Nature and bioactivities of endolichenic fungi in Pseudocyphellaria sp., Parmotrema sp. and Usnea sp. at Hakgala montane forest in Sri Lanka

Aim:  The aim of this study was to investigate the nature and bioactivities of endolichenic fungi in three abundant lichens, Pseudocyphellaria sp., Usnea sp. and Parmotrema sp. in the lower elevation of Hakgala montane forest in Sri Lanka.
Methods and Results:  Endolichenic fungal strains, fungi that live asymptomatically in the lichen thallus, much the same way as endophytic fungi live within healthy plant tissues, were isolated from three abundant lichen species, Pseudocyphellaria sp., Usnea sp. and Parmotrema sp., at Hakgala montane forest in Sri Lanka, using the surface sterilization method. Nine endolichenic fungal strains were isolated from Parmotrema sp. and Usnea sp. separately, while 11 endolichenic fungi were recovered from the lichen Pseudocyphellaria sp. Isolation of endolichenic fungus Chrysosporium sp. 2 was common to all three lichen species. Substrate utilization patterns and antifungal activities of eight endolichenic fungal species were evaluated and the results revealed that all the test fungi were able to produce at least one enzyme to utilize the test substrates. Nigrospora sp., Chrysosporium sp. 1 and 2 and Cladosporium sp. showed antifungal activities on growth of some selected plant pathogenic fungi.
Conclusions:  Endolichenic fungal strains (29) were isolated from the lichens Parmotrema sp., Usnea sp. and Pseudocyphellaria sp. in Sri Lanka. Chrysosporium sp. 2 was common in all three lichens. Some of these endolichenic fungal strains showed antifungal activities against common plant pathogenic fungi and they are capable of utilizing the substrates by producing specific enzymes.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  The diversity and prevalence of the endolichenic fungi have not been studied extensively and this is the first report of isolation and identification of endolichenic fungi in lichens available in Sri Lanka.     

The Cladocera of Sri Lanka (Ceylon), with remarks on some species

The freshwater Cladocera of Sri Lanka has been revised based on the study of over 700 zooplankton samples collected from all habitat types during 1965–1980. The cladoceran fauna is represented by six families; members of the families Polyphemidae, Leptodoridae and Holopedidae are absent. The common temperate genus Daphnia is rare.Sixty-two species have been recorded from Sri Lanka. Of these, five are new records. Remarks on a few species are given with illustrations. The distribution of Cladocera in different types of habitats is discussed. The greatest species diversity was found in ponds. The Sri Lankan fauna is numerically and in species diversity typical of tropical cladoceran fauna. It resembles the southern Indian fauna very closely except for the absence in Sri Lanka of the genera Acroperus and Camptocercus.     

A new rhizomatous Oryza species (Poaceae) from Sri Lanka

VAUGHAN, D. A., 1990. A new rhizomatous Oryza species (Poaceae) from Sri Lanka. The confusing taxonomy of the Sri Lankan Oryza officinalis complex is clarified with the recognition of a new rhizomatous species, Oryza rhizomatis Vaughan. This species has been found across the dry zone. The other species of the complex in Sri Lanka, O. eichingeri , occurs in moist habitats and is smaller and less common than 0. rhizomatis. The new species is described.     

A new genus and species of Urodidae (Lepidoptera: Urodoidea) from Sri Lanka

A new genus of Urodidae, Geoesthia gen. nov., is described with the type species, Geoesthia ceylonica sp. nov. from Sri Lanka. This is the second urodid genus from the Oriental Region. The new species is the only urodid recorded from Sri Lanka. The new genus is distinguished from all the known genera within Urodidae by a combination of four characteristics: the lack of scale tufts on the labial palpi; the absence of raised scales of two subbasal spots on the forewings; the presence of M-stem on the hindwings; and the female corpus bursae bearing five signa. Key to the genera and species of Urodidae from the Oriental Region is provided.     

Les copépodes en Sri Lanka (Calanoïdes et Cyclopoïdes)

A revision of the list of Copepoda produced recently by Fernando (1980) was necessary to take in account the progress of knowledge in this field. 25 species were listed. Now, seven of them keep their name. Another one is placed in another genus. Seven mistakes were corrected. Two species are new for Science,Microcyclops elegans andThermocyclops orientalis. Two varieties of already known species are also described. Eleven species are new for Sri Lanka. Three other, noted by Fernando (1980) do not seem to exist in Sri Lanka and four were not found again in the numerous samples studied.

     

Cytotoxicity of Fusarium species mycotoxins and culture filtrates of Fusarium species isolated from the medicinal plant Tribulus terrestris to mammalian cells

Ayurvedic medicine, which uses decoctions made of medicinal plants, is used to cure diseases in many Asian countries including Sri Lanka. Although proper storage facilities for medicinal plants are unavailable in Sri Lanka, neither the potential for growth of toxigenic fungi nor their ability to produce mycotoxins in stored medicinal plants has been investigated. We isolated three Fusarium species, F. culmorum, F. acuminatum and F. graminearum from the medicinal plant Tribulus terrestris. Culture extracts of the 3 Fusarium spp. were cytotoxic to mammalian cell lines BHK-21 and HEP-2. Three toxic metabolites produced by Fusarium spp; T-2 toxin, zearalenone, and diacetoxyscirpenol were also cytotoxic to the same mammalian cell lines. The 3 Fusarium spp. grown on rice media produced zearalenone. Plant material destined for medicinal use should be stored under suitable conditions to prevent growth of naturally occurring toxigenic fungi prior to its use.     

New species from the Fusarium solani species complex derived from perithecia and soil in the old World tropics

A large collection of strains belonging to the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) was isolated from soil and perithecia in primary forests in Sri Lanka (from fallen tree bark) and tropical Australia (Queensland, from fallen tree fruits and nuts). Portions of the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1) gene, the nuclear large subunit (NLSU) and internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) of the nuclear ribosomal RNA genes were sequenced in 52 isolates from soil and perithecia. The FSSC was divided previously into three clades with some biogeographic structure, termed Clades 1, 2 and 3. All Sri Lankan and Australian soil isolates were found to be members of Clade 3, most grouping with the cosmopolitan soil-associated species F. falciforme. All but two Sri Lankan perithecial isolates were associated with a set of five divergent phylogenetic lineages that were associated with Clade 2. Australian perithecial isolates resided in a subclade of Clade 3 where most of the previously defined mating populations of the FSSC reside. Isolates from perithecia and those cultured from soil were always members of different species lineages, even when derived from proximal locations. The previous biogeographic assignment of Clade 2 to South America is now expanded to the worldwide tropics. Sri Lanka appears to be an important center of diversity for the FSSC. Nectria haematococca is epitypified with a collection from the type locality in Sri Lanka; its anamorph is described as a new species, Fusarium haematococcum. Neocosmospora E.F. Smith is adopted as the correct genus for Nectria haematococca. These new species are described: F. kurunegalense/Neo. kurunegalensis, F. rectiphorus/Neo. rectiphora/, F. mahasenii/Neo. mahasenii/, F. kelerajum/Neo. keleraja.     

Illustrated key to the adult female <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anopheles</Emphasis> (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes of Sri Lanka

The identification of adult female anopheline mosquitoes is an important aspect in malaria surveillance and control strategy throughout the world, and taxonomic keys are being regularly revised and updated as new information becomes available. However, the currently available key to the anophelines of Sri Lanka is of limited use, because they were published more than 25 years ago. This paper presents an illustrated key for the identification of 23 adult female Anopheles mosquitoes which are currently recognized as local anopheline species in Sri Lanka.     

Karyosystematic studies onRubiaceae: Chromosome counts from Sri Lanka

Chromosome numbers for 16 different taxa ofRubiaceae from Sri Lanka are presented. Counts for 13 species, including 5 genera and 1 tribe, are new. The results are listed, compared with available literature data and discussed in regard to their systematical importance.     

An association-analysis of montane grasslands of Sri Lanka

Association-analyses were made of montane grasslands (patanas) of Sri Lanka using higher plant and soil microfungal data. Stand classifications derived from higher plants and microfungi were remarkably parallel and were in complete agreement with the tentative division of patanas into five major types. The ecological distinctiveness of the five patanas was further evident from the phytosociological affinities of species indicated by classifications of higher plants and microfungi. Multivariate analyses of higher plants and fungi from the same ecosystem are regarded as alternative approaches which provide more information together than alone.     

The phylogenetic history of the old world butterfly subtribe Mycalesina extended: the Mycalesis (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, together with the Western Ghats, is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots, yet little is known about the genetic diversity of the butterflies here. Within the framework of the recently reconstructed molecular phylogeny for the subtribe Mycalesina, we determined the phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic history of the five species of Mycalesis butterflies that are found in Sri Lanka. Sequences of Elongation Factor 1-α (EF1-α), Wingless (Wgl) and the barcode region of the Cytochrome c Oxidase sub unit 1 (COI) were used to confirm the identity of species, to resolve taxonomic queries and to infer the phylogenetic history of the group.Time-calibrated analysis of genetic data suggests that the Mycalesis species that occur in Sri Lanka diverged in the Miocene (5–23 million years ago). The results of phylogenetic analyses confirmed the following; the endemicity of Mycalesis rama to Sri Lanka; the subspecies classification of M. perseus typhlus and, the close sister relationship of the Sri Lankan M. patnia patnia to M. p. junonia of India. However, whether or not M. subdita of Sri Lanka and India are genetically similar remains unknown. Lastly, genetic evidence emerged suggesting that M. mineus forms a cryptic species complex in the Oriental region, and that in Sri Lanka, there may be occasional hybridization between M. mineus and M. perseus. As a case study of island colonization and diversification by the Mycalesis species, this study further extends our understanding of the Old World butterfly subtribe of Mycalesina.     

The taxonomy of the endemic golden palm civet of Sri Lanka

Two species of palm civet are currently known from Sri Lanka: the widespread common species, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus (Pallas, 1777), and the endemic golden species, Paradoxurus zeylonensis (Pallas, 1778). The latter has two ‘morphs’, one golden and one dark brown, both of which are recorded from all three major biotic zones in Sri Lanka (wet zone, dry zone, and cloud forest). We have examined specimens of both ‘morphs’ from all zones, and conclude that there are actually several species involved: names are available for two of them, we describe a third as a new species, and we draw attention to a probable fourth species, based on two distinctive specimens, the provenance of which are unfortunately unknown. The name zeylonensis probably does not apply to a golden palm civet at all. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 155 , 238–251.     

Geographic origin and taxonomic status of the invasive Privet, Ligustrum robustum (Oleaceae), in the Mascarene Islands, determined by chloroplast DNA and RAPDs

Information concerning the area of origin, genetic diversity and possible acquisition of germplasm through hybridisation is fundamental to understanding the evolution, ecology and possible control measures for an introduced invasive plant species. Among the most damaging of alien plants that are invading and degrading native vegetation in the Mascarene Islands of the Indian Ocean is the Tree Privet, Ligustrum robustum. Exact information about the geographic source of introduced material of this species is lacking, in part because Ligustrum is a taxonomically difficult genus. Native material of L. robustum ssp. walkeri from Sri Lanka, L. robustum ssp. robustum from northeastern India, and the closely related L. perrottetii from southern India was compared with introduced material from La Réunion and Mauritius using chloroplast DNA RFLP markers and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPDs). Sri Lankan and introduced material was monomorphic for the same cpDNA haplotype that was absent from south and northeast Indian Ligustrum. Sri Lankan and introduced material was also clearly distinguished from Indian Ligustrum by RAPDs. It was concluded that material introduced and established in the Mascarene Islands is derived from the Sri Lankan subspecies L. robustum ssp. walkeri. No geographic structuring of genetic variation within Sri Lanka was detected for this taxon, so the location(s) within Sri Lanka from which introduced material is derived could not be pinpointed. RAPDs indicate that L. robustum ssp. walkeri in Sri Lanka is more similar to south Indian L. perrottetii than to northeast Indian L. robustum ssp. robustum. Moreover, RAPDs showed that introduced material in La Réunion has undergone little or no loss of genetic diversity since introduction. However, there was no evidence that it is introgressed with germplasm from two other alien Ligustrum species present on La Réunion.     

斯里兰卡埃克祝蛾属一新种记述(鳞翅目：祝蛾科)

记述斯里兰卡埃克祝蛾属1新种：足瓣埃克祝蛾Eccedoxa thenara sp.nov.(图1）。该种抱器瓣足形,体形较小,可与本属所有已知种相区别。正模♂,斯里兰卡拉特纳谱拉行政区（110m）,1980－01－31－1979－02－08,玻片号88064。副模2♂♂,同正模。模式标本保存在美国国家自然博物馆。     

Genus-level phylogeny of snakes reveals the origins of species richness in Sri Lanka

Snake diversity in the island of Sri Lanka is extremely high, hosting at least 89 inland (i.e., non-marine) snake species, of which at least 49 are endemic. This includes the endemic genera Aspidura, Balanophis, Cercaspis, Haplocercus, and Pseudotyphlops, which are of uncertain phylogenetic affinity. We present phylogenetic evidence from nuclear and mitochondrial loci showing the relationships of 40 snake species from Sri Lanka (22 endemics) to the remaining global snake fauna. To determine the phylogenetic placement of these species, we create a molecular dataset containing 10 genes for all global snake genera, while also sampling all available species for genera with endemic species occurring in Sri Lanka. Our sampling comprises five mitochondrial genes (12S, 16S, cyt-b, ND2, and ND4) and five nuclear genes (BDNF, c-mos, NT3 RAG-1, and RAG-2), for a total of up to 9582 bp per taxon. We find that the five endemic genera represent portions of four independent colonizations of Sri Lanka, with Cercaspis nested within Colubrinae, Balanophis in Natricinae, Pseudotyphlops in Uropeltidae, and that Aspidura + Haplocercus represents a distinct, ancient lineage within Natricinae. We synonymize two endemic genera that render other genera paraphyletic (Haplocercus with Aspidura, and Cercaspis with Lycodon), and discover that further endemic radiations may be present on the island, including a new taxon from the blindsnake family Typhlopidae, suggesting a large endemic radiation. Despite its small size relative to other islands such as New Guinea, Borneo, and Madagascar, Sri Lanka has one of the most phylogenetically diverse island snake faunas in the world, and more research is needed to characterize the island’s biodiversity, with numerous undescribed species in multiple lineages.     

Evolutionary relationships and reproductive isolating mechanisms in the rice frog (Fejervarya limnocharis) species complex from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan and Japan, inferred from mtDNA gene sequences, allozymes, and crossing experiments

The rice frog (Fejervarya limnocharis) species complex is widely distributed, from India to Japan, and most prevalently in Southeast Asia. Conspicuous morphological variation has been reported for this species complex throughout its distribution range. In the present study, we used mtDNA gene sequence and allozyme analyses to infer evolutionary affinities within this species complex using eight populations (Sri Lanka; Bangkok and Ranong in Thailand; Taiwan; and Hiroshima, Okinawa, Ishigaki and Iriomote in Japan). We also conducted crossing experiments among four populations from Japan, Thailand, and Sri Lanka in order to find out more about the reproductive isolating mechanisms that might exist among the East, Southeast, and South Asian populations of this species complex. The crossing experiments revealed that the Sri Lanka population is reproductively isolated from the Hiroshima, Bangkok, and Ranong populations by complete hybrid inviability, and that the Bangkok population may be reproductively isolated from the Hiroshima population by partial hybrid inviability. Thus, it is not unreasonable to regard the Sri Lanka population as a species separated from F. limnocharis. The mtDNA and allozyme data showed that the Ranong population is most closely related to the Bangkok population in nuclear genome, but more similar to the Okinawa and Taiwan populations in mtDNA genome. The present, preliminary survey may raise questions about the species status of these particular populations and also about the nature of the biological species concept.     

中国犁沟茧蜂属四新种记述：膜翅目;茧蜂科：软节茧蜂亚科

本文报道犁沟茧蜂属Ａｕｌｏｓａｐｈｅｓ Ｍｕｅｓｅｂｅｃｋ４新种,即中华犁沟茧蜂Ａ．ｃｈｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ,福建犁沟茧蜂Ａ;ｆｕｊｉａｎｅｎｓｉｓ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．,两色犁沟茧蜂Ａ．ｂｉｃｏｌｏｒ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ。和缩颊犁沟茧蜂Ａ．ｃｏｎｓｔｒａｃｔｕｓ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ。该属为我国新记录属。所有模式标本保存在浙江农业大学。     

Cryptic species,taxonomic inflation,or a bit of both? New species phenomenon in Sri Lanka as suggested by a phylogeny of dwarf geckos (Reptilia,Squamata, Gekkonidae,Cnemaspis)

We evaluated the status of 16 of 22 recognized Sri Lankan Cnemaspis Strauch species, and flagged overlooked diversity with two mitochondrial (cyt b & ND2) and two nuclear markers (RAG1 & PDC) totalling 2829 base pairs. A fossil-calibrated timetree and sampling of other South Asian Cnemaspis provide insights into the diversification of the genus in peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Phylogenetic analyses consistently inferred two broad clades within South Asian Cnemaspis, with Sri Lankan species in two clades, which we call the podihuna and kandiana clades. Each Sri Lankan clade as a whole is sister to Indian taxa and nested within Indian lineages. Cnemaspis modigliani Das from Indonesia is a member of the kandiana clade. This suggests a minimum of two dispersal events between India and Sri Lanka and one between Sri Lanka/India and South-east Asia. South Asian Cnemaspis date back to at least the Eocene, in Sri Lanka to the early Miocene, with late Miocene diversification in the kandiana clade. All but one of the named species we sampled is likely to be valid, and 10 divergent unnamed lineages may warrant specific recognition. A resolution of Sri Lankan Cnemaspis taxonomy will require thorough sampling and the use of both morphological and molecular data.     

Ephemeroptera of Sri Lanka: Ephemeridae

Abstract Two new species of Ephemera are described, Ephemera supposita Eaton is redescribed, and Rhoenanthus posticus Banks is transferred to Ephemera and redescribed. A key to the imagos of Ephemera from Sri Lanka is included.     

Two new species of Eutrombidium Verdun, 1909 (Acari: Prostigmata: Eutrombidiidae) from Asia and a new host record for this genus

Two new species of larval mites are described Eutrombidium laosanum n. sp. ectoparasitic on undetermined Gryllidae (Orthoptera) from Laos and Indonesia (Lingga Islands) and E. sigirijanum n. sp. ectoparasitic on undetermined Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera) from Sri Lanka.