On the Knowledge of Coprophilus (Zonyptilus) pennifer (Motschulsky, 1845) and Coprophilus (Zonyptilus) marginalis (Reitter, 1894) (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae)

Entomological Review - The type and other extensive material of Coprophilus (Zonyptilus) pennifer (Motschulsky, 1845) and some of its synonyms was examined. Coprophilus (Zonyptilus) marginalis...     

On the Synonymy of Coprophilus (Zonyptilus) pennifer (Motschulsky, 1845) (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae, Oxytelinae)

Entomological Review - The type material of several synonyms of Coprophilus (Zonyptilus) pennifer (Motschulsky, 1845) is revised. Both Coprophilus (Zonyptilus) striatipennis (Eppelsheim, 1894) and...     

Electronic structures of collagen model polymers: (Gly-Pro)n, (Gly-Hyp)n, (Ala-Pro)n, (Ala-Hyp)n, (Gly-Pro-Gly)n, (Gly-Hyp-Gly)n, (Gly-Pro-Pro)n, and (Gly-Pro-Hyp)n

In order to investigate the relationship existing between the electronic structures of collagen and its biochemical functions in vivo, the semiempirical CNDO/2 SCF MO calculations were carried out on several model polymers of collagen, (Gly-Pro)_n, (Gly-Hyp)_n, (Ala-Pro)_n, (Ala-Hyp)_n, (Gly-Pro-Gly)_n, (Gly-Hyp-Gly)_n, (Gly-Pro-Pro)_n and (Gly-Pro-Hyp)_n. Geometries of the skeleton of these polymers were assumed to be the same as those of poly(l-proline) I (cis) and II (trans) and the calculations were performed only on infinite polymers in a single chain. The results show that the cis form is always more stable than the trans form for all the polymers treated. This energy difference between the cis and trans forms depends, for example, on the kind of amino acid residue, Gly or Ala, but this could not be seen in the Pro or Hyp residue. The flexibility or mobility of the collagen structure was explained using the energy difference between the cis and trans forms of the polymers, i.e. the cis-trans conversion of the collagen was discussed in connection with the energy difference. The reason why the collagen has the constitution of (Gly-Pro-Hyp)_n is briefly discussed.     

Tachinid (Diptera, Tachinidae) parasitoids of sawflies (Hymenoptera, Symphyta)

A list of 31 genera of tachinid parasitoids of sawflies is given. Despite the ecological and habitual similarity of sawflies and Lepidoptera, utilization of sawflies by tachinids was not as successful from the evolutionary point of view as utilization of Lepidoptera. Parasitism of tachinids in sawflies is evidently secondary; it appeared repeatedly and originates from parasitism in Lepidoptera. Most genera of tachinids are polyphagous. Endoparasitic Hymenoptera are koinobionts similarly to tachinids. The direct contact of the parasitoid with active mobile host larva not only results in complication of behavior and its specialization, but also promotes formation of different morphological innovations faster than that in idiobionts.     

Molecular-Mechanical studies of the mismatched base analogs of d(CGCGAATTCGCG)2:d(CGTGAATTCGCG)2, d(CGAGAATTCGCG)2, d(CGCGAATTCACG)2, d(CGCGAATTCTCG)2, and d(CGCAGAATTCGCG)·d(CGCGAATTCGCG)

Molecular-mechanical simulations have been carried out on “mismatched base” analogs of the DNA double-helical structure d(CGCGAATTCGCG)₂, in which the base pairs CG at the 3 and 10 positions have been replaced by CA, AG, TC, and TG base pairs, as well as an insertion analog in which an extra adenine has been incorporated into one strand of the above structure between bases 3 and 4. The results of these simulations (calculated relative stabilities, structures, and nmr ring-current shifts) have been compared with calorimetric and nmr data. The calculated relative stabilities of the double-helical parent dodecamer and the various “wobble” base pairs qualitatively correlate with the experimental melting temperatures. The base-pairing structure for the GT wobble pair is in agreement with that previously determined from nmr experiments. For the GA base pair, the structure with both bases anti has a slightly more favorable energy from base pairing and stacking than a structure with non-Watson-Crick H-bonding with adenine syn, in agreement with nmr experiments. The CA wobble base is calculated to favor an adenine 6NH₂ …? cytosine N3 H-bond over cytosine 4NH₂ …? adenine N1, again, in agreement with nmr experiments. There is no definitive experimental data on the TC base pair, but the existence of (somewhat long and weak) H-bonds involving cytosine 4NH₂ …? thymine 4CO and cytosine N3 …? thymine HN3 seems reasonable. We find a structure in which the extra adenine base of the insertion analogs sits “inside” the double helix.     

Sensory Spots of Echinoderes capitatus (Zelinka, 1928) (Kinorhyncha,Cyclorhagida)

The sensory spots of Echinoderes capitatus from the Gulf of Trieste were examined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Their arrangement is bilaterally symmetrical and is species-specific. At the cuticle surface the sensory spot appears as a rounded to ovoid area of small cuticular papillae in which two pores open. The sensory organ consists of two different sensory cells, the monociliary receptor and the collar receptor, and one sheath cell. The course of the axons and their connections to the nervous system are described. A survey of collar receptors among invertebrates is given. A comparison of the sensory spots within Kinorhyncha and a comparison with the flosculi of Priapulida and the N-flosculi of Loricifera is made. A possible homology of these three structures is discussed.     

The Medusa of Velella velella (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hydrozoa, Chondrophorae)

A mature medusa of Velella velella (Linnaeus, 1758) is reportedfor the first time from the North Atlantic; previously adultmedusae were known only from the Mediterranean. This specimen,collected by SCUBA divers, is the largest specimen recordedto date. Distinctive features are: two opposite adaxial-axialpairs of perradial capitate tentacles; two marginal bulbs lackingtentacles; conical manubrium with 4 perradial longitudinal gonads;perradial exumbrellar cnidae tracts; cnidome of stenoteles andmacrobasic euryteles; and zooxanthellae within the subumbrella.Since this specimen was collected near the surface and has zooxanthellae,it is likely that V. velella medusae are epipelagic.     

First description of the female of Sarcophaga (Sarcorohdendorfia) gracilior (Chen, 1975) (Diptera,Sarcophagidae)

Sarcophaga (Sarcorohdendorfia) gracilior (Chen, 1975) is documented from specimens collected in Hubei Province, China, using morphological characters and wing interference patterns (WIPs). The female of S. (S.) gracilior is described for the first time, the male is redescribed, and both sexes are photographed. The distribution of the species is updated.     

Syntheses of Phosphonate Analogues of Dideoxyadenosine (DDA)-, Dideoxycytidine (DDC)-, Dideoxyinosine (DDI)-, and Deoxythymidine (DDT)-5′-Monophosphates

Abstract

Phosphonate derivatives of ddA, ddC, ddI and ddT (5f, 5e, 5c, and 5a) were prepared by condensing the 5′-aldehydes with diphenyl triphenylphosphoranylidenemethylphosphonate, reducing the resultant olefins and hydrolyzing the phosphonate phenyl esters, sequentially, with base and then C. atrox phosphodiesterase.     

Phylogeography of Iurus dufoureius (Brullé, 1832) (Scorpiones, Iuridae)

Aim  This study uses molecular data in conjunction with palaeogeography to infer the most plausible biogeographical scenario accounting for the current distributional pattern of Iurus dufoureius .
Location  North-eastern Mediterranean region.
Methods  Sequencing of a 441-bp segment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene in seven populations covering the whole distributional range of the species. Phylogenetic analyses performed included neighbour joining, maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference.
Results  The molecular phylogeny showed that two Iurus clades are strongly supported. These clades correspond to the two subspecies Iurus dufoureius dufoureius and Iurus dufoureius asiaticus , currently recognized within the genus. The assumption of a clock-like evolution could not be rejected, and this enabled us to estimate an approximation of the local rate of evolution for the I. dufoureius lineages. Based on the estimated evolutionary rate (0.79 ± 0.17 Myr⁻¹), the split between the two Iurus clades occurred c. 8 Ma.
Main conclusions  Contrary to what was believed in the past, the genus Iurus is an old north-eastern Mediterranean genus that has been differentiating in southern Greece and south-west Turkey at least from the middle Miocene. According to the phylogenetic trees obtained and the dating of the divergence times of lineages, the genus dispersed into the Aegean Archipelago when the Aegean was still a uniform land mass. Although the phylogenetic relationships of I. d. dufoureius populations have been shaped by the most recent vicariant events, the phylogenetic relationships of I. d. asiaticus populations are mostly attributable to older palaeoevents occurring in the area.     

三种常见实蝇的形态学、生物学和生态学比较

对瓜实蝇Bactrocera (Tetradacus) minax (Enderlein)、桔小实蝇Bactrocera (Bactrocera) dorsalis (Hendel)和桔大实蝇Bactrocera (Zeugodacus) cucurbitae (Coquillett)的形态学、生物学、生态学等方面进行了比较和分析,包括三种实蝇在国内外的分布情况,对寄主选择的差异,各种虫态的形态特征,发育历期和生活史,并对它们的危害状况和防治方法分别作了介绍,可为3种实蝇的鉴定和防治提供参考.     

Redescription and distribution of Boeckella gibbosa (Brehm, 1935) (Copepoda,Calanoida, Centropagidae)

Thirty-five species of the family Lecanidae are examined from Tripura state in North-Eastern India. Of these, Lecane levistyla and L. scutata are interesting cold-water forms; L. batillifer is an Australasian element; L. acanthinula and L. sinuata are Oriental endemics and L. braumi, L. lateralis and L. simonneae are palaeotropical species. The lecanid fauna also includes the pantropical L. thienemanni and L. sola while the remainder are cosmopolitan and tropicopolitan elements. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Life history strategy of Leptinaria unilamellata (d'Orbigny, 1835) (Mollusca,Pulmonata, Subulinidae)

Abstract

Life history theory predicts that the patterns of resource allocation in animals are associated with different strategies, selected in the course of evolution. In the present study, the life history of Leptinaria unilamellata was characterized under laboratory conditions. We determined the growth, reproduction, and longevity patterns of this species and elucidated the strategy related to the development of embryos, through direct observations and examination of the morphology of the gravid uterus. Furthermore, we attempted to analyze the glycogen and galactogen contents of the albumen gland, digestive gland and cephalopedal mass in order to understand energy allocation to life history traits, for three life stages. Leptinaria unilamellata's life history is characterized by great longevity, a short juvenile phase, early sexual maturity, and repeated reproductive events, with little reproductive effort at each event and some mortality shortly after the first reproduction. In the terraria, we found juveniles but no eggs. However, the results of the anatomical study showed no morphological connection between the embryos and the parental organism. Thus, this species should be described as ovoviviparous rather than viviparous. Egg retention in the parent organism is the primary cause of the release of juveniles, instead of eggs, enabling the offspring to withstand environmental stress. The higher quantity of galactogen found in the adults' albumen gland, as compared to juveniles and senescent individuals, as well as the ratio of glycogen to galactogen, reveal the allocation of energy to reproduction rather than to growth. The remaining energy is directed to the maintenance of omeostasis. Such pattern was confirmed by the low levels of glycogen and galactogen observed in the senescent stage, compared to the juvenile and adult stages. In the life strategy of L. unilamellata, the distribution of the reproductive effort among many events associated with ovoviviparity indicates a long-term investment in reproductive success.     

Phenetic analysis of populations of Porcellionides pruinosus (Brandt, 1833) (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea)

The cosmopolitan species, Porcellionides pruinosus (Brandt, 1833), exhibited a geographical variation of its morphological features and its reproduction pattern. In fact, some Tunisian populations had a seasonal reproductive period and other ones showed a reproductive activity. A phenetic analysis has been performed to compare populations belonging to P. pruinosus from different geographical localities. For this, nineteen quantitative characters in 800 specimens of P. pruinosus issued from nine populations located in the North, the Centre, and the South of Tunisia, and one population from Athens (Greece) were studied. These populations were characterized by different reproductive behaviours. The populations of Tabarka, Korba, and Tamerza showed reproductive activity, whereas those of Garat Naam, Raccada, Sahline, Gafsa, Rdayef, Gabès, and Athens exhibited a seasonal reproductive period. The variability of the first three axes of the principal components analysis (PCA) and their significance showed an intraspecific variability structure. The graphical representation of the population's dispersion generated by the two first axes (63.55% of the total variability) revealed a great heterogeneity among females of the different populations of P. pruinosus. The Garat Naam population was set apart from the other ones by its cephalic width and length and also by its apophysis length. Furthermore, cephalic and uropod length separated the Garat Naam and Tabarka populations. The dendrogram, based on Euclidean coordinates, confirms an isolation of the populations of Tabarka and Garat Naam, exhibiting respectively reproductive activity and seasonal reproduction. However, the other populations do not show any relationship with the reproduction behaviour. They were clustered in two groups. The first one is represented by the populations of the Southeast and the West of Tunisia. The second pooled the populations of the Northeast and the Centre of Tunisia with the population of Athens (Greece). Phenetic analysis of Tunisian populations exhibits an important heterogeneity, which is worth noting. Thus, we need to complete and deepen this study by genetic analysis and crossbreeding tests in order to define the taxonomic status of these populations.     

Revision of the subgenus Ceratitis (Pardalaspis) Bezzi, 1918 (Diptera, Tephritidae, Ceratitini)

Abstract. The fruit fly genus Ceratitis (Diptera: Tephritidae) comprises several important pest species attacking a wide range of unrelated fruits. In this paper the subgenus Ceratitis ( Pardalaspis ) Bezzi is revised. Ten species are recognized of which five are described as new: C.(P.)hamata sp.n., C.(P.)munroi sp.n., C.(P.)serrata sp.n., C.(P.)semipunctata sp.n. and C.(P.)zairensis sp.n. A key to both sexes is provided. All species are restricted to the Afrotropical Region and distributional and known host plant data are given.     

Synthesis and antioxidant evaluation of (S,S)- and (R,R)-secoisolariciresinol diglucosides (SDGs)

Secoisolariciresinol diglucosides (SDGs) (S,S)-SDG-1 (major isomer in flaxseed) and (R,R)-SDG-2 (minor isomer in flaxseed) were synthesized from vanillin via secoisolariciresinol (6) and glucosyl donor 7 through a concise route that involved chromatographic separation of diastereomeric diglucoside derivatives (S,S)-8 and (R,R)-9. Synthetic (S,S)-SDG-1 and (R,R)-SDG-2 exhibited potent antioxidant properties (EC₅₀ = 292.17 ± 27.71 μM and 331.94 ± 21.21 μM, respectively), which compared well with that of natural (S,S)-SDG-1 (EC₅₀ = 275.24 ± 13.15 μM). These values are significantly lower than those of ascorbic acid (EC₅₀ = 1129.32 ± 88.79 μM) and α-tocopherol (EC₅₀ = 944.62 ± 148.00 μM). Compounds (S,S)-SDG-1 and (R,R)-SDG-2 also demonstrated powerful scavenging activities against hydroxyl [natural (S,S)-SDG-1: 3.68 ± 0.27; synthetic (S,S)-SDG-1: 2.09 ± 0.16; synthetic (R,R)-SDG-2: 1.96 ± 0.27], peroxyl [natural (S,S)-SDG-1: 2.55 ± 0.11; synthetic (S,S)-SDG-1: 2.20 ± 0.10; synthetic (R,R)-SDG-2: 3.03 ± 0.04] and DPPH [natural (S,S)-SDG-1: EC₅₀ = 83.94 ± 2.80 μM; synthetic (S,S)-SDG-1: EC₅₀ = 157.54 ± 21.30 μM; synthetic (R,R)-SDG-2: EC₅₀ = 123.63 ± 8.67 μM] radicals. These results confirm previous studies with naturally occurring (S,S)-SDG-1 and establish both (S,S)-SDG-1 and (R,R)-SDG-2 as potent antioxidants and free radical scavengers for potential in vivo use.     

New species of Haplometroides (Digenea: Plagiorchiidae) from Phalotris nasutus (Gomes, 1915) (Serpentes, Colubridae)

A new species of Haplometroides (Digenea, Plagiorchiidae) is described from a specimen of Phalotris nasutus (Gomes, 1915) (Serpentes, Colubridae). The host snake was obtained in the municipality of Corumbd, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. Trematodes were recovered from esophagus, stomach, and small intestine of the host. The main characteristic of the new species is the vitellaria, which is intercecal, cecal, and extracecal in the preacetabular region. A key for identification of the species in Haplometroides is proposed.