Morphometric and karyological analysis of a population ofSesleria sadleriana Janka in the Biele Karpaty Mountains (Slovakia)

Morphometric and karyological analysis was employed to prove the occurrence of a population ofSesleria sadleriana Janka, at the locality “Vr?atec” in the Biele Karpaty Mts. (Slovakia). Morphological characters of this population were analysed statistically (ANOVA, PCA) and compared with those of a population ofS. sadleriana in Austria (Hainburg an der Donau) and a population ofS. albicans Kit. exSchult. in the Czech Republic (Javo?í?ko). The two populations ofS. sadleriana did not differ from each other in the uppermost leaf length, spike length, glume length, lemma length, awn length of lemma and palea length. On the other hand, they differed significantly in these morphological characters from the population ofS. albicans. Karyological analysis demonstrated that both populations ofS. sadleriana consisted of octoploid plants (2n=8x=56). In addition to chromosome counting, flow cytometry was employed to screen ploidy levels. The experiment demonstrated a positive correlation between the ploidy estimated by chromosome counting and DNA flow cytometry inS. sadleriana andS. albicans. Flow cytometry proved extremely useful for ploidy screening in large numbers of plants. The locality “Vr?atec” represents the northernmost locality ofS. sadleriana known so far.     

A review of haliday species ofMicroctonus [Hym.: Braconidae,Euphorinae]

A neotype based on aWesmael specimen is designated forMicroctonus aethiops (Nees).M. aethiops of authors is described asaethiopoides, new species. Lectotypes are designated forM. secalis (Haliday) andcerealium (Haliday). The namecerealium is suppressed as a synonym of the namesecalis and the types ofsecalis andbrevicollis (Haliday) are redescribed.     

LignicolousHyphomycetes from Czechoslovakia 5.Septonema,Hormiactella andLylea

Three genera of lignicolousHyphomycetes Septonema Corda,Hormiactella Saac. andLylea Morgan-Jones are discussed. Illustrations and determination keys are provided. Five species ofSeptonema—S. fasciculare (Corda) Hughes,S. leptaleum (Ellis & Harkn.) Hughes,S. pinicola Hol.-Jech.,S. secedens Corda andS. laricium Hol.-Jech.—and two species ofHormiactella—H. fusca (Preuss) Sacc. andH. asetosa Hol.-Jech.—have been found in Czechoslovakia. A new speciesS. pseudobinum Hol.-Jech. is described from Romania.Septonema tetracoilum (Corda Hughes is accommodated in the genusLylea Morgan-Jones.     

Taxonomic and nomenclatural remarks onChamaenerion auct

The group of species usually referred toChamaenerion is maintained as forming a separate genus; asChamaenerion (auct.) is an illegitimate name,Chamerion (Raf. 1818)Raf. 1833 must be used as the correct name of the group. At presentChamerion includes 9 species; remarks on the nomenclature ofC. angustifolium (L., em.)Holub andC. dodonaei (Vill.)Holub are given.     

Scanning electron microscopic study of anamorphs of someBasidiomycetes in culture

The anamorphs in cultures ofLepista nuda (Bull.:Fr.)Cooke,Coprinus comatus (Müll.:Fr.)S.F. Gray,Fistulina hepatica Sohaeff.:Fr.,Pholiota adiposa (Fr.)Kumm. andAsterophora lycoperdoides (Bull.)S.F. Gray, an imperfect state ofNyctalis lycoperdoides (Bull.)Schroet., were studied by scanning electron microscopy. Arthroconidia were described inLepista nuda for the first time. Examination of the fine structure of dendroid forms inCoprinus comatus revealed why those structures were not propagative.     

Stimulation of oviposition and successful rearing ofTelenomus heliothidis [Hym.: Scelionidae] on nonhosts by use of a host-recognition kairomone

Through use of a recognition kairomone, the parasitoidTelenomus heliothidis Ashmead is induced to oviposit and successfully develops in nonhost eggs.T. heliothidis successfully develops in the eggs ofSpodoptera frugiperda (Smith) andPhthorimaea operculella Zeller, but fails to develop in eggs ofAnthonomus grandis Boheman. Both sexes of the parasitoid are produced from the nonhosts, and development time is the same as in a natural host such asHeliothis virescens F. The use of recognition kairomones could be of great use in artificial rearing of nongeneralist parasitoids suchT. heliothidis.     

Première découverte d’un squelette de Channidae (Poisson téléostéen) dans le Miocène inférieur d’Illerkirchberg, près d’Ulm (Wurtemberg, Allemagne)

A skeleton of a Channid fish is reported for the first time from the European Lower Miocene. Because of the lack of any appropriate diagnostic character, it is nevertheless impossible to determine if it belongs either to the Asiatic genusChanna Scopoli or to the African one,Parachanna Teugels &Daget. For this reason, its palaeobiogeographical significance remains unclear. Otoliths (sagitta) that very likely belong to the same Channid species have been described from Illerkirchberg asChanna elliptica (vonSalis). They are compared to the sagitta from recent species of the generaChanna (Scopoli) andParachanna (Teugels &Daget). Their morphological characters are intermediate between those characterizing the sagitta of both genera.     

Notes on some African hepatic genera 6–9

The present study deals with African species ofSyzygiella Spruce,Allisoniella Hodgs. andGymnomitriaceae Klinggr. Three species ofSyzygiella Spruce,S. geminifolia (Mitt.) Steph.,S. concreta (Gott.) Spruce and one indeterminable species with orbicular leaves (known only in sterile condition) occur in Africa.Allisoniella nigra (Rodw.) Schust. represents a genus hitherto unreported for the African flora. The present knowledge ofGymnomitriaceae Klinggr. in subsaharan Africa is summarised; five species ofMarsupella Dum., one ofGymnomitrion Corda and five ofHerzogobryum Grolle are reported. Finally, some additions to the generaIsotachis Mitt.,Anastrophyllum (Spruce) Steph. andLophozia (Dum.) Dum. are presented.     

A redescription of some poorly known Rotliegend arachnids from the Lower Permian (Asselian) of the Ilfeld and Thuringian Forest Basins, Germany

Two poorly known trigonotarbids (Arachnida: Trigonotarbida),Eophrynus schärft Scharf, 1924 andEophrynus ilfeldicus Scharf, 1924 from the Lower Permian (Asselian) Ilfeld Basin in the Harz Region of Germany are redescribed. The latter is transferred to the genusAphantomartus Pocock, 1911. The former resembles members of Lissomartidae, but given its incompleteness it is assigned here to Trigonotarbida incertae sedis. A phalangiotarbid (Arachnida: Phalangiotarbida) from Ilfeld described asOpiliotarbus elongatus (Scudder, 1890) represents the youngest record of this group. With respect to the genusOpiliotarbus Pocock, 1910,Architarbus hoffmanni Guthörl, 1934 — one of three names erected for a lost specimen from the Upper Carboniferous of the Saar region of Germany — represents the senior synonym ofOpiliotarbus kliveri Waterlot, 1934 andGoniotarbus sararm Guthörl, 1965. The Lower Permian fossilRhabdotarachnoides simoni Haupt, 1957 from the Rotliegend of the Thuringian Forest Basin, Germany was described as an arachnid and tentatively referred to Opiliones. Since it is identified here as a coalified plant remain, this species is regarded as nomen dubium.     

Occurrence ofByronia Matthew andSphenothallus Hall in the Lower Cambrian of China

Rare phosphatic tubular fossils from the Lower-Middle Cambrian Kaili Formation of Guizhou Province, southern China were originally identified as non-calcified algae or ‘worms’ (ScoleciellusLiu). Re-examination of these fossils indicates that specimens identified as non-calcified algae areSphenothallus taijiangensis n. sp., while specimens identified asScoleciellus belong toByronia natus (Liu).Sphenothallus taijiangensis andByronia natus from Lower Cambrian strata in the Kaili Formation are the oldest known representatives of their genera. In addition,B. natus (Liu) is the only known species ofByronia with the exception ofB. annulata Matthew (Middle Cambrian, British Columbia). CambrovitusMao et al., a tubular fossil from Middle Cambrian strata in the Kaili Formation, originally was classified as a hyolithid. However, the discovery of a nearly complete specimen possessing an apical attachment disk shows thatCambrovitus, likeByronia andSphenothallus, probably was a thecate cnidarian polyp.     

New species ofElectribius Crowson 1973 (Coleoptera: Artematopodidae) from Baltic amber

Three new species of the genusElectribius Crowson 1973 (Coleoptera: Artematopodidae),E. friederichi, E. balticus, andE. procerus are described from the Baltic amber. The characters separating the extant and fossil species ofElectribius are summarised in a key. A list of the known extant and fossil species of Artematopodidae sensuLawrence (1995) with synonyms and remarks on the geographical distribution is provided. The distribution of the members of the family and the identical morphological specializations of the fossil and extant species ofElectribius suggest that the taxon formerly had a much wider distribution and is relatively old. The possibility that the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous generaSinoelaterium Ping 1928and Artematopodites Ponomarenko 1990 represent early members of the Artematopodidae is discussed.     

Evolutionsmodelle für den Ursprung der Echinodermen: Zusammenfassung und Kritik

The origin of echinoderms is one of the most crucial questions within the evolutionary history of deuterostomes. An ancestral position was suggested byGarstang, Romer andNichols. They also assumed that hemichordates and chordates are sistergroups. In all other hypotheses the echinoderms took a more derived position.Gislén, Jefferies andHolland viewed the hemichordates as basal to the deuterostomes and postulated that echinoderms and chordates are sistergroups. According toJollie, Peterson et al. andMooi &; David echinoderms and hemichordates are sistergroups.Gudo andGutmann adopted the view ofMetschnikoff who combined the hemichordates and echinoderms in the Ambulacraria; they supposed that echinoderms were derived from pterobranchs. This variety of views is linked with different approaches to phylogenetic reconstruction utilized by each of the authors.Garstang, Romer, Jefferies andGislén compared morphological features, in the case ofGislén andJefferies with some attention to fossil evidence, whereasJollie, Holland andGislén also considerd embryological aspects.Mooi &;David as well asPeterson et al. used modern embryological (epigenetical) approaches.Nichols combined functional morphology and comparative anatomy. Evolutionary scenarios were reconstructed only by a few authors.Holland associated the development of echinoderms from pterobranch-like ancestors with repeated changes in feeding modes.Nichols envisioned that echinoderms had evolved from sipunculids that gained protection from predators through skeletal armor. In our own investigations based on constructional morphology echinoderms are interpreted as highly derived chordates.     

A revision of the moss genusCrossidium (Pottiaceae) with the description of the new genusMicrocrossidium

A world revision of the genusCrossidium Jur. recognizes 11 species, which are described and discussed in the context of important taxonomic characters. An identification key is provided.C. asirense Frey & Kürschner is reduced to synonymy withC. davidai Catcheside, and the geographical range ofC. laevipilum Ther. & Trab. is extended to Europe. Phylogenetic trends are interpreted on the basis of two main evolutionary lines associated with the presence or absence of hyaline hair-points on the leaves. A twelfth species is transferred toMicrocrossidium Guerra & Cano, gen. nov., asM. apiculatum (Magill)Guerra & Cano, comb. nova, because of differences in stem anatomy, peristome configuration, and spore morphology.     

New chromosome numbers inTaraxacum with reference to SAT-chromosomes

Chromosome numbers of eight agamospermousTaraxacum microspecies are reported for the first time:T hypanicum Tzvel. [sect.Dioszegia (Heuff.) Heuff.,T. neosivaschicum Tzvel. [sect.Palustria (Lindb, fil.)Dahlst.],T. pseudohoppeanum Kirschner et?těpánek (sect.Erythrocarpa Dahlst.),T. schroeterianum H.-M. (sect.Rhodocarpa Van Soest),T. marmottae C.E. Sonck,T. lambinonii Van Soest [sect.Erythrosperma (Lindb. fil.)Dahlst.],T. zermattense Dahlst, andT. magnoobliquum Van Soest (taxa of uncertain classification). All these polyploid microspecies have satellite chromosomes in their karyotypes. Advanced karyological characters were found in sect.Dioszegia, hitherto regarded as a primitive section ofTaraxacum: triploidy in agamospermousT. hypanicum Tzvel. and satellite chromosomes as in this taxon, as in two diploid sexualsT. serotinum (W. et K.)Poiret andT. haussknechtii Uechtr. The results presented are compared to the literature data.