New species and distributional records of Aleocharinae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from Ontario, Canada, with a checklist of recorded species

The Aleocharinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) of Ontario were reviewed in the context of recently studied material, primarily from insect surveys conducted by the University of Guelph Insect Collection (Ontario, Canada). Aleochara daviesi Klimaszewski & Brunke sp. n., Agaricomorpha websteri Klimaszewski & Brunke sp. n., Atheta (Microdota) alesi Klimaszewski & Brunke sp. n., Dinaraea backusensis Klimaszewski & Brunke sp. n., and Strigota obscurata Klimaszewski & Brunke sp. n. are described as new to science. We also report 47 new Ontario records and 24 new Canadian records. Callicerus rigidicornis (Erichson) and Alevonota gracilenta (Erichson) are newly reported from North America as adventive species. A checklist, with Canadian distributions by province, of the 224 species of Aleocharinae known from Ontario is given. The following species are placed in subjective synonymy with Dexiogyia angustiventris (Casey): (Dexiogyia asperata (Casey) syn. n., Dexiogyia abscissa (Casey) syn. n., Dexiogyia tenuicauda (Casey) syn. n., Dexiogyia intenta (Casey) syn. n., Dexiogyia alticola (Casey) syn. n.). The following species are placed in subjective synonymy with Acrotona subpygmaea (Bernhauer): (Acrotona avia (Casey) syn. n., Acrotona puritana (Casey) syn. n.). Lectotypes are designated for Thiasophila angustiventris Casey, Thiasophila asperata Casey, Ischnoglossa intenta Casey, Oxypoda rubescans Casey, Chilopora americana Casey, Chilopora fuliginosa Casey, Coprothassa smithi Casey, Atheta subpygmaea Bernhauer, Colpodota puritana Casey, Strigota seducens Casey, Trichiusa compacta Casey, Trichiusa hirsuta Casey and Trichiusa robustula Casey.     

Tolypocladin — a new metal-chelating 2-aza-anthraquinone fromTolypocladium inflatum

Summary A new chelator of di- and trivalent cations (tolypocladin) was isolated from the mycelium ofTolypocladium inflatum DSM 915. The structure has been determined by NMR methods as 3-methyl-5,6(7),8-trihydroxy-2-aza-anthraquinone. The ultraviolet, visible and fluorescence spectral properties of some metal complexes (in methanol) are described. The compound forms water-soluble fluorescent aluminium complexes. Its production is dependent on zinc ions in the medium. It serves as an endogenous hydrogen acceptor under oxygen limitation in the producing strain,T. inflatum.     

Two unlike cousins: Candida albicans and C. glabrata infection strategies

Candida albicans and C. glabrata are the two most common pathogenic yeasts of humans, yet they are phylogenetically, genetically and phenotypically very different. In this review, we compare and contrast the strategies of C. albicans and C. glabrata to attach to and invade into the host, obtain nutrients and evade the host immune response. Although their strategies share some basic concepts, they differ greatly in their outcome. While C. albicans follows an aggressive strategy to subvert the host response and to obtain nutrients for its survival, C. glabrata seems to have evolved a strategy which is based on stealth, evasion and persistence, without causing severe damage in murine models. However, both fungi are successful as commensals and as pathogens of humans. Understanding these strategies will help in finding novel ways to fight Candida, and fungal infections in general.     

A revision of the Neotropical species of Bolitogyrus Chevrolat,a geographically disjunct lineage of Staphylinini (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae)

The Neotropical species of the rarely collected genus Bolitogyrus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Staphylinini) are revised. The genus exhibits an uncommon, disjunct distribution between the Neotropical and Oriental Regions and is of unknown phylogenetic position within Staphylinini. Morphological evolution remarkable for Staphylinini was discovered within Bolitogyrus, including sexually dimorphic modifications of the pronotum that may be involved in male competition for females. rSEM interactive animations were used to establish morphological species boundaries between two highly variable species and are provided to illustrate diagnostic characters of the genitalia in unconventional views. The genus is redescribed based on the world fauna and twenty-eight Neotropical species are considered valid. Of these, nineteen are described as new to science: Bolitogyrus ashei sp. n.; B. apicofasciatus sp. n.; B. brevistellus sp. n.; B. bufo sp. n.; B. cheungi sp. n.; B. cornutus sp. n.; B. divisus sp. n.; B. falini sp. n.; B. gracilis sp. n.; B. inexspectatus sp. n.; B. longistellus sp. n.; B. marquezi sp. n.; B. newtoni sp. n.; B. pseudotortifolius sp. n.; B. pulchrus sp. n.; B. silex sp. n.; B. thomasi sp. n.; B. tortifolius sp. n.; and B. viridescens sp. n. Bolitogyrus sallei (Kraatz), stat. r. is removed from synonymy with B. buphthalmus (Erichson) and the following new synonyms are proposed: Cyrtothorax cyanescens Sharp, 1884, syn. n. = Quedius buphthalmus Erichson, 1840; C. nevermanni Scheerpeltz, 1974, syn. n. = C. costaricensis Wendeler, 1927. A summary of all available bionomic and distributional data, as well as an illustrated identification key to and diagnoses of all Neotropical species are provided.     

A phylogeny of Xanthopygina (Insecta,Coleoptera) reveals major lineages and the origin of myrmecophily

Xanthopygina is a group of colourful, neotropical rove beetles (Staphylinidae) comprising 28 genera and more than 350 species. While many genera are found on rotting fruits, carrion, dung and mushrooms, several taxa have evolved associations with social insects. Previous phylogenetic analyses have used only a subset of genera and were based solely on molecular data. In this paper, we performed Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses of all known genera, including three potentially new genera, based on molecular (4,797 bp) and morphological (91) characters. Our results reaffirmed the monophyly of the subtribe and divided it into eight major lineages: the Elmas, Gastrisus, Isanopus, Ocyolinus, Plociopterus, Smilax, Trigonopselaphus and Xanthopygus groups. We hypothesized that myrmecophily evolved once in the common ancestor of the Smilax group, and that sphecophily possibly evolved twice, in the Trigonopselaphus and Xanthopygus groups.