Comparative analysis of diploid species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Avena</Emphasis> L. Using cytogenetic and biochemical markers: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Avena pilosa</Emphasis> M. B. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">A. clauda</Emphasis> Dur.

The diploid oat species containing the Cp genome—Avena pilosa and A. clauda—were studied using C-banding, fluorescence in situ hybridization with probes pTa71 and pTa794, and electrophoresis of grain storage proteins (avenins). Species with the C genome differed considerably from the species of the A genome group in the karyotype structure, heterochromatin type and distribution, relative positions of the 45S and 5S rRNA gene loci, and avenin patterns. These facts confirmed that the C genome had diverged from the ancestral genome before the radiation of the various A genome. Presumably, further evolution of the A-and C-genome species occurred separately.     

Sixty years of community change in the prairie–savanna–forest mosaic of Wisconsin

Biodiversity loss is a global concern, and maintaining habitat complexity in naturally patchy landscapes can help retain regional diversity. A mosaic of prairie, savanna, and forest historically occurred across central North America but currently is highly fragmented due to human land conversion. It is unclear how each habitat type now contributes to regional diversity. Using legacy data, we resurveyed savanna plant communities originally surveyed in the 1950s to compare change in savannas to that in remnant forests and prairies. Savanna community structure and composition changed substantially over the past 60 years. Tree canopy density nearly doubled and many prairie and savanna specialist species were replaced by forest and non‐native species. All three habitats gained and lost many species since the 1950s, resulting in large changes in community composition from local colonizations and extinctions. Across all three habitats, regional species extinctions matched that of regional colonization resulting in no net change in regional species richness. Synthesis—Despite considerable species turnover within savannas, many species remain within the broader prairie–savanna–forest mosaic. Both regional extinctions and colonizations were high over the past 60 years, and maintaining the presence of all three community types—prairie, savanna and forest—on the landscape is critical to maintaining regional biodiversity.     

HOST SWITCHING PROMOTES DIVERSITY IN HOST‐SPECIALIZED MYCOPARASITIC FUNGI: UNCOUPLED EVOLUTION IN THE BIATOROPSIS‐USNEA SYSTEM

Fungal mycoparasitism—fungi parasitizing other fungi—is a common lifestyle in some basal lineages of the basidiomycetes, particularly within the Tremellales. Relatively nonaggressive mycoparasitic fungi of this group are in general highly host specific, suggesting cospeciation as a plausible speciation mode in these associations. Species delimitation in the Tremellales is often challenging because morphological characters are scant. Host specificity is therefore a great aid to discriminate between species but appropriate species delimitation methods that account for actual diversity are needed to identify both specialist and generalist taxa and avoid inflating or underestimating diversity. We use the Biatoropsis‐Usnea system to study factors inducing parasite diversification. We employ morphological, ecological, and molecular data—methods including genealogical concordance phylogenetic species recognition (GCPSR) and the general mixed Yule‐coalescent (GMYC) model—to assess the diversity of fungi currently assigned to Biatoropsis usnearum. The degree of cospeciation in this association is assessed with two cophylogeny analysis tools (ParaFit and Jane 4.0). Biatoropsis constitutes a species complex formed by at least seven different independent lineages and host switching is a prominent force driving speciation, particularly in host specialists. Combining ITS and nLSU is recommended as barcode system in tremellalean fungi.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Coregonus peled</Emphasis> (Gmelin) transplanted into Ulaagchny Khar lake (western mongolia) showed no evidence of hybridization with other introduced <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coregonus</Emphasis> species

Coregonus peled (Gmelin) (Teleostei: Salmoniformes: Coregonidae), which is considered an important object of coldwater aquaculture, had been successfully introduced into an enclosed Western Mongolian lake Ulaagchny Khar in the early 1980s. At the same time larvae of two other Coregonus species—Baikal omul C. migratorius (Georgi) and least cisco C. sardinella Valenciennes—had also been released into the lake. Baikal omul was then reported as a naturalized species. This might have caused interspecific hybridization and gene introgression. Identification of coregonids by morphology can be problematic, so to determine which species was dominant in the lake (we presumed it was peled) and if its gene pool was affected by other introduced Coregonus species we sampled 40 individuals and analyzed them by sequencing a fragment of mtDNA cyt b and by allozyme electrophoresis. The analysis showed that all the fish belonged to C. peled with no evidence of admixture from other coregonid species. Taking into account mass release of both species in 1980s, it is evident that naturalization of peled in the lake was much more successful than that of Baikal omul.     

New record of the golden grouper <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saloptia powelli</Emphasis> (Perciformes: Serranidae) from North Sulawesi,Indonesia

One specimen (300 mm in standard length) of Saloptia powelli, belonging to the family Serranidae, was newly collected in a local fish market in Manado, North Sulawesi, constituting a new record for the species in the Indonesian archipelago. This species was diagnosed by the following morphological traits: dorsal rays VIII—11, anal rays III—8, well-defined opercular spines, pelvic fins below pectoral fins, caudal fin emarginate, mouth moderate in size, supplemental maxillary present, fine teeth in irregular rows on vomer and palatines. Head, body, and fins yellow in color. We suggest “kerapu emas”, a translation of its existing common name “golden grouper”, for the Indonesian species names.     

Ecological characterization of bat species distributions in Michoacán, México, using a geographic information system

Aim To investigate the relationship between chiropteran species distributions and four fundamental environmental factors — temperature, precipitation, soil and vegetation — and to construct a species richness prediction map based on the environmental factors. Location The state of Michoacán, México. Methods Bat specimens collected during a 2‐year project were combined with museum specimens to form a dataset of over 3200 entries pertaining to 71 species of bats. Coordinates of the collection localities were recorded with GPS receivers or determined from maps. ArcView GIS was used to characterize the distribution of the species relative to the four environmental factors by projecting coordinates of the collection sites onto digitized maps of those factors. Correspondence analysis (CA) was used to evaluate the relationship between species distributions and the environmental factors. Results The CA results indicated that the order of importance of these factors is (from highest to lowest): temperature, vegetation, precipitation and soil. A predicted distribution map was constructed for each species of bat, based on the result of the CA analysis, using correspondences of each species to climate, vegetation and precipitation. Soil types were excluded from the prediction model because soil type does not appear to carry high predictive value for bat species in Michoacán. Distribution maps of the 71 bat species were then overlaid to generate a map of bat species richness for the state of Michoacán. Main conclusions Neither family membership nor feeding guild affiliation appear to play important roles in chiropteran species distributions in Michoacán. The bat species richness prediction map will be a useful tool for conservation works in the region.     

Predictors of moss and liverwort species diversity of microsites in conifer‐dominated boreal forest

Patterns of moss and liverwort species diversity — species richness and species turnover (β‐diversity) — in three conifer‐dominated boreal forest stands of northern Alberta, Canada are described. We examined the relationship between bryophyte species diversity and micro‐environment at two sample grains, the microsite — substrate types for moss colonization: logs, stumps, tree bases, undisturbed patches of forest floor (dominated by feather moss species), and disturbed patches of forest floor — and the mesosite (25 m × 25 m plots). Microsite type and properties (e.g. decay class, hardwood vs softwood, pH) were the principal predictors of bryophyte species diversity and not micro‐environment variation among mesosites. Microsite type was the strongest predictor of microsite species richness and β‐diversity was higher among microsites and types and within microsites than among mesosites or stands. Microsite properties were significant predictors of species richness for all microsite types. Log and stump decay classes, influenced also by hardwood vs softwood predicted species richness of woody microsite types and soil pH and moisture predicted species richness of forest floor microsites. β‐diversity was highest for tree bases and disturbed patches of forest floor and lowest for logs. Mesosite β‐diversity was lower than that among microsites, and mesosite species richness was not well explained by measured environmental parameters. Results suggest that in conifer‐dominated boreal stands, species richness of microsites is only negligibly influenced by within‐stand variation at the mesosite grain and that substrate characteristics are the most important predictors of bryophyte species diversity in this ecosystem.     

Application of quantitative measures of gene order similarity to phylogenetic reconstructions (exemplified by bacteria of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rickettsia</Emphasis>)

Data reflecting evolutionary changes in chromosomal gene order can be used for phylogenetic reconstructions along with the results of nucleotide sequence comparison. By the example of bacteria of the genus Rickettsia, we have shown that phylogenetic reconstructions based on quantitative estimates of the similarity and cladistic analysis of gene order data, may, in some cases, amend and fill up classical phylogenetic trees. When applied, these approaches enabled us to substantiate the hypothesis that Rickettsia felis species had split before the typhus (R. typhi, R. prowazekii) and spotted fever (R. connorii) group divergence and thus R. felis does not belong to the latter group. In general, rickettsias evolved towards increasing intracellular parasitic specialization. Five Rickettsia species whose genomes have been sequenced and annotated completely actually form an evolutionary series R. bellii—R. felis—R. conorii—R. prowazekii—R. typhi. Within this series, a reduction in genome size and rapid decrease of genome rearrangement rates (genome plasticity loss) gradually occur.     

Trematodes (Plathelminthes) of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clarias gariepinus</Emphasis> (Pisces: Clariidae) in Lake Tana,Ethiopia

All of the 166 Clarias gariepinus catfishes in Lake Tana, Ethiopia, were examined for trematode infestation in 2006—2009. Seven trematode species—Eumasenia bangweulensis, Astiotrema reniferum, Orientocreadium batrachoides, Paralecithodendrium chilostomum, Phyllodistomum bavuri, P. tana, and Cladorchiidae gen. sp.—as adult were found. The common catfish parasites were Eumasenia bangweulensis (20% prevalence and 1—62 intensity of invasion), Orientocreadium batrachoides (30% prevalence and 1–31 intensity of invasion), Phyllodistomum bavuri (24.8% prevalence and 1–8 intensity of invasion), Ph. tana (17.6% prevalence and 1–23 intensity of invasion), and Ph. bavuri. Astiotrema reniferum (three specimens were only found) was a rare species; Paralecithodendrium chilostomum was an accidental parasite of catfish. All these trematodes were first recorded in Ethiopia and Eastern Africa.     

Aquatic insects of the Neman River and its tributaries

The aquatic insects of the Neman River and its tributaries were studied. 178 species belonging to 9 orders were found: Collembola—2 species, Ephemeroptera—33, Odonata—16, Plecoptera—10, Heteroptera—20, Coleoptera—39, Megaloptera—2, Trichoptera—54, and Lepidoptera—2 species. Two species of aquatic insects new for the Belarusian fauna were found, Pomatinus substriatus (Ph. Müller, 1806) (Coleoptera) and Brachycercus europaeus Kluge, 1991 (Ephemeroptera).     

Regeneration patterns of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Polylepis subtusalbida</Emphasis> growing with the exotic trees <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus radiata</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptus globulus</Emphasis> at Parque Nacional Tunari,Bolivia

Dry semideciduous and deciduous forests occur only on calcium-rich soils and occupy almost 20% of the 200 million ha of the cerrado region of central Brazil. Other savanna physiognomies of woodlands and grasslands, and gallery forests generally occur on acid soils with low calcium levels. The literature on phytosociological aspects of such cerrado physiognomies is quite abundant whereas there is very little information on deciduous forests. Also lacking is information on soil fertility and its influence on species distribution. The objective of the present study was to study the distribution of native species within a dry deciduous forest in the Araguari river valley, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais as related to soil properties. A 1-ha sampling area, with no apparent difference in physiognomy, was divided into fifty 10 m × 20 m plots arrayed in 10 × 5 grid and all trees with a minimum circumference of 15 cm at 1.30 m height were surveyed. A composite soil sample was collected from 0 to 10 cm depth in each plot and soil pH, organic C and nutrient availability were determined. Cluster analysis based on soil chemical properties showed the existence of two distinct groups of plots. Further field examinations revealed that the forest was situated in an area of transition between mica schist and basalt parent materials, without any apparent difference in the forest physiognomy. The basalt-derived soil in 23 plots had significantly higher availability of Ca (47.0 cmol(+) kg^?1 soil), Mg (2.59), and K (0.96) than the mica schist derived soil (Ca—18.4, Mg—1.29, and K—0.66) in the remaining 27 plots, though both soils would be classified as eutrophic. A total of 59 species belonging to 27 families were encountered in the area as a whole, of which 36 were common to both soils. In total, 16 species occurred exclusively on the mica schist soil and 7 on the basaltic soil. Myracrodruon urundeuva Allem. (Anacardiaceae) and Tabebuia roseo-alba (Ridl.) Sandwith (Bignoniaceae) were species with high importance values in the forest as a whole. Though there was no significant difference in the diversity index between the two soils, the importance values of these species was larger in the basalt-derived soil with higher nutrient availability.     

γ‐Octalactone,an effective oviposition stimulant of Bactrocera tryoni

Insects commonly rely on olfactory, gustatory and visual cues when deciding where to lay eggs. The olfactory cues that stimulate oviposition in the Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae), are not well understood. Here, we show that two known oviposition stimulants of the Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae)—γ‐octalactone and benzothiazole—strongly elicit aggregation and oviposition in B. tryoni. Two other known oviposition stimulants of B. dorsalis—ethyl tiglate and 1‐octen‐3‐ol—elicit aggregation but not oviposition. Highlighting species overlap, but also differences, in oviposition stimulants, these findings have practical application for mass‐rearing in which vast numbers of flies are reared for sterile insect technique programs and may also have practical application in the development of pest management and monitoring tools.     

Personality and behavioural syndrome in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Necromys lasiurus</Emphasis> (Rodentia: Cricetidae): notes on dispersal and invasion processes

Recent studies showed that behavioural individual features are related to species invasion and occupation abilities. In particular, the recent literature on animal personality has pointed to a correlation between behavioural profiles and the success in different phases of the invasion. In the present study, we investigated personality traits in the Neotropical species Necromys lasiurus. This wild rodent is expanding its original distribution to disturbed areas in the Atlantic Forest biome in response to anthropogenic impacts, acting as an invasive species (broad sense). In order to evaluate personality, we performed three behavioural assays as follows: open field, aversive open field and holeboard field. We extracted three personality domains—activity, exploration, and neophilia—using principal component analysis. There was significant positive correlation between these personality domains characterising a behavioural syndrome. We discussed the implications of this behavioural profile to dispersal and potential invasion abilities in this species.     

Feeding rate of sibling vole <Emphasis Type="Italic">Microtus rossiaemeridionalis</Emphasis> and mandarin vole <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lasiopodomys mandarinus</Emphasis> housed in cages and enclosures

Consumption of food of different nutritive value by sibling vole Microtus rossiaemeridionalis and mandarin vole Lasiopodomys mandarinus as a function of housing conditions—in cages or enclosures—was comparatively studied. Experimental groups included 8–14 adult non-reproducing animals of both sexes kept one per cage or enclosure. The rate of food consumption and digestibility were studied by standard methods and the obtained data were statistically analyzed using Statistica 6.0. Significant differences in the rate of food consumption by mandarin voles housed under different conditions as well as in the consumption and digestibility of food of different biochemical composition in both vole species have been revealed.     

Sequence capture and next‐generation sequencing of ultraconserved elements in a large‐genome salamander

Amidst the rapid advancement in next‐generation sequencing (NGS) technology over the last few years, salamanders have been left behind. Salamanders have enormous genomes—up to 40 times the size of the human genome—and this poses challenges to generating NGS data sets of quality and quantity similar to those of other vertebrates. However, optimization of laboratory protocols is time‐consuming and often cost prohibitive, and continued omission of salamanders from novel phylogeographic research is detrimental to species facing decline. Here, we use a salamander endemic to the southeastern United States, Plethodon serratus, to test the utility of an established protocol for sequence capture of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) in resolving intraspecific phylogeographic relationships and delimiting cryptic species. Without modifying the standard laboratory protocol, we generated a data set consisting of over 600 million reads for 85 P. serratus samples. Species delimitation analyses support recognition of seven species within P. serratus sensu lato, and all phylogenetic relationships among the seven species are fully resolved under a coalescent model. Results also corroborate previous data suggesting nonmonophyly of the Ouachita and Louisiana regions. Our results demonstrate that established UCE protocols can successfully be used in phylogeographic studies of salamander species, providing a powerful tool for future research on evolutionary history of amphibians and other organisms with large genomes.     

Variation in antennal sensilla of some hepialid moths; a scanning electron microscope study

Sensilla on the antennae of 5 species of hepialid moths—Aenetus virescens (Hepialinae) and Wiseana cervinata, W. signata, W. umbraculata, and Trioxycanus enysii (Oxycaninae)—were examined with the scanning electron microscope. Only 4 of the 6 types of sensilla previously described from noctuid moths were observed. The arrays of sensilla on oxycanine species are not uniformly distributed, especially on males; most of the sensors on any segment are on the ‘ridge’ of the pectinations, with a sparse distribution of relatively widely spaced sensors on the rest of the cuticle. In all species examined the antennae were sexually dimorphic; this was most apparent in the differing sensilla arrays of Hepialinae and in the difference in size of the antennal pectinations of Oxycaninae.     

Complete mitochondrial genome of the black‐tailed hornet,Vespa ducalis (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): Genomic comparisons in Vespoidea

We sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the black‐tailed hornet, Vespa ducalis (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). The genome was 15,779‐bp long and contained typical sets of genes [13 protein‐coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, and 2 rRNAs]. The V. ducalis A + T‐rich region was 166‐bp long and was the shortest of all sequenced Vespoidea genomes, including Vespa. The genome was highly biased toward A/T nucleotides—80.1 % in the whole genome, 77.8 % in PCGs, 83.4–85.6 % in RNAs, and 92.8 % in the A + T‐rich region. These values are well within the typical range for genes and regions of Vespoidea mitogenomes. Start and stop codons in several Vespa species—including V. ducalis—were diversified, despite these species belonging to the same genus. In comparison with the ancestral mitogenomes, Vespa mitogenomes—including that of V. ducalis—showed substantial gene rearrangement; however, we detected no gene rearrangement among Vespa species. We conducted phylogenetic reconstruction based on concatenated sequences of 13 PCGs and two rRNAs (12,755 bp ) in available species of Vespoidea—21 species in six subfamilies in two families (Vespidae and Formicidae). The Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood (ML) methods revealed that each family formed strong monophyletic groups [Bayesian posterior probability (BPP) = 1; ML, 100 %]. Moreover, V. ducalis and V. mandarinia formed a strong sister group (BPP = 1; ML, 94 %).     

Trophic niche segregation allows range‐extending coral reef fishes to co‐exist with temperate species under climate change

Changing climate is forcing many terrestrial and marine species to extend their ranges poleward to stay within the bounds of their thermal tolerances. However, when such species enter higher latitude ecosystems, they engage in novel interactions with local species, such as altered predator–prey dynamics and competition for food. Here, we evaluate the trophic overlap between range‐extending and local fish species along the east coast of temperate Australia, a hotspot for ocean warming and species range extensions. Stable isotope ratios (δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C) of muscle tissue and stomach content analysis were used to quantify overlap of trophic niche space between vagrant tropical and local temperate fish communities along a 730 km (6°) latitudinal gradient. Our study shows that in recipient temperate ecosystems, sympatric tropical and temperate species do not overlap significantly in their diet—even though they forage on broadly similar prey groups—and are therefore unlikely to compete for trophic niche space. The tropical and temperate species we studied, which are commonly found in shallow‐water coastal environments, exhibited moderately broad niche breadths and local‐scale dietary plasticity, indicating trophic generalism. We posit that because these species are generalists, they can co‐exist under current climate change, facilitating the existence of novel community structures.     

A reversal of the shift towards earlier spring phenology in several Mediterranean reptiles and amphibians during the 1998–2013 warming slowdown

Herps, especially amphibians, are particularly susceptible to climate change, as temperature tightly controls many parameters of their biological cycle—above all, their phenology. The timing of herps’ activity or migration period—in particular the dates of their first appearance in spring and first breeding—and the shift to earlier dates in response to warming since the last quarter of the 20^th century has often been described up to now as a nearly monotonic trend towards earlier phenological events. In this study, we used citizen science data opportunistically collected on reptiles and amphibians in the northern Mediterranean basin over a period of 32 years to explore temporal variations in herp phenology. For 17 common species, we measured shifts in the date of the species’ first spring appearance—which may be the result of current changes in climate—and regressed the first appearance date against temperatures and precipitations. Our results confirmed the expected overall trend towards earlier first spring appearances from 1983 to 1997, and show that the first appearance date of both reptiles and amphibians fits well with the temperature in late winter. However, the trend towards earlier dates was stopped or even reversed in most species between 1998 and 2013. We interpret this reversal as a response to cooling related to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in the late winter and early spring. During the positive NAO episodes, for certain species only (mainly amphibians), the effect of a warm weather, which tends to advance the phenology, seems to be counterbalanced by the adverse effects of the relative dryness.