Foreign exploration for Scirtothrips perseae Nakahara (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and associated natural enemies on avocado (Persea americana Miller)

Scirtothrips perseae Nakahara was discovered attacking avocados in California, USA, in 1996. Host plant surveys in California indicated that S. perseae has a highly restricted host range with larvae being found only on avocados, while adults were collected from 11 different plant species. As part of a management program for this pest, a “classical” biological control program was initiated and foreign exploration was conducted to delineate the home range of S. perseae, to survey for associated natural enemies and inventory other species of phytophagous thrips on avocados grown in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad, and Brazil. Foreign exploration efforts indicate that S. perseae occurs on avocados grown at high altitudes (>1500 m) from Uruapan in Mexico south to areas around Guatemala City in Guatemala. In Costa Rica, S. perseae is replaced by an undescribed congener as the dominant phytophagous thrips on avocados grown at high altitudes (>1300 m). No species of Scirtothrips were found on avocados in the Dominican Republic, Trinidad, or Brazil. In total, 2136 phytophagous thrips were collected and identified, representing over 47 identified species from at least 19 genera. The significance of these species records is discussed. Of collected material 4% were potential thrips biological control agents. Natural enemies were dominated by six genera of predatory thrips (Aeolothrips, Aleurodothrips, Franklinothrips, Leptothrips, Scolothrips, and Karnyothrips). One genus each of parasitoid (Ceranisus) and predatory mite (Balaustium) were found. Based on the results of our sampling techniques, prospects for the importation of thrips natural enemies for use in a “classical” biological control program in California against S. perseae are not promising.     

Phylogeny of cardinalfishes (Teleostei: Gobiiformes: Apogonidae) and the evolution of visceral bioluminescence

The cardinalfishes (Apogonidae) are a diverse clade of small, mostly reef-dwelling fishes, for which a variety of morphological data have not yielded a consistent phylogeny. We use DNA sequence to hypothesize phylogenetic relationships within Apogonidae and among apogonids and other acanthomorph families, to examine patterns of evolution including the distribution of a visceral bioluminescence system. In conformance with previous studies, Apogonidae is placed in a clade with Pempheridae, Kurtidae, Leiognathidae, and Gobioidei. The apogonid genus Pseudamia is recovered outside the remainder of the family, not as sister to the superficially similar genus Gymnapogon. Species sampled from the Caribbean and Western Atlantic (Phaeoptyx, Astrapogon, and some Apogon species) form a clade, as do the larger-bodied Glossamia and Cheilodipterus. Incidence of visceral bioluminescence is found scattered throughout the phylogeny, independently for each group in which it is present. Examination of the fine structure of the visceral bioluminescence system through histology shows that light organs exhibit a range of morphologies, with some composed of complex masses of tubules (Siphamia, Pempheris, Parapriacanthus) and others lacking tubules but containing chambers formed by folds of the visceral epithelium (Acropoma, Archamia, Jaydia, and Rhabdamia). Light organs in Siphamia, Acropoma, Pempheris and Parapriacanthus are distinct from but connected to the gut; those in Archamia, Jaydia, and Rhabdamia are simply portions of the intestinal tract, and are little differentiated from the surrounding tissues. The presence or absence of symbiotic luminescent bacteria does not correlate with light organ structure; the tubular light organs of Siphamia and chambered tubes of Acropoma house bacteria, those in Pempheridae and the other Apogonidae do not.     

Molecular phylogeny of Phebalium (Rutaceae: Boronieae) and related genera based on the nrDNA regions ITS 1+2

Parsimony analyses of the internal transcribed spacer regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS 1 & ITS 2) for 38 taxa sampled from the Phebalium group (Rutaceae: Boronieae) and two outgroups confirm that, with the exception of Phebalium sensu stricto and Rhadinothamnus, six of the currently recognised genera within the group are monophyletic. The data indicate that Phebaliums. str. is paraphyletic with respect to Microcybe, and Rhadinothamnus is paraphyletic with respect to Chorilaena. Rhadinothamnus and Chorilaena together are the sister group to Nematolepis. Drummondita, included as an outgroup taxon, clustered within the ingroup as sister to Muiriantha and related to Asterolasia.The phylogeny suggests that the evolution of major clades within a number of these genera (e.g. Phebalium) relates to vicariance events between eastern and south-western Australia. Leionema is an eastern genus, with the most basal taxon being the morphologically distinct Leionema ellipticum from northern Queensland. Leionema also includes one species from New Zealand, but this species (as with some others) proved difficult to sequence and its phylogenetic position remains unknown. Taxonomic changes at the generic level are recommended.The authors wish to thank Paul G.Wilson, PERTH, for advice and discussion, and Paul Forster, BRI, for collecting and providing material of Leionema ellipticum. The project was supported by a Melbourne University Postgraduate Award (to BM), the Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS), Australian Systematic Botany Society and Wolf Den (Australia) Investments.     

Tracking down the "head blob": comparative analysis of wingless expression in the developing insect procephalon reveals progressive reduction of embryonic visual system patterning in higher insects

The evolution of larval head morphology in holometabolous insects is characterized by reduction of antennal appendages and the visual system components. Little insight has been gained into molecular developmental changes underlying this morphological diversification. Here we compare the expression of the segment polarity gene wingless (wg) in the pregnathal head of fruit fly, flour beetle and grasshopper embryos. We provide evidence that wg activity contributes to segment border formation, and, subsequently, the separation of the visual system and protocerebrum anlagen in the anterior procephalon. In directly developing insects like grasshopper, seven expression domains are formed during this process. The activation of four of these, which correspond to polar expression pairs in the optic lobe anlagen and the protocerebral ectoderm, has shifted to postembryonic stages in flour beetle and Drosophila. The remaining three domains map to the protocerebral neuroectoderm, and form by disintegration of a large precursor domain in flour beetle and grasshopper. In Drosophila, the precursor domain remains intact, constituting the previously described “head blob”. These data document major changes in the expression of an early patterning gene correlated with the dramatic evolution of embryonic visual system development in the Holometabola.     

Molecular identification of Taenia spp. in wolves (Canis lupus), brown bears (Ursus arctos) and cervids from North Europe and Alaska

Taenia tapeworms of Finnish and Swedish wolves (Canis lupus) and Finnish brown bears (Ursus arctos), and muscle cysticerci of Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus), Alaskan Grant's caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) and Alaskan moose (Alces americanus) were identified on the basis of the nucleotide sequence of a 396 bp region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. Two species were found from wolves: Taenia hydatigena and Taenia krabbei. The cysticerci of reindeer, caribou and one moose also represented T. krabbei. Most of the cysticercal specimens from Alaskan moose, however, belonged to an unknown T. krabbei-like species, which had been reported previously from Eurasian elks (Alces alces) from Finland. Strobilate stages from two bears belonged to this species as well. The present results suggest that this novel Taenia sp. has a Holarctic distribution and uses Alces spp. as intermediate and ursids as final hosts.     

中国石蕊科地衣研究之四石蕊属地衣新种及中国新记录

摘要:本文报道了中国横断山地区石蕊属地衣12种,其中新种1个:贡嘎石蕊(Cladonia ngganensis S.Y. Guo & Wei),中国新记录11种:类黄粉石蕊(Cl. bacilliformis),比蒙氏石(Cl. beaumontii),小棍棒石蕊(Cl. clavulifera),圆筒石蕊(Cl. cylindrica),具粉石蕊(Cl. farinacea),北海道石蕊(Cl. hokkaidensis),厚叶石蕊(Cl. incrassata),大叶石蕊(Cl. macrophylla),丛杯石蕊( Cl. mateocyatha),多孔石蕊(Cl. multiformis)和亚石蕊(Cl. subrangiformis)。对于每一种的化学成分及地理分布进行了测定和分析。     

Fungal Thyroiditis: An Overview

The authors review the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of fungal thyroiditis cases previously reported in the medical literature. Aspergillus was by far the most common cause of fungal thyroiditis. Immunocompromised patients, such as those with leukemia, lymphoma, autoimmune diseases, and organ-transplant patients on pharmacological immunosuppression were particularly at risk. Fungal thyroiditis was diagnosed at autopsy as part of disseminated infection in a substantial number of patients without clinical manifestations and laboratory evidence of thyroid dysfunction. Local signs and symptoms of infection were indistinguishable from other infectious thyroiditis and included fever, anterior cervical pain, thyroid enlargement sometimes associated with dysphagia and dysphonia, and clinical and laboratory features of transient hyperthyroidism due to the release of thyroid hormone from follicular cell damage, followed by residual hypothyroidism. Antemortem diagnosis of fungal thyroiditis was made by direct microscopy and culture of a fine-needle aspirate, or/and biopsy in most cases. Since most patients with fungal thyroiditis had disseminated fungal infection with delay in diagnosis and treatment, the overall mortality was high.     

安徽牯牛降的丝孢菌Ⅰ

本文报导作者采自安徽枯牛降自然保护区的18种丝孢菌,分属于5个属,其中有3个新种:牛皮冻生尾孢(Cercospora paederiicola),山鸡椒假尾饱(Pseudocercospora litseae-cubebae),鸡血藤生假尾孢(P. millettiicola)和2个中国新纪录。文中对新种进行了描述及绘图,新记录种作了简要说明。研究的标本保存在中国科学院微生物研究所真菌标本室(HMAS)。     

Changes of dung beetle communities from rainforests towards agroforestry systems and annual cultures in Sulawesi (Indonesia)

Little is known about how tropical land-use systems contribute to the conservation of functionally important insect groups, including dung beetles. In a study at the margin of Lore Lindu National Park (a biodiversity hotspot in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia) dung-beetle communities were sampled in natural forest, young secondary forest, agroforestry systems (cacao plantations with shade trees) and annual cultures (maize fields), each with four replicates (n = 16 sites). At each site we used 10 pitfall traps, baited with cattle dung, along a 100 m transect for six 3-day periods. The number of trapped specimens and species richness at the natural forest sites was higher than in all land-use systems, which did not significantly differ. Each land-use system contained, on average, 75% of the species richness of the natural forest, thereby indicating their importance for conservation. However, a two-dimensional scaling plot based on NESS indices (m = 6) indicated distinct dung beetle communities for both forest types, while agroforestry systems and annual cultures exhibited a pronounced overlap. Mean body size of dung beetles was not significantly influenced by land-use intensity. Five of the six most abundant dung beetle species were recorded in all habitats, whereas the abundance of five other species was significantly related to habitat type. Mean local abundance and number of occupied sites were closely correlated, further indicating little habitat specialisation. The low dung beetle diversity (total of 18 recorded species) may be due to the absence of larger mammals in Sulawesi during historical times, even though Sulawesi is the largest island of Wallacea. In conclusion, the dung beetle fauna of the lower montane forest zone in Central Sulawesi appears to be relatively robust to man-made habitat changes and the majority of species did not exhibit strong habitat preferences.     

Seven new calochroid and fulvoid species of Cortinarius

We describe seven new European species of Cortinarius. All species are based on analyses of morphological and DNA sequence data. They all belong to a well-supported clade comprising most species traditionally treated in Cortinarius subgenus Phlegmacium sections Fulvi and Calochroi (i.e. the/Calochroi clade). All taxa are either fulvoid (containing anthraquinoid pigments) or calochroid (without these pigments). Morphological and ecological data are presented for all species and compared with similar species. A dichotomous key is presented for C. calochrous and similar species, including all six newly described calochroid species. The calochroid species C. albertii, C. chailluzii, C. cisticola, C. sancti-felicis, C. selandicus and C. vesterholtii spp. nov., and the fulvoid species C. langeorum sp. nov. are described.     

Planting densities and bird and rodent absence affect size distributions of four dicots in synthetic tallgrass communities

Variability in the size distributions of populations is usually studied in monocultures or in mixed plantings of two species. Variability of size distributions of populations in more complex communities has been neglected. The effects of seeding density (35 or 350 seeds/species/m²) and presence of small vertebrates on the variability of size distributions were studied for a total of 1,920 individuals of 4 species in replicated synthetic communities of 18 species in northern Illinois. End-of season height and above-ground biomass were measured for prairie perennials Dalea purpurea (purple prairie clover), Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower), Desmanthus illinoensis (Illinois bundleflower) and Heliopsis helianthoides (early sunflower). Variability in biomass distribution of the four target species was twice as great at low than at high densities when small vertebrates were excluded. Our results suggest that inter- and intraspecific competition may affect all individuals more under high-density conditions, thereby reducing the variability in their biomass distributions within this community. This result, a consequence of plant-plant interaction, is obscured when small birds or mammals are present, presumably because either or both add variance that overwhelms the pattern.     

A molecular phylogeny of Hebeloma species from Europe

In order to widen the scope of existing phylogenies of the ectomycorrhizal agaric genus Hebeloma a total of 53 new rDNA ITS sequences from that genus was generated, augmented by sequences retrieved from GenBank, and analysed using Bayesian, strict consensus and neighbour joining methods. The lignicolous Hebelomina neerlandica, Gymnopilus penetrans, and two species of Galerina served as outgroup taxa. Anamika indica, as well as representatives of the genera Hymenogaster and Naucoria, were included to test the monophyly of Hebeloma, which is confirmed by the results. Hebeloma, Naucoria, Hymenogaster and Anamika indica cluster in a strongly supported monophyletic hebelomatoid clade. All trees largely reflect the current infrageneric classification within Hebeloma, and divide the genus into mostly well-supported monophyletic groups surrounding H. crustuliniforme, H. velutipes, H. sacchariolens, H. sinapizans, and H. radicosum, with H. sarcophyllum being shown at an independent position; however this is not well supported. The section Indusiata divides with strong support into three groups, the position of the pleurocystidiate Hebeloma cistophilum suggests the possible existence of a third subsection within sect. Indusiata. Subsection Sacchariolentia is raised to the rank of section.     

Foraging Ants as Scavengers on Entomopathogenic Nematode-Killed Insects

Ants were the most apparent invertebrate scavengers observed foraging on entomopathogenic nematode-killed insects (i.e., insect cadavers containing entomopathogenic nematodes and their symbiotic bacteria) in the present study. Workers of the Argentine ant,Linepithema humile(Mayr), scavenged nematode-killed insects on the surface and those buried 2 cm below the soil surface. Ant workers scavenged significantly more steinernematid-killed (60–85%) than heterorhabditid-killed (10–20%) insects. More 4-day-postinfected cadavers (hosts died within 48 h after exposure to nematodes) were scavenged than 10-day-postinfected cadavers. Ten-day-postinfected hosts contained live infective juvenile nematodes therefore ants may serve as phoretic agents. Other ant species, includingVeromessor andrei(Mayr),Pheidole vistanaForel,Formica pacificaFrancoeur, andMonomoriom ergatogynaWheeler, also scavenged nematode-killed insects. These ant species removed or destroyed about 45% of the steinernematid-killed insects. These results suggest that survival of steinernematid nematodes may be more significantly impacted by invertebrate scavengers, especially ants, than that of heterorhabditid nematodes, and placement of steinernematid-killed insects in the field for biological control may be an ineffective release strategy. Because entomopathogenic nematodes kill insects with the help of symbiotic bacteria, we tested the role of these bacterial species in deterring invertebrate scavengers by injecting bacteria (without nematodes) into insects and placing the cadavers in the field. None of the insects killed by the symbiotic bacterium,Photorhabdus luminescens(Thomas and Poinar) fromHeterorhabditis bacteriophoraPoinar, were scavanged, whereas 70% of the insects killed by the symbiotic bacterium,Xenorhabdus nematophilus(Poinar and Thomas) fromSteinernema carpocapsae(Weiser), and 90% of the insects killed byBacillus thuringiensisBerliner were scavenged by the Argentine ant. We conclude thatP. luminescensis responsible for preventing ants from foraging on heterorhabditid-killed hosts.     

Removal of wastewater pathogen indicators in a constructed wetland in Leon, Spain

This paper studies the seasonal presence and removal of the pathogenous micro-organisms Escherichia coli, total coliforms (TC), Clostridium perfringens (Cp), faecal streptococci (FS), Giardia cysts, Cryptosporidium oocysts and helminth eggs, in a constructed wetland treatment system. The removal efficiency of this system with respect to the indicator micro-organisms achieved maximum values in spring and autumn at 99.9% for E. coli and TC, respectively, in winter at 97.0% for FS, in summer at 100% for Clostridium and throughout the year, also at 100%, in the case of Giardia cysts, Cryptosporidium oocysts and helminth eggs. In general, very low protozoan and helminth egg counts were found, and the system demonstrated efficient reduction of the wastewater indicator pathogens.     

New geographical distribution and host records of rust fungi from northern Thailand

Ten species of rust fungi (Crossopsora 2, Maravalia 1, Pileolaria 1, Puccinia 1, Ravenelia 1, Sphaerophragmium 1, Uredo 2, and Uromyces 1) are newly recorded together with six new host plants in Thailand.Contribution no. 194, Laboratory of Plant Parasitic Mycology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan     

Phylogeny and Megasystematics of Phagotrophic Heterokonts (Kingdom Chromista)

Heterokonts are evolutionarily important as the most nutritionally diverse eukaryote supergroup and the most species-rich branch of the eukaryotic kingdom Chromista. Ancestrally photosynthetic/phagotrophic algae (mixotrophs), they include several ecologically important purely heterotrophic lineages, all grossly understudied phylogenetically and of uncertain relationships. We sequenced 18S rRNA genes from 14 phagotrophic non-photosynthetic heterokonts and a probable Ochromonas, performed phylogenetic analysis of 210–430 Heterokonta, and revised higher classification of Heterokonta and its three phyla: the predominantly photosynthetic Ochrophyta; the non-photosynthetic Pseudofungi; and Bigyra (now comprising subphyla Opalozoa, Bicoecia, Sagenista). The deepest heterokont divergence is apparently between Bigyra, as revised here, and Ochrophyta/Pseudofungi. We found a third universal heterokont signature sequence, and deduce three independent losses of ciliary hairs, several of 1-2 cilia, 10 of photosynthesis, but perhaps only two plastid losses. In Ochrophyta, heterotrophic Oikomonas is sister to the photosynthetic Chrysamoeba, whilst the abundant freshwater predator Spumella is biphyletic; neither clade is specifically related to Paraphysomonas, indicating four losses of photosynthesis by chrysomonads. Sister to Chrysomonadea (Chrysophyceae) is Picophagea cl. nov. (Picophagus, Chlamydomyxa). The diatom-parasite Pirsonia belongs in Pseudofungi. Heliozoan-like actinophryids (e.g. Actinosphaerium) are Opalozoa, not related to pedinellids within Hypogyristea cl. nov. of Ochrophyta as once thought. The zooflagellate class Bicoecea (perhaps the ancestral phenotype of Bigyra) is unexpectedly diverse and a major focus of our study. We describe four new biciliate bicoecean genera and five new species: Nerada mexicana, Labromonas fenchelii (=Pseudobodo tremulans sensu Fenchel), Boroka karpovii (=P. tremulans sensu Karpov), Anoeca atlantica and Cafeteria mylnikovii; several cultures were previously misidentified as Pseudobodo tremulans. Nerada and the uniciliate Paramonas are related to Siluania and Adriamonas; this clade (Pseudodendromonadales emend.) is probably sister to Bicosoeca. Genetically diverse Caecitellus is probably related to Anoeca, Symbiomonas and Cafeteria (collectively Anoecales emend.). Boroka is sister to Pseudodendromonadales/Bicoecales/Anoecales. Placidiales are probably divergent bicoeceans (the GenBank Placidia sequence is a basidiomycete/heterokont chimaera). Two GenBank ‘opalinid’ sequences are fungal; Pseudopirsonia is cercozoan; two previous GenBank ‘Caecitellus’ sequences are Adriamonas. Electronic Supplementary Material Electronic Supplementary material is available for this article at and accessible for authorised users. [Reviewing Editior: Patnck J. Keeling]