Ecological traits of the lichen flora of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (Yugra)

A lichen biodiversity study conducted in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (district) reports 958 species in 199 genera and 72 families. Cetrelia alaskana (Llano) W. L. Culb. et C. F. Culb. is new to West Siberia; Graphis elegans (Borrer ex Sm.) Ach., Porpidia hydrophila (Fr.) Hertel et A. J. Schwab, and Sclerococcum sphaerale (Ach.) Fr. are new to Siberia; Acarospora fusca B. de Lesd., Cliostomum tenerum (Nyl.) Coppins et S. Ekman, Pertusaria corallina (L.) Arnold, and P. stalactiza Nyl. are new to Russia. High diversity of epilithic lichens is ecologically due to a variety of ecotopes that include mountain habitats on the eastern spurs of the Subarctic and Northern Urals in addition to plain ones.     

Hover fly fauna (Diptera,Syrphidae) of Karaginskii Island (the Bering Sea)

The hover fly fauna of Karaginskii Island, located in the southwestern part of the Bering Sea near Kamchatka Peninsula, was investigated. A total of 39 species belonging to 22 genera were found on the coastal plain covered with the shrub tundra and meadows of various types. Cheilosia with 7 species was the most diverse genus in the fauna. The chorological structure of the fauna has a typical boreal pattern being dominated by widespread species (77% of the fauna), whereas the fraction of arctoboreal species is distinctly smaller (8%). The subspecies Cheilosia illustrata magnifica, one of the dominants in the hover-fly community (9%), was a single subendemic element of the fauna.     

Composition of the Fauna and Pattern of Biotopic Distribution of Bugs (Heteroptera) in the Vicinity of Pevek (Chukotka Autonomous Okrug)

Entomological Review - The species richness in the order Heteroptera declines sharply to the north of the forest boundary. Here we present the results of a study of this group in the north of...     

On the tachinid fauna of the southeastern part of European Russia (Diptera,Tachinidae)

A list of tachinids (Diptera, Tachinidae) of the southeastern European part of Russia comprising 74 species is given. Eight species (Bithia jacentkovskyi, Estheria bohemani, Zeuxia nudigena, Stomina iners, Opesia descendens, Labigastera pauciseta, Cylindromyia rufifrons, Besseria reflexa) are for the first time recorded from Russia, three species (Acemya rufitibia, Atylomyia loewi, Crapivnicia donabilis), from the European part of Russia, and 25 species, from the southeastern European part of Russia. The male of Crapivnicia donabilis Richter found in Astrakhan Province is described. The genus Crapivnicia Richter is assigned to the tribe Goniini, based on the examination of the abdomen of C. donabilis female from Kalmykia which has shown the presence of dark microtype eggs.     

Marine elements in fish fauna of southeastern Ethiopia

The eel Anguilla bengalensis labiata (Peters) is reported from the middle reaches of the Genale River drainage in southeastern Ethiopia based on our own samples, as well as, on prevously undesribed or poorly described samples obtained by earlier investigators. The Anguilla eels from the Indian Ocean appeared to be the only group of diadromous fishes in Ethiopian fauna. An occurrence of the goby Glossogobius giuris (Hamilton) in the same drainage is reported based on four specimens from the lower reaches of the Genale River. Gross morphology of Ethiopian eels and gobies was described in relation to their identification. The distribution of other saltwater dispersants in the Ethiopian waters is briefly discussed.     

Species Composition,Distribution and Ecological Features of Ichthyofauna in the Pymvashor Geothermal Valley (Bolshezemelskaya Tundra,Nenets Autonomous Okrug)

Journal of Ichthyology - Ichthyofauna in the studied streams in the Pymvashor Geothermal Valley contains six species from six families; the basis of the fish assemblage is formed by three species...     

Environmental geographical features of the parti-colored bat (Vespertilio murinus) (Linnaeus, 1758) living on the territory of West Siberia (with Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and Kurgan oblast as examples)

Data on the occurrence of Vespertilio murinus in the forest and forest-steppe zones of West Siberia (on the territory of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and Kurgan oblast) are given. Arrival time, habitat association, reproduction features, and other aspects of the species ecology are determined.     

Orchid bee fauna (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossina) of Atlantic Forest fragments inside an urban area in southeastern Brazil

Male orchid bees were collected by chemical baiting in four forest fragments in parks of the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. One thousand three hundred and twenty-five males belonging to 14 species were captured within one year. The capture data were compared through correlation tests. The data suggest that abundance of orchid bees tend to increase with fragment size, although no correlation between species richness and fragment size was obtained. The results presented herein suggest that forest fragments in a large city may be of importance concerning conservation of orchid-bee faunas.     

宁夏回族自治区爬行动物区系与地理区划

1　研究简史宁夏的爬行动物 ,早期仅Ｓｔｒａｕｃｈ(1 876)在有关研究中涉及 ,主要的研究工作在 2 0世纪 70年代以后。四川省生物研究所两栖爬行动物研究室《中国爬行动物系统检索》一书 (1 977)首次列出了宁夏 1 0种爬行动物的名录 ;王香亭等 (1 977)在《宁夏地区脊椎动物调查报告》一文述及爬行动物 1 0种 ;于有志 (1 985 )报道一新纪录种 ;黄永昭 (1 988)的两栖爬行动物调查及区系研究报道述及新记录种 4种 ;刘发等 (1 989)报道一新种 ;于有志和张显理 (1 990 )在“宁夏两栖爬行动物资源初探”一文中述及 1 9种爬行动物及其分布 ,并于…     

内蒙古自治区爬行动物区系与地理区划

有关内蒙古的近代爬行动物研究 ,始于俄国学者普热瓦尔斯基 (Н .М .ПｐжｃｅвＢалｂｃｋий)和波丹宁 (Г .Н .Потанин) ,他们于 1 9世纪先后在我国东北地区及内蒙古西部进行了动物采集。然后 ,科兹洛夫 (П .К .Козлов)也曾两次横贯内蒙古 ,并在额济纳     

新疆维吾尔自治区爬行动物区系与地理区划

1　研究历史新疆地区爬行动物的研究资料散见于Ｂｅｄｒｉａｇａ(1 90 7～ 1 90 9)、Ｂｏｕｌｅｎｇｅｒ(1 885 ,1 887)、Ｂｏｅｔｔｇｅｒ(1 885～ 1 887)、Ｎｉｋｏｌｓｋｉｉ(1 91 5 )、赵肯堂 (1 979,1 983 ,1 996,1 998)、赵尔宓 (1 979,1 993 )等著作中。 2 0世纪 80年代以来 ,新疆学者也作了很多工作 :王国英等 (1 989) ,李胜忠、王国英 (1 989) ,周永恒等 (1 988)在沙蟒和沙虎动物方面作了很多工作 ,发表了两个新种和一个新纪录。赵肯堂 (1 985 )作过基于蜥蜴的区划研究 ,戴昆等(1 991 )对塔里木盆地南缘的两栖爬行动物作了区系分析…     

Contribution to the sand fly fauna (Diptera: Phlebotominae) of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil and Leishmania (Viannia) infections.

American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is endemic in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. As reports of nearby hospitals suggest, the Parque Estadual do Turvo seems to serve as a source for the disease. During three months from November 1996 to February 1997 we collected, in this park, 2,228 sandflies (10 Lutzomyia species and 2 6species). We applied the polymerase chain reaction to 920 females which belong to the following species: Lutzomyia migonei, Lu. pessoai, Lu. fischeri, Lu. misionensis, Lu. lanei, Lu. neivai, Lu. shannoni, and Lu. monticola, in an attempt to verify natural infection by Leishmania (Viannia), the causative agent of ACL. Le. (Viannia) infections were demonstrated by DNA amplification from two Lu. pessoai and one Lu. misionensis female. Lu. pessoai have been found with leptomonas in the gut believed to be Le. (V.) braziliensis in other endemic areas of northeastern and southeastern Brazil. However, Lu. misionensis has never been found carrying a natural infection of Le. (Viannia).     

Edge effects on the orchid-bee fauna (Hymenoptera: Apidae) at a large remnant of Atlantic Rain Forest in southeastern Brazil

Male orchid bees were sampled with chemical baits monthly from July 1999 to April 2000 at six sites situated at different distances from the forest edge (0 to 4,000 m) at Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, the largest remnant of Atlantic Forest in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. The main goal of this study was to assess the abundance, richness, and the community structure of the orchid-bee fauna at different distances from the edge. In all, 1,183 males from 20 species were collected. Only minor and insignificant variation in richness and abundance were observed among the sites. Two dominant species, Euglossa analis Westwood (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and Eulaema cingulata (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), showed strongly opposing habitat associations: while males of the former were most collected in the interior of the forest, the latter was most found at or close to the edge. The responses of individual species, such as these, and not composite measures of richness and abundance, are more informative regarding forest integrity and edge effects.     

Analysis of Serum Insulin,Cortisol, and Glucose Levels in the Settlement Inhabitants of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug

We studied the concentrations of insulin, cortisol and glucose in blood serum of two groups of inhabitants of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous okrug (YaNAO) settlements (indigenous population and those who arrived from Central Russia). The insulin level in all groups (in indigenous and non-native population, men and women) was above 9.0 μIU/mL. The insulin level in non-native women and men was higher than that in the indigenous people by 19% and 26%, respectively. The tendency of increasing insulin level with age was revealed in both the indigenous and non-native inhabitants. The highest level of insulin and glucose was observed in Samburg and Kharampur settlements; the lowest, in Gyda settlement. The cortisol level was higher in men than in women. The reduced cortisol/insulin index was observed in both groups of men. A most significant decrease in the cortisol/insulin index and an increase in HOMA–IR index were observed in nonnative men and women as compared with indigenous population. These data confirm the likelihood of the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the YaNAO population, especially among non-native inhabitants.     

Study on phlebotomine sand fly (Diptera: Psychodidae) fauna in Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

A study on the phlebotomine sand fly fauna in Belo Horizonte city, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, was carried out. From April 2001 to March 2003, monthly systematic collections were performed in three houses from each of the nine regions of the city, using CDC light traps for four consecutive days. The traps were set into the houses and in peridomestic areas totaling 54 traps. A number of 3871 sand fly specimens of the genera Lutzomyia and Brumptomyia were collected. Sixty eight percent of the specimens were L. longipalpis and 16% L. whitmani, insect vectors of visceral and American cutaneous leishmaniasis, respectively. Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and frequency of precipitation suggest that the number of insects increases after rainy periods. During the same period mentioned above, seasonal captures were carried out in parks and green areas of Belo Horizonte, using Shannon trap. A total of 579 phlebotomine sand flies were collected from which 398 (68.7%) were females with the predominance of L. whitmani and L. monticola. Those specimens were used for natural infection examination, by polymerase chain reaction. No Leishmania DNA was present in any of the specimens tested.     

Phlebotomine fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) and species abundance in an endemic area of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in southeastern Minas Gerais, Brazil

This study was undertaken to identify the phlebotomine fauna and species abundance in domiciliary and peridomiciliary (hen-house and guava-tree) environments, on a lake shore, a cultivated area of coffee and banana, and a forested area of Concei??o da Aparecida municipality, southeastern the state of Minas Gerais, to provide information for the control and epidemiological surveillance of leishmaniasis in this area. The captures were carried out monthly between May 2001 and November 2002, with automatic light and Shannon traps. A total of 1444 sand flies were captured, 951 (76.5%) with automatic light traps and 493 (23.5%) with the Shannon trap. Thirteen species were captured, the most frequent being Nyssomyia whitmani (62.7%), Migonemyia migonei (21.4%), Pintomyia fischeri (6.9%), and Evandromyia lenti (3.6%). Species abundance was determined using the automatic light traps installed in the six environments. The most abundant species according to the standardized index of species abundance were Ny. whitmani (1.0) and Mg. migonei (0.82). In view of the dominance of these two species, known vectors of cutaneous leishmaniasis in other Brazilian areas, their participation in the transmission of the disease in this county is suggested. The diversity and evenness indexes in the domicile were the lowest due to the high frequency (83%) of Ny. whitmani. The capture of Lutzomyia longipalpis, rarely recorded in the south-eastern and southern regions of Minas Gerais, is also noteworthy.     

Synanthropy of Sarcophagidae (Diptera) in southeastern Brazil

Sarcophagidae (Diptera) are potential vectors of several pathogens. They are also very important in forensic entomology, providing basic information on the circumstances of death. The objective of this study was to determine the synanthropic index of adult Sarcophagidae collected in Rio Claro, state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. Sampling occurred between September 2009 and August 2010. Traps baited with sardines, beef liver, or minced meat were set for five consecutive days per month in three distinct ecological areas representing urban, rural, and forest environments. A total of 440 specimens of sarcophagids were collected. The most abundant species was Peckia (Sarcodexia) lambens (Wiedemann), followed by Oxysarcodexia thornax (Walker), Peckia (Euboettcheria) collusor (Curran & Walley), Peckia (Euboettcheria) sp., and Peckia (Pattonella) intermutans (Walker). The only species with positive synanthropic index values were O. thornax and P. (S.) lambens, which demonstrated a greater preference for inhabited areas. Peckia (Euboettcheria) florencioi (Prado & Fonseca), P. (P.) intermutans, and Peckia (Euboettcheria) australis (Townsend) were only found in the forested area, which demonstrates their importance in forensic entomology because of their preference for a particular type of environment. The greatest number of sarcophagids was found in the forest environment; however, only the forest and rural areas were significantly different in Sarcophagidae abundance.     

Villarsia cambodiana (Menyanthaceae) in southeastern Asia

A single, distinctive, vegetatively variable species of Villarsia occurs in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, and is correctly called V. cambodiana .     

Phorcotabanus cinereus (Wiedemann, 1821) (Diptera,Tabanidae), an ornithophilic species of Tabanid in Central Amazon,Brazil

In Central Amazon, Brazil, the tabanid Phorcotabanus cinereus (Wiedemann) was recorded attacking the native duck Cairina moschata (Linnaeus) (Anseriformes, Anatidae). The flight and behavior of the tabanid during the attacks and the host's defenses were videotaped and analyzed in slow motion. The tabanid was recorded flying rapidly around the heads of the ducks before landing. Landing always took place on the beak, and then the tabanid walked to the fleshy caruncle on the basal part of the beak to bite and feed. Firstly the duck defends itself through lateral harsh head movements, and then, when it is being bitten, it defends itself by rubbing its head on the body, or dipping the head into water, when swimming. If disturbed, the fly resumed the same pattern of flight as before and would generally try to land again on the same host and bite in the same place. This feeding activity was observed predominantly between 9:30 am and 4:30 pm and always in open areas, near aquatic environments, from June 1996 to January 1997, the dry season in Central Amazon. To test the attractiveness of other animals to P. cinereus, mammals, caimans and domestic and wild birds were placed in suitable habitat and the response of P. cinereus observed. P. cinereus did not attack these animals, suggesting that this species has a preference for ducks, which are plentiful in the region.