Utility of Geochemical Analysis of Trace Fossils: Case Studies Using Phycosiphon incertum from the Lower Jurassic Shallow-Marine (Higashinagano Formation,Southwest Japan) and Pliocene Deep-Marine Deposits (Shiramazu Formation,Central Japan)

Elemental and mineralogical analyses of Phycosiphon incertum from the Lower Jurassic Higashinagano Formation and Pliocene Shiramazu Formation revealed that the core and mantle have significantly different compositions; the Al₂O₃/SiO₂ ratio, a general proxy for phyllosilicates to tectosilicates, showed a significantly (P < 0.01) higher value in the core than in the mantle. The obtained data strongly suggest that clay minerals are certainly concentrated in the core while coarse grains (i.e., quartz, feldspar) are enriched in the mantle. This is in agreement with the commonly believed interpretation of the Phycosiphon-producer; namely, it selectively ingested and excreted the clay-sized sediment grains and sorted out coarse grains. Difference in the degree of particle selection was also recognized; the tracemaker of the Higashinagano P. incertum showed greater degree of selectivity. This may be due to the differences in optimal foraging deposit-feeding activities affected by clay mineralogy of the host sediments, or in mechanistic consequences of particle selection induced by organic matter content, or in the number of other ichnotaxa recognized from each formation.     

A low‐cost,computer‐controlled robotic flower system for behavioral experiments

Human observations during behavioral studies are expensive, time‐consuming, and error prone. For this reason, automatization of experiments is highly desirable, as it reduces the risk of human errors and workload. The robotic system we developed is simple and cheap to build and handles feeding and data collection automatically. The system was built using mostly off‐the‐shelf components and has a novel feeding mechanism that uses servos to perform refill operations. We used the robotic system in two separate behavioral studies with bumblebees (Bombus terrestris): The system was used both for training of the bees and for the experimental data collection. The robotic system was reliable, with no flight in our studies failing due to a technical malfunction. The data recorded were easy to apply for further analysis. The software and the hardware design are open source. The development of cheap open‐source prototyping platforms during the recent years has opened up many possibilities in designing of experiments. Automatization not only reduces workload, but also potentially allows experimental designs never done before, such as dynamic experiments, where the system responds to, for example, learning of the animal. We present a complete system with hardware and software, and it can be used as such in various experiments requiring feeders and collection of visitation data. Use of the system is not limited to any particular experimental setup or even species.     

Colonization and early succession on anthropogenic soils

Abstract. This paper reports on vegetation development on permanent experimental plots during five years of succession. Nine (1 m²) plots were filled with three typical substrates from man-made habitats of urban and industrial areas in the region of Berlin. The three substrates (a commercial ‘topsoil’, a ruderal ‘landfill’ soil and a sandy soil), differ in organic matter and nutrient contents. Relevés of species composition and percent cover of each species present were made monthly during the growing season from the start of vegetation development. This paper describes the different successional pathways on topsoil and ruderal soil and the colonization process on sandy soil. On topsoil, ruderal annuals are dominant in the first year and are replaced by short-lived perennials from the second year. Those species were replaced by long-lived perennial herbs (Ballota nigra or Urtica dioica) from the third year of succession onwards. On the ruderal land-fill soil the early successional stages are less sharp and the perennial Solidago canadensis is able to dominate within one year after the succession was initiated. On sandy soil there is still an ongoing colonization process, where pioneer tree species like Betula pendula and Populus nigra play a main role. The importance of ‘initial floristic composition’, the role of substrate for community structure and the peculiarities of successional sequences on anthropogenic soils in the context of primary and secondary successions are discussed.     

First record of Alucita danunciae (Lepidoptera: Alucitidae) in Peru

ABSTRACT

The little-known Alucita danunciae Vargas, 2011 (Lepidoptera: Alucitidae) is recorded for the first time from Peru, expanding its altitudinal, geographic and host plant ranges. Its larvae were found on fruits of Tecoma fulva arequipensis (Bignoniaceae) at 2900 m elevation in Pocsi, Arequipa, on the western slopes of the Andes of southern Peru. Genetic divergence between the Chilean (type locality) and Peruvian DNA barcode haplotypes was 0.6–0.9% K2P.