[NatureNS] Silver Plated Beetle

References: <46B0E549.2939.28DA50@RBallard.NL.Rogers.Com>
From: c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 21:21:48 -0300
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Hi Rick,

On 1-Aug-07, at 7:25 PM, Rick Ballard wrote:

> I found this interesting beetle at my cottage at Indian Harbour  
> Lake, Guysborough County,
> NS.
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/ideaphore/977783053/
>
> It looks like some kind of Leaf Beetle ( Family CHRYSOMELIDAE ),  
> but I haven't been able
> to find it in any books or on the web.

This is, indeed, in the Chrysomelidae. It is Calligrapha confluens  
Schaeffer, one of the most abundant of this diverse genus of beetles  
in Nova Scotia. It is associated with alder. Earlier this season  
Bernard Burke posted a photograph of this same species. For those who  
may be interested, below is a re-post of some of the information   
since it sheds interesting light about this genus of beetles in Nova  
Scotia

Calligrapha is a very interesting genus which has been the subject of  
considerable recent genetic research. Most of the species in the  
genus are normal, diploid, bisexual species, however, there are four  
species in the group which are tetraploid, unisexual (female only)  
species that reproduce parthenogenetically. Unisexuality in beetles  
is a comparatively rare phenomenon. Recent research has established  
that these tetraploid species have resulted from hybridization  
between two species and using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA the  
maternal and paternal "parents" of these species have been  
established. They are:

Maternal Lineage -->			Tetraploid Species			<--  Paternal Lineage

Calligrapha philadelphica -->		Calligrapha alnicola		<-- Calligrapha  
confluens
Calligrapha rowena -->			Calligrapha apicalis 		<-- Calligrapha  
confluens
Calligrapha philadelphica -->		Calligrapha suturella		<-- Calligrapha  
multipunctata
Calligrapha scalaris -->			Calligrapha vicina			<-- Calligrapha  
philadelphica

You can see from this table that C. confluens (from the paternal end  
of things) has contributed to the creation of two tetraploid species,  
C. alnicola (also associated with alder, and recorded from  
Colchester, Victoria, Halifax, and Annapolis counties) and C.  
apicalis (also found on alder, but not found in the Maritimes). Its  
interesting that in both instances that maternal species are  
associated with Cornus (dogwood) but the hybrid species are found on  
the host (Alnus) which are eaten by the paternal species. This is  
also true of C. suturella and C. vicina, so it would seem to be that  
in matters of taste, it is paternal preferences that matter.

Most of these species (philadelphica, alnicola, confluens, rowena,  
multipunctata, & scalaris) are found in the Maritimes, so this region  
is a very interesting laboratory of the development and evolution of  
this species-rich genus (37 species are found in North America, and  
there are many more in neotropical areas).

Cheers!

Chris


> -- 
> Rick Ballard
> Torbay, Newfoundland, Canada
> http://www.ideaphore.com

_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. 
_.
Christopher Majka - Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History
1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada  B3H 3A6
(902) 424-6435   Email <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>
_._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. 
_.


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<HTML><BODY style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; =
-khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi Rick,<DIV><BR><DIV><DIV>On =
1-Aug-07, at 7:25 PM, Rick Ballard wrote:</DIV><BR =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">I found this interesting beetle at my cottage at =
Indian Harbour Lake, Guysborough County,<SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0</SPAN></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; =
">NS.</DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><A =
href=3D"http://www.flickr.com/photos/ideaphore/977783053/">http://www.flic=
kr.com/photos/ideaphore/977783053/</A></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; =
min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">It looks like =
some kind of Leaf Beetle ( Family CHRYSOMELIDAE ), but I haven't been =
able<SPAN class=3D"Apple-converted-space">=A0</SPAN></DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">to find it in any books or on the =
web.</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-style-span">This is, indeed, in the Chrysomelidae. It =
is=A0<I>Calligrapha confluens</I> Schaeffer, one of the most=A0abundant =
of this diverse genus of beetles in Nova Scotia. It is associated with =
alder. Earlier this season Bernard Burke posted a photograph of this =
same species. For those who may be interested, below is a re-post of =
some of the information=A0 since it sheds interesting light about this =
genus of beetles in Nova Scotia</SPAN></DIV><DIV><BR =
class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-style-span"><I>Calligrapha</I>=A0is a very interesting =
genus which has been the subject of considerable recent genetic =
research. Most of the species in the genus are normal, diploid, bisexual =
species, however, there are four species in the group which are =
tetraploid, unisexual (female only) species that reproduce =
parthenogenetically. Unisexuality in beetles is a=A0comparatively rare =
phenomenon. Recent research has=A0established that these tetraploid =
species have resulted from hybridization between two species and =
using=A0nuclear and mitochondrial DNA the maternal and paternal =
"parents" of these species have been established. They =
are:</SPAN></DIV><DIV style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
12px/normal Times New Roman; min-height: 15px; "><BR></DIV><DIV =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><B>Maternal Lineage --&gt;</B><SPAN =
class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">	</SPAN><SPAN =
class=3D