DNA barcoding reveals cryptic diversity in the peanut worm Sipunculus nudus

Peanut worm (Sipunculus nudus) is a cosmopolitan species mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical coastal waters. Analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences among S. nudus from GenBank revealed high genetic variation (p‐distance, 0.115–0.235; k2p, 0.128–0.297) and paraphyletic relationships. These indicated misidentification and/or cryptic diversity may be present in the genus Sipunculus. To understand the genetic diversity and to manage the recourse of S. nudus, we collected specimens from coastal waters of southern China and Taiwan. In the phylogenetic topology, specimens can be separated into four distinct clades; three of these clades (clade A, B and C) were only represented from this region (southern China and Taiwan), but the clade D grouped with individuals from Central America (Atlantic coast). Furthermore, individuals of clades A and D were collected at the same location, which does not support the hypothesis that this genetic break reflects contemporary geographical isolation. The four distinct clades observed among coastal waters of southern China and Taiwan indicated underestimated diversity. It is noteworthy that the cryptic diversity is vulnerable under high pressure of human activity.     

Reappraisal ofDiplolabellum coreanum (orchidaceae) as inferred from molecular data

The taxonomic treatment of a monotypic genus,Diplolabellum, has been disputed by various authors. Maekawa (1935) described the genus on the basis ofOreorchis coreana IFinet. Because distribution of its plants is very limited, i.e., to Jeju Island of the South Korean Peninsula, it has not been well studied. To reappraise the phylogenetic relationship ofDiplolabellum coreanum Finet, we obtained ITS,matK, trnT-trnL, andtrnL-trnF sequences from several species ofOreorchis and related genera. Sequence analysis showed thatD. coreanum is closely related to one group ofOreorchis that consists ofO. patens Lindle andO. fargesii Finet. Therefore, our molecular data support treating the species asO. coreana rather than asD. coreanum, even though the latter genus is distinct fromOreorchis in morphological characters such as callus, pedicel, column, and caudicle.     

First detection of the fruit fly Bactrocera synnephes (Diptera: Tephritidae) on Iriomote Island, south-western Japan

Bactrocera synnephes, a fruit fly species common in Taiwan, was first detected in Japan in 2006, when several male adults were trapped at Kanokawa, an uninhabited coastal area of Iriomote Island, Okinawa (200 km from Taiwan). To examine potential colonization by B. synnephes, we collected fruit of the wild gourd Diplocyclos palmatus (Cucurbitaceae), a host of the fruit fly, as well as other cucurbitaceous species, in Kanokawa and other areas of Iriomote Island. No B. synnephes infestation was found on any cucurbitaceous plants. Based on these results, we conclude that B. synnephes had very recently invaded Iriomote Island, possibly from Taiwan, but had failed to colonize. Bactrocera synnephes may have entered Iriomote Island by natural or human‐induced means, but a human‐induced invasion pathway is less likely in light of the non‐pest status of the species in Taiwan. The disappearance of B. synnephes from Iriomote Island may be related to the loss of host fruit as a result of tropical cyclones. Although B. synnephes is not regarded as a pest elsewhere, the pest status of the species is unclear in Okinawa, where no fruit fly pests currently attack commercial cucurbitaceous fruit. We must remain alert for possible re‐invasion by B. synnephes.     

NOTES ON CLADOPHORA (CHLOROPHYCEAE). I. TWO NEW CARIBBEAN SPECIES CLADOPHORA JONGIORUM NOV. SP. AND CLADOPHORA LONGICELLULATA NOV. SP.

Two new Caribbean species of Cladophora are described: Cl. jongiorum from material collected on the coast of Curacao and Cl. longicellulata from specimens collected on Bermuda by various authors and wrongly identified as Cl. catenifera Kützing.     

Spawning of the sea ravenHemitripterus villosus in Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan

The spawning habits of the sea ravenHemitripterus villosus were investigated by scuba diving at shallow rocky bottom sites around Bolshoi Pelis Island (Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan). Spawning occurs in September, when the surface water temperature drops. The optimum spawning temperature is 17–18°C. The fish density in nest sites reaches 120/300 m². The mean individual fecundity is about 10000 eggs. Over 35% of the egg masses ofH. villosus are eaten by echinoderms, primarilyPatiria pectinifera andStrongylocentrotus nudus. Since fecundity is relatively low and parents do not take care of the egg masses, predation can strongly affect the abundance of this species.     

Molecular phylogeny ofCrocidura shrews in northeastern Asia: A special reference to specimens on Cheju Island, South Korea

Molecular phylogeny of crocidurine shrews (Insectivora, Soricidae) in northeastern Asia was investigated to confirm the taxonomic status of unidentified specimens ofCrocidura from Cheju Island, South Korea. Phylogenetic trees were constructed by neighbor-joining (NJ) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods, based on mitochondrial cytochromeb gene sequences (402 base pairs) of 37 individuals of seven crocidurine species and three unidentified specimens from 31 localities mainly in northeastern Asia. Phylogenetic position of the three unidentified specimens from Cheju Island were compared with those of Suncus murinus,C. attenuata, C. dsinezumi, C. lasiura, C. sibirica, C. suaveolens, andC. watasei. Both in NJ and ML trees, the three unidentified specimens were included in the cluster ofC. dsinezumi and were obviously different fromC. suaveolens on Cheju Island. Thus, the present investigation demonstrated that bothC. suaveolens andC. dsinezumi exist on Cheju Island.     

Species of hypocrella

Summary Additional information is given from studies of types and authentic specimens for 25 species of Hypocrella.Stereocrea aurantiaca is transferred to Hypocrella asH. aurantiaca (Petch) comb. nov.,H. caulium is considered an invalid name andH. brasiliana (P. Henn.) comb. nov. is proposed. It is concluded thatH. sloaneae, H. nectroides, H. citrina, H. melaena, H. disjuncta andH. amazonica all are valid species.H. verruculosa is considered conspecific withH. phyllogena. H. fluminensis is a synonym ofH. epiphylla andH. guaranitica, H. spegazzini, H. orbicularis andH. cornuta are synonyms ofH. palmae. Similarities between several species of the eastern and western hemispheres are noted.Paper from the Herbarium and the Department of Botany, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.     

A review of the threadfin breams of the genusNemipterus (Nemipteridae) from Japan and Taiwan,with description of a new species

Species of the fish genusNemipterus (Nemipteridae) from Japan and Taiwan are reviewed. A key, diagnoses and synonymies are provided for 9 species, including a new species:N. aurora sp. nov. (previously misidentified asN. delagoae Smith);N. bathybius Snyder;N. furcosus (Valenciennes) [mistakenly referred to asN. peronii (Valenciennes)];N. hexodon (Quoy et Gaimard);N. japonicus (Bloch);N. peronii (Valenciennes) [previously referred to asN. tolu (Valenciennes), a junior synonym];N. thosaporni Russell [previously misidentified asN. marginatus (Valenciennes)];N. virgatus (Houttuyn); andN. zysron (Bleeker) [previously referred to asN. metopias (Bleeker), a junior synonym].N. aurora is described from specimens from Taiwan, the Gulf of Thailand, East Malaysia and Indonesia. It appears to be closely allied toN. bipunctatus (Ehrenberg) (N. delagoae is a junior synonym), an Indian Ocean species, but the two species are readily distinguished on the basis of colour pattern of the dorsal and anal fins:N. aurora has a broad orange-yellow submedial stripe along the dorsal fin, and a lemon submedial stripe on the anal fin; whereas inN. bipunctatus the dorsal fin is uniformly rosy, and the anal fin has 2–4 wavy yellow stripes.     

Comparison of the suitability of Liriomyza chinensis and L. trifolii (Diptera: Agromyzidae) as hosts for Neochrysocharis okazakii (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)

Effective parasitoid production or mass-rearing is one of the key components in practicing biological control with parasitoids. Selection of host species for rearing parasitoids is a major approach to improve the production efficiency. The stone leek leafminer Liriomyza chinensis (Kato) is a destructive pest of onion crops in many Asian countries, which is difficult to control with chemicals. The present study examined whether the production of Neochrysocharis okazakii Kamijo, a promising native biological agent of L. chinensis, could be effective if kidney bean-Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) system was used as an alternative rearing procedure. The suitability of L. chinensis and L. trifolii as hosts of N. okazakii was investigated in the laboratory. Neochrysocharis okazakii completed its development on both two host species, and the total development time was similar on these hosts. Longevity of N. okazakii females provided with L. chinensis was longer than those on L. trifolii. There were no significant differences in fecundity and offspring sex ratio when females had been provided with these two host species. The adult parasitoids emerged from L. chinensis were significantly larger than those from L. trifolii. However, the intrinsic rate of increase was higher, and mean generation time was lower, for L. trifolii than L. chinensis. Thus, mean net reproductive rate (Ro) was higher when L. trifolii was used as host. Although the two host species were equally suitable as host for N. okazakii, our findings suggested that L. trifolii and kidney bean is an ideal system for N. okazakii production.     

A new gobiid fish,Acanthogobius insularis,from the Ryukyu Islands,Japan

A new gobiid species,Acanthogobius insularis, is described from 88 specimens collected from Amami-oshima Island and Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Islands, southern Japan. The species is distinguished from its congeners by the combination of dorsal and anal fin ray counts, vertebral counts, cephalic sensory system patterns and coloration.     

Systematics of the generaDebaryomyces andMetschnikowia: Proton magnetic resonance spectra of their mannans as an aid in classification

The proton magnetic resonance spectra of the mannans of a number ofDebaryomyces andMetschnikowia species (Endomycetales) were determined. The spectra of all of the mannans had several similar characteristics, regardless of the species from which they originated. Pichia vini, a species originally classified asDebaryomyces vini, formed a mannan with a spectrum almost identical with those ofMetschnikowia (Candida) reukaufii andPichia haplophila. Debaryomyces vanrijii, originally placed in the genusPichia, formed a mannan with a spectrum identical with those ofPichia robertsii andCandida (Pichia) guilliermondii mannans.The authors wish to thank Mr. M. Mazurek for the determination of the p.m.r. spectra, and Mr. N. R. Gardner and Mr. R. J. Magus for valuable technical assistance.     

Evolutionary origin of a periodical mass‐flowering plant

The evolutionary origin of periodical mass‐flowering plants (shortly periodical plants), exhibiting periodical mass flowering and death immediately after flowering, has not been demonstrated. Within the genus Strobilanthes (Acanthaceae), which includes more than 50 periodical species, Strobilanthes flexicaulis on Okinawa Island, Japan, flowers gregariously every 6 years. We investigated the life history of S. flexicaulis in other regions and that of closely related species together with their molecular phylogeny to reveal the evolutionary origin of periodical mass flowering. S. flexicaulis on Taiwan Island was found to be a polycarpic perennial with no mass flowering and, in the Yaeyama Islands, Japan, a monocarpic perennial with no mass flowering. Molecular phylogenetic analyses indicated that a polycarpic perennial was the ancestral state in this whole group including S. flexicaulis and the closely related species. No distinctive genetic differentiation was found in S. flexicaulis among all three life histories (polycarpic perennial, monocarpic perennial, and periodical plant). These results suggest that among S. flexicaulis, the periodical mass flowering on Okinawa Island had evolved from the polycarpic perennial on Taiwan Island via the monocarpic perennial in the Yaeyama Islands. Thus, the evolution of life histories could have taken at the level of local populations within a species.     

Two new fossil woods ofAcer and a new combination ofPrunus from the Tertiary of Japan

Two new species ofAcer fossil woods,A. momijiyamense andA. Watarianum, are described and a short review of fossil wood of this genus from the Tertiary of Japan is given. In the course of a study on three fossil wood species which have been described asAcer andAcernium from Japan, it is noticed thatAcernium iwatense Watari does not belong toAcer but toPrunus of the Rosaceae, and is therafore transferred intoPrunus asPrunus iwatense comb. nov.     

Three species of rust fungi (Uredinales) from Okinawa,Japan

Three species of rust fungi were reported based on the specimens collected in the islands of the Yaeyama group and Okinawa, Japan.Puccinia tarennicola onTarenna gracilipes andUredo daphniphylli onDaphniphyllum teijsmannii were described as new species.Villebrunea frutescens was added to the host plants ofUredo pipturi. Contribution No. 115, Laboratories of Plant Pathology and Mycology, Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Tsukuba.     

Taxonomic separation ofKengyilia (Poaceae: Triticeae) in relation to nearest relatedRoegneria,Elymus, andAgropyron,based on some morphological characters

Based on 100 species representative of the four genera, we scored 290 herbarium specimens for a number of morphological characters. The data were subjected to canonical discriminant analysis using characters different from those in the identification key to these genera byBaum, Yen, andYang (1991). These characters collectively support the four groupsAgropyron, Kengyilia, Roegneria, andElymus as previously defined. The four groups are also supported by the linear discriminant function with an overall rate of 83% correct classification. Length of lemma awn was found to be an additional diagnostic character asAgropyron andKengyilia have lemma awns shorter than 5 mm, whereasRoegneria andElymus have longer lemma awns with very few exceptions. Length of glume awns is also a useful supplementary generic diagnostic.Agropyron andElymus have glume awns, whereas the majority of species ofKengyilia and more than half of the species ofRoegneria lack them. If a glume awn is present it is usually not longer than 1 mm.     

Novelties in Adenia (Passifloraceae): Four new species, a new combination, a vegetative key, and diagnostic characters for known Madagascan species

Four new species and one new combination ofAdenia are presented, along with a vegetative key and diagnostic characters of the Madagascan species. Additional notes are provided about unusual specimens and field observations.Adenia kigogoensis from Tanzania is shown to be distinct fromA. stenodactyla (its putative closest relative) andA. digitata based on anther connation and other floral traits. The remaining new taxa are from Madagascar.Adenia litoralis has been observed from one coastal locality in northern Madagascar. It is distinctive in fruit size and leaf form.Adenia metamorpha is the only Madagascan taxon with a narrow cylindrical trunk and large napiform tuber; it is also known from only one locality in Madagascar in the Ankarana Reserve.Adenia mcdadiana is a robust liana with highly reduced glands and leaves that appear to be neotenic compared to its closest putative relative,A. sphaerocarpa. Finally, the position ofA. stylosa has been clarified. This species was once treated asA. firingalavensis var.stylosa, and prior to that asA. epigea var.stylosa, but molecular and morphological data suggest it is separate from these species.     

The generic classification of Fayum anthropoidea

The early anthropoid species initially described asAegyptopithecus zeuxis Simons, 1965, from the Oligocene of Egypt, although retained by many authors in the monotypic genusAegyptopithecus, has been lumped by others into the genusPropliopithecus. Similarly, the species originally described asParapithecus grangeri Simons, 1974, has been ranked by some authors in a monotypic genusSimonsius, while others retain it inParapithecus. Criteria to be considered in resolving these taxonomic debates are (1) the adequacy and consistency of proposed morphological differences between species; (2) analogy with the degree of morphological variation tolerated within extant genera; and (3) nomenclatural conservatism. A philosophy that would require strict monophyletic classification is of insufficient practical value for assessing the validity of Fayum genera. Characters cited as distinguishing vetweenAegyptopithecus andPropliopithecus, and betweenSimonsius andParapithecus, are reviewed and evaluated. The results indicate thatA. zeuxis is generically distinct from species ofPropliopithecus, based on differences in the crown structure and proportions of the molars.Pa. grangeri cannot be shown to differ at the generic level from the type and only known specimen ofPa. fraasi, thus establishing Simonsius as a junior synonym ofParapithecus.     

The leopardChimaera, a new species of chimaeroid fish from New Zealand (Holocephali, Chimaeriformes, Chimaeridae)

A new species ofChimaera is described from three specimens collected from deep water fishing grounds off the North Island of New Zealand at depths ranging from 327–1020 m. This species is distinguished from all other members of the genus by gray coloration with chocolate brown reticulations and spots covering the body and fins, as well as additional external features such as rounded pelvic fins, first dorsal fin with distinct white margin, preopercular and oral lateral line canals sharing a common branch, and morphology of pelvic claspers in males bifid, the distal 1/3 divided, with pale colored fleshy, distal lobes. Comparisons are made toC. monstrosa andC. owstoni, the two most similar species in the genus. this represents the first species ofChimaera to be described from New Zealand.     

Phylogeny of the slow lorises (genusNycticebus): An approach using mitochondrial DNA restriction enzyme analysis

Mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms in 15 specimens of three species of slow lorises-Nycticebus coucang, N. intermedius, andN. pygmaeus-were analyzed in order to study the evolutionary relationships among the species. Eight restriction types were observed in the samples. Phylogenetic trees constructed on the basis of genetic distances showed that the slow lorises sort into two clusters: four types ofN. coucang and three types ofN. intermedius plus one type ofN. pygmaeus. Our results suggest that there are two valid species in the genusNycticebus-N. coucang, andN. pygmaeus-and thatN. intermedius should be included withinN. pygmaeus. Divergence between the two species may have begun 2.7 Ma (million years ago). Evolution of gross morphology, chromosomes, and mitochondrial DNA in the slow lorises appears to be concordant.