A numerical taxonomic study of some pigmented bacteria isolated from Organic Lake,an antarctic hypersaline lake

A study was made of a group of moderately halophilic, heterotrophic, pigmented strains isolated from Organic Lake, Antarctica. These strains were Gram-negative, non-motile, had an aerobic metabolism and a mol% G+C content of their DNA in the range 35–41, indicating that they may be members of the Flavobacterium-Cytophaga group. A numerical taxonomic study involving 134 characteristics compared the antarctic strains with reference strains from Flavobacterium, Cytophaga and Flectobacillus. The antarctic strains formed two clusters that did not contain any reference strains suggesting that they may represent two new species of the genus Flavobacterium.     

Another arborescent umbellifer: a new species of Steganotaenia from north-east tropical Africa

THULIN, M., 1991. Another arborescent umbellifer: a new species of Steganotaenia from north-east tropica] Africa. The new species Steganotaenia commiphoroides is described from central and southern Somalia, and south-eastern Ethiopia. It differs from the likewise arborescent S. araliacea , widespread in tropical Africa, in, for example, its 3-foliolate or occasionally simple leaves, leaf teeth with shorter aristae, shorter petioles and pedicels, and fruits with a pair of distinctly winged dorsal ridges.     

Medullary structure differences in Gelidium and Pterocladia (Gelidiales, Rhodophyceae): Taxonomic meaning

Study of the apical portions of vegetative thalli of 21 species of the genera Gelidium and Pterocladia (Gelidiales-Rhodophyta) revealed the existence of six patterns of medullary structure. Each pattern is characterized by the organization of the medullary tissue and the changes in cellular dimensions from apex to subapex. These characters can be used to separate groups of species within each genus.     

The myriapodological legacy of Victor Ivanovich Motschoulsky (1810–1871)

The little that remains of Motschoulsky’s myriapodological legacy in the collection of Moscow’s Zoological Museum proves to be of very limited value. Only one species of Diplopoda described by Motschoulsky, the Caucasian Hirudisoma roseum (Victor, 1839), is still in use, yet requiring a neotype designation, whereas the remaining few myriapod names he proposed are either nomina dubia or nomina nuda. The former include Scolopendra pentagramma Motschoulsky, 1866 (Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha, Scolopendridae) and Strongylosoma carinulatum Motschoulsky, 1866 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae), both from Japan, as well as Julus costulatus Motschoulsky, 1851 (Diplopoda, Callipodida, Schizopetalidae?), from Montenegro, because their type material is either inadequate or missing.     

The genus Alphitobius Stephens (Coleoptera,Tenebrionidae, Alphitobiini) in Africa and adjacent islands

All species of the genus Alphitobius Stephens, 1829 (Alphitobiini Reitter, 1917, subfamily Tenebrioninae Latreille, 1802) from Africa and adjacent islands are revised. New species: Alphitobius capitaneus sp. n. from Kenya. New synonyms: Cryptops ulomoides Solier, 1851, syn. n. of Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer, 1796); Alphitobius rufus Ardoin, 1976, syn. n. of Alphitobius hobohmi Koch, 1953); Peltoides (Micropeltoides) crypticoides Pic, 1916, syn. n. of Peltoides (Micropeltoides) opacus (Gerstaecker, 1871), comb. n. Homonym: Alphitobius ulomoides Koch, 1953 = Alphitobius arnoldi nom. n. New combinations from Alphitobius: Ulomoides basilewskyi (Ardoin, 1969), comb. n.; Peltoides (Micropeltoides) opacus (Gerstaecker, 1871), comb. n. Figures of all examined species are added and a species key is compiled.     

The colonisation of experimental ponds by Chironomidae (Diptera)

The colonisation and succession of chironomids in a newly‐dug gravel pit habitat was investigated using replicate experimental ponds sampled during the summers of 1977 and 1978. In 1977 larvaeand emerging adults were collected, whilst in 1978 only adults were sampled. Benthic sampling showed the larval communities to be predominated by Chironomus spp. whilst trapping of adults showed that this group accounted for only 4% of the emergence. This difference is attributed to the selective retention of the larger Chironomus larvae by the sieve used to screen benthos samples. The pioneer chironomid communities in the ponds are compared using similarity and diversity indices on adult emergence data. These showed that the pond communities were remarkably uniform in 1977, the first year of their existence, due to the predominance of Tanytarsus gracilentus. In 1978 the communities were much more variable. The community structure changed within the two years, with equitability increasing rapidly to that characteristic of a much more mature habitat. These successional changes are attributed to a reduction in uniformity of the habitat resulting from the growth of aquatic macrophytes.     

Locomotor Activity Patterns in Ilybius fenestratus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera,Dytiscidae) in a Central Norwegian Lake,with Evidence for Breeding-Induced Arrhythmicity

The diel activity of Ilybius fenestratus was studied in Målsj?en, a lake in S?r-Tr?ndelag, Central Norway (63°14'N, 10°26'E), during 1971–1972. Adults and larvae were sampled in activity traps every week during March–October and every 2–3 weeks during November–February. The traps were emptied every 2 hrs during a 24- hr period. The diel locomotor activity of I. fenestratus was clearly nocturnal, except in the second half of July, for the males also in the first half of July, when surprisingly the population showed an arrhythmic activity pattern. The arrhythmicity is connected with the mating and egg-laying period of the species. The larvae were also nocturnal in the autumn, but showed arrhythmicity under the ice during the winter.