A revision of Neomegalotomus (Hemiptera: Alydidae)

We recognize two species in Neomegalotomus, N. parvus (Westwood), the type species; and N. rufipes (Westwood). The two species are redescribed from type specimens, and are keyed. We synonymize the following species with Neomegalotomus parvus: N. simplex (Westwood), N. latifascia (Berg), and N. pallescens (St?l) (all new synonymies). We synonymize N. jamaicensis (Westwood) with N. rufipes (new synonymy). The type specimens of all species hitherto placed in the genus are also redescribed, except those of N. debilis (Walker) and N. vicinus (Westwood). N. parvus occurs from México through Central America into northern Argentina and east into Venezuela and adjacent Caribbean islands. N. rufipes is widespread in the Caribbean south towards Venezuela. The two species overlap in distribution: N. parvus is found on St. Vincent and Tobago, whereas N. rufipes occurs on Grenada, which lies between those two islands.     

Three new species of Portulaca sect. Neossia from east and northeast Africa

Three new species of Portulaca sect. Neossia are described: P. constricta from SE Ethiopia and Somalia; P. commutata , widespread in the Somali-Masai phytochorion of east and northeast Africa, and P. bulbifera from S Ethiopia and N Kenya.     

The Limonium binervosum aggregate (Plumbaginaceae) in the British Isles

A taxometric analysis of 153 colonies of the agamospermous Limonium binervosum aggregate in the British Isles has revealed an ordered hierarchy of variation. A taxonomic treatment of the group describes five new species, redefines four others and describes other infraspecific variants as subspecies or varieties. Each species is morphologically distinct and has a defined geographic range. There are four widespread and morphologically variable species and five geographically restricted species (four monotypic). Limonium recurvum , previously described as a microspecies endemic to a small area of the Dorset Coast, has been widened to include all triploid (2 n = 27) L. binervosum agg. variants found also in W and N Ireland, SW Scotland and Cumbria. All other taxa are tetraploid, usually with 2 n = 35.     

Genetic variation in a geographically restricted and two widespread species of South American Nothofagus

The amount and distribution of genetic variation is compared using starch gel electrophoresis among populations of the three evergreen species of South American Nothofagus : the geographically restricted Nothofagus nitida (Phil.) Krasser and the widespread Nothofagus betuloides (Mirb.) Oerst. and Nothofagus dombeyi (Mirb.) Oerst. Ten enzyme systems were resolved coding for fifteen putative genetic loci. N. betuloides and N. dombeyi were more genetically variable than N. nitida ; they had higher total number of alleles, mean number of alleles per locus, percent of polymorphic loci, mean expected heterozygosity, and mean total genetic diversity. These results are in agreement with the hypothesis that widespread species are often associated with historically large and more continuously distributed populations which in turn can maintain higher levels of genetic variation. Conversely, the genetic structure of N. nitida including its low genetic identity with the other two species and the presence of four unique alleles support the hypothesis that N. nitida has been isolated from the other two species for a considerable period of time. Genetic data in concert with the fossil record indicate that these taxa may be members of a pre-Pleistocene flora and consequently their genetic structures reflect a more ancient evolutionary history than previously hypothesized.     

A numerical taxonomy of the pan species of Crinum based on morphological characters

Fourteen characters of 64 specimens from five taxa; Crinum rautanenianum Schinz, C. paludosum Verdoorn, C. carolo-schmidtii Dinter and C. lugardiae N. E. Brown, previously described within the complex and the more widespread C. macowanii Baker, were subjected to multivariate and univariate statistical analyses in order to circumscribe morphological species as objectively as possible. Results of the clustering and ordination analyses confirm the existence of five distinct phenetic species in the group. The most useful characters that provide taxonomic clarity are identified whilst previously used diagnostic features are discussed. A new key to the species based on examined specimens is provided. Distribution maps of members of this species complex are also presented.     

Comparative physiological studies on the growth of cryptic species of Bostrychia intricata (Rhodomelaceae,Rhodophyta) in various salinity and temperature conditions

Inter‐ and intra‐specific physiological variations of intertidal macroalgae have been well investigated. However, studies on physiological responses of cryptic algal species have been poorly documented. Bostrychia intricata is a widespread marine red alga in the Southern Hemisphere, and has many cryptic species. We investigated the effect of different salinities and temperatures on the specific growth rate of three cryptic species (N2, N4 and N5) of B. intricata from New Zealand. Our data indicated that all cryptic species grew at the full range of salinities and temperatures tested, but exhibited a significant difference in their specific growth rates. Cryptic species N4 had a higher growth rate than the other two cryptic species under all experimental conditions, whereas cryptic species N2 occasionally showed a higher growth rate than cryptic species N5 at high salinities and lower temperatures. The distinct physiological properties of these cryptic species may explain their distribution pattern (a wider distribution of cryptic species N4 than N2 and N5) in New Zealand. The physiological divergence between the cryptic species could be related to their levels of evolutionary divergence, with more similar physiology between cryptic species, which share a more recent common ancestor (N2 and N5). Our findings underline that morphologically indistinguishable cryptic algal species are different in many other aspects and are truly independent entities.     

Detection of extracellular protease activity in different species and genera of ectomycorrhizal fungi

In northern forest ecosystems, most soil nitrogen (N) is in organic form and forest trees are largely dependent on ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi and their degradative abilities for N uptake. The ability of ECM fungi to acquire N from organic substrates should, therefore, be a widespread trait given its ecological importance. However, little is known about the degradative abilities of most ECM fungi as they remain untested due to problems of isolation or extremely slow growth in pure culture. In this paper, we present data on extracellular protease activity of 32 species of ECM fungi, most of which have not previously been cultured. Milk powder plates and zymograms were compared for detecting protease activity in these intractable species. In total, 29/32 of the species produced extracellular protease activity, but detection was method dependent. Growth on milk powder plates detected protease activity in 28 of 32 species, while zymograms only detected proteases in Amanita muscaria, Russula chloroides, Lactarius deterrimus and Lactarius quieticolor. The study supports the hypothesis that protease excretion is a widespread physiological trait in ECM fungi and that this ability is of considerable significance for nitrogen uptake in forest ecosystems.     

Mitochondrial DNA, ecology and morphology: interpreting the phylogeography of the Nesotes (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands)

The genus Nesotes (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is represented in the Canary Islands by 19 endemic species, the majority of which are single island endemics. Nesotes conformis and N. fusculus are described on four and three islands, respectively, but each forms a paraphyletic assemblage between Gran Canaria and the other islands. The other described species for Gran Canaria are N. quadratus, N. lindbergi and N. piliger. Thirty-six individuals representing the five species on Gran Canaria have been sequenced for 675 bp of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome oxidase II gene. Neighbour-joining analysis of maximum likelihood distances resulted in five distinct mtDNA lineages for N. quadratus, two of which also include mitotypes of N. conformis. Each of the other three species is found on only one mtDNA lineage. We propose from the molecular data that differentiation in a widespread N. quadratus-type ancestor was followed by morphological adaptation to coastal, pine and laurel forest habitats.     

A new species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nalassus</Emphasis> Mulsant (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Helopini) from the Baltic amber

The first Eocene species of the tribe Helopini, Nalassus klebsi sp. nov., from the Baltic amber is described. The new species is included in the nominative subgenus and similar to the extant species N. dermestoides (Illiger) and N. laevioctostriatus (Goeze), from which it differs in the shape of eyes (eyes are considerably less transverse than in living Palearctic species of the genus Nalassus Mulsant), the shape of the pronotum with acute posterior angles (other Palearctic Nalassus have obtuse or straight pronotal angles) as well as convex elytral intervals. Species of the less specialized nominative subgenus are widespread in forests and (partly) alpine landscapes of Europe (eastwards up to the Urals) and eastern Asia.     

Recent origin,active speciation and dispersal for the lichen genus Nephroma (Peltigerales) in Macaronesia

Aim We reconstructed the phylogeny of the lichen genus Nephroma (Peltigerales) to assess the relationships of species endemic to Macaronesia. We estimated dates of divergences to test the hypothesis that the species arose in Macaronesia (neo‐endemism) versus the oceanic archipelagos serving as refugia for formerly widespread taxa (palaeo‐endemism). Location Cosmopolitan with a special focus on the archipelagos of the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands. Methods DNA sequences were obtained from 18 species for three loci and analysed using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inferences. Divergence dates were estimated for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS)‐based phylogeny using a relaxed molecular clock. Reconstruction of the ancestral geographical range was conducted using the Bayesian 50% majority rule consensus tree under a parsimony method. Results The backbone phylogenetic tree was fully supported, with Nephroma plumbeum as sister to all other species. Four strongly supported clades were detected: the Nephroma helveticum, the N. bellum, the N. laevigatum and the N. parile clades. The latter two share a common ancestor and each includes a widespread Holarctic species (N. laevigatum and N. parile, respectively) and all species endemic to Macaronesia. The data suggest a neo‐endemic origin of Macaronesian taxa, a recent range expansion from Macaronesia of both widespread species, a range expansion limited to the Mediteranean Basin and south‐western Europe for another taxon, and a long dispersal event that resulted in a speciation event in the western parts of North America. Main conclusions The Macaronesian endemic species belong to two sister clades and originated from a most recent common ancestor (MRCA) shared with one widely distributed taxon, either N. parile or N. laevigatum. Estimates of the mean divergence dates suggest that the endemics originated in the archipelagos after the rise of the volcanic islands, along with the ancestor to the now widespread species, which probably expanded their range beyond Macaronesia via long‐distance dispersal. This study provides the first phylogenetic evidence of Macaronesian neo‐endemism in lichenized fungi and provides support for the hypothesis that oceanic islands may serve as a source for the colonization of continents. However, further data are needed to properly assess the alternative hypothesis, namely colonization from western North America.     

Global domination by crazy ants: phylogenomics reveals biogeographical history and invasive species relationships in the genus Nylanderia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Nylanderia (Emery) is one of the world's most diverse ant genera, with 123 described species worldwide and hundreds more undescribed. Fifteen globetrotting or invasive species have widespread distributions and are often encountered outside their native ranges. A molecular approach to understanding the evolutionary history and to revision of Nylanderia taxonomy is needed because historical efforts based on morphology have proven insufficient to define major lineages and delimit species boundaries, especially where adventive species are concerned. To address these problems, we generated the first genus-wide genomic dataset of Nylanderia using ultraconserved elements (UCEs) to resolve the phylogeny of major lineages, determine the age and origin of the genus, and describe global biogeographical patterns. Sampling from seven biogeographical regions revealed a Southeast Asian origin of Nylanderia in the mid-Eocene and four distinct biogeographical clades in the Nearctic, the Neotropics, the Afrotropics/Malagasy region, and Australasia. The Nearctic and Neotropical clades are distantly related, indicating two separate dispersal events to the Americas between the late Oligocene and early Miocene. We also addressed the problem of misidentification that has characterized species-level taxonomy in Nylanderia as a result of limited morphological variation in the worker caste by evaluating the integrity of species boundaries in six of the most widespread Nylanderia species. We sampled across ranges of species in the N. bourbonica complex (N. bourbonica (Forel) + N. vaga (Forel)), the N. fulva complex (N. fulva (Mayr) + N. pubens (Forel)), and the N. guatemalensis complex (N. guatemalensis (Forel) + N. steinheili (Forel)) to clarify their phylogenetic placement. Deep splits within these complexes suggest that some species names – specifically N. bourbonica and N. guatemalensis – each are applied to multiple cryptic species. In exhaustively sampling Nylanderia diversity in the West Indies, a ‘hot spot’ for invasive taxa, we found five adventive species among 22 in the region; many remain morphologically indistinguishable from one another, despite being distantly related. We stress that overcoming the taxonomic impediment through the use of molecular phylogeny and revisionary study is essential for conservation and invasive species management.     

Direct uptake of soil nitrogen by mosses

Mosses are one of the most diverse and widespread groups of plants and often form the dominant vegetation in montane, boreal and arctic ecosystems. However, unlike higher plants, mosses lack developed root and vascular systems, which is thought to limit their access to soil nutrients. Here, we test the ability of two physiologically and taxonomically distinct moss species to take up soil- and wet deposition-derived nitrogen (N) in natural intact turfs using stable isotopic techniques (15N). Both species exhibited increased concentrations of shoot 15N when exposed to either soil- or wet deposition-derived 15N, demonstrating conclusively and for the first time, that mosses derive N from the soil. Given the broad physiological and taxonomic differences between these moss species, we suggest soil N uptake may be common among mosses, although further studies are required to test this prediction. Soil N uptake by moss species may allow them to compete for soil N in a wide range of ecosystems. Moreover, since many terrestrial ecosystems are N limited, soil N uptake by mosses may have implications for plant community structure and nutrient cycling. Finally, soil N uptake may place some moss species at greater risk from N pollution than previously appreciated.     

中国萝潜蝇属分类研究 (双翅目: 潜蝇科)

研究了中国萝潜蝇属Napomyza Westwood,确认该属在我国现知下列6种：环萝潜蝇Napomyza annulipes (Meigen),角萝潜蝇N.hirticornis(Hendel),菊茎萝潜蝇N.lateralis (Fallen),拟土萝潜蝇N.paratripolii sp. Nov.,毛萝潜蝇N. plumea Spencer和西藏萝潜蝇N. xizangensis sp. Nov.。除描述二新种并附特征图外, 还提供中国已知种类的鉴别特征和分种检索表。     

Response of Saxifraga oppositifolia L. to simulated climate change at three contrasting latitudes

Saxifraga oppositifolia, a widespread circum-arctic and alpine plant species, was exposed to increased temperature at three ITEX sites of different latitudes: Val Bercla in the Swiss Alps (46°N), Latnjajaure in mid-alpine Northern Sweden (68°N), and Alexandra Fjord, Ellesmere Island (79°N) in the Canadian High Arctic. Phenology, growth, and reproduction were monitored for 2 or 3 consecutive years. Increased temperature had little influence on the phenology of S. oppositifolia , although flowering period was somewhat longer and pollination earlier in the experimental plots. A decrease in the density of flowers on each plant was noted at two sites over 3 years, with a slightly larger decrease in the warmed plots. The few changes observed in reproductive variables (e.g. fruit : flower ratio) are mostly assigned to increased shading by taller growing neighbouring plants of other species, thus limiting performance of the shade-intolerant S. oppositifolia . It is assumed that survival of this species, especially at the lower limits of its altitudinal and latitudinal distribution, will depend on seed dispersal to new, open habitats.     

New nomenclatural combinations in the North American perennial Triticeae (Gramineae)

Recent generic realignments of the perennial grasses of the tribe Triticeae necessitate some new name combinations for North American species. Three new species combinations and three new subspecies combinations are made to accommodate six long-anthered and usually cross-pollinating species ofAgropyron sensu A. S. Hitchcock in the genusElytrigia sensu N. N. Tzvelev. Three new species combinations are made to accommodate three long-anthered and usually cross-pollinating species ofElymus sensu A. S. Hitchcock in the genusLeymus sensu N. N. Tzvelev. A complete listing is given of the North American species and subspecies ofElytrigia andLeymus as I perceive them.     

Taxonomic studies in the genus Peristylus (Orchidaceae) in Thailand

A taxonomic review of the Thai species of the orchid genus Peristylus is presented. Seventeen species are recognised, five of them new to Thailand. Peristylus rigidus and P. phuwuaensis are endemic species, new to science, and the widespread P. maingayi and P. mannii have recently been newly recorded in the country. In addition, two further collections do not match any known Thai species, but very much resemble P. nematocaulon from the Himalayas and China. The present study will form the basis for the taxonomic account of Peristylus in the Flora of Thailand.     

New archaeogastropod limpets from hydrothermal vents: new family Peltospiridae, new superfamily Peltospiracea

Seven new species of limpets from hydrothermal vents are described in five new genera in the new family Peltospiridae (new superfamily Peltospiracea). Limpets in this family are known only from the hydrothermal vent community at two sites, near 21°N and 13°N, on the East Pacific Rise. New genera and species are: Peltospira , type species P. operculuta from both sites, and P. delicata from 13°N; Nodopelta , type species N. heminoda from both sites, and N. subnoda from 13°N; Rhynchopelta , type species R. concentrica from both sites; Echinopelta , type species E. fistulosa from 21°N; Hirtopelta , type specics H. hirta from 13°N. These limpets are associated with the Pompei worm Alvinella , except for Rhynchopelta, which is associated with the vestimentifcran worm Riftia .     

Molecular definition and the ubiquity of species in the genus Naegleria

To investigate the variability within species of the genus Naegleria, the ITS1,5.8S and ITS2 rDNA were sequenced of several strains of N. lovaniensis and its Western Australian variants, N. australiensis, N. fowleri, N. andersoni, N. jamiesoni, N. tihangensis, N. pringsheimi, N. pagei, N. gruberi sensu lato and a Naegleria lineage that lost a group I intron from the SSUrDNA twintron. As a result, it is possible to define a molecular species within the Naegleria genus. In addition, one strain of each different allozyme cluster was sequenced to investigate whether they belong to described species or should be treated as distinct new species. This leads to the proposal of eleven new species. The sequencing results from those Naegleria spp. of which several strains are available indicate that these species are ubiquitous. The only exception might be the species represented by the WA variants. However, there are still many Naegleria spp. for which only one strain has been isolated, hence, it is important that the search for more isolates should be continued worldwide.     

Zemiathrips: a new genus of fungus-feeding phlaeothripine Thysanoptera in Australian leaf-litter

Abstract A new genus of Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae, Zemiathrips , is described for five new species. These thrips are locally abundant in leaf-litter in Australia, particularly in Eucalyptus litter, and each is presumed to feed on fungal hyphae. Almost all individuals are wingless but, in contrast to many fungus-feeding Phlaeothripidae, none of the species show any within-sex polymorphism. Representatives of the genus have been found in all Australian states and territories except the Northern Territory and, despite winged individuals being rare, several of the species are widespread.