Algal epilithon and water quality of a stream receiving oil refinery effluent

Changes in epilithic algal communities colonizing introduced substrata were determined in a stream polluted with oil refinery effluent at Digboi (Assam, India). The number of algal taxa was reduced but the growth of blue-green algae, particularly two species ofOscillatoria, was encouraged. Epilithic biomass (as chlorophylla) also declined at polluted stations. The algal community of the upstream station was markedly different from the community occurring just after the confluence of effluent; however, the differences were gradually reduced downstream, indicating improvement in water quality. Of the various criteria tested for possible relationships with the level of pollutants, species richness, Shannon diversity and biomass showed significant relationships. The study demonstrates the usefulness of algal criteria for monitoring oil pollution in running waters.     

Use of the polymerase chain reaction to identify mosquito species of the Anopheles gambiae complex

A nonradiometric method has been developed for distinguishing between the sibling species Anopheles gambiae Giles and An. arabiensis Patton, two important Afrotropical vectors of malaria. DNA fragments of species diagnostic length are amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from a small amount of unknown DNA and three different PCR primers. All three PCR primers are based on ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences. A universal plus-strand primer (A0) is derived from a conserved region at the 3' end of the 28S rDNA coding region. Two species-specific minus-strand primers (Aa0.5 and Ag1.3) are derived from sequences in the intergenic spacers. The Ag1.3 sequence is approximately 1.3 kb downstream of A0; the Aa0.5 sequence is about 0.5 kb downstream of A0. When mosquito DNA is amplified in the presence of all three primers, a 1.3 kb fragment is produced if An. gambiae DNA is used as template, and a 0.5 kb fragment is produced if An. arabiensis DNA is used. Amplification of DNA from An.gambiae/An. arabiensis hybrids produces both the 1.3 kb and the 0.5 kb fragments. Neither diagnostic fragment is produced when DNA from other species in the An. gambiae complex is used as template.     

A Markov approach for describing post-fire succession of vegetation

Vegetation dynamics in the coastal area of the Seto Inland Sea region in Japan, where wild fires occur frequently, were described using a stationary Markov model. In this region, vegetation types ofMiscanthus-Pleioblastus grassland,Lespedeza-Mallotus scrub,Pinus-Rhododendron forest andCrassocephalum-Erechtites community have been identified, and these show cyclic succession under the influence of fires. The model uses parameters determining fire frequency and rate of successional change to analyze the effect of variation in these parameters on the areal ratio of each vegetation type at equilibrium and on the time taken for one vegetation type to succeed another (elapsed successional time). The effect of fire frequency differs between hypothetical habitats with high and low productivity. A policy for vegetation management in areas of high and low productivity is proposed. The advantages and limitations of applying Markov models to studies of vegetation succession are also discussed.     

In vitro culture of embryos of Cucumis spp.: heart-stage embryos have a higher ability of direct plant formation than advanced-stage embryos

Summary The ability of embryos at different developmental stages to form plants in vitro has been studied in cultivated Cucumis sativus L. and in the wild species C. zeyheri 2 x Sond. and C. metuliferus Naud. On MS medium containing 3.5% sucrose, 0.1 mg 1^–1 kinetin (Kn) and 0.01 mg 1^–1 indoleacetic acid (IAA), proembryos (0.03–0.05 mm) and early globular embryos (0.05–0.08 mm) from the wild species developed into plants in low frequencies of 8% and 21%, respectively. These embryos should be surrounded by the embryo sac tissue. On the same medium late globular (0.08–0.1 mm) and early heart-stage embryos (0.1–0.3 mm) developed into plants in moderately high and high frequencies of 48% and 83%, respectively. The presence of the embryo sac at these stages was still beneficial, but no longer a prerequisite. Late heart-stage embryos (0.3–0.8 mm) also showed high frequencies of plant formation, 63%, if Kn was applied at a concentration of 1 mg 1^–1. From the early cotyledon stage onwards, the frequency of plant formation gradually decreased, reaching a minimum at the late cotyledon stage. Subsequently it began to increase again up to the late maturation stage. The poor plant formation shown by the intermediate-aged embryos could be improved slightly by lowering the sucrose concentration to 0.5% and by increasing the Kn concentration to 10 mg 1^–1. Relative to the wild species, embryos of C. sativus showed lower percentages of plant formation. The optimum sucrose concentration was 2% for the heart-stage C. sativus embryos. In all three species the ability to form plants strongly decreased with increasing embryo age, from early to late cotyledon. This is thought to be caused by the increasing tendency of the embryos at these stages to continue in vitro the normal embryo development.     

岩羊小肠毛圆线虫一新种（小杆目,圆线亚目：毛圆科）

本文报道了岩羊小肠的祁连毛圆线虫,新种Trichostrongylus qilianensis sp. nov., 其形态与已发表的39种毛圆线虫均有明显区别。     

中国正鳃金龟属暨四新种记述(鞘翅目:鳃金龟科)

本文记述中国新纪录正鳃金龟属Malaisius Arrow(1941)及4个新种——云南松正鳃金龟Malaisius pinae,介正鳃金龟M.intermedius,背黑正鳃金龟M.melanodiscus及闽正鳃金龟M.fujianensls。结合4新种之特征,重新描述了本属属征,指出正鳃金龟属与歪鳃金龟属Cyphochilus Waterheuse近缘。     

中国仰蝽科一新种及一新纪录（半翅目）

本文记述了中国半翅目仰蝽科一新种:突顶小仰蝽Anisops protracta sp. nov. 及一新记录:南小仰蝽A. exigera Horvath。对于新种进行了描述,并附特征插图8幅。     

金线鲃属鱼类一新种(鲤形目:鲤科)

作者于1986年6月在贵州盘县一溶洞的水体中采到金线鲃属鱼类一新种,命名为角金线鲃,新种Sinocyclocheilus angularis sp. nov.。本新种形状怪异,头背缘末端具一朝前的角状突,其内有顶骨突;眼正常;侧线鳞明显;鳔后室发达等特征而易与金线鲃属其他种相区别。     

蜜蜂总科化石新种（昆虫纲：膜翅目）

本文记述了膜翅目熊蜂科、木蜂科和蜜蜂科3属3新种,其中熊蜂科熊蜂属1种:鲁熊蜂Bombus luianus sp. nov., 木蜂科木蜂属1种:硅藻木蜂Xylacopa diatoma sp. nov. 和蜜蜂科蜜蜂属1种:长胫蜜蜂Apis longitibia sp. nov.。所有模式标本均采自山东山旺中新统硅藻土页岩中,现保存在山东省博物馆。     

艾菲属吸虫一新种（复殖目：鳞肉科）

艾菲属(Aephnidiogenes)吸虫在我国为首次报道,文中记述了采自海南岛一种胡椒鲷(Plectorhynchus pictus)体内的海南艾菲吸虫,新种(Aephnidiogenes hainanensis sp. nov.),对其形态特征进行了描述,并与相近种作了比较。虫体11.641—17.425mm,卵巢为不规则三角形,卵子66—69×33—45μm。