Faunistic groups of carpenter-moths (Lepidoptera, Cossidae) in the fauna of Russia

An arealogical review of carpenter-moths of the fauna of Russia is presented. Southern steppe western Palaearctic species (10); steppe, southern steppe, and Central Asian semidesert species (7); and nemoral eastern Palaearctic species (6) predominate. Endemics of the Russian fauna are 6 species: Acossus victor (Yakovlev, 2004) (southern Tuva); Cossus shmakovi Yakovlev, 2004 (Tuva, Khakassia); Deserticossus volgensis (Christoph, 1893) and D. sareptensis (Rothschild, 1912) (southern Volga River Basin), Phragmataecia pacifica Yakovlev, 2007 (Daghestan), and Meharia scythica D. Komarov et Zolotuhin, 2005 (southern Volga River Basin).     

American rotifer Kellicottia bostoniensis (Rousselet, 1908) (Rotifera: Brachionidae) in reservoirs of the Upper Volga Basin

Rotifer Kellicottia bostoniensis (Rousselet), typical for North American waterbodies, was found in three reservoirs (Ivankovo, Uglich, and Sheksna) of the Upper Volga Basin in 2005–2012. The size and density of mature rotifers (<4 thousands ind./m³) are comparable to or smaller than in the lakes that are the probable donors of this species.     

On the distribution of riffle minnow <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alburnoides bipunctatus</Emphasis> (Cyprinidae) in the Volga Basin

On the basis of analysis of our own and published data on the distribution of the riffle minnow Alburnoides bipunctatus rossicus in rivers of the Volga Basin, the eastern boundary of the range of this subspecies included in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation is specified. It is shown that A. bipunctatus is widely distributed in the entire basin of the Middle Volga and Kama, except the extreme northeast (mountain tributaries of the Upper Kama upstream the Chusovaya River), and rarely occurs in the Upper Volga Basin. The Tereshka River (Ulyanov oblast) and Chapaevka (Saratov oblast) should be considered the southern boundary of the distribution of the subspecies in the Volga Basin. Since the mid-1990s, a drastic and uniform increase in the number of findings and the abundance of A. bipunctatus is recorded. This species has become a common fish in many rivers and, in some cases, a dominant species in river ichthyocenoses. Possible causes of these changes are discussed, and a conclusion is made concerning the need of the revision of the status of the subspecies A. bipunctatus rossicus.     

Chromosomal polymorphism in the populations of malaria mosquito <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anopheles messeae</Emphasis> (Diptera,Culicidae) in the Volga region

We studied the species composition and chromosomal variability of malaria mosquitoes in the Volga Basin (Upper, Middle, and Lower Volga regions). We investigated larvae karyotypes of sibling species of the Anopheles maculipennis group. We calculated the frequencies of chromosomal inversions in the local populations of the dominant species An. messeae. We discovered that karyotypic structure of An. messeae populations depends on landscape-climatic zones. Populations of the Upper, Middle and Lower Volga differ in frequency of chromosome inversions XL, 2R, 3R, and 3L.     

The host‐specific parasite Nippotaenia mogurndae confirms introduction vectors of the fish Perccottus glenii in the Volga river basin

Two alternative hypotheses about aquarium vs fish‐farm vectors of non‐native distribution of the fish rotan, Perccottus glenii (Odontobutidae), within the Volga River Basin were assessed using a parasitological approach. Three separate locations were studied where rotan populations were assumed to have different introduction histories: (i) vicinities of Tarakanovo pond, Moscow province (aquarium release in 1950), (ii) Ilev fish farm, Nizhniy Novgorod province (unintentional transportation together with stocking of commercial fish in 1970), (iii) the lower Volga River, Saratov province (unknown origin; first record in 1983). The odontobutid‐specific tapeworm Nippotaenia mogurndae was the most informative species because it has a complex life cycle and therefore does not persist in aquarium conditions. Absence of this tapeworm in the rotan populations in the first locality and presence in the second location are in agreement with the available information about appropriate vectors of introduction. Populations of rotan in the lower Volga (third locality) where N. mogurndae occurs could originate from individuals unintentionally transported to fish farms together with commercial fish species or have mixed origins. Thus, the presented parasitological data are in agreement with information concerning introduction vectors of P. glenii and confirm that the specific parasite N. mogurndae is a valuable biological tag for analysing vectors and pathways of geographical dispersal of rotan, P. glenii.     

Parasitoid complexes (Hymenoptera,Eulophidae) of leafminers of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phyllonorycter</Emphasis> (Lepidoptera,Gracillariidae) in the Middle Volga Basin

The parasitoid complexes of 22 species of the genus Phyllonorycter reared from 20 host plants were studied in the Middle Volga Basin. From a total of 124 host-parasitoid associations analyzed, 88 had been previously unknown. Minotetrastichus frontalis, Sympiesis sericeicornis, Pnigalio soemius, Closterocerus formosus, and S. gordius were the most frequent species. The highest percentage of parasitoids reared was observed in Ph. ulmifoliella (58.6%) and Ph. sylvella (54%), and the lowest one, in Ph. salictella (15%). Ph. corylifoliella (95.7%), Ph. populifoiella (95.5%) and Ph. insignitella (95.5%) had the highest mortality due to parasitoids. The number of endoparasitoid species prevailed over that of ectoparasitoids in the parasitoid complexes of the genus Phyllonorycter, but the number of individuals reared was 4 times greater for ectoparasitoids. The parasitoid complexes were the most similar in Ph. harrisella and Ph. quercifoliella on Quercus robur. The gregarious ectoparasitoid M. frontalis predominated over parasitoids of Phyllonorycter.     

Factors influencing the natural reproduction decline in the beluga (Huso huso,Linnaeus, 1758), Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii,Brandt & Ratzeburg, 1833), and stellate sturgeon (A. stellatus,Pallas, 1771) of the Volga–Caspian basin: A review

The review describes the changes in natural reproduction of three important sturgeon species in the Volga–Caspian basin: (a) the beluga (Huso huso Linneaus, 1758), (b) the Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii Brandt &Ratzeburg, 1833), and (c) the stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus Pallas, 1771). Since the past 60 years, these species responded to severe influences of natural and anthropogenic factors. On the basis of original and published data, an analysis has been made of (a) the numbers of larvae migrating from spawning sites (according to plankton net survey), (b) fecundity and histological anomalies in gonad development, (c) the numbers of adult sturgeons in the Caspian Sea and of spawners migrating to the Volga River (according to trawl and beach seine survey), and (d) foraging resources for the sturgeons. The results show that their natural reproduction in the Volga–Caspian basin has declined drastically during the past decades under the impact of (a) fluctuations of the Caspian Sea level and flow discharge from the Volga River, (b) blockage of sturgeon migration routes and loss of spawning sites because of dam construction, (c) water pollution in the lower reaches of the Volga River and in the Caspian Sea, and (d) intensive and selective illegal and unreported fishing. The relative significance of these factors has been changing during the study period.     

Contribution to the stone-fly (Plecoptera) fauna of the Volga and Don river basins

In the Volga and Don river basins, 17 stonefly species are known: 16 from the Volga, and 6 from the Don basin. The fauna is dominated by the species with wide, European (Isogenus nubecula, Nemoura flexuosa, N. dubitans, Amphinemura sulcicollis, Brachyptera braueri, Isoperla difformis, I. grammatica, Leuctra hippopus, Xanthoperla apicalis, Siphonoperla burmeisteri) and Transpalaearctic ranges (Taeniorterykh nebulosa, Nemurella pictetii, Amphinemura borealis, Nemoura cinerea, Capnia atra, Leuctra fusca, Isoperla obscura).     

Pigmy moths (Lepidoptera, Nepticulidae) from the Middle Volga Basin

Fifty-seven species of the family Nepticulidae were found in the Middle Volga Basin. The family includes four genera: Bohemannia Stainton, 1859 (1 species), Ectoedemia Busck, 1907 (15), Stigmella Schrank, 1802 (38), and Trifurcula Zeller, 1848 (3 species). The mines made by pigmy moth larvae are very specific in the study area. Larvae of the largest genus, Stigmella, make typical serpentine leaf mines. Larvae of the genera Bohemannia and Ectoedemia make blotchy mines; some larvae develop in fruits and tree bark. Most species of the genera Bohemannia, Ectoedemia, and Stigmella were recorded by their mines. At the larval stage, representatives of Trifurcula feed on stems of legumes. The pupae develop in the soil. Most species in the family Nepticulidae are leaf miners, mainly associated with Rosaceae (34.7%), Salicaceae (15.8%), Fagaceae (12.3%), and Betulaceae (12.3%). All the species investigated do not act as pests of forage plants in the area studied.     

The parasitoid complex (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) of the leafminer Phyllonorycter issikii (Kumata) (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) from the Middle Volga Basin

In the Middle Volga Basin, Phyllonorycter issikii, an invasive species new to Europe, is attacked by many native parasitoids of the family Eulophidae (the percentages of infestation are given in parentheses): Sympiesis gordius (42), Minotetrastichus frontalis (20), Chrysocharis laomedon (11), Pnigalio soemius (10), S. sericeicornis (8), Apanteles sp. (4), Hissopus geniculatus (4), Entedon sp. (0.4), Aprostocetus sp., Cirrospilus lyncus, C. diallus, C. viticola, and Pteromalidae (0.2). Six species of parasitoids: Aprostocetus sp., C. lyncus (Walker 1838), C. diallus (Walker 1838), C. viticola (Rondani 1877), H. geniculatus (Hartig 1838), and Apanteles sp. (Braconidae), are recorded for the first time. The number of ectoparasitoids is 5.5 times that of endoparasitoids. The second generation of Ph. issikii is reduced by 22% due to parasitoids, and its propagation rate also decreases. However, the climate warming may level the pressure of parasitoids and promote development of the third generation in Ph. issikii.     

Comparative analysis of the structure and fauna of endosymbionts of communities of two dreissenid species (Mollusca,Dreissenidae) in the Upper Volga reservoirs

Investigations into the structure of communities of two dreissenid species are presented (native Dreissena polymorpha Pallas, 1771, and invasive D. bugensis Andrusov, 1897) in the Gorky and Rybinsk reservoirs (the Upper Volga basin). Significant interspecific and interpopulational differences in the main quantitative parameters and the fauna of endosymbionts are revealed between these mollusks.     

The genus Kepplerites Neumary et Uhlig (Kosmoceratidae,Ammonoidea) in the Bathonian-Callovian beds (Middle Jurassic) of the Russian Platform

The succession of early species of the genus Kepplerites is established in the Upper Bathonian-Lower Callovian beds of Central Russia and compared with the ammonoid succession of East Greenland and Western Europe. Late Bathonian members of the genus Kepplerites from the Middle Volga Region are generally similar, though not identical to those from Greenland, whereas the Early Callovian Kepplerites species and their immediate Bathonian ancestors are represented by species common to all three regions. The analysis of the ammonoid distribution suggests a connection between the East Greenland and Central Russian marine basins in the Early and Middle Bathonian and in the Early Callovian, and their short-term isolation in the Late Bathonian. A new species, Kepplerites (Kepplerites) aigii sp. nov., is described from the Upper Bathonian (keuppi Zone) of the Alatyr River basin (Middle Volga Region).     

American rotifer <Emphasis Type="Italic">Kellicottia bostoniensis</Emphasis> (Rousselet, 1908) (Rotifera: Brachionidae) in the Kama Reservoir (Kama River,Russia)

The American rotifer Kellicottia bostoniensis (Rousselet, 1908) was first recorded in the Kama Reservoir (Kama River, Middle Volga basin) in 2012. The species was found in over 70% of the samples; its maximum abundance was 2000 ind./m³. This alien species co-existed with closely related native species K. longispina (Kellicott). This is the easternmost location (56°–57° E) for K. bostoniensis in the Volga River basin and in Europe.     

Zooplankton Associations in the Middle Niger-Sokoto Basin (Nigeria: West Africa)

The species richness of the crustacean zooplankton (Cladocera and Copepoda) and Rotifera in the Middle Niger-Sokoto Basin is characterised from 351 samples collected from 109 localities. 26(4) Cladocera, 18(8) Copepoda and 38(8) Rotifera are recorded. Figures in brackets indicate first records of species for Nigeria. Zooplancton associations of the Middle Niger are compared with one of its major tributaries, River Sokoto, and seven of its minor tributaries using similarity indices of Sørensen and Pearsons Product Moment Cluster Coefficients. The Rivers Sokoto and Shagari consistently had the highest similarity of zooplankton associations, for all combinations of rivers studied with r = 0.54 (Cladocera), r = 0.91 (Copepoda) and r = 0.54 (Rotifera). Zooplankton associations of the Middle Niger are weakly correlated with all tributaries studied (r < 0.1). Species composition and hydrology of the River Sokoto Basin are also compared with previous studies in Nigeria. A Principal Component Analysis of species abundance accounted for 54 % of the total variance. It again confirmed the similarity of the branches Sokoto and Shagari. Two groups of species assemblages were identified. The occurrence of Asplanchna sp., Testudinella patina and Microcyclops varicans in one group appears related to microhabitat selection. The other group made up of Brachionus calyciflorus calyciflorus, Macrothrix spinosa, Lecane luna, Thermocyclops decipiens and Metacyclops minutus is suspected to be linked to physico-chemistry. Further studies on the hydrology and physico-chemistry are required for definitive identification of both factors.     

Gastropod mollusks from the Hauterivian of Ulyanovsk (Volga Region): 1. Family aporrhaidae

Data on the detailed stratigraphic range of eight species of gastropod mollusks from the Upper Hauterivian of Ulyanovsk (Volga Region) are presented. A new genus, Trilemma, is established within the family Aporrhaidae. Two new species of this genus, T. russiense sp. nov. and T. striatocarinatum (Sinzow, 1880), are described.     

Range expansion of quagga mussels Dreissena rostriformis bugensis in the Volga River and Caspian Sea basin

In 1992, we discovered populations of the nonindigenous quagga mussel Dreissena rostriformis bugensis in the middle reaches of the Volga River. The same species was found in samples collected between 1994 and 1997 in the Volga delta and in shallow areas of the Northern Caspian Sea. D. r. bugensis always co-occurred with its more widespread congener, the zebra mussel D. polymorpha (Pallas 1771). The quagga mussel's contribution to total Dreissena abundance increased over time in the middle Volga reservoirs and Volga River delta. D. r. bugensis was common in the Volga portion of Rybinsk Reservoir during 1997 and, by 2000, it was in Uglich, Rybinsk and Gorky Reservoirs on the Upper Volga River. D. r. bugensis was neither found in Ivankov Reservoir, nor in terminal sections of the Volga-Baltic corridor including the eastern Gulf of Finland. Presently, all but the northern-most regions of the Volga River have been colonized by D. r. bugensis. We hypothesize that its introduction into the Volga River and Caspian basin occurred no later than the late 1980s via commercial shipping that utilized the Volga-Don waterway to navigate between the source Black-Azov Sea region and recipient areas on the Volga River. Larval drift likely contributed to establishment of populations at downstream sites, while human-mediated vectors may be responsible for introductions to upstream locations on the Volga River. We anticipate continued northward dispersal in conjunction with shipping activities.     

Ecology of mysid shrimps in the Bornholm Basin (central Baltic Sea)

Mysid shrimps are an important trophic link in the food web of the Baltic Sea. In 2002 and 2003 we investigated species composition, distribution, life cycle and prey in the Bornholm Basin (central Baltic). Three species and one genus were identified: Mysis mixta, Neomysis integer, Mesopodopsis slabberi and Praunus sp. The dominant M. mixta and N. integer occurred in the whole study area but were more abundant in the peripheral, more shallow regions. Size frequency distribution indicated one generation for M. mixta and probably two for N. integer. Main prey of all size classes in both species was the cladoceran Bosmina coregoni maritima during summer and autumn. In spring and winter also copepods of the species Temora longicornis and Pseudocalanus acuspes were important prey items. Detritus and phytoplankton cells were of minor importance and many individuals had empty guts. Mysid shrimps in the deep basin might be advected from more shallow areas, as the abundance of all species was much lower than in coastal regions. The deep Bornholm Basin does not seem to be a favourable habitat, probably due to the inaccessibility of the oxygen deficient bottom layer. Under current hydrographic conditions mysids are probably not important predators of zooplankton and thus not competitors of planktivorous fish in the Bornholm Basin.     

Molecular Genetic Diagnostics of Some Daphnia Species (Crustacea,Cladocera) from the Volga River

Population genetic structure of the widespread Daphnia species from Kuibyshev and Saratov reservoirs was examined using RAPD–PCR technique with four mitochondrial DNA (16S rRNA) specific primers. One of the Daphnia clones examined from the Volga region appeared to be conspecific to the North American Daphnia galeata, while another clone was most likely a hybrid between D. galeata and D. cucullata.     

New and known species of Dactylogyrus Diesing, 1850 (Monogenea,Dactylogyridae) from Iranian freshwater cyprinid fishes

Three new Dactylogyrus species, D. rectotrabus n. sp. and D. acinacus n. sp. from Garra rufa plus D. carassobarbi n. sp. from Carassobarbus luteus are described from River Dez (Persian Gulf Basin) of Iran. Three known species, D. haplogonus from Rutilus frisii kutum, D. chalcalburni from Alburnus alburnus and Alburnoides bipunctatus, and D. pavlovskyi from Barbus sharpeyi are recorded from the Rivers Sefid (Caspian Basin), Zayandeh (Central Iran) and Dez (Tigris-Euphrates Basin), respectively. Comments on the monogenean fauna of Iranian freshwater fishes are presented.     

Remains of Hipparion (Equidae,Perissodactyla) from Puente Minero (Teruel Province,Spain) and their implications for the systematics of the Turolian Hipparionini

Abstract: Morphological and biometrical variability of the equid Hipparion from Puente Minero and other localities from the Teruel Basin, Spain (MN10–MN13), is analysed. Three species of Hipparion are recognized in Puente Minero, H. laromae, H. matthewi and Hipparion sp. cf. H. longipes, through comparison with other Spanish and Eurasian species (Samos, Greece; Höwenegg, Germany; Pavlodar, Kazakhstan, small and large forms; Akka?da?i, Turkey; and the following Spanish sites, La Roma 2, Los Aljezares, Concud, Milagros, Las Casiones and Venta de Moro). The majority of the Hipparion remains from Puente Minero and determined to be Hipparion laromae based on their size and morphology. This interpretation was confirmed by bivariate and multivariate analyses. These results suggest a Eurasian immigration of different Hipparion species into the Teruel Basin.