Diversification of Cercopithifilaria species (Nematoda: Filarioidea) in Japanese wild ruminants with description of two new species

Twelve of the 17 Cervus nippon nippon deer from Kyushu Island, Japan, that we examined were infected with one or two Cercopithifilaria species. C. longa n. sp. adults were in the subcutaneous tissues of limbs and the abdomen, and C. crassa n. sp. adults were in the skin, mainly in the anterior part of the back; the distribution of the dermal microfilariae generally matched that of the adult worms. The two new species were assigned to the group of primitive Cercopithifilaria species that parasitize ruminants (bavids and cervids), but the new species could readily be distinguished from others morphologically. C. longa was more primitive and resembled C. bulboidea, one of the five species from the serow Capricornis crispus, a Japanese member of the Caprinae, and species from Bovidae in Africa. C. crassa had a thick body and large spicules like C. rugosicauda from Capreolus capreolus in Europe, the only previously known Cercopithifilaria species from cervids, but it also had one or two hypertrophied pairs of caudal papillae, an unusual character found so far only in Japanese parasites. Among the 12 species known from ruminants, four are African, one is European and more highly evolved, and seven are Japanese, with some being primitive and some more evolved. The great diversity of Cercopithifilaria species in the two wild ruminants that live in Japan seems to have resulted from local speciation, which occurred during the Pleistocene, from a primitive form of the C. longa type derived from Eurasiatic ancestors, which has disappeared or, more probably, not yet been discovered.     

Coexistence of five Cercopithifilaria species in the Japanese rupicaprine bovid, Capricornis crispus

The Japanese serow, Capricornis crispus (Bovidae, Caprinae, Rupicaprini), is parasitized by five Cercopithifilaria species: C. shohoi, recently described, and reexamined in this paper, C. multicauda n. sp., C. minuta n. sp., C. tumidicervicata n. sp., and C. bulboidea n. sp. Coinfections are frequent. The location (skin or subcutaneous regions) in the host of adult worms differed between the species, as did many morphological characters of both adults and microfilariae. The location (limbs, trunk, etc.) in the host of adult worms and dermal microfilariae seemed to differ depending on the species. Male and female worms of the same species had similar head shapes, buccal capsules, and, in four species, swellings in the anterior region of the body (because of the presence of a giant ventral pseudocoelomocyte). The Cercopithifilaria spp. from C. crispus were related to the primitive forms of the genus, parasites of Bovidae and Cervidae, presently recorded in Africa and Europe. C. bulboidea was particularly close to the most primitive species, C. ruandae and C. dermicola, in Africa, with the pairs of caudal papillae numbered 8 and 9 being distant from each other, but the species also had several specialized characters. Like C. rugosicauda in a European cervid, the four other species had pairs 8 and 9 close to each other; they reflect an evolutionary trend (hypertrophy of pair 6, and reduction and posterior migration of pair 7) that suggests diversification in the host.     

朱鹮线粒体DNA的分子系统发育

朱Huan是一种濒危鸟类。过度开发和栖息地的破坏导致了朱Huan日本种群的绝灭,而在中国目前也仅存一野生种群。本文利用NJ法和最大简约法分析了鹳形目鸟类977bp的线粒体DNA细胞色素b基因的部分序列,以期从DNA水平上阐明朱Huan的系统地位。结果表明,朱Huan与彩Huan和非洲琶鹭组成一姐妹群;NJ法分析得出的结果与DNA杂交分析结果一致,即((Huan科,鹭科),鹳科);而最大简约法分析的结果则与形态学结果一致,即((鹭科,鹳科),Huan科)。同时,这两种系统树上较低的置信度,认为部分是由于可用细胞色素b基因序列的有限所致。     

Molecular phylogeny of Japanese Catocala moths based on nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial ND5 gene

Phylogenetic relationships of 31 Japanese Catocala species were analyzed based on the partial nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (ND5) gene (762 bp). When several non-Catocala Noctuidae moths were designated as the outgroup, these Catocala species formed a monophyletic group. However, divergences between these Catocala species were very deep, and no close phylogenetic relationships were recognized among them except for that between the two recently separated species, C. xarippe and C. fulminea. The remote relationships implied for several pairs of species suggest that the color of the hindwings is a changeable characteristic, and does not reflect phylogenetic lineage. Continental specimens were analyzed in 20 of 31 Catocala species, and all of them showed a close relationship with their Japanese counterpart. However, the closeness of the nucleotide sequences between the Japanese and continental individuals of the same species varied from species to species, indicating that isolation between the Japanese and continental populations of these species occurred at many different times. The two analyzed species endemic to North America showed a close relationship with their morphologically inferred Japanese counterparts, indicating that the geographic separation and following speciation between these Eurasian and American species occurred much more recently compared with the speciation events among the Catocala species now found in Japan.     

日本梅花鹿与大丰麇鹿发情期反刍行为的差异

家养有蹄类动物的反刍行为已有大量研究,而受限于野外条件,野生有蹄类动物反刍行为的研究有限。以往研究认为,体型可能是影响动物反刍行为的重要因素。本研究以日本奈良公园日本梅花鹿Cervus nippon nippon和中国江苏大丰麋鹿Elaphurus davidianus为研究对象,观察记录并比较分析了发情期的日本梅花鹿与发情期的麋鹿在卧息时反刍行为的种内及种间差异。按照年龄性别差异,分5种类型(成年雄性、成年雌性、亚成雄性、亚成雌性和幼鹿)研究两物种食团咀嚼时间、咀嚼频率和咀嚼速率的差异。结果表明,1)日本梅花鹿的咀嚼速率和食团咀嚼时间受性别-年龄的显著影响:咀嚼速率为幼体>亚成雌性>亚成雄性>成年雌性>成年雄性,而食团咀嚼时间为成年雄性>亚成雄性>成年雌性>亚成雌性>幼体;2)性别-年龄对麋鹿咀嚼频率有显著的影响,成年雄性<成年雌性<亚成雄性<亚成雌性<幼体;3)两物种在咀嚼频率、食团咀嚼时间和咀嚼速率上的差异均有统计学意义,体型更大的麋鹿咀嚼速率更慢,食团咀嚼时间更长。与体型相关的性别及年龄显著影响了日本梅花鹿和麋鹿的反刍行为。     

散放条件下春季梅花鹿行为时间分配的研究

梅花鹿 (Ｃｅｒｖｕｓｎｉｐｐｏｎ)是我国珍贵的经济动物 ,梅花鹿野生种群数量极少 ,主要分布在吉林东部、四川诺尔盖、江西彭泽、安徽南部以及浙江西部[14 ] ,是国家 1级保护动物。国内对梅花鹿行为学研究仅对活动节律[2 ] 、性行为[7] 、社群行为[12 ] 有一些零星报道[8,11,13,14 ] ,尚未见有关行为时间分配及其与性别和天气之间关系的报道。我们于 1998年4～ 5月对散放条件下东北梅花鹿 (Ｃ .ｎｉｐｐｏｎｈｏｒ ｔｕｌｏｒｕｍ)的行为时间分配进行了研究 ,为保护梅花鹿这一濒危物种研究提供基础资料。1　研究地区与方法1 1　自然概况黑…     

Phylogeny of some Fusarium species, as determined by large-subunit rRNA sequence comparison

Fifty-two strains from eight species of Fusarium were analyzed by rapid rRNA sequencing. Two highly variable stretches (138 and 214 nucleotides) of the 5' end of the 28S-like rRNA molecule were sequenced. Such stretches permit evaluation of the divergence between closely related species and even between varieties within a species. The phylogenetic tree computed from the number of nucleotide differences shows seven Fusarium species to be more closely related to one another than the eighth species, F. nivale, is to them. On the basis of these data, we discuss both the phylogenetic value of taxonomical criteria and the impact of our findings on the demarcation of the genus Fusarium. We conclude that this method is suitable for establishing a precise phylogeny between closely related species within a genus.      

Molecular phylogenetic status of the Korean goral and Japanese serow based on partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene

To investigate the molecular phylogenetic status of the Korean goral, Nemorhaedus caudatus raddeanus, and Japanese serow, Capricornis crispus, we determined partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of twelve Korean gorals and sixteen Japanese serows, and compared them with those of the major lineages of Rupicaprini species including two other Nemorhaedus species and two other Capricornis species. The Korean gorals examined possessed two haplotypes with only one nucleotide difference between them, while the Japanese serows showed slightly higher sequence diversity with five haplotypes. Genetic distances and molecular phylogenetic trees indicated that there is considerable genetic divergence between the Korean goral and N. caudatus (the Chinese goral) [Groves and Shields (1996)], but virtually none between Korean and Russian gorals. The Korean and Russian gorals may therefore be distinct from the Chinese goral. The data highlight the importance of conservation of the goral populations of these regions, and the need to reconsider the taxonomic status of Korean and Russian gorals. Our study also clearly demonstrated sufficient genetic distance between serows and gorals to justify their assignment to separate genera. Of the three species of Capricornis, the Formosan serow, C. swinhoei is more closely related to C. sumatraensis than to the Japanese serow, suggesting that the Formosan serow is a distinct species. Preliminary data on intraspecific genetic variation in the Japanese serow are also presented.     

Nucleotide sequence variation of the chloroplast trnK/matK region in two wild Fagopyrum (Polygonaceae) species, F. leptopodum and F. statice

Nucleotide sequence polymorphisms of the intron of the chloroplast trnK (UUU) gene, including a matK gene, were investigated within two wild Fagopyrum species, F. leptopodum and F. statice, to assess the degree and pattern of the inter- and intraspecific differences in coding and noncoding chloroplast DNA regions in higher plants. Ten and five accessions were used for F. leptopodum and F. statice, respectively. The length of the trnK intron region in these species ranged from 2494 to 2506 bp. In the trnK intron, the net nucleotide substitution number per site (Da) between the two species was 0.00109, lower than the nucleotide diversity (pi), 0.00195 for F. leptopodum and 0.00144 for F. statice, suggesting a low level of interspecific divergence. This result seems to be due to the phylogenetic pattern that both species are interspersed with each other, which was revealed by the phylogenetic analyses based on the nucleotide substitutions and indels. In the matK gene region (1524 bp), seven and two nucleotide substitutions were found within F. leptopodum and F. statice, respectively. All of the nine nucleotide substitutions (eight of which were nonsynonymous) within and between F. leptopodum and F. statice were clustered in the 5' part of the matK gene region, and no variation was found in the 3' part. This suggests that most of the 3' part is occupied by the conserved domains that are important for the binding activity of the gene product to the precursor mRNA, and therefore implies that the 3' part is more functionally constrained than the 5' part.     

香蕉上的镰孢菌种类及其系统发育关系(英文)

镰孢菌属真菌是香蕉上的重要病原菌,主要引起香蕉枯萎病以及香蕉冠腐病,在我国已明确引起香蕉枯萎病的病原为尖孢镰孢古巴专化型 Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense(FOC)1号和4号生理小种,但是引起香蕉冠腐病的镰孢菌种类还未明确。为了解香蕉上镰孢菌在种间及种内水平上的多样性,2008–2011 年间作者从华南地区不同的水果市场及香蕉果园采集香蕉样品90份,分离得到143株镰孢菌。通过形态学观察及基于 EF-1α基因的系统进化分析鉴定出10种镰孢菌,即F. oxysporum、F. solani、F. camptoceras、F. pallidoroseum、F. stiloides、F. chlamydosporum、F.verticillioides、F. proliferatum、F. concentricum、F. sacchari,以及藤仓赤霉复合种(Gibberella fujikuroi species complex,GFC)中 3 个未定名的类群。轮纹镰孢 F. concentricum 及甘蔗镰孢 F.sacchari 是香蕉果实中最常见种,前菌为我国首次报道,后菌是首次报道与香蕉有关。对从香蕉上分离的藤仓赤霉复合种(GFC)及尖孢镰孢复合种(FOSC)的EF-1α序列进行了系统发育分析,其GFC中的27个菌株组成的单系群可分为7个不同的亚群,分别为 F.verticillioides、F. proliferatum、F. concentricum、F. sacchari 以及3个没有描述过的菌系 Fusarium sp. 1、Fusarium sp.2和 Fusarium sp.3;FOSC中的50个菌株形成2大分枝共12个谱系,分离自我国华南地区的21株尖孢镰孢形成7个谱系,其中 13株已知的香蕉枯萎病病原菌分布在3个谱系中,我国大陆的香蕉枯萎病病原菌菌株与来源于台湾地区及东南亚的菌株亲缘关系较近,FOC1号生理小种的遗传分化大于4号生理小种,FOC 1号生理小种与分离自香蕉果实上的尖孢镰孢菌的亲缘关系比与FOC 4号生理小种的亲缘关系更近。研究结果表明,我国香蕉上存在着丰富的镰孢菌种类,而且种内遗传多样性丰富。     

Evaluation of introgressive hybridization among Cervidae in Japan's Kinki District via two novel genetic markers developed from public NGS data

Hybridization and backcrossing of native populations with introduced species can lead to introgression and genetic alteration. In this study, we evaluated introgression in 43 deer from a potential hybrid zone around Okinoshima Island, Kinki District, Japan. This region witnessed the migration of a hybrid population (cross between the Formosan sika deer [Cervus nippon taiouanus] and other deer species) that could potentially breed with the native Japanese sika deer (C. n. centralis). We used an existing genetic marker for the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and two novel markers for nuclear DNA, developed using publicly available next‐generation sequencing data. We identified one mainland deer with a mitochondrial haplotype identical to that of the Formosan sika deer as well as nuclear heterozygous sequences identical to those of Formosan and Japanese sika deer. This suggests that the mainland deer is a hybrid offspring of the Okinoshima population and native deer. However, only Japanese sika deer sequences were found in the other 42 samples, indicating limited introgression. Nevertheless, hybridization pre‐ and postintroduction in the Okinoshima population could cause multispecies introgression among Japanese sika deer, negatively affecting genetic integrity. We developed a simple test based on polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism to detect introgression in natural populations. Our method can accelerate genetic monitoring of Japanese sika deer in Kinki District. In conclusion, to prevent further introgression and maintain genetic integrity of Japanese sika deer, we recommend establishing fences around Okinoshima Island to limit migration, besides a continued genetic monitoring of the native deer.     

姜黄根茎内生真菌区系分析

目的了解姜黄植物根茎中内生真菌群落组成和生态分布规律。方法采用表面消毒法分别于春、冬季从姜黄植物根茎中分离内生真菌,通过形态特征和基于ITS序列的系统发育分析初步确定其分类地位。结果分离获得51株内生真菌(春季33株、冬季18株),初步鉴定其分别归于5个纲、7个目、8个科、8个属(Fusarium,Gibberel-la,Alternaria,Phomopsis,Diaporthe,Nectria,Botryosphaeria,Mucor),其中镰刀菌属(Fusarium,51.0%)和赤霉属(Gibberel-la,17.6%)为优势菌群;春季分离的内生真菌分属于7个属(分离率为82.5%),而冬季的内生真菌仅归入4个属(分离率为45.0%)。结论姜黄植物中内生真菌具有较丰富的物种和系统发育多样性,在类群组成和分布上存在季节性差异,某些内生真菌(Fusariumsp.)具有宿主偏好性。     

SMALL SUBUNIT rDNA SEQUENCE ANALYSIS OF SYMBIOTIC DINOFLAGELLATES FROM SEVEN SCLERACTINIAN CORALS IN A TAHITIAN LAGOON

The diversity of symbiotic dinoflagellates from reef-building corals collected in the lagoon of Tahiti (South Pacific ocean) was investigated by using a molecular approach. Populations of symbionts (strains or species) of 7 coral species ( Fungia scutaria , F. paumotensis Stutchbury, Pavona cactus Forskål, Leptastrea transversa Kluzinger, Pocillopora verrucosa Ellis and Solender, Montastrea curta Dana, and Acropora formosa Dana) were delimited by phylogenetic analysis of small subunit rDNA sequences. Coral P. verrucosa harbored 2 populations of symbiont SSU rDNA sequences that may correspond to two different Symbiodinium species. Corals F. scutaria and M. curta also seemed to contain two different Symbiodinium species. SSU rDNA dinoflagellate sequences from P. cactus , L. transversa , F. scutaria , F. paumotensis , and P. verrucosa were in the same phylogenetic cluster and showed low variability. For these distantly related coral species, dinoflagellate strains from the same species, rDNA paralogues from the same strain, or closely related Symbiodinium species could not be distinguished because monophyletic subgroups were not observed. SSU rDNA dinoflagellate sequences from A. formosa and M. curta were clearly different from the other Symbiodinium sequences and may represent specific species. This molecular approach highlighted a greater diversity of symbiotic dinoflagellates from corals in South Pacific ( Symbiodinium groups A, B, and C) than that observed in the rest of the Pacific ocean ( Symbiodinium group C). The diversity of symbiotic associations in a restricted area of the lagoon of Tahiti may reflect the complexity of interactions between species of Symbiodinium and corals.     

Genetic Relationship of Chinese and Japanese Gamecocks Revealed by mtDNA Sequence Variation

Cockfighting has a very long history dating back to as early as 2500 years ago in China. Cockfighting was intertwined with human cultural traditions, helped disperse chickens across the world, and influenced the subsequent breed selection. Therefore, tracing the origin of gamecocks could mirror the distribution of the cockfighting culture. In this study, we compared the available mtDNA control region sequences in Chinese and Japanese gamecocks to test the recently proposed hypothesis behind the dual origin of the Japanese cockfighting culture (from China and Southeast Asia independently). We assigned gamecock mtDNAs to different matrilineal components (or phylogenetic clades) that emerged from the phylogenetic tree and network profile, and compared the frequency differences between Chinese and Japanese gamecocks. Among the six clades (A–F) identified, Japanese gamecocks were most frequently found in clades C and D (74%, 32/43), whereas more than half of the Chinese gamecock samples (69%, 35/51) were grouped in clades A and B. Haplotypes in Japanese gamecocks assigned to clades A, B, and E were either shared with those of the Chinese samples or differed from the close Chinese types by no more than a three-mutation distance. This genetic pattern is in accordance with the proposed dual origin of Japanese gamecocks but has left room for single origin of Japanese gamecocks from China. The genetic structure of gamecocks in China and Japan might also be influenced by subsequent breed selection and conservation after the initial gamecock introduction.     

Community composition, host range and genetic structure of the fungal entomopathogen Beauveria in adjoining agricultural and seminatural habitats

Although intensively investigated for biological control of insect pests, little is known about the ecology of the fungal entomopathogenic genus Beauveria in natural or agricultural habitats. In this study, we used molecular phylogenetic and genotypic information to infer species diversity, reproductive potential and genetic structure of Beauveria occurring within a single arable field and bordering hedgerow in Denmark. Isolates were sampled from cultivated field and hedgerow soils, from insects harbouring latent fungal infections, and from the phylloplanes of three plant species common in the hedgerow flora. A nuclear phylogeny of this local Beauveria assemblage resolved seven phylogenetic species, including (i) five phylogenetic species within Beauveria bassiana sensu stricto ; (ii) Clade C, a taxonomically uncharacterized species that is morphologically indistinguishable but phylogenetically distant from B. bassiana s.s. ; and (iii) Beauveria brongniartii. All seven species were present throughout the hedgerow habitat, including as infections in insects. Significantly, only B . bassiana s.s. phylogenetic species Eu_1 was isolated from tilled soils. Mating type polymerase chain reaction assays demonstrated that all five B. bassiana s.s. phylogenetic species possess bipolar outcrossing mating systems. Of these, only the Eu_1 population contained two mating types; however, a 31:2 skew in MAT1:MAT2 mating types suggests a low frequency of sexual reproduction in this population. The four remaining B. bassiana s.s. phylogenetic species were fixed for single mating types and these populations are evidently clonal. Multilocus microsatellite genotyping revealed polymorphism in all five phylogenetic species of B. bassiana s.s. ; however, all show evidence of clonal genetic structure.     

Two genetically distinct lineages of the sika deer, Cervus nippon, in Japanese islands: comparison of mitochondrial D-loop region sequences

To investigate genetic diversity among populations of the sika deer, Cervus nippon, nucleotide sequences (705-824 bases) of the mitochondrial D-loop regions were determined in animals from 13 localities in the Japanese islands. Phylogenetic trees constructed by the sequences indicated that the Japanese sika deer is separated into two distinct lineages: the northern Japan group (the Hokkaido island and most of the Honshu mainland) and the southern Japan group (a part of the southern Honshu mainland, the Kyushu island, and small islands around the Kyushu island). All sika deer examined in this study shared four to seven units of repetitive sequences (37 to 40 bases each) within the D-loop sequences. The number of tandem repeats was different among the populations, and it was specific to each population. Six or seven repeats occurred in populations of the northern Japan group, while four or five repeats occurred in populations of the southern Japan group. Each repeat unit included several nucleotide substitutions, compared with others, and 26 types were identified from 31 animals. Sequences of the first, second, and third units in arrays were clearly different between the northern and the southern groups. Based on these D-loop data, colonization and separation of the sika deer populations in the Japanese islands were estimated to have occurred less than 0.5 million years before present. Our results provide an invaluable insight into better understanding the evolutionary history, phylogeny, taxonomy, and population genetics of the sika deer.     

Variable extent of hybridization between invasive sika (Cervus nippon) and native red deer (C. elaphus) in a small geographical area

Instances of hybridization between endemic and alien species pose a threat to species integrity but also provide us with an opportunity to study the dynamics of gene flow between two species as they first meet. Here, we used variation at 22 highly differentiated microsatellite loci and one mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) marker in a sample of 735 individuals, to investigate the genetic consequences of an introduction of Japanese sika deer ( Cervus nippon ) for native red deer ( C. elaphus ) on the Kintyre Peninsula in Scotland. We investigated population structure, estimated null-allele frequency and assigned individual hybrid scores using a Bayesian clustering algorithm implemented in structure 2.2. The dataset clearly divided into two clusters and generally, introgression into red and sika was low. However at one site, West Loch Awe, 43% of individuals were hybrids. MtDNA introgression indicated that hybridization was occurring between red-deer hinds and sika-deer stags. We argue that the pattern of differential introgression across the study area is primarily due to the rarity of hybridization events between the two species and the limited time the two species have been in contact (< 120 years). This contrasts with the causes of classic mosaic hybrid zones (selection induced by habitat variability). Currently, it seems possible that, in time, the level of hybridization found at West Loch Awe could also be found across the whole of the peninsula.     

The Père David's deer MHC class I genes show unexpected diversity patterns, with monomorphic classical genes but polymorphic nonclassical genes and pseudogenes

Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) is a highly inbred species that arose from 11 founders but now comprises a population of about 3,000 individuals, making it interesting to investigate the adaptive variation of this species from the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) perspective. In this study, we isolated Elda-MHC class I loci using magnetic bead-based cDNA hybridization, and examined the molecular variations of these loci using single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and sequence analysis. We obtained seven MHC class I genes, which we designated F1, F12, G2, I7, AF, I8, and C1. Our analyses of stop codons, phylogenetic trees, amino acid conservation, and G+C content revealed that F1, F12, G2, and I7 were classical genes, AF was a nonclassical gene, and I8 and C1 were pseudogenes. Our subsequent molecular examinations showed that the diversity pattern in the Père David's deer was unusual. Most mammals have more polymorphic classical class I loci vs. the nonclassical and neutral genes. In contrast, the Père David's deer was found to be monomorphic at classical genes F1, F12, G2, and I7, dimorphic at the nonclassical AF gene, dimorphic at pseudogene I8, and tetramorphic at pseudogene C1. The adverse polymorphism patterns of Elda-I genes might provide evidence for selection too faster deplete MHC variation than drift in the bottlenecked populations, while the postbottleneck tetramorphism of the C1 pseudogene appears to be evidence of strong historical balancing selection.     

Utilization of floral resources by bees of the genus Frieseomelitta von Ihering (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

The present study intended to verify which factors (phylogenetic relationship or local ecological conditions) would determine how Frieseomelitta bees use floral resources. The data obtained in the literature on biocenotic studies of Apoidea visiting flowers in Brazil were analyzed, with identification and quantification of floral resources used by Frieseomelitta species in different areas. The phenogram of similarity on use of resources among Frieseomelitta species was compared to the phylogenetic hypothesis proposed for the group. Among the eight Frieseomelitta species registered in 19 studies, F. doederleini (Friese), F. francoi (Moure), F. languida Moure, F. varia (Lepeletier) e Frieseomelitta sp. nov., were collected using resources from 36 plant families. F. doederleini, F. languida e F. varia centralized their activity in Caesalpiniaceae, Malpighiaceae e Anacardiaceae. The similarities and disparities found among areas and Frieseomelitta species reflected the similarities and differences of the vegetation composition in each area. Frieseomelitta bees presented a forage pattern similar to that one presented by other highly social bees, visiting flowers of many plant species, but concentrating their activities in few plant species. Despite the low phylogenetic relationship between F. languida and F. doederleini, they showed a high similarity on the use of floral resource, while F. varia e F. languida, species with high phylogenetic relationship, showed low similarity in the use of resource. Although the data obtained are not conclusive, it indicates that phylogenetic restrictions do not influence the pattern of use of floral resource by Frieseomelitta bees.     

On the identity of turmeric: the typification of Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae)

Although Curcuma L. (Zingiberaceae) is a conserved name, with C. longa L. as its conserved type, the type of C. longa is still uncertain. Numerous discussions about the identity of the taxon called C. longa by Linnaeus have been followed by various attempts to rename turmeric, suggestions as how to settle the type and proposals to conserve the name from a later author in order to stabilize the situation. Unfortunately, none of the previous proposals can be upheld for reasons which are discussed in this article. A lectotype is selected from extant material examined by Linnaeus and an epitype collected near the type locality is designated here. The identity of C. longa is discussed and a colour plate of the species is included. Synonyms of C. longa and their types are discussed and notes on the variability of C. longa are provided.  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 157 , 37–46.