Extremely well-preserved #fossil #sawfly sheds new light on co-#evolution of #insects and toxic plants https://phys.org/news/2024-10-extremely-fossil-sawfly-evolution-insects.html paper by Juanita Rodriguez et al.: https://resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/syen.12653

"They eat the leaves of #Myrtaceae—woody #plants that include eucalypts—because they have mouthparts with which they can separate toxic oils or a chemical detoxification system inside their gut. This enables the #larvae, sometimes called spitfires, to use the oils as a defensive weapon."

10 #Myrtaceae genera have been newly added to the online #FloraOfAustralia – Aluta, Anticoryne, Astartea, Astus, Austrobaeckea, Balaustion, Cheyniana, Enekbatus, Ericomyrtus and Euryomyrtus. That’s >100 taxon profiles available at https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Myrtaceae

It's been a pleasure to work with Myrtaceae maven Barbara Rye to mobilise this research with the help of #WAHerbarium recruit Charlotte Ely.

Project funded via an Australian Biological Resources Study grant. More to come! #Taxonomy