On species of genus Lepadella (Eurotatoria:Monogononta:Colurellidae) from North-Eastern India,with remarks on Indian taxa

Ten species of Lepadella Bory de St. Vincent, 1826, including one new species and one new form, are documented from North-Eastern India. Two of these species are new records from this country and six are new reports from N.E. region. Comments are also made on the status and distribution of various Indian taxa.     

Recruitment of lysozyme as a major enzyme in the mouse gut: Duplication,divergence, and regulatory evolution

Summary Two major types of lysozymec (M and P) occur in the mouse genus,Mus, and have been purified from an inbred laboratory strain (C58/J) ofM. domesticus. They differ in physical, catalytic, and antigenic properties as well as by amino acid replacements at 6 of 49 positions in the amino-terminal sequence. Comparisons with four other mammalian lysozymesc of known sequence suggest that M and P are related by a gene duplication that took place before the divergence of the rat and mouse lineages. M lysozyme is present in most tissues; achieves its highest concentration in the kidney, lung, and spleen; and corresponds to the lysozyme partially sequenced before from another strain ofM. domesticus. InM. domesticus and several related species, P lysozyme was detected chiefly in the small intestine, where it is probably produced mainly by Paneth cells. A survey of M and P levels in 22 species of muroid rodents (fromMus and six other genera) of known phylogenetic relationships suggests that a mutation that derepressed the P enzyme arose about 4 million years ago in the ancestor of the housemouse group of species. Additional regulatory shifts affecting M and P levels have taken place along lineages leading to other muroid species. Our survey of 187 individuals of wild house mice and their closest allies reveals a correlation between latitude of origin and level of intestinal lysozyme.     

Meloidogyne californiensis n. sp. (Nemata: Meloidogyninae), Parasitic On Bulrush,Scirpus robustus Pursh

Meloidogyne californiensis n. sp. is described and illustrated from bulrush Scirpus robustus in California. LM and SEM studies revealed that this species differs from other known species in the genus Meloidogyne especially by the prominent posterior cuticular protuberances in the female, the distinct shape of the perineal pattern which is marked by one prominent stria in the perineum, indistinct lateral lines, many broken discontinuous striae on both sides of the arch, and the excretory pore being located posterior to stylet base. Second-stage juveniles 448-628 μm long, stylet length 11-13 μm, styler delicate, with small knobs sloping posteriorly, cephalic region with 2 or 3 annuli, and inflated rectum. Males vary greatly in size (712-1,952 μm), stylet length 18-28 μm (mean 22 μm), cephalic region slightly set off the body with two or three annuli, spear heavy with massive rounded knobs, lateral field marked by four areolated incisures as seen by SEM.     

Pollination systems in a warm temperate evergreen broad-leaved forest on Yaku Island

Animal pollination in a warm temperate evergreen broad-leaved forest was observed on Yaku-shima Island, south of Kyushu, Japan. Three groups of plants were categorized: canopy-flowering tree species, understory-flowering tree species, and climber and epiphyte species. Each of these formed different pollination systems. The canopy-flowering tree species had shallow, dish-shaped flowers and utilized various types of opportunistic pollinators. Most of the climber and epiphyte species had deep, tube-shaped flowers and specialized pollinators, although some climber species which bloomed in the canopy especially in winter, had opportunistic pollinators. The understory-flowering tree species had large dish- or funnel-shaped flowers and endothermic pollinators able to tolerate the dark and cold conditions under the canopy. The individual trees of canopy-flowering tree species produced large numbers of flowers simultaneously (mass-flowering) and had a well synchronized flowering period. Each canopy-flowering tree species segregated its flowering time from those of the anothers. Climber and epiphyte species and most of the understory-flowering tree species produced small numbers of flowers sequentially (extended flowering) and showed a long flowering period.     

New types of acetate-oxidizing,sulfate-reducing Desulfobacter species,D. hydrogenophilus sp. nov., D. latus sp. nov., and D. curvatus sp. nov.

Sulfate-reducing bacteria with oval to rod-shaped cells (strains AcRS1, AcRS2) and vibrio-shaped cells (strains AcRM3, AcRM4, AcRM5) differing by size were isolated from anaerobic marine sediment with acetate as the only electron donor. A vibrio-shaped type (strain AcKo) was also isolated from freshwater sediment. Two strains (AcRS1, AcRM3) used ethanol and pyruvate in addition to acetate, and one strain (AcRS1) grew autotrophically with H₂, sulfate and CO₂. Higher fatty acids or lactate were never utilized. All isolates were able to grow in ammonia-free medium in the presence of N₂. Nitrogenase activity under such conditions was demonstrated by the acetylene reduction test. The facultatively lithoautotrophic strain (AcRS1), a strain (AcRS2) with unusually large cells (2×5 m), and a vibrio-shaped strain (AcRM3) are described as new Desulfobacter species, D. hydrogenophilus, D. latus, and D. curvatus, respectively.     

Why are there so many species of bumble bees at Dungeness?

WILLIAMS, P. H., 1989. Why are there so many species of bumble bees at Dungeness? Dungeness is unique in the British Isles in that it has more species of bumble bees than any other locality. Three ideas about what governs the number of species at a locality are examined by locking at patterns of flower visits at Dungeness in comparison with those at Shoreham, a species-poor locality also in Kent. The species of bumble bees that are present at Dungeness but absent from Shoreham show no association in their distributions among 2 km grid-squares in Kent with the species of food-plants that they prefer at Dungeness, nor is there any correlation between the diversity of bees and diversity of food-plants at Dungeness and Shoreham. From the information available, Dungeness is most likely to have more species of bumble bees because it has a particularly high density of the more nectar-rich flowers that bumble bees can use. Bumble bees feed most profitably from deep flowers because these contain more nectar than shallow flowers, although direct access to deeper flowers is ultimately limited by the length of each bee's proboscis. The distribution of worker proboscis lengths among species in the species-pool in Kent is clumped about a median of 7.9 mm. The best foraging conditions for the maximum number of species should be provided when flowers of similar depths are present in sufficiently large numbers for all foragers to make near-optimal flower choices. Although there is no difference in median between the distributions of the bees' proboscis lengths and the depths of the flowers they use at Dungeness, at Shoreham the flower depths used are shorter than the proboscis lengths. Among the food-plants at Dungeness, high densities of Teucrium scorodonia and Echium vulgare are likely to be especially important.     

Phenotypic plasticity in Phlox

Summary Three species of Phlox (Polemoniaceae) were grown in 6 greenhouse treatments. A variety of traits were recorded and the correlations among them were computed for each treatment. The phenotypic correlations between characters are significantly altered when plants are grown under different environmental conditions. These changes in correlation structure result from the differential phenotypic plasticity of traits. Partial correlations between flower production and other traits are also environment-dependent. Such changes can alter the intensity of, and possibly the response to, selection on traits correlated with fitness in natural plant populations.     

Endophage-ectophage ratios and plant defense

Summary Endophagous folivores, which are concealed inside leaf tissue for much of their life cycle, or which live externally but feed internally, should be more successful on heavily defended plants than ectophagous species. This is because endophages are more facile at feeding selectively and can manipulate tissue development to avoid physical and chemical defenses and to enhance nutrition. As a result, endophage-ectophage ratios should increase on more heavily defended hosts. This pattern will likely be strengthened by negative asymmetrical interactions with ectophages and pathogens, which may displace endophages from lightly defended hosts. The hypothesis predicts that endophages should be particularly abundant in resource-poor habitats which seem to support a preponderance of heavily defended hosts. Although data do not yet exist for a rigorous test, several observed cases where endophage distributions seem biased toward heavily defended hosts are at least consistent with the hypothesis. Plant defense levels may have little influence on the total number of herbivores associated with a host, but I suggest that guild structure can be profoundly altered.     

Weed macaques: The evolutionary implications of macaque feeding ecology

Patterns of feeding ecology among the living macaques conform poorly with recognized phyletic distinctions within the genus because there is an important ecological division which cross-cuts phyletic groupings. This division, between weed species and non-weed species, is based on the differing abilities of macaques to tolerate and even prosper in close association with human settlements. Based on available information about their ecology in the wild, we tentatively assign macaque species to these two categories. Finally, we consider the implications of our argument for scenarios of the initial spread of the macaques.     

Classification and ordination of macroinvertebrate assemblages to predict stream acidity in upland Wales

Macroinvertebrates were collected from riffles at 104 sites in upland Wales during April and July 1984. Species assemblages were ordinated by DECORANA, classified by TWINSPAN and related to stream chemistry and other environmental factors using correlation and multiple discriminant analysis. DECORANA axis 1 was most strongly correlated with pH and aluminium concentration whilst axis 2 correlated with stream gradient and flow. Four TWINSPAN site groups established in each season were also principally related to pH and aluminium concentration, and reflected overall taxon-richness; differences between groups were most apparent during spring, when catchment forest cover and taxon-richness were also related. A dichotomous key based on indicator species was established for each season with the coleopteran Hydraena gracilis Germar and the Ephemeroptera, including Baetis rhodani Pictet, important indicators at Level 1. We propose that these indicator systems may be used for the rapid detection and assessment of acid waters throughout Wales, and that the methodology is applicable generally.