respectively. The 2014 trip was an approved activity within the project ‘Chrysopidae of Iran’ directed by Professor A. Mirmoayedi at Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran. Copies of all collecting permits are available on request.

Laboratory facilities, support and supplies for this study were provided through the University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA; the Natural History Museum, London, UK; the Department of Plant Protection of Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran; the Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences NARO, Tsukuba City, Japan; and the Laboratory of Applied Entomology, Chiba University, Matsudo City, Japan.

We must also acknowledge here that we are deeply saddened by the death on 11 November 2017 of our cherished colleague and co-author from Japan, Atsushi Mochizuki, after a long struggle with cancer. This paper is written and published to honour and celebrate his memory. His knowledge, wisdom, energy and humanity will be greatly missed.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.