Notentera ivanovi Joffe et al., 1997: a contribution to the question of phylogenetic relationships between ‘turbellarians’ and the parasitic Plathelminthes (Neodermata)

Notentera ivanovi is a parasitic platyhelminth found in the gut of a polychaete, Nephthys ciliata. N. ivanovi has no mouth, pharynx, or intestine; the dorsal epidermis of adult animals forms a thick pad which is very similar to gut epithelia even at the light microscopic level. Structure of ciliary rootlets and dermal glands with peculiar striated secretion bodies point to close relationships with the Fecampiidae, though other important characters imply placing the genus Notentera in a separate family. In mature sperm of N. ivanovi, the axonemes are fully incorporated; they are directed from proximal to distal, as in the Neodermata. We argue that new family, Notenteridae, should be included in the taxon Fecampiida. We also suggest that all Plathelminthes with neodermatan type of spermiogenesis (Fecampiidae, Urastomidae, and Neodermata) form a monophyletic branch within the Plathelminthes Neoophora. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Flatworm phylogeny from partial 18S rDNA sequences

Partial 18S rDNA sequences from 29 flatworms and 2 outgroup taxa were used in a cladistic analysis of the Platyhelminthes. Support for the clades in the resulting single most parsimonious tree was estimated through bootstrap analysis, jack-knife analysis and decay indices. The Acoelomorpha (Acoela and Nemertodermatida) were absent from the most parsimonious tree. The Acoela and the Fecampiidae form a strongly supported clade, the sister group of which may be the Tricladida. There is some support for monophyly of the rhabdocoel taxon Dalyellioida, previously regarded as paraphyletic. The sister group of the Neodermata remains unresolved. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The evolution of protonephridia of the Platyhelminthes

Three types of flame bulbs are distinguished in the Platyhelminthes: type 1 has two cilia arising from a terminal cell and rootlets extending along the weir; type 2 has many cilia arising from a terminal cell and the proximal canal cell closely aligned with it; and type 3 has a non-terminal perikaryon forming many flame bulbs, each with many cilia and a single row of longitudinal ribs. Each type appears in various structural forms. Type 1 is found in the Catenulida; type 2 in the Macrostomida, Polycladida, Prolecithophora, Proseriata, Tricladida, Fecampiidae, and Neodermata; and type 3 in the Rhabdocoela and Lecithoepitheliata. The most likely evolutionary sequence is that type 3 is derived from type 2 and, perhaps, that type 2 is derived from type 1. Characters of the protonephridia show that the Rhabdocoela and the Neodermata form separate phylogenetic lineages; other similarities between these taxa are due to convergent evolution (or horizontal gene transfer?).     

A Taxonomic Study of Fritillaria from Xinjiang

In the present paper the genus Eritillaria in Xinjiang is revised. There are altogether eleven species and four varieties recognized in this region, of which four species and four varietie are new to science, and one species is new to Chinese flora     

Multiple species of methionyl-tRNA from mouse liver mitochondria

Methionyl tRNA acylated within mitochondria isolated from mouse liver, has been resolved into four species by RPC-5 chromatography. All four elute prior to the three cytoplasmic methionyl tRNA species. Of the four species, two are formylated. These results suggest that iso-accepting species of met-tRNA^met exist in mouse liver mitochondria.     

Annotated checklist of Iranian Hydrophilidae (Coleoptera: Polyphaga: Hydrophiloidea)

This checklist comprises all species of Hydrophilidae (Coleoptera: Hydrophiloidea) quoted in the literature referring to Iran and confirmed by our study. In total, 104 species within 17 genera and five subfamilies, Hydrophilinae (eight genera, 63 species), Chaetarthriinae (three genera, five species), Enochrinae (single genus, 20 species), Acidocerinae (single genus, three species) and Sphaeridiinae (four genera, 13 species), are listed for the fauna of Iran. Three species are endemic; four species are recorded here for the first time from Iran, and nine species are excluded from Iranian fauna.     

The systematics and adaptations of some Papuan microhylid frogs which live underground

A taxonomic, anatomical and behavioural account is given of some burrowing microhylid frogs from New Guinea. Six species belonging to four genera are dealt with, of these four are described as new species. Two genera are removed from synonomy to accommodate four of the burrowing species. Histological and anatomical modifications to the head, which are associated with head-first burrowing, are described. The calls of the male frogs are described in detail and attention is drawn to the similarity of calls made by all burrowing species. This is discussed in relation to the problems of sound transmission below ground.     

The incidence of sperm displacement in insects: four conjectures, one corroboration

The paper tests, by the comparative method, four hypotheses to explain why the degree of sperm displacement differs in different insect species. It summarizes evidence for 57 species. Here are the four hypotheses: species with mating plugs should show low sperm displacement, and species without plugs high displacement (Boorman & Parker); species with spheroid spermathecas should show low displacement, species with elongate spermathecas high displacement (Walker); species with low paternal investment should show low sperm displacement, species with high paternal investment high displaycement (Gwynne); and species with low natural mating frequencies should show low displacement, species with high mating frequencies high displacement (this paper). The spermathecal shape hypothesis is of limited theoretical plausibility; but the other ideas are theoretically possible. The evidence, if numbers of species are counted, generally fits all four theories; but, in a statistically more rigorous cladistic test, it significantly supports only the mating frequency theory.     

A new variant of the neodermatan-type spermiogenesis in a parasitic 'turbellarian', Notentera ivanovi (Platyhelminthes) and the origin of the Neodermata

Spermiogenesis is characterized by fully incorporated (in the testes of mature worms) or partially free (submature worms) axonemes in spermatids. Formation of free flagella correlates with tight arrangement of cells in the testes and small size of the zone of differentiation and vice versa . In both cases the axonemes elongate within the growing shaft, so that the organization of the resulting spermatids is different only with regard to the distal end. In late spermatids, the nucleus occupies the proximal half, the two mitochondria and the axonemes directed distally lie in the distal half. After detachment of the spermatid, a migration of the nucleus takes place. In the resulting mature sperm, the proximal (anterior) half is occupied by the mitochondria and axonemes the basal bodies of which lie at the anterior end of the spermatozoon; the nucleus occupies the distal (posterior) half. Because of the distal orientation of the axonemes and a peculiar mode of the migration of the nucleus, the spermiogenesis of Notentera should be classified as a new variant of the type characteristic of the Neodermata (parasitic Platyhelminthes). Based on the analysis of the available morphological and other relevant data it is argued (i) that a high-ranked taxon, the Fecampiida, should be established within the Neoophora to include Notentera and the closely related Fecampiidae and (ii) that all the Platyhelminthes with neodermatan-type spermiogenesis form a monophyletic taxon, the Revertospermata, which includes the sister groups Fecampiida and Mediofusata.     

Fungi from decaying intertidal fronds of Nypa fruticans, including three new genera and four new species

HYDE, K. D., 1992. Fungi from decaying fronds of Nypa fruticans, including three new genera and four new species. Decaying fronds and exposed stems of the mangrove palm Nypa fruticans were collected from beaches and intertidal regions of mangroves in Brunei and examined for the presence of higher marine fungi. Forty-three species were identified, four of which are new to science. The fungi included 32 Ascomycotina, one Basidiomycotina and ten Deuteromycotina. Three new genera and four new species are described and illustrated.     

Mitogenomics reveals high synteny and long evolutionary histories of sympatric cryptic nematode species

Species with seemingly identical morphology but with distinct genetic differences are abundant in the marine environment and frequently co‐occur in the same habitat. Such cryptic species are typically delineated using a limited number of mitochondrial and/or nuclear marker genes, which do not yield information on gene order and gene content of the genomes under consideration. We used next‐generation sequencing to study the composition of the mitochondrial genomes of four sympatrically distributed cryptic species of the Litoditis marina species complex (PmI, PmII, PmIII, and PmIV). The ecology, biology, and natural occurrence of these four species are well known, but the evolutionary processes behind this cryptic speciation remain largely unknown. The gene order of the mitochondrial genomes of the four species was conserved, but differences in genome length, gene length, and codon usage were observed. The atp8 gene was lacking in all four species. Phylogenetic analyses confirm that PmI and PmIV are sister species and that PmIII diverged earliest. The most recent common ancestor of the four cryptic species was estimated to have diverged 16 MYA. Synonymous mutations outnumbered nonsynonymous changes in all protein‐encoding genes, with the Complex IV genes (coxI‐III) experiencing the strongest purifying selection. Our mitogenomic results show that morphologically similar species can have long evolutionary histories and that PmIII has several differences in genetic makeup compared to the three other species, which may explain why it is better adapted to higher temperatures than the other species.     

The species of Chusquea (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) with verticillate buds

A natural alliance of four species ofChusquea is characterized by having verticillate branches and a spikelet in which the transitional glumes one and two are very small or scalelike, and transitional glumes three and four are about equal to each other and about one-half or three-quarters as long as the lemma. Two of the four species,C. circinata andC. coronalis, are described as new and are provided with illustrations. The other two species,C. liebmannii Fourn. andC. pittieri Hack., are included in a key. The types and other collections are cited for the four species and their relationships are discussed.     

Opisthobranch molluscs of the Sudanese Red Sea

Eighteen opisthobranch species are described and illustrated from the Sudanese Red Sea, including seven new species, one new subspecies and three species for which this is the first Red Sea record. Eleven bullomorphs, four pleurobranchomorphs, four sacoglossans and four phyllidiid mudibranchs are now known from the Red Sea. There appears to be a high percentage of endemic species in the Red Sea. This is what one might expect, in view of the conditions of near isolation, low temperatures and high salinity that prevailed in this sea 13000 23000 years ago. Of the groups discussed in this paper, one Red Sea species has invaded the Mediterranean Sea, and one Mediterranean species has invaded the Red Sea, since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1867. Many Red Sea species are very colourful, in comparison to Mediterranean ones. This could perhaps be because Red Sea waters are cleaner, thereby favouring the evolution of greater precision in colour markings.     

The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Noumea flava colour group

Six species of the genus Noumea are described including four new species. All species are yellow, and four have orange markings as well; one has a white mantle border and the last has red gills and rhinophores. Noumea flava has a widespread distribution in the Indo-West Pacific and two other species are known from the tropical Pacific. The other three species, including a yellow colour form of Noumea haliclona (Burn, 1957), are reported from southern Australia. Aspects of the reproductive system of some species of Noumea strongly indicate that the genus Verconia Pruvot-Fol, 1931 is closely related to that genus.     

Opisthobranch molluscs of the Sudanese Red Sea

Eighteen opisthobranch species are described and illustrated from the Sudanese Red Sea, including seven new species, one new subspecies and three species for which this is the first Red Sea record. Eleven bullomorphs, four pleurobranchomorphs, four sacoglossans and four phyllidiid mudibranchs are now known from the Red Sea.
There appears to be a high percentage of endemic species in the Red Sea. This is what one might expect, in view of the conditions of near isolation, low temperatures and high salinity that prevailed in this sea 13000 23000 years ago.
Of the groups discussed in this paper, one Red Sea species has invaded the Mediterranean Sea, and one Mediterranean species has invaded the Red Sea, since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1867.
Many Red Sea species are very colourful, in comparison to Mediterranean ones. This could perhaps be because Red Sea waters are cleaner, thereby favouring the evolution of greater precision in colour markings.     

Evolutionary constraints on the plastid tRNA set decoding methionine and isoleucine

The plastid (chloroplast) genomes of seed plants typically encode 30 tRNAs. Employing wobble and superwobble mechanisms, most codon boxes are read by only one or two tRNA species. The reduced set of plastid tRNAs follows the evolutionary trend of organellar genomes to shrink in size and coding capacity. A notable exception is the AUN codon box specifying methionine and isoleucine, which is decoded by four tRNA species in nearly all seed plants. However, three of these four tRNA genes were lost from the genomes of some parasitic plastid-containing lineages, possibly suggesting that less than four tRNA species could be sufficient to decode the triplets in the AUN box. To test this hypothesis, we have performed knockout experiments for the four AUN-decoding tRNAs in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plastids. We find that all four tRNA genes are essential under both autotrophic and heterotrophic growth conditions, possibly suggesting tRNA import into plastids of parasitic plastid-bearing species. Phylogenetic analysis of the four plastid tRNA genes reveals striking conservation of all those bacterial features that are involved in discrimination between the different tRNA species containing CAU anticodons.     

中国俏叶蜂属分类研究(膜翅目,叶蜂科,平背叶蜂亚科)

简要回顾了中国平背叶蜂族的分类研究状况.记述了中国俏叶蜂属Hemathlophorus种类,编制了俏叶蜂属分种检索表,描述了1新种:短颊俏叶蜂Hemathlophorus brevigenatus sp.nov.,新种颚眼距等于单眼半径,中胸腹板大部和后足股节基部3/4亮黄色,雌虫腹部第2、5节背板具中位小黑斑,唇基缺口较浅,POL:OOL:OCL=2:4:5,爪内齿短于外齿,前翅cu-a脉基部与1M脉基部间距仅为1r-m脉长的1/2,R M脉段短于cu-a脉,2r脉交于2Rs上缘中部,后翅R1室的附室仅等宽于单眼直径,锯鞘腹缘弧形突出,锯腹片15锯刃,中部锯刃间距等宽于锯刃,锯刃端部尖出等,可以与同属已知的3种鉴别.     

Can host‐range allow niche differentiation of invasive polyphagous fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in La Réunion?

Abstract.  1. Biological invasions bring together formerly isolated insect taxa and allow the study of ecological interactions between species with no coevolutionary history. Among polyphagous insects, such species may competitively exclude each other unless some form of niche partitioning allows them to coexist.
2. In the present study, we investigate whether the ability to exploit different fruits can increase the likelihood of coexistence of four species of polyphagous Tephritidae, one endemic and three successive invaders, in the island of La Réunion. In the laboratory, we studied the performances of all four species on the four most abundant fruit resources in the island, as well as the relative abundances of fly species on these four fruit species in the field. We observe no indication of niche partitioning for any of the four abundant fruits.
3. Analyses of an extensive field data series suggest that: (i) the four fly species largely overlap in fruit exploitation, once climatic effects are accounted for; (ii) however, one species ( Ceratitis capitata ) can exploit rare fruit species that are not exploited by others present in the same climatic niche; and (iii) the endemic species C. catoirii , now nearly extinct in La Réunion, has no private niche with respect to either climatic range or fruit use.
4. On the whole, with the possible exception of C. capitata , the results point to a limited role of fruit diversity in encouraging coexistence among polyphagous tephritids recently brought into contact by accidental introductions.     

A revision of Centella series Capenses (Apiaceae)

Centella capensis (L.) Domin and related species form a distinct but poorly known group within the genus. The most conspicuous diagnostic feature is the unique inflorescence structure. Each umbel comprises a central umbellule reduced to a single, sessile, functionally female flower and four lateral, functionally male, pedicellate umbellules each reduced to a single flower. The umbel is surrounded by four large, foliaceous bracts. Another unusual character is the habit. Most of the species are annuals or short-lived perennials, while all other species of the genus are perennial shrublets. A taxonomic revision of the four species and three varieties recognized, is presented.