Temporal and spatial patterns of annelid populations in intertidal sediments of the Quequén Grande estuary (Argentina)

Temporal and spatial patterns of polychaete and oligochaete populations inhabiting intertidal sediments of the Quequén Grande estuary (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina) were analysed monthly during a yearly period. Local sediments are poorly selected, very fine sands, with a high percentage of mud. Two sites, located at both banks of the estuary were studied: (1) Site N, with a comparatively steep slope and percentage of mud increasing with sediment depth; (2) Site Q, with a gentle slope and percentage of mud increasing towards the sediment surface. The assemblage of annelids was characterised by a very low specific richness, being composed just by 4 species: the polychaetes Laeonereis acuta, Boccardiella ligerica and Capitella sp., and the tubificid oligochaete Ilyodrilus cf. frantzi. Density of the nereid L. acuta reached a peak in late summer and a minimum in spring. The population of Capitella sp. also showed maximum densities in summer, but collapsed during early fall, disappearing completely from the study area. Densities of I. cf. frantzi were highly variable in time and space. Three of the 4 species showed maximum densities at site Q, where mud content was highest at the sediment surface. At this sampling site, most of the L. acuta population occurred within the upper 8 cm of the substrate. On the contrary, at site N, where mud and organic matter content increased with depth, this species was more abundant at subsurface layers (8–16 cm) than at the sediment surface.     

Scale-dependent patterns of macrofaunal distribution in soft-sediment intertidal habitats along a large-scale estuarine gradient

We investigated the pattern of distribution of intertidal soft-bottom fauna in streams and lagoons of the Uruguayan coast at three spatial scales. The Río de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean produce on this coast a large-scale gradient in salinity, defining a freshwater (west), an estuarine (central) and a marine (east) region. Within each region, there are several streams and coastal lagoons (sites) that define a second scale of variability. A third scale is given by intertidal gradients within each site. Species richness and total abundance was low in the freshwater west region and high in the central and east regions. The community in the west region was characterized by the clam Curbicula fluminea; in the other regions, it was dominated mainly by the polychaete Heteromastus similis. The polychaete Nephtys fluviatilis was more abundant in the east region, while another polychaete, Laeonereis acuta, characterized the central region. Sediment fractions did not vary significantly at this scale. At the scale of the sites, species richness and total macrofaunal abundance were higher in coastal lagoons than in streams. Coarse sands were more common in coastal lagoons, while medium and fine sand characterized the sediment in streams. Within each site, species richness and total abundance increased towards the lower intertidal level; the macrofauna of the upper levels were a subsample of the fauna occurring at the lower levels. There was also a significantly lower proportion of fine sand at the upper level. At regional scales, the observed patterns may be indirectly or directly related to the gradient in salinity, through differential physiological tolerance to osmotic stress. At the scale of the sites, variability may be explained mainly by geomorphological and sedimentological differences between lagoons and streams. Variation among levels may be related to gradients in desiccation, colonization and predation.     

Genetic admixing of two evergreen oaks,Quercus acuta and Q. sessilifolia (subgenus Cyclobalanopsis), is the result of interspecific introgressive hybridization

In forests worldwide, Quercus is a major genus; however, the boundaries between the constituent species are relatively weak, and hybridization is reported frequently. In this study, we examined Quercus acuta and Quercus sessilifolia (subgenus Cyclobalanopsis), which have a putative hybrid—Q. x takaoyamensis. We investigated leaf morphological traits and microsatellites of Q. acuta and Q. sessilifolia in the area where the two species are both found. Although the leaf traits overlapped, the two species could be distinguished morphologically as demonstrated by principal component analysis based on a range of these traits. They were also genetically differentiated, with F _ST?=?0.104. However, they shared most of the alleles at all eight loci examined, and considerable genetic admixing was detected. Admixture analysis demonstrated that Q. acuta and Q. sessilifolia, respectively, contained 11 and 24 % of individuals with a probability of less than 0.9 of being correctly assigned to their species. Model-based testing showed that this admixing was created by not only shared ancestral polymorphism but also by hybridization. Effective population size and migration rate were estimated using the coalescent approach. We estimated 8.843 and 71.98 effective numbers of migrants per generation to Q. acuta and Q. sessilifolia, respectively. Theoretically, one to ten migrants per generation are required to prevent complete genetic differentiation. Based on the results of this study, it appears that genetic admixing, with sharing of most alleles, is probably common in the two species and is maintained by interspecific introgressive hybridization.     

Effects of pollution on macroinvertebrates and water quality bio-assessment

Many large rivers in China have an inflow of contaminated water. Water pollution caused by urban sewage and agriculture, and occasionally pollution events from industries have become a significant stress on aquatic ecology. Pollution affects the biodiversity of the aquatic community and the species composition changes from natural species to tolerant species. The species composition of aquatic animals may reflect water pollution level. Extremely non-uniform distributions of functional feeding groups occurred as a result of high nutrient levels. A combination of chemical and biological methods constitutes the best approach for biological monitoring studies that measure water quality. Macroinvertebrates were used as bio-assessment indicator to determine the environmental quality of given water body. In this study, samples of water and macroinvertebrates were taken from several dozen sites in 14 rivers in China with different pollution levels, including the Yangtze, East, Weihe, Songhua, Yongding, and Panlong rivers. Macroinvertebrates were identified to genus or family level. Water samples were classified into different water quality grades according to the concentration of different substances. Five biological indices: taxa richness (S), density (D), total BMWQ score (t-BMWQ), average BMWQ score (a-BMWQ), and the family biotic index (FBI) were used for biological assessment of water quality. Analyzing macroinvertebrates’ occurrence in different water quality levels, taxa-specific indicators, which are defined as the taxa of macroinvertebrates that live in a certain water quality level but do not exist in other water quality levels were proposed for water quality bio-assessment. Leptophlebiidae, Siphlonuridae, Arctopsychidae, Perlidae, and Antocha sp. are the taxa-specific indicators for very good or good water quality; Chironomidae, Lymnaeidae, Tubifex sp., Limnodrilus sp., Limnoperna lacustris, Corbicula sp., Macrobrachium sp., Planorbidae, Glossiphoniidae, and Branchiura sp. are the taxa-specific indicators for very poor water quality; and Psychomyiidae and Hydroptilidae are the taxa-specific indicators for moderate water quality.     

Diversity,dynamic and ecology of freshwater snails related to environmental factors in urban and suburban streams in Douala–Cameroon (Central Africa)

Urban land use has increased dramatically over the past few decades, resulting in high variability in nutrients loading which is likely to alter the biological component of urban streams. Freshwater snails and environmental variables that might structure their diversity and distribution were studied from September 2012 to September 2013 in three contiguous watersheds in Douala. Twelve stations were monitored monthly, two of these are located in a suburban forest area, and the rest situated in urbanized and industrialized zones. Snails were collected using a long-handled net (30 × 30 cm side, 400-µm mesh). Meanwhile, measurements of the environmental variables were taken. Ten species were recorded which are as follows: Melanoides tuberculata (Thiaridae); Gabbiella africana (Bythiniidae); Physa acuta, Aplexa sp. (Physidae); Lymnaea natalensis, Lymnaea stagnalis, Lymnaea columella (Lymnaeidae); Biomphalaria pfeifferi, Bulinus forskalii (Planorbidae) and one undetermined taxon of Bythiniidae. All these snails were identified at nine of the ten urban stations; no species being found in suburban stations. These urban streams have very poor health status with highly polluted waters. Among the species found P. acuta (76.95 %), L. natalensis (19.46 %) and M. tuberculata (2.79 %) were the most abundant. Multiple stepwise regression analysis, Spearman correlation test and redundancy analysis showed that snail occurrences and abundances were probably influenced by water temperature, conductivity, suspended solids, alkalinity, nitrites, nitrates, ammonium, phosphates, oxydability, biochemical oxygen demand, rainfall, encumbrance rate of the riverbed and water width. Moreover, snail dynamics showed a seasonal pattern with peak population abundances and recruitment of young generations during rainy season. This malacological survey spotlighted the impacts of anthropogenic activities on snail’s diversity and distribution, with the proliferation of the invasive pulmonate P. acuta in Douala urban streams.     

Redescription and molecular characterization of two Trichodina species (Ciliophora,Peritrichia, Mobilida) from freshwater fish in China

During an investigation of parasitic ciliates in northern China, two Trichodina species, T. acuta Lom, 1970 and T. nigra Lom, 1960, were isolated from the freshwater fish Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758. The morphology of each species was investigated based on dry silver nitrate-stained specimens. In addition, the molecular phylogeny of each was analyzed based on small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) sequence data. Trichodina acuta can be distinguished from its congeners by the undefined periphery of the central circle, the distinct gap between the rays and the central circle, and the distinctly sickle-shaped blades. Trichodina nigra is a cosmopolitan ciliate and is characterized by its densely linked denticles, broad, rounded spatula-shaped blades, robust central parts, and well developed rays. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that T. acuta and T. nigra nest within different clades, supporting the assertion that the GC content of SSU rDNA sequences could reflect evolutionary relationships among Trichodina species.     

Differences in the abundance and distribution of copepods in two estuaries of the Basque coast (Bay of Biscay) in relation to pollution

The abundance and spatial distribution of copepod species werecompared in the euhaline region of the polluted estuary of Bilbao[mean biological oxygen demand (BOD): 49748.05 kg day^–1in 1996] and the unperturbed estuary of Urdaibai. Sampling wasperformed at fixed salinity sites, where data of temperature,dissolved oxygen saturation, particulate organic matter, Secchidisk depth and chlorophyll were also obtained. Differences betweenthe estuaries and within the estuaries for environmental variablesand copepod abundances were tested statistically. The dominantspecies Acartia clausi and Paracalanus parvus differed significantlyin abundance between estuaries, and most of neritic speciesdiminished more drastically with decreasing salinity in Bilbaoby the effect of pollution. The different responses observedamong species in relation to pollution and water desalinationare discussed. The lack of the brackish-water species in Bilbaoindicated that water quality worsening upward the estuary ofBilbao not only limited the penetration of neritic species butalso prevented the development of autochthonous estuarine species.At the outer euhaline region of Bilbao, however, pollution wasfound to be low enough to enhance the development of tolerantneritic species that are favoured under moderate pollution conditions.Results indicate that comparisons of copepod abundances anddistributions with salinity in estuaries may be a useful toolto evaluate the health of the different estuarine pelagic habitats.     

Life cycle and host range of the gall-forming moth,Meskea horor (Lep.: Thyrididae), and its suitability as a biological control agent forSida acuta andS. rhombifolia (Malvaceae)

The life cycle of the moth,Meskea horor Dyar and its host specificity toSida acuta andS. rhombifolia were investigated. Moths emerge early in the morning and are usually inactive during the day. Feeding by the adults in the field was not observed. However, those in the laboratory fed on flowers ofS. acuta, S. rhombifolia andHibiscus sabdariffa, and drank water or dilute honey solution. Eggs are mainly laid on the underside of leaves. Larvae ofM. horor form galls in the stems ofS. acuta andS. rhombifolia which retard plant growth and flowering. Pupation occurs within the gall. The development time from egg to adult was 192 days and the adults lived for 11 to 14 days. Forty-eight plant species were tested to determine the host range ofM. horor. Adults emerged from seven species of plants in the family Malvaceae and larvae formed galls but died before pupating on a further 17 species.M. horor is considered to have too broad a host range to be used as a biological control agent forS. acuta andS. rhombifolia.     

Nest biology of urban populations of cavity-nesting birds

Nesting features of four species of cavity-nesting birds—common starling (Sturnus vulgaris L.), great tit (Parus major L.), common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus L.), and pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca Pall.)—have been studied in city. Under urban conditions, number of eggs in a nest of a redstart is significantly larger, while for great tit and pied flycatcher it is significantly smaller; differences between the populations of starling are insignificant. Success of reproduction for the cavity-nesters is significantly higher in a city and exceeds the reference value for all the species by 10–20%. The number of chicks per a reproduction attempt is also higher in city for all the species. Starling population in city exceeds the reference population in the success of reproduction mainly due to a decrease in the percentage of abandoned eggs. The main reasons for an increase in the reproduction success of other species at the urbanized locality are weakened pressure of predators and a decrease in the percentage of abandoned broods.     

Distribution and population dynamics of the limpet Patella aspera (Lamarck) in Bantry Bay

The population ecology of Patella aspera (Lamarck) was studied as part of an oil pollution baseline study. Contrary to earlier reports, P. aspera appears to be a protandrous hermaphrodite. Maturation of the gonads began in May-June and spawning took place in October. Variations in density, standing crop, and mean size were related to exposure to wave action and tidal level. The low shore in extreme exposure may be designated as the centre of P. aspera's range; abundance is high but biomass and mean size are reduced. Higher on the shore, and in reduced exposure to wave action, P. aspera attains a greater mean size and biomass, but is eventually replaced by P. vulgata L. Two main factors are adduced as being critical to competition between the two species. In terms of tidal level, P. aspera is less tolerant of desiccation than P. vulgata, while in terms of the exposure-shelter gradient, P. aspera appears to have a much less variable growth rate. P. aspera may be defined, therefore, as a non-migratory, low shore, specialist species, highly adapted to a specific set of environmental conditions, but lacking the ability to adapt to others.     

Isolation and Characterization of 13 Microsatellite Loci from Korean <Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus acuta</Emphasis> (Fagaceae)

Quercus acuta is an evergreen broadleaf tree that grows in the warm-temperate regions of Korea and Japan. Its habitats and populations are being destroyed, and a new northernmost limit of distribution has now been reported. To further our scientific understanding of its conservation and phylogeography, we isolated and characterized 13 microsatellite loci. An analysis of diversity was conducted among 35 individuals on Hong-do Island of Jeollanam-do, South Korea. Variability of the markers was also tested for 11 individuals from Jeju-do. At the population level, alleles numbered 2 to 12 and the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.0909 to 0.9143 and from 0.0909 to 0.9364, respectively. Those 13 loci were also tested for cross-species amplification in three other evergreen Quercus species within the same subgenus Cyclobalanopsis. In all, 6 of 13 loci could be amplified for all three species. The microsatellite markers described here provide a powerful genetics tool for population, conservation, systematics, and phylogeographic studies, not only for Q. acuta but also for other evergreen Quercus species.     

Sensitivity of a cirolanid isopod to human pressure

Cirolanid isopods are conspicuous members of the supralittoral and intertidal fringes of sandy beaches around the world, being dominant in terms of number or biomass. Excirolana braziliensis is one of the most abundant species on exposed sandy beaches, both urbanized and preserved, of Rio de Janeiro in southeast Brazil. Considering the negative effects of urbanization and human pressure on sandy beaches, this study aimed to analyze the population structure and reproductive aspects of E. braziliensis in different stretches of Barra da Tijuca beach (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), which differ with respect to urbanization and occupation by bathers. Monthly samplings of E. braziliensis were conducted throughout 12 months within urbanized and preserved stretches, including measurements of beach parameters and human pressure. The anthropogenic effect seems to be a relevant factor in explaining the variability in the population structure of this species. Negative significant correlations were found between the species density and the number of visitors, who massively occupies the urbanized stretches. Similar life history strategies were observed for different populations of E. braziliensis. Although high fecundity rates were reported to all stretches, the probability of eggs/embryos survival under the adverse conditions provided by the Barra da Tijuca beach is not clearly known. According to the results of this study, it could be inferred that the human pressure over Barra da Tijuca beach affects the populations: (1) directly, through human trampling and/or natural habitat jeopardizing; or (2) indirectly, by the isolation of individuals in the preserved stretch, located between environments subjected to intense disturbance. In such case, the species strategy to thrive in a protected area of restricted size, within a highly urbanized and occupied area by bathers does not appear to be the best conservation measure for peracarid species, as in E. braziliensis. Nevertheless, E. braziliensis turned out to be a good monitoring species of impacts due to its high resistance to environmental stress, persisting in highly urbanized areas dominated by bathers.     

Impact of multiple stressors on juvenile fish in estuaries of the northeast Pacific

A key step in identifying global change impacts on species and ecosystems is to quantify effects of multiple stressors. To date, the science of global change has been dominated by regional field studies, experimental manipulation, meta‐analyses, conceptual models, reviews, and studies focusing on a single stressor or species over broad spatial and temporal scales. Here, we provide one of the first studies for coastal systems examining multiple stressor effects across broad scales, focused on the nursery function of 20 estuaries spanning 1,600 km of coastline, 25 years of monitoring, and seven fish and invertebrate species along the northeast Pacific coast. We hypothesized those species most estuarine dependent and negatively impacted by human activities would have lower presence and abundances in estuaries with greater anthropogenic land cover, pollution, and water flow stress. We found significant negative relationships between juveniles of two of seven species (Chinook salmon and English sole) and estuarine stressors. Chinook salmon were less likely to occur and were less abundant in estuaries with greater pollution stress. They were also less abundant in estuaries with greater flow stress, although this relationship was marginally insignificant. English sole were less abundant in estuaries with greater land cover stress. Together, we provide new empirical evidence that effects of stressors on two fish species culminate in detectable trends along the northeast Pacific coast, elevating the need for protection from pollution, land cover, and flow stressors to their habitats. Lack of response among the other five species could be related to differing resistance to specific stressors, type and precision of the stressor metrics, and limitations in catch data across estuaries and habitats. Acquiring improved measurements of impacts to species will guide future management actions, and help predict how estuarine nursery functions can be optimized given anthropogenic stressors and climate change scenarios.     

Toward predicting Dinophysis blooms off NW Iberia: A decade of events

Dinophysis acuminata and Dinophysis acuta are recurrent species off NW Iberia but their outbreaks occur under different conditions. A decade (2004–2013) of weekly data for each species at two sentinel stations located at the entrance of Rias de Aveiro-AV (NW Portugal, 40°38.6′ N) and Pontevedra-PO (Galicia, Spain, 42°21.5′ N), were used to investigate the regional synchronism and mesoscale differences related to species detection, bloom (>200 cells L⁻¹) initiation and development. Results highlight the high interannual variability of bloom events and summarize the associated meteorological/oceanographic conditions. D. acuta blooms were observed in 2004–2008 and 2013, and the species highest maxima at AV occurred after the highest maxima of its prey Mesodinium, with a time-lag of 2–3 weeks. D. acuminata blooms were observed every year at both stations. The cell concentration time series shows that the blooms generally present a sequence starting in March with D. acuminata in PO and three weeks later in AV, followed by D. acuta that starts at AV and three months later in PO. Exceptionally, D. acuminata blooms occurred earlier at AV than PO, namely in high spring upwelling (2007) or river runoff (2010) years. A four-year gap (2009–2012) of D. acuta blooms occurred after an anomalous 2008 autumn with intense upwelling which is interpreted as the result of an equatorward displacement of the population core. Numerical model solutions are used to analyze monthly alongshore current anomalies and test transport hypotheses for selected events. The results show a strong interannual variability in the poleward/equatorward currents associated with changes in upwelling forcing winds, the advection of D. acuta blooms from AV to PO and the possibility that D. acuminata blooms at AV might result from inocula advected southward from PO. However, the sensitivity of the results to vertical position of the lagrangian tracers call for more studies on species distribution at the various bloom stages.     

Effect of heavy metals in the cement dust pollution on morphological and anatomical characteristics of Cenchrus ciliaris L.

This present study illustrated the effect of heavy metals in cement dust pollution on Cenchrus ciliaris L. This wild plant species spread surrounding and within the contaminated area. The induced soil by cement dust was changed physically and chemically. There were alterations in morphological characters like chlorotic spot, stem shortening and leaf curling. Similarly, anatomical alterations appeared obviously like rupturing and thickening of cells. The data of control and induced plant species were analyzed statistically separately and combined respectively. The regression equations represented the interaction between control and induced plant species graphically. Cenchrus ciliaris L. can be regarded as a standard heavy metal tolerant plant species.     

Morphological and molecular characterization of two Trichodina (Ciliophora,Peritrichia) species from freshwater fishes in China

In the present study, we provide morphological and molecular characterization of two Trichodina species, T. acuta Lom, 1970 and T. funduli Wellborn, 1967, isolated from koi (Cyprinus carpio) and loach (Paramisgurnus dabryanus), respectively. Morphological characters of the two Trichodina species were mainly investigated on the basis of dry silver nitrate-impregnated specimens. Both species are medium-sized and possess well-developed denticles comprising strongly sickle-shaped blades, well-developed central parts, and straight rays. Trichodina acuta can be easily distinguished from the other Trichodina species that possess a clear central circle by the well-developed sharp blade apophysis, and the gap between ray tip and central circle. Trichodina funduli is a poorly known species that is easily confused with T. heterodentata Duncan, 1977, however the latter species has thinner denticles. The small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences of Trichodina acuta and T. funduli were incorporated into phylogenetic analyses. Our findings suggest that the phylogenetic lineage of trichodinids might not correspond with their living environments, host species or even some morphological characteristics.     

The growth of juvenile snails in water conditioned by snails of a different species

Summary Two species of freshwater snails, Physa acuta and Lymnaea sp. aff. columella, were collected from Asabata marsh, Shizuoka Japan. Individuals of both species inhabit the same plants. Individuals of P. acuta are more abundant than those of L. sp. aff. columella. Experiments were conducted to examine the effect of water conditioned by snails on the growth of 10-day-old juvenile P. acuta snails. Juvenile snails in water conditioned by L. sp. aff. columella grew faster than those in water conditioned by P. acuta or only lettuce. The effects of water conditioned by P. acuta differed among the litters. The results suggest that juvenile P. acuta snails experience accelated growth in the presence of L. sp. aff. columella. The freshwater snails interacted through resource competition as well as through substances disolved in the water.     

Comparison of reproductive parameters in male yellow-blotched map turtles (Graptemys flavimaculata) from a historically contaminated site and a reference site

From May to September of 1998, we collected monthly plasma samples from male yellow-blotched map turtles captured at two sites in the Pascagoula River drainage, Mississippi. One site (Vancleave) has a documented history of pollution from industrial sources (principally 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, TCDD). Fish consumption advisories at the Vancleave site were lifted in 1996 and current impacts appear minimal. However, the yellow-blotched map turtle, a federally protected species, continues to decline in numbers. To determine if endocrine disruption could be a factor in the low reproductive rates observed in Vancleave turtles, we examined levels of plasma testosterone (T) and estradiol-17β (E₂) from males at this site and a second site (Leaksville), which has no known source of industrial pollution. Plasma was also tested for vitellogenin (VTG), which, in males, can be a biomarker of exposure to estrogenic contaminants. No males had detectable plasma VTG nor did mean monthly E₂ levels differ between sites. However, 10% of males from the historically polluted site were found to have high levels of E₂ (equivalent to levels found in females) and T was significantly lower for males captured at this site for 3 of 5 months. Our data suggest that the current impact of contaminants on reproduction in this population is limited. However, a portion of the population may have been affected developmentally, as represented by differences in reproductive parameters detected between sites.     

Predator–prey interactions of Procambarus clarkii with aquatic macroinvertebrates in single and multiple prey systems

Understanding the interspecific interactions of Procambarus clarkii with other aquatic macroinvertebrates will help to unveil the mechanisms and processes underlying biological invasiveness. The purpose of this study was to investigate predator–prey interactions of two ontogenic phases of P. clarkii with native and exotic species of aquatic macroinvertebrates at a single and multiple prey level. We performed laboratory experiments to determine the consumption and the behavioral responses of Chironomus riparius, Physa acuta and Corbicula fluminea to P. clarkii. The presence of P. clarkii significantly affected the abundance of C. riparius and P. acuta, but not of C. fluminea whether prey species were provided singly or simultaneously. The consumption of C. riparius by P. clarkii was higher than P. acuta for both crayfish sizes and situations (single/multiple prey systems) and C. fluminea was never consumed. Physa acuta was the only species that exhibited an anti-predator behavior to P. clarkii. Our results show that P. clarkii can have strong consumptive and trait effects on aquatic macroinvertebrate prey at a single and multiple prey level, resulting in differential impacts on different prey species. This study clarifies some aspects of the predator–prey interactions between P. clarkii and native as well as other exotic macroinvertebrate species that have invaded freshwater biocenosis worldwide.     

Life cycle and host specificity ofEutinobothrus sp. (Col.: curculionidae) an agent for biological control ofSida acuta (malvaceae) in the northern territory,Australia

The biology of an undescribed weevil,Eutinobothrus sp., and its specificity toSida acuta, a serious weed in northern Australia, were studied in a quarantine facility in Australia. Sixty-eight plant species were screened and onlyS. acuta andS. rhombifolia could sustain populations ofEutinobothrus sp. Adults feed externally on the stems and oviposit in feeding scars. Larvae feed internally and pupate in the stem. Prepupae and pupae may aestivate in the stem and adults emerge with the onset of the wet season when new growth is evident.Eutinobothrus sp. was released in January, 1994 in the Northern Territory and has established.