Pliocene and Pleistocene events shaping the genetic diversity within the central corridor of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Dinoponera lucida (Formicidae; Ponerinae) is an extinction‐threatened species of ant which is endemic in the central corridor of the Atlantic Forest. We used mitochondrial sequences of the Cox1, Cox2 and Cytb genes in order to infer some aspects of the evolutionary history and phylogeography of this ant. High genetic divergence and population structure were observed for the whole species. The current pattern of D. lucida diversity seems to be shaped during different geological times: middle Pliocene, early Pleistocene and mainly late Pleistocene, when the reduction of populations generated a structure pattern of the genetic variation of this species. Our data show that this structure results from the maintenance of populations of D. lucida within very small putative refuges to the south of the central Bahia refugium. We thus argue that, for some Atlantic forest endemic species, especially those resistant to very small fragments of forest, such as D. lucida, the small putative refuges were as important as, or even more important than, larger and stable refuges for the creation and maintenance of diversity, adding another piece to the puzzle of the mechanisms underlying local endemism. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 101 , 949–960.     

Functional relationships between plant feeding and prey feeding for a zoophytophagous bug

The consumption of plants by the zoophytophagous bug Macrolophus pygmaeus Rambur (Heteroptera : Miridae) in relation to the presence or absence of prey is monitored for 7 days. Tobacco plants enriched with ¹⁵N, a stable, nonradioactive isotope of nitrogen, are used for characterization. In the absence of prey, the relationship between time and ¹⁵N content (which equates to plant feeding) is linear, with a constant daily accumulation of ¹⁵N; however, if prey are available, the mathematical relationship becomes curvilinear. From day 1 to day 5, feeding on plants is independent of the consumption of prey. The rate of ¹⁵N accumulation decreases in the presence of prey after day 5, whereas the number of prey eaten remains unchanged.     

Morphology and phylogeny of Dicellophilus,a centipede genus with a highly disjunct distribution (Chilopoda: Mecistocephalidae)

The centipede genus Dicellophilus Cook, 1896 (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha: Mecistocephalidae) has been revised by means of a comparative examination of representative specimens of all the species: morphological variation has been documented by means of both light and scanning electronic microscopy, the geographical distribution has been reassessed and updated based on published and new records, and the phyletic relations between the species have been analysed based on morphological evidence. Dicellophilus is confirmed as a highly distinct lineage, supported by synapomorphies in the labrum and in the pattern of coxal organs. Four species are morphologically recognized, each of them occurring in one of three limited, highly disjunct areas in a restricted boreal temperate belt: Dicellophilus carniolensis (C.L. Koch, 1847) is limited to central Europe (central–eastern Alps, Dinarids, Carpathians, and Dobrogea), Dicellophilus pulcher (Kishida, 1928) occurs in Japan (Honshu), and Dicellophilus anomalus (Chamberlin, 1904) and Dicellophilus limatus (Wood, 1862) both occur in the south‐western part of North America (California and Oregon). High support has been found for the following phyletic relationships: (D. carniolensis (D. pulcher (D. anomalus + D. limatus))). Dicellophilus carniolensis is strongly distinct in some autapomorphic traits, including enlarged clypeus and fewer mandibular lamellae, whereas the sister species D. anomalus and D. limatus share some derived features, including an elongated head and associated appendages, longer antennal setae, and stronger forcipular tubercles. The peculiar geographical distribution of Dicellophilus and the historical scenario suggested by the phylogeny are very unusual in respect to the biogeographical patterns known in all other major groups of terrestrial animals. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 158 , 501–532.     

Modelling temperature-dependent bionomics of Bemisia tabaci (Q-biotype)

Abstract.  The influence of temperature (17, 21, 25, 30 and 35 °C) on life-history traits of a Q-biotype Bemisia tabaci population on tomato is studied. Temperature-dependent relationships are characterized for immature developmental rate, immature survival, fecundity, longevity and intrinsic rate of increase. Development time vary from 20 days at 30 °C to 56 days at 17 °C and the lowest thermal threshold is estimated at 10.2 °C. The optimal temperature for immature development is 32.5 °C. Total fecundity (eggs per female) ranges from 105.3 (at 21 °C) to 41 (at 35 °C). The longevity decreases with temperature increase. The intrinsic rate of increase ranges from 0.0450 (at 17 °C) to 0.123 (at 30 °C). The functional relationships between temperature and life-history parameters are used to evaluate the effect of temperature on the population dynamics. Such mathematical relationships could provide a basis for future development of population models.     

Stenotaenia Koch, 1847: a hitherto unrecognized lineage of western Palaearctic centipedes with unusual diversity in body size and segment number (Chilopoda: Geophilidae)

Based on morphological evidence, we newly define the genus Stenotaenia Koch, 1847 (=Scnipaeus Bergsøe & Meinert, 1866; =Simophilus Silvestri, 1896; =Onychopodogaster Verhoeff, 1902; =Insigniporus Attems, 1903; =Notadenophilus Verhoeff, 1928; =Bithyniphilus Verhoeff, 1941; =Schizopleres Folkmanova, 1956; =Euronesogeophilus Matic, 1972; all syn. nov. ) as including the following 15 species: Stenotaenia linearis (Koch, 1835) (=Geophilus simplex Gervais, 1835; =Geophilus brevicornis Koch, 1837; =Scnipaeus foveolatus Bergsøe & Meinert, 1866; =Himantarium caldarium Meinert, 1886 syn. nov. ; =Geophilus (Geophilus) linearis var. polyporus Verhoeff, 1896 syn. nov. ; =Geophilus ormanyensis Attems, 1903 syn. nov. , after lectotype designation; =Insigniporus acuneli C?pu?e, 1968 syn. nov. ) from central and northern Europe; Stenotaenia frenum (Meinert, 1870) from northern Africa; Stenotaenia romana (Silvestri, 1895) (=Geophilus silvestrii Verhoeff, 1928 syn. nov. ) and Stenotaenia sorrentina (Attems, 1903) (=Geophilus forficularius Fanzago, 1881 syn. nov. ; =Geophilus linearis abbreviatus Verhoeff, 1925 syn. nov. ) from the Italian peninsula and Sardinia; Stenotaenia antecribellata (Verhoeff, 1898) (=Simophilus albanensis Attems, 1929 syn. nov. ), Stenotaenia cribelliger (Verhoeff, 1898), Stenotaenia palpiger (Attems, 1903), Stenotaenia rhodopensis (Kaczmarek, 1970), and Stenotaenia sturanyi (Attems, 1903) from the Balkan peninsula; Stenotaenia naxia (Verhoeff, 1901) (=Geophilus graecus Verhoeff, 1902) from the Aegean islands; Stenotaenia asiaeminoris (Verhoeff, 1898) and Stenotaenia bosporana (Verhoeff, 1941) from Anatolia; Stenotaenia giljarovi (Folkmanova, 1956) from western Caucasus; Stenotaenia fimbriata (Verhoeff, 1934) and Stenotaenia palaestina (Verhoeff, 1925) from Palestine; with the only exception of S. linearis, all of these binomens are comb. nov. In Stenotaenia, a strongly conserved overall morphology is matched by an unusual interspecific variation in both the body size of fully grown specimens (from 1.7 cm in S. romana to 7.7 cm in S. sturanyi) and the number of leg‐bearing segments (from 43 in male S. romana to 115 in female S. sturanyi). The number of segments correlates with maximum body size. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 153 , 253–286.     

Life Cycle and Culturing of Phytomonas serpens (Gibbs), a Trypanosomatid Parasite of Tomatoes

Pure cultures of a trypanosomatid isolated from tomato fruits infected laboratory-raised tomatoes and nymphs of the hemipieran coreid Phthia picta . The flagellate could be transmitted back and forth from tomatoes to insects. Light and electron microscopy studies were done on culture, tomato and insect forms. Examination of enzymes of the ornithine-arginine metabolism revealed absence of arginase and presence of arginine deiminase and citrulline hydrolase. Monoclonal antibodies specific for Phytomonas spp. reacted positively with tomato and insect forms. Endonuclease digestion of the k-DNA of various Phytomonas spp. revealed a unique, distinctive pattern for the tomato flagellate. This flagellate thus seems to constitute a separate species of Phytomonas which we now call Phytomonas serpens (Gibbs).     

CONTENT AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL LOCALIZATION OF TRANSITIONAL METALS IN ASCIDIAN OVARY

The content of some transitional metals (Ti, V, Cr. Mn. Fe, Cu) in the ovary of Ascidia malaca and Ciona intestinalis and in the gonads of Polycarpa gracilis has been reported. The metals were localized histospectrographically and ultrastructurally. In the ovaries of C. intestinalis . the quantitative analysis shows a variable content of metals related to the ovary maturative cycle. The iron is localized in the electron dense cytoplasmic granules of A. malaca oocytcs and in the cytoplasmic dense formation of P. gracilis test cells. Cl, S, Si and P are present in the test, follicles and inierovarian cells of all examined species.
The results are discussed in relation to the zoological position of these species. The presence of metals and Ascidiacee phylogenesis might be correlated.