UTILITY OF SYNCHRONIZED ALGAL CULTURES IN EXPERIMENTAL TAXONOMY

By the help of this method the morphological -variability ofScenedesmus quadricauda during its ontogenesis was studied.During the life cycle the size and shape of the cells vary simultaneously.Some species described on the bases of these features are onlydifferent states of the same species. Genera of the subfamily Crucigenioideae (Scened-esmaceae) havebeen distinguished by very subjective and indistinct features.Examination of the course of their life cycles in the synchronizedcultures showed that only valuable feature for distinguishingthese genera is the mode of reproduction; the mode of orientationof autocoenobia in the mother coenobium. Two basic modes offormation of daughter coenobia were discovered. Based on thesecriteria it is possible to deduce all other types of this wholetaxonomical group. (Received November 24, 1962; )     

Phylogenetic analysis of Anacaenini (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Hydrophilinae) based on morphological characters of adults

Abstract.  The skeletal features of adults of fifty species of Anacaenini (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) and six outgroup taxa belonging to Hydrophilini and Laccobiini were examined. Eighty-one characters were selected and analysed cladistically. The resulting trees confirm the sister group relationship of Anacaenini and Laccobiini. Paracymus forms a clade within Laccobiini, as sister group of Oocyclus . Paranacaena is highly polyphyletic and, like Hebauerina , Grodum and Enigmata deeply nested within a complex formed mainly by Anacaena species ( Anacaena complex). The position of Gentilina remains ambiguous, but is also likely to be nested within this group. Notionotus is also part of this clade and clearly is monophyletic. Phelea , Crenitis and Notohydrus are distinctive groups which split off successively at the base of the Anacaena complex. On the basis of our results Enigmata Hansen ( syn.n. ), Gentilina Hebauer ( syn.n. ), Grodum Hansen ( syn.n. ) and Hebauerina Gentili ( syn.n. ) are synonymized with Anacaena Thomson.