New moth flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Psychodinae) from Turkey

Specimens of moth flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Psychodinae) were sampled in southwest Anatolia and the European part of Turkey between 2003 and 2009. Samples contained nine species new to science: Ulomyia asiaminorica sp. n., Pneumia pellucida sp. n., Berdeniella turcica sp. n., B. aktashi sp. n., Clytocerus thracicus sp. n., Jungiella afyonica sp. n., J. geniculatoides sp. n., J. barlasi sp. n., and Telmatoscopus remotus sp.n. The new species are described and illustrated. Distributional data for a total of 45 species are provided. 63 species of Psychodinae are now known to occur in Turkey.     

Asterocherids (Copepoda; Siphonostomatoida) associated with invertebrates from California Reefs: Abrolhos (Brazil)

Four new asterocherid siphonostomatoid copepods are described, and several new geographical and host records are provided from California Reefs off the coast of Brazil. Acontiophorus monanchorae sp. nov. and Scottocheres youngi sp. nov. were both found associated with the sponge Monanchora sp. Asterocheres aplysinus sp. nov. and Asterocheres spongus sp. nov. were each associated with three genera of sponges. Asterocheres crenulatus previously recorded from the region, was associated with the sponge Xestospongia sp. Asterocheres paraboecki was recorded for the first time in the region. Asterocheres spinopaulus, previously reported from sponges, was found associated with bryozoans and cnidarians. Cletopontius titanus and Orecturus bahiensis were again recorded from the region and from sponges. Scottocheres laubieri, previously known from the Mediterranean Sea, was recorded for the first time in Brazilian waters, associated with the sponge Aplysina sp.     

Species Diversity of Japanese Clusiidae (Diptera: Acalyptrata) with description of 12 new species

The Japanese Clusiidae are revised and 23 species, including 12 species new to science, are recognized and keyed. Clusiodes angulosus n. sp., Clusiodes discostylus n. sp., Clusiodes tobi n. sp., Clusiodes usikumuri n. sp., Craspedochaeta varicolor n. sp., Heteromeringia crenulata n. sp., Heteromeringia quadrispinosa n. sp., Heteromeringia sexramifera n. sp., Heteromeringia yamata n. sp., Phylloclusia quadrivittata n. sp., Sobarocephala uncinata n. sp., and Tetrameringia borealis n. sp. were described as new. Distribution records were compiled and mapped. Transitional climatic zone between the warm and cool temperate zones is possibly suggested as one of the most richest temperate area in terms of Japanese clusiid species richness. Hendelia beckeri Czerny 1903, Paraclusia japonica Sasakawa 1957, and Clusiodes plumosus Sasakawa 1964 are broadly distributed over all the Japanese temperate forests, but these are not always most abundant species. The clusiid assemblage was heterogeneous in the species composition among various forest types. The femalebiased sample caught by Malaise traps and distinction of clusiid species composition between temperate and subtropical zones are also pointed out.     

Modern pollen assemblages from Reasi (Jammu and Kashmir), India: a tool for interpreting fossil pollen records

Twenty five surface samples/moss cushions were collected for palynological analysis from open areas of Reasi District, Jammu and Kashmir (India). These samples were used to investigate the relationships between extant vegetation and modern pollen spectra, which serve as modern analogue for the reliable ecological interpretation of fossil pollen records. The present vegetation in the region comprises tropical dry deciduous forests and subtropical pine forests with scattered stands of oak. The pollen analysis reveals that Pinus sp. (average 69% in the pollen assemblages), amongst the conifers, dominates the pollen rain, which can be attributed to its high pollen productivity and exceptional pollen dispersal efficiency. Cedrus sp. and Podocarpus sp. pollen contribute with an average of 16 and 5% to the total pollen rain. Other conifers such as Picea sp., Abies sp., Juniperus sp. and Tsuga sp., as well as broad-leaved taxa such as Quercus sp., Alnus sp., Betula sp., Carpinus sp., Corylus sp., Juglans sp., Ulmus sp., Salix sp., Elaeocarpus sp., Mallotus sp. and Aesculus sp., have lower averages of 1 to 4.5% in the total pollen rain which could be either due to their poor pollen dispersal efficiency or to the poor preservation in the samples. Tubuliflorae (average 25%), Poaceae (average 6.26%), Cerealia and other crop plants (average 7.68%) are other prominent taxa in the pollen rain. The nearly complete absence of members of tropical dry deciduous forests in the pollen spectra likely is due to the fact that most species in this vegetation type are not wind pollinated.     

Bacterial communities in a crude oil gathering and transferring system (China)

Bacterial communities in crude oil and oil field production water samples from an oil gathering and transferring system in Changqing Oil field in China were investigated by 16S rRNA denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis followed by gene cloning and sequencing. DGGE profiles showed that bacterial communities are far more rich in the water samples than that in the crude oil samples, and that bacteria related to Ochrobactrum sp. and Stenotrophomonas sp. were detected in all crude oil and oil field water samples. Bacteria related to Burkholderia sp., Brevundimonas sp., and Propionibacterium sp. were detected in the crude oil samples but not in water samples. Bacteria related to Hippea sp., Acidovorax sp., Arcobacter sp., Pseudomonas sp., Thiomicrospira sp., Brevibacterium sp., Tissierella sp. and Peptostreptococcus sp. were detected in the water samples but not in crude oil samples. Using an archaea-specific primer set, methanogens related to Methanomicrobials and Methanosarcinales were found in water samples but not in crude oil samples. The comparability of the microbial communities in the water and crude oil phase during the period of oil gathering and transferring process was 83.3% and 88.2%, respectively, indicating a stable structure of the microbial communities.     

The marine algae of Orkney

Six species are described and compared with related algae. All were isolated in culture from terrestrial habitats on Signy Island, South Orkney Islands, Antarctica. They are: Botrydiopsis constricta sp. nov. (Mischococcales, Xanthophyceae), Heterothrix antarctica sp. nov. (Tribonematales, Xanthophyceae), Sphaerocystis oleifera sp. nov. (Chlorococcales, Chlorophyceae), Sphaerocystis signiensis sp. nov., Sphaerocystis bilobata sp. nov. and Fottea pyrenoidosa sp. nov. (Ulothricales, Chlorophyceae).     

Studies on epiphytic flora of a tropical rain forest in Southwestern Nigeria

Bark microflora of 12 rainforest trees were examined. Crustose, foliose, and fruticose forms of lichens were observed. Bacillus sp., Erwinia sp., Micrococcus sp., Proteus sp., and Pseudomonas sp. were the five genera of bacteria recorded while three genera of Cyanobacteria; Entophysalis, Gleocapsa and Stigonema were observed. In the algal division, three genera of Chlorophyta found are Chlorococcum, Pleurococcus and Physolinum. Only one diatom, Cocconeis sp. was present on just one tree. Most of the epiphytic microflora found are mainly terrestrial and their spores might have been deposited on the barks by air, or dust-currents. While moisture is regarded as the most critical factor in growth of bark microflora, other factors like texture of the bark, insolation and especially chemical characteristics of the barks may play a key role in occurrence and distribution of micro-organisms on them.     

Changes in the population of seed bacteria of transgenerationally Cd‐exposed Arabidopsis thaliana

Plant‐associated bacteria can have beneficial effects on the growth and health of their host. Nevertheless, the role of endophytic bacteria present in seeds has not been investigated in depth. In this study, the cultivable endophytic population of seeds from Arabidopsis thaliana exposed to 2 μm cadmium for several generations (Cd seeds) was compared with a population isolated from seeds of plants that were never exposed to Cd (control seeds). We observed obvious differences between the two types of seed concerning genera present and phenotypic characteristics of the different isolates. Sinorhizobium sp. and Micrococcus sp. were only found in control seeds, while Pseudomonas sp., Bosea sp. and Paenibacillus sp. were only found in Cd seeds. Sphingomonas sp., Rhizobium sp., Acidovorax sp., Variovorax sp., Methylobacterium sp., Bacillus sp. and Staphylococcus sp. occurred in varying numbers in both types of seed. Metal tolerance and 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylate deaminase activity were predominantly found in strains isolated from Cd seeds, while the production of siderophores, indole‐3‐acetic acid and organic acids was more prevalent in endophytes isolated from control seeds. These data support the hypothesis that certain endophytes are selected for transfer to the next generation and that their presence might be important for subsequent germination and early seedling development.     

Plant parasitic nematodes associated with ornamental plant Pseuderanthemum atropurpureum in Aligarh district of western Uttar Pradesh

A survey was conducted to determine the nematodes associated with the soil, substratum and roots of the ornamental plant, Pseuderanthemum atropurpureum, grown in the Aligarh district of western Uttar Pradesh, India. Ten genera of plant parasitic nematodes, viz. Meloidogyne spp., Helicotylenchus sp., Hemicriconemoides sp., Hoplolaimus sp., Xiphinema sp., Pratylenchus sp., Trichodorus sp., Tylenchorhynchus sp., Aphelenchoides sp. and Rotylenchus sp., were isolated from 345 soil samples collected from 15 different localities. Our study indicates that among the 10 genera of the plant parasitic nematodes, Meloidogyne spp. was widely spread in all the examined localities of Aligarh district, except at Khair. It was observed that the population density and diversity of nematodes in all the soil samples was not uniform. Meloidogyne spp. showed the highest absolute frequency and relative frequency followed by Helicotylenchus sp., Hemicriconemoides sp., Xiphinema sp., Hoplolaimus sp., Pratylenchus sp., Trichodorus sp., Tylenchorhynchus sp., Aphelenchoides sp. and Rotylenchus sp. Since no records are available in the literature related to the association of root-knot nematode in P. atropurpureum, it is worthy to note that this study may be considered as a new hope towards further study of the interaction between the root-knot nematode and ornamental plant P. atropurpureum if any.     

Some new species of Penicillium recovered from the atmosphere in Madrid and from other substrata

Six new species ofPenicillium Linkex Fries are described and illustrated. Four of them have been recovered from the atmosphere in Madrid, Spain, the other two species were isolated from must and from soil respectively. They clearly differ from all species of the genus described so far and are, therefore described and proposed as new taxa:Penicillium gerundense sp. nov.,Penicillium valentinum sp. nov.,Penicillium alicantinum sp. nov.,Penicillium malacaense sp. nov.,Penicillium tarraconense sp. nov., andPenicillium vasconiae sp. nov.     

Intraspecific or interspecific variation: delimitation of species boundaries within the genus Gammarus (Crustacea,Amphipoda, Gammaridae), with description of four new species

The delineation of Gammarus species is controversial because of extensive intraspecific morphological variation. The current study examined DNA sequences from the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and the nuclear 28S genes as well as morphological and ecological data to determine the species boundaries of Gammarus species from China. The results of molecular analyses showed that Gammarus sp1, G. sp2, G. sp3, and G. sp4 are monophyletic and deeply divergent from sister groups. Detailed morphological and ecological comparisons with closely related species were consistent with molecular analyses. Gammarus sp1, G. sp2, G. sp3, and G. sp4 were described as four new species: Gammarus illustris sp. nov. , Gammarus clarus sp. nov. , Gammarus hypolithicus sp. nov. , and Gammarus parvioculus sp. nov. We recommend that molecular detected species should be formally named and described for future research. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 160 , 215–253.     

The ant subfamilies Ponerinae,Cerapachyinae, and Pseudomyrmecinae (Hymenoptera,Formicidae) in the Late Eocene ambers of Europe

The ant subfamilies Ponerinae, Cerapachyinae and Pseudomyrmecinae are revised in the Baltic, Bitterfeld, Rovno, and Scandinavian ambers of the Late Eocene age. Thirteen new species are described: Amblyopone groehni sp. n., A. electrina sp. n., Pachycondyla conservata sp. n., P. tristis sp. n., Ponera lobulifera sp. n., P. mayri sp. n., P. wheeleri sp. n., Gnamptogenys rohdendorfi sp. n., Bradoponera similis sp. n., Proceratium eocenicum sp. n. (Ponerinae), Procerapachys sulcatus sp. n. (Cerapachyinae), Tetraponera europaea sp. n., and T. groehni sp. n. (Pseudomyrmecinae). Tetraponera angustata (Mayr) is synonymized with T. simplex (Mayr). Keys to species are provided.     

Trichodinid (Ciliophora; Peritricha) gill parasites of freshwater fish in South Africa

Summary Trichodinella epizootica (Raabe, 1950) and seven new species of trichodinid ectoparasites (Ciliophora: Peritricha) were identified from both wild and pond fishes collected during an extensive survey of fish ponds, rivers and lakes in the Transvaal, South Africa. The new species are Tripartiella clavodonta n. sp., T. lechridens n. sp., T. leptospina, n. sp., T. macrosoma n. sp., T. nana n. sp., T. orthodens n. sp. and Trichodinella crennulata n. sp.     

Hydrogen uptake in Nostoc sp. strain PCC 73102. Cloning and characterization of a hupSL homologue

Structural genes encoding an uptake hydrogenase of Nostoc sp. strain PCC 73102 were isolated. From partial libraries of genomic DNA, two clones (pNfo01 and pNfo02) were selected and sequenced, revealing the complete sequence of both a hupS (960 bases) and a hupL (1,593 bases) homologue in Nostoc sp. strain PCC 73102. A comparison between the deduced amino acid sequences of HupS and HupL of Nostoc sp. strain PCC 73102 and Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 showed that the HupS proteins are 89% identical and the HupL proteins are 91% identical. However, the noncoding region between the genes in Nostoc sp. strain PCC 73102 (192 bases) is longer than that of Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 and of many other microorganisms. Southern hybridizations using DNA from both N₂-fixing and non-N₂-fixing cells of Nostoc sp. strain PCC 73102 and different probes from within hupL clearly demonstrated that, in contrast to Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120, there is no rearrangement within hupL of Nostoc sp. strain PCC 73102. Indeed, 6 nucleotides out of 16 within the potential recombination site are different from those of Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120. Furthermore, we have recently published evidence demonstrating the absence of the bidirectional/reversible hydrogenase in Nostoc sp. strain PCC 73102. The present knowledge, in combination with the unique characteristics, makes Nostoc sp. strain PCC 73102 an interesting candidate for the study of deletion mutants lacking the uptake-type enzyme. Received: 20 August 1997 / Accepted: 24 November 1997     

Synthetic extreme environments: overlooked sources of potential biotechnologically relevant microorganisms

Synthetic extreme environments like carwash effluent tanks and drains are potential sources of biotechnologically important microorganisms and molecules which have, however, remained unexplored. Using culture‐ and molecular‐based methods, a total of 17 bacterial isolates belonging to the genera Shewanella, Proteus, Paenibacillus, Enterobacter and Citrobacter, Aeromonas, Pseudomonas and Pantoea were identified. Hydrocarbon utilization and enzyme production screening assays showed that Aeromonas sp. CAC11, Paenibacillus sp. CAC12 and Paenibacillus sp. CAC13 and Citrobacter sp. PCW7 were able to degrade benzanthracene, naphthalene and diesel oil, Paenibacillus sp. CAC12 and Paenibacillus sp. CAC13 could produce cellulase enzyme, while Proteus sp. BPS2, Pseudomonas sp. SAS8 and Proteus sp. CAL3 could produce lipase. GC‐MS analysis of bacterial secondary metabolites resulted in identification of 107 different compounds produced by Proteus sp. BPS2, Paenibacillus sp. CAC12, Pseudomonas sp. SAS8, Proteus sp. CAL3 and Paenibacillus sp. CAC13. Most of the compounds identified by both GC‐MS and LC‐MS have previously been determined to have antibacterial, antifungal and/or anticancer properties. Further, microbial metabolites which have previously been known to be produced only by plants or microorganisms found in natural extreme environments were also identified in this study. This research has revealed the immense bioresource potential of microorganisms inhabiting synthetic extreme environments.     

Comparison of reproductive strategies in two externally ovipositing non-pollinating fig wasps

The reproductive strategies of Walkerella sp.1 associated with Ficus curtipes and Walkerella sp.2 associated with Ficus benjamina were investigated. Both species oviposited from outside the fig wall. Walkerella sp.1 was the first non-pollinating fig to oviposit on Ficus curtipes and began to do this ten days after figs syconia began to develop. The larvae of Walkerella sp.1 were only found in the most external ovary layer of the fig. Walkerella sp.2 starts ovipositing after several other non-pollinating fig wasps have already laid their eggs in F. benjamina. The progeny of Walkerella sp.2 are distributed in the external ovary layer, the middle ovary layer, and/or the inner ovary layer of the figs. However, more than a quarter of the offspring were found in the most external layer and only a few in the inner layer. Experimental studies proved that the two Walkerella species are gall formers. In both manipulated figs and in natural figs, the sex ratios of Walkerella sp.1 and Walkerella sp.2 were female-biased. In Walkerella sp.2, the overall sex ratio increased with the proportion of figs parasitized in a crop, but this was not the case for Walkerella sp.1. Females of both Walkerella species appear not to have information about the patches on which they oviposit because sex ratios of both species decreased as brood sizes within individual figs increased and foundresses of both species were able to lay clutches containing a single male egg and several female eggs.     

Deep-sea Bodotriidae (Crustacea: Cumacea) from New Caledonia, Fiji and Indonesia

Cumaceans (Crustacea: Peracarida) belonging to the family Bodotriidae collected between 206 and 3680 m depth, during the French campaigns BIOCAL and BIOGEOCAL in waters of New Caledonia, KARUBAR in Indonesia and BORDAU 1 around Fiji were studied. The 93 specimens belonging to this family were assigned to 11 species, ten of them new to science, namely Cyclaspis variosculpta sp. nov., Cyclaspis richeri sp. nov., Cyclaspis dictyota sp. nov., Cyclaspis decora sp. nov., Cyclaspis magna sp. nov., Cyclaspoides erugatus sp. nov., Alticuma? ectyphum sp. nov., Apocuma pacificum sp. nov., Hypocuma fragosum sp. nov. and Bathycuma coremium sp. nov. The genera Cyclaspoides and Hypocuma are recorded for the first time from the Pacific Ocean. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 152 , 227–254.     

Genetic diversity and divergence of the endangered freshwater goby Rhinogobius sp. BB in Okinawa Island

The genetic diversity and population structure of Rhinogobius sp. BB, the fluvial landlocked endangered goby, were investigated and were compared with those of the closely related amphidromous Rhinogobius sp. MO at 11 microsatellite loci. Specimens of Rhinogobius sp. BB were collected from the Genka and Takae-A rivers, and those of Rhinogobius sp. MO were collected from the Genka and Suginda rivers in Okinawa Island. At 11 microsatellite loci, the two populations of Rhinogobius sp. BB showed lower variation than the two Rhinogobius sp. MO populations: the average number of alleles was 3.6 and 2.0 vs. 8.6 and 7.6, respectively; and the observed heterozygosity was 0.263 and 0.281 vs. 0.440 and 0.545, respectively. Pairwise F_st tests showed significant differences (P < 0.001) among the populations: F_st was 0.525 between the two Rhinogobius sp. BB populations, 0.079 between the two Rhinogobius sp. MO populations, and varied from 0.456 to 0.462 for comparisons among Rhinogobius sp. BB and MO. Nei’s genetic distance between the two Rhinogobius sp. BB populations is extremely large (0.604) compared with that between the two Rhinogobius sp. MO populations (0.126). The two populations of Rhinogobius sp. BB are genetically divergent, and they have extremely low genetic diversity. Therefore, the conservation of Rhinogobius sp. BB in Okinawa Island requires the assessment of each river’s population.     

Cryptic,adaptive radiation of endoparasitic snails: sibling species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leptoconchus</Emphasis> (Gastropoda: Coralliophilidae) in corals

Coral reefs are renowned as complex ecosystems with an extremely large biodiversity. Parasite-host relationships contribute substantially to this, but are poorly known. We describe the results of a study in which approximately 60,000 corals were searched for parasitic Leptoconchus snails (Gastropoda: Coralliophilidae) in Indo-West Pacific waters of Egypt, the Maldives, Thailand, Palau and Indonesia. We discovered an adaptive radiation of 14 snail species, each of which lives in species-specific association with one or more of 24 mushroom coral species. The 14 snail species are described as new to science under the names Leptoconchus inactiniformis sp. nov., L. inalbechi sp. nov., L. incrassa sp. nov., L. incycloseris sp. nov., L. infungites sp. nov., L. ingrandifungi sp. nov., L. ingranulosa sp. nov., L. inlimax sp. nov., L. inpileus sp. nov., L. inpleuractis sp. nov., L. inscruposa sp. nov., L. inscutaria sp. nov., L. intalpina sp. nov., and L. massini sp. nov. Their separation is based on indisputable molecular differences, whereas the rudimentary shell characters or impoverished anatomical details do not allow identification. The coral hosts also serve to distinguish the snail species, as none of the former was found to contain more than one of the latter. The complexity of coral reefs is still underrated, as is shown here by the application of DNA taxonomy as an indispensable approach to unravel cryptic radiations, which must be known in order to understand the functioning of the ecosystem.     

Six new and two newly recorded species of Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera) in Korea

Adult chironomids were collected by light trap operations, sweeping grasses with insect nets, and aspiration of light‐attracted adults at various localities. All collected specimens were slide‐mounted and identified. Six species new to science were found and named: Rheotanytarsus pseudopentapoda n. sp., Cricotopus byeonsanensis n. sp., Cricotopus parajogantertius n. sp., Limnophyes bukhandecimus n. sp., Limnophyes simensis n. sp. and Orthocladius jeongnungensis. Two species, Ainuyusuroka tuberculatum (Tokunaga) and Pseudosmittia nishiharaensis Sasa and Hasegawa, are found for the first time in Korea. All species are fully described with illustrations. This is the first report of the genus Ainugusurika in Korea.