An illustrated key to and diagnoses of the species of Histeridae (Coleoptera) associated with decaying carcasses in Argentina

A key to 16 histerid species associated with decaying carcasses in Argentina is presented, including diagnoses and habitus photographs for these species. This article provides a table of all species associated with carcasses, detailing the substrate from which they were collected and geographical distribution by province. All 16 Histeridae species registered are grouped into three subfamilies: Saprininae (twelve species of Euspilotus Lewis and one species of Xerosaprinus Wenzel), Histerinae (one species of Hololepta Paykull and one species of Phelister Marseul) and Dendrophilinae (one species of Carcinops Marseul). Two species are new records for Argentina: Phelister rufinotus Marseuland Carcinops troglodytes (Paykull). A discussion is presented on the potential forensic importance of some species collected on human and pig carcasses.     

New records,synonyms and combinations for oriental Sarcophagidae (Diptera), with updated checklists for Cambodia,India, Taiwan,Thailand and Vietnam

Faunistic records of 29 flesh fly species are presented, and the following new country-level records are provided: 12 species (Senotainia albifrons, Eremasiomyia macularis, Asceloctella calicifera, Pseudothyrsocnema caudagalli, Liosarcophaga dux, L. kohla, L. scopariiformis, L. tuberosa, Parasarcophaga misera, Sarcosolomonia harinasutai, S. shinonagai, Seniorwhitea princeps) new to Cambodia, one species (S. shinonagai) new to India, one species (Brachicoma devia) new to Taiwan, two species (Myorhina thinhi, L. tuberosa) new to Thailand, and two species (E. macularis, P. caudagalli) new to Vietnam. Based on critical revision of all published records and on new data presented herein, 215 species of Sarcophagidae are listed from Cambodia (16 species), India (138), Taiwan (63), Thailand (98) and Vietnam (49). One new subjective generic synonym is proposed: Shinonagaella Verves, 1997 = Lehisca Kurahashi and Tan, 2012, syn. nov. Altogether, total of 21 new subjective synonyms and 16 new combinations are proposed.     

Development of DNA barcodes for selected Acacia species by using rbcL and matK DNA markers

Acacia species are very important tree species in tropical and subtropical countries of the World for their economic and medicinal benefits. Precise identification of Acacia is very important to distinguish the invasive species from rare species however, it is difficult to differentiate Acacia species based on morphological charcters. In addition, precise identification is also important for wood charcterization in the forest industry as these species are declining due to illegal logging and deforestation. To overcome thsese limitations of morphological identification, DNA barcoding is being used as an efficient and quick approach for precise identification of tree species. In this study, we selected two chloroplast and plastid base DNA markers (rbcL and matK) for the identification of five selected tree species of Acacia (A. albida, A. ampliceps, A. catechu, A. coriacea and A. tortilis). The genomic DNA of the selected Acacia species was extracted, amplified through PCR using specific primers and subsequently sequenced through Sanger sequencing. In matK DNA marker the average AT nucleotide contents were higher (59.46%) and GC contents were lower (40.44%) as compared to the AT (55.40%) and GC content (44.54%) in rbcL marker. The means genetic distance K2P between the Acacia species was higher in matK (0.704%) as compared to rbcL (0.230%). All Acacia species could be identified based on unique SNPs profile. Based on SNP data profiles, DNA sequence based scannable QR codes were developed for accurate identification of Acacia species. The phylogenetic analysis based on both markers (rbcL and matK) showed that both A. coriacea and A. tortilis were closely related with each other and clustered in the same group while other two species A. albida and A. catechu were grouped together. The specie A. ampliceps remained ungrouped distantly, compared with other four species. These finding highlights the potential of DNA barcoding for efficient and reproducible identification of Acacia species.     

Genetics and Lineage-Specific Evolution of a Lethal Hybrid Incompatibility Between Drosophila mauritiana and Its Sibling Species

The Dobzhansky–Muller model posits that intrinsic postzygotic reproductive isolation—the sterility or lethality of species hybrids—results from the evolution of incompatible epistatic interactions between species: favorable or neutral alleles that become fixed in the genetic background of one species can cause sterility or lethality in the genetic background of another species. The kind of hybrid incompatibility that evolves between two species, however, depends on the particular evolutionary history of the causative substitutions. An allele that is functionally derived in one species can be incompatible with an allele that is functionally derived in the other species (a derived-derived hybrid incompatibility). But an allele that is functionally derived in one species can also be incompatible with an allele that has retained the ancestral state in the other species (a derived-ancestral hybrid incompatibility). The relative abundance of such derived-derived vs. derived-ancestral hybrid incompatibilities is unknown. Here, we characterize the genetics and evolutionary history of a lethal hybrid incompatibility between Drosophila mauritiana and its two sibling species, D. sechellia and D. simulans. We show that a hybrid lethality factor(s) in the pericentric heterochromatin of the D. mauritiana X chromosome, hybrid lethal on the X (hlx), is incompatible with a factor(s) in the same small autosomal region from both D. sechellia and D. simulans, Suppressor of hlx [Su(hlx)]. By combining genetic and phylogenetic information, we infer that hlx-Su(hlx) hybrid lethality is likely caused by a derived-ancestral incompatibility, a hypothesis that can be tested directly when the genes are identified.     

Leaf phenology and water potential of five arboreal species in gallery and montane forests in the Chapada Diamantina; Bahia; Brazil

The influence of water potential (Ψ_W) on the leaf phenological behaviors of five arboreal species within gallery and montane forests on the eastern slope of the Chapada Diamantina Mountain Range in Bahia State, NE Brazil, was examined to investigate the following questions: (1) Do seasonal variations in rainfall influence the water potential of these species in their natural habitats (gallery and montane forests)? (2) Do the gallery forest species show smaller daily variations in their water potential and greater nocturnal recuperation than montane species? (3) Can the water potentials of these species be used to identify their particular types of leaf phenologies? The species examined were Tibouchina fissinervia and Clusia nemorosa (evergreen with continual leafdrop); Tapirira guianensis and Vochysia pyramidalis (evergreen with concentrated leafdrop), and Maprounea guianensis (brevi-deciduous) were chosen based on their abundance, importance value indices, and contrasting phenological behaviors. The leaf phenologies of all species were similar in both forest types. Evergreen species with continual leafdrop demonstrated leaf budding and leaf fall occurred at low levels during the entire year. Evergreen species with continual leafdrop as well as brevi-deciduous species demonstrated peaks of leaf fall and leaf budding during the dry period. Brevi-deciduous trees remained without leaves for an average of three days. The major episodes of leaf budding occurred during the dry period in all of the species examined. M. guianensis usually demonstrated low predawn (Ψ_PD) and midday (Ψ_MD) water potentials (Ψ_W). C. nemorosa demonstrated the greatest Ψ_PD and Ψ_MD values and the lowest daily amplitude (Δ_Ψ), suggesting that this plant used CAM during most of the study period. The majority of the species demonstrated small seasonal differences in Ψ_W, and the Ψ_PD values indicated a satisfactory nocturnal recuperation of their water status, even during the dry period. The maximum daily amplitude of Ψ_W was observed in V. pyramidalis, a species dependent on moist habitats for establishment and growth. No large decrease in Ψ_PD was observed during the study period in the species examined here, and all species demonstrated leaf budding during the dry period, suggesting that there were no severe water restrictions in either the gallery or montane forests. However, during dry periods, the species generally demonstrated lower Δ_Ψ. This reflects the restriction of transpiration, which according to phenological data, may occur due to different mechanisms, depending on the species. Our data supports the view that there is no strict relationship between decreasing water status in these plants and leaf fall.     

Two new species of Erysiphe sect. Uncinula (Erysiphales): Erysiphe fernandoae and E. michikoae

Two new species of Erysiphe section Uncinula are described and illustrated based on the molecular and morphological analyses: (1) Erysiphe fernandoae sp. nov. on Fernandoa adenophylla is distinct from other Erysiphe species on the plant family Bignoniaceae by having smaller asci, ca 12 appendages per chasmothecium and being found only in Asia; (2) Erysiphe michikoae sp. nov. on Celtis jessoensis differs from Erysiphe kusanoi on other Celtis species in having smaller chasmothecial, ascal and ascospore dimensions, and fewer number of chasmothecium appendages. The phylogenetic relationships of the two new species with other closely related species are discussed based on 28S and ITS rDNA sequences.     

New species and combinations in the African Restionaceae

Eight new species of the African Restionaceae (Restionoideae) are described, viz.: Cannomois anfracta, Cannomois arenicola, Cannomois grandis, Nevillea vlokii, Thamnochortus kammanassiae, Willdenowia pilleata, Restio uniflorus and Restio mkambatiae. A key to the species of Cannomois is provided, as well as a table comparing the characters of the three species in Nevillea. For all new species, notes on the affinities of the species and their habitats are provided. Two new combinations, Cannomois primosii (Pillans) H.P. Linder and Cannomois robusta (Kunth) H.P. Linder, are made.     

Genetics,Morphology, Advertisement Calls,and Historical Records Distinguish Six New Polyploid Species of African Clawed Frog (Xenopus,Pipidae) from West and Central Africa

African clawed frogs, genus Xenopus, are extraordinary among vertebrates in the diversity of their polyploid species and the high number of independent polyploidization events that occurred during their diversification. Here we update current understanding of the evolutionary history of this group and describe six new species from west and central sub-Saharan Africa, including four tetraploids and two dodecaploids. We provide information on molecular variation, morphology, karyotypes, vocalizations, and estimated geographic ranges, which support the distinctiveness of these new species. We resurrect Xenopus calcaratus from synonymy of Xenopus tropicalis and refer populations from Bioko Island and coastal Cameroon (near Mt. Cameroon) to this species. To facilitate comparisons to the new species, we also provide comments on the type specimens, morphology, and distributions of X. epitropicalis, X. tropicalis, and X. fraseri. This includes significantly restricted application of the names X. fraseri and X. epitropicalis, the first of which we argue is known definitively only from type specimens and possibly one other specimen. Inferring the evolutionary histories of these new species allows refinement of species groups within Xenopus and leads to our recognition of two subgenera (Xenopus and Silurana) and three species groups within the subgenus Xenopus (amieti, laevis, and muelleri species groups).     

Diversity and composition of arboreal beetle assemblages in tropical pasture afforestations: effects of planting schemes and tree species identity

Timber tree plantations are considered for rehabilitating forest biodiversity in the tropics, but knowledge on determinants of faunal diversity patterns in such human-modified forest landscapes is scarce. We quantified the composition of beetle assemblages on three native timber species (Anacardium excelsum, Cedrela odorata and Tabebuia rosea) planted on former pasture to assess effects of tree species identity, tree species diversity, and insecticide treatment on a speciose group of animals in tropical plantations. The beetle assemblage parameters ‘abundance’, ‘species richness’, ‘Chao1 estimated species richness’ and ‘Shannon diversity’ were significantly reduced by insecticide treatment for each tree species. Shannon diversity increased with stand diversification for T. rosea but not for A. excelsum and C. odorata. Species similarity was highest (lowest species turnover) between beetle assemblages on T. rosea, and it was lowest (highest species turnover) for assemblages on insecticide-treated trees of all timber species. Considering trophic guilds, herbivorous beetles dominated on all tree species and in all planting schemes. Herbivores were significantly more dominant on T. rosea and C. odorata than on A. excelsum, suggesting that tree species identity affects beetle guild structure on plantation trees. Insecticide-treated stands harbored less herbivores than untreated stands, but exhibited a high abundance of predator beetle species. Our study revealed that even young pasture-afforestations can host diverse beetle assemblages and thus contribute to biodiversity conservation in the tropics. The magnitude of this contribution, however, may strongly depend on management measures and on the selected tree species.     

Three new species of Hatschekia Poche, 1902 (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida: Hatschekiidae) parasitic on boxfishes (Pisces: Tetraodontiformes: Aracanidae and Ostraciidae) in Japanese waters

Three new species of Hatschekia Poche, 1902 are described from the gill filaments of three species of boxfishes captured off southern Japan: H. pseudostracii n. sp. on Kentrocapros aculeatus (Houttuyn) (Aracanidae); H. bibullae n. sp. on Lactoria diaphana (Bloch & Schneider) (Ostraciidae); and H. kuroshioensis n. sp. on Tetrosomus concatenates (Bloch) (Ostraciidae). Of the 93 currently valid species in the genus, these new species differ from the 87 species which lack four stout processes on the posterior margin of the intercoxal sclerites of legs 1 and 2. Those processes are present on the remaining six species and the three new species. Of these nine species, H. pseudostracii n. sp. is distinguished by having a T-shaped chitinous frame on the cephalothorax, the leg 1 exopod twice as long as the endopod and a small parabasal papilla. H. bibullae n. sp. can be differentiated by a combination of morphological features as follows: a well-developed, thumb-shaped parabasal papilla, the leg 1 exopod twice as long as the endopod and a trunk lacking posterior lobes. H. kuroshioensis n. sp. can be recognised by bearing a T-shaped chitinous frame on the cephalothorax, the leg 1 exopod is three times as long as the endopod and the trunk lacks posterior lobes.     

Organ-wise homologies of stipule, leaf and inflorescence between Pisum sativum genetic variants, Delonix regia and Caesalpinia bonduc indicate parallel evolution of morphogenetic regulation

Plants of the garden pea Pisum sativum an annual Papilionaceae species which have a mutation in the COCHLEATA (COCH) gene bear compound stipules of leaf morphology and secondary inflorescences in which flowers are borne in axils of bracteoles on an inflorescence stem. In the wild-type P. sativum stipules are simple foliaceous and flowers are non-bracteolated. Mutants of the coch phenotype are not known in any other plant species. The COCH gene of P. sativum is not yet sequenced. Therefore whether or not the COCH gene is present in species other than P. sativum remains unknown. Based on the principle of parallel evolution, it is thought that there may be leguminous species that possess the coch phenotype. In search of coch species, the Leguminosae flora of Delhi was surveyed for species that demonstrate compound stipules and bracteolated inflorescences. Out of 124 reported in the Leguminosae flora of Delhi, only the perennial Caesalpinioideae tree species Delonix regia and the shrubby vine species Caesalpinia bonduc were observed to have features of the coch mutants of P. sativum. Since the traits of simple foliaceous stipules and bracteoleless secondary inflorescences of wild-type P. sativum are common to many species among more than 19,400 species of family Leguminosae, it is hypothesized that the COCH gene may be as common as the ubiquitously present LEAFY gene (orthologue of UNIFOLIATA gene of P. sativum) in angiosperms.     

Sesquiterpene lactones and systematics of the genus Artemisia

The sesquiterpene lactones isolated from species in the genus Artemisia have been reviewed in an attempt to better understand the phylogeny and systematics of the four sections (subgenera), Abrotanum, Absinthium, Dracunculus and Seriphidium, proposed by Besser in 1829. The absence of hair on the receptacle is the only morphological characteristic separating species of Abrotanum from the species of Absinthium. There are no chemical characteristics segregating the species in these two subgenera since both produce eudesmanolides and guaianolides that are identical or biosynthetically similar. This suggests that the two subgenera could be combined into one (Artemisia) as proposed by Poljakov. The subgenus Seriphidium is composed of two geographical groups, one in the Old World and the other in the New World. The Old World species almost exclusively produce sesquiterpene lactones in the eudesmanolide class whereas the New World species (section Tridentatae) produce eudesmanolides and guaianolides, many of the latter being identical or structurally related to the sesquiterpene lactones in New World Abrotanum species. The chemical data in conjunction with geographic distributions suggest that the subgenus Seriphidium is polyphyletic and that the section Tridentatae originated from Abrotanum. Consequently, the Tridentate should be recognized as a subgenus separate and distinct from the Old World Seriphidium. There was insufficient information from the subgenus Dracunculus for interpretation.     

Flavonoid and anthocyanin patterns and the systematic relationships in Collomia

Analyses of extracts among populations of the 14 species of Collomia revealed the occurrence of 13 mono-, di- and triglycosides based on the flavonoids, acacetin, kaempferol, patuletin and quercetin. The glycosides included those having arabinose, galactose, glucose and rhamnose as mono-, bio- or triosides at the 3-, 5-, 3,7- or 7-position. Analyses of floral extracts from ten species revealed the occurrence of two anthocyanins, cyanidin and delphinidin 3-(p-coumarylglucosyl)-5-glucoside. Nearly all the species express distinctive flavonoid patterns, although the differences are based on relatively minor changes in position or type of glycosidic substitution. Use of the minimum biosynthetic step distance (MBSD), an index of similarity, revealed that a mean of 5.6 steps separated the 14 species. The four perennial species of section Collomiastrum showed a high degree of similarity and differed consistently from species of the two annual sections Courtoisia and Collomia by lacking quercetin-5-glucoside and kaempferol-3-arabinosylgalactoside. In contrast, flavonoid patterns among species within sections Courtoisia and Collomia showed a relatively low degree of similarity. The dissimilarity between C. diversifolia and C. heterophylla (section Courtoisia) is consistent with their divergent patterns of pollen morphology and ecological distribution. Three groups of species within section Collomia were defined generally by shared patterns of flavonoids, which are correlated to some degree with floral, pollen and vegetative morphology.     

Native and Non-Native Supergeneralist Bee Species Have Different Effects on Plant-Bee Networks

Supergeneralists, defined as species that interact with multiple groups of species in ecological networks, can act as important connectors of otherwise disconnected species subsets. In Brazil, there are two supergeneralist bees: the honeybee Apis mellifera, a non-native species, and Trigona spinipes, a native stingless bee. We compared the role of both species and the effect of geographic and local factors on networks by addressing three questions: 1) Do both species have similar abundance and interaction patterns (degree and strength) in plant-bee networks? 2) Are both species equally influential to the network structure (nestedness, connectance, and plant and bee niche overlap)? 3) How are these species affected by geographic (altitude, temperature, precipitation) and local (natural vs. disturbed habitat) factors? We analyzed 21 plant-bee weighted interaction networks, encompassing most of the main biomes in Brazil. We found no significant difference between both species in abundance, in the number of plant species with which each bee species interacts (degree), and in the sum of their dependencies (strength). Structural equation models revealed the effect of A. mellifera and T. spinipes, respectively, on the interaction network pattern (nestedness) and in the similarity in bee’s interactive partners (bee niche overlap). It is most likely that the recent invasion of A. mellifera resulted in its rapid settlement inside the core of species that retain the largest number of interactions, resulting in a strong influence on nestedness. However, the long-term interaction between native T. spinipes and other bees most likely has a more direct effect on their interactive behavior. Moreover, temperature negatively affected A. mellifera bees, whereas disturbed habitats positively affected T. spinipes. Conversely, precipitation showed no effect. Being positively (T. spinipes) or indifferently (A. mellifera) affected by disturbed habitats makes these species prone to pollinate plant species in these areas, which are potentially poor in pollinators.     

Comparative phylogeography reveals host generalists, specialists and cryptic diversity: Hexabothriid, microbothriid and monocotylid monogeneans from rhinobatid rays in southern Australia

The phylogeography and host specificity of three monogenean species infecting different sites on the southern fiddler ray, Trygonorrhina fasciata (Rhinobatidae) in South Australia (SA) were studied: Branchotenthes octohamatus (Hexabothriidae: gills), Calicotyle australis (Monocotylidae: cloaca) and Pseudoleptobothrium aptychotremae (Microbothriidae: skin). Five rhinobatid species (Aptychotrema vincentiana, T. fasciata, Trygonorrhina sp. A, Aptychotrema rostrata and Rhinobatos typus) with distributions spanning west, south and east Australian coastal waters, were surveyed for monogeneans resembling the three species documented from T. fasciata in SA. The identities of hosts and parasites collected were investigated using the mitochondrial genes ND4 and Cytochrome b (cytb), respectively, in addition to the nuclear marker, Elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1a) for Pseudoleptobothrium. Genetic analyses confirmed that B. octohamatus is geographically widespread and displays little genetic structure, suggesting high levels of gene flow. It was collected from four rhinobatid species throughout its distribution and is not, therefore, host specific. For C. australis, genetic analyses revealed two discrete populations with a genetic divergence of ∼4%, one population occurring west of Bass Strait on two sympatric host species and the other population on the east coast, also occurring on sympatric host species. Similarly, for Pseudoleptobothrium, specimens collected west of Bass Strait were genetically distinct (∼3.5%) from those collected to the east. However, on the east coast, a third Pseudoleptobothrium population was revealed, separated by a genetic distance of >11%, indicating a morphologically cryptic species. Host preferences were indicated for each Pseudoleptobothrium lineage. These genetic discoveries are discussed in relation to life history characteristics of each monogenean species, highlighting the value of phylogeographic analyses to understand the parasite-host relationship.     

Polyphyly,asexual reproduction and dual trophic mode in Buchwaldoboletus

Most Boletaceae form ectomycorrhizas but species in two sister groups (subfamily Chalciporoideae and the genus Pseudoboletus) have unclear trophic modes and are putatively mycoparasitic. Chalciporoideae is the earliest diverging lineage in Boletaceae and includes Chalciporus and Buchwaldoboletus. Buchwaldoboletus species fruit on wood and were thought to be saprobes, but the type species Buchwaldoboletus lignicola is mycoparasitic on the wood decay fungus Phaeolus schweinitzii. However, the nutritional mode and host range of B. lignicola and other Buchwaldoboletus remain unclear. We obtained fresh collections and axenic cultures of B. lignicola, B. hemichrysus and B. sphaerocephalus from the southeastern USA. We use cultures to examine the phylogenetic relationships among taxa in Chalciporoideae, elucidate the trophic mode of Buchwaldoboletus species and test the effect that Buchwaldoboletus species have on wood decay. Our analysis supports the hypothesis that the Chalciporus lineage is sister to all other Boletaceae but suggests that Buchwaldoboletus is not monophyletic. Confrontation experiments on agar suggest that Buchwaldoboletus species might parasitize a wide range of decay fungi. Buchwaldoboletus hemichrysus and B. sphaerocephalus produce abundant conidia in culture whereas the more distantly related B. lignicola produces sclerotia. Wood decay assays show that Buchwaldoboletus species did not have a significant effect on the decay caused by wood decay fungi. Interestingly, when B. lignicola or B. hemichrysus were inoculated alone on wood both species decayed wood, producing a brown rot that can cause 35–65% mass loss over 6 months. Our results suggest that Buchwaldoboletus species have a dual trophic mode as saprobes and mycoparasites.