Species composition and ecological peculiarities of the blood-sucking mosquito genus Ochlerotatus (cantans and dorsalis species groups) (Diptera, Culicidae) in the Novgorod Region

Seven mosquito species of the genus Ochlerotatus ("cantans" and "dorsalis" species groups, family Culicidae) were found in the Novgorod Region as a result of our field investigations, which have been carried out in 1996-2004. One species, Ochlerotatus annulipes, was for the first time recorded in the Novgorod Region. Distribution, biotopic and seasonal preferences of all discovered species are considered.     

Comparison of nucleotide sequences of ribosomal DNA of the mosquito genera Aedes and Ochlerotatus (Diptera: Culicidae: Aedini)

Morphological study allowed identifying 9 species of mosquitoes of the genus Ochlerotatus and 2 species of the genus Aedes. Sequencing of the rDNA region was performed for all these speciemens. The sequences of rDNA were the following: A. cinereus -868 bp, A. vexans--889 bp, Och. cantans--803 bp, O. excrucians--801 bp, O. euedes--794 bp, Och. cyprius--777 bp, O. diantaeus--758 bp, O. intrudens--817 bp, Och. punctor--783 bp, O. dorsalis--748 bp, O. species--767 bp. On average, the size of Aedes rDNA fragments exceeds rDNA of Ochlerotatus by 90-100 bp. The sequences are characterized by a high number of insertions and deletions, and also by point substitutions of nucleotides. It is important to notice that interspecific differences include not only different regions of the internal transcribed spacers, but also the conservative site which is represented by the 5.8S gene. Among four substitutions in this gene, one (C/A) represents the difference between Aedes and Ochlerotatus, the next (T/A) distinguishes A. cinereus from Ochlerotatus speciment and A. vexans, and two substitutions (A/C, T/G) testify the similarity between O. dorsalis and O. species and specimens of Aedes. Besides, two more deletions are typical for O. dorsalis and O. species. One deletion is com- mon, it distinguishes them from the other examined species, and another one is typical only for O. dorsalis. When analyzing morphological characteristics and comparing nucleotide rDNA sequences of O. species with the database, the similarity to O. caspius has been revealed. On the whole, phylogenetic relationships among Ochlerotatus species correspond to subdivision into groups based on morphological characters. Probably, examination of the larger number of specimens will change the morphological division into groups.     

Addition to the fauna of mosquitoes of the family Culicidae (Diptera) of the Novgorod region

Mosquitoes of 26 species of the family Culicidae were found in the Novgorod Province. During the researches in 1996-2001, five new species for the region were found: Aedes annulipes, Ae. impiger, Ae. riparius riparius, Ae. rossicus and Culex torrentium.     

Composition of the fauna and the communities’ structure of the Cicadina (Homoptera) in the lowland Trans-Volga woodlands

179 species of 7 families of the Cicadina were found in the lowland Trans-Volga woodlands within Nizhniy Novgorod Province, the Republic of Mari El, and Chuvashia. Thirty-tree commonest species were distinguished, and their abundance was compared. Comparison of the species composition of the Cicadina complexes in the model biotopes has shown the greatest similarity between the complexes in the birch forests and spruce forests.     

Species composition and ecological peculiarities of the mosquito genera Aedes and Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Novgorod Region

Five mosquito species form the genera Aedes and Anopheles are found in the Novgorod Region as a result of eight-year investigation (1997-2004). The species Ae. rossicus is for the first time recorded in the Novgorod Region.     

A new species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Siteroptes</Emphasis> (Acari,Heterostigmata, Pygmephoridae) from European Russia

A new species, Siteroptes longisetissimus Khaustov et Ermilov sp. n., is described from European Russia (Nizhnii Novgorod Province). The new species differs from all the congeners in the presence of very small oval stigmata and in the absence of setae v on femora III and IV. A key to families of the superfamily Pygmephoroidea is provided.     

Seasonal dynamics of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Osijek (Croatia) for the period 1995–2004

The ten year research (1995–2004) of adult mosquitoes in the area of Osijek by dry ice baited CDC traps has provided significant information on mosquito species, species prevalence, their dynamics and seasonal activity. A total of 207,136 adult mosquitoes comprising twenty species belonging to the following genera: Anopheles, Ochlerotatus, Aedes, Culex, Coquillettidia, Culiseta and Uranotaenia were collected. The seven most common species collected during this study were: Aedes vexans (75.6%), Ochlerotatus sticticus (13.3%), Culex pipiens complex (5.9%), Anopheles maculipennis complex (1.9%), Oc. cantans (0.9%), Oc. caspius (0.6%) and Oc. excrucians (0.6%). The temporal changes in the relative abundance of the twenty mosquito species in the Osijek area were reflected in three peaks: in May, July and September. Seasonal population dynamics differed between years and between mosquito species in relation to wetland, urban and forest habitats and was influenced by water level of the Drava and the Danube rivers.     

湖南省花臭蛙复合体分类及分布格局

运用形态特征系统聚类和分子系统学分析,研究先前报道的湖南省花臭蛙(Odorrana schmackeri)各地理种群的分类组成及其分布格局。结果显示,原认定的花臭蛙湖南省各地理种群已分化为花臭蛙和黄岗臭蛙(O.huanggangensis)两个物种。分布于湘西南及南部雪峰山和南岭的花臭蛙种群应修订为黄岗臭蛙,为湖南省臭蛙属物种新发现,湘西北及湘东南罗霄山脉的种群为花臭蛙,黄岗臭蛙与花臭蛙在张家界市武陵源景区同域分布。湘西北武陵山与雪峰山之间以及湘中丘陵地带花臭蛙种群的分类归属,黄岗臭蛙和花臭蛙在湖南省分布格局的形成以及同域分布的机制值得探讨。     

A new species of Oxytropis (Baicalia) (Leguminosae) from Shanxi Province in China

A new species of Oxytropis (Leguminosae) from Shanxi Province in China, O. shanxiensis, is described and illustrated. The new species is close to O. bicolor (section Baicalia) and shares the verticillate and opposite leaflets and glandular hairs of that species, but differs in having leaflets and wings rounded at apex, beak of keel-petals ca.l.0 mm long, and ovary subglabrous.     

Relative abundance of mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae) on Big Pine Key, Florida, U.S.A.

Species diversity of mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) collections in carbon dioxide-baited light traps was investigated on Big Pine Key, Florida, from 2000 - 2004. Twenty species of mosquitoes were collected during this study, the most commonly collected being Anopheles atropos, Culex bahamensis, Deinocerites cancer, and Ochlerotatus taeniorhynchus. Ochlerotatus taeniorhynchus is the dominant species at this location. For most of the mosquito species, more individuals were collected during the "high season" months (June to September) than in the "low season" months (January to March). During most years more mosquito species were collected in the high season than in the low season. Rank order of species collected was significantly correlated between low and high season. Species composition at this site appears to be relatively stable from year to year and from season to season.     

The epidemic situation in relation to HIV infection in the Volga River region

1,036 HIV-infected persons were detected in the area by March 1, 1998; of these, 552 persons were detected in Nizhny Novgorod Province and 364 persons in Saratov Province. For all that at different periods 150 HIV-infected detainees were kept in the pretrial detention prisons of Nizhny Novgorod Province and 60 HIV-infected detainees, in the pretrial detention prisons of Saratov Province. Some measures permitting the prevention of further increase in the occurrence of HIV infection in the region are proposed.     

Characterization of microsatellite markers in the mosquito Ochlerotatus caspius (Diptera: Culicidae)

Seven polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed for the mosquito species Ochlerotatus caspius, using an enriched genomic library. The number of alleles per locus varied between two and 11; the expected heterozygosity (H_E) ranged from 0.18 to 0.77. These microsatellite primers should prove useful for population genetic studies of this mosquito species.     

Thrips (Thysanoptera) in the Meadows of Kaliningrad Province

The insect order Thysanoptera is one of the less known in Kaliningrad Province. In the course of investigations, plants were collected in May–September of 2013–2016 in the motley-grass communities from 22 localities in different landscape regions of Kaliningrad Province. From the plants in the laboratory a total of 1362 adults of 29 thrips species from three families of two suborders were collected. Thirteen species are recorded from Kaliningrad Province for the first time: Dendrothrips saltatrix, Mycterothrips consociatus, Odontothrips loti, O. meliloti, O. confusus, Platythrips tunicatus, Sericothrips bicornis, Thrips brevicornis, Th. nigropilosus, Th. pillichi, Th. trehernei, Haplothrips niger, and H. leucanthemi. Most of the species revealed are hortobionts, except for Mycterothrips consociatus and Dendrothrips saltatrix which live on deciduous trees. All the species are known from Poland; M. consociatus, O. meliloti, and Th. pillichi are not known from Lithuania. The largest numbers of the species are associated with the plant families Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Apiaceae; the most widely distributed in Kaliningrad Province are Thrips major, Th. tabaci, Th. fuscipennis, and Frankliniella intonsa.     

The effect of mineral fertilizers on mosquito larvae (Culicidae)

The effect of superphosphate, nitrophoska and ammophos on larvae of Culicidae was studied under laboratory and field conditions of Novgorod Province. Superphosphate better than other fertilizers acidifies water, while nitrophoska and ammophos increase the ammonia contents of 27 to 240 fold that affects lethally the larvae. 0.4-0.5% and 1% concentrations of mineral fertilizers are a lethal dose for I-II instar and III-IV instar larvae, respectively.     

Mitochondrial Heteroplasmy in Marsh Frog (Pelophylax ridibundus Pallas, 1771)

Russian Journal of Genetics - The population features of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of P. ridibundus Pallas, 1771 and related species of green frogs from Nizhny Novgorod and Sverdlovsk...     

Identification of mosquito-parasitic microsporidia, Amblyospora rugosa and Trichoctosporea pygopellita (Microsporidia: Amblysporidae), from Acanthocyclops venustus and Acanthocyclops reductus (Copepoda: Cyclopidae), based on small subunit rDNA analysis

Identical small subunit rDNA sequences were obtained for microsporidia Amblyospora rugosa from blood-sucking mosquitoes larvae Ochlerotatus cantans, O. cataphylla and copepods Acanthocyclops venustus, as well as for Trichoctosporea pygopellita from mosquitoes larvae Ochlerotatus cyprius, O. excrucians and copepods Acanthocyclops reductus. The data on molecular phylogeny and ecological researches show that in Siberia mosquito-parasitic microsporidia of the genera Amblyospora and Trichoctosporea have complex life cycle involving likely intermediate hosts, Acanthocyclops copepods. Life cycle of parasites is synchronized with phenology of their hosts. The phylogenetic analyses shows, that genus Trichoctosporea should be transferred from the family Thelohaniidae to the family Amblyosporidae.     

Taxonomic Interpretation of Allopatric Mammalian Forms on the Example of Two Karyoforms of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Microtus (Terricola) subterraneus</Emphasis> (Rodentia,Arvicolinae) from Eastern Europe

New European pine vole records from the Novgorod, Kaluga, Voronezh, and Belgorod oblasts were studied by sequencing of the mtDNA cytb gene (1143 bp) and by karyotyping (routine staining and G-banding techniques). The results enabled us to summarize chromosome variability of this species throughout Eastern Europe. In the sample studied, two geographically replacing chromosomal forms have been identified: northern, 2n = 54 (Novgorod and Kaluga oblasts), and southern, 2n = 52 (Voronezh and, presumably, Belgorod oblasts). Our data make the boundaries of these two karyoforms in Eastern Europe more precise and testify to intraspecific level of their taxonomic differentiation.     

Midges of the genus Culicoides (Ceratopogonidae) and an evaluation of the critical level of their population that bothers humans

The fauna of some species of the genus Culicoides in the forests of the Novgorod region was studied. The method of calculatin "on person" has shown that C. riethi and C. punctatus are dominant species. The critical level of abundance of midges disturbing people in recreation areas was determined (6 to 10 bites of C. riethi midges for 15 minutes). It was noted that people avoided recreation areas if the number of bites was over 40 for 15 minutes of calculation "on person".