Systematics,biogeography and evolution of the endemic Hemidactylus geckos (Reptilia,Squamata, Gekkonidae) of the Cape Verde Islands: based on morphology and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences

A total of 1854 bp of mitochondrial DNA (669 bp of cytochrome b (cyt b) and 386 bp of 12S rRNA), and 804 bp of a nuclear gene (RAG2) were investigated in endemic Hemidactylus from eight Cape Verde Islands, and used to explore their phylogeny, biogeography and evolution. Maximum‐likelihood, maximum‐parsimony and Bayesian analyses based on mtDNA revealed four well‐supported clades with uncorrected genetic divergences of 7.8–12.4% in the cyt b plus 12S rRNA genes, which were also supported by nuclear DNA. A population from the southern island of Fogo is the most divergent in both molecules and morphology and is described as Hemidactylus lopezjuradoi sp. n., and the populations on Sal and Boavista are also assigned species status as H. boavistensis. Although divergent in their DNA, the clade on S. Nicolau and that in the north‐western islands are morphologically similar and both are assigned to H. bouvieri for the present. Hemidactylus b. razoensis from Raso is genetically similar to H. b. bouvieri and differs only in its smaller body size. A molecular clock suggests that the ancestor of the endemic Hemidactylus of the Cape Verde Islands colonized the archipelago approximately 10 ± 2.48 Mya, perhaps reaching the north‐eastern islands first. The H. lopezjuradoi lineage separated soon after, and the north‐western islands were colonized progressively but slowly, S. Nicolau probably being reached first, then S. Vicente and islands on the same bank, and finally Sto. Antão, which is likely to have been colonized less than 1 Mya. Hemidactylus boavistensis is abundant on the arid islands where it occurs, but H. bouvieri appears to have been uncommon at least since it was described 130 years ago, and the same may be true of H. lopezjuradoi sp. n. The impact of introduced H. angulatus and H. mabouia on the endemic Hemidactylus of the Cape Verde Islands is not clear, but the discovery of substantial genetic diversity in endemic Cape Verde Hemidactylus means that the conservation requirements of the group should be reassessed.     

Effects of body mass,temperature, and season on resting metabolism of the nocturnal gecko Hemidactylus flaviviridis

Abstract

The resting metabolic rate (RMR) of Hemidactylus flaviviridis was measured at different temperatures from 20 to 35°C during winter and summer acclimatization. The mass exponent b values ranged between 0.67 and 0.72. Winter-acclimatized geckos of various body masses had significantly lower RMRs than summer-acclimatized geckos only at 20°C. It seems that low thermal sensitivity for summer–acclimatized group may facilitate activity during its active seasons, and high thermal sensitivity between 20 and 25°C for winter–acclimatized group may conserve energy during inactivity in winter.     

Histochemical observations on the cortical granules in the eggs of Indian lizards

Summary The development, distribution and histochemical nature of cortical granules have been investigated in growing eggs of two species of Indian lizards (Hemidactylus flaviviridis Rüppel and Uromastix hardwickii). Numerous cortical granules develop in the peripheral ooplasm of growing oocytes and are finally arranged in the cortical cytoplasm of the egg. They consist of a carbohydrate-protein complex; most of the carbohydrate component is an acid mucopolysaccharide. The cortical granules in the eggs of lizards have been compared and contrasted to those in Amphioxus, fishes, amphibians, and mammals.     

Potential impacts of intraguild predation by invasive Asian house geckos

The introduction of the Asian house gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus, to mainland Australia has sparked considerable debate in regard to its potential impacts on native lizard species. Their historically patchy distribution across Australia has gained attention as populations have spread into peri‐urban and native bushland. Hemidactylus frenatus potentially pose a threat to native species through competition and predation. I documented some activity of H. frenatus during the day, including foraging, which may broaden the potential impacts to diurnal species. Here, I highlight (i) the potential impact of predation by H. frenatus on native lizards and (ii) the need for empirical studies directly quantifying competitive encounters, with special interest in intraguild predation.     

Systematic revision of the genus Reinboldiella (Ceramiaceae,Rhodophyta) from Taiwan based on comparative morphology and rbcL sequence analyses,including two new species of Reinboldiella

The genus Reinboldiella essentially consists of tiny, membranous blades, epiphytic on benthic red algae, with a wide distribution in the north-western Pacific Ocean (Taiwan, Korea and Japan). In this study, we re-examined the generitype R. schmitziana from Taiwan and neighbouring islands. Two new species of Reinboldiella, R. orientalis sp. nov. and R. taiwanensis sp. nov. are recognized from Taiwan based on comparative morphological studies and molecular analyses of RuBisCO large subunit (rbcL) gene sequences. Reinboldiella orientalis is characterized by its rosette-like appearance, with both erect and prostrate, membranous flat blades whereas R. taiwanensis is distinguishable by mainly consisting of erect, membranous blades with few, short prostrate blades in basal parts of the thalli. Thalli of R. schmitziana also have a rosette-like appearance, but their erect flat blades have cylindrical bases or stipes. The rbcL phylogenetic analyses also support the separation of R.‘schmitziana’ from Taiwan and R. schmitziana from Japan and Korea.     

Morphology of the stomach of the tropical house gecko Hemidactylus mabouia (Squamata: Gekkonidae)

Rodrigues Sartori, S. S., Nogueira, K. O. P. C., Rocha, A. S. and Neves, C. A. 2011. Morphology of the stomach of the tropical house gecko Hemidactylus mabouia (Squamata: Gekkonidae). —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 92 : 179–186. Hemidactylus mabouia is a common species in Brazil, which facilitates its use in research in several areas and allows display it as a benchmark for studies with reptiles. To study the morphology of the stomach of H. mabouia, we carried out anatomical, histological and histochemical analysis. The stomach of H. mabouia is ‘J’ shaped and can be divided into oral fundic (OF), aboral fundic (AF) and pyloric regions. The surface epithelium is composed of mucosecretory cells (MC) containing neutral mucins. In the lamina propria of the OF region, are large ramified tubulo‐acinar glands, which become smaller, less ramified and more tubular towards the AF region, and are simple tubular and short in the pyloric region. The fundic glands contain differentiated neck and pit. The neck is composed of MC containing neutral mucins and the pit is made of oxyntopeptic cells (OC). The OC of the OF region contained many zymogen granules, while those of the AF region contained few zymogen granules and many mitochondria, which suggests the existence of a gradient of pepsinogen and hydrochloric acid secretion. Pyloric glands consisted of MC containing neutral mucins and both argyrophil and argentaffin endocrine cells.     

First detection of the fruit fly Bactrocera synnephes (Diptera: Tephritidae) on Iriomote Island, south-western Japan

Bactrocera synnephes, a fruit fly species common in Taiwan, was first detected in Japan in 2006, when several male adults were trapped at Kanokawa, an uninhabited coastal area of Iriomote Island, Okinawa (200 km from Taiwan). To examine potential colonization by B. synnephes, we collected fruit of the wild gourd Diplocyclos palmatus (Cucurbitaceae), a host of the fruit fly, as well as other cucurbitaceous species, in Kanokawa and other areas of Iriomote Island. No B. synnephes infestation was found on any cucurbitaceous plants. Based on these results, we conclude that B. synnephes had very recently invaded Iriomote Island, possibly from Taiwan, but had failed to colonize. Bactrocera synnephes may have entered Iriomote Island by natural or human‐induced means, but a human‐induced invasion pathway is less likely in light of the non‐pest status of the species in Taiwan. The disappearance of B. synnephes from Iriomote Island may be related to the loss of host fruit as a result of tropical cyclones. Although B. synnephes is not regarded as a pest elsewhere, the pest status of the species is unclear in Okinawa, where no fruit fly pests currently attack commercial cucurbitaceous fruit. We must remain alert for possible re‐invasion by B. synnephes.     

A new large species of gecko of the genus Hemidactylus Oken, 1817 (Reptilia: Sauria: Gekkonidae) from the Eastern Ghats,India

A new large species of gecko superficially resembling Hemidactylus maculatus Duméril & Bibron and its allied large Hemidactylus is described from Eastern Ghats. The new species, Hemidactylus kangerensis sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from members of the H. maculatus complex based on the number of femoral pores, i.e. 18–21 on each side, separated medially by 4 non-pored scales. A phylogenetic analysis based on partial sequence of mitochondrial gene cytochrome b shows that the gecko is a member of the “H. prashadi” clade and is sister to H. maculatus, from which it differs in an uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence of 10%. The discovery of a new large gecko from Eastern Ghats advocates the need for biodiversity assessment across the neglected Eastern Ghats.     

The Genera Barrouxia,Defretinella, and Goussia of the Coccidian Family Barrouxiidae (Protozoa,Apicomplexa)1

The apicomplexan family Barrouxiidae Léger, 1911 is reviewed and revised on the basis of present information. It includes the genera Barrouxia Schneider, 1885 with ten named species, Defretinella Henneré, 1966 with one named species, and Goussia Labbé, 1896 with 25 named species. The family is characterized by having bivalved sporocysts with a longitudinal suture line. Available information, admittedly spotty, is given for each species on oocyst, sporocyst and sporozoite structure, and on locus of sporulation. The following seven new combinations are made: Goussia flaviviridis (Setna & Bana, 1935) n. comb. in the gecko Hemidactylus flaviviridis; G. hyalina (Léger, 1898) n. comb. in an unidentified aquatic beetle; G. lacazei (Labbé, 1895) n. comb. in the centipedes Lithobius forficatus and L. martini; G. metchnikovi (Laveran, 1897) n. comb. in the gobies Gobio gobio and G. albipinnatus; G. schaudinniana (Pinto, 1928) n. comb. in the centipede Lithobius forficatus; G. stankovitchi (Pinto, 1928) n. comb. in the small bleak Alburnus alburnus, the bream Abramis brama, and the red roach Scardinius erythrophthalmus; Goussia sp. (Dogel' Akhmerov, 1959) nov. comb. in the freshwater fish Gnathopogon chankaensis.     

Intraspecific genetic diversity of the endemic freshwater crab Candidiopotamon rathbunae (Decapoda, Brachyura, Potamidae) reflects five million years of the geological history of Taiwan

Aim Candidiopotamon rathbunae (Crustacea: Brachyura: Potamidae) is a freshwater crab endemic to Taiwan, with a distribution covering almost the entire island. Crab populations from different river systems cannot be distinguished morphologically. In this study, we investigate the phylogeography of C. rathbunae from 18 of the main river systems of Taiwan, in order to reveal geographical differentiation and cryptic endemism. We used specimens of two congeners (C. okinawense and C. kumejimense) and the closely related Amamiku amamensis from the Ryukyu Islands as outgroups. Location Taiwan, with the Ryukyu Islands (Japan) as the outgroup locality. Methods Mitochondrial DNA sequences encoding 553 basepairs of the large subunit rRNA (16S rRNA) gene were obtained from 96 specimens throughout Taiwan and the Ryukyus. We compared these sequences by means of phylogenetic analyses (minimum evolution, maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and a genealogical parsimony network) and molecular‐clock time estimates. Results The estimated timing of the corresponding separations clearly correlates with geological events during the Penglai Orogeny of Taiwan (c. 5 Ma) following the collision of the Philippine Sea plate with the Eurasian continental plate. A deep split of 6.29% sequence divergence was found between the eastern clade (S, SE, and E groups) and the western clade (NW, W, and SW groups) of C. rathbunae. Separation of these groups reflects the isolating effect of the uplift of the Taiwan Central Range (c. 5 Ma). The separation of the SW group from the W group, and of the E group from the SE group can also be explained by geological events during the Taiwanese orogeny, the estimated geological timing being in close accordance with our molecular dating. Main conclusions According to the molecular results, the ancestral Candidiopotamon was among the earliest non‐marine colonizers of Taiwan, settling on this island no later than the early Pliocene. Our molecular data reveal that C. rathbunae can be subdivided into six groups in accordance with geography.     

Ultrastructural changes in skeletal muscle of the tail of the lizard Hemidactylus mabouia immediately following autotomy

Araújo, T.H., Faria, F.P., Katchburian, E. and Freymüller, E. (2009). Ultrastructural changes in skeletal muscle of the tail of the lizard Hemidactylus mabouia immediately following autotomy. —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91 : 440–446. Although autotomy and subsequent regeneration of lizard tails has been extensively studied, there is little information available on ultrastructural changes that occur to the muscle fibers at the site of severance. Thus, in the present study, we examine the ultrastructure of the musculature of the remaining tail stump of the lizard Hemidactylus mabouia immediately after autotomy. Our results show that exposed portions of the skeletal muscle fibers of the stump that are unprotected by connective tissue bulge to produce large mushroom‐like protrusions. These exposed portions show abnormal structure but suffer no leakage of cytoplasmic contents. Many small and large vesicular structures appeared between myofibrils in the interface at this disarranged region (distal) and the other portion of the fibers that remain unchanged (proximal). These vesicles coalesce, creating a gap that leads to the release of the mushroom‐like protrusion. So, our results showed that after the macroscopic act of autotomy the muscular fibers release part of the sarcoplasm as if a second and microscopic set of autotomic events takes place immediately following the macroscopic act of autotomy. Presumably these changes pave the way for the formation of a blastema and the beginning of regeneration.     

Allozyme Variation and the Genetic Structure of Populations of Trochodendron aralioides, a Monotypic and Narrow Geographic Genus

Trochodendron aralioides Siebold & Zucc., a primitive angiosperm that is insect-pollinated, has wind-dispersed seeds and grows only in eastern Asia. Nineteen populations were analyzed, including 16 from Taiwan, two from the main islands of Japan and one from Iriomote Island in the Ryukyu Islands. Genetic variability (0.133) at the species level was more similar to that of a narrow geographic species than an endemic species. Based on genotype frequencies, mating within populations was non-random (F _{I s}=0.065) and there was significant genetic differentiation (F _ST =0.164) among populations. Genetic diversity was largely within, rather than among, populations (H _s =0.132, 85.14%). Bisexual flowers of T. aralioides exhibit synchronized dimorphism. The protogynous and protandrous morphs are self-incompatible, which probably promotes outcrossing and contributes to the high levels of heterozygosity within populations. Using a maximum likelihood tree, populations of T. aralioides were separated into two distinct clusters: Japan and Taiwan/ Iriomote Island. Populations of T. aralioides on Iriomote Island and in northern Taiwan exhibited a high degree of genetic similarity. The isolation-by-distance model does not fit populations in Taiwan, but suitably describes the relationship between populations of T. aralioides in Japan and Taiwan. Received 28 April 2000/ Accepted in revised form 13 December 2000     

Genetic introgression between an introduced babbler, the Chinese hwamei Leucodioptron c. canorum, and the endemic Taiwan hwamei L. taewanus: a multiple marker systems analysis

Identification of interspecific hybrids is often a subject of primary concern in the development of conservation strategies. Here we performed a genetic analysis combining mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphic sites (SNPs) to assay the level of hybridization and introgression between an introduced babbler, Chinese hwamei Leucodioptron canorus, and its close relative, the endemic Taiwan hwamei L. taewanus in Taiwan. Fifty‐five Chinese hwameis from the Asian mainland and 69 Taiwan hwameis, including nine morphological hybrids, were sampled and analyzed. Evidences of mitochondrial introgression were found in three hybrids and one Taiwan hwamei. Five unlinked interspecific SNPs were identified at nine anonymous nuclear loci with interspecific differentiation (total Fst=0.77) that was much higher than that at seven highly polymorphic microsatellite loci combined (total Fst=0.1). Bayesian cluster analysis based on five interspecific SNP loci and two highly differentiated microsatellite loci (Fst>0.08) suggested that twelve individuals sampled in Taiwan were likely F2 or backcross hybrids, among which eight were morphological intermediates. A total of 20.3% (14/69) individuals sampled in Taiwan were suggested to be hybrids, suggesting that fitness reduction in hybrids might be negligible. These results imply that without an effective management strategy, the entire Taiwan hwamei population could easily become an admixed with Chinese hwamei and loose its evolutionary integrity. To reduce introgressive hybridization, illegal trade of Chinese hwamei should be strictly regulated and only the expensive male Chinese hwameis should be legally imported to minimize the chance for Chinese hwameis being released into the field. In our study we also found interspecific SNP markers to outperform microsatellite loci in detecting hybridization and introgression between two closely related species, which may be ascribed to the lower level of homoplasy of SNP loci.     

The invasion and potential impact of the Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) in Australia

Hemidactylus frenatus is an Asian gecko that has spread pantropically to become one the world's most widespread reptiles. It has been established in Australia for approximately 50 years, but the last two decades have seen massive range expansion across settled areas of northern and eastern Australia; and this spread continues at pace. Disturbingly, H. frenatus is increasingly being detected in natural habitats in Australia, in some cases at high densities. Despite rampant spread, there has been little concern regarding the potential impact of this species on native geckos or natural systems more broadly. This is surprising given that Australia is a centre of gecko origin and diversity, and that H. frenatus has had well documented detrimental impacts on geckos in other parts of its introduced range. Here I review the biology and global distribution of H. frenatus, plot its spread in Australia over the five decades since establishment, and review the research on invasive populations of this species overseas and in Australia to assess potential impacts. I argue that Australia should be more concerned about H. Frenatus because: (i) it is spreading rapidly across northern, eastern and central Australia; (ii) it can invade natural habitats; (iii) it is a very strong competitor and may out‐compete Australian geckos in some situations; and (iv) it carries novel parasites that may impact native reptile species. Hemidactylus frenatus is here to stay and represents a potential threat to Australia's diversity and ecology. A key question is the degree to which it will invade natural habitats and what its impacts will be in these. Research is required to assess the current and potential impacts of H. frenatus in Australia so as to determine how these can be managed and the level of investment warranted.     

Species diversity and distribution of the calcareous green macroalgae Halimeda in Taiwan,Spratly Island,and Dongsha Atoll,with the proposal of Halimeda taiwanensis sp. nov.

The calcified green algal genus Halimeda is one of the most ecologically important but morphologically diverse seaweeds in sub-tropical and tropical waters. Because of its high morphological plasticity, the identification of Halimeda species based on morphological characters is challenging without the assistance of molecular analysis. To date, the species diversity of Halimeda in Taiwan and its overseas territories has not been investigated with the assistance of DNA sequencing, and this taxonomic knowledge gap should be filled. The present study initiates a systematic examination of the species diversity and distribution of Halimeda in Taiwan, Spratly Island, and Dongsha Atoll in the South China Sea, using DNA sequence data (plastid tufA gene and rbcL) and morphological data. Our DNA analyses revealed the presence of 10 Halimeda species (Halimeda borneensis, Halimeda cylindracea, Halimeda discoidea, Halimeda distorta, Halimeda macroloba, Halimeda minima, Halimeda opuntia, Halimeda renschii, Halimeda taiwanensis sp. nov., and Halimeda velasquezii) in the waters around Taiwan, Spratly Island, and Dongsha Atoll. The majority of the species could be readily distinguished by their morphological and anatomical characters. The proposed new species, H. taiwanensis, was differentiated not only by our algorithmic species delimitation analyses (statistical parsimony network analysis and automated barcode gap discovery), but also by its morphological features. The proposed new species differs from two externally resembled species, H. cuneata and H. discoidea, in having an undulated segment margin, the complete fusion of medullary siphons at the node, the lack of segment stalk, and the presence of a large primary utricle. Here, we present the up-to-date taxonomic account, molecular diversity, and geographical distribution of Halimeda spp. in Taiwan and associated areas of the South China Sea. Environmental factors that might drive the occurrence and latitudinal distribution of the species are also discussed.     

Molecular systematics and phylogeography of the gigantic earthworms of the Metaphire formosae species group (Clitellata, Megascolecidae)

The earthworms of the Metaphire formosae species group distributed in Taiwan are members of the Pheretima complex within the Megascolecidae. In this study, the systematics and phylogeography of this species group were investigated using DNA sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), 16S ribosomal (r)RNA, and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (ND1). The results indicated that the 13 taxa of the M. formosae species group form a clade, including a cryptic species discovered in this study. In addition, Metaphire hengchunensis (James, S.W., Shih, H.-T., Chang, H.-W., 2005. Seven new species of Amynthas (Clitellata: Megascolecidae) and new earthworm records from Taiwan. J. Nat. Hist. 39, 1007-1028) should be regarded as a subspecies of Metaphire paiwanna Tsai, C.-F., Shen, H.-P., Tsai, S.-C., 2000a. Native and exotic species of terrestrial earthworm (Oligochaeta) in Taiwan with reference to Northeast Asia. Zool. Stud. 39, 285-294, Tsai, C.-F., Tsai, S.-C., Liaw, G.-J., 2000b. Two new species of pontandric pheretimoid earthworms belonging to the genus Metaphire (Megascolecidae: Oligochaeta) from Taiwan. J. Nat. Hist. 34, 1731-1741, and Metaphire bununa glareosa Tsai et al. 2000 should be elevated to specific status. Phylogeographical inferences showed that allopatric speciation occurred in this species group during the rapid uplift of the main island of Taiwan between 5.0 and 2.5 million years ago. Our analysis exposes non-monophyly within each of the genera Amynthas and Metaphire, and more generally within the Pheretima complex. Further revisions of this speciose complex are urgently needed.     

Interactions between native and invasive gecko lizards in tropical Australia

Invasive geckos of the genus Hemidactylus (Gekkonidae) are spreading rapidly through urban environments in many tropical and subtropical parts of the world. The invaders have caused rapid declines in native gecko abundance in some areas, but their interactions with Australian native species remain unknown. In a small rural village near Darwin, we found that Hemidactylus frenatus is abundant around both lighted and unlighted buildings, but rarely found in surrounding bushland. It is sympatric with the larger Gehyra australis (Gekkonidae) in this disturbed site, and often forages on the same buildings, but is active mostly during the dry‐season (vs. wet‐season for G. australis) and is competitively subordinate to the larger native species. In laboratory encounters, H. frenatus fled from G. australis, and modified its refuge‐site use in the presence of the native lizard. In those same trials, the native gecko often attacked and rarely fled; and did not shift its refuge‐site selection. In field surveys, the two taxa frequently co‐occurred. However, substrate use of the invasive H. frenatus was modified by the presence of the native G. australis, consistent with competitive displacement. Our counts of H. frenatus were highest during the dry‐season, when G. australis (like most other small native reptiles) is relatively inactive. The invasive gecko thus appears to be exploiting a ‘vacant niche’ around buildings, rather than displacing the native gecko taxon. This outcome may reflect the size disparity between the native species and the invader; Hemidactylus frenatus may well have significant ecological impacts on smaller native lizards.     

Pleistocene speciation of freshwater crabs (Crustacea: Potamidae: Geothelphusa) from northern Taiwan and southern Ryukyus, as revealed by phylogenetic relationships

The phylogenetic relationship among freshwater crab species of Geothelphusa from northern Taiwan and the Yaeyama Group of islands (including Iriomote and Ishigaki) in the southern Ryukyus was studied using the mitochondrial genes 16S rRNA and COI. Our results support the hypothesis that speciation of Geothelphusa among these islands was the result of cyclic glaciations and interglaciations during the Pleistocene. Two main clades, one the Taiwan Group (containing several clades, including most Taiwanese Geothelphusa species except Geothelphusa miyazakii but including Geothelphusa minei from Yaeyama), was estimated to be separated from its sister group, the southern Ryukyus-northern Taiwan (SRN) clade (including G. miyazakii, Geothelphusa shokitai, Geothelphusa fulva and G. marginata from northern Taiwan, the Pinnacle Islands [=Diaoyutai Islands or Senkaku Islands] and Yaeyama) at about 5.3 million years ago (mya). G. shokitai was separated from others within the SRN clade at 2.4 mya, but was probably derived from G. miyazakii in northern Taiwan. The ancestor of G. miyazakii is hypothesised to have dispersed from ancestors in Yaeyama and then isolated at 2.0 mya during the Pleistocene interglaciations. This is similar to the speciation of G. minei in Yaeyama at 1.5 mya, except that its ancestors originated from north-eastern Taiwan. Four clades of freshwater crabs are present in the Fushan Botanical Garden, located in the mountainous area of north-eastern Taiwan, which might be due to the historical rearrangements of the drainage and proximity of the various river origins.     

Female reproductive cycles in the northernmost populations of the two gekkonid lizards,Hemidactylus frenatus andLepidodactylus lugubris

Lepidodactylus lugubris, a parthenogenetic gekkonid lizard of possible tropical origin, occurs on Kita-Daitojima Island of the Ryukyu Archipelago and lays eggs almost throughout the year. The oviposition season of the sympatric population of another primary tropical, but bisexual gecko,Hemidactylus frenatus, is confined to between April and September. Laboratory experiments indicate that the hatching ratio of the egg reduces with the decrease of incubation temperature in both species. Some eggs ofL. lugubris develop at 14°C of ambient temperature, wheras eggs ofH. frenatus always die at temperatures of 18°C or lower. Examinations of stomach contents and fat body mass in the monthly samples suggest that food availability is not severely low for the geckos even during the winter, rejecting the previous assumption that food stress suppresses vitellogenesis inH. frenatus. No other environmental factors that may induce reproductive seasonality as phenotypic physiological responses were detected either. Tropical populations ofH. frenatus andL. lugubris are known to lack distinct annual reproductive cyclicity. Thus, it is probable that the East AsianH. frenatus has evolved the winter quiescence of reproduction, presumably due to the poor embryonic tolerance of low temperatures. The absence of such seasonality in the sympatricL. lugubris seems to be attributable to its clonal nature which predicts the low genetic variability of the population from the colonization stage.     

入境台湾果蔬3种重要有害生物的危害与防控

围绕入境台湾果蔬涉及的重要有害生物,在收集文献资料基础上,从传入和扩散、传入后的危害以及在中国大陆的适生区预测等3个方面阐述了橘小实蝇、三叶草斑潜蝇和螺旋粉虱在中国大陆的灾变过程。橘小实蝇、三叶草斑潜蝇和螺旋粉虱等3种有害生物相继传入台湾之后,分别经历了22年、17年和8年时间又相继传入中国大陆,且两者相距时间有缩短的趋势。橘小实蝇和三叶草斑潜蝇传入大陆后,得到迅速扩散蔓延,给大陆果蔬生产和贸易造成重大影响;而螺旋粉虱目前分布局限在海南,并在局部地区造成较严重的危害。台湾发生的有害生物在中国大陆均有较大范围的适生区,即便是已传入数十年的橘小实蝇,因气候等条件的变化,其在中国适生区也在扩大之中。根据分析结果,从有害生物风险分析、口岸查验和检疫、入侵害虫的监测与防控等方面提出有效管控入境台湾果蔬有害生物的对策措施。