NOTES ON THE BIOLOGY OF THE LIZARDS AGAMA CYANOGASTER AND MABUYA STRIATA STRIATA COLLECTED IN THE RUKWA VALLEY, SOUTHWEST TANGANYIKA

Some details are given of the biology of two species of lizard: Agama cyanogaster (Rüppell) (Agamidae) and Mabuya striata strikta (Peters) (Scincidae). They occupy different niches in the same habitat and their biology differs considerably. Agama is oviparous, laying its eggs in the rainy season so that they hatch before it becomes too dry. Mabuya is ovoviviparous with the young being born mainly in the first half of the dry season. In both species tho variety of diet was wide, but ants were most commonly eaten by Agama and beetles by Mabuya .     

Molecular mechanisms of adaptation to hyperthermia in higher organisms. III. Induction of heat-shock proteins in two Leishmania species

The heat-shock proteins (hsp) induction in two species of Leishmania have been investigated. The species studied are parasites of two species of lizards (Lymnodactylus caspins and Agama caucasica) differing by temperature of correspondent ecological niche. Our results show that Leishmania species restricted to high-temperature host (Agama) is capable to synthesize its proteins at extreme temperatures (38, 40 degrees C) with greater intensity. Moreover, the species of Leishmania studied differed by heat-shock proteins pattern, the intensive synthesis of hsp88 and hsp48 being the characteristic features of Leishmania species, restricted to the high-temperature host.     

Notes on the genus Ardisia (Myrsinaceae) from Thailand

Ardisia dawnaea is for the first time reported from Thailand; a new combination: Ardisia sanguinolenta var. paralleloneura is made; two names: Ardisia dawnensis and Ardisia undulatodentata are reduced to synonymy, and some confused or misidentified species of Ardisia are clarified.     

On the distribution of four species of agama (Agamidae) in Turkey

Abstract

The distribution of the Hardun, Agama stellio, the Caucasian Agama, Agama caucasia, the Syrian Agama, Agama ruderata, and Phrynocephalus helioscopus, in Turkey is presented with dot maps A. stellio and A. caucasia are sharply separated both horizontally and vertically. The area of A. stellio is defined by the March isotherm of 8°C and the July and August isotherms of 24°C. A. ruderata occurs in the large steppe areas of Inner and South-east Anatolia, but not in those of Eastern Anatolia.     

Reproduction,predation, sexual dimorphism and diet in Agama anchietae (Reptilia: Agamidae) from Namibia

Agama anchietae is one of eight species of agama found in Namibia, its distribution range in the upper half of the country covers desert, Karoo and savannah type biomes and overlaps with that of some of its congeners. Here, we describe its sexual dimorphism, reproductive traits, predation, diet and nematode infection, and compare and contrast each aspect among the three biomes as well as to published findings for three other Namibian congenerics, Agama etoshae, Agama aculeata aculeata and Agama planiceps planiceps. Interesting similarities and differences were found among the biomes as well as with the three congenerics. Our hypothesis that the aspects studied in A. anchietae would be more in line with those of A. a. aculeata and A. etoshae, with which it shares similarities in body colouration, social organisation and microhabitat utilisation, was only partially confirmed. This cautions against using morphological and ecological similarities between agamas as proxies for making life-history strategy inferences.     

Multiple origins of tetraploid taxa in the Eurasian Bufo viridis subgroup

We used Q-banding and analyzed nucleolar organizing regions (NORs) to study the cytogenetic evolution of tetraploids within the Palearctic Bufo viridis subgroup, the only known amphibian complex comprising di-, tri- and tetraploid bisexually reproducing taxa. We examined three diploid (2n) nominal taxa (Bufo viridis viridis, B. v. turanensis, B. v. kermanensis) from five Eurasian localities and six tetraploid (4n) nominal taxa (B. oblongus, B. o. danatensis, B. pewzowi pewzowi, B. p. taxkorensis, B. p. unicolor, B. p. strauchi) from eight Central Asian localities. Homeologous chromosomes of 2n and 4n toads exhibit a similar morphology. Silver-staining and in situ hybridization revealed terminal NORs in the long arms of chromosomes 6 in all 2n but in only two out of four chromosomes 6 in all 4n taxa. Q-banding and a rapidly evolving mitochondrial marker suggest at least two origination events for Asian 4n toads: “Western Central Asian tetraploids’’ (B. oblongus Nikolsky, 1896) exhibit distinct differences within some chromosome quartets, which are divisible into pairs of chromosomes and may be allopolyploid. In contrast, “Central Asian tetraploids” (B. pewzowi Bedriaga, 1898) showed homogenous Q-banding patterns within each quartet, suggesting autopolyploidy. In Northeastern Iran, we discovered a zone of either common ancestry or hybridization of 2n and Western Central Asian 4n toads. This raises intriguing questions about how diploid and tetraploid taxa may evolve by exchanging genetic material.     

The millipede family Ammodesmidae (Diplopoda,Polydesmida) in western Africa

Ammodesmidae are represented in western Africa by two species of a single genus, Ammodesmus Cook, 1896 (= Cenchrodesmus Cook, 1896, syn. n.). The type-species Ammodesmus granum Cook, 1896 (= Cenchrodesmus volutus Cook, 1896, syn. n.) is redescribed, based on neotype selection, as well as on additional samples, often containing numerous specimens, from Liberia, Guinea and the Ivory Coast. A new species is described from Mount Nimba, Guinea: Ammodesmus nimba sp. n.     

Types of species of Apionidae (Coleoptera) described by Carl Peter Thunberg (1743–1828) with description of?a new genus

The type specimens of species of Apionidae described by Carl Peter Thunberg are reviewed and lecto- and paralectotypes are designated for Apion craccae Thunberg, 1813, Apion limbatum Thunberg, 1813, Apion punctigerum Thunberg, 1815 and Apion astragali Thunberg, 1815. A new genus Thunbergapion (type species Apion limbatum Thunberg, 1813) is described, figured and placed in the tribe Aplemonini Kissinger, 1968. The new combination Thunbergapion limbatum (Thunberg, 1813) is proposed. A key to the known South African genera of the tribe is given. The following new synonymies are established: Oxystoma craccae (Linnaeus, 1767) = Apion craccae Thunberg, 1813 syn. n., Ischnopterapion (Ischnopterapion) loti (Kirby, 1808) = Apion punctigerum Thunberg, 1815, syn. n., and Pseudoprotapion astragali (Paykull, 1800) = Apion astragali Thunberg, 1815, syn. n.     

中国广颖蜡蝉属一新种记述（半翅目：蜡蝉总科：颖蜡蝉科）

记述颖蜡蝉科Achilidae广颖蜡蝉属Catonidia 1新种:周氏广颖蜡蝉C. choui sp. nov.,给出了该属物种的名录及分类检索表。模式标本存放于贵州大学昆虫研究所。     

CYTOLOGICAL STUDIES OF OEDOGONIUM. II. CHROMOSOME NUMBERS IN TWELVE SPECIES OF OEDOGONIUM

Mitotic chromosome counts are reported for 12 species of Oedogonium with the following distribution: two species with 13 chromosomes, two species with 16 chromosomes, five species with 17 chromosomes one species with 19 chromosomes, one species with 32 chromosomes, and one species with 38 + 1 chromosomes. Diploid strains of two species are illustrated and discussed. Cytological comparison of species establishes that there is great diversity in Oedogonium with relation to chromosome number, size, and morphology.     

Reptile brain cerebrosides and cerebroside sulfates

Studies have been made on the content of cerebrosides and cerebroside sulfates, as well as on their fatty acid composition in the brain of reptiles, subclass Anapsida (tortoises Emys orbicularis and Testudo horsfieldi) and subclass Lepidosauria (lizards Agama caucasica, A. sanguinolenta, Phrynocephalus mystaceus and snake Natrix tesselata). Total content of cerebrosides and cerebroside sulfates is higher in the brain of Lepidosaurians than in that of Anapsids. In the brain of tortoises, the content of cerebroside fraction with hydroxy fatty acids is significantly higher than of the fraction with normal fatty acids, which is also typical of the brain of homoiothermic mammals and birds. In the brain of Lepidosaurians, concentration of hydroxycerebrosides is considerably lower than of cerebrosides with normal fatty acids, which is similar to lower vertebrates -- amphibians and fishes. Low content of hydroxycerebrosides was found in all the Lepidosaurians investigated, irrespectively of their ecological conditions, being therefore dependent on their phylogenetic position. The composition of fatty acids, both normal and hydroxyderivates, as well as that of glycolipids from the brain of Anapsids and Lepidosaurians is essentially similar. However, some interspecific differences were noted in the pattern of fatty acids of cerebrosides and cerebroside sulfates of the brain, which concern the content of saturated and long chain fatty acids.     

Alien shrimps in evidence: new records of the genus Athanas Leach, 1814 on the coast of S?o Paulo, southern Brazil (Caridea: Alpheidae)

The occurrence of two alien alpheid shrimps of the genus Athanas Leach, 1814 [in Leach 1813–1814], the Indo-West Pacific A. dimorphus Ortmann, 1894 and the Eastern Atlantic A. nitescens (Leach, 1813 [in Leach 1813–1814]), on the coast of the state of S?o Paulo, Brazil, is reported. The presence of A. dimorphus extends the range of this species in the western Atlantic farther to the south in Brazil, whereas A. nitescens is reported for the first time in the western Atlantic, representing the second alien alpheid species on this side of the Atlantic and the twenty-first decapod crustacean introduced in Brazil. We provide morphological accounts of the material examined and illustrate the most important diagnostic characters of both species. An overview of the possible mechanisms of their introduction on the coast of S?o Paulo is also provided.     

A new genus of African Acrometopini (Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) based on morphology,chromosomes, acoustics,distribution, and molecular data,and the description of a new species

A new genus, Altihoratosphaga, is erected for species formerly assigned to Horatosphaga Schaum, 1853, and a new species is described. Four species are included in Altihoratosphaga: Altihoratosphaga nomima (Karsch, 1896), Altihoratosphaga montivaga ( Sjöstedt, 1909 ), Altihoratosphaga nou (Hemp, 2007) and Altihoratosphaga hanangensis sp. nov. All four species are restricted to Tanzanian localities, and, except for A. nomima, for which no ecological data are available, are confined to montane forest habitats. Data on ecology, acoustics, chromosomes, and molecular relationships are provided, as well as a key to Altihoratosphaga species. The present‐day distribution of Altihoratosphaga species suggests former migration events at times when wetter and colder climatic fluctuations favoured connections between montane forest communities, which today are isolated, enabling flightless taxa such as Altihoratosphaga and Monticolaria to spread. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 158 , 66–82.     

Notes on reptiles of Tunesia. VI. Morphological and ecological differences between the members of the genera Tropiocolotes Peters, 1880 and Stenodactylus Fitzinger, 1826

The distribution area, the nature of the biotopes and the morphological and biometrical features of three species of Gekkonidae without adhesive pads: Tropiocolotes t. tripolitanus Peters, 1880; Stenodactylus stenodactylus Guichenot, 1850 et Stenodactylus petriei Anderson, 1896 are reported. Their differences are analysed together with their ecological specialization.     

Saurian malaria in Kenya: epidemiological features of malarial infections in lizard populations of the West Pokot District

During investigations into the prevalence of malarial parasites among lizards in the West Pokot District in Kenya, 179 lizards comprising eight species were caught. Examination of the Giemsa-stained smears made from their blood showed that 34 lizards were infected with Plasmodium species. Fifteen lizards were infected with a single species of Plasmodium and 19 carried multiple infections, the maximum, in four lizards, was four species. There were 19 combinations of parasite infections. Seventeen Plasmodium species were identified, the commonest being P. icipeensis. Only two of the eight lizard species were infected: the skink Mabuya striata and the agamid Agama agama. Eight of the Plasmodium species infected both; another eight species infected M. striata only but three of these have been described from different lizard families elsewhere in Africa. P. robinsoni infected A. agama only, although it was first described from another lizard family in another part of Africa. The epidemiological significance of these results is discussed.     

Additions to the rust fungi of Argentina

A contribution is made to the rust fungus flora of Argentina: Puccinia baccharidis-boliviensis, P. cordyceps, P. pucarae, and Aecidium hypseocharidicola are described as new species. Cionothrix praelonga, Fromme?lla mexicana var. mexicana, Phakopsora compressa, Prospodium peruvianum, Puccinia amphiospora, P. chaetochloae, P. liabi, P. pappophori, P. sanguinolenta, P. subaquila, Ravenelia havanensis, Uredo leonuri, Uromyces orbicularis, and U. cnidoscoli are new reports for Argentina. New observations on already known species were made: the aecia of Puccinia subaquila and aecia and uredinia of Uromyces cnidoscoli are described for the first time. Senecio hieronymi is a new host for Puccinia lagenophorae. Uredo leonuri belongs to the genus Coleosporium. Melilotus albus is a new host of Uromyces anthyllidis in Argentina.     

A comparative cytogenetic study of the tetraploid oat species with the A and C genomes: Avena insularis, A. magna, and A. murphyi

Differential C-banding of chromosomes and in situ hybridization with the probes pTa71 and pTa794 were used for a comparative cytogenetic study of the three tetraploid oat species with the A and C genomes: Avena insularis, A. magna, and A. murphyi. These species were similar in the structure and patterns of C-banding of several chromosomes as well as in the location of the loci 5S rRNA genes and main NOR sites; however, they differed in the number and localization of minor 45S rDNA loci as well as in the morphology and distribution of heterochromatin in some chromosomes. According to the data obtained, A. insularis is closer to A. magna, whereas A. murphyi is somewhat separated from these two species. Presumably, all the three studied species originated from the same tetraploid ancestor, and their divergence is connected with various species-specific chromosome rearrangements. The evolution of A. murphyi is likely to have occurred independently of the other two species.     

A preliminary pachytene analysis of two species of Arachis L.

Summary The morphology of pachytene chromosomes was studied in A. glabrata Benth. and A. pusilla Benth. belonging respectively to the sections Rhizomatosae and Triseminale. These two species can not be crossed with the cultivated groundnut A. hypogaea L. All 20 chromosomes of A. glabrata could be identified individually and further classified into 5 basic types. The features that enabled the identification of chromosomes were: total length, arm ratios, nucleolus attachment and position and extent of heterochromatin. A simple key has been proposed for classifying different chromosomes to facilitate their easy identification. The genomes of A. glabrata did not resemble those of A. hypogaea except for the presence of an A chromosome, 2 euchromosomes and 2 nucleolus organisers. A. glabrata did not appear to be an amphidiploid but rather an allopolyploid hybrid. The genome of A. pusilla contained chromosomes unlike those of any other species of section Arachis. It was concluded that both these species are quite unrelated to other species of the section Arachis.     

6-Hydroxyluteolin-7-O-(1''-alpha-rhamnoside) from Vriesea sanguinolenta Cogn. and Marchal (Bromeliaceae)

The isolation of 6-hydroxyluteolin-7-O-(1"-alpha-rhamnoside) from the Central American epiphyte Vriesea sanguinolenta Cogn. and Marchal (Bromeliaceae) is described here. Its stereostructure was established by spectroscopic methods and an X-ray structure analysis of its hepta-O-acetyl derivative. This flavonoid glycoside had previously been reported from some Teucrium species (Labiatae), yet without sufficient physical data and spectroscopic evidence.     

KARYOTYPES OF THERE AGAMID SPECIES

Based primarily on internal anatomy,the genus Agama(sensu lato)of Agamidae was subdivided into six genera:Agama,Laudakia,Trapelus,Pseudotrapelus,Brachysaura,and Xenagama[1,2].