Species composition and ecological peculiarities of the blood-sucking mosquito genus Ochlerotatus (cantans and dorsalis species groups) (Diptera, Culicidae) in the Novgorod Region

Seven mosquito species of the genus Ochlerotatus ("cantans" and "dorsalis" species groups, family Culicidae) were found in the Novgorod Region as a result of our field investigations, which have been carried out in 1996-2004. One species, Ochlerotatus annulipes, was for the first time recorded in the Novgorod Region. Distribution, biotopic and seasonal preferences of all discovered species are considered.     

Regionalization of the territory of St. Petersburg and leningrad province in connection with the distribution of blood-sucking dipterans

Analysis of the species composition of the blood-sucking flies in different landscapes of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Province (the Region) was performed with the use of a specially developed database (DB), combining material of the collection of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, published data, and results of the recent studies (Aibulatov, 2009). In all, 165 species from 30 genera of blood-sucking mosquitoes, biting midges, blackflies, and horseflies are known from 255 localities in the Region. The gnus fauna of the eastern territories of Leningrad Province is still poorly known. The set of the commonest species is determined. The territory of the Region is subdivided into 10 subregions based on the parameters of the local climate, water supply, and natural drainage. The gnus fauna in each subregion is briefly characterized. The classification of the hydrolandscapes proposed earlier for Novgorod Province (Medvedev and Panyukova, 2005; Panyukova and Medvedev, 2008) is only partly applicable to the Region which lacks large lakes and rivers with floodlands where small water bodies providing places for larval development of bloodsucking insects can be formed. Constant population densities of certain species of the gnus complex are favored by underground water supply of the large rivers in the Region, whose tributaries run from the bogs and transitional mires in the interfluves.     

Species composition and ecological peculiarities of the blood-sucking mosquito genus Ochlerotatus (communis species group) (Diptera: Culicidae) of the Novgorod Province

Eleven mosquito species of the communis species group (genus Ochlerotatus, family Culicidae) were found in the Novgorod Province as a result of nine-year investigations (1996-2004). Ochlerotatus impiger, O. nigrinus, and O. sticticus are recorded in the Novgorod Province for the first time.     

A new microsporangiate organ from the Lower Carboniferous of the Novgorod Region,Russia

A new species of the genus Telangiopsis, T. nonnae O. Orlova et Zavialova, was described on the basis of a microsporangiate organ from the Lower Carboniferous deposits of the Novgorod Region. The morphology of branching fertile axes, synangia, and sporangia was thoroughly studied. The three-dimensional system of fertile axes branches monopodially; ultimate axes bear numerous connivent bunches of synangia, which consist of three to six basally fused elongated ovate sporangia. The morphology and ultrastructure of prepollen grains were studied, which were extracted from the rock matrix surrounding the sporangia. The two-layered exine includes a well-developed endexine and an alveolate ectexine, with one-three rows of large thin-walled alveolae. The new species was compared with other Early Carboniferous microsporangiate organs.     

On high-armor bothriolepidid placoderms (Pisces,Placodermi, Bothriolepididae) from the Upper Devonian of the southern Ural Mountains and Kuznetsk Coal Basin

The bothriolepidid placoderms Bothriolepis markovskii sp. nov. from the southern Ural Mountains and Bothriolepididae gen. et sp. indet. from the Kuznetsk Coal Basin are described. The new species from the southern Ural Mountains has a high dorsal crest, resembling in this character Scottish B. cristata Traquair, Australian B. gippslandiensis Hills and B. cullodenensis Long, and B. heckeri Lukševičs from the Novgorod Region. The bothriolepidid from the Kuznetsk Coal Basin is similar to Bothriolepis from central Poland and Livnolepis from European Russia. The new finds expand the diversity and distribution of crested bothriolepidid antiarchs. Apparently, the high bone dorsal crest developed in parallel in the exoskeleton of different both-riolepidid groups.     

Composition of the fauna and the communities’ structure of the Cicadina (Homoptera) in the lowland Trans-Volga woodlands

179 species of 7 families of the Cicadina were found in the lowland Trans-Volga woodlands within Nizhniy Novgorod Province, the Republic of Mari El, and Chuvashia. Thirty-tree commonest species were distinguished, and their abundance was compared. Comparison of the species composition of the Cicadina complexes in the model biotopes has shown the greatest similarity between the complexes in the birch forests and spruce forests.     

Structure of populations and ecological nishes of ectoparasites in the parasite communities of small forest mammals

The paper reports the results of eight-year investigations on the ectoparasites of rodents and insectivores carried out in southern taiga of the Ilmen-Volkhov lowland (Novgorod Region) and Kurgolovsky reserve (Leningrad Region). Twelve species of small mammals were captured including three dominate species--bank vole Clethrionomys glareolus (2722 specimens), common shrew Sorex araneus (1658 specimens), and wood mouse Apodemus uralensis (367 specimens). Parasite community of the bank vole comprises 34 species of mites, ticks, and insects, the community of common shrew comprises 25 species, and the community of A. uralensis includes 28 species. Taxonomic diversity of the ectoparasite communities was shown to be based on the diversity of types of parasitism and ecological nishes of the host body. Permanent ectoparasites are found to be represented by 2 species of lie and 14 species of acariform mites. The group of temporary parasites includes 13 species of fleas, 10 species of gamasid mites. 3 ixodid species and 1 Trombiculidae. There is a common pool of temporary parasites of small mammals in the ecological system of taiga. Significance of different shrew and rodent species as hosts were found to be dependent on the population density in possible hosts and many other factors. Species diversity in the parasite communities of different small mammal species is dependent on the number of possible ecological nishes in the host body. Actual infill of these nishes by ectoparasites is usually lesser than potential one. Species composition of temporary parasites, their occurrence and abundance changes according to season. Interspecific competition in the temporary parasite species can decrease because of the seasonal disjunction of their population peaks. Diversification of the ecological niches of ectoparasites allow simultaneous feeding of more parasite individuals on one host, than in the case of parasitising of single species or several species with similar ecological nishes. The distribution of parasites on their hosts was also studied. The aggregative distribution has been found in ixodid larvae only, and the distribution of fleas was close to the Poisson distribution. Deviations from the aggregative distribution can be an effect of several independent factors, including limited ability of small mammals for providing numerous parasites with food. On the most part of hosts simultaneous parasitizing of no more than 1-3 individuals of each tick, mite, and flea species was registered. Excessive infestation by ectoparasites may probably be limited by effective reactions of self-purification in the mammal hosts.     

Addition to the fauna of mosquitoes of the family Culicidae (Diptera) of the Novgorod region

Mosquitoes of 26 species of the family Culicidae were found in the Novgorod Province. During the researches in 1996-2001, five new species for the region were found: Aedes annulipes, Ae. impiger, Ae. riparius riparius, Ae. rossicus and Culex torrentium.     

Gene pool of the Novgorod population: Between the north and the south

We studied the Y-chromosome pool of the ethnic Russian population of Novgorod oblast (Russia) by 49 SNP and 17 STR markers. The total sample (N = 191) consists of four populations of the Novgorod region, including its southwestern (Shelon Pyatina) and eastern (Bezhetsk Pyatina) parts. Altogether, these four populations represent both the area of the Sopki archaeological culture (supposedly linked with the Novgorod Slovens tribe known from the chronicles) and the area of the Long Barrows culture (supposedly linked with the Krivichi Slavic tribe or with Balts). The pronounced genetic differences between southern and northern Russian populations are well known from previous studies; however, the Novgorod gene pool turned out to be neither northern nor southern, but a representative of the intermediate buffer zone. This zone was identified in this study and included a set of regional Russian populations from Pskov in the west to Kostroma in the east. All four studied populations of Novgorod region are genetically similar. The minor differences among them might represent the medieval Slavic migrations along the rivers, which survived despite the massive demographic shifts during the following history. Haplogroup N3 comprises one-fifth of the Novgorod pool of paternal lineages, with conditionally “Finnic” N3a4 and conditionally “East Baltic Sea Coast” N3a3 clades being almost equally frequent. The N3a3 phylogenetic network revealed the specific “Balto-Slavic” cluster of STR haplotypes, which is frequent in Baltic-speaking Lithuanians but infrequent in Finno-Ugric speaking Estonians. The Novgorod haplotypes lie outside this cluster, indicating that the Novgorod population received both N3a3 and N3a4 from Finno-Ugric speaking populations of the region, which, in turn, acquired the Mesolithic gene pool of the Northeastern Europe.     

Epidemic strains of different plasmidovars of bacteria from Shigella genus

Plasmid analysis of 46 strains of Shigella species confirmed the view about heterogeneity and variability of plasmids composition in these microorganisms. On the other hand,the presence of low-molecular, multiplicated extrachromosomal replicons, which were stable, was shown. Using them, it was possible to divide the Shigella isolates into two major plasmidovars, characterize them according to repertoire of the most stable plasmids and determine epidemically significant variants during sporadic and outbreak incidence of shigellosis in towns Nizhny Novgorod and Kstovo (Nizhny Novgorod region).     

Midges of the genus Culicoides (Ceratopogonidae) and an evaluation of the critical level of their population that bothers humans

The fauna of some species of the genus Culicoides in the forests of the Novgorod region was studied. The method of calculatin "on person" has shown that C. riethi and C. punctatus are dominant species. The critical level of abundance of midges disturbing people in recreation areas was determined (6 to 10 bites of C. riethi midges for 15 minutes). It was noted that people avoided recreation areas if the number of bites was over 40 for 15 minutes of calculation "on person".     

Ecologocenotical characteristics of the herbaceous cover along the highways of Nizhny Novgorod

A total of 86 species of vascular plants have been found in the studied territories along the highways of Nizhny Novgorod. Asteraceae, Poaceae, and Fabaceae play a great role in the taxonomic structure of herbs. Cyperaceae and Rosaceae are less important. Among the ecologocenotical groups, meadow species form the basis of the herbaceous cover, but their participation diminishes at distances of 1–3 m from the highways. Herbaceous plants include also flowering meadow species, which play an indispensable aesthetic role.     

A new lycopod, Novgorodendron conophorum gen. et sp. nov., from the Lower Carboniferous of the Moscow Syneclise

A new lycopod, Novgorodendron conophorum gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Upper Visean deposits of the Kamenka River, near the town of Borovichi (Novgorod Region). The morphology of the leaf cushions of the new plant implies its intermediate position between the families Sublepidodendraceae Chaloner et Boureau and Lepidodendraceae Endlicher. The bases of the leaf cushions have peculiar conical appendages, a previously unknown morphological feature not recorded from other lycopods. We propose the term basal conical appendages for them. The interpretation of some epidermal elements in the leaf cushions of the Lepidodendraceae is revised. The structures of the leaf cushions that were previously treated as either stomata or cells with cystoliths are shown to be sunken multicellular trichomes.     

Mitochondrial Heteroplasmy in Marsh Frog (Pelophylax ridibundus Pallas, 1771)

Russian Journal of Genetics - The population features of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of P. ridibundus Pallas, 1771 and related species of green frogs from Nizhny Novgorod and Sverdlovsk...     

A new species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Siteroptes</Emphasis> (Acari,Heterostigmata, Pygmephoridae) from European Russia

A new species, Siteroptes longisetissimus Khaustov et Ermilov sp. n., is described from European Russia (Nizhnii Novgorod Province). The new species differs from all the congeners in the presence of very small oval stigmata and in the absence of setae v on femora III and IV. A key to families of the superfamily Pygmephoroidea is provided.     

The species composition and distribution of diatom algae in sphagnum bogs in European Russia: The Polistovo-Lovatskii land tract

The species composition of diatom algae in the Polistovo-Lovatskii sphagnum tract (Rdeiskoye bog, Novgorod oblast) \are studied. The systematic and ecological-geographical analyses of the flora are performed. A total of 256 species and intraspecific taxa differing in ecological specificities and frequencies of occurrence in samples are revealed. A considerable number of centric diatoms is found. It is shown that primary and secondary diatom communities are formed in large sphagnum tracts. The horizontal heterogeneity of diatom communities in sphagnum bog is revealed. The species diversities of diatom algae in different bogs are compared.     

中国阿勒泰地区鸟类物种编目、丰富度格局和区系组成

中国阿勒泰地区位于新疆北部, 与哈萨克斯坦、俄罗斯、蒙古国交界, 该区包含阿尔泰山及山前荒漠和绿洲, 属于全球200个生物多样性最丰富和最具代表性生态区之一的阿尔泰-萨彦岭生物热点地区。阿勒泰地区生境多样, 鸟类物种资源丰富。尽管以往曾在阿勒泰地区进行过一些鸟类调查, 但对于该地区不同景观和生境类型中鸟类物种丰富度和分布尚无详尽报道。本文通过2013-2016年在中国境内阿尔泰山及山前平原地区对不同生境类型中的鸟类进行实地调查, 并总结文献资料及观鸟爱好者的记录数据, 重新整理了阿勒泰地区鸟类名录及地理分布, 分析了鸟类的物种组成、区系成分; 通过鸟类分布位点数据, 选取气候、土地覆被类型、人类足迹指数及地形共4类环境因子作为自变量建立MaxEnt生态位模型, 通过模拟77种鸟类的适宜分布区并叠加分布图层, 获得了阿勒泰地区的鸟类物种丰富度分布格局。结果表明: 阿勒泰共记录鸟类344种, 隶属19目55科149属, 其中雀形目163种。在垂直海拔带上, 鸟类物种数分别为高山裸岩带24种, 高山草甸带35种, 山地森林草原带172种, 低山灌木带130种, 荒漠草原带84种, 平原绿洲带173种, 以及各海拔带的湿地与水域生境中水鸟92种; 在区系成分上, 以北方型鸟类为主(170种, 占49.4%), 其次为广布种(93种, 占27.0%)。阿尔泰山地的鸟类区系呈现出西伯利亚动物区系特征, 山前平原地区呈现蒙新区分布特征, 因此, 阿勒泰地区动物地理区系属于古北界欧洲-西伯利亚亚界阿尔泰-萨彦岭区阿尔泰亚区; 山前平原地区属于古北界中亚亚界蒙新区西部荒漠亚区。MaxEnt模型推测阿勒泰地区山前平原绿洲地区、山地森林草原带和低山灌木带具有较高的鸟类物种丰富度, 尤其是额尔齐斯河流域下游的绿洲带宽阔, 鸟类物种丰富, 而高山区和荒漠生境中鸟类物种相对较少。模型预测的结果与实际调查情况相符。阿勒泰地区应采用生态友好的经济发展策略, 加强对乔木和灌木的保护, 这有助于维持较高的鸟类物种多样性。此外, 降低生境破碎化不仅对该地区物种保护有重要作用, 也对维持阿尔泰-萨彦岭生物热点地区的山地鸟类多样性有重要意义。     

A new species of mites of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bakerdania</Emphasis> (Acari,Heterostigmata, Pygmephoridae) from European Russia

The new species, Bakerdania canabae found in barley grain in Nizhnii Novgorod brewery, is described. The new species is similar to B. bavarica (Krczal, 1959), but differs in the absence of apodemae 5 and pinnaculum at the base of seta tc″ on tibiotarsus 1.