New Macroderoides (Digenea: Macroderoididae) from Florida gar, with molecular phylogeny of the genus

Macroderoides minutus n. sp. is described based on specimens collected from the Florida gar (Lepisosteus platyrhincus) from Orange Lake, Alachua County, Florida. The new species is the ninth recognized species of Macroderoides and is morphologically closest to Macroderoides flavus and Macroderoides typicus. It differs from both species in having a smaller body, ventral sucker larger than the oral sucker, substantially lower body length to width ratio, fewer and larger eggs, and other characters. A comparison of sequences of nuclear rDNA (partial 18S, complete ITS region, and partial 28S) of the new species, with sequences of 5 other Macroderoides, convincingly supports the status of M. minutus as a new species. Molecular phylogenetic analysis, including all North American Macroderoides species except for Macroderoides parvus, has demonstrated the presence of 2 distinct clades, 1 including Macroderoides spinifer + (Macroderoides minutus n. sp. + Macroderoides texanus) and the other including Macroderoides trilobatus + (M. typicus + M. flavus). The tree topology suggests that the similarity in body proportions among M. minutus n. sp., M. typicus + M. flavus is not a result of close phylogenetic relationship. It has also revealed for the first time the phylogenetic affinities of M. flavus, which is the only North American member of Macroderoides that switched from holostean fishes to teleosts.     

A revision of the species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saturnius</Emphasis> Manter, 1969 (Digenea: Hemiuridae), parasites of mullets (Teleostei: Mugilidae)

The genus Saturnius Manter, 1969 is defined, its species re-examined and a key to the species presented. S. overstreeti n. sp. is described from Mugil soiuy Basilewsky and M. cephalus L. from the Russian coast of the Sea of Japan and distinguished from the morphologically related S. papernai Overstreet, 1977 and S. maurepasi Overstreet, 1977. S. segmentatus Manter, 1969 is redescribed on the basis of the type- and newly collected material from M. cephalus on the Russian coast of the Sea of Japan. The morphometric variation of S. papernai is studied based on newly collected material from Liza aurata (Risso) in the Ebro Delta and off Santa Pola, Spain. The comparisons reveal lower ranges of most metrical features than previously known. A principal component analysis, carried out after adding the new data to those of Blasco-Costa et al. (2006), confirms the species identification. Other valid species recognised are S. mugilis (Yamaguti, 1970), S. maurepasi, S. belizensis Fischthal, 1977, S. dimitrovi Blasco-Costa et al., 2006 and S. minutus Blasco-Costa et al., 2006. Forms considered species inquirendae are S. valamugilis Rekharani & Madhavi, 1984, Bunocotyle constrictus Domnich & Sarabeev, 1999 [=S. papernai of Domnich & Sarabeev (2000a, b, c, d)], B. mugilis Yamaguti, 1970 of Solonchenko (1976) and S. mugilis of Dmitrieva & Gaevskaya (2001). Host and locality information is given in detail for all species. Lisa ramado (Risso) and Chelon labrosus (Cuvier) are new host records for S. papernai (sensu stricto) and S. dimitrovi. L. aurata is a new host record for S. dimitrovi and S. minutus, and L. saliens (Risso) is a new host record for S. minutus.     

Acinetobacter marinus sp. nov. and Acinetobacter seohaensis sp. nov., isolated from sea water of the Yellow Sea in Korea

Two Gram-negative, nonmotile, coccobacilli, SW-3T and SW-100T, were isolated from sea water of the Yellow Sea in Korea. Strains SW-3T and SW-100T contained ubiquinone-9 (Q-9) as the predominant respiratory lipoquinone and C18:1 omega9c and C16:0 as the major fatty acids. The DNA G+C contents of strains SW-3T and SW-100T were 44.1 mol% and 41.9 mol%, respectively. A neighbor-joining tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the two isolates fell within the evolutionary radiation enclosed by the genus Acinetobacter. Strains SW-3T and SW-100T exhibited a 16S rRNA gene similarity value of 95.7% and a mean DNA-DNA relatedness level of 9.2%. Strain SW-3T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity levels of 93.5-96.9% to the validly described Acinetobacter species and fifteen Acinetobacter genomic species. Strain SW-100T exhibited 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity levels of less than 97.0% to the other Acinetobacter species except Acinetobacter towneri DSM 14962T (98.0% similarity). Strains SW-3T and SW-100T exhibited mean levels of DNA-DNA relatedness of 7.3-16.7% to the type strains of some phylogenetically related Acinetobacter species. On the basis of phenotypic, phylogenetic, and genetic data, strains SW-3T and SW-100T were classified in the genus Acinetobacter as two distinct novel species, for which the names Acinetobacter marinus sp. nov. (type strain SW-3T=KCTC 12259T=DSM 16312T) and Acinetobacter seohaensis sp. nov. (type strain SW-100T=KCTC 12260T=DSM 16313T) are proposed, respectively.     

记云南路南晚始新世化石獏类

本文记述了在云南省路南县路美邑地区发现的五种始新世化石獏类。这是西南地区该类动物最集中的一次发现。另外,本文对当时獏类在我国的分布以及它们与华北地区、西南地区化石獏类的关系作了初步的探讨。     

Shrews on small islands: epigenetic variation elucidates population stability

Three large (4 to 8 ha) and 14 small islands (0.3 to 2 ha) in a lake in eastern Finland, all situated less than 0.5 km from the mainland, were surveyed for small mammals. Three species of shrew and two species of vole were resident in July 1982: Sorex araneus on 10, S. caecutiens on 2, S. minutus on 5, Microtus agrestis on 12 and Clethrionomys glareolus on 4 islands. Immigrants were trapped from tiny islets, and the data indicate that S. caecutiens and M. agrestis are better dispersers than S. minutus and C. glareolus , respectively. Microtus agrestis, S. araneus and C. glareolus occurred non-randomly, on subsets of the larger islands, while the two small Sorex species occurred more erratically, possibly because of competition with S. araneus . Juvenile sex ratio was male-biased on the mainland but female-biased on large islands, possibly because juvenile males move more and are more likely to emigrate from an island than juvenile females.
Metrical and non-metrical (epigenetic) cranial traits gave similar patterns of population differentiation in S. araneus . Two of the three large-island populations have differentiated from the mainland populations and from each other, suggesting that the populations are relatively stable. Small-island populations, which are often less than 10 individuals in size, showed little differentiation but had more epigenetic traits fixed than large-island and mainland populations (founder effect). This suggests that the small-island populations are unstable, have a high extinction rate.     

Two new ascomycetous anamorphic yeast species related to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida friedrichii</Emphasis>—<Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida jaroonii</Emphasis> sp. nov., and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida songkhlaensis</Emphasis> sp. nov.—isolated in Thailand

In a study of yeast diversity in Thailand, eight strains of hitherto undescribed anamorphic yeasts were isolated: four from insect frass, two from Marasmius sp. fruiting bodies, one from a flower, and one from jackfruit exudates. Phylogenetic analysis of the D1/D2 domain of 26S ribosomal DNA nucleotide sequences indicated that the eight strains represented two new species related to Candida friedrichii. Genetic separation of the two new species was further supported by DNA-DNA hybridization analysis, which resulted in between-species similarity values of less than 48%, and by electrophoretic karyotyping. The two new species are C. jaroonii sp. nov. (type strain, ST-300(T) = NBRC 103209(T) = BCC 11783(T) = CBS 10790(T)) and C. songkhlaensis sp. nov. (type strain, ST-328(T) = NBRC 103214(T) = BCC 11804(T) = CBS 10791(T)).     

Molecular differentiation of the microgastrine species commonly found in paddy fields from Southeast Asia,with additional data on their phylogeny （Hymenoptera：Braconidae）

Partial DNA sequences of three genes, that is, mitochondrial large ribosomal subunit (16S), nuclear large ribosomal subunit (28S D2) and mitochondrial NADH1 dehydrogenase (NADH1) gene, were sequenced from different microgas trine species(Braconidae: Microgastrinae) collected fresh from paddy fields. The DNA sequences were used to determine the extent of sequence variation among species in order to evaluate the specific status of each species. Cladistic analysis was also used to infer a phylogenetic relationship among these species. The results showed that sequence divergence among species of the same genus Cotesia was much lower than those among different genera, such as Cotesia, Exoryza and Apanteles; the sequence similarity of 16S rDNA and NADH 1 genes between Cotesia sp. and C. chilonis was higher than that between C. sp. and C. ruficrus.Phylogenetic analyses suggested that four species of Cotesia were always grouped in the same clade regardless of using different analysis methods; Cotesia sp. and C. chilonis are more closely related to each other than to C. ruficrus, different from previous morphological results. Additionally, sequence analyses indicated that NADH1 gene has more parsimony informative characters than 28S rDNA D2 and 16S rDNA at the species-level analysis,indicating that NADH1 gene might be a useful marker for species-level analysis.     

Four new species of Gyrodactylus von Nordmann, 1832 (Monogenea,Gyrodactylidae) on gobiid fishes: combined DNA and morphological analyses

Four Gyrodactylus species parasitising four closely related gobiid species in European coastal waters were studied and compared with G. arcuatus Bychowsky sensu Bychowsky & Poljansky (1953) from Gasterosteus aculatus . These were G. gondae n. sp. from Pomatoschistus minutus and P. lozanoi , G. flavescensis n. sp. from Gobiusculus flavescens , G. arcuatoides n. sp. from P. minutus and G. branchialis n. sp. from P. microps. Combined molecular and morphological analyses, as well as morphometric and statistical methods, were used. The ssrRNA V4 region and the complete ITS rDNA region were sequenced. Genetically the four new species are clearly distinct from G. arcuatus . From a morphological point of view, the haptoral hard parts of G. gondae n. sp., G. flavescensis n. sp. and G. arcuatoides n. sp. are related to those of G. arcuatus, while these parts of G. branchialis n. sp. are different, but related to those of G. quadratidigitus Longshaw, Pursglove & Shinn, 2003. For the latter two species, a new species group is formed. The V4 and ITS sequence analyses, however, indicate a close relationship between G. branchialis and the three G. arcuatus-like species.     

Revision of the Palaearctic species of the Helophorus minutus group (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae), with chromosome analysis and hybridization experiments

Abstract. Investigation of the chromosomes has revealed a Helophorus species from Central and Eastern Europe, and West Siberia, here described as H.paraminutus sp.n., which often closely resembles minutus F., though some specimens are larger and resemble lapponicus Thomson. The chromosomes of paraminutus are clearly distinct from those of minutus but closely resemble those of lapponicus. In the laboratory first generation hybrids were obtained between minutus and paraminutus, lapponicus and paraminutus, and lapponicus and minutus, but in no case was it possible to breed from these hybrids. Thus there can be no doubt that these three species are distinct. Recognition of paraminutus as a distinct species, despite the fact that study of its morphology alone could suggest introgressive hybridization between lapponicus and minutus, requires the recognition of limbatus Motschulsky as a species separate from H. lapponicus and necessitates the revision of the Helophorus minutus group of species which, as here defined, includes minutus, paraminutus, hilaris Sharp, lapponicus, limbatus, mervensis Semenov, rinki Angus, fulgidicol-lis Motschulsky and asturiensis Kuwert. Types and synonymies are discussed, and a key to these species given. Two old, imperfectly known, names are discussed to clear them from the synonymy: granulans var. rufipennis Hubenthal is identified as brevipalpis Bedel, and a lectotype designated; H. griseus var. lateralis Dalla Torre is left as incertae sedis and is classed as a nomen oblitum.     

Fiber capillarization relative to mitochondrial volume in diaphragm of shrew.

The objective was to examine fiber capillarization in relation to fiber mitochondrial volume in the highly aerobic diaphragm of the shrew, the smallest mammal. The diaphragms of four common shrews [Sorex araneus; body mass, 8.2 +/- 1.3 (SE) g] and four lesser shrews (Sorex minutus, 2.6 +/- 0.1 g) were perfusion fixed in situ, processed for electron microscopy, and analyzed by morphometry. Capillary length per fiber volume was extremely high, at values of 8,008 +/- 1,054 and 12,332 +/- 625 mm(-2) in S. araneus and S. minutus, respectively (P = 0.012), with no difference in capillary geometry between the two species. Fiber mitochondrial volume density was 28.5 +/- 2.3% (S. araneus) and 36.5 +/- 1.4% (S. minutus; P = 0.025), yielding capillary length per milliliter mitochondria values (S. araneus, 27.8 +/- 1.5 km; S. minutus, 33.9 +/- 2.2 km; P = 0.06) as high as in the flight muscle of the hummingbird and small bats. The size of the capillary-fiber interface (i.e., capillary surface per fiber surface ratio) per fiber mitochondrial volume in shrew diaphragm was also as high as in bird and bat flight muscles, and it was about two times greater than in rat hindlimb muscle. Thus, whereas fiber capillary and mitochondrial volume densities decreased with increased body mass in S. araneus compared with S. minutus Soricinae shrews, fiber capillarization per milliliter mitochondria in both species was much higher than previously reported for shrew diaphragm, and it matched that of the intensely aerobic flight muscles of birds and mammals.     

Molecular evidence for cryptic species within Cylicostephanus minutus (Nematoda: Strongylidae)

The nucleotide sequences of the first and second internal transcribed spacers of nuclear ribosomal DNA were determined for adults of Cylicostephanus minutus from different geographical origins. The lengths of first and second internal transcribed spacer sequences ranged from 370 to 372bp and 215 to 216bp, respectively. Pairwise sequence comparisons revealed that some individuals of C. minutus had identical first and second internal transcribed spacer sequences, whereas others differed by 3.0% and 7.4% in their first and second transcribed spacers, respectively. Some individuals with sequence differences originated from the same host. The levels of difference within C. minutus were higher than that between the morphologically distinct species, Cylicostephanus goldi and Cylicostephanus longibursatus (0.8% for the first internal transcribed spacer and 3.8% for the second internal transcribed spacer). The data provide support for the proposal that C. minutus represents a complex of at least two species. In order to study the population genetic structure of C. minutus, a PCR-linked single-strand conformation polymorphism technique was also established.     

Prevalence and biodiversity of helminth parasites in donkeys from South Africa

Seven donkeys (Equus asinus) from North-West and Mpumalanga Provinces in South Africa were examined at necropsy. Quantitative samples were collected from the gastrointestinal tract for recovery of helminth parasites from the stomach, small intestine, cecum, ventral colon, dorsal colon, descending colon, and cranial mesenteric artery. Fifteen genera and 29 species of helminths were identified comprising 27 species of nematodes in the Ascarididae, Atractidae, Habronematidae, Onchocercidae, Oxyuridae, and Strongylidae; 1 species of cestode in the Anoplocephalidae; and 1 species of trematode in the Paramphistomatidae. In addition, 2 species of oestrid fly larvae in the Gastrophiliidae were identified. The most abundant group in number of species was the cyathostomes (small strongyles) and, of these, Cyathostomum montgomeryi, Cylicocyclus sp. (a), and Cylicostephanus minutus were the most numerous. The most prevalent cyathostomes were C. montgomeryi and Cylicocyclus sp. n. (a). Strongylus vulgaris was the most abundant and prevalent large strongyle species. The occurrence of small strongyle species and their prevalences in this study are compared with 3 other studies on donkeys in Africa.     

Revision of the Australasian genus Orussobaius Benson (Hymenoptera: Symphyta: Orussidae)

Abstract The Australasian genus Orussobaius Benson is revised. Seven species are recognised: Orussobaius paniculus sp. n. from Papua New Guinea, and six species from Australia: O. badius sp. n., O. caligneus sp. n., O. mesembrinus Benson, O. minutissimus sp. n., O. minutus Benson, and O. wilsoni Benson. Orussobaius normani Rayment (new synonymy) is removed from synonymy with O. wilsoni and treated as a junior synonym of O. minutus instead. With a body length of only 2 mm, O. minutissimus sp. n. is the smallest currently known sawfly species in the world. A key is provided and distribution maps are shown for all species. The genus Orussobaius is redefined on the basis of all species currently included.     

Dietary separation in three species of shrew inhabiting water-cress beds

The diets of three species of shrew (Neomys fodiens, Sorex araneus and S. minutus) living sympatrically in an area of water-cress beds were investigated over a two-year period by faecal analysis of live-trapped animals. Thirty-eight different prey types were identified in the diet of N. fodiens , 25 in the diet of S. araneus and 18 in S. minutus. The most important prey items of N. fodiens in all months were freshwater crustaceans and cased trichopteran larvae. Other important items were terrestrial gastropods, coleopterans and dipterans. Neomys fodiens foraged underwater throughout the year and 33–67% of its prey were of aquatic origin. Major prey items of S. araneus throughout the year were lumbricids, terrestrial gastropods and coleopterans. Araneids, isopods and coleopterans were the dominant dietary items of S. minutus. All terrestrial prey items were taken in greater proportions by S. araneus and S. minutus than by N. fodiens , excepting lumbricids which were never eaten by S. minutus. Dietary overlap was greatest between S. araneus and S. minutus at 57%, followed by N. fodiens and S. araneus (44%) and least similar were N. fodiens and S. minutus (36%).     

Small mammals and their ectoparasites from the Scottish islands of Handa (Sutherland), Muck, Pabay, Scalpay and Soay (Inner Hebrides)

Small mammals were trapped on five islands for short periods during the summers of 1964 and 1965, with the following results:
Handa: Rattus norvegicus only, probably no other species present.
Muck: Sorex araneus, S. minutus, Apodemus sylvaticus and Microtus agrestis; R. norvegicus also present.
Pabay: S. minutus and Neomys fodiens ; probably no other species present.
Scalpay: S. araneus, S. minutus and M. agrestis.
Soay: S. araneus and S. minutus ; rodents almost certainly absent.
Ectoparasites (fleas and Acarina) collected from these small mammals are tabulated.     

Saccharopolyspora pathumthaniensis sp. nov., a novel actinomycetes isolated from termite guts (Speculitermes sp.)

Morphological and chemotaxonomic characterization of actinomycete strain S582 isolated from the gut of a termite (Speculitermes sp.) in Pathum Thani Province, Thailand, clearly demonstrated that this strain is a member of the genus Saccharopolyspora. 16S rDNA sequence analysis for the strain supported the assignment of the strain to the genus Saccharopolyspora. The similarity value of sequences between this strain and the closely related species Saccharopolyspora endophytica was 99.5%. The DNA G+C content was 70.2 mol%. DNA-DNA hybridization results (53.3%) and some physiological and biochemical properties indicated that strain S582(T) was distinguished from the phylogenetically closest relatives. Based on these genotypic and phenotypic data, strain S582(T) should be a new species in the genus Saccharopolyspora and the name Saccharopolyspora pathumthaniensis sp. nov. is proposed for the strain. The type strain is S582(T) (=NBRC 104112(T) =BCC 28624(T)).     

Candida alocasiicola sp. nov., Candida hainanensis sp. nov., Candida heveicola sp. nov. and Candida musiphila sp. nov., novel anamorphic, ascomycetous yeast species isolated from plants

In a taxonomic study on the ascomycetous yeasts isolated from plant materials collected in tropical forests in Yunnan and Hainan Provinces, southern China, four strains isolated from tree sap (YJ2E(T)) and flowers (YF9E(T), YWZH3C(T) and YYF2A(T)) were revealed to represent four undescribed yeast species. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on the large subunit (26S) rRNA gene D1/D2 domain sequences showed that strain YJ2E(T) was located in a clade together with Candida haemulonii and C. pseudohaemulonii. Strain YF9E(T) was most closely related to C. azyma and strain YWZH3C(T) to C. sorbophila and C. spandovensis. Strain YYF2A(T) was clustered in a clade containing small-spored Metschnikowia species and related anamorphic Candida species. The new strains differed from their closely related described species by more than 10% mismatches in the D1/D2 domain. No sexual states were observed for the four strains on various sporulation media. The new species are therefore assigned to the genus Candida and described as Candida alocasiicola sp. nov. (type strain, YF9E(T) = AS 2.3484(T) = CBS 10702(T)), Candida hainanensis sp. nov. (type strain, YYF2A(T) = AS 2.3478(T) = CBS 10696(T)), Candida heveicola sp. nov. (type strain, YJ2E(T) = AS 2.3483(T) = CBS 10701(T)) and Candida musiphila sp. nov. (type strain, YWZH3C(T) = AS 2.3479(T) = CBS 10697(T)).     

Identification, genetic diversity and prevalence of Theileria and Babesia species in a sheep population from Northern Spain

The genetic diversity and prevalence of virtually all Theileria and Babesia species in a sheep population were studied using a specifically designed reverse line blot macroarray. The amplified hypervariable V4 region of the 18S rRNA gene was hybridised against generic and species-specific probes. In a first screening (Study I), 320 apparently healthy animals corresponding to 32 flocks located in the Basque Country (Northern Spain) were analysed. The survey demonstrated a high prevalence of subclinical infections (64.7%). Three Theileria genotypes were identified, sharing 96.7-97.0% similarity between their 18S rRNA gene sequences: Theileria ovis, Theileria sp. OT1 (99.6% similarity with the recently described pathogenic piroplasm Theileria sp. China 1), and Theileria sp. OT3. Two Babesia species sharing 91.5% similarity were also detected: Babesia ovis and Babesia motasi. The complete 18S rRNA gene sequences of these and other piroplasm species were phylogenetically analysed. Prevalence of piroplasms was also investigated in a second group of 80 sheep from 16 flocks reared in mountain areas that had been heavily exposed to ticks and had suffered a recent abortion episode (Study II). The screening revealed a significantly higher (P < 0.05) prevalence (78.7%) of piroplasm infections compared to Study I. Although the prevalence rates for some piroplasm species were significantly related to abortion (e.g. Theileria sp. OT3), decreases in the red cell parameters were not significant. The widespread distribution of Theileria spp. in the studied sheep population suggests that the parasites involved are of relatively low pathogenicity, in contrast to what has been reported for Theileria sp. China 1 in other countries.     

Population dynamics of shrews on small islands accord with the equilibrium model

Three of the six species of shrew in Finland, Sorex araneus, S. caecutiens, and S. minutus , are common on the mainland and widespread on islands in lakes. The islands range from 0.01 to 500 ha in area, and from 10 to 3000 m in isolation (distance from the mainland). The species-area relationship, the lack of importance of habitat diversity, the increasing frequency of unoccupied small islands with isolation, and direct observations of small populations, all suggest that populations on small islands have a high extinction rate. Demographic stochasticity is the main cause of extinctions in the superior competitor, S. araneus , which occurs consistently on islands greater than 2 ha. The small species, S. caecutiens and S. minutus , are more sensitive to environmental stochasticity than is S. araneus , and are inferior to it in interspecific competition; these factors probably contribute to the absence of the small species from many islands tens of hectares in area. Frequent colonization of islands less than 500 m from the mainland is indicated by large numbers of shrews trapped from tiny islets where breeding is not possible, by increasing epigenetic divergence of island populations with isolation, and by observations of dispersal to and colonization of islands. Dispersal ability decreases with decreasing individual size, which may partly explain the absence of the small shrews from many relatively large islands. The shrew populations persist in a dynamic equilibrium on the islands. Epigenetic morphological variation is a useful tool in ecological studies of island populations.