Minicia marginella (Araneae: Linyphiidae), a spider new to Britain, from the Channel Tunnel site

In the summer of 1987 a project was initiated to study certain aspects of the environmental impact of tunnelling for the Channel Tunnel. The study areas were situated in East Kent between Dover and Folkestone. At one of the chosen study sites, a male and female of the linyphiid spider Minicia marginella (Wider), hitherto unknown from Britain, were taken in pitfall traps. Both sexes of the species are described and illustrated from the British material.     

Calypogeia Meylanii Buch,new to Britain

Abstract

A comparison was made between the rapid fluorescence induction characteristics of bryophytes (mosses, liverworts and hornworts), vascular plants and a microalga under actinic irradiation. The bryophytes studied showed similar induction characteristics to microalgae, with a fast decline from an initial peak (P) to a quasi-stationary fluorescence yield (S). Dark relaxation characteristics of the bryophytes were also comparable with those of algae, showing a rapid decline in fluorescence to the F_o value when actinic light was switched off. The degree and duration of the P/S decline was related to the intensity of actinic irradiation, although with increasing irradiance the ratio of P/S remained constant for most species. When actinic light was supplied with no prior dark relaxation, the initial peak (P) was suppressed after registration of the first I–P–S cycle, indicating a dependence of the induction characteristics on the oxygen status of the organism. The implication of these observations of oxygen-dependent electron flow in furthering our understanding of bryophyte photosynthetic physiology is discussed.     

Cordylactam,a new alkaloid from the spider pathogenic fungus Cordyceps sp. BCC 12671

Cordylactam (1), a new lactam-fused 4-pyrone was isolated from the spider pathogenic fungus Cordyceps sp. BCC 12671. The structure was elucidated on the basis of NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometry data, which was further confirmed by the spectroscopic analyses of a semisynthetic derivative. This is the first report of a new compound from spider pathogenic Cordyceps species.     

A new ladybird spider from Hungary (Araneae,Eresidae)

According to the most recent taxonomic literature, three species of the genus Eresus are known in Central Europe, Eresus kollari, Eresus sandaliatus and Eresus moravicus. We recognized a fourth distinctive species from Hungary, which is described as Eresus hermani sp. n. Eresus hermani has an early spring copulation period, females have a light grey (grizzled) cephalothorax due to a heavy cover of lightly colored setae, and an epigyne with large flat areas posterior to the epigynal pit, while males are distinguished by a broad and blunt terminal tooth of the conductor. An updated and modified comparative table of Řezáč et al. (2008) to include all four Central European Eresus species, and a simple key to the species group’s species are given. Habitus, epigyne, vulva and conductor of Eresus kollari, Eresus moravicus and Eresus sandaliatus are also illustrated. An annotated list of papers illustrating Eresus hermani due to misidentifications is presented.