Experimental evidence for niche segregation in a sister species pair of non-biting midges

The principle of limiting similarity states that closely related species need to partition resources of the habitat in order to coexist in the same general area. We tested this hypothesis experimentally with a sister species pair of non-biting midges (Chironomus riparius and C. piger) by assessing their relative larval fitness under several concentrations of nitrite and temperature regimes, as suggested by the observed habitat segregation in a previous field study. Both chironomid species often occur in eutrophic habitats like agricultural areas or industrial point source effluents. Based on field observations, we hypothesised C. piger to tolerate higher nitrite concentrations, higher temperatures and larger temperature ranges than C. riparius. As predicted, C. piger coped better with higher nitrite concentrations. Against the expectations, C. riparius had a tendentially higher fitness at both higher constant temperatures and larger daily temperature ranges. However, the interaction of both stressors favoured C. piger in warm high-nitrite habitats thus concurring to the field observations. The complex interaction of candidate environmental factors with antagonistic effects found here emphasises thus the necessity to experimentally assess field observations of niche segregation.     

Global diversity of non-biting midges (Chironomidae; Insecta-Diptera) in freshwater

Chironomidae are common inhabitants of most aquatic habitats, and often dominate aquatic insect communities in both abundance and species richness. Species occur in all continents, including Antarctica, and most major oceanic islands that have been investigated. The family is divided into 11 subfamilies and 22 nominal tribes. Although individual species occur in a wide range of habitats from terrestrial to fully aquatic, a total of 339 genera and 4,147 species are unambiguously aquatic in their immature stages. Greatest species and generic richnesses occur in the Palaearctic Region and Nearctic Region, respectively, but this pattern may largely reflect historical patterns of past taxonomic research efforts. Guest editors: E.V. Balian, C. Lévêque, H. Segers & K. Martens Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment     

Allergens of non-biting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae): a systematic survey of chironomid haemoglobins

Various genera of non-biting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) possess haemoglobins in larvae and adults. For certain species, these haemoglobins have been implicated in human allergic disease in several countries. The present study confirms and extends observations that haemoglobin is present in many species of Chironomidae, establishes that it is retained from the larval to the adult stage and shows that haemoglobin persists both in live and in dead dry flies. Previous suggestions that Chironomidae should be seen as important environmental and occupational allergens are clearly substantiated.     

Spatio-temporal pattern of the Chironomidae community: toward the use of non-biting midges in bioassessment programs

We employed the self-organizing map (SOM) method to investigate the spatio-temporal pattern of the Chironomidae community in the Southern Morava River basin (Serbia) and to examine to what extent the Chironomidae community is affected by environmental factors. Additionally, this study explores the problems of utilizing chironomids in bioassessment programs. The SOM analysis of the chironomid community data produced 3 groups of sites. The indicator species analysis presented indicator taxa for two groups. Twenty taxa (at species, species group and genus level), according to the Kruskal–Wallis test, showed the most pronounced differences among the temporal units. Out of 15 measured environmental parameters, one-way ANOVA pointed out that 10 significantly differ between the groups. Elevation had the most important influence on the chironomid community, also affecting other environmental parameters. According to our findings, the winter season and the periods with high water level are the main sources of natural variability. To avoid such variability and to successfully incorporate Chironomidae in bioassessment programs, we suggest exclusion of the arguable months from monitoring programs.     

The geographic varyability of the polytene chromosome banding sequence of non-biting midje Chironomus pseudothummi str. (Diptera, Chironomidae)

The karyotypes and chromosomal polymorphism of Chironomus pseudothummi were investigated in different parts of its range. It was established that chromosomal variability in the natural populations of this species was represented mainly by the inversion polymorphism of arm G. Only rare and unique inversions were found as heterozygous in arms C, D, and E. In total, the 14 banding sequences of polytene chromosomes form the banding sequences pool of Ch. pseudothummi. Geographic differences in distribution of chromosomal banding sequences throughout the range were established. The presence of banding sequences pstG1 and pstG2 is characteristic of European populations. Banding sequence pstG1 was completely vanished with simultaneous increase in frequency of pstG2 and appearance of new inversion banding sequence pstG3 in Siberian populations. The differences in the set of the rare and unique inversions in arms C, D, and E between west-European and west-Siberian populations were revealed.     

House dust mite allergens in domestic homes in Cheonan, Korea

House dust mites produce inhalant allergens of importance to allergic patients. We measured the major group 1 allergens, Der p 1 and Der f 1, from the house dust mites Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farina, respectively in 100 randomly selected domestic homes from Cheonan, Korea. Dust samples were collected by vacuuming from the living room floor and 1 mattress in each home. Der p 1 and Der f 1 were measured by double monoclonal ELISA. Der p 1 levels were very low, with geometric mean levels for floors and mattresses being 0.11 microgram/g (range: 0.01-4.05) and 0.14 microgram/g (range: 0.01-30.0), respectively. Corresponding levels of Der f 1 were higher, 7.46 microgram/g (range: 0.01-262.9) and 10.2 microgram/g (range: 0.01-230.9) for floors and mattresses, respectively. D. farinae appears to be the dominant house dust mite in Cheonan.     

Cd~(2+)和Pb~(2+)对花翅摇蚊幼虫的毒性及对三种生物化学标志物的影响

【目的】为了探讨花翅摇蚊ChironomuskiiensisTokunaga对重金属Cd~(2+)和Pb~(2+)胁迫响应。【方法】测定Cd~(2+)和Pb~(2+)对花翅摇蚊4龄幼虫的急性毒性、联合毒性以及体内3种生物化学标志物(CAT、SOD活性和MT含量)的影响。【结果】花翅摇蚊幼虫暴露于重金属Cd~(2+)和Pb~(2+)及混合离子中表现出典型的中毒症状,且24 h和48 h重金属Cd~(2+)致死中浓度LC50显著低于Pb~(2+)的LC50。混合离子Cd~(2+)和Pb~(2+)的联合毒性随着不同配比和作用时间呈现差异性;24hCd~(2+)+Pb~(2+)1︰1配比表现为部分相加作用,Cd~(2+)+Pb~(2+)2︰1和1︰2配比表现为拮抗作用;而作用48 h不同配比联合毒性均为部分相加作用。2种单一和混合重金属Cd~(2+)+Pb~(2+)均不同程度对摇蚊体内SOD和CAT产生抑制作用,而暴露于Cd~(2+)和Pb~(2+)及其混合离子作用下MT含量显著高于对照,且随着时间表现为先增加后降低。【结论】重金属Cd~(2+)和Pb~(2+)对摇蚊幼虫具有急性和联合毒性,体内抗氧化酶系CAT、SOD及体内MT参与了重金属污染物的胁迫的应答响应,并表现出时间-剂量效应,可作为水体环境质量监测的生化标志物。     

Masculinized dominant females in a cooperatively breeding species

The molecular mechanisms underlying complex social behaviours such as dominance are largely unknown. Studying the cooperatively breeding African cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher, we show that dominant females were similar to dominant males in dominance behaviour, high testosterone levels and brain arginine vasotocin expression (a neuropeptide involved in vertebrate territorial, reproductive and social behaviours) compared to subordinate helpers, but had lower levels of 11-ketotestosterone than males. Furthermore, brain gene expression profiles of dominant females were most similar to those of the males (independent of social rank). Dominant breeder females are masculinized at the molecular and hormonal level while being at the same time reproductively competent, suggesting a modular organization of molecular and endocrine functions, allowing for sex-specific regulation.     

Barcoding of biting midges in the genus Culicoides: a tool for species determination

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are insect vectors of economically important veterinary diseases such as African horse sickness virus and bluetongue virus. However, the identification of Culicoides based on morphological features is difficult. The sequencing of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), referred to as DNA barcoding, has been proposed as a tool for rapid identification to species. Hence, a study was undertaken to establish DNA barcodes for all morphologically determined Culicoides species in Swedish collections. In total, 237 specimens of Culicoides representing 37 morphologically distinct species were used. The barcoding generated 37 supported clusters, 31 of which were in agreement with the morphological determination. However, two pairs of closely related species could not be separated using the DNA barcode approach. Moreover, Culicoides obsoletus Meigen and Culicoides newsteadi Austen showed relatively deep intraspecific divergence (more than 10 times the average), which led to the creation of two cryptic species within each of C. obsoletus and C. newsteadi. The use of COI barcodes as a tool for the species identification of biting midges can differentiate 95% of species studied. Identification of some closely related species should employ a less conserved region, such as a ribosomal internal transcribed spacer.     

Developmental studies of vitellogenesis in a dipteran insect, Chironomus thummi.

Vitellogenesis of developing oocytes of a Dipteran insect Chironomus thummi has been investigated. The onset of yolk deposition is marked by the differentiation of the oolemma including the formation of microvilli and endocytosis. These changes are accompanied by the appearance of small electron dense granules, similar in density to the yolk platelets, arising through the sequential accumulation of material into the matrices of the multivesicular bodies (MVBs). These latter structures are produced in the previtellogenic oocytes of the pharate pupae and early pharate adults. Often the limiting membrane of the MVBs bears bristle coats resembling those of the coated vesicles of pinocytotic origin, suggesting that it is through the fusion with the pinocytotic vesicles that the accumulation of dense material in the MVBs results. That the Mvbs transform into structures resembling yolk granules is supported by statistical analysis which indicates that the decrease in the number of electron-dense MVBs coincides with the increase in the occurrence of small dense yolk granules. In the late pharate adult stage the yolk granules are considerably larger than those of earlier stages. It is during this period that at least one type of electron-dense granule occurs at the oocyte follicle cell border, and that these apparently contribute to the formation of the vitelline envelope. The results of the present study indicate that preformed oocytic elements, the MVBs, play a strategic role in the formation and arrangement of the yolk granules in Chironomus. Since these structures account for the bulk of the ooplasm, it appears that the MVBs are at least partly responsible for the correct ordering of the cytoplasmic constituents of the oocytes, which is critical for the proper development and differentiation of the embryo.     

Genetic variation in a freshwater prawn species,Palaemon paucidens,in South Korea

The biogeography of freshwater biota in the Korean Peninsula has been affected by recent geological processes and anthropogenic activity. The freshwater prawn, Palaemon paucidens, can serve as a non-fish model organism suitable for assessing these factors, as it is found in all river systems in the Korean Peninsula and may have been introduced by humans in some regions. In this study, we investigated the geographical distribution of genetic variation and the genetic structure of P. paucidens populations using mitochondrial DNA sequences and genotypes identified from four microsatellite loci. Our results showed that populations from westward-flowing river systems that drain into the Yellow Sea have more genetic diversity than those from southward-flowing river systems, and that the highest genetic variance revealed by analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) using both genetic markers was observed in river systems grouped as HAN + GEUM, NAKDONG + JEJU, YOUNGSAN, and SEOMJIN. These results suggest that HAN and GEUM, in which freshwater prawn populations have higher levels of genetic diversity, were the most recently isolated river systems from Asian continental systems. Therefore, populations from HAN and GEUM experienced less severe bottlenecks than those from YOUNGSAN and SEOMJIN.     

Identification of larvae of European species of Chironomus Meigen (Diptera: Chironomidae) by morphological characters

Abstract Variation in the morphology of larvae of twenty-six cytologically identified species of Chironomus Meigen from Europe is described. Characters studied include tubules on posterior abdominal segments, head pigmentation, mental size and teeth, mandibular and epipharyngeal teeth and antennae. A key to the species, based on these characters and ventromental plate features, is presented.     

Molecular identification of bloodmeals and species composition in Culicoides biting midges

Investigations of host preferences in haematophagous insects, including Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), are critical in order to assess transmission routes of vector‐borne diseases. In this study, we collected and morphologically identified 164 blood‐engorged Culicoides females caught in both light traps and permanent 12‐m high suction traps during 2008–2010 in Sweden. Molecular analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene in the biting midges was performed to verify species classification, discern phylogenetic relationships and uncover possible cryptic species. Bloodmeal analysis using universal vertebrate cytochrome b primers revealed a clear distinction in host selection between mammalophilic and ornithophilic Culicoides species. Host sequences found matches in horse (n = 59), sheep (n = 39), cattle (n = 26), Eurasian elk (n = 1) and 10 different bird species (n = 18). We identified 15 Culicoides species previously recorded in Scandinavia and four additional species haplotypes that were distinctly different from the described species. All ornithophilic individuals (n = 23) were caught exclusively in the suction traps, as were, interestingly, almost all mammalophilic species (n = 41), indicating that many biting midge species may be able to cover long distances after completing a bloodmeal. These results add new information on the composition of Culicoides species and their host preferences and their potential long‐distance dispersal while blood‐engorged.     

深圳市福田红树林生态公园吸血蠓种类及吸血活动研究

2019年4月至12月期间,在深圳市福田红树林生态公园定期通过人诱、灯诱以及扫网法等方法采集吸血蠓,对公园内吸血蠓类进行生态监测,统计公园内吸血蠓类多样性、种类构成及其吸血行为.结果显示,公园内吸血蠓共有2属5种,不同月份吸血蠓组成不同.其中优势种为台湾铗蠓Forcipomyia taiwana(Shiraki),次优...     

Polymorphism and divergence of multilocus DNA markers in sibling species Chironomus riparius Meigen and Chironomus piger Strenzke (Diptera, Chironomidae)

Intra- and interspecific variation and divergence of multilocus markers for genomic DNA of the sibling species from the thimmi group, Chironomus riparius and C. piger, were studied by PCR with arbitrary primers (RAPD). A high level of RAPD polymorphism was determined in both laboratory and natural populations of these species. The genetic distances were estimated between the C. riparius populations and between the sibling species C. riparius and C. piger. The genetic distance between C. riparius and C. piger was 4 to 5 times higher than that between the C. riparius populations. A comparison of the variation and divergence for the RAPD markers with those for other genomic markers--enzyme-coding genes and chromosomes (linked gene groups)--showed that different components of the genome differed in their contribution to the genome divergence.     

Saussurea chabyoungsanica Im (Compositae), a new species from Mt. Chabyoung-san, Korea

A new species, theSaussurea chabyoungsanica Im, is described from Mt. Chabyoung-san, Kangwon Province, Korea. The new species has long elliptic leaves with short petioles and a compact corymb which consists of many slender tubular heads and tiny pedicels. These characteristics are not seen in any otherSausurea species in Korea, Japan, and northeast China (Manchuria).Saussurea chabyoungsanica is an endemic species of Korea.