Infective larvae of five Onchocerca species from experimentally infected Simulium species in an area of zoonotic onchocerciasis in Japan

Microfilariae of five Onchocerca species, O. dewittei japonica (the causative agent of zoonotic onchocerciasis in Oita, Kyushu, Japan) from wild boar (Sus scrofa), O. skrjabini and O. eberhardi from sika deer (Cenus nippon), O. tienalis from cattle, and an as yet unnamed Onchocerca sp. from wild boar, were injected intrathoracically into newly-emerged black flies of several species from Oita to search the potential vector(s) of these parasites and identify their infective larvae. Development of O. dewittei japonica microfilariae to the infective larvae occurred in Simulium aokii, S. arakowae, S. bidentatum, S. japonicum, S. quinquestriatum, and S. rufibasis while development of infective larvae of O. skrjabini, O. eberhardi, and the unnamed Onchocerca sp. was observed in S. aokii, S. arakawae, and S. bidentatum. Development of O. lienalis microfilaria to infective larvae occurred in S. arakawae. Based on the morphology of infective larvae obtained, we proposed a key of identification of Onchocerca infective larvae found in Oita. We also reconsider the identification of three types of infective larvae previously recovered from Simulium species captured at cattle sheds: the large type I larvae that may be an undescribed species; the small type III identified as O. lienalis may include O. skrjabini too; the intermediary type II that may be O. gutturosa, or O. dewittei japonica, or the unnamed Onchocerca sp. of wild boar.     

Reactions of some caddis larvae (Trichoptera) to different types of substrate in an experimental stream *

In laboratory experiments with full-grown larvae of three Trichoptera species (Limnephilus rhombicus, Potamophylax rotundipennis and Sericostoma pedemontanum) in an artificial stream, four types of bottom material were provided in combination with various currents. Only L. rhombicus reacted to low current speed (9 cm/sec), moving downstream when a bottom current was present. L. rhombicus and P. rotundipennis showed a distinct preference for pebbles over sand and for coarse pebbles over crushed brick. S. pedemontanum burrowed under pebbles or stones. L. rhombicus showed a distinct tendency to climb onto the dividing gauze or vertical sticks. All three species preferred shaded parts of the experimental stream to the illuminated parts. The results are related to field observations. Limnephilus rhombicus occurs in stagnant and slow-running waters. Potamophylax rotundipennis is restricted to rather fast-running streams with a perpetual flow, while Sericostoma pedemontanum occurs in the same type of stream.     

Cellulase-free xylanase production from an alkalophilicBacillus species

An alkalophilicBacillus (NCL-87-6-10, NCIM 2128), with a high productivity for extracellular xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8) and free of cellulase, was isolated from soil containing coconut fibre detritus. When grown on a wheat bran/yeast extract medium in submerged culture for 48 h, it produced 100 to 120 IU of enzyme activity per ml. The crude enzyme consists of two fractions of apparent mol sizes of approx 10.4 and 29 kDa in the proportion of 90:10, as determined by native gel exclusion chromatography. Optimum activity of the xylanase was at 60°C and pH 8.0. A two-fold increase in enzyme activity was obtained when reducing agents, thioethanol and dithiothreitol, were included in the assay.NCL Communication No. 5381.     

A laboratory study on the thermal tolerance of four southeastern stream insect species (Trichoptera,Ephemeroptera)

The acute thermal tolerances of four southeastern stream insect species, Ephemerella invaria (Walker), Stenonema ithaca (Clemens and Leonard), Symphitopsyche morosa (Hagun), and Brachycentrus lateralis (Say) were determined using an artificial stream enclosure. All species were acclimated at 10°C for 72 hours prior to instantaneous immersion into heated water for 96 hours. Percent mortality was recorded and the temperature at which 50% mortality occurred determined (LT5o). Data were subjected to standard statistical analysis.Thermal tolerance values were compared between species tested and to results from previous investigations using similar methodologies. The evolution and life histories of these species were also discussed in relation to their thermal tolerance values.     

New genera and species of Leptophlebiidae (Ephemeroptera) from New Zealand

Abstract

New genera Isothraulus, Arachnocolus, and Penniketellus are established for three species of leptophlebiid mayfly from New Zealand. Each genus is monotypic and endemic to New Zealand. Isothraulus and Arachnocolus are known only from the northern North Island, and Penniketellus is known only from the Arthur's Pass area of the central South Island. The male and female imago, nymph, and egg of Isothraulus abditus n.sp., the male imago, male subimago, and nymph of Arachnocolus phillipsi n.sp., and the male and female imago, female subimago, and egg of Penniketellus insolitus n.sp. are described. The relationships of each genus and the ecology of nymphs of each species are discussed.     

Impact of simulated drought on ecosystem biomass production: an experimental test in stream mesocosms

Climate models predict widespread shifts in precipitation patterns and increases in the frequency of extreme events such as droughts, but consequences for key processes in affected ecosystems remains poorly understood. A 2‐year manipulative experiment used a series of stream mesocosms to test the effect of recurrent drought disturbance on the composition and secondary production of macroinvertebrate consumer assemblages and functional groups. On average, secondary production in drought‐disturbed communities (mean 4.5 g m^?2 yr^?1) was less than half of that that in controls (mean 10.4 g m^?2 yr^?1). The effects of the drought differed among functional feeding groups, with substantial declines for detritivore shredders (by 69%) and engulfing predators (by 94%). Contrasting responses were evident among taxa within most functional feeding groups, ranging from extirpation to irruptions in the case of several small midge larvae, but production of most species was suppressed. Taxon‐specific responses were related to body mass and voltinism. The ratio of production to biomass (community P/B) increased under drought, reflecting a shift in production from large long‐lived taxa to smaller taxa with faster life cycles. This research provides some of the first experimental evidence of the profound effects that droughts can have on both the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems.     

Mayfly production in a Colorado mountain stream: an assessment of methods for synchronous and non-synchronous species

Year-round collections of mayflies (Ephemeroptera) from a Colorado mountain stream allowed critical examination of several methods of calculating production for species with different life cycles. Five of the six numerically dominant species exhibited slow seasonal, univoltine life cycles. Baetis tricaudatus was bivoltine. Two species demonstrated well synchronized development, three species were poorly synchronized and a sixth was intermediate. Mean density and biomass data from each sampling date were used to ascertain the goodness-of-fit of each species to the Allen curve. It is proposed that such information can provide quantitative criteria for identifying species with well synchronized development and thereby determine when it is appropriate to directly apply cohort methods while avoiding time intensive body size (e.g. head width) measurements necessary for size-frequency analyses. In addition, these data demonstrate that species specific production varies with gross changes in elevation.     

Invertebrate colonisation of the gravel substratum of an experimental recirculating channel

The development of an invertebrate community in a large scale, experimental stream system is described. Colonisation was chiefly by means of ovipositing adult insects with lesser components introduced with water and stones. A succession of taxa was recorded with large peaks of numbers in the spring and the autumn, comparable to those observed in studies on natural streams. Diversity of the fauna increased quickly at first and then more slowly, possibly because of the reduced availability of ovipositing adults later in the year. Even in the absence of drift and migration, recruitment of insect larvae, which naturally favour gravel substrata in running water, can be rapid and will produce a varied community in which Chironomidae and Ephemeroptera play an important role.     

Growth and nutritional condition of the larvae of Odontesthes microlepidotus (Atherinidae): an experimental approach

Synopsis The relation between the feeding and mortality of fish larvae is mediated not only by starvation but also by their growth. In this work, daily otolith ring deposition was analysed in laboratory-reared larvae of Odontesthes microlepidotus (Jenyns), and their growth was studied in relation to ring number and otolith diameter. The nutritional condition of these larvae was assessed by means of morphometric comparisons between fed and starved larvae in order to develop a tool to evaluate the nutritional status of larvae in breeding areas. Changes in body shape have been found as a consequence of starvation. No dependence was found between mean hepatocyte nuclear area and fasting.     

Gut morphology,feeding rate and gut clearance in five species of caddis larvae

Feeding rate, the rate of movement of food through the gut and gut morphology of large larvae of five caddis species (Halesus radiatus, Hydropsyche instabilis, Polycentropus kingi, Rhyacophila dorsalis and Potamophylax cingulatus) were investigated in the laboratory. Following 72 hr starvation, P. cingulatus and H. radiatus larvae became satiated (refused prey offered directly to the mouthparts) after consuming 8–11 and 9–13 mayfly nymphs (Baetis rhodani, 3.5–4.6 mm) respectively. Hunger level affected prey consumption. In P. cingulatus, the number of prey consumed over 24 h (at 9.5–12 °C) increased with starvation periods from 0–72 h, but declined following longer starvation periods. Six clearly recognisable gut states (defined by the position of food material in various parts of the gut) can be identified at different times since commencement of a meal. As environmental temperature increased (from 8–12 °C to 15–17 °C), the rate of change of the gut state increased and the food retention time decreased in all species. Feeding periodicity (i.e. nocturnal/diurnal activity) in the field was estimated based on the evacuation rate and the gut state and environmental temperature at the known time of collection. Initiation of consumption of prey appeared to coincide with emptying of the foregut and proximal midgut, whereas actual feeding continued until complete satiation when some threshold fullness of the foregut had been reached. The length of time food was held in the foregut was positively correlated with increasing specialisation of the foregut (particularly elaboration of the proventriculus).     

Discovery of an alien species of mayfly in South America (Ephemeroptera)

Despite its wide, almost worldwide distribution, the mayfly genus Cloeon Leach, 1815 (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) is restricted in the Western hemisphere to North America, where a single species is reported. In the Neotropics, except for some species wrongly attributed to the genus in the past, there are no records of Cloeon. Recently, however, specimens of true Cloeon were collected along the coast of Espírito Santo, Southeastern Brazil. In order to verify the hypothesis that this species was recently introduced to Brazil, our aim was to identify the species based on morphological and molecular characters and to confirm the presence of true representatives of the genus in the Neotropics. Our results revealed that the specimens found in Brazil belong to the Afrotropical species C. smaeleni Lestage, 1924. The identity of the species, its distribution, along with its previous absence in regularly sampled sites, is a clear sign that the specimens of C. smaeleni found in Espírito Santo are introduced, well established, and that the colonization took place very recently.     

Pigment production from tryptophan by an Achromobacter species

Duerre, John A. (University of North Dakota, Grand Forks), and Patrick J. Buckley. Pigment production from tryptophan by an Achromobacter species. J. Bacteriol. 90:1686-1691. 1965.-A microorganism was isolated from the soil near the University of North Dakota. Biochemical and morphological characteristics indicated that this organism would best be classified as a member of the family Achromobacteraceae, genus Achromobacter, species unknown. The organism produced a red pigment when grown in a medium containing yeast extract and tryptophan. The pH optimum for pigment production was about 8.0 and the optimal temperature was 25 C. During a study of the nutritional requirements for growth and pigment production, it was found that the organism would grow and produce pigment in a medium containing tryptophan and nucleosides, but the rate of both growth and pigment formation in this medium was slower than that observed with tryptophan and yeast extract. The organism grew well in the presence of acid-hydrolyzed casein and nucleosides without producing pigment, indicating that the pigment is not necessary for growth. Resting-cell experiments definitely established tryptophan as the sole exogenous requirement for pigment production. The pigment was extracted from yeast extract-tryptophan medium with chloroform. Thin layer chromatographic analysis of the crude pigment extracted from this medium revealed the presence of two other pigments in addition to the major red pigment. One of these was a highly fluorescent orange pigment and the other a pink pigment. Only the red pigment was produced by resting cells in the presence of tryptophan alone. This pigment served as an electron acceptor when coupled with formic dehydrogenase, indicating its possible function as an oxidation-reduction pigment. The oxidized pigment had absorption peaks at 506 and 304 mmu. The peak at 506 mmu disappeared upon reduction with sodium sulfite. Shaking the reduced pigment in air proved to be an unsatisfactory method for returning the reduced pigment to the oxidized, colored state.     

The production of Ephemeroptera in running waters

Live weight was calculated for the larvae of Ephemeroptera and other zoobenthos on many localities in the catchment area of the Morava River. At monthly sampling the year-round production of the larvae was derived and the results tabulated for individual stretches in g m^–2 year^–1. The communities were classified also saprobiologically and the effect of saprobity on the production of mayflies in the individual zones was presented in the second table. Mayflies are considered very important for fish production in running waters.     

An experimental study on the effects of salamander larvae on isopods in stream pools

SUMMARY 1. We used a combination of field surveys and field and laboratory experiments to examine the effects of predatory small-mouthed salamander larvae, Ambystoma barbouri (Kraus and Petranka), on the density and microhabitat use of benthic isopods, Lirceus fontinalis (Rafinesque).
2. A survey of four field stations yielded a significant negative relationship between the densities of salamander larvae and isopods.
3. A field experimental manipulation of salamander density confirmed that salamanders reduce isopod density and isopod use of open micro-habitat. Salamanders did not significantly affect the mean or coefficient of variation in isopod size.
4. A laboratory experiment showed that in the absence of refuges for isopods, salamanders were capable of eating large numbers of isopods; small isopods were particularly vulnerable to salamander predation.     

A new species of Ulmeritoides from Brazil (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae)

The leptophlebiid mayfly genus Ulmeritoides is composed of nine species, three of which have been recorded in Brazil: U. patagianus, U. uruguayensis, and U. misionensis. In the present paper, a new species of this genus, Ulmeritoides oepa sp.nov., is described and illustrated based on fifteen larvae collected in Uraricoera River, state of Roraima, northern Brazil. The species was compared to U. misionensis, U. tifferae, and U. guanacaste, the other species of Ulmeritoides known from the larval stage. U. opea sp.nov. can be distinguished from these species by the following combination of characteristics: 1) medial denticle on anteromedian emargination of labrum much larger than others; 2) anterior tibiae slightly stained black toward the apex; 3) medial femora with few dorsal spines, similar to short thick needles; 4) hind femora with numerous dorsal spines, similar to short thick needles; 5) medial femora with no medial black markings, apical brown markings. The new species seems to be more closely related to U. misionensis, another species in which the anteromedian emargination of the labrum has a median denticle much larger than the others. The studied specimens were deposited in the Invertebrates Collection of the Amazonian Research National Institute, Manaus, state of Amazonas, Brazil, and in the Entomological Collection of the Department of Zoology, Federal University of Rio Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.     

五种植物抗寒性的比较研究

采用电导法对五种植物(四种美国引进的植物和一种乡土植物)进行不同低温处理,研究其在各温度下的细胞膜透性改变情况,并配以Logistic方程求拐点值确定低温半致死温度LT50。结果表明:低温处理下各种植物组织电解质渗透率增加,并呈"S"形曲线增长,各种植物的低温半致死温度分别为:沙地柏为-46.58℃,四翅滨藜-1,四翅滨藜-2分别为-42.44℃和-40.09℃,黑油脂木为-27.7℃,伏地肤为-22.18℃。故其抗寒性从强到弱的顺序为沙地柏>四翅滨藜-1>四翅滨藜-2>驼绒藜>黑油脂木>伏地肤。     

Comparative biogeography reveals differences in population genetic structure of five species of stream fishes

The distribution of genetic variation in Texas stream fishes has been shaped by a complex mix of historical and anthropogenic factors. Although Texas was not glaciated during the Pleistocene, the rise in sea level following this epoch isolated formerly connected drainages. More recently, the construction of dams, modifications of stream systems, and the release of commercially raised fish have influenced the patterns of genetic diversity. To examine how these different factors have impacted Texas stream fishes, we compared the genetic structure of five species of fish spanning two families and inhabiting two adjacent drainages: Lepomis megalotis, Lepomis cyanellus, Cyprinella lutrensis, Cyprinella venusta, and Campostoma anomalum. Our analyses of the mitochondrial D‐Loop show that genetic patterns differ strongly across species. A phylogeographical split between the Brazos and Trinity drainages was seen in conspecific populations of Lepomis species and is probably the result of the historical separation of these river systems. In contrast, contemporary ecological and anthropogenic factors, such as the desiccation of streams during summer, and the translocation of bait fish, appear to have a stronger influence on the genetic patterns in the remaining species. The contrasting results demonstrate the importance of using a multi‐species, comparative approach for landscape genetic studies as single species patterns may not be representative of others and thus may obscure differential effects of historical versus recent events as well as natural versus anthropogenic forces. By comparing closely related species that differ in their life history and economic importance it may be possible to disentangle the relative roles of historical, intrinsic, and anthropogenic influences on different organisms within a region. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, ??, ??–??.     

Life cycle, growth, mortality and production of Ephemerella major Klapalek (Ephemeroptera) in a trout stream in Belgium

SUMMARY. 1. The life cycle of Ephemerella major Klapalek in a chalk trout stream in Belgium took 1 year. Emergence was highly synchronized with a flight period from mid-May to mid-June. Tiny nymphs occurred from June to late August.
2. The mean instantaneous growth rate was high in autumn (3.6% wet wt day⁻¹), very low from November to February (0.8% wet wt day⁻¹) and high until emergence (2.3% wet wt day⁻¹); short day length seemed to be the major factor reducing growth rate during winter.
3. Mortality was close to zero during winter and 1.4—1.7% day⁻¹during other seasons. Total mortality from egg to adult was 99.6%.
4. The annual production was about 9g wet wt m⁻² year⁻¹ and the annual P/ ratio was 7.5. There was good agreement between the production values estimated by four methods. Production rate was highest in May (13 mg wet wt m⁻² day⁻¹) and zero in February.