<Emphasis Type="Italic">Neobisium babinzub</Emphasis> sp. n. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neobisium tarae</Emphasis> sp. n. (Neobisiidae,Pseudoscorpiones) from the central Balkan Peninsula (Serbia)

Two new pseudoscorpion species, Neobisium babinzub sp. n., and N. tarae sp. n. (Neobisiidae, Pseudoscorpiones), were collected in soil and leaf-litter on Mt. Stara Planina and Mt. Tara, Serbia, diagnosed and thoroughly illustrated. The main morphological characteristics of the two taxa clearly demonstrate their adaptation to life in soil.     

Failed predation or transportation? Causes and consequences of phoretic behavior in the pseudoscorpionDinocheirus arizonensis (Pseudoscorpionida: Chernetidae)

The pseudoscorpion Dinocheirus arizonensisinhabits rotting saguaro cactus in the Sonoran Desert and has also been found attached to the legs of the cactophilic neriid fly, Odontoloxozus longicornis.Laboratory experiments demonstrated a higher incidence of phoresy on eclosing versus postteneral adult flies, a female bias in phoresy, and an increased rate in female phoresy through time. The pseudoscorpion may also prey on the fly, but predation rate was unaffected by fly category, pseudoscorpion gender, or food deprivation. A study of pseudoscorpion colonization in the field indicated that females were the first to colonize and the first to abandon the transient habitat of a saguaro rot and, thus, corroborated patterns of phoretic behavior in the laboratory. Taken together, these results establish that phoresy is a behavior functioning specifically for dispersal. The hypothesis that pseudoscorpion transport by other arthropods is accidental, motivated by hunger, and occurs because pseudoscorpions are incapable of consuming their hosts is rejected.     

Notes on Hysterochelifer afghanicus Beier (Pseudoscorpiones: Cheliferidae), with a key to the species of Hysterochelifer Chamberlin

The pseudoscorpion Hysterochelifer afghanicus Beier, 1966 is redescribed and illustrated based on 21 specimens (13♂, 8♀) collected from different sites in northern, western, and southern Iran. A number of morphological characters and new provincial records are given. In addition, a key for 13 species of the pseudoscorpion genus Hysterochelifer Chamberlin, 1932 is proposed.     

On the threshold of dispersal: hitchhiking on a giant fly favours exaggerated male traits in a male‐dimorphic pseudoscorpion

The evolution of exaggerated male traits is frequently driven by competition between males to control resources critical for female survival and/or reproductive success. For flightless arthropods specializing on patchy habitats, dispersal agents may represent one such critical resource. The Neotropical pseudoscorpion, Semeiochernes armiger, disperses to new habitats by attaching to the giant timber fly, Pantophthalmus tabaninus, as it ecloses from pupal boreholes within decaying Ficus trees. In a study that combined field observations of mating with experimental removal of individuals from a large, pre‐dispersal population, our morphometric analyses revealed that S. armiger is among the most highly sexually dimorphic pseudoscorpions known, with males possessing unusual, triangular‐shaped pedipalpal chelae (hands) and a male‐specific, dimorphic chela peg that exhibits threshold trait expression. Several lines of evidence indicate that extreme sexual dimorphism in S. armiger results from male competition to monopolize pantophthalmid bores as strategic sites for inseminating females on the verge of dispersal. Sexually dimorphic pedipalpal characters were significantly larger in males located in and around pantophthalmid boreholes, compared with males collected at the periphery of the pantophthalmid emergence zone. Removal of pseudoscorpions resulted in a significant decline in pedipalpal size of males associated with pantophthalmid bores, followed by a rebound in size after collected individuals were returned to the tree. Most significantly, field observations of mating indicate that this competition translates into intense selection for exaggerated male traits, with all traits of the sexually dimorphic chelae exhibiting highly significant sexual selection differentials in males. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London     

Soil and canopy Pseudoscorpiones (Arthropoda,Arachnida) in a monodominant forest of Attalea phalerata Mart. (Arecaceae) in the Brazilian Pantanal

We studied the occurrence of Pseudoscorpiones in the soil, leaf litter, and in canopies of a monodominant forest of Attalea phalerata at different seasons in the northern region of the Brazilian Pantanal. A total of 1197 pseudoscorpions from nine families and 16 species were sampled. Olpiidae, Chernetidae, and Geogarypidae predominated in soil and leaf litter. Chernetidae was the most abundant family in canopies. Soil and canopy corresponded to distinct habitats in relation to pseudoscorpion abundance and richness, with the canopies being the most diversified environment. These habitats are occupied in different ways by pseudoscorpion populations. Geogarypus sp. occurs in the edaphic environment during receding water and dry season, but can be found in canopies of A. phalerata exclusively during high water. This alternation in the use of the edaphic environments and canopies in the same area by pseudoscorpion species probably happens due to the strong seasonality of the Brazilian Pantanal.     

Springtail postmolt vulnerability to pseudoscorpion predation: Mechanisms and implications

Arthropod prey are expected to be more vulnerable to their predators immediately following molt. The effects of springtail (Isotoma carpenteri) postmolt vulnerability on interactions with a pseudoscorpion predator were examined in the laboratory. Springtails exposed to vials pretreated with pseudoscorpions (Apochthonius minimus) delayed molting compared to those prey that were exposed to vials pretreated only with springtails. Although their escape ability (measured as distance jumped) was unaffected by molt condition, postmolt springtails were more profitable in terms of reduced predator handling time following capture. Despite this,A. minimus did not distinguish between postmolt and intermolt prey presented at either end of a T-maze.     

WHEN MORPHOLOGY MISLEADS: INTERPOPULATION UNIFORMITY IN SEXUAL SELECTION MASKS GENETIC DIVERGENCE IN HARLEQUIN BEETLE-RIDING PSEUDOSCORPION POPULATIONS

Differences in secondary sexual characteristics of males often provide the most conspicuous means of distinguishing between closely related species. Does this therefore imply that the absence of differentiation in exaggerated male traits between allopatric populations provides evidence of a single, genetically cohesive species? We addressed this question with a comprehensive investigation of two populations (French Guiana and Panama) of the harlequin beetle-riding pseudoscorpion, Cordylochernes scorpioides. This highly sexually dimorphic pseudoscorpion is currently described as a single species, ranging throughout the Neotropics. Our morphometric analyses detected minimal differentiation between the two populations in all nine external morphological characters measured, including sexually dimorphic traits in males. Only in traits of the spermatophore was there any appreciable level of differentiation. Behavior differentiation and prezygotic reproductive isolation were also limited: 78.3% of males successfully transferred sperm to “foreign” females, and in 63.9% of these cases, females' eggs were successfully fertilized. By contrast, extensive divergence existed in two of nine electrophoretic loci, including an essentially fixed-allele difference at the Ldh locus. Most significantly, postzygotic reproductive isolation was complete, with heteropopulation zygotes invariably aborting early in development. These results strongly suggest that the two populations are, in fact, sibling species, a conclusion supported by our recently published findings on their marked divergence in minisatellite DNA. How can such interpopulation homogeneity in male sexually dimorphic traits exist in the face of strong genetic divergence? We propose that sexual selection, oscillating between favoring small and then large males, maintains such high levels of male variability within each population that it has obscured a speciation event in which genetic divergence and postzygotic incompatibility have clearly outpaced the evolution of prezygotic reproductive isolation.     

AB-QTL analysis in spring barley: III. Identification of exotic alleles for the improvement of malting quality in spring barley (<Emphasis Type="Italic">H. vulgare</Emphasis> ssp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">spontaneum</Emphasis>)

Malting quality is genetically determined by the complex interaction of numerous traits which are expressed prior to and, in particular, during the malting process. Here, we applied the advanced backcross quantitative trait locus (AB-QTL) strategy (Tanksley and Nelson, Theor Appl Genet 92:191–203, 1996), to detect QTLs for malting quality traits and, in addition, to identify favourable exotic alleles for the improvement of malting quality. For this, the BC₂DH population S42 was generated from a cross between the spring barley cultivar Scarlett and the wild barley accession ISR42-8 (Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum). A QTL analysis in S42 for seven malting parameters measured in two different environments yielded 48 QTLs. The exotic genotype improved the trait performance at 18 (37.5%) of 48 QTLs. These favourable exotic alleles were detected, in particular, on the chromosome arms 3HL, 4HS, 4HL and 6HL. The exotic allele on 4HL, for example, improved α-amylase activity by 16.3%, fermentability by 0.8% and reduced raw protein by 2.4%. On chromosome 6HL, the exotic allele increased α-amylase by 16.0%, fermentability by 1.3%, friability by 7.3% and reduced viscosity by 2.9%. Favourable transgressive segregation, i.e. S42 lines exhibiting significantly better performance than the recurrent parent Scarlett, was recorded for four traits. For α-amylase, fermentability, fine-grind extract and VZ45 20, 16, 2 and 26 S42 lines, respectively, surpassed the recurrent parent Scarlett. The present study hence demonstrates that wild barley does harbour valuable alleles, which can enrich the genetic basis of cultivated barley and improve malting quality traits.     

Using extant patterns of dental variation to identify species in the primate fossil record: a case study of middle Eocene <Emphasis Type="Italic">Omomys</Emphasis> from the Bridger Basin,southwestern Wyoming

Patterns of extant primate dental variation provide important data for interpreting taxonomic boundaries in fossil forms. Here I use dental data from several well-known living primates (as well as data from selected Eocene forms) to evaluate dental variation in Middle Eocene Omomys, the first North American fossil primate identified by paleontologists. Measurements were collected from a sample of 148 omomyid dental specimens recovered from Bridger B localities in the Bridger Basin, Wyoming. Most of these specimens have not previously been described. Nonmetric traits were also scored for this sample. Lower molar coefficients of variation range from 4.01 for M₂ length (n = 80) to 6.73 for M₃ talonid width (n = 57). All of the nonmetric traits scored exhibit less than 100% presence in the overall sample, including traits previously described as representative of Omomys (e.g., P₄ metaconids present in 91%, n = 55; M² pericones present in 80%, n = 15). Dental traits also vary in a set of spatially restricted localities from the same fossil horizon and in a separate, single fossil locality (DMNH 868, P₄ metaconids present in 67%, n = 6). An increasing frequency in several premolar traits across time in these more restricted samples suggests an anagenetic change in Bridger B Omomys. However, this degree of morphological variability is consistent with that seen in extant primate species from single locations. Metric variation in this sample is comparable to that seen in other Eocene primates, such as new data presented here for the omomyid Arapahovius gazini from the Washakie Basin, southern Wyoming. Omomys metric variation is also comparable to that found in several samples of well-known extant primates from single localities (e.g., ring-tailed lemurs and gray–brown mouse lemurs). These metric data also correspond to the patterns of variability described in previously published studies of Omomys carteri. In sum, a single species interpretation (O. carteri) for this new Bridger B Omomys sample from southern Wyoming is affirmed, and this study illustrates the usefulness of dental data from extant primates for evaluating primate fossil samples.     

Prozercon iranensis sp. n., a new species of Zerconidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Iran

A new species of pseudoscorpion of the genus Calocheiridius Beier &; Turk, Calocheiridius iranicus n. sp., is described from Markazi province, Iran. Illustrations and measurements of the species are given. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:06332B5C-D43A-4955-AB6C- 5847D10C2BAC     

Morphological and microsatellite diversity associated with ecological factors in natural populations of Medicago laciniata Mill. (Fabaceae)

Genetic variability in 10 natural Tunisian populations of Medicago laciniata were analysed using 19 quantitative traits and 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci. A large degree of genetic variability within-populations and among-populations was detected for both quantitative characters and molecular markers. High genetic differentiation among populations for quantitative traits was seen, with Q _ST = 0.47, and F _ST = 0.47 for microsatellite markers. Several quantitative traits displayed no statistical difference in the levels of Q _ST and F _ST . Further, significant correlations between quantitative traits and eco-geographical factors suggest that divergence in the traits among populations may track environmental differences. There was no significant correlation between genetic variability at quantitative traits and microsatellite markers within populations. The site-of-origin of eco-geographical factors explain between 18.13% and 23.40% of genetic variance among populations at quantitative traits and microsatellite markers, respectively. The environmental factors that most influence variation in measured traits among populations are assimilated phosphorus (P₂0₅) and mean annual rainfall, followed by climate and soil texture, altitude and organic matter. Significant associations between eco-geographical factors and gene diversity, H _e , were established in five-microsatellite loci suggesting that these simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are not necessarily biologically neutral.     

Stability of entomopathogenic bacteria, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xenorhabdus nematophila</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Photorhabdus luminescens</Emphasis>, during in vitro culture

The entomopathogenic nematode–bacteria complexes Heterorhabditis bacteriophora/Photorhabdus luminescens and Steinernema carpocapsae/Xenorhabdus nematophila are mass produced for use as biological insecticides. Stability of the bacterial partner in culture is essential for maintaining traits important for both biological control and production. Two geographically distinct strains of each bacterial species were isolated from their nematode partners and serially subcultured on in vitro media to assess trait stability. Subculturing resulted in a shift to secondary cell production in one P. luminescens strain and both X. nematophila strains within ten in vitro culture cycles. However, when cell phenotypic variation was controlled in X. nematophila strains by regular selection for primary variants, no trait change was detected in the primary variant after prolonged subculture. When P. luminescens cell phenotypic variation was controlled by selection for primary variants, changes in the primary variant of both strains were noted including reductions in cell and inclusion body size and inclusion body prevalence. Bacterial ability to cause lethal infections following injection into the hemocoel of Tenebrio molitor larvae declined by more than half in primary variants of one P. luminescens strain. Conversely, yield was enhanced, with the subcultured P. luminescens strains showing 53.5 and 75.8% increases in primary cell density. Field adapted traits of primary variant P. luminescens strains tend to deteriorate during in vitro culture as tradeoffs for gains in yield. In vitro producers of the P. luminescens/H. bacteriophora complex must weigh the need for superior bacterial yield against the need to preserve traits important for biological control.     

In-vitro development of ovules obtained after pollination of cotton (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gossypium</Emphasis> spp) flowers with pollen from okra (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench)</Emphasis>

The in vitro response of ovules obtained after pollination of cotton flowers with pollen from Abelmoschus esculentus was studied. For this, 492 cotton flowers from five G. hirsutum varieties, four G. barbadense varieties and 10 F1 interspecific hybrids, were pollinated with pollen from A. esculentus and 5,069 ovules were cultured in vitro. From the cultured ovules, 69 embryos were isolated and 16 of them grew into plants. However, only three of them survived after transplantation. Finally, one plant which originated from the interspecific cross (B403 × Acala Sindos) × A. esculentus reached maturity. The mature plant (Pa0) had no morphological traits from A. esculentus. On the contrary, traits from both cotton species were observed. The flowcytometric analysis of the Pa0 plant indicated that it was hypoaneuploid. Root tip chromosome counts of its offsprings revealed a progressive chromosome increase from the Pa1 to Pa4 generation. Plants with 52 chromosomes or hypoaneuploids with a lower level of chromosomes (46–51) could be isolated from the Pa4 generation. These plants exhibited morphological traits from both cotton species and they were fertile. No signs of A. esculentus morphological characteristics were observed in these plants. It was concluded that aneuploid partial interspecific cotton plants could be produced after pollination of cotton interspecific hybrids with pollen from A. esculentus and application of an in-ovule embryo rescue technique.     

The novel 5bp deletion polymorphism in the promoter region of bovine <Emphasis Type="Italic">ACRP30</Emphasis> gene

ACRP30 gene was located nearby the QTL affecting the marbling, ribeye muscle area and fat thickness on the BAT1 in Angus. In this study, a 5bp deletion mutation within the bovine ACRP30 gene was firstly detected and confirmed in 991 cattle by PCR-SSCP, DNA sequencing and direct PCR amplification. The deletion mutation was appeared in Qinchuan, Nanyang, Jiaxian and Hasake, but was not found in Jinnan, Chinese Holsteins and Angus. The association of the deletion polymorphism with growth traits (including birth weight, body weight, average daily gain and body sizes in different growth periods (6/12/18/24 month-old)) was analyzed in 224 Nanyang cattle. No signification association of the deletion polymorphism with growth traits were observed (P > 0.05). The deletion was located in the promoter region and it resulted in a new putative CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-β response element (C/EBP-RE).     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium matuoi</Emphasis> sp. nov. and its teleomorph <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cosmospora matuoi</Emphasis> sp. nov.

A group of Fusarium isolates from slime flux similar to F. aquaeductuum produced unique, strongly curved, aseptate, C-shaped conidia. They were found to be identical to F. splendens nom. nud. Dried specimens from which F. splendens was originally isolated were reexamined and characterized as a new species of Cosmospora. Cosmospora matuoi sp. nov. is proposed for the teleomorph, and Fusarium matuoi sp. nov. is proposed for its anamorph.     

Hybrid disadvantage in the larval foraging behaviour of the two neotropical species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila pavani</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila gaucha</Emphasis>

Flies from two populations of the Chilean endemic neotropical species Drosophila pavani and two populations of its sibling species Drosophila gaucha were crossed reciprocally to obtain intra- and interspecific hybrids. The developmental pathways of locomotor activity and feeding rate were analysed for eleven of twelve possible genotype groups. The hybrids showed reduced fitness indicated by a decrease in the measured traits. Hybrid disadvantage was strongest in interspecific hybrids, especially with respect to feeding behaviour. This evidence supports the contention that D. pavani and D. gaucha have evolved different coadapted gene pools controlling the developmental pathways for behavioural traits expressed during larval foraging; but genetic divergence affecting these behaviours has also taken place between locally adapted populations within each species.     

Low levels of quantitative and molecular genetic differentiation among natural populations of Medicago ciliaris Kroch. (Fabaceae) of different Tunisian eco-geographical origin

In this paper, we analyze the genetic variability in four Tunisian natural populations of Medicago ciliaris using 19 quantitative traits and six polymorphic microsatellite loci. We investigated the amplification transferability of 30 microsatellites developed in the model legume M. truncatula to M. ciliaris. Results revealed that about 56.66% of analyzed markers are valuable genetic markers for M. ciliaris. The most genetic diversity at quantitative traits and microsatellite loci was found to occur within populations (>80%). Low differentiations among populations at quantitative traits Q _ST  = 0.146 and molecular markers F _ST  = 0.18 were found. The majority of measured traits exhibited no significant difference in the level of Q _ST and F _ST . Furthermore, significant correlations established between these traits and eco-geographical factors suggested that natural selection should be invoked to explain the level of phenotypic divergence among populations rather than drift. There was no significant correlation between population differentiation at quantitative traits and molecular markers. Significant spatial genetic structure consistent with models of isolation by distance was detected within all studied populations. The site-of-origin environmental factors explain about 9.07% of total phenotypic genetic variation among populations. The eco-geographical factors that influence more the variation of measured traits among populations are the soil texture and altitude. Nevertheless, there were no consistent pattern of associations between gene diversity (He) and environmental factors.     

Genome-scan analysis for quantitative trait loci in an F<Subscript>2</Subscript> tilapia hybrid

We searched for genetic linkage between DNA markers and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for innate immunity, response to stress, biochemical parameters of blood, and fish size in an F₂ population derived from an interspecific tilapia hybrid ( Oreochromis mossambicus × O. aureus). A family of 114 fish was scanned for 40 polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers and two polymorphic genes, covering ~80% of the tilapia genome. These fish had previously been phenotyped for seven immune-response traits and six blood parameters. Critical values for significance were P <0.05 with the false discovery rate (FDR) controlled at 40%. The genome-scan analysis resulted in 35 significant marker-trait associations, involving 26 markers in 16 linkage groups. In a second experiment, nine markers were re-sampled in a second family of 79 fish of the same species hybrid. Seven markers ( GM180, GM553 , MHC-I , UNH848 , UNH868 , UNH898 and UNH925) in five linkage groups (LG 1, 3, 4, 22 and 23) were associated with stress response traits. An additional six markers ( GM47, GM552 , UNH208 , UNH881 , UNH952 , UNH998) in five linkage groups (LG 4, 16, 19, 20 and 23) were verified for their associations with immune response traits, by linkage to several different traits. The portion of variance explained by each QTL was 11% on average, with a maximum of 29%. The average additive effect of QTLs was 0.2 standard deviation units of stress response traits and fish size, with a maximum of 0.33. In three linkage groups (LG 1, 3 and 23) markers were associated with stress response, body weight and sex determination, confirming the location of QTLs reported by several other studies.Communicated by G. Reuter     

Quantitative genetics of speciation: additive and non-additive genetic differentiation between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila madeirensis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila subobscura</Emphasis>

The role of dominance and epistasis in population divergence has been an issue of much debate ever since the neoDarwinian synthesis. One of the best ways to dissect the several genetic components affecting the genetic architecture of populations is line cross analysis. Here we present a study comparing generation means of several life history-traits in two closely related Drosophila species: Drosophila subobscura, D. madeirensis as well as their F ₁ and F ₂ hybrids. This study aims to determine the relative contributions of additive and non-additive genetic parameters to the differentiation of life-history traits between these two species. The results indicate that both negative dominance and epistatic effects are very important in the differentiation of most traits. We end with considerations about the relevance of these findings for the understanding of the role of non-additive effects in speciation.     

Response of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Elodea Nuttallii</Emphasis> (Planch.) H. St. John to Manual Harvesting in the North-East of France

Elodea nuttallii (Planch). H. St John is an introduced aquatic macrophyte which was first observed in France in the early 1950s. The impact of two frequencies of harvesting on the biomass and regrowth strategy of this invasive species was evaluated by assessment of morphological traits monthly from February to October 2003. The effect of this management on the floristic biodiversity was also analysed. Harvesting caused a drastic reduction of biomass of E. nuttallii. Two harvests caused almost total disappearance of E. nuttallii. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed in the architecture of E. nuttallii between an unharvested site and harvested site. In one year, harvest did not allow the development of native aquatic plants.