Molecular and morphological evidence suggests the reallocation from Parastrigea brasiliana (Szidat, 1928) Dubois, 1964 to Apharyngostrigea Ciurea, 1927 (Digenea: Strigeidae), a parasite of boat-billed heron (Cochlearius cochlearius) from the Neotropical region

Parastrigea brasiliana (Szidat, 1928) Dubois, 1964, was described from (Cochlearius cochlearius) in South America. The taxonomy of this species has been unstable due that it was described as a member of Strigea Abildgaard, 1790. However, the same author one year later transferred it to Apharyngostrigea Ciurea, 1927 and since then, it has been alternatively placed in the genus Apharyngostrigea or Parastrigea Szidat, 1928 from Strigeidae. In the current research, specimens identified as P. brasiliana were collected from type host in southeastern Mexico. We sequenced three molecular markers: the internal transcribed spacers ITS1 and ITS2 including the 5.8S gene (ITS region), the D1-D3 domains of the large subunit (LSU) from nuclear DNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox 1) from mitochondrial DNA. These sequences were aligned with other sequences available in the GenBank dataset from Strigeidae. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses inferred with three molecular markers consistently showed that P. brasiliana is not closely related to other members of the genus Parastrigea and are placed in a reciprocal monophyletic clade inside Apharyngostrigea, with very low genetic divergence, varying from 0 to 0.09% for the ITS, from 0 to 0.08% for the LSU and from 0.21 to 0.43% for cox 1. Consequently, we proposed to reallocate it to A. brasiliana. The phylogenetic analyses obtained are key and very useful for re-evaluate the morphology of A. brasiliana because this species share morphological characters with the genera Parastrigea (concentration of vitelline follicles distributed in two lateral expansions on the forebody) and Apharyngostrigea (absence of pharynx). Finally, the current record of A. brasiliana expands its distribution range in four countries, namely, the USA, Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil, in the Neotropical region.     

Observations on the in vitro culture of Cotylurus erraticus (Trematoda: Strigeidae)

Mtitchell J. S., Halton D. W. and Smyth J. D. 1978. Observations on the in vitro culture of Cotylurus erraticus (Trematoda: Strigeidae). International Journal for Parasitology8: 389–397. Cotylurus erraticus metacercariae obtained from around the heart of rainbow trout were excysted and grown in vitro and in vivo to egg-producing adults. For in vitro development, tissue culture media M199 or NCTC 135 was used, together with varying amounts of chicken serum. Worms grown in media containing the highest concentration of serum (80% per volume) showed the fastest rate of development, measured by the time taken for the first eggs to appear in the uterus. The testes, ovaries and vitellaria of these worms were comparable in structure and histochemistry with those of worms reared in gulls. Eggs were produced by worms in all media containing chicken serum, but the eggs had abnormal shells and failed to embryonate.     

Metacercarial dispersion and intracellular parasitism in a strigeid trematode

Combes C. and Nassi H. 1977. Metacercarial dispersion and intracellular parasitism in a strigeid trematode. International Journal for Parasitology7: 501–503. The life cycle of Apatemon graciliformis Szidat, 1928 (Trematoda, Strigeidae), a parasite of Biorrphalaria glabrata in Guadeloupe, involves a novel mode of transmission, experimentally demonstrated, between the second intermediate host and the definitive host. The furcocercariae penetrate gravid females of the ovoviviparous fish, Poecilia reticulata, and develop into metacercariae in vitelline vesicles of the embryos where they encyst a short time before parturition. The young guppies are born infected with 1–3 metacercariae. It is considered that young infected fish are more prone to predation by the definitive host, thereby increasing the probability of the cycle being completed. Domestic ducks have been experimentally infected with these metacercariae. If cercariae penetrate non-gravid P. reticulata, they enter the oocytes; this represents a phase of intracellular parasitism.     

Paraphyly of Conodiplostomum Dubois, 1937

Adult trematodes of the genera Conodiplostomum Dubois, 1937 and Neodiplostomum Railliet, 1919 (Trematoda: Diplostomidae) parasitize the intestines of birds of prey, owls and, rarely, passeriform birds. Although the family is taxonomically unsettled, molecular phylogenetics have not been applied to analyze Conodiplostomum and Neodiplostomum and the reference DNA sequences from adult Diplostomidae are scarce and limit studies of their indistinct larval forms. We analyze the Conodiplostomum and Neodiplostomum spp. found during the examination of Czech birds performed from 1962 to 2017, and we provide comparative measurements and host spectra, including prevalence and intensity; we also provide and analyze the sequences of four DNA loci from eight diplostomid species. Molecular phylogenetic analysis suggested that Conodiplostomum spathula (Creplin, 1829), the type species of this genus, is nested in Neodiplostomum. Thus, we suggest the rejection of Conodiplostomum spathula (Creplin, 1829) and the resurrection of Neodiplostomum spathula (Creplin, 1829) La Rue, 1926 and reclassification of all species of Conodiplostomum with the neodiplostomulum type of metacercariae to Neodiplostomum as well. Conodiplostomum canaliculatum (Nicoll, 1914) is reclassified as Neodiplostomum spathulaeforme (Brandes, 1888). The molecular analysis suggested that Conodiplostomum perlatum (Ciurea, 1911), the species with the neascus type of metacercariae, belongs to Crassiphialinae Sudarikov, 1960. We erect the genus Ciureatrema gen. nov. Heneberg & Sitko and reclassify Conodiplostomum perlatum (Ciurea, 1911) as Ciureatrema perlatum (Ciurea, 1911) and establish it as a type species of Ciureatrema gen. nov. Further research should focus on the evolution of the neascus and neodiplostomulum types of metacercariae, as well as the evolution of the genital cone and pseudosuckers in Diplostomidae.     

Notocotylidae (Digenea) from the Australian water rat Hydromys chrysogaster Geoffroy, 1804 (Muridae)

Notocotylus johnstoni n. sp., N. imbricatus (Looss, 1893) Szidat, 1935 and Catatropis nicolli n. sp. are described from the large intestine and caecum of the Australian water rat Hydromys chrysogaster (Rodentia: Muridae). The water rat is the only known mammalian host of notocotylids in Australia. N. imbricatus, recorded from Tasmania, is a cosmopolitan species which elsewhere uses birds and bithyniid snails as definitive and intermediate hosts respectively. In Tasmania bithyniid snails are unknown and the only known definitive host is a mammal. In view of this it is possible that the material examined represents a species distinct from N. imbricatus. Catatropis gallinulae Johnston, 1928 is found to have three rows of ventral papillae and thus to belong to the genus Notocotylus. The new combination Notocotylus gallinulae (Johnston, 1928) is a senior homonym of Notocotylus gallinulae El-Naffar & Khalifa, 1983 which is replaced with Notocotylus elnaffari nom. nov.     

Hebeloma species associated with Cistus

The genus Hebeloma has a number of species highly specific to Cistus and others that occur with several host genera. This paper discusses the species of Hebeloma that appear to be ectomycorrhizal with Cistus, judging from their occurrence when Cistus is the only available host. The previously unknown species H. plesiocistum spec. nov. is described. We also provide a key to the known Hebeloma associates of Cistus. Molecular analyses based on ITS sequence data further illustrate the distinctness of the newly described species and difficulties in the species delimitation with view to H. erumpens. Specific associations with Cistus may have evolved more than once within the genus Hebeloma.     

New species of Palaeobolbomyia Kovalev and Ussatchovia Kovalev (Diptera, Brachycera, Rhagionidae) from the Callovian-Oxfordian (Jurassic) Daohugou biota of China: Biostratigraphic and paleoecologic implications

Three new species of fossil snipe flies (Insecta, Diptera, Rhagionidae) from the Daohugou Formation of Chifeng City in Nei Monggol Autonomous Region (= Inner Mongolia), northeastern China are described as Palaeobolbomyia sinica nov. sp., Ussatchovia robusta nov. sp. and Ussatchovia gracilenta nov. sp. They represent the first records of the genera Palaeobolbomyia Kovalev and Ussatchovia Kovalev in China and have implications for stratigraphic correlation of the formations in which they are found. Although the precise age of the Daohugou Formation is currently unresolved, it is most likely Callovian-Oxfordian (latest Middle Jurassic-earliest Late Jurassic) rather than early Middle Jurassic (late Aalenian-early Bajocian) or Early Cretaceous.     

Validity of the Diplostomoidea and Diplostomida (Digenea,Platyhelminthes) upheld in phylogenomic analysis

Higher systematics within the Digenea, Carus 1863 have been relatively stable since a phylogenetic analysis of partial nuclear ribosomal markers (rDNA) led to the erection of the Diplostomida Olson, Cribb, Tkach, Bray, and Littlewood, 2003. However, recent mitochondrial (mt) genome phylogenies suggest this order might be paraphyletic. These analyses show members of two diplostomidan superfamilies are more closely related to the Plagiorchiida La Rue, 1957 than to other members of the Diplostomida. A recent phylogeny based on partial cytochrome c oxidase I also indicates one of the groups implicated, the Diplostomoidea Poirier, 1886, is non-monophyletic. To determine if these results were robust to additional taxon sampling, we analyzed mt genomes from seven diplostomoids in three families. To choose between phylogenetic alternatives based on mt genomes and the prior rDNA-based topology, we analyzed hundreds of ultra-conserved genomic elements assembled from shotgun sequencing. The Diplostomida was paraphyletic in the mt genome phylogeny but supported in the ultra-conserved genomic element phylogeny. We speculate this mitonuclear discordance is related to ancient, rapid radiation in the Digenea. Both ultra-conserved genomic elements and mt genomes support the monophyly of the Diplostomoidea and show congruent relationships within it. The Cyathocotylidae Mühling, 1898 are early diverging descendants of a paraphyletic clade of Diplostomidae Poirier, 1886, in which are nested members of the Strigeidae Railliet, 1919; the results support prior suggestions that the Crassiphialinae Sudarikov, 1960 will rise to the family level. Morphological traits of diplostomoid metacercariae appear to be more useful for differentiating clades than those of adults. We describe a new species of Cotylurus Szidat, 1928, resurrect a species of Hysteromorpha Lutz, 1931, and find support for a species of Alaria Schrank, 1788 of contested validity. Complete rDNA operons from seven diplostomoid species are provided as a resource for future studies.     

Filling the gaps in the classification of the Digenea Carus, 1863: systematic position of the Proterodiplostomidae Dubois, 1936 within the superfamily Diplostomoidea Poirier, 1886, inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences

The Diplostomida Olson, Cribb, Tkach, Bray & Littlewood, 2003 is the less diverse order of the two orders within the subclass Digenea Carus, 1863 and is currently classified into three superfamilies, i.e. Brachylaimoidea Joyeux & Foley, 1930, Diplostomoidea Poirier, 1886, and Schistosomatoidea Stiles & Hassall, 1898. Although the suprageneric-level relationships have been elucidated with the use of molecular markers, the lack of representation of some groups obscure the phylogenetic relationships among families, rendering the classification unstable. Here, we tested the phylogenetic position of the family Proterodiplostomidae Dubois, 1936 based on partial 28S rDNA and complete 18S rDNA sequences for Crocodilicola pseudostoma (Willemoes-Suhm, 1870), a crocodile parasite that has been found as a progenetic metacercaria parasitising the pale catfish Rhamdia guatemalensis (Günther) in Mexico and in other siluruforms in the Neotropics. We augmented the representation of the species, genera and families within the Diplostomida, including mostly representatives of the superfamily Diplostomoidea, and assembled a dataset that contains 49 species for the 28S rRNA gene, and 45 species for the 18S rRNA gene. Additionally, we explored the phylogenetic signal of the mitochondrial gene cox1 in reconstructing the phylogenetic relationships of selected members of the superfamily. Our analyses showed that the family Proterodiplostomidae is the sister taxon to the paraphyletic Diplostomidae Poirier, 1886 and Strigeidae Railliet, 1919, with Cyathocotylidae Mühling, 1898 + Brauninidae Wolf, 1903 as their sister group. Analysis of concatenated 18S + 28S sequences revealed the Liolopidae Odhner, 1912 as the basal group of the superfamily Diplostomoidea, although analyses of independent datasets showed that the position of this family remains uncertain. Analysis based on cox1 unequivocally resolved the Proterodiplostomidae as the sister taxon to the Diplostomidae and Strigeidae, although the Cyathocotylidae was nested in a different clade, along with brachylaimoids and schistosomatoids.     

Systematic analysis of the Diplostomidae and Strigeidae (Trematoda)

A systematic analysis of the genera in the Diplostomidae and Strigeidae was made using the Proterodiplostomidae as the outgroup. The Proterodiplostomidae was the family with the greatest preponderance of primitive characters and its monophyly was supported by the unique paraprostate gland. However, no character state supported the monophyly of the Diplostomidae sensu Dubois, 1970. That paraphyletic taxon was composed of 3 monophyletic groups: the pseudosuckerless Neodiplostomidae n. fam. had the most primitive character states of the 3 and its monophyly was based on characters in the neascus/neodiplostomulum metacercariae; the Bolbophoridae n. fam., with pseudosuckers, had its monophyly supported by characters present in the newly named prodiplostomulum metacercaria; and the emended Diplostomidae, also with pseudosuckers, had the most derived states and its monophyly was supported by characters present in the diplostomulum. The presence of pseudosuckers united the Bolbophoridae n. fam., the emended Diplostomidae, and the Strigeidae as a monophyletic assemblage. The Strigeidae had the most derived characters of these 3 taxa and its monophyly was supported by characters in the tetracotyle and the cup-shaped forebody and bilobed tribocytic organ of the adult. In general, the adult stages of these strigeoid families showed very conserved morphology and it was the metacercariae that possessed the innovations. The conserved adult morphology was typical of what one might expect if the intramolluscan stages were analyzed. Thus, the data were concordant with the view that the mollusc and vertebrate definitive host were the original hosts to the Digenea and that the second intermediate host and metacercaria were more recently intercalated. More specifically, the phylogeny of these groups suggested that ancestral bisegmented strigeoids originally infected reptiles, they subsequently radiated into birds with which they coevolved extensively, and on 5 separate occasions they radiated into mammals. The radiations into mammals were, by all available evidence, preceded by second intermediate host shifts from fish to amphibians.     

Systematics and evolution of the genus Torrubiella (Hypocreales, Ascomycota)

Torrubiella is a genus of arthropod-pathogenic fungi that primarily attacks spiders and scale insects. Based on the morphology of the perithecia, asci, and ascospores, it is classified in Clavicipitaceae s. lat. (Hypocreales), and is considered a close relative of Cordyceps s. 1., which was recently reclassified into three families (Clavicipitaceae s. str., Cordycipitaceae, Ophiocordycipitaceae) and four genera (Cordyceps s. str, Elaphocordyceps, Metacordyceps, and Ophiocordyceps). Torrubiella is distinguished morphologically from Cordyceps s. lat. mainly by the production of superficial perithecia and the absence of a well-developed stipitate stroma. To test and refine evolutionary hypotheses regarding the placement of Torrubiella and its relationship to Cordyceps s. lat., a multi-gene phylogeny was constructed by conducting ML and Bayesian analyses. The monophyly of Torrubiella was rejected by these analyses with species of the genus present in Clavicipitaceae, Cordycipitaceae, and Ophiocordycipitaceae, and often intermixed among species of Cordyceps s. lat. The morphological characters traditionally used to define the genus are, therefore, not phylogenetically informative, with the stipitate stromata being gained and/or lost several times among clavicipitaceous fungi. Two new genera (Conoideocrella, Orbiocrella) are proposed to accommodate two separate lineages of torrubielloid fungi in the Clavicipitaceae s. str. In addition, one species is reclassified in Cordyceps s. str. and three are reclassified in Ophiocordyceps. The phylogenetic importance of anamorphic genera, host affiliation, and stipitate stromata is discussed.     

Flavonoids in Parahebe and Veronica: a chemosystematic study

Flavone glycosides are the main flavonoid leaf constituents in the related genera Parahebe and Veronica (Scrophulariaceae), in agreement with former chemical studies of the family. In Parahebe there are groups of species in which there are mainly luteolin glycosides, and groups in which 6-hydroxyluteolin dominates. Small amounts of apigenin occur in many taxa. Glycosylation is usually in the 7-position but 4′- and 5-glycosides were also found. In Veronica a larger variety of flavone aglycones was found: e.g. luteolin, apigenin, chrysoeriol, tricin and three different 6-hydroxyflavones. They are often present in the plants in the form of glucuronides. Glycosylation is in the 7-or-5-position. Most species of both genera have a distinctive pattern of flavonoid glycosides in their leaves which can be used for identification. Populations of P. catarractae are an exception in showing three different patterns, but here the variety in flavone profiles corresponds to the pattern of morphological and geographic variation within this taxon. Anthocyanins are responsible for the blue, mauve and pink colours of the flowers in the two genera. In Veronica they are based on delphinidin, whereas in Parahebe catarractae on both delphinidin and cyanidin.     

On the Brazilian species of halipegine genera (Trematoda: Derogenidae) from fishes,with new morphological data,hosts and synonyms

The genus Genarchella Travassos, Artigas & Pereira, 1928 is reinstated for some species from South American fishes previously attributed to Halipegus Looss, 1899. Aspects of the morphology of G. genarchella Travassos, Artigas & Pereira, 1928 and G. parva Travassos, Artigas & Pereira, 1928 are redescribed. Astyanax bimaculatus, Moenkhausia doceana, Oligosarcus robustus and Salminus maxillosus are recorded as new hosts of G. parva, and H. cryptorchis Mané-Garzon & Gascón, 1973 and H. szidati Yamaguti, 1971 [= G. tropica of Szidat (1954)] are listed amongst new synonyms of this species. Aspects of the morphology of Thometrema magnifica (Szidat, 1954) and T. overstreeti (Brooks, Mayes & Thorson, 1979) are redescribed. T. rioplatense Lunaschi, 1989 is considered a synonym of T. overstreeti. New host-records of T. overstreeti are Pimelodus maculatus and Rhamdia sp. G. genarchella of Hamann (1986) is considered as synonym of T. overstreeti. Paravitellotrema Watson, 1976, Caballeroiella Lamothe-Argumedo, 1977 and Quadripaludus Jimenez, Guajardo & Briseno, 1981 are considered synonyms of Genarchella. The features distinguishing Halipegus, Genarchella and Thometrema Amato, 1968 are discussed.     

Captive breeding and larval morphology of Tylototriton shanjing Nussbaum, Brodie & Yang, 1995, with an updated key of the genus Tylototriton (Amphibia: Salamandridae)

Tylototriton shanjing Nussbaum, Brodie & Yang, 1995 was described as a distinct species hidden before under the widely distributed T. verrucosus Anderson, 1871. Therefore, papers published before 1995, including those on reproductive biology, could not distinguish between these two close relatives. Consequently, data on the reproductive biology of T. shanjing are scarce. Here, we report on the first captive breeding of T. shanjing in the Aquarium of the Cologne Zoo, and we document the ontogenetic developmental stages and describe the larva for the first time. Moreover, we give a literature review for both T. verrucosus and T. shanjing and compare our data with published information referring undoubtedly to the latter species. To avoid future misidentifications and to facilitate the composition of breeding groups, we present an identification key for the East Asian salamandrid genera in general, and for the species of Tylototriton in particular.     

Species delimitation in downy mildews: the case of Hyaloperonospora in the light of nuclear ribosomal ITS and LSU sequences

Species definitions for plant pathogens have considerable practical impact for measures such as plant protection or biological control, and are also important for comparative studies involving model organisms. However, in many groups, the delimitation of species is a notoriously difficult taxonomic problem. This is particularly evident in the obligate biotrophic downy mildew genera (Peronosporaceae, Peronosporales, Oomycetes), which display a considerable diversity with respect to genetic distances and host plants, but are, for the most part, morphologically rather uniform. The recently established genus Hyaloperonospora is of particular biological interest because it shows an impressive radiation on virtually a single host family, Brassicaceae, and it contains the downy mildew parasite, Arabidopsis thaliana, of importance as a model organism. Based on the most comprehensive molecular sampling of specimens from a downy mildew genus to date, including various collections from different host species and geographic locations, we investigate the phylogenetic relationships of Hyaloperonospora by molecular analysis of the nuclear ribosomal ITS and LSU sequences. Phylogenetic trees were inferred with ML and MP from the combined dataset; partitioned Bremer support (PBrS) was used to assess potential conflict between data partitions. As in other downy mildew groups, the molecular data clearly corroborate earlier results that supported the use of narrow species delimitations and host ranges as taxonomic markers. With few exceptions, suggested species boundaries are supported without conflict between different data partitions. The results indicate that a combination of molecular and host features is a reliable means to discriminate downy mildew species for which morphological differences are unknown.     

Eimeria trichosuri: Phylogenetic position of a marsupial coccidium, based on 18S rDNA sequences

Phylogenetic analysis of the genus Eimeria suggests that parasite and host have coevolved over broad evolutionary timescales. Here we extend this analysis by determining the 18S rDNA gene sequence of the marsupial coccidium, Eimeria trichosuri, and assessing its phylogenetic position relative to Eimeria from birds, reptiles and placental mammals. This analysis placed E. trichosuri clones in a clade that diverged before the major clade comprising species from placental mammals. The position of E.trichosuri is consistent with host phylogeny where marsupials represent an ancient evolutionary line that predates the placental mammal line.     

Structure and development of the style base in Abildgaardia, Bulbostylis, and Fimbristylis (Cyperaceae,Cyperoideae, Abildgaardieae)

The Abildgaardieae tribe within the family Cyperaceae comprises six or seven genera, among which Abildgaardia, Bulbostylis and Fimbristylis pose a challenge regarding their morphological delimitation. Molecular phylogenetic analyses including species of Abildgaardieae are rare, but in most of those studies, Abildgaardia and Fimbristylis appear as more closely related to each other than to the Bulbostylis genus. Duration of the style base has been one of the most widely used characters for delimiting these three genera. The style base is a persistent structure in most species of Bulbostylis and deciduous in Abildgaardia and Fimbristylis. The reasons why the style base may persist or fall off have been scarcely discussed. The assumption that abscission layers are present in the style base of all three genera and the fact that tracheids have been observed in the style base of Bulbostylis suggest that this structure might have histological complexity. In view of this, a complete ontogenetic and anatomical study of the gynoecium has been carried out for all these three genera. It turned out that the style base is histologically simple in Abildgaardia, Bulbostylis and Fimbristylis and shows similar structure and development in all three genera. The fact that the style base has a shorter duration in Abildgaardia and Fimbristylis than in Bulbostylis might be related to the lower number of sclerotised cells that make up such structures in the mature fruit of the former two genera. Abscission of the style and style base may be the result of much simpler reasons than the differentiation of an abscission layer, resulting merely from mechanical shear force effects. Differences among genera have been observed in the shape of the style base and the development of the style. The histological simplicity of the style base is consistent with the homoplastic appearance of this structure in genera that are not closely related (e.g. Rhynchospora). Because of this, while the presence of the thickened style base seems to be a synapomorphy in species of Abildgaardieae, its persistence on or detachment from the fruit might have emerged repeatedly during this clade evolution and might not be a suitable character for genera delimitation.     

Anisakis,Phocanema, Contracaecum, and Sulcascaris Spp.: Electrophoresis and thermostability of alcohol and malate dehydrogenases from larvae

Electrophoretic surveys were conducted on individual larvae of four anisakine nematode genera: Anisakis, Phocanema, Contracaecum, and Sulcascaris. The larval worms were obtained from a variety of fish and molluscan hosts from widely dispersed geographic regions. Of several enzymes detected, constant and apparently species-specific electrophoretic patterns were obtained for alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH, alcohol:NAD oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.1) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH, l-malate: NAD oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.37). ADH, in all but Sulcascaris sp., possessed two isozymes, the slower of which was sensitive to temperature and inhibitors. Failure of preelectrophoretic treatment with NAD to cause interconversion of these isozymes suggests that they are products of separate genetic loci. Both isozymes were maximally active with isopropanol, sec-butanol, and amyl alcohol. Within a given species, ADH showed negligible variation (i.e., apparent genetic polymorphism) with respect to individual larvae, site of larvae in the host, or geographical origin of the host. MDH from Anisakis, Sulcascaris, and Phocanema spp. possessed one, two, and three bands of activity, respectively; MDH is highly thermostable in Anisakis sp. but not in the other species.     

Intercontinental distributions,phylogenetic position and life cycles of species of Apharyngostrigea (Digenea,Diplostomoidea) illuminated with morphological,experimental, molecular and genomic data

When subjected to molecular study, species of digeneans believed to be cosmopolitan are usually found to consist of complexes of species with narrower distributions. We present molecular and morphological evidence of transcontinental distributions in two species of Apharyngostrigea Ciurea, 1924, based on samples from Africa and the Americas. Sequences of cytochrome c oxidase I and, in some samples, internal transcribed spacer, revealed Apharyngostrigea pipientis (Faust, 1918) in Tanzania (first known African record), Argentina, Brazil, USA and Canada. Sequences from A. pipientis also match previously published sequences identified as Apharyngostrigea cornu (Zeder, 1800) originating in Mexico. Hosts of A. pipientis surveyed include definitive hosts from the Afrotropic, Neotropic and Nearctic, as well as first and second intermediate hosts from the Americas, including the type host and type region. In addition, metacercariae of A. pipientis were obtained from experimentally infected Poecilia reticulata, the first known record of this parasite in a non-amphibian second intermediate host. Variation in cytochrome c oxidase I haplotypes in A. pipientis is consistent with a long established, wide-ranging species with moderate genetic structure among Nearctic, Neotropic and Afrotropic regions. We attribute this to natural dispersal by birds and find no evidence of anthropogenic introductions of exotic host species. Sequences of CO1 and ITS from adult Apharyngostrigea simplex (Johnston, 1904) from Egretta thula in Argentina matched published data from cercariae from Biomphalaria straminea from Brazil and metacercariae from Cnesterodon decemmaculatus in Argentina, consistent with previous morphological and life-cycle studies reporting this parasite—originally described in Australia—in South America. Analyses of the mitochondrial genome and rDNA operon from A. pipientis support prior phylogenies based on shorter markers showing the Strigeidae Railliet, 1919 to be polyphyletic.     

First records of flower biology and pollination in African Annonaceae: Isolona, Piptostigma, Uvariodendron, Monodora and Uvariopsis

Seven species from five genera of Annonaceae were studied with regard to their flower biology and pollination in the Southwest Province of Cameroon, West Africa. They have protogynous hermaphroditic flowers, with exception of Uvariopsis species, which are monoecious. Fused petals of Isolona campanulata remain apically spreading and open during anthesis but form a deep basal urceolate tube around the reproductive organs. At anthesis the yellow pendent flowers emit a fruit-like scent and attracted small beetles, the likely pollinators. Piptostigma sp. flowers also emit a fruit-like scent but provide a closed pollination chamber formed by the three inner petals. Small staphylinid beetles attracted during the female stage of anthesis are released from the flowers at the end of the male stage 2-3 days later. Both species have diurnal anthesis, attracting and releasing the flower visitors during daytime. In contrast, Uvariodendron connivens and U. calophyllum have nocturnal anthesis with floral thermogenesis, produce spicy, aromatic and fruity scents and attract large Scarabaeidae beetles, the pollinators, along with many curculionid beetles, which were principally predators of the thick petals. The very large flowers of Monodora tenuifolia have yellowish petals which are spotted with dark red markings. Together with the sweetish, slightly disagreeable scent the flowers attract flies, principally dung flies. The two investigated Uvariopsis species are monoecious with pistillate and staminate flowers being functional at the same time. The violet red flowers of U. bakeriana visually seem to mimic the fruiting body of certain stinkhorn fungi (Phallaceae) although without producing their strong unpleasant carcass stench. Flower-visiting dung flies were rare. Conversely, U. congolana has a strong fungus-like scent, its flowers are presented at litter height and dung flies living in the litter were the flower visitors, albeit sporadic. The 4-5 days lasting anthesis of both Uvariopsis species appears to be an evolutionary consequence of their diffuse pollinator spectra. The studied African Annonaceae therefore have either cantharophilous or myiophilous/sapromyiophilous flowers with, in part, respectively, remarkably long anthesis, thermogenesis, and widely open, large flowers - all attributes unknown or rare in the hitherto better studied Neotropical Annonaceae.