FORUM
HERBULOT 2003
Geometridae
of the Indo-Pacific region and Australia:
13.3.-14.3.2003
Chairman
Dr. A. Hausmann, ZSM
2. The seminar session highlighted promising
possibilities for systematic research.
The first
four talks (J.D. Holloway, M. Krüger, C. Young, P. McQuillan) presented and summarised
the actual stage of research concerning the phylogeny of Geometridae on subfamily and
tribe level as resulting from different data sets, such as larval morphology (M. Krüger,
C. Young), adult morphology (J.D. Holloway, M. Krüger), host-plant relationships (J.D.
Holloway, P. McQuillan), zoogeographical patterns (M. Krüger, J.D. Holloway) and
molecular analysis (C. Young, P. McQuillan). The study of skeleto-muscular anatomy of
genitalia as additional information was encouraged (E. Beljaev).
The southern
hemisphere Archiearinae had been revised and separated from Holarctic groups (P.
McQuillan). Although some morphological characters and host-plant relationships suggest
that the subfamilies Archiearinae and Oenochrominae (s.str.), and the tribes Diptychini
and Nacophorini (Ennominae) are phylogenetically ‚old‘ groups (J. D. Holloway,
M. Krüger), Larentiinae and Sterrhinae appear as the most basal groups using molecular
methods (sequence analysis of four nuclear and mitochondrial genes; Abraham et al. 2001; C. Young, P. McQuillan, A. Hausmann,
S. Erlacher). Refinement of molecular methods as valuable tools for evolutionary and
systematic studies had been postulated by the Forum Herbulot 2001 (Hausmann & Trusch
2001) in order to supplement the morphological and ecological data sets. Now, on the basis
of the paper by Abraham et al. (2001), promising
results have been obtained by the two ‚molecular‘ groups actually working on
Geometridae (C. Young/P. McQuillan; A. Hausmann/S. Erlacher/M. Miller). After discussion
of all the findings, closer coordination and cooperation was agreed upon, and working
plans were established, in order to focus future common research on a better understanding
of the basic phylogeny of Geometridae.
Research on
Eupitheciini constituted another theme of the meeting. Extention to research on a global
scale (as recommended by Forum Herbulot 2001: Hausmann & Trusch 2001) is needed to
fill existing gaps in our knowledge (e.g. Eupitheciini in Africa in relation to Asia and
other regions). Cooperation was improved regarding Chinese (T. Galsworthy; V. Mironov, X.
Dayong), and initiated for neotropical Eupitheciini (G. Balogh, J. Wojtusiak). New agenda
for cooperation dating back to Forum Herbulot 2001 concerning the exploration of
neotropical Geometridae were established (G. Balogh; A. Hausmann; J. Wojtusiak).
An
interesting zoogeographical analysis of Australian carabids was presented (M. Baehr) and
compared with similar findings for Lepidoptera. Gondwana distributions, drift on tectonic
plates and colonisation were discussed with respect to some taxa from Africa, Australia,
and the Indo-Pacific region (M. Krüger, J.D. Holloway, P. McQuillan). Speciation and
variation of several taxonomically ‚difficult‘ groups of Indo-Pacific
Geometridae were presented for discussion (X. Dayong; O. Schmidt; M. Sommerer; J.
Viidalepp).
3. A proposal to continue the FORUM HERBULOT in
Hobart, Tasmania late 2005 or early 2006 (organisation: P. McQuillan) was welcomed.
4. Participants expressed their thanks to the
organizers and sponsors of the FORUM HERBULOT 2003.
Hausmann, A. & R. Trusch (ed.) (2001c):
Proceedings of the FORUM HERBULOT 2001. – Spixiana 24 (3): 193-202.