Showing papers by "Andre E. Nel published in 2022"

Multifunctional Lipid Bilayer Nanocarriers for Cancer Immunotherapy in Heterogeneous Tumor Microenvironments, Combining Immunogenic Cell Death Stimuli with Immune Modulatory Drugs.

Abstract: In addition to the contribution of cancer cells, the solid tumor microenvironment (TME) has a critical role in determining tumor expansion, antitumor immunity, and the response to immunotherapy. Understanding the details of the complex interplay between cancer cells and components of the TME provides an unprecedented opportunity to explore combination therapy for intervening in the immune landscape to improve immunotherapy outcome. One approach is the introduction of multifunctional nanocarriers, capable of delivering drug combinations that provide immunogenic stimuli for improvement of tumor antigen presentation, contemporaneous with the delivery of coformulated drug or synthetic molecules that provide immune danger signals or interfere in immune-escape, immune-suppressive, and T-cell exclusion pathways. This forward-looking review will discuss the use of lipid-bilayer-encapsulated liposomes and mesoporous silica nanoparticles for combination immunotherapy of the heterogeneous immune landscapes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and triple-negative breast cancer. We describe how the combination of remote drug loading and lipid bilayer encapsulation is used for the synthesis of synergistic drug combinations that induce immunogenic cell death, interfere in the PD-1/PD-L1 axis, inhibit the indoleamine-pyrrole 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO-1) immune metabolic pathway, restore spatial access to activated T-cells to the cancer site, or reduce the impact of immunosuppressive stromal components. We show how an integration of current knowledge and future discovery can be used for a rational approach to nanoenabled cancer immunotherapy.

Nanocarrier Co-formulation for Delivery of a TLR7 Agonist plus an Immunogenic Cell Death Stimulus Triggers Effective Pancreatic Cancer Chemo-immunotherapy.

Abstract: Although toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists hold great promise as immune modulators for reprogramming the suppressive immune landscape in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), their use is limited by poor pharmacokinetics (PK) and off-target systemic inflammatory effects. To overcome these challenges as well as to attain drug synergy, we developed a lipid bilayer (LB)-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticle (silicasome) platform for co-delivery of the TLR7/8 agonist 3M-052 with the immunogenic chemotherapeutic agent irinotecan. This was accomplished by incorporating the C18 lipid tail of 3M-052 in the coated LB, also useful for irinotecan remote loading in the porous interior. Not only did the co-formulated carrier improve PK, but it strengthened the irinotecan-induced immunogenic cell death response by 3M-052-mediated dendritic cell activation at the tumor site as well as participating lymph nodes. The accompanying increase in CD8+ T-cell infiltration along with a reduced number of regulatory T-cells was associated with tumor shrinkage and metastasis disappearance in subcutaneous and orthotopic KRAS-mediated pancreatic carcinoma tumor models. Moreover, this therapeutic outcome was accomplished without drug or nanocarrier toxicity. All considered, dual-delivery strategies that combine chemo-immunotherapy with co-formulated TLR agonists or other lipid-soluble immune modulators predict successful intervention in heterogeneous PDAC immune landscapes.

What Do We Mean When We Say Nanomedicine?

Abstract: ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEEditorialNEXTWhat Do We Mean When We Say Nanomedicine?Luis M. Liz-MarzánLuis M. Liz-MarzánMore by Luis M. Liz-Marzánhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6647-1353, Andre E. NelAndre E. NelMore by Andre E. Nelhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5232-4686, C. Jeffrey BrinkerC. Jeffrey BrinkerMore by C. Jeffrey Brinkerhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7145-9324, Warren C. W. ChanWarren C. W. ChanMore by Warren C. W. Chanhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5435-4785, Chunying ChenChunying ChenMore by Chunying Chenhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6027-0315, Xiaodong ChenXiaodong ChenMore by Xiaodong Chenhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3312-1664, Dean HoDean HoMore by Dean Hohttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7337-296X, Tony HuTony HuMore by Tony Huhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5166-4937, Kazunori KataokaKazunori KataokaMore by Kazunori Kataokahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8591-413X, Nicholas A. KotovNicholas A. KotovMore by Nicholas A. Kotovhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6864-5804, Wolfgang J. ParakWolfgang J. ParakMore by Wolfgang J. Parakhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1672-6650, and Molly M. StevensMolly M. StevensMore by Molly M. Stevenshttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7335-266XCite this: ACS Nano 2022, 16, 9, 13257–13259Publication Date (Web):September 27, 2022Publication History Published online27 September 2022Published inissue 27 September 2022https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c08675Copyright © 2022 American Chemical SocietyRIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views4791Altmetric-Citations4LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit PDF (952 KB) Get e-AlertsSUBJECTS:Biomaterials,Materials,Nanomaterials,Nanomedicine,Nanoparticles Get e-Alerts

Phylogenomic Analyses of the Tenthredinoidea Support the Familial Rank of Athaliidae (Insecta, Tenthredinoidea)

Abstract: Simple Summary In the current era of data explosion, the use of genetic information is increasingly being applied across numerous biological questions. One application has been to develop more robust evolutionary frameworks. Such well-resolved phylogenetic relationships are currently lacking from many of the basal branches of diversity-rich taxa. This is most pronounced at the base of the thentredinoid, especially Athalia. This study reviews earlier comparative morphological studies and advances in phylogenetic studies based on morphological characters and short sequence fragments, using both mitochondrial and nuclear genetic sequences as well as genomic structural evidence to define the family Athaliidae in several dimensions and clarify its phylogenetic position. As a result, Athaliidae no longer belongs to the Tenthredinidae but is independent and distant from it. This study clarifies a hurdle to solve the scientific problem of hymenopteran evolution. Abstract The systematic status of the genus Athalia and related genera is a perennial controversy in sawfly taxonomy. Several authors have hypothesized that the placement of Athalia within the Tenthredinidae is artificial, but no studies have focused on this topic. If the hypothesis that Athalia does not belong to Tenthredinidae can be supported, the taxonomic framework of Tenthredinoidea needs revision. We present a comprehensive phylogenomic study of Tenthredinoidae, focusing on the positions of Athalia and related genera by sampling 80 representatives mainly of the Tenthredinoidea, including Heptamelinae and Blasticotomidae. Our phylogenetic reconstructions based on nuclear genes and mitochondrial (mt) sequences support Athalia and related genera as a distinct clade sister to Tenthredinidae + (Cimbicidae + Diprionidae). A comparison of symphytan mitochondrial genomes reveals an innovative gene rearrangement pattern in Athaliidae, in which Dentathalia demonstrates a more ancestral pattern than Athalia and Hypsathalia. The lineage specificity of mt rRNA secondary structures also provides sufficient support to consider Athaliidae as a separate family. In summary, the phylogeny and genomic structural changes unanimously support the taxonomic treatment of Athaliidae as a family and the re-establishment of Dentathalia as a valid genus.

Estimating the Drivers of Diversification of Stoneflies Through Time and the Limits of Their Fossil Record

Abstract: Abstract Deciphering the timing of lineage diversification and extinction has greatly benefited in the last decade from methodological developments in fossil-based analyses. If these advances are increasingly used to study the past dynamics of vertebrates, other taxa such as insects remain relatively neglected. Our understanding of how insect clades waxed and waned or of the impact of major paleoenvironmental changes during their periods of diversification and extinction (mass extinction) are rarely investigated. Here, we compile and analyze the fossil record of Plecoptera (1,742 vetted occurrences) to investigate their genus-level diversification and diversity dynamics using a Bayesian process-based model that incorporates temporal preservation biases. We found that the Permian-Triassic mass extinction has drastically impacted Plecoptera, while the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution corresponds with a turnover of plecopteran fauna. We also unveiled three major gaps in the plecopteran fossil record: the Carboniferous-Permian transition, the late Early Cretaceous, and the late Cenomanian to Bartonian, which will need to be further investigated. Based on the life history of extant Plecoptera, we investigate the correlations between their past dynamic and a series of biotic (Red Queen hypothesis) and abiotic (Court Jester hypothesis) factors. These analyses highlight the major role of continental fragmentation in the evolutionary history of stoneflies, which is in line with phylogeny-based biogeographic analyses showing how vicariance drove their diversification. Our study advocates analyzing the fossil record with caution, while attempting to unveil the diversification and extinction periods plus the likely triggers of these past dynamics of diversification.

Insect and Plant Diversity in Hot-Spring Ecosystems during the Jurassic-Cretaceous Boundary from Spain (Aguilar Fm., Palencia)

Abstract: Simple Summary In this study, we show and identify new plant and insect remains found in travertine deposits from the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary of the Aguilar Formation (Palencia, North Spain). From this hot-spring palaeoenvironment, we have identified the presence of dragonflies of the families Cymatophlebiidae and Aktassiidae, representing the first report of these families for the Iberian Peninsula. In addition, we find a flora dominated by Bennettitales and the presence of ferns that differ from other floras of the same age and geographical area. The unusual environmental and palaeoecological conditions of this hot-spring environment are also discussed, suggesting that this niche was an “ecological oasis” for some plants and insects. Abstract Hydrothermal palaeoenvironments are very uncommon in Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous deposits worldwide. We present new plant and insect remains from travertines formed during the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary in northern Spain (Aguilar Fm., Palencia province). A total of 136 plant specimens and three insect wings were collected and studied. This entomofauna consists of dragonfly (Odonata) wings including Cymatophlebiidae and an undetermined new genus and species of Aktassiidae, representing the first report of these families for the Iberian Peninsula. The fossil flora shows different morphotypes of plants, which have been tentatively assigned to three different genera. The taphocoenosis of the flora was dominated by Bennettitales (98.5%) including cf. Pterophyllum sp., Ptilophyllum cf. acutifolium, Ptilophyllum cf. pecten, Ptilophyllum cf. pectiniformis and cf. Ptilophyllum sp., and the occasional presence of ferns (1.5%) represented by the taxon Cladophlebis cf. denticulata. The presence of the Anisoptera Cymatophlebia cf. longialata suggests a higher affinity for a Tithonian age of the studied site, and the anatomy and palaeogeographical distribution of this species suggest capacity to migrate for rather long distances. The floristic composition of the site differs remarkably from other Tithonian-Berriasian floras of the Iberian Peninsula. The presence of Odonata and the distinctive flora in (semi)arid conditions could be due to the hot-spring providing an environmental niche with constant conditions of warmth and humidity forming an ‘ecological oasis’.

South African Lagerstätte reveals middle Permian Gondwanan lakeshore ecosystem in exquisite detail

Abstract: Abstract Continental ecosystems of the middle Permian Period (273–259 million years ago) are poorly understood. In South Africa, the vertebrate fossil record is well documented for this time interval, but the plants and insects are virtually unknown, and are rare globally. This scarcity of data has hampered studies of the evolution and diversification of life, and has precluded detailed reconstructions and analyses of ecosystems of this critical period in Earth’s history. Here we introduce a new locality in the southern Karoo Basin that is producing exceptionally well-preserved and abundant fossils of novel freshwater and terrestrial insects, arachnids, and plants. Within a robust regional geochronological, geological and biostratigraphic context, this Konservat- and Konzentrat-Lagerstätte offers a unique opportunity for the study and reconstruction of a southern Gondwanan deltaic ecosystem that thrived 266–268 million years ago, and will serve as a high-resolution ecological baseline towards a better understanding of Permian extinction events.

New barklice (Psocodea, Trogiomorpha) from Lower Cretaceous Spanish amber

Abstract: Barklice are insects belonging to the order Psocodea. They are herbivorous or detritivorous, and inhabit a wide range of environments. Their oldest fossil record dates back to the late Carboniferous, but it was not until the Cretaceous that they became much more diverse. However, their fossil record could be affected by taphonomic processes due to their tiny size and soft bodies. Here, we present new psocid specimens from five amber‐bearing outcrops in Spain that are Albian in age. One of the specimens, a well‐preserved psocid nymph assigned to †Archaeatropidae, lacks evidence of debris‐carrying behaviour. Some of the specimens belong to the previously known species Archaeatropos alavensis Baz & Ortuño and Preempheria antiqua Baz & Ortuño (Trogiomorpha: Atropetae), providing new anatomical and biogeographical information. Furthermore, we describe a new species, Libanoglaris hespericus sp. nov. (†Archaeatropidae). The diagnosis for the family †Archaeatropidae is emended. The abundance of psocids in Cretaceous amber and their virtual absence in compression outcrops could be due to taphonomic bias. Considerations on the phylogenetic placement of trogiomorphan families and the relationships between †Archaeatropidae and †Empheriidae are included. Today, the least diverse psocid suborder is Trogiomorpha, but this suborder comprises the majority of the Cretaceous psocodean species described to date, possibly due to palaeobiological or evolutionary constraints. Trogiomorphans could have been relegated to marginal habitats by niche competition with psocomorphans. Debris‐carrying behaviour in response to predatory pressure might not have been widely distributed, geographically or phylogenetically, in the Cretaceous psocid nymphs.

The odonatan insects from the Paleocene of Menat, central France

Abstract: The current knowledge on the Paleocene Odonata is rather limited despite the fact that it is a crucial period for the history of this order. An overview of the fossil odonatans from the Paleocene of Menat (France) is provided. We describe the anisopteran Macrogomphus menatensis sp. nov., first fossil representative of the family Epigomphidae, together with two zygopteran, viz. the dysagrionid Menatagrion hervetae gen. et sp. nov., and the new family Menatlestidae fam. nov., with its type species Menatlestes palaeocenicus gen. et sp. nov. The genus Menatagrion gen. nov. is the first Paleocene record of the Dysagrionidae, otherwise known by a putative Cretaceous genus and several Eocene to Miocene genera. Menatlestes gen. nov., putatively attributed to the stem-group of the Lestinoidea (Megalestidae and Lestidae), would correspond to the oldest record of this clade. With these three new taxa, and the previously described Thanetophilosina menatensis , Valerea multicellulata , “ Lestes ” zalesskyi , and an Aeshna species indet., the total number of Odonata from Menat goes up to seven species in total; two Anisoptera and five Zygoptera. Furthermore, we propose new evidences showing that the head characters defining the putative suborder Cephalozygoptera are due to deformations, very frequent among the fossil Odonatoptera. We treat the Cephalozygoptera as a junior synonym of Zygoptera.

Multiple drivers and lineage-specific insect extinctions during the Permo–Triassic

Abstract: Abstract The Permo–Triassic interval encompasses three extinction events including the most dramatic biological crisis of the Phanerozoic, the latest Permian mass extinction. However, their drivers and outcomes are poorly quantified and understood for terrestrial invertebrates, which we assess here for insects. We find a pattern with three extinctions: the Roadian/Wordian (≈266.9 Ma; extinction of 64.5% insect genera), the Permian/Triassic (≈252 Ma; extinction of 82.6% insect genera), and the Ladinian/Carnian boundaries (≈237 Ma; extinction of 74.8% insect genera). We also unveil a heterogeneous effect of these extinction events across the major insect clades. Because extinction events have impacted Permo–Triassic ecosystems, we investigate the influence of abiotic and biotic factors on insect diversification dynamics and find that changes in floral assemblages are likely the strongest drivers of insects’ responses throughout the Permo–Triassic. We also assess the effect of diversity dependence between three insect guilds; an effect ubiquitously found in current ecosystems. We find that herbivores held a central position in the Permo–Triassic interaction network. Our study reveals high levels of insect extinction that profoundly shaped the evolutionary history of the most diverse non-microbial lineage.

Shedding light on the enigmatic extinct insect order Glosselytrodea: new diversity and key morphological insights into non‐tegmenized Permian forms

Abstract: Glosselytrodeans are enigmatic extinct (Permian–Jurassic) insects classified in their own order. The monophyly of Glosselytrodea is not universally accepted and its large‐scale relationships remain problematic, namely because its diversity is largely known from hardened (i.e. tegmenized/‘elytrized’) forewings of allegedly derived forms. Thus, new data on the group’s early diversity and/or complete specimens are critical. Herein we describe the oldest glosselytrodean known, Moscheloptera phantasma gen. et sp. nov. (Permoberothidae), based on a forewing from the Niedermoschel black shale (Germany; early Permian). The holotype of Permoberotha villosa Tillyard (Permoberothidae) (a forewing) and a previously described complete conspecific specimen, both from Elmo (USA; early Permian), are reassessed and photographically figured for the first time. A new, complete P. villosa specimen from Elmo preserves body structures hitherto not reported among glosselytrodeans, including complex pretarsal claws and detailed male genitalia. The holotypes of two further species, Sylvaelytron latipennatum Novokshonov (herein transferred to Permoberothidae) and Archoglossopterum shoricum Martynova (Archoglossopteridae), are also reassessed and figured. An emended diagnosis and an updated catalogue of the Glosselytrodea are provided. Glossopterum Sharov is returned to its own family: Glossopteridae Sharov. Our findings substantially expand the knowledge of the Permoberothidae, which is the earliest glosselytrodean lineage and lacks sclerotization‐related forewing specializations. Although the exact phylogenetic position of glosselytrodeans is still unresolved, the female and male terminalia described herein almost certainly support them as early holometabolan insects, possibly closer to the mecopterid rather than the neuropteroid lineage. Shedding light on Glosselytrodea improves our understanding of the early evolution of the Holometabola.

The first Permian Gondwanan damselfly-like Protozygoptera (Insecta, Odonatoptera)

Abstract: ABSTRACT Afrozygopteron inexpectatus gen. et sp. nov., the oldest known representative of the protozygopteran grade from Gondwana, is described from the Guadalupian of Southern Africa. It is attributed to the family Luiseiidae, previously only known by one genus and species, Luiseia breviata described from the Carboniferous/Permian boundary of New Mexico (USA). This new fossil demonstrates that during the Carboniferous/Permian, the Protozygoptera were probably much more widely distributed than previously thought and were not limited to the northern part of Pangea.

The First Representative of the Roachoid Family Spiloblattinidae (Insecta, Dictyoptera) from the Late Pennsylvanian of the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract: Simple Summary The Palaeozoic–Early Mesozoic roachoid family Spiloblattinidae are valuable for understanding the stratigraphy of continental strata, thanks to their diversity of the forewing venation patterns of colouration. Here, the first Iberian representative of these roachoids is described as a new ‘form’ closely related to the Gzhelian–early-middle Asselian ‘zone species’ and ‘forms’. It supports the latest Gzhelian age of the concerned outcrop, obtained through stratigraphy and floral composition. It confirms the value of these insects for stratigraphic purposes. Abstract Sysciophlebia ‘sp. form Villablino’, the first Iberian representative of the Palaeozoic–Early Mesozoic family Spiloblattinidae, is described and illustrated. Its forewing colour pattern is strongly similar to those of the Gzhelian–early-middle Asselian species Sysciophlebia euglyptica, Sysciophlebia ilfeldensis, Sysciophlebia rubida, and ‘Sysciophlebia sp. form KBQ’, supporting the currently proposed Gzhelian age for its type locality. It supports the use of the representatives of the Spiloblattinidae for stratigraphic purposes. The diagnoses and limits of the families Subioblattidae, Phyloblattidae, Compsoblattidae, Spiloblattinidae, and of the spiloblattinid genera are discussed.

A new mid-Cretaceous fossil genus of stonefly (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from the Burmese amber

Abstract: 16 A new genus and species of stonefly is described and figured from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese 17 amber as † Burmaperla pouilloni Jouault & Nel gen. et sp. nov. The placement of this new genus 18 and species within the Perlidae is corroborated by an in-depth comparison of apomorphies. This 19 new species differs from all other Acroneuriinae from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber biota, 20 inter alia , owing to its wing venation with ScP reaching RA beyond ra-rp, RP with three branches, 21 MP partially fused with the upper branch of CuA, CuA with four branches, its hammer nearly circu- 22 lar and its genitalia with paraprocts weakly sclerotized, abruptly upcurved, thinning towards the 23 apex and symmetrical. This new species increases the diversity of Acroneuriinae stoneflies in the 24 Burmese amber biota, and combined with the geological history of the Burmese terrane is used to 25 discuss the putative presence of Antarctoperlaria in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber.

Beautiful wing coloration pattern in a new doratomantispine species (Neuroptera: Mantispidae) from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber.

Abstract: A new species, namely Doratomantispa pouilloni sp. nov., of the mantidfly subfamily Doratomantispinae, is described and illustrated from a complete individual preserved in mid-Cretaceous amber from Tanai, northern Myanmar. Doratomantispa pouilloni sp. nov. preserves nearly all the diagnostic characters of this subfamily, but differs from the two other species of the genus Doratomantispa, inter alia, in its forelegs with stout trochanter, femora with nine spines on outer edge, two spines on inner edge, tibia with parallel sides, probasitarsomeres with around six pairs of black and thick spines; wings elongate and narrow, forewings with costal veinlets simple before ScP and RA fusion, coloration pattern present. Doratomantispa pouilloni sp. nov. highlights the diversity and the niche specialization of mid-Cretaceous Mantispidae from Tanai amber.

The first poroblattinid roachoid from the uppermost Carboniferous of Portugal

Abstract: ABSTRACT Poroblattina anadiensis sp. nov., first record of the roachoid family Poroblattinidae from Portugal, is described from the upper Gzhelian Vale da Mó ‘Formation’ of Buçaco Carboniferous Basin. The genus Poroblattina was previously known by numerous records from the Moscovian and the Asselian (time range between 306.95 and 295.0 Ma) in Euramerica, showing a high forewing venation variability. The new species is most similar to the French Moscovian Poroblattina duffieuxi, but it differs from this species in having a larger forewing, more irregularly anterior pectinate RP, and more forked branches. Poroblattina anadiensis sp. nov. supports the links between the entomofaunas of North America and Western Europe during the late Carboniferous and early Permian. Despite the intense exploration of the Buçaco Carboniferous Basin units in the nineteen-century and mid-20th century, the new discovery highlights the potential of palaeontological studies now resumed in this region.

Increasing the palaeoentomological diversity in Portugal: a new and rare record of Oedischiidae (Orthoptera) from the Pennsylvanian of Douro Basin

Abstract: ABSTRACT Lusitadischia sai gen. et sp. nov., an orthopteran Oedischiidae from the lower Gzhelian (Pennsylvanian, Carboniferous) of Portugal is described and figured based on an incomplete forewing. This is the second representative of Oedischiidae so far known from the Iberian Peninsula. Following several recent discoveries, Lusitadischia sai supports that Carboniferous entomofauna of Portugal was more diverse than the limited fossilisation potential and sampling difficulties would formerly suggest.

Termite Valkyries: Soldier-Like Alate Termites From the Cretaceous and Task Specialization in the Early Evolution of Isoptera

Abstract: In several insect eusocial lineages, e.g., some aphids, thrips, ants, some stingless bees, and termites, task specialization is brought to its climax with a sterile soldier caste solely devoted to colony defense. In Isoptera, while the reproductives are defenseless, the soldiers have unique morpho-physiological specializations whose origin and evolution remain unresolved. Here we report on two instances of Cretaceous fossil termite reproductives belonging to different families († Valkyritermes inopinatus gen. et sp. nov. and an unpublished specimen from the Crato Formation), with intriguing phragmotic soldier-like heads and functional wings. These individuals, herein called Valkyries, are the first termite reproductives known with defensive features and suggest that phragmosis arose at least in the Early Cretaceous. Valkyries resemble modern neotenic soldiers except for their complete wings. Their discovery supports the hypothesis that the division between reproductive (indicated by the winged condition of Valkyries) and defensive tasks (indicated by the phragmotic head) has not always been complete in termite history. We explore two alternative scenarios regarding the origin of Valkyries (i.e., relatively recent and convergent origins vs. plesiomorphic condition) and discuss how they might relate to the development of soldiers. We argue that, in both cases, Valkyries likely evolved to face external threats, a selective pressure that could also have favored the origin of soldiers from helpers. Valkyries highlight the developmental flexibility of termites and illustrate the tortuous paths that evolution may follow.

A new putative moss bug (Insecta: Hemiptera) from the lower Permian of the Saar-Nahe Basin, SW Germany, and the age of Coleorrhyncha

Abstract: ABSTRACT Permoridium fresenaci gen. et sp. nov., the oldest putative representative of the bug suborder Coleorrhyncha, is described from the lower Permian of Germany, in the new family Permoridiidae. The main autapomorphies of the new taxon are the separation of M+CuA from R at extreme wing base and the veins CuP and PCu strongly appressed. Its position in the Hemiptera is discussed. Its attribution to the modern Coleorrhyncha is supported by the putative synapomorphies ‘a very long and well-defined ScP, ending into RA’, ‘ScP appressed R +M+CuA at extreme wing base’ and ‘a strong ScA, distant from costal vein and with a short anterior branch at its extreme base, ending into C, plus posterior branches’. The relationships of the extinct families Hoploridiidae, Karabasiidae and Progonocimicidae with the extant Coleorrhyncha are discussed. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6B3A89FF-6265-4F50-A73E-11D791488909

First representative of the odonatan superfamily Triassolestoidea (Odonatoptera: Parazygoptera) from the Upper Triassic of the Korean Peninsula

Abstract: Abstract Koreatriassothemis elongatus gen. et sp. nov. is the first representative of the odonatan superfamily Triassolestoidea described from the Upper Triassic of the Republic of Korea. Despite close similarities with the genera Pseudotriassothemis and Triassoneura, exact affinities within Triassolestoidea remain uncertain, thus discoveries of more complete triassolestoid fossils are required to resolve relationships. The identification of K. elongatus gen. et sp. nov. shows that Odonatoptera and Triassolestoidea diversity was high during the Late Triassic and is currently underestimated. A ‘Samarura-like’ odonatopteran nymph is also identified from the same Upper Triassic outcrop, and may be referable to K. elongatus gen. et sp. nov. André Nel [anel@mnhn.fr], Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, CP50, 57 rue Cuvier, F-75005 Paris, France; Gi-Soo Nam [nks33@naver.com] Gongju National University of Education, Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do 32553, Republic of Korea; Corentin Jouault [jouaultc0@gmail.com], Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, CP50, 57 rue Cuvier, F-75005 Paris, France, and Université des Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, F-35000, Rennes, France, and CNRS, UMR 5554 Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution de Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, F-34095, Montpellier, France.

A new genus of aeschnidiid dragonfly (Odonata: Anisoptera) from the Lower Cretaceous of the Jiuquan Basin, NW China

Abstract: A new aeschnidiid dragonfly, Gansuaeschnidia hongi gen. et sp. nov., is established based on three hind wings from the Lower Cretaceous Chijinpu Formation of the Jiuquan Basin, northwestern China. The new taxon is characterised by the strongly closed Ax1 and Ax2, only one row of cells in the lower and middle parts of the discoidal triangle, and subdiscoidal area not divided by a clear AAspl vein. This new discovery indicates that the Chijinpu Formation can be correlated with the Yixian Formation, i.e. the second evolution stage of the Jehol Biota, adding to the diversity of the aeschnidiid dragonflies in China during Early Cretaceous. All taxonomic acts established in the present work have been registered in ZooBank (see below), together with the electronic publication LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2D4DC1B7-1F6C-481C-A07E-A4CB82C8012F.

Early adaptations of true flies (Diptera) to moist and aquatic continental environments

Abstract: Insect colonization of continental aquatic ecosystems and their immediate surroundings was paramount for the establishment of complex trophic nets and organic‐matter recycling in those environments. True flies and other insects such as mayflies developed crucial ecological roles in early continental aquatic ecosystems, as early as the Triassic. However, the mode and tempo of these processes remain poorly known, partly due to a critical fossil record gap before the Middle Triassic. Here we study the dipterans from the early Middle Triassic Konservat‐Lagerstätte of Pedra Alta (Aegean, early Anisian, Spain), which yields the oldest records of the order. Protoanisolarva juarezi gen. et sp. nov., based on an exceptionally preserved larva, shares key features with the extant nematoceran family Anisopodidae. Developing in inferred moist terrestrial environments contiguous with pools inhabited by aquatic organisms, it represents the only known Triassic dipteran larva with terrestrial affinities indicating that the amphipneustic respiratory system of insect larvae extends back to c. 247 Ma. Two nematoceran aquatic pupae are also described: one classified as Voltziapupa cf. cornuta, and the other as an indeterminate taxon. Finally, an egg cluster belonging to the ootaxon Clavapartus latus is likely to have been produced by chironomids. These eggs were included in a mucilaginous matrix, a probable adaptation against predation and/or changing conditions, including desiccation. These new findings provide key data on the early evolutionary history of the mega‐diverse order Diptera, the ecology of their ancestral pre‐adult forms, and the functioning of early Middle Triassic continental aquatic ecosystems.

A new genus of setose-winged barklice (Psocodea: Trogiomorpha: Lepidopsocidae) from the Eocene amber of Oise with notes on the biogeography of Thylacellinae

Abstract: ABSTRACT The members of the family Lepidopsocidae (Psocodea: Trogiomorpha) are commonly known as scaly-winged barklice based on the presence of scales on body and wings. Interestingly, the members of the subfamily Thylacellinae, which is the sister group to the remaining members of the family, lack scales and are characterised by densely setose body and wings. We describe the thylacelline Parathylacella oisensis gen. et sp. nov. from the Eocene amber of Oise (France), corresponding to the only known fossil genus of the family. We compare it with the other genera in the subfamily. It shows a similar habitus to the genus Thylacella, and both may be closely related. The description of the new taxon increases the poorly known palaeodiversity of the lepidopsocids. We comment on the putative palaeobiology of this group and discuss new insights into the palaeobiogeography and early diversification of the subfamily Thylacellinae. An association between the thylacelline barklice and Detarieae (Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae) trees is plausible. The biogeographic distribution might be partially explained by this association, combined with oceanic currents. Studies on Cretaceous lepidopsocids, as well as other Cenozoic specimens, are crucial to understand the evolution of this group over time, and the possible vicariance process.

The third aeschnidiid dragonfly genus and species from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation (Odonata, Anisoptera)

Abstract: ABSTRACT Cratoaeschnidium martinsnetoi gen. et sp. nov., third genus and species of the family Aeschnidiidae from the Crato Formation (Brazil), is described and illustrated based on one well-preserved forewing. It can be differentiated from the other genera in the family, inter alia, because its discoidal triangle is very narrow with only one row of cells; three rows of cells between Mspl and MAa, and between Rspl and IR2; one row of cells between CuAa and MP in basal part; three rows of cells between RP3/4 and MAa. This new genus and species confirms that much can be expected in regard to discovering the Odonata in the Crato Formation.