The musculoskeletal system of male genitalia in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Curetis bulis</Emphasis> Westwood, 1851 (Lepidoptera,Lycaenidae: Curetinae) and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paralaxita damajanti</Emphasis> (C. Felder et R. Felder, 1860) (Lepidoptera,Riodinidae: Nemeobiinae)

The muscles of the male genitalia were studied for the first time in two species endemic to the Oriental zoogeographical region, namely Curetis bulis from the subfamily Curetinae (Lycaenidae) and Paralaxita damajanti from the tribe Abisarini (Riodinidae). Both taxa possess a common plan of musculature reflected in the positions of muscles m1, m2(10), m5(7), m7(6), m21, and m28. Two new autapomorphies of Curetis bulis were discovered: the splitting of m4 into two muscles and a shift of the attachment site of one of these muscles onto the dorsal area of the anellus. Apomorphic differences in the position of the genital muscles were found between Paralaxita damajanti and the previously studied Polycaena tamerlana from the family Riodinidae. A new synapomorphy between the latter two species, namely splitting of the aedeagus protractors m6(5), was also found.     

Northernmost Record of the Merck’s Rhinoceros <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis</Emphasis> (Jäger) and Taxonomic Status of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coelodonta jacuticus</Emphasis> Russanov (Mammalia,Rhinocerotidae)

A lower jaw of Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis from the Mus Khaya locality on the Yana River in Yakutia is described. This jaw was previously designated as a paratype of Coelodonta jacuticus, but morphological and morphometric analysis has shown that it actually belongs to a typical S. kirchbergensis. Morphometric parameters of the holotype (skull) of C. jacuticus fall within the range of intraspecific variation of C. antiquitatis. The same results of a morphometric study were obtained for the subspecies Coelodonta antiquitatis pristinus and C. a. humilis. This suggests that C. jacuticus, Coelodonta antiquitatis pristinus, and C. a. humilis are invalid taxa which should be regarded as junior synonyms of C. antiquitatis. The find of S. kirchbergensis in northern Yakutia is the northernmost occurrence of this species.     

Invertebrate predation predicts variation in an autotomy-related trait in larval damselfly

Autotomy, the discarding of a prey appendage grasped by a predator, may evolve when the benefits of immediate survival outweigh the costs of appendage loss. In larval damselflies, joints connecting lamellae to the abdomen vary in size and shape within and among taxa suggesting that they may evolve under selection by invertebrate predators, such as dragonfly larvae. Assuming that joint width is proportional to the force required for autotomy, we tested if invertebrate predation favours smaller lamellar joints for autotomy or larger joints for structural support of lamellae for swimming. We compared the maximum joint widths of larval Lestes and Enallagma among ponds that varied in risk of invertebrate predation. Relative predation risk estimated as the frequency of regenerated lamellae within ponds was weakly and positively related to the relative abundance of larval dragonflies. The allometry of lamellar joint size decreased with increasing risk of invertebrate predation across ponds after controlling for variation in body size in Lestes congener but not in Enallagma species. Both species of Lestes had larger joint sizes than the five species of Enallagma, suggesting that the ancestral divergence of lamellar joints between these genera may influence contemporary responses to invertebrate predation.     

Three new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Russula</Emphasis> from South China

Russula lotus, R. nivalis, and R. purpureoverrucosa are proposed here as new taxa based on morphological and molecular evidences. The new species are described with illustration photographs and line drawings, and compared against related species. Morphologically, R. lotus (subgenus Heterophyllidia, section Heterophyllae, subsection Cyanoxanthinae) is characterized by a medium-sized basidioma with a pale pink to purplish pink pileus whose center area is yellowish white, white to cream white lamellae occasionally forked with lamellulae, a cream white smooth stipe, broadly ellipsoid to ellipsoid basidiospores ornamented with disconnected amyloid warts and inamyloid suprahilar plage, dispersed sulphovanillin (SV)-negative pileocystidia, and the pileipellis with suprapellis cells claw-assembled. Russula nivalis (subgenus Russula, section Russula, subsection Russula) is characterized by a very small pure white basidioma with a pileus 7–12 mm in diameter, abundant clavate pileocystidia and caulocystidia changing purplish red in SV, and broadly ellipsoidal to ellipsoid basidiospores ornamented with strongly amyloid warts and ridges interconnected by fine lines in an uncompleted or completed reticulum, mostly with inamyloid suprahilar plage. Russula purpureoverrucosa (subgenus Incrustatula, section Lilaceinae, subsection Lilaceinae) is characterized by a medium-sized basidioma with a red to grayish magenta pileus slightly areolate in small irregular warts from center to margin, a stipe with the same color and warts as the pileus, white to cream white occasionally forked lamellae with lamellulae, broadly ellipsoidal to ellipsoid basidiospores ornamented with amyloid warts and ridges rarely connected, abundant clavate pleurocystidia covered with thick yellowish incrustations, and the pileipellis with suprapellis cells a typical trichoderm, some of which covered with yellowish incrustations, pileocystidia absent. Phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region provided further evidence that the described species belong to the subsections above respectively, and represent new taxa.     

Response of dominant grassland species in the temperate steppe of Inner Mongolia to different land uses at leaf and ecosystem levels

In order to study the responses of dominant species to different land uses in the semiarid temperate grassland of Inner Mongolia, we tested the physiological responses of Stipa grandis, Leymus chinensis, and Artemisia frigida to mowing, grazing exclusion, and grazing land uses at the leaf and ecosystem levels. The grazing-exclusion and mowing sites released CO₂, but the grazing site was a net carbon sink. L. chinensis and S. grandis contributed more to the ecosystem CO₂ exchange than A. frigida. At the grazing-exclusion and mowing sites, Leymus chinensis and Stipa grandis both exhibited a higher light-saturation point and higher maximum photosynthetic rate than that at the grazing site, which increased photosynthesis and growth compared to those at the grazing site. In contrast, A. frigida possessed a higher nitrogen content than the other species, and more of the light energy used for photosynthesis, particularly at the grazing site.     

Lamelloplasts and minichloroplasts in Begoniaceae: iridescence and photosynthetic functioning

Iridoplasts (modified plastids in adaxial epidermal cells) reported from Begonia were originally hypothesized to cause iridescence, which was broadly accepted for decades. However, several species of Begonia with iridoplasts are not iridescent causing confusion. Here chloroplast ultrastructure was observed in 40 taxa of Begoniaceae to explore the phenomenon of iridescence. However, 22 Begonias and Hillebrandia were found to have iridoplasts, but only nine display visually iridescent blue to blue-green leaves. Unexpectedly, a new type of plastid, a ‘minichloroplast,’ was found in the abaxial epidermal cells of all taxa, but was present in adaxial epidermal cells only if iridoplasts were absent. Comparative ultrastructural study of iridoplasts and a shading experiment of selected taxa show that a taxon with iridoplasts does not inevitably have visual iridescence, but iridescence is greatly affected by the spacing between thylakoid lamellae (stoma spacing). Thus, we propose instead the name ‘lamelloplast’ for plastids filled entirely with regular lamellae to avoid prejudging their function. To evaluate photosynthetic performance, chlorophyll fluorescence (F _v /F _m ) was measured separately from the chloroplasts in the adaxial epidermis and lower leaf tissues by using leaf dermal peels. Lamelloplasts and minichloroplasts have much lower photosynthetic efficiency than mesophyll chloroplasts. Nevertheless, photosynthetic proteins (psbA protein of PSII, RuBisCo and ATPase) were detected in both plastids as well as mesophyll chloroplasts in an immunogold labeling. Spectrometry revealed additional blue to blue-green peaks in visually iridescent leaves. Micro-spectrometry detected a blue peak from single blue spots in adaxial epidermal cells confirming that the color is derived from lamelloplasts. Presence of lamelloplasts or minichloroplasts is species specific and exclusive. High prevalence of lamelloplasts in Begoniaceae, including the basal clade Hillebrandia, highlights a unique evolutionary development. These new findings clarify the association between iridescence and lamelloplasts, and with implications for new directions in the study of plastid morphogenesis.     

Genome size and ploidy level among wild and cultivated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prunus</Emphasis> taxa in Slovakia

2C DNA content and ploidy level variation of Prunus spinosa and closely related taxa together with Prunus domestica L. and Prunus insititia L. was studied in Slovakia. The aim of the study was to define genome sizes and find differences between closely related taxa within Prunus spinosa sensu lato mentioned in previous works. According to our results, investigated taxa can be divided into three groups according to ploidy level: Prunus spinosa, Prunus dasyphylla, Prunus ×fruticans, Prunus ×dominii and Prunus ×schurii are tetraploids, Prunus ×fechtneri is pentaploid, and P. domestica and P. insititia are hexaploids. Genome size differences within tetraploid taxa were relatively small (Prunus spinosa: 1.40?±?0.02, P. ×domini: 1.44?±?0.01, P. ×fruticans: 1.48?±?0.02, P. ×schurii: 1.44?±?0.02), but statistically significant. Although further research is needed, it seems that the concept of several taxa as product of hybridization between P. spinosa and cultivated plum species has been supported by our study.     

Surface–sediment diatom assemblages of the urban ponds of St. Petersburg,Russia

The diatom assemblages of the surface sediments have been studied in 53 urban ponds and lakes of St. Petersburg for the first time. In total, 350 species and infraspecific taxa have been registered; the species of Achnanthidium, Cocconeis, Cyclostephanos, Cyclotella, Gomphonema, Lemnicola, Navicula, Nitzschia, and Stephanodiscus genera were the most common. The wide distribution of small centric planktonic taxa, Cyclostephanos dubius, C. invisitatus, Cyclotella pseudostelligera, Stephanodiscus hantzschii, and S. minutulus, is preconditioned by the depletion of dissolved silica, which is a result of the high phosphorus load. The high abundance of macrophytes in the shallowest sites favors the dominance of epiphytic Fragilaria, Staurosira, and Staurosirella taxa. Bottom-living diatoms in the shallow eutrophic and hypereutrophic urban ponds are light-limited; this is a result of either macrophytes or phytoplankton development. Alkaliphilous and alkalibiontic species prevail among the pH-indicative species, while eutraphentic and hypereutraphentic diatoms, as well as those thriving in a wide range of trophic conditions, dominate over other trophic groups. The β- and α-mesosaprobic species are the most common saprobity-indicative taxa.     

Novel palmicolous taxa within Pleosporales: multigene phylogeny and taxonomic circumscription

Palm fungi are highly diverse in the tropical regions of Asia. Recent investigations on these palmicolous fungi have led to the collection of astrosphaeriella-like taxa from Calamus, Caryota, and Licuala species in Thailand (Chiang Rai and Narathiwat provinces) and southwest China (Yunnan Province). This study characterizes fungal taxa, which are new to science, based on morphological examination and concatenated DNA sequence data, to infer their familial relationships. Morphological comparisons reveal six new species, viz. Astrosphaeriellopsis caryotae, Fissuroma calami, F. caryotae, Neoastrosphaeriella sribooniensis, Pithomyces caryotae, and P. licualae.Their similarities and differences to other extant species are discussed. The phylogenetic results indicate that all of these new taxa belong to Aigialaceae and Astrosphaeriellaceae (Pleosporales) and support their establishment. Astrosphaeriellopsis is assigned to Astrosphaeriellaceae and the family is amended in order to accommodate both coelomycetous and hyphomycetous asexual morphs. A generic key is presented for Astrosphaeriellaceae to delimit Astrosphaeriella, Astrosphaeriellopsis, Pteridiospora, and Pithomyces. Asexual morph connections of Pithomyces caryotae and P. licualae are established from axenic cultures derived from single ascospores. DNA-based sequence data supports the establishment of our new species; however, the affinities of Astrosphaeriella tornata to other Astrosphaeriella and Pithomyces species are unclear and warrant further investigations with increased taxon sampling.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cortinarius</Emphasis> sect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Riederi</Emphasis>: taxonomy and phylogeny of the new section with European and North American distribution

Cortinarius is one of the most species-rich genera of mushroom-forming fungi. Based on phylogenetic and morphological evidence, Cortinarius, sect. Riederi, is introduced at sectional level (= subsect. Riederi sensu Brandrud & Melot). The taxonomy, phylogeny, ecology and distribution of not only mainly European but also including some North American taxa of this section are treated, which includes nine species and two varieties. Of these, three taxa are described as new (C. burlinghamiae, C. pallidoriederi and C. argenteolilacinus var. dovrensis). The sect. Riederi species possess morphological features similar to Phlegmacium group(s) and forms a phylogenetically isolated lineage, with no supported affinity to other phlegmacioid groups. Three taxa are known from both Europe and North America, two species are known only from North America and five only from Europe. Altogether, eight of the ten taxa are associated with conifers or northern (boreal-subalpine) deciduous trees (Betula spp.). Only two species occur in more temperate forests (Fagus forests), and no species have so far been found in thermophilous Quercus forests     

Revision of the shield-bug genera <Emphasis Type="Italic">Holcostethus</Emphasis> Fieber and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Peribalus</Emphasis> Mulsant et Rey (Heteroptera,Pentatomidae) of the Palaearctic Region

A complex of the heteropteran genera centering around Peribalus Mulsant et Rey and Holcostethus Fieber is considered. The genus Dryadocoris Kirkaldy reveals no relationship with the above genera and is believed to represent a separate clade of the family Pentatomidae. The genera Peribalus and Holcostethus are revised. The former includes three subgenera: Peribalus s. str. with two species, Asioperibalus subgen. n. (type species Cimex inclusus Dohrn) with six species, and Tianocoris subgen. n. (type species Holcostethus manifestus Kiritshenko) with two species. Holcostethus embraces two subgenera: Holcostethus s. str. and the monotypic Enigmocoris subgen. n. (type species H. fissiceps Horváth). Two new species are described: Peribalus tianshanicus sp. n. from the Tien Shan Mts. and P. przewalskii sp. n. from the northern part of China (Huan He River). P. capitatus Jakovlev and P. vernalis (Wolff) are downgraded to subspecies of P. strictus (F.). P. ovatus Jakovlev is synonymized with P. inclusus (Dohrn). Two new monotypic genera related to the revised complex of genera are established, Paraholcostethus gen. n. (type species Peribalus breviceps Horváth) and Himalayastethus gen. n. (type species H. pilosus sp. n. from Kashmir). A key to, and morphometric characters for all the taxa considered are provided. The key characters, including both male and female genitalia, are illustrated, and distributional maps are given.     

Feeding Ecology in Oligocene Mylodontoid Sloths (Mammalia,Xenarthra) as Revealed by Orthodentine Microwear Analysis

Recently, dental microwear analysis has been successfully employed to xenarthran teeth. Here, we present new data on use wear features on 16 molariforms of Orophodon hapaloides and Octodontotherium grande. These taxa count among the earliest sloths and are known from the Deseadan SALMA (late Oligocene). Modern phylogenetic analyses classify Octodontotherium and Orophodon within Mylodontoidea with whom they share lobate cheek teeth with an outer layer of cementum and a thick layer of orthodentine. Similar target areas of 100μm² were analyzed on the orthodentine surface of each tooth by stereomicroscopic microwear and by SEM microwear. Results were unlike those of extant sloths (stereomicroscopic microwear: Bradypus, Choloepus) and published data from fossil sloths (SEM microwear: Acratocnus, Megalonyx, Megatherium, Thinobadistes); thus, both approaches independently indicate a different feeding ecology for the Oligocene taxa. The unique microwear results suggest that both taxa fed on plant material with low to moderate intrinsic toughness (foliage, twigs) but also proposes intake of tougher food items (e.g., seeds). Frequent gouging of the tooth surfaces can be explained by exogenous influence on microwear, such as possible intake of abrasive grit. We suggest an unspecialized herbivorous diet for Octodontotherium and Orophodon utilizing diverse food resources of their habitat. These interpretations support the reconstruction of (1) Deseadan environments as open habitats with spreading savannas/grasslands and (2) both taxa as wide-muzzled bulk feeders at ground level.     

Three new species within the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Entoloma</Emphasis> (Basidiomycota,Agaricales) with clamped basidia and a <Emphasis Type="Italic">serrulatum</Emphasis>-type lamellae edge,and their phylogenetic position

Three new species of the gеnus Entoloma s.l. are described on the basis of morphological and molecular evidence. Two of them are morphologically and phylogenetically closely related to the European species E. violaceozonatum but differ sufficiently by their geographic distribution: E. bulakhae is from the Russian Far East and E. bidupense from Vietnam. The more distant E. atricolor from Vietnam is remarkable because of the brownish-black color of the basidiomata, blackish lamellae edge near the stem, and observed dimorphism in cheilocystidia. These three species are characterized by the combination of clamped basidia and a serrulatum-type lamellae edge and grouped together within the /Inocephalus–Cyanula clade in sister position to /Inocephalus and /Griseorubida. It is argued that they may possibly constitute a separate section in future, when more data will be available. For this reason, section Violaceozonata is proposed here “ad interim” to acknowledge the current isolated position.     

Circumscription of species in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hodophilus foetens</Emphasis> complex (Clavariaceae,Agaricales) in Europe

Four European Hodophilus species with an odour similar to naphthalene, a strong unpleasant odour similar to that of mothballs, are recognized based on sequence and/or morphological data. The traditional concept defines Ho. foetens as the only Hodophilus species with a naphthalene odour in Europe. This name is now assigned to one of the studied species based on morphological examination of the holotype specimen. A recently collected specimen is proposed as the epitype. The other three species with a naphthalene odour are described here as new: Ho. pallidus, Ho. subfoetens and Ho. tenuicystidiatus. They are distinguishable in the field based on a combination of lamellae number and colour of basidiomata. All four species are grouped in the Ho. foetens superclade, one of two superclades, together with the Ho. micaceus superclade, in the genus Hodophilus. All are different species from North American taxa with a naphthalene-like odour recognised in a previous study. The Ho. foetens superclade also includes one species identified as Ho. atropunctus that does not have a distinctive odour. The type collection of Ho. albofloccipes, a recently described European species with a naphthalene odour, is placed together with some collections without a distinctive odour in the Ho. micaceus superclade.     

Malcofaunal Diversity of Chilika Lake,Odisha, India

Investigation during the period of 3 years from 2007 to 2010 on the malacofauna of Chilika lake revealed the occurrence of 126 molluscan taxa belonging to 56 families, 18 orders of three classes in the bottom sediment. Of these 61 species belonged to Bivalvia, 64 species belonged to Gastropoda and one species belonged to Polyplacophora. Maximum Bivalvia and Gastropoda taxa were found in the outer channel region of the lake. The dominating species were Crassostrea cuttackensis, Saccostrea cucullata, Brachidontes undulatus, Meretrix meretrix among bivalves and Cerethideopsilla cingulata, Bullia vittata, Nassarious stolatus, Indothias lacera, Natica tigrina, Turritella attenuata were from the gastropods. Occurrence of a large number of marine taxa is most probably associated with the opening of new lagoon during 1st August 2008.     

Influence of landscape structure and land use on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Merodon</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cheilosia</Emphasis> (Diptera: Syrphidae): contrasting responses of two genera

Recent advances in landscape ecology have revealed the importance of landscape structure on insect species diversity and composition. We investigated how landscape structure and land use influence species compositions of Cheilosia and Merodon (Diptera: Syrphidae); two phytophagus genera of hoverflies. Our study shows that Shannon’s Diversity Index, Connectance Index, Grazing Intensity, Mean Fractal Dimension Index and Percentage of Agricultural Patches explained 38.6% of the variance in species composition at a 2 km scale, with the total ordination being significant (P?=?0.04, Monte Carlo test, 499 permutations). Merodon and Cheilosia species differ in their responses to land-use change and connectivity, with the latter genus being positively correlated with connectivity and negatively correlated with all other variables. We conclude that connectivity is the primary factor affecting Cheilosia, while most Merodon species demonstrated greater resistance to changes in human-modified ecosystems. Our results suggest that different management efforts, focused on land-use intensity (grazing) or connectivity, seem to be appropriate when trying to conserve these taxa.     

A first report on coexistence and hybridization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mytilus trossulus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">M. edulis</Emphasis> mussels in Greenland

Semi-sessile Mytilus mussels are used as indicators of climate changes, but their geographic distribution is not sufficiently known in the Arctic. The aim of this study was to investigate the taxonomic status and genetic differentiation of Mytilus populations in a Northwest Greenlandic fjord at Maarmorilik, impacted by contaminations from a former mine. In this study, mussels were collected at three sites differing in exposure to environmental factors. A total of 54 polymorphic SNPs found in the Mytilus EST and DNA sequences analyzed were successfully applied to 256 individuals. The results provided the first evidence for the existence of M. trossulus in Greenland. The mussel from M. trossulus and M. edulis taxa are shown to coexist and hybridize in the fjord. The three studied sites were found to differ significantly in the distribution of taxa with a higher prevalence of M. trossulus in the inner fjord. The identified M. edulis × M. trossulus hybrids mostly had a hybrid index score of about 0.5, indicating a similar number of alleles characteristic for M. trossulus and M. edulis. There was a low number of backcrosses between ‘pure’ taxa and hybrids. This newly discovered hybrid zone between the two taxa is unique in comparison with the Canadian populations. As Mytilus mussels in Greenland hitherto have been regarded as the one taxon M. edulis, the results have importance for biogeography and future monitoring and environmental studies.     

First finds of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prunus domestica</Emphasis> L. in Italy from the Phoenician and Punic periods (6th–2nd centuries <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">bc</Emphasis>)

During the archaeological excavations in the Phoenician and Punic settlement of Santa Giusta (Oristano, Sardinia, Italy), dating back to the 6th–2nd centuries bc, several Prunus fruitstones (endocarps) inside amphorae were recovered. The exceptional state of preservation of the waterlogged remains allowed morphometric measurements to be done by image analysis and statistical comparisons made with modern cultivated and wild Prunus samples collected in Sardinia. Digital images of modern and archaeological Prunus fruitstones were acquired with a flatbed scanner and analysed by applying image analysis techniques to measure 26 morphometric features. By applying stepwise linear discriminant analysis, a morphometric comparison was made between the archaeological fruitstones of Prunus and the modern ones collected in Sardinia. These analyses allowed identification of 53 archaeological fruitstones as P. spinosa and 11 as P. domestica. Moreover, the archaeological samples of P. spinosa showed morphometric similarities in 92.5% of the cases with the modern P. spinosa samples currently growing near the Phoenician and Punic site. Likewise, the archaeological fruitstones identified as P. domestica showed similarities with the modern variety of P. domestica called Sanguigna di Bosa which is currently cultivated near the village of Bosa. Currently, these findings represent the first evidence of P. domestica in Italy during the Phoenician and Punic periods.