Reproductive biology of Magnolia sinica (Magnoliaecea), a threatened species with extremely small populations in Yunnan,China

Magnolia sinica is one of the most threatened trees endemic to Southeast Yunnan. Based on our investigations, only 52 individuals and eight populations are found in the wild. M. sinica has been categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and identified as a “Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations (PSESP)”. Its fruit/seed set is very low and seedlings are rarely found in the wild. It is hypothesized that it may encounter obstacles to reproductive success. This study, therefore, focuses on its reproductive biology, knowledge of which is essential for effective conservation. Flowers of this species are protogynous and nocturnal, and possess a two-day rhythm of sexual presentation. For the first night of anthesis, the flowers are in the pistillate stage during which tepals open at dusk and close approx. 1 h later (except for the open outer ones). They remain closed until the next afternoon, when flowers, now in the staminate stage, re-open and remain so until the tepals drop. Nocturnal beetles enter into the flowers and remain trapped throughout the night as the flower closes, during which time they feed on tepals. Pollen-gathering bees are found to visit the re-opened flowers and the beetles are released during this stage. Two species of Pleocomidae and Curculionidae beetles appear to be effective pollinators.M. sinica is a self-compatible, pollinator-dependent species, and its fruit/seed set can be significantly increased by hand-pollination. No functional seed dispersers have been found in its extant natural habitats. These findings suggest that it may face both pollination and seed disperser insufficiencies in its current fragmented habitats, which may account for its low regeneration. Here we propose conservation strategies based on our findings.     

浙江丽水虎纹蛙形态特征的两性异形和食性

用数显游标卡尺测量了407只2001—2003年9月下旬至10月上旬浙江丽水罚没的死亡虎纹蛙的体长等10个形态指标,结果表明:雌性成体体长(SUL)大于雄性成体,幼体形态无显著两性差异;ANCOVA去除SUL差异的影响后,雌性成体的头长和后肢长大于雄性成体,前肢长、眼径和耳径则小于雄性成体。前肢两侧对称性的偏移度成体大于幼体,雌性大于雄性;后肢两侧对称性成幼体和两性无显著差异。10个形态指标主成分分析的前三个主成分共解释64·6%的变异:第一主成分中头宽、眼径和耳径,第二主成分中后肢长,第三主成分中眼间距和鼻间距分别有较高的正负载系数。用NikonSMZ-1000解剖镜鉴别277只个体胃内容物中的食物种类,发现其秋季食物以节肢动物为主;成幼体和两性食物生态位宽度为3·42~5·25,食物生态位重叠度较高为0·93~0·98。分析表明,虎纹蛙局部形态特征的两性差异微弱,而体长两性异形差异显著;雌体具有较大的体形与食性无关,而可能与生育力选择的作用有关。     

Plant sexual systems, dichogamy, and herkogamy in the Venezuelan Central Plain

Sexual system, temporal variation in sex expression, and herkogamy were evaluated in 210 plant species in the Venezuelan Central Plain (VCP). This analysis was conducted considering the life forms, habitats, flowering time, pollination systems, and dispersal syndromes of the plant species. Hermaphrodite species dominated the community (75.2%; N=158), followed by monoecious taxa (17.1%; N=36), and then dioecious (7.6; N=16). Most species were adichogamous (=homogamous) (75.2%; N=155), followed by protandrous (16.5%; N=34), and protogynous (8.3%; N=17). The frequency of herkogamous species was higher (N=124; 60.2%) than the non-herkogamous (N=82; 39.8%). The three reproductive traits interacted significantly in a way that complements their effectiveness in promoting cross-pollination and avoidance of pollen–stigma interference: hermaphrodite-adichogamous species occurred in similar frequency to herkogamous and non-herkogamous species; monoecious-adichogamous species were mostly herkogamous, and all hermaphrodite, functionally dioecious-adichogamous, species were herkogamous. Sexual system, herkogamy, and dichogamy are associated with habitats in the savanna-forest mosaic of the VCP. The proportion of dioecious species decreased from trees to annual herbs and from forest to disturbed areas. Dichogamous species were most frequent for herbaceous plants, and non-herkogamous species dominated in annual herbs. The frequency of herkogamous species decreased from forest to disturbed areas. Sexual system was significantly associated with pollination system. Most dioecious and monoecious species had generalist pollination. A three-factor log linear analysis indicated that for any combination significantly. Sexual systems and herkogamy were associated with the respective seed dispersal syndrome. Most dioecious and herkogamous species were dispersed by frugivores, while monoecious plants tended to be dispersed by granivores and wind. Flowering time of dioecious species peaked during the dry–rainy transition period, whereas that of monoecious species was greatest during the rainy season. Therefore, specific biotic and abiotic conditions may enforce the occurrence of unisexuality in the community. In a similar way, dichogamous species tend to flower during the rainy season, associated with herbaceous life form and wind pollination. These results are discussed in the context of evolutionary and ecological trends.     

双斑恩蚜小蜂形态学特征、生活习性及其寄生行为

双斑恩蚜小蜂EncarsiabimaculataHeratyetPolaszek是烟粉虱Bemisiatabaci(Gennadius)的主要寄生性天敌之一。作者对双斑恩蚜小蜂的形态特征进行了描述。在实验室条件下,对双斑恩蚜小蜂的生活习性、寄生行为进行了观察。双斑恩蚜小蜂成蜂26℃时平均寿命约为7d,每雌产卵量273粒,雌蜂比例占据绝对优势,雌雄性比约为8∶1。双斑恩蚜小蜂的寄生过程大致分为寄主定位、寄主检查、穿刺、产卵、清扫、梳理和休憩等几个阶段。     

Female reproductive output in a Mediterranean shrub: effects from inflorescence to population

Inflorescence effects have been poorly studied, in spite of the functional relevance of the inflorescence in fruit and seed ecology. The present study focused on the effects of inflorescence size and phenology, and flower position within the inflorescence, in relation to fruit and seed production of the Mediterranean shrub Ononis fruticosa. Variability in fruit and seed production, seed weight and germination were estimated and modelled. Results confirmed that the most important predictors in seed production were inflorescence flowering time and flower position within the inflorescence. Thus, the number of mature seeds per fruit was higher in earlier inflorescences and in basal positions. On the other hand, predation was higher in fruits in basal positions. In fact, seed predation seemed to be the most important factor controlling final seed production. Models at the plant level suggested a negative incidence of geitonogamous pollination and resource limitation, which were also observed at the fruit level. This study confirmed the relevance of inflorescence effects on the reproductive output of O. fruticosa. Although the underlying processes could not be identified, our results provide several hypotheses for future experimental studies.     

Biology of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lasioglossum</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">L.</Emphasis>) <Emphasis Type="Italic">majus</Emphasis> (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), a largely solitary sweat bee with behavioural adaptations to communality

Within the bee family Halictidae there have been three origins of sociality. Although detection of origins and reversal from sociality requires phylogenetic studies, at a behavioural level a predisposition to sociality can be detected by analysis of intra-specific interactions. We studied aspects of nesting biology and behavioural interactions in Lasioglossum (Lasioglossum) majus, a poorly known halictine inhabiting temperate regions of Europe, which is suspected to be solitary. Nests were found to be largely used by one female, but some were shared by more than one individual. These few nests, whose entrances were very close to each other, were found to be connected underground. A few individuals were observed to enter in a nest where a female was waiting, behaving as a guard and allowing the incoming bee to enter the nest. By use of circle-tube experiments, the behavioural repertoire exhibited by females during encounters was assessed. Levels of withdrawal and cooperative events were comparable with those observed in other solitary nesting species, but aggressive events were very rare, as in several observed communal species. We conclude that L. (L.) majus females, despite general solitary nesting, possess behavioural components enabling them to adopt, probably in high nest-density areas, nest-sharing strategies. A similar kind of local social polymorphism has been observed in two other species of the subgenus Lasioglossum, but these are the first data available on a European species and the first record of subterranean connections among nests of halictid bees.     

Effect of meal size on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption in fishes with different locomotive and digestive performance

Effects of feeding on pre-exercise VO₂ and excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) after exhaustive exercise were investigated in sedentary southern catfish, active herbivorous grass carp, omnivorous crucian carp, and sluggish omnivorous darkbarbel catfish to test whether feeding had different effects on EPOC and to compare EPOC in fishes with different ecological habits. For fasting fish, the pre-exercise and peak post-exercise VO₂ were higher and recovery rates were faster in crucian carp and grass carp compared to those of darkbarbel catfish and southern catfish. EPOC magnitudes of grass carp and southern catfish were significantly larger than those of crucian carp and darkbarbel catfish. Feeding had no significant effect on peak post-exercise VO₂, recovery rate, and EPOC magnitude in grass carp. Both the pre-exercise and peak post-exercise VO₂ increased with meal size, while the EPOC magnitude and duration decreased significantly in the larger meal size groups of crucian carp and southern catfish. In darkbarbel catfish, both the pre-exercise and peak post-exercise VO₂ increased with meal size, but the VO₂ increment elicited by exercise was larger in feeding groups compared with the fasting group. These results suggest that (1) the characteristics of the post-exercise VO₂ profile, such as peak post-exercise VO₂ and recovery rate, were closely related to the activity of fishes, whereas the EPOC magnitude was not and (2) the effects of feeding on EPOC were more closely related to the postprandial increase in VO₂.     

柯氏鼠兔的食性分析

柯氏鼠兔(Ochotona koslowi)是兔形目(Lagomorpha)鼠兔属中最古老的遗留种,也是稀有的濒危物种,自1894年命名以来,国内外对该物种的生存现状、生物学特征知之甚少.2007年10~11月,在藏北地区捕获到13只柯氏鼠兔,通过显微组织分析法对其胃及结肠内容物和收集的60份粪样进行了食性分析.结果表明,柯氏鼠兔胃、结肠内容物和粪便中镜检到可识别植物碎片属6科15种,其中豆科植物碎片占可识别植物碎片的39.44%,藜科植物碎片占36.00%,莎草科植物碎片占16.42%,禾本科、十字花科和菊科植物碎片分别占3.75%、2.67%和1.25%.食性分析表明,柯氏鼠兔偏爱豆科植物.