A Curious Rusophycus (Arthropod Ichnofossil) Assemblage from the Upper Ordovician of Ontario,Canada

The ichnogenus Rusophycus includes a wide range of short bilobate excavations generally attributed to variable feeding behaviors of arthropods, especially trilobites. An unusual Rusophycus assemblage from Upper Ordovician Georgian Bay Formation in Ontario departs radically from previously described examples and presents new challenges for understanding the behavior represented by these traces. This specimen is unique in the arrangement of multiple Rusophycus burrows in a circular, lens-shaped array (as opposed to a linear or random arrangement typical of other Rusophycus assemblages). The size and shape of the individual Rusophycus components are consistent with traces attributed to the coeval trilobite Flexicalymene. Multiple Rusophycus assemblages likely reflect aggregations of trilobites in response to a local concentration of food. The topology of this particular Rusophycus assemblage suggests that the trilobites opportunistically exploited a rich and narrowly restricted food source, perhaps the decaying remains of a buried organism.     

Thoracic structure and enrolment style in middle Cambrian Eccaparadoxides pradoanus presages caudalization of the derived trilobite trunk

Abstract: The ability to enrol effectively evolved several times among trilobites. Here, we show that, unlike most redlichiid trilobites that could not enrol, both morphotypes of Eccaparadoxides pradoanus from the middle Cambrian of Spain enrolled so as to enclose most of the ventral surface beneath the exoskeleton and possessed specialized articulating devices that facilitated this behaviour. The holaspid thorax of all E. pradoanus was divided into two principal regions. The boundary between these marked a transition from anterior segments with short pleural spines, fulcra and ridge‐and‐groove inner pleural regions to posterior segments with longer, acuminate pleural spines that lack fulcra and inner pleural regions. Devices that aid articulation, such as fulcra with short articulating pleural surfaces, the petaloid articulating facet and long articulating half rings, are concentrated in the anterior region. These features, and the large number of specimens preserved in various degrees of enrolment, suggest an enrolment procedure in which the rear part of the trunk, containing both the posterior thorax and the pygidium, rotated as a single unit without significant internal flexure. As these posterior trunk articulations were apparently not required to permit enrolment, concentrating flexure in the anterior may have presaged the caudalized condition seen in many derived trilobite groups that encapsulated, in which a larger proportion of the trunk segments were allocated to the mature pygidium, and therefore unable to articulate.     

棉田节肢动物群落的优势种分析

优势种作为生物群落的基本特征之一 ,是指那些由于其数量多、生物量大及其在食物链中有重要地位而对群落产生重大影响的物种。但在农田昆虫群落优势种分析中 ,通常是以数量的多少而确定其是否为优势种。事实上 ,尽管有些昆虫 (如害虫 )数量不多 ,不具备群落优势种的特征 ,但由于其个体大 ,对作物造成很大的危害。对于这类昆虫是否属于优势种类目前争论较大[1,5] 。棉花 (Ｇｏｓｓｙｐｉｕｍｈｉｒｓｕｔｕｍ )是我国重要的经济作物。其内节肢动物群落物种的组成与优势程度直接影响着棉花的生产。本文拟在系统调查棉田节肢动物群落的基础上 ,…     

Arthropod Assemblages in Epiphyte Mats of Costa Rican Cloud Forests

Tropical cloud forests are functionally important ecosystems, but are severely threatened due to deforestation and fragmentation. Epiphyte mats, accumulations of live vegetation and dead organic matter on tree trunks and branches, are a conspicuous component of cloud forests and harbor diverse assemblages of meso- and microarthropods. We compared the morphospecies richness, composition, and abundance of arthropods in epiphyte mats between primary and secondary forests of Monteverde, Costa Rica, and at two nearby replicate sites. Epiphyte mats were thinner and less structurally diverse in secondary forest. We collected ca 36,000 micro- and mesoarthropods from epiphyte mats in the 2-yr study. Whereas arthropod morphospecies richness did not differ among forest types, arthropod abundance was significantly higher in secondary forest due to larger numbers of ants, especially Solenopsis spp. Arthropod assemblages showed a high degree of taxonomic overlap both within and between primary and secondary forests (Jaccard abundance-based similarity = 0.93–0.96). Although characteristics of the arthropod fauna proved to be similar among sites and between forest types, there was a significant temporal effect: arthropod morphospecies richness in epiphyte mats generally was lower in the dry season (February–May), when many taxa probably became dormant or sought shelter against desiccation in deeper portions of mats.     

Predation of arthropods by southern bearded sakis (Chiropotes satanas) in Eastern Brazilian Amazonia

Bearded sakis are seed predators, but are also known to consume arthropods. This is the first detailed report of arthropod predation in southern bearded sakis (Chiropotes satanas). Two groups were monitored-one in continuous forest, and one on a small island-between January 2003 and February 2004. The arthropod prey included spiders and six insect orders. Island group members spent more time foraging for arthropods (3.8% vs. 2.6% of activity time) but ingested less prey (3.7% vs. 4.6% of feeding time). Arthropods accounted for a small proportion of feeding records in most months, but there were occasional sharp peaks due to the exploitation of temporary agglomerations of insects. In November, arthropods accounted for 26.6% and 14.2% of the feeding records of the mainland and island groups, respectively. The results suggest that bearded sakis actively seek arthropods as a dietary supplement, but that they represent a minor resource during most of the year, even under conditions of intense habitat fragmentation (island group).     

Arthropod accumulation on tea in young and old habitats

ABSTRACT.

• 1 A comparison is made of the number of species of arthropods that inhabit tea plants in young and old habitats. Tea plants of comparable age harbour more species in old habitats than in young habitats.
• 2 In both young and old habitats, there is an initial rise in the number of arthropod species on young tea upto 11 years: in the intermediate phase, i.e. between 12 and 21 years, a sharp decline in species numbers occurs followed by a rapid increase between 22 and 36 years, and a final drop after 36 years. These phases are characterized by sap-feeding mites and insects; leaf eaters and defoliators; stem and root borers; and termites and wood-eating insects respectively.
• 3 Attracting abilities of the plants of different age-groups vary according to their morphological, and physiological attributes depending on their locations in young and old habitats.
• 4 Diverse species of arthropods coexist on tea by developing their own niches in different parts of plants; they apparently avoid interspecific competition by maintaining their numbers at low density.

     

Short-term Effects of Harvest Technique and Mechanical Site Preparation on Arthropod Communities in Jack Pine Plantations

Arthropods play a key role in the functioning of forest ecosystems and contribute to biological diversity. However, the influence of current silvicultural practices on arthropod communities is little known in jack pine (Pinus banksiana) forests, a forest type comprising a major portion of the Canadian boreal forest. In this study, the effects of silvicultural treatments on arthropod communities were compared to identify those treatments that minimize ecological impacts on arthropods. The influence of harvesting techniques and mechanical site preparations on insect family richness and abundance of arthropods (total, by orders and by trophic groups) was examined in young (three-year-old) jack pine plantations of northern Ontario. Each of the following treatments were conducted in three plots: (1) tree length harvest and trenching; (2) full tree harvest and trenching; (3) full tree harvest and blading; and (4) full tree harvest and no site preparation. Arthropods were collected using sweepnets and pitfall traps over two years. Blading significantly reduced insect family richness, the total abundance of arthropods, abundance of Orthoptera, Heteroptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, insect larvae, and plant feeders when compared to the other treatments. The use of either full tree or tree length harvesting had similar short-term effects on family richness and the abundance of arthropods. Arthropod diversity declined with increasing post-harvest site disturbance. These results suggest that arthropod communities in the understory and on the ground are reduced most on sites mechanically prepared by blading, but are similar under conditions immediately following either full tree or tree length harvesting. The implications for regenerating jack pine in the boreal forest are discussed.     

Convergence in Arthropod Assemblages with Various Restoration Approaches for Canadian Deciduous Forests

Silvicultural practices are traditionally aimed at increasing forest profits; however, recent approaches to forest conservation have broadened to include nature-based silviculture for regenerating forests. In southern Ontario (Canada), originally dominated by deciduous forests, conifer plantations were established on abandoned agricultural sites. Currently, there is an increasing interest to convert these conifer stands to a state that mimics the original deciduous forest. We investigated arthropod abundance, species richness of carabid beetles, and abundance of arthropod assemblages (trophic and prey groups) under five silvicultural treatments conducted to regenerate deciduous forests (the natural forest type) from the old conifer plantations. The treatments included: (1) uniform canopy removal; (2) uniform canopy removal and understory removal; (3) group canopy removal; (4) group canopy removal and understory removal; and (5) untreated control plots (relatively pure red pine). Insects were sampled annually using sweepnets and pitfall traps. Results revealed treatment effects on the abundance of Coleoptera, Heteroptera, herbivores, and small arthropods (<3 mm) caught in sweepnet samples, where plots subjected to group shelterwood removal and understory removal supported higher abundances than the control plots. There was no treatment effect on the abundance of other arthropod groups or on the species richness and abundance of carabid beetles. The silvicultural treatments used to encourage natural regeneration did not seem to affect arthropod food availability for insectivorous vertebrates. Thus, the type of silvicultural strategy used to convert pine plantations to a stage that mimics the natural deciduous forests had little overall impact on arthropods.     

Mosaic heterochrony and evolutionary modularity: the trilobite genus Zacanthopsis as a case study

Logical connections exist between evolutionary modularity and heterochrony, two unifying and structuring themes in the expanding field of evolutionary developmental biology. The former sees complex phenotypes as being made up of semi-independent units of evolutionary transformation; the latter requires such a modular organization of phenotypes to occur in a localized or mosaic fashion. This conceptual relationship is illustrated here by analyzing the evolutionary changes in the cranidial ontogeny of two related species of Cambrian trilobites. With arguments from comparative developmental genetics and functional morphology, we delineate putative evolutionary modules within the cranidium and examine patterns of evolutionary changes in ontogeny at both global and local scales. Results support a case of mosaic heterochrony, that is, a combination of local heterochronies affecting the different parts individuated in the cranidium, leading to the complex pattern of allometric repatterning observed at the global scale. Through this example, we show that recasting morphological analyses of complex phenotypes with a priori knowledge or hypotheses about their organizational and variational properties can significantly improve our interpretation and understanding of evolutionary changes among related taxa, fossil and extant. Such considerations open avenues to investigate the large-scale dynamics of modularity and its role in phenotypic evolution.     

Eyes and vision in the coeval Furongian trilobites Sphaerophthalmus alatus (Boeck, 1938) and Ctenopyge (Mesoctenopyge) tumida Westergård, 1922, from Bornholm,Denmark

The two olenid species Sphaerophthalmus alatus (Boeck, 1838) and Ctenopyge (Mesoctenopyge) tumida Westergård, 1922, occur together in the Ctenopyge tumida Zone (Zone 19) of the Furongian of Scandinavia. Material from Bornholm, Denmark, forms the basis of this study of the morphology and partial ontogeny of the eyes. The eyes of both species are directed laterally and have virtually panoramic vision, looking out sideways like those of a rabbit. The eye of S. alatus is comparatively smaller, with fewer lenses and a larger eye parameter; calculations show that this trilobite was adapted for dim light intensity, possibly suggesting a vagrant benthic habit. Ctenopyge (Mesoctenopyge) tumida, with a smaller eye parameter, was adapted for a higher light intensity, and this trilobite was most likely a pelagic swimmer. The two species, although preserved together, inhabited different levels in the water column.     

Arthropod colonisation of natural and experimental logs in an agricultural landscape: Effects of habitat,isolation, season and exposure time

Summary Habitat restoration is commonly conducted in agricultural landscapes with the aim of restoring biodiversity. Some species, however, might not be able to migrate to restored habitats, and vital habitat elements, such as logs, may be missing. We compared arthropod assemblages under logs amongst different land‐use types: pastures, revegetation and woodland remnants, in south‐eastern Australia. We also supplemented habitats with logs, placed out in different seasons and for different periods of time to determine how season and exposure time affect arthropod composition. We compared assemblages under logs in revegetation adjacent to and isolated from woodland remnants to test the role of habitat connectivity. Arthropod assemblages differed significantly between land‐use types, with pastures most different to remnants. These differences corresponded with differences in log microhabitat. Time was an important determinant of community composition, but habitat (remnant vs revegetated) and revegetation connectivity (adjacent vs isolated patch) were not. Time affected assemblage composition in two distinct ways: first, time of year (November vs January), and second, exposure time of logs (1 vs 3 months) affected composition. Exposure time effects may indicate dispersal limitation, but the proportion of wingless species did not depend on exposure time or connectivity. We conclude that the log fauna in this landscape responds to microenvironments and seasonal change but is not strongly dispersal limited, allowing it to respond rapidly to habitat restoration. The pre‐agricultural landscape likely shared many features with the modified landscape, such that many species possess traits and behaviours that allow them to move through and persist in the matrix.     

The Karyotypes of Angelica dahurica and Their Taxonomical Significance (Umbelliferae)

The present paper deals mainly with the karyotype analysis of five materials in Angelica dahurica collected in Yanbian of Jilin, Anguo of Hebei, Yuxian of Henan, Hangzhou of Zhejiang and Suining of Sichuan. They are under the names “Dongbeidahuo”, “Qibaizhi”, “Yubaizhi”, ”Hangbaizhi” and “Chuanbaizhi” respectively. Among then “Dongbeidahuo” is a wild plant, which occurs in northeastern China, and the others are cultivated as important crude drugs in some provinces. “Qi-Baizhi” and “Yubaizhi” have been identified as conspecific with the wild Baizhi-“Do-Ngbeidahuo” (A. dahurica) according to the external morphological features, whereas the other cultivated ones, “Hangbaizhi” and “Chuanbaizhi”, treated as a variety (A. dahurica var. formosana). The results of karyotype analysis are shown in Plate 1, 2, with the formula 2n=22 =12 m+2 m^SAT+4sm+4st. The karyotypes described here are constantly characterized by satellites attached to the fourth pair of metacentric chromosomes and differ from the published reports on the other species of the genus. It is reasonable to say that the five materials collectively named “Baizhi” are taxonomically closely related to each other and could be regarded as conspecific. Since the second chromosome pair is submetacentric in “Dongbeidahuo”, it may be justifiable to separate the wild plant from the cultivated ones and treat them as two separate varieties.     

Efficacy of Low and High Complexity Vegetation Treatments for Reestablishing Terrestrial Arthropod Assemblages during Montane Wetland Restoration

Assessments of faunal reassembly during wetland restorations have typically been derived from relatively benign, lower‐elevation environments. We investigated recovery of terrestrial arthropod assemblages in conjunction with restoration of a montane wet meadow in Sequoia National Park (Sierra Nevada, California, U.S.A.). Our goal was to assess response of arthropod assemblages to wetland restoration in this winter‐dominated environment, including comparison of faunal reassembly in (1) areas of sparse plugs (planted over several years) and (2) dual‐density plantings with additional heterogeneity, complexity, and connectance to source habitats provided by high‐density bands running through sparsely planted habitat (final study year only). Results across all restoration treatments indicated varying levels of faunal reassembly, but convergence of faunal assemblages with reference habitat had not occurred after recovery periods as long as 5 years. Similarity indices and multivariate compositional results indicated a slower recovery than did univariate trends for assemblage metrics and abundances for some individual taxa, highlighting the utility of assessments using a range of taxa and analytical approaches. Faunal recovery did not appear to lag behind that of vegetation structure, despite the short growing season. The dual‐density plantings indicated faster recovery after 1 year, across almost all metrics, than was observed after several years for the sparse plantings. Restoration configurations that increase habitat complexity, heterogeneity, and/or connectance may disproportionately increase rates of passive faunal reassembly and prove to be cost‐effective approaches for promoting recovery of ecosystem function.     

The Trilobite Subfamily Monorakinae (Pterygometopidae)

The Monorakinae is a subfamily of the Pterygometopidae characterised by the fusion of L2 and L3 in the glabella. The resulting bicomposite lobe is expanded backwards to reach the occipital furrow, displacing L1 from contact with the axial furrow and causing the realignment of S1 to a markedly oblique orientation. The bicomposite lobe is commonly bounded adaxially by a longitudinal furrow containing three pairs of apodemal pits. The Monorakinae was probably derived from the Pterygometopinae, and includes the genera and subgenera Monorakos , Carinopyge , Ceratevenkaspis , Elasmaspis , Evenkaspis ( Evenkaspis ) and E . ( Parevenkaspis ), of which Carinopyge , Elasmaspis and Evenkaspis ( Parevenkaspis ) are known only from limited parts of the exoskeleton. Monorakines have a stratigraphical range of Caradoc–Ashgill. Their known geographical distribution in the Siberian Platform, Taimyr, the Russian Far East, and the Seward Peninsula of Alaska is restricted to areas that in the Ordovician were part of the palaeocontinents of Siberia and Arctida, which must have been connected or situated close together at that time. The occurrence of monorakines in the Taimyr Peninsula but their absence from Baltica does not support the suggestion of some workers that Taimyr was part of Baltica in the Ordovician.     

An intermittent mode of formation for the trace fossil Cruziana as a serial repetition of Rusophycus: the case of Cruziana tenella (Linnarsson )

Cruziana is one of the most recognizable trace fossils ascribed to arthropods. It ranges throughout the Phanerozoic and encompasses a diverse set of morphologies. The distinct features of Cruziana have incited fierce debate regarding its mode of formation. Here, we discuss critical aspects of trace fossil formation, namely epibenthic versus endobenthic origin and the ethology of the producer. Cruziana has largely been interpreted as a continuous ploughing trace fossil. It has been suggested, however, that at least some Cruziana could be structures resulting from the concatenation of Rusophycus‐type elements, although this claim remains unexplored. Cruziana tenella from the lower Cambrian of south‐central Sweden illustrates this intermittent mode of formation with a series of Rusophycus eutendorfensis leading into vertically undulating Cruziana that, at end stages of development, reflect a relatively equal depth distribution throughout the trace fossil and a great number of intergrading morphologies. In this study, a morphological evaluation of the intergrading morphologies of Cruziana tenella and Rusophycus eutendorfensis and a short morphometric analysis of the elements comprising Cruziana tenella suggests that at least in some cases Cruziana could be formed in intervals, as the serial overlap of distinct shallow Rusophycus could produce an apparently continuous cruzianaeform morphology. A comparison with possible evidence of intermittent formation on Cruziana semiplicata is made to illustrate the possibility of extending this mode of formation to larger Cruziana. An argument for the rise in the early Cambrian of a primitively intermittent mode of formation is made on the basis of energy efficiency.     

Arthropod body-plan evolution in the Cambrian with an example from anomalocaridid muscle

The ancestor of the arthropods is widely thought to have possessed a hydrostatic skeleton surrounded by peripheral longitudinal and circular musculature, as exhibited by the extant onychophorans. However, the transition to a lever-style musculature system with an articulating exoskeleton poses a difficult problem in functional evolution: did the musculature or the exoskeleton evolve first, and how? Here, by reference to the musculature of the Lower Cambrian stem-group arthropod Pambdelurion, the problem is resolved in terms of preadaptation and functional degeneracy without recourse to saltational notions. Cambrian taxa lying in the stem-groups of the modern phyla may thus be shown to provide unique evidence for the functional progression involved in the assembly of the extant body plans and obviate the need for exotic genetic or developmental mechanisms to explain the evolution of integrated and complex body plans. The notion of the phylum representing a particularly significant level of organization is thereby brought into question.     

峡东地区上奥陶统高庙坡组球节子类及其它多节类三叶虫

系统描述湖北宜昌和秭归新滩晚奥陶世庙坡组球接子类及多节类三叶虫动物群中的１４种,分属于９属、７科、。根据化石保存状态、挤压变形以及个体发育特征,对前人所报道的产于本组的有关三叶早作了大量归并、转移和重新厘定,新的材料支持解释Telephiana longicephala的性双形现象。Ａtractopyge系首次在庙坡组中发现,以往它在三峡地区只见于临湘组。文中还将新疆的一个保留命名种Ｌonchodomas cf.yohi重新命名为Ｌonchodomas zhangi sp.nov.。     

Fruit Supplementation Affects Birds but not Arthropod Predation by Birds in Costa Rican Agroforestry Systems

As the global demand for the reliable provision of virtually all ecosystem services increases, it is imperative to conduct experimental research that tests specific mechanisms or drivers of the ecological processes that link to services, and whether these management actions can affect biodiversity and processes synergistically. Agroforestry systems are ideal for such experiments due to their increased uniformity and the relative ease with which factors can be manipulated and isolated. Manipulating the availability of food resources, we carried out an experimental test of this potential driver on bird diversity measures and the predatory services provided by birds in coffee agroforests. We constructed exclosures over coffee plants to measure arthropod removal intensity by birds comparing coffee agroforests with and without food resource (fruit) enrichment (the driver). Fruit enrichment agroforests had significantly greater bird species density (50%), overall abundance (55%), and abundance of understory insectivore specialists (89%) compared with control agroforests. Although 48 percent more arthropods were aspirated from coffee plants inside exclosures compared to coffee plants outside exclosures, fruit resource enrichment did not influence predatory activity by birds in the agroforests. The results of this study highlight the difficulties associated with managing lands for ecosystem services in complex ecosystems‐ management actions aimed at increasing numbers of the organisms involved in the interactions of ecological processes is not always equivalent to managing for an increase in the process itself.     

Occurrence and assemblage composition of millipedes (Myriapoda, Diplopoda) and terrestrial isopods (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea) in urban areas of Switzerland

Terrestrial isopods and millipedes, members of the invertebrate macro-decomposer guild, were collected through pitfall traps in three Swiss cities (Zurich, Lucerne, Lugano). A total of 7,198 individuals of 17 isopod species (7093 ind.), and 10 millipede species (105 ind.) were captured. Besides the Alpine endemic isopod (Trichoniscus alemannicus) and millipede (Cylindroiulus verhoeffi), urban assemblages were mainly composed of widespread, native European and even cosmopolitan species, which are frequent in anthropogenic areas. Overall species richness (isopods and millipedes combined) was similar in Zurich (17 species) and Lucerne (16), while only 13 species were sampled in Lugano. According to the Sørensen index of similarity, species composition of Zurich and Lucerne were more alike, while the one of Lugano was more distinct from the other two cities. This result can be explained by the spatial proximity of Zurich and Lucerne in the north of the Alps compared to Lugano, which is located more distantly and in the south of the Alps. Dominant isopods and millipedes in Zurich and Lucerne were found to be widespread synanthropic species in temperate Europe(Porcellio scaber, Trachelipus rathkii and Ophyiulus pilosus) while the dominant isopod in Lugano (Trachelipus razzautii) is a species with a north-eastern Mediterranean distribution. Our study reveals that the urban millipede and isopod fauna in Swiss cities mainly consists of widespread species, but species of narrower distribution (e.g. Trichoniscus alemannicus, Cylindroiulus verhoeffi) may also find suitable habitats in cities. Despite some signs of biotic homogenization, our study also found compositional differences of millipede and isopod assemblages between northern and southern cities that suggest geographical effects of the regional species pool.