Chrysoperla lucasina (Lacroix): a distinct species of green lacewing, confirmed by acoustical analysis (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

The existence of cryptic, sibling species, distinguished principally by vibrational courtship songs, has been confirmed for the carnea -group of Chrysoperla green lacewings in Europe and western Asia. One member of this species-group, C.lucasina (Lacroix), is characterized by several morphological traits as well, but its taxonomic validity has been considered uncertain due to the subtle and variable nature of those traits. Here, we describe the calling and courtship songs of C.lucasina , which uniquely distinguish that taxon from all other members of the carnea -group in Europe. The male of C.lucasina produces two slightly but consistently different types of songs, one while calling and the other while dueting with a female. The female produces just one type of song, identical to the male's calling song, which is used for both calling and dueting. Measured features of the songs of C.lucasina are nearly invariant over a broad geographical area, from the Canary Islands to Cyprus and from northern Africa to the U.K. Similarly, at least one morphological feature, the presence of a dark stripe on the pleuron of the second abdominal segment, characterizes all adult individuals identified acoustically as C.lucasina . Furthermore, larval head markings vary little among different populations of the song species. We conclude that C.lucasina is a valid biological species, which can also be recognized in museum collections by a suite of morphological attributes. We also briefly compare the songs and adult morphology of C.lucasina with five other currently unnamed song species of the carnea -group whose geographic ranges overlap extensively with it.     

西藏蚋属一新种（双翅目：蚋科）

记述西藏自治区蚋属Simulium蚋亚属Simulium 1新种,以陈汉彬教授的名命名为汉彬蚋Simulium(Simulium) hanbini sp. nov.。该新种与Simulium (Simulium) jingfui Cai & An, 2008及Simulium (Simulium)liubaense Liu & An, 2009相似,但该蚋爪无基齿,拉氏器较长,食窦的形状也不同。模式标本保存在北京军事医学科学院医学昆虫标本馆。     

The fate of mechanically induced cartilage in an unloaded environment.

According to mechanobiologic theories, persistent intermittent mechanical stimulation is required to maintain differentiated cartilage. In a rat model for bone repair, we studied the fate of mechanically induced cartilage after unloading. In three groups of rats, regenerating mesenchymal tissue was submitted to different loading conditions in bone chambers. Two groups were immediately killed after loading periods of 3 or 6 weeks (the 3-group and the 6-group). The third group was loaded for 3 weeks and then kept unloaded for another 3 weeks (the (3 + 3)-group). Cartilage was found in all loaded groups. Without loading, cartilage does not appear in this model. In the 3-group there was no clear ongoing endochondral ossification, the 6-group showed ossification in 2 out of 5 cartilage containing specimens, and in the (3 + 3)-group all cartilage was undergoing ossification. These results suggest a tendency of the cartilage to be maintained also under unloaded conditions until it is reached by bone that can replace it through endochondral ossification.Additional measurements showed less amount of new bone in the loaded specimens. In most of the loaded specimens in the 3-group, necrotic bone fragments were seen embedded in the fibrous tissue layer close to the loading piston, indicating that bone tissue had been resorbed due to the hydrostatic compressive load. In some specimens, a continuous cartilage layer covered the end of the specimen and seemed to protect the underlying bone from pressure-induced resorption. We suggest that one of the functions of the cartilage forming in the compressive loaded parts of a bone callus is to protect the surrounding bone callus from pressure-induced fluid flow leading to resorption.     

Morphological Variation among 23 Xiphinema americanum Populations

Morphometrics of 23 United States populations of Xiphinema americanum sensu lato, sharing the characteristics of an offset lip region and conoid tail, were examined and analyzed statistically by canonical discriminant analysis (CDA). Specimens were collected from Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, Oklahoma, California, and North Dakota. Eleven measurements and body ratios obtained from female specimens were used in the analysis. Xiphinema americanum, X. bricolensis, X. californicum, X. citricolum, X, intermedium, X. tarjanense, and X. thornei, and one undescribed species were identified among the 23 populations. Three groups -- X. americanum-group, X. californicum-group, and X. intermedium-group (X. intermedium and X. tarjanense) -- were formed and four populations belonging to four different species were separated consistently from these groups in CDA scatterplots of the 23 populations. Composition of the groups was somewhat related to the geographical origins of the populations in the groups. A population from California had morphometrics intermediate between X. americanum and X. californicum. Separation between the X. americanum-group and X. californicum-group in the CDA scatterplots was not as distinct as that between them and the X. intermedium-group or between any of the three groups and the four single outlying populations.     

A New Species of the Chydorus sphaericus Group (Cladocera,Chydoridae) from Western Montana

Chydorus biovatus differs from C. sphaericus sens. str. in that the ephippial female carries two resting eggs, for which the brood pouch is expanded dorsally. resulting in a sharp angle in lateral contour near the junction of the head and shell and in the postpore distance being much elongated. The mature male has the pre-anal angle of the postabdomen rounded and the rostrum broadly rounded, both features being much different than in C. sphaericus sens. str. In North America there is a progressive replacement of C. brevilabris-group species in the South to C. sphaericus-group species in the Far North. Production of two resting eggs by Chydorus piger is recorded.     

Female wing spreading as acceptance signal in theDrosophila virilis group of species

Females of manyDrosophila species spread apart their wings prior to copulation. In the present study we found female wing spreading to provoke male copulation attempts inDrosophila virilis-group species, helping the males to attempt copulation when the female is ready to mate. The males of most species, however, rarely responded to female wing spreading by copulation attempt without licking the female genitalia before and/or after female wing spreading bout. Blocking the female genitalia (D. virilis, D. novamexicana) reduces males' tendency to attempt copulation after female wing spreading. In these, and most other species of the group, female wing spreading seems to be an efficient signal only when combined with stimuli from female genitalia.     

Low doses of bromocriptine shorten the interestrous interval in the bitch without lowering plasma prolactin concentration

In order to investigate the effect of different doses of bromocriptine on plasma prolactin concentration and the interestrous interval, beagle bitches were treated twice daily with 5 microg (5-group), 20 microg (20-group), or 50 microg (50-group) bromocriptine per kg body weight orally, starting 28 days after ovulation. In the 5-group, the difference between the mean plasma prolactin concentration before and that during bromocriptine treatment was not significant. In contrast, mean plasma prolactin concentration decreased significantly after the start of bromocriptine treatment in the 20- and 50-groups. The mean interestrous interval was significantly shorter in all three groups than in untreated bitches in the same colony. The mean interestrous interval in the 20-group and that in the 50-group were similar, but both were significantly shorter than that in the 5-group. The results of this study indicate that bromocriptine shortens the interestrous interval in the bitch even when the dose is so low that it does not lower plasma prolactin concentration. Induction of estrus in the bitch by bromocriptine therefore involves a mechanism other than via the lowering of plasma prolactin concentration. Furthermore, this study shows that the extent of shortening of the interestrous interval by bromocriptine is dose dependent.     

Absence of direct sexual selection for parasitoid encapsulation in Drosophila melanogaster

Resistance against parasites may play a role in female mate choice, especially if males that have actually survived parasitism can be discriminated from males that have not been parasitised. Larvae of several Drosophila species are subject to attack by hymenopteran parasitoids, but have the ability to kill the parasitoid egg through the process of encapsulation. Because an encapsulated egg remains visible in the abdomen of the adult fly throughout its life, its presence in a male signals to a female that the male has the genes to survive parasitism. The hypothesis that females preferentially mate with males bearing an encapsulated egg in their abdomen was tested using D. melanogaster. No indication was found for this female preference. The absence of preference for males with “good genes” could result from sensory constraints in the female or a negative correlation between encapsulation ability and some other fitness component. Alternatively, it is hypothesised that the black abdominal ends of the males of many species in the melanogaster-group evolved to mimic encapsulated eggs, leading to the breakdown of capsule recognition by the female.     

A newly recorded genus,Cyphagogus Parry (Coleoptera: Brentidae), from Korea based on C. iwatensis Morimoto, 1976

The genus Cyphagogus Parry in the family Brentidae is newly recorded from Korea, based on a newly designated allotype, C. iwatensis Morimoto male, which was described based on just two female types from Japan. Diagnosis and illustrations of detailed diagnostic characters, including line drawings of male genitalia are provided with a key for identifying East Asian species of the bipunctatus-group.     

Primates obtained in Peninsular Thailand June–July, 1973, with notes on the distribution of continental Southeast Asian leaf-monkeys (Presbytis)

During five weeks of field work 50 specimens of seven species of primates were obtained in peninsular Thailand. For each of these species information is given concerning external measurements, habitats, troop size, reproductive biology, and stomach contents. Peninsular primate specimens are compared with specimens previously collected in west-central Thailand. The distribution of species of leaf-monkeys (Presbytis) in continental Southeast Asia is comprehensively surveyed and mapped for the first time: theTrachypithecus-group of leaf-monkeys is widely distributed in continental Southeast Asia; thePresbytis-group is restricted to the Burmo-Thai-Malay Peninsula, where it is sympatric with theTrachypithecus-group; species in theTrachypithecus-group are largely allopatric.     

A taxonomic revision of the Tragulus mouse-deer (Artiodactyla)

The taxonomy of South-East Asian mouse-deer ( Tragulus ) is complex, and after some 120 years of considerable taxonomic revisions of the genus a clear key is still lacking for the determination of species and subspecies. Through craniometrical analysis of 338 skulls of Tragulus and some study of coat coloration patterns we have come to a better understanding of mouse-deer taxonomy. Our results show that there are three species groups: the T. javanicus -group, the T. napu -group, and T. versicolor . Within the T. javanicus -group we recognize three species: T. javanicus (from Java), T. williamsoni (from northern Thailand and possibly southern China), and T. kanchil (from the rest of the range), and within these species we provisionally recognize 16 subspecies. Within the T. napu -group we recognize two species: T. nigricans (from Balabac), and T. napu (from the rest of the range); within these species we provisionally recognize eight subspecies. T. versicolor from Nhatrang, south-east Vietnam, is distinct from the two previous groups; it is, however, unclear whether this species is still extant.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 140 , 63–102.     

Revision of Rogneda Uljanin, 1870 (Rhabditophora, Eukalyptorhynchia, Polycystididae) with the description of seven new species

A morphological and taxonomical account of the taxon Rogneda is given. A new interpretation of the stylet morphology is presented and a new terminology pertaining to these hard parts is proposed. All known species are discussed and additional information is provided when necessary. Seven new species are described. Five of these are from the Mediterranean: R. colpaerti sp. nov. , R. licyae sp. nov. , R. schaereri sp. nov. , R. valckei sp. nov. and R. vangronsveldi sp. nov . R. verveckeni sp. nov . is from the Atlantic coast of Spain (Galicia). The seventh, R. martensi sp. nov. , is from Indonesia and is the first species of Rogneda to be found outside the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean. All new species can be recognized based on the morphology of the stylets in the male system. A discussion on the similarities and differences of the 22 species is provided, resulting in the grouping of the species into seven morphological groups: the capulata -group, the falcata -group, the hibernica -group, the polyrhabdota -group, the steueri -group, the tripalmata -group and the westbladi -group. R. minuta cannot be placed into any of these groups and therefore stands alone within the taxon. An identification key is provided to facilitate further study of the taxon Rogneda .  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 153 , 1–28.     

Abundance,structure, growth and origin of inshore clupeid populations of the west coast of Scotland

The abundance, structure, growth, and origin of clupeid populations in inshore waters of the west coast of Scotland were studied from April 1970 to October 1972. Clupeid populations in the area comprise mainly young fish. 0-group autumn-spawned herring, probably of Minch origin, move into the area about April and spring-spawned ones (Clyde origin) about June. The timing and the body length at which each group arrives in the area during the different years is the same. After the initial immigration, the distribution of both 0-group clupeids becomes localized.Herring populations in the sea-lochs and associated inshore waters are mainly 0-group fish, which are replaced each year by a new incoming brood. The sprat populations of the sea-lochs are dominated by the 0-group; in the more ‘open’ areas the populations comprise older individuals. Year-class distribution in the ‘open’ areas resemble that of the commercial fishery.The rate of increase of 0-group autumn-spawned herring is 3.68 mm/week and that of spring-spawned 0-group herring is 2.83 mm/week. The curves of growth of 0-group sprats of the 1970 and 1971 year-classes are different; the rate of increase in length, however, averages 3.55 mm/week for both year-classes and the differences are not significant.In sprats, after their first year of life a rapid increase in length takes place in the spring. This increase is thought to enable the majority of the population to reach the minimum size (88–90 mm) for initial gonadal maturation and thereby make them capable of reproducing in their second year of life.     

Phylogenetic relationships of three African swallowtail butterflies,Papilio dardanus,P.phorcas and P.constantinus: A cladistic analysis (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae)

Abstract. The well-known polymorphic mimetic African papilionid butterfly, Papilio dardanus Brown, is demonstrated by cladistic analysis to form a monophyletic group (the phorcas-group) with two other African swallowtails, P.phorcas Cramer and P.constantinus Ward. Within this group, dardanus and phorcas are shown to be sister-species, with constantinus as the stem. The supposed relationship of this group of three Rutaceae-feeding species to the five members of the Canellaceae/Lauraceae-feeding Papilio hesperus-group (including P.nobilis Rogenhofer) is questioned. The significance of this analysis is discussed with special reference to Trimen's original hypothesis on the evolution of mimetic patterns in female Papilio dardanus, the unique male patterns of phorcas and dardanus, and natural and laboratory-produced hybrids. A pathway modelling technique is developed to represent the possible course of evolution of the phorcas-group, in terms of speciation events and the accumulation and decay of the pattern polymorphisms.     

Karyotypes of the Echinogammarus berilloni-group (Crustacea,Amphipoda) from Spain

The chromosome number and karyological features of Iberian populations of seven species of the Echinogammarus berilloni-group (Crustacea, Amphipoda) have been studied. For comparison, Gammarus gauthieri, belonging to the G. pulex-group was also studied. Four species of the berilloni-group share the same number n=27. Other numbers found were n=25, n=26 and n=28. The chromosomes of these species have a centromeric region surrounded by large heterochromatic blocks at late prophase. There-after, the centromere splits precociously. C. gauthieri has n=26, the same number found in the pulex-group. This species has larger chromosomes than the former but it does not show these karyological peculiarities.Cytological observations confirm both the close relationship among species of the berilloni-group and the differentiation with respect to the pulex-group. On the other hand, the existence of different numbers confirms other results that reject the older idea that speciation within Gammaridea occurred with minor changes in karyotypic characters.     

THE CLADISTICS OF IDEAS (LEPIDOPTERA, DANAINAE)

Abstract— Males of Idea tambusisiana , previously unstudied, lack the only known unequivocal synapomorphy associating the constituent members of Idea . Further cladistic analyses were performed on an expanded data matrix containing two characters alternatively coded in binary and multistate form. Two topologies were obtained of which one, in which I. tambusisiana remains internal to the genus, is accepted following consideration of information content and assessment of the supporting character states. A character analysis is also performed in which the problem of ambiguous charater state assignments to the internal nodes of the cladogram is examined. Biogeographic implications of the results are discussed with respect to areas of endemism in southeast Asia, the origin of Sulawesi (Celebes), and vicariance/dispersal models intended to explain the distribution of Idea species in relation to the Makassar Strait.     

Early Environmental Influences on Growth of Arcto-Norwegian Cod, Gadus Morhua, From The 0-group To Adults

A high growth rate for Arcto-Norwegian cod, Gadus morhua, in the Barents Sea and adjacent areas from the larva period to the 0-group enhances survival and ultimately recruitment to the fishery. However, it appeared that high growth rates for a cohort through the 0-group were not continued as the cohort ages. Based on survey data, there was a significant negative correlation between the average length at the 0-group and its average length at ages 2 through 8. We provided evidence suggesting that this phenomenon was caused by the inter-annual variability in inflow of warm, prey-rich Atlantic water into the Barents Sea from the Norwegian Sea. Enhanced inflow provided favorable conditions for cod growth during the larva and juvenile pelagic intervals. However, this same strong inflow carried a proportion of the cohort farther to the east in the Barents Sea, where the bottom water is colder than in the west. The colder conditions experienced by such cohorts, as compared to cohorts that have a more westerly settlement, led to slower growth prior to age 2. Slow growth during this interval appeared to be the reason for these cohorts' relatively smaller mean length at older ages.     

The distribution of 0-group flatfish in relation to abiotic factors on the tidal flats in the brackish Dollard (Ems Estuary, Wadden Sea)

The distribution of 0-group flatfish was investigated in 1992 in the Dollard (Ems–Dollard estuary, Wadden Sea). 0-Group plaice, flounder and sole were not evenly distributed over the sampled locations. The spatial distribution pattern of 0-group flatfish in the Dollard changed during the investigation period. In the first week of sole presence, when the mean length of sole was 24–30 mm, salinity correlated significantly with sole density. The distribution of juvenile sole larger than 40 mm total length was affected by the elevation of the location: 0-group sole was restricted to the sampled site with the lowest elevation. The distribution of 0-group plaice was related to sediment: no juvenile plaice were caught at locations with more than 10% mud fraction in the sediment. The distribution of 0-group flounder was also correlated with sediment. Later in the year, salinity correlated negatively with the distribution of 0-group flounder. The influence of sediment composition is probably indirect and linked to the abundance of preferred food items, such as Corophium volutator . Abiotic conditions were suitable to 0-group plaice, flounder and sole.     

Rhithrogena trispina sp. n., a New Species from China (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae)

A new species, Rhithrogena trispina sp. n. from Tian-Mu-Shan Mountain of Southeast China, is described and figured in detail at the imaginal stage. From the position of gonopore on the penis lobe, it belongs to the znojkoi-group.     

Distribution and diet of 0-group cod (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gadus morhua</Emphasis>) and haddock (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Melanogrammus aeglefinus</Emphasis>) in the Barents Sea in relation to food availability and temperature

Distribution of 0-group cod (Gadus morhua) and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) in August–September 2005 and 2006 was mainly restricted to the Atlantic waters of the western and central areas of the Barents Sea. The main distribution of 0-group fish overlapped largely with areas of high biomass (>7 gm⁻² dry weight) of zooplankton. The copepod Calanus finmarchicus and krill Thysanoessa inermis, which are dominant zooplankton species in both Atlantic and boreal waters of the Barents Sea, were the main prey of 0-group cod and haddock. The main distribution, feeding areas and prey of 0-group cod and haddock overlapped, implying that competition for food may occur between the two species. However, though their diet coincided to a certain degree, haddock seems to prefer smaller and less mobile prey, such as Limacina and appendicularians. As 0-group fish increased in size, there seems to be a shift in diet, from small copepods and towards larger prey such as krill and fish. Overall, a largely pelagic feeding behaviour of 0-group cod and haddock was evident from this study.