Parasites of the genus Cryptosporidium Tyzzer, 1910 are one of the most common protistan parasites of vertebrates. Faecal samples from 179 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes [Linnaeus]), 100 grey wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus), 11 golden jackals (Canis aureus Linnaeus), and 63 brown bears (Ursus arctos Linnaeus) were collected in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. Samples were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. using microscopy and PCR/sequence analysis. Phylogenetic analysis based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU), actin and 60-kDa glycoprotein (gp60) genes using the maximum likelihood method revealed the presence of Cryptosporidium tyzzeri Ren, Zhao, Zhang, Ning, Jian et al., 2012 (n = 1) and C. andersoni Lindsay, Upton, Owens, Morgan, Mead et Blackburn, 2000 (n = 2) in red foxes, C. canis Fayer, Trout, Xiao, Morgan, Lai et Dubey, 2001 (n = 2) and C. ubiquitum Fayer, Santín et Macarisin, 2010 (n = 2) in grey wolves, and C. galli Pavlásek, 1999 in brown bears (n = 1) and red foxes (n = 1). Subtyping of isolates of C. ubiquitum and C. tyzzeri based on sequence analysis of gp60 showed that they belong to the XIId and IXa families, respectively. The presence of specific DNA of C. tyzzeri, C. andersoni and C. galli, which primarily infect the prey of carnivores, is probably the result of their passage through the gastrointestinal tract of the carnivores. Finding C. ubiquitum XIId in wolves may mean broadening the host spectrum of this subtype, but it remains possible this is the result of infected prey passing through the wolf - in this case deer, which is a common host of this parasite. The dog genotype of C. canis was reported for the first time in wolves.
A new microsporidium was observed in the flying fish Cypselurus pinnatibarbatus japonicus (Franz) (Exocoetidae) from Yakushima, Japan. Visual examination revealed the microsporidium to form white elongate nodules in the host's trunk muscle. Monomorphic spores were ovoid to pyriform in shape, with average dimensions of 4.1 × 2.2 µm and possessing a polar tube describing 13-15 coils. Histological observations showed that each parasite focus of infection was encapsulated by a host-produced fibrous membrane. The presence of sporophorous vesicles was not clearly determined. Ribosomal DNA sequence analyses showed the microsporidium to be discrete from other known fish muscle-infecting species and to be most closely related to a clade comprising the Pleistophoridae and Glugea spp. The parasite is provisionally placed as Microsporidium cypselurus sp. n.
Endosymbiotic organisms are known to manipulate the reproductive biology of their hosts. Incomplete prevalence of endosymbiont inducing thelytokous parthenogenesis results in the coexistence of sexual and asexual individuals, and could account for the maintenance of sexual reproduction in certain populations or species. In the parasitoid Venturia canescens, arrhenotokous ("sexual") and thelytokous ("asexual") individuals occur sympatrically. We aimed to determine whether endosymbionts are implicated in the thelytoky of V. canescens. After screening females of the two reproductive modes for several reproductive parasites: bacteria (Wolbachia, Rickettsia, Bacteroidetes, Spiroplasma, Arsenophonus) and Microsporidia, we concluded that thelytoky in V. canescens is not induced by any of these parasites and confirmed its suitability as a biological model for solving the evolutionary enigma of the maintenance of sexual reproduction., Vincent Foray ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
From January 1992 to December 1993, a total of 2158 fish, namely Oreochromis leucostictus (Trewavas, 1983), Mi-cropterus salmoides (Lacépède, 1802), I'ilapiu zillii (Gervais, 1848) and Barhus amphigrama (Boulenger, 1902) were sampled from thirteen stations on Lake Naivasha, Kenya, using a fleet of gill nets and examined for helminth parasites. The prevalence of infection due to cystacanths of an acanthocephalan, Polyacanthorhynchus kenyensis Schmidt et Canaris, 1967 among parasitized O. leucostictus ranged from 30.4 to 86.9%; among T. zillii from 4.1 to 77.7%; in M. salmoides from 20 to 50%; and in B. amphi grama from 5.8 to 100%. In 735 hosts belonging to the above four species, a total of 4198 immature specimens of P. kenyensis were recovered. All cystacanths were found in extraintestinal sites, either free within the fish body cavity or encysted within the host visceral organs. There was no significant variation in the prevalence of the parasite within months (P > 0.001). Host sex ratio was significant (P < 0.001 ) in favour of male T. zillii, and also highly significant (P < 0.001 ) in favour of male O. leucostictus. Moreover, in this fish, prevalence of infection was observed to increase with the increase in the size of the fish. Among infected M. salmoides, there was no significant departure from a 1 : 1 sex ratio.
Freshwater pulmonate snails from three locations in Lake Furesø north of Copenhagen were screened for infection with furcocercariae (by shedding in the laboratory) and recovered parasite larvae were diagnosed by molecular methods (by performing PCR of rDNA and sequencing the internal transcribed spacer [ITS] region). Overall prevalence of infection in snails was 2%. Recovered cercariae from Lymnaea stagnalis (Linnaeus) were diagnosed as Diplostomum pseudospathaceum Niewiadomska, 1984 (prevalence 4%) and cercariae from Radix balthica (Linnaeus) as D. mergi (Dubois, 1932) (prevalence 2%). Pathogen-free rainbow trout were then exposed to isolated cercariae and infection success and site location of metacercariae in these fish were determined. Infection experiments confirmed that both species could infect rainbow trout with the eye lens as infection site for the metacercarial stage although infection success differed. Combination of molecular and biological assays may contribute to improvement of our knowledge on diagnosis, distribution and biology of diplostomids in fish.
The Multicoloured Asian Ladybird, Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is known to thrive principally in shrubby and arboreal habitats. This study focuses on the occurrence of this exotic species and its seasonal abundance in various field crops. The abundance of adults, larvae and pupae of H. axyridis was evaluated over a three-year period, from 2009 to 2011, in four important agronomical crops (wheat, corn, broad bean and potato) in Belgium. From May to September, 48 1-m² quadrats were visually inspected in each of the fields sampled on several farms every seven days. H. axyridis colonized and reproduced in all of the four crops studied, with the largest numbers recorded in corn and broad bean crops. Larvae and adults of H. axyridis were recorded mainly in corn and to a much less extent in wheat and potato crops. From 2009 to 2011, the mean weekly abundance of H. ayxridis remained constant except in corn crops, where the recorded densities of all the immature stages and adults were higher in 2011 than in 2009. The population dynamics of aphids and H. axyridis are well described by a symmetric logistic function (S-shape) of cumulative population size. H. axyridis was not always recorded where aphids were abundant, e.g. aphids were abundant on wheat where no H. axyridis were recorded. H. axyridis start reproducing after the peak in aphid population, suggesting that H. axyridis is able to complete its development by feeding on alternative prey such as larvae and pupae of the same and other species of ladybird and other aphidophagous species. H. axyridis is often considered to be bivoltine but it only completes one generation per year in field crops. The second generation generally develops late in the season in other habitats., Axel Vandereycken ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Nineteen isolated rocky outcrops of different sizes, tops of which were covered with natural grassland vegetation, were studied in the forested submontane belt (630–1020 m a.s.l.) of the Šumava Mts in the southern part of the Czech Republic, Central Europe. The species of vascular plants present in the treeless sites at each locality were identified. Those species with an Ellenberg indicator value for light equal 6 or higher were considered to be heliophilous. The distance to the nearest secondary treeless area was measured. There were 43 heliophilous species (23%) recorded among the 184 species identified. The number of species and the number of heliophilous species varied independently of the altitude and extent of the treeless area on the rocky outcrops, but were significantly correlated only with the distance to man-made treeless areas. The highest number of heliophilous species was recorded within approximately 400 m from the nearest man-made treeless area. Although the relict occurrence of some of the heliophilous species on the rocky outcrops cannot be completely excluded, obviously most of the species colonized these localities from nearby secondary treeless areas since their creation in the Middle Ages.
Flow cytometry measurements confirmed the occurrence of Polypodium ×mantoniae (P. interjectum × P. vulgare) at three localities in the eastern part of the Czech Republic (Blansko and Rudice N of Brno and Javoříčko WNW of Olomouc). Nuclear DNA contents (± Sx) were determined for P. vulgare (2C = 29.00 ± 0.32 pg), P. ×mantoniae (2C = 37.18 ± 0.38 pg) and P. interjectum (2C = 45.24 ± 0.31 pg) using a PAS Partec GmbH flow cytometer (PI staining / standard Vicia faba, 2C = 26.9 pg). The relative DNA content ratio was measured in all pairs of taxa (± Sx range), i.e. P. ×mantoniae : P. vulgare = 1.340 ± 0.008; P. interjectum : P. vulgare = 1.681 ± 0.003; P. interjectum : P. ×mantoniae = 1.255 ± 0.008. Six new localities for Polypodium interjectum were found in the region of Moravský Kras (= Moravian Karst, N of Brno). From the PI/DAPI index it can be inferred that the AT/GC ratio (or heterochromatin occurrence) is 1.05× bigger in P. ×mantoniae than in P. vulgare and 1.08× bigger in P. interjectum than in P. vulgare. Anatomical data (number of thick- walled cells in the anulus, spore length and stomata length) of selected specimens and live samples from the Czech Republic were in good agreement with the range of variation of these features published by earlier authors from other European countries. A brief historical survey of the knowledge of P. interjectum in the Czech Republic is included.