Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Megascolecid earthworms of the pheretimoid group are dominant detritivores of soil ecosystems in the Japanese Archipelago and East Asia. However, their diversity and phylogenetic relationships are poorly understood. We assembled whole mitogenome sequences for 197 megascolecid earthworms collected throughout Japan to study the phylogenetic relationships, phylogeography, divergence times, and diversification of important morphological characteristics among pheretimoid earthworms. Using 197 mitogenome sequences and 24 published mitogenome sequences from the East Asian mainland (221 sequences in total), we constructed a maximum likelihood tree and found that the pheretimoid earthworms currently assigned to Amynthas, Metaphire, Duplodicodrilus, and Manus are involved in the most senior genus Amynthas; thus, Amynthas can be treated as the sole genus encompassing all of the above genera. Within the Amynthas group, we identified three major lineages that led to four groups of endemic species in Japan. These lineages originated from different lineages on the East Asian mainland and Taiwan Island, indicating multiple colonization events from the East Asian mainland by different ancestral lineages, possibly after the Miocene. We also assembled nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences encompassing the 18S to 28S rRNA genes. The nuclear gene tree showed major groups consistent with the mitogenome tree except for different (and not well-resolved) relationships among major clades. Our molecular data covered 115–158 native and 7 non-native Amynthas group species in Japan in terms of DNA-based species delimitation. Our findings provide a basis for understanding the evolutionary relationships among diversified megascolecid earthworms in the Amynthas group in Japan and adjacent regions.

DOI： 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107735

Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.18353/crustacea.51.0_39

Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/evo.14302

Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

The ground beetle genus Pterostichus Bonelli has diversified in regions including the Far East, but taxonomic issues remain even at the species level. This study presents taxonomic and nomenclatural changes in three species of Pterostichus from the Far East: P. (Petrophilus) eximius Morawitz, P. (Lenapterus) wellschmiedi Kirschenhofer, and P. (L.) subrugosus Straneo. The analyses are based on comparative studies of the endophallus of male genitalia, which is taxonomically useful in Carabidae but has not been examined in these species. The first species, P. eximius, has been treated as a monotypic species that is widely distributed in Eastern Siberia, the Russian Far East, and adjacent regions, but our results revealed that populations from Rishiri-to and the Sakhalin islands are distinct from the nominotypical population from Transbaikalia. The name for the Sakhalin population, which was synonymized with P. eximius, is reinstated as subspecies P. eximius sachalinensis stat. nov., and the Rishiri-to population is described as Pterostichus eximius rishiridakensis ssp. nov. Conspecificity (syn. nov.) was confirmed for P. wellschmiedi, which was described from southern Sakhalin, and P. marginatus Matsumura, which was described earlier from southern Sakhalin. No conspicuous differences in the endophallus structure were found between P. subrugosus, which was described from Hokkaido, and P. marginatus, although differences are recognized in the elytral sculptures and in the metallic luster of the dorsal surface. The taxon was thus downgraded to subspecies P. marginatus subrugosus stat. nov.

DOI： 10.11646/zootaxa.4822.3.6

Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

The peer-review system ensures the reliability of academic publication. However, authors may be unsatisfied with the duration of peer-review and/or the reviewers' comments, whereas both reviewers and editors have many concerns over peer-reviewing. To provide information to increase the efficiency of the peer-review process for authors, reviewers and editors, we analyzed recent trends in publication and peer-review processes in Ecological Research, and asked Editorial Board members to answer an online questionnaire. The acceptance rate of Original Articles, which accounted for 89.2% of all submissions, was 20.1%, whereas those of Special Features, Data Papers, and Technical Reports were 76.3, 73.7 and 38.3%, respectively. The median number of days to final decision was 168 for accepted manuscripts. The stage when handling editors invited reviewers to review was the longest stage during the peer-review process. This stage was prolonged when potential reviewers declined the invitations to review. The results of the questionnaire revealed that both editors and reviewers felt burdened by the load of peer-reviewing. Most editors encountered declining of peer-review invitations. As the period of assigning reviewers is the most important step in determining the number of days to the final decision, the editorial office should support handling editors to locate reviewers. Motivating reviewers to review manuscripts is another way to speed up the process. Since many respondents indicated that improvements in the logical structure and English standard of manuscripts would facilitate review, authors could improve the process by carefully preparing their manuscripts with consideration to readers, including voluntary reviewers and editors.

DOI： 10.1111/1440-1703.12037

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