Relationships of nine Italian Chrysotoxum species were analysed using morphological and molecular data. The morphology-derived cladogram revealed three well-defined groups: (i) C. cautum, (ii) the arcuatum group (C. arcuatum, C. fasciolatum) and (iii) the festivum group (C. festivum - C. vernale, C. bicinctum, C. elegans, C. octomaculatum and C. parmense). Trees inferred from COI-tRNALeu-COII sequences were largely in agreement, but they identified (i) C. parmense as an isolated branch, (ii) C. festivum and C. vernale as separate entities, (iii) C. elegans within a paraphyletic C. festivum clade. ITS2 trees were partially unresolved but C. parmense sequence emerged as a sister to the festivum group. The monophyly of the festivum group derived from morphological data was rejected by a phylogenetic test performed on combined molecular data set. The diagnostic value of some morphological characters commonly used to identify Chrysotoxum species is therefore questioned.
Dolichopodidae (over 6000 described species in more than 200 genera) is one of the most speciose families of Diptera. Males of many dolichopodid species, including Dolichopus, feature conspicuous ornaments (Male Secondary Sexual Characters) that are used during courtship. Next to these MSSCs, every identification key to Dolichopus primarily uses colour characters (postocular bristles; femora) of unknown phylogenetic relevance. The phylogeny of Dolichopodidae has rarely been investigated, especially at the species level, and molecular data were hardly ever involved. We inferred phylogenetic relationships among 45 species (57 samples) of the subfamily Dolichopodinae on the basis of 32 morphological and 1415 nucleotide characters (810 for COI, 605 for Cyt-b). The monophyly of Dolichopus and Gymnopternus as well as the separate systematic position of Ethiromyia chalybea were supported in all analyses, confirming recent findings by other authors based purely on morphology. Within Dolichopus, stable species groups could be assigned to four distinct categories on the basis of their statistical support in 7 phylogenetic analyses: (i) clades significantly supported in all analyses, (ii) clades supported in trees based on DNA and combined data, but only partly in morphological trees, (iii) clades significantly supported in trees based on DNA and combined data, but not in morphological trees, and (iv) clades consistently supported only in morphological trees. The phylogeny generated here provides a better understanding of the phylogenetic relevance of some debated morphological characters used for species and species-group characterizations in the most commonly used identification keys. In this respect, postocular bristle colour proved of little phylogenetic relevance since every group with species featuring black bristles also included species with partly yellow bristles. Entirely or partly infuscated femora explained the nodes of three stable species groups and even revealed an incorrect polarity of this morphological character in three species. Four of 6 complex MSSCs and 5 of 8 more common MSSCs were found consistently in further species groups.
1_External morphological characters were used to reconstruct a phylogeny of the mite family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Cheyletoidea), which are permanent parasites inhabiting the quills of bird feathers. A total of 53 syringophilid genera and 79 characters were included in the data matrix; maximum parsimony (MP) and Bayesian analyses (BA) were performed to determine their phylogenetic relationships. The consensus of unweighted MP trees was weakly resolved. Only four generic groups were recognized: Aulonastus + Krantziaulonastus (i) and (Creagonycha + Kethleyana) + (Megasyringophilus + Selenonycha) (ii) – both with low Bremer support (BS 1); the subfamily Picobiinae – Picobia, Calamincola, Columbiphilus (Neopicobia + Rafapicobia) (BS 12) (iii) and Psittaciphilus generic group – (Meitingsunes + Psittaciphilus) (Peristerophila + (Neoperisterophila + (Castosyringophilus + Terratosyringophilus))) (BS 2) (iv). BA revealed a consensus tree with a topology similar to MP. The two main groups recognized by MP, the subfamily Picobiinae and Psittaciphilus, both received the highest support of 1; while two other groups recognized by MP – Aulonastus + Krantziaulonastus and (Creagonycha + Kethleyana) + (Megasyringophilus + Selenonycha) received relatively low support of 0.73–74 and 0.76–77, respectively., 2_The consensus of re-weighted MP trees was almost fully resolved but, the majority of the generic groups, excluding the Picobiinae and Psittaciphilus were supported by just a few non-unique synapomorphies with a high probability of homoplastic origin. The most intriguing result is the paraphyly of the Syringophilinae in respect to picobiines. The pattern of the re-weighted tree demonstrates only patches of parallel evolution at the level of syringophilid genera and bird orders. Perhaps horizontal shifts on phylogenetically distant hosts and colonization of quill (calamus) types other than primaries and secondaries were also important in the evolution of the syringophilids., Maciej Skoracki, Eliza Glowska, Andre V. Bochkov., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
During a survey of freshwater fishes from Turkey two species of Acanthocephala, one of them new, were found. Pomphorhynchus tereticollis (Pomphorhynchidae) is reported at 24% prevalence in 37 Cobitis bilseli (Cobitidae) from Lake Beysehir, Konya, for the first time. The eoacanthoacaphalan Triaspiron aphanii gen. n. et sp. n. (Quadrigyridae), at a prevalence of 90%, is described from 29 Aphanius mento (Cyprinodontidae), from Kirkgöz Springs, Antalya. The new genus most closely resembles Raosentis Datta, 1947, both having a small spindle shaped trunk, and Acanthogyrus Thapar, 1927, both having a proboscis armature of three circles of hooks. Triaspiron differs from Raosentis in proboscis shape, cylindrical not globular, proboscis armature, three circles, a total of 16 hooks in all, not four circles, a total of 26-30 hooks in all, and trunk spination, two fields of spines in the anterior field with spines arranged in up to 40 circular rows, not a single field with 9-17 rows of spines. Triaspiron differs from Acanthogyrus in having fewer proboscis hooks, 16 compared with 18-24, arranged in three circles, one anterior and two posteriorly placed, with an unarmed region between, not three circles of hooks evenly spaced, and two fields of trunk spines, not one.
The Pselaphinae is a large subfamily of staphylinid beetles with a characteristic habitus and small body size. Detailed morphological and behavioural studies on these beetles are scarce. In this study, specimens of Bryaxis puncticollis (Denny, 1825), Bryaxis bulbifer (Reichenbach, 1816), Bythinus burrelli (Denny, 1825), Brachygluta fossulata (Reichenbach, 1816), Rybaxis longicornis (Leach, 1817), Pselaphus heisei (Herbst, 1792) and Tyrus mucronatus (Panzer, 1803), all collected in Northern Germany, have been examined with regard to their sensory organs (eyes and antennae), mouthparts and method of capturing prey. Scanning electron microscope studies revealed sex-specific differences in the numbers of ommatidia in Bryaxis puncticollis. A multitude of different sensilla on the antennae and great differences in the shape of the mouthparts were observed and peculiarities of the antennae and maxillary palps (e.g., the segment-like appendage) were examined using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The prey-capture behaviour of these species is described in detail for the first time based on laboratory experiments using Heteromurus nitidus (Templeton, 1835) (Collembola) as prey. This behaviour seems to be tribe specific, ranging from simple seizure with the mandibles (e.g., Rybaxis longicornis, tribe Brachyglutini) to the employment of raptorial legs (Tyrus mucronatus, tribe Tyrini). The two Bryaxis species (tribe Bythinini) even employ their apparently sticky maxillary palps to capture prey. The assumption that a viscous secretion is used by these species is supported by the finding of glandular structures in the interior of their maxillary palps. Prey-capture is preceded by a complicated preparation phase in most of the species and followed by a sequence of prey-handling movements that seem to be adapted to restrain prey such as Collembola. In simple prey-choice experiments the beetles of several species preferred small prey, irrespective of their own body size. In these experiments, Bryaxis bulbifer and Brachygluta fossulata were more successful in capturing prey than Bryaxis puncticollis and Pselaphus heisei. This might be related to their different sensory equipment and different methods of capturing prey.
A new species of lamproglenine copepods, Pseudolamproglena boxshalli sp. n., is described from gills of the cyprinid fish Cyprinion macrostomum Heckel from the Tigris River in Tikreet, north of Baghdad, Iraq. This is the second species of Pseudolamproglena from Iraq and the fourth in the world. It differs from its three congeners mainly in the armature of antennule, maxilla, maxilliped, legs 1-4 and caudal ramus.
The type-material of Psilostomum lineatum Linton, 1928 was re-examined and identified as Podocotyle reflexa (Creplin, 1825). This re-allocation of the type and only species invalidates the genus Psilolintonum that is now considered a synonym of Podocotyle.
Phonochorion Uvarov (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) is a little known genus consisting of three species: Ph. satunini, Ph. artvinensis and Ph. uvarovi. The objective of this study is to conduct a thorough distributional, taxonomic and systematic revision of the genus Phonochorion using both bioacustic and external morphological characters. Field surveys indicate that the genus is distributed from the Trabzon region of Turkey to the Khulo province of Georgia however the exact limit of the eastern distribution of the genus remains unknown. Phonochorion species occur only on the northern slopes of the East Black Sea and Lesser Caucasus Mountains. The Coruh Valley, which seprates the East Black Sea and Lesser Caucasus Mountain ranges, seems to be an effective physical and climatic barrier and determines the distribution of these species. Ph. uvarovi can clearly be distinguished from Ph. satunini and Ph. artvinensis by the calling songs of males and external morphological characters. Ph. artvinensis and Ph. satunini differ in several taxonomic characters but the males have virtually identical calling songs. From a character evolution perspective, although geographically more distant, Ph. satunini is more closely related to Ph. uvarovi than Ph. artvinensis. Morphological similarities in several characters indicate Phonochorion to be most closely related to Polysarcus zacharovi and the Poecilimon heroicus-group. Within the genus Phonochorion, song structure and morphological characters clearly indicate Ph. uvarovi to be the basal taxon.
Gangesia parasiluri Yamaguti, 1934 (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae) is redescribed on the basis of adults obtained from the intestine of Silurus asotus Linnaeus (Teleostei: Siluridae) from Lake Suwa, Nagano Prefecture, central Japan. Its life cycle was studied in the field and laboratory. Rostellar hooks of the adults showed a wide variation in number, ranging from 35 to up to 57. Plerocercoids were found in the rectum of Chaenogobius urotaenia (Hilgendorf) and Rhinogobius brunneus (Temminck et Schlegel) (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from the same lake. Procercoids were formed in the haemocoel of Mesocyclops leuckarti (Claus) (Copepoda: Cyclopidae) 7 days post infection at 21-25°C. They developed into plerocercoids in the intestine of Pseudorasbora puntila pumila Miyadi (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), R. brunneus and S. asotus. Plerocercoids from naturally and experimentally infected fishes were fed to S. asotus, from which immature worms were recovered. It is considered that the life cycle involves three hosts: a copepod as the intermediate host in which procercoids are formed, small fish as paratenic hosts which retain plerocercoids and transport them into S. asotus, and S. asotus as the definitive host in which adults develop. Rostellar hooks of the adults were much fewer, much larger and arranged in fewer circles than those of the plerocercoids. It is suggested that the former are newly formed and replace the latter in an early stage of development of plerocercoids into adults in 5. asotus.
Soricinia tripartita Żarnowski, 1955 is redescribed on the basis of specimens from the type host Sorex araneus Linnaeus from Lithuania, Latvia and Russia (Republic of Karelia and Republic of Komi - a new geographical record) as well as from Sorex satunini Ognev and Sorex volnuchini Ognev from Russia (Nalchik Area in the Caucasus Mountains). The strobilar morphology of S. tripartita is compared with that of other hymenolepidid cestodes of shrews with an unarmed scolex and serial development of proglottides in the strobila, i.e. species of Mathevolepis Spassky, 1948, Ditestolepis Soltys, 1952, Spasskylepis Schaldybin, 1964, Ecrinolepis Spassky et Karpenko, 1983 and Diorchilepis Lykova, Gulyaev, Melnikova et Karpenko, 2006. It was noted that S. tripartita does not correspond to any of the known genera. The following unique characters are found for S. tripartita: heteronomous serial strobilation with one or two sterile proglottides at the end of each series in the strobila and the whole copulatory part of the vagina covered with numerous, fine spines. Therefore, the new genus Gulyaevilepis is erected, with Gulyaevilepis tripartita (Żarnowski, 1955) comb. n. as its type and only species. Since the type material of Soricinia tripartita is not known to exist, a neotype from the same host species and from a locality close to the type locality is designated.