Nondestructive DNA extraction from blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae): retaining voucher specimens for DNA barcoding projects

A nondestructive, chemical-free method is presented for the extraction of DNA from small insects. Blackflies were submerged in sterile, distilled water and sonicated for varying lengths of time to provide DNA which was assessed in terms of quantity, purity and amplification efficiency. A verified DNA barcode was produced from DNA extracted from blackfly larvae, pupae and adult specimens. A 60-second sonication period was found to release the highest quality and quantity of DNA although the amplification efficiency was found to be similar regardless of sonication time. Overall, a 66% amplification efficiency was observed. Examination of post-sonicated material confirmed retention of morphological characters. Sonication was found to be a reliable DNA extraction approach for barcoding, providing sufficient quality template for polymerase chain reaction amplification as well as retaining the voucher specimen for post-barcoding morphological evaluation.     

中国西双版纳蚋类纪要及一新种(双翅目,蚋科)

记载西双版纳自然保护区蚋类16种,隶属于蚋属Simulium的3亚属,其中包括1个中国新纪录种和3个待定种,并记述1新种,版纳绳蚋S．(G．)bannaense sp．nov．。该新种蛹具10条呼吸丝,与其已知4个近缘种即重庆绳蚋S．(G)chongqingense以及产白爪哇的S．(G．)batoense、产自印尼的S．(G．)atratoides和产自菲律宾的S．(G．)bi-colense等在形态学上有明显的种间差异。     

中国蚋属蚋亚属盾纹组分类记要并三新种记述(双翅目,蚋科)

记载中国蚋属蚋亚属盾纹蚋组Simulium striatum-group)计8种。其中包括1新纪录种。泰国蚋S.(s.)thai-landieumTakaoka et Suzuki,1984和3新种：即坝河蚋S.(S.)bahense sp.nov,勐腊蚋S.(s.)menglaense sp.nov和五指山蚋S.(s.)wuzhishanense sp.nov,分别以其产地命名,文中对其不同虫期进行描述并与其近缘种进行分类讨论,模式标本均存放于贵阳医学院生物教研室。     

海南省蚋属一新种(双翅目：蚋科)

记述采自海南省尖峰蚋属蚋亚属Simulium(Simulium)一新种,乐东蚋Simulium(Simulium)ledongense sp.nov.。新种隶属多叉蚋组Simulium multistriatum-group,与秦氏蚋Simulium qiniCao et al.,1993和鞍阳蚋Simulium dphippiodum Chen and Wen,1999近缘。对其各虫期形态进行描述并与其近缘种比较作分类讨论。模式标本保存于遗阳医学院生物学教研室。     

贵州雷公山蚋属二新种记述(双翅目:蚋科)

记述采自贵州雷公山的蚋属二新种,即细板蚋Ｓ．（Ｓ．）ｔｅｎｕａｔｕｍ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．,多枝蚋Ｓ．（Ｓ．）ｒａｍｕｌｏｓｕｍ,ｓｐ。ｎｏｖ。并对其分类地位进行讨论。     

梵净山绳蚋二新种 (双翅目 :蚋科)(英文)

本文首次报道贵州省梵净山自然保护区绳蚋二新种 ,即梵净山绳蚋Simulium (Gomphostilbia) fan jingshanesesp .nov .和孟氏绳蚋S .(G .)mengisp .nov .对其两性成虫、蛹和幼虫进行全面描述并分别与其近缘种进行分类讨论。     

贵州蚋属一新种(双翅目：蚋科)

记述采自贵州雷公山的蚋属一新种, 显著蚋Simulium (Simulium) prominentum, 新种。根据其蛹和幼虫的特征显著而命名, 对其幼期形态进行描述并与其近缘种作分类讨论。     

贵州纺蚋亚属二新种(双翅目： 蚋科)

记述了采自贵州雷公山自然保护区的纺蚋二新种,清水纺蚋Simulium (Nevermannia) qingshuiense sp. Nov.和桥落纺蚋S. (N.) qiaolaoense sp. Nov.,二者均以其产地命名。文中对其成虫、蛹和幼虫形态进行了全面描述,并与其近缘种进行分类讨论。模式标本存放在贵阳医学院生物学教研室。     

Diversity, distribution and larval habitats of North Swedish blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae)

1. Blackfly species richness and community structure were analysed at fifty-six sites in northern Sweden in two seasons. The sites were situated in a wide range of streams and rivers from small springbrooks, bog streams and lake-outlet streams to medium-sized forest rivers and large rivers draining montane regions.
2. Thirty-nine blackfly species were found, with between two and thirteen species per site. Neither species richness nor abundance could be related to the environmental variables measured.
3. An analysis of labral fan size of blackflies indicated a clear trend for the prevalence of larvae with small fans in large rivers and larvae with larger fan size in small streams. Similarly, fan size related to current velocities so that large fans were associated with slow current velocities and small fans with high velocities.
4. A strong relationship existed between species composition and habitat, as seen in ordination by non-metric multidimensional scaling. The relationship found between fan size and habitat size-related variables, such as channel width, depth, velocity and substratum particle size, along with longitude and altitude, in partial least squares regression analysis offered an explanation of the species composition–habitat relationship.
5. In addition to testing that distributions of blackfly larvae reflect morphological traits, we tested two general hypotheses pertaining to distribution patterns: (a) that blackfly communities show bimodal distributions; and (b) that their distributions are nested. Neither of these two hypotheses was supported by our observations. However, widespread blackfly species were locally more abundant than those found at relatively few sites, thus showing a positive abundance–occupancy relationship.     

An assessment of biological interactions in an epilithic stream community using time-lapse cinematography

In situ time-lapse cinematography was used to record and enumerate behavioral interactions between members of an epilithic insect community in a small Michigan (U.S.A.)trout stream. 145 interactions were observed during 78 hours of filming. Most of these (98%) involved simuliid larvae. Interactions between simuliid larvae occurred at about the same frequency as interactions between simuliids and other taxa. However, interactions between simuliid larvae were less likely to lead to emigration than were interactions between blackflies and other groups. Significant short-term fluctuations of faunal density on filmed surfaces were also observed. The causes of these fluctuations appeared varied. The results of a preliminary assessment of interactions and the usefulness of this technique are discussed.