A molecular phylogeny of the genus Apis suggests that the Giant Honey Bee of the Philippines,A. breviligula Maa,and the Plains Honey Bee of southern India,A. indica Fabricius,are valid species

Two new taxa have been added to the existing molecular phylogenies of the genus Apis. The new phylogeny supports the accepted phylogenetic relationships of {dwarf honey bees [giant honey bees (cavity‐nesting honey bees)]}. Based on Bayesian and maximum parsimony trees, our analysis supports recognition of Apis indica, the Plains Honey Bee of south India, as a separate species from A. cerana. Our analysis also supports recognition of the Giant Philippines Honey Bee, A. breviligula, as a separate species from A. dorsata.     

Phylogenetic Relationships of Blepharisma Americanum and Colpoda Inflata Within the Phylum Ciliophora Inferred From Complete Small Subunit Rrna Gene Sequences

ABSTRACT The complete small subunit rRNA gene sequences of the heterotrich Blepharisma americanum and the colpodid Colpoda inflata were determined to be 1719 and 1786 nucleotides respectively. the phylogeny produced by comparisons with other ciliates indicated that C. inflata is allied more closely with the nassophoreans and oligohymenophoreans than the spirotrichs. This is consistent with the placement of the colpodids in the Class Copodea. Blepharisma americanum was not grouped with the hypotrichs but instead was placed as the earliest branching ciliate. the distinct separation of B. americanum supports the elevation to class status given the heterotrichs based on morphological characters.     

Revision of the Boophis majori group (Amphibia: Mantellidae) from Madagascar, with descriptions of five new species

A systematic revision of the Malagasy frogs hitherto attributed to the Boophis difficilis group is presented. The difficilis holotype is not conspecific with other specimens hitherto named Boophis difficilis but belongs to the B. tephraeomystax group based on lack of webbing between fingers and the presence of heterogeneously granular ventral skin. Rhacophorus difficilis Boettger, 1892 is considered as junior synonym of Boophis tephraeomystax. The Boophis difficilis group is dissolved and its species are transferred to a new species group named after Boophis majori , the oldest of the included taxa. All species of the B. majori group, their type specimens, and their geographical distributions are revised based on new morphological, bioacoustic and ecological data. Five new species of the group from the eastern rainforests of Madagascar are described. Morphological differentiation within the B. majori group is low, although some species can be distinguished by characters such as snout-vent length, relative tympanum size, or coloration. The most reliable character for species identification are advertisement calls which are strikingly different between most species of the group. Species diversity in Boophis is highest in central eastern Madagascar and gets lower at the northern and southern borders of the island. Available data do not allow a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the B. majori group, but a northern subgroup of small species without red coloration and a southern subgroup of larger species with distinct red pigments can be distinguished. Osteological data for B. miniatus are provided. Within Boophis , representatives of all species groups except the B. tephraeomystax group are characterized by a synapomorphic reduction of the anterolateral hyoidal process.     

Somatic and Oral Cortical Ultrastructure of the Plagiopylid Ciliates Lechriopyla mystax Lynch, 1930 and Plagiopyla minuta Powers, 19331

The somatic and oral cortical ultrastructure of the plagiopylid ciliates Lechriopyla mystax Lynch, 1930 and Plagiopyla minuta Powers, 1933 are described. The somatic kinetids are monokinetids with an anteriorly directed kinetodesmal fibril originating near triplets 5, 6, 7, a divergent postciliary ribbon originating at triplet 9, and an unusual transverse ribbon originating in dense material adjacent to triplets 1, 2, 3. The transverse ribbon extends beneath the right surface of the cortical ridge adjacent to the kinety from which it originated. The oral kinetids are also monokinetids from whose base rootlet fibrils extend inwards beneath the oral kineties and converge on the furcula. The striated band on these ciliates is composed of a series of short ridges orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the band. The sides of the striated band groove are apparently supported by macrotubules. The cortical ultrastructure of the plagiopylids is discussed with reference both to the optical microscopy of the organisms and to the ultrastructure of other ciliate taxa. The plagiopylids are not clearly related to any other higher taxon and are placed incertae sedis in the Subphylum Cyrtophora Small, 1976.     

All-female broods and mimetic polymorphism in Acraea encedon (L.) (Lepidoptera: Acraeidae) in Tanzania

In some populations of the African butterfly, Acraea encedon, there are two kinds of females, one producing offspring in a normal 1:1 sex ratio, the other producing females only; in other populations the sex ratio is apparently normal. All-female broods had hitherto been mainly associated with populations in which field sampling revealed an excess of females. The all-female brood trait is described from a population at Dar es Salaam which field sampling suggested was normal, and this indicates that the trait may be much more widespread and common than had previously been supposed. This discovery also extends the known distribution of the trait across Africa from Sierra Leone to eastern Tanzania. The butterfly is also a polymorphic Müllerian mimic of Danaus chrysippus, which is a highly unusual phenomenon as Müllerian mimicry is almost invariably monomorphic. The relative frequencies of two corresponding colour forms of the two species of butterflies at Dar es Salaam adds support to the hypothesis that they are indeed Mullerian mimics. The results of breeding experiments suggest that the polymorphic forms in Acraea encedon are allelic with dominance.     

Reproductive system,social organization,human disturbance and ecological dominance in native populations of the little fire ant,Wasmannia auropunctata

The invasive ant species Wasmannia auropunctata displays both ecologically dominant and non‐dominant populations within its native range. Three factors could theoretically explain the ecological dominance of some native populations of W. auropunctata: (i) its clonal reproductive system, through demographic and/or adaptive advantages; (ii) its unicolonial social organization, through lower intraspecific and efficient interspecific competition; (iii) the human disturbance of its native range, through the modification of biotic and abiotic environmental conditions. We used microsatellite markers and behavioural tests to uncover the reproductive modes and social organization of dominant and non‐dominant native populations in natural and human‐modified habitats. Microsatellite and mtDNA data indicated that dominant and non‐dominant native populations (supercolonies as determined by aggression tests) of W. auropunctata did not belong to different evolutionary units. We found that the reproductive system and the social organization are neither necessary nor sufficient to explain W. auropunctata ecological dominance. Dominance rather seems to be set off by unknown ecological factors altered by human activities, as all dominant populations were recorded in human‐modified habitats. The clonal reproductive system found in some populations of W. auropunctata may however indirectly contribute to its ecological dominance by allowing the species to expand its environmental niche, through the fixation over time of specific combinations of divergent male and female genotypes. Unicoloniality may rather promote the range expansion of already dominant populations than actually trigger ecological dominance. The W. auropunctata model illustrates the strong impact of human disturbance on species’ ecological features and the adaptive potential of clonal reproductive systems.     

The developmental floral morphology of Montrichardia arborescens (Araceae) revisited

The spadix of Montrichardia arborescens contains unisexual flowers without a perianth. The pistillate flowers are located in the basal portion of the inflorescence, and the staminate flowers are located in the apical portion. There is a narrow :zone between male flowers and female flowers consisting of atypical flowers. The portion of the atypical flowers facing the staminate zone exhibits staminate characters (stamens), and the portion facing the pistillate zone has an aborted gynoecium. The floral development of Montrichurdia is compared with that of Philodendron and a new interpretation of the morphology of atypical flowers of Montrichardia is proposed. Ontogenetic evidence supports relationships with Philodendron rather than Cercestis. 2001 The Linnean Society of London