Five albinotic individuals of the Common Newts (Lissotriton vulgaris), including two paedomorphic females, were caught on 15th April 2013 in a water reservoir in the village Stará Lysá. this is the first record of paedomorphic albinos of newts in the Czech Republic. The behaviour of albinotic individuals was observed in a laboratory for a period of one month. and Oldřich Kopecký, Petr Hataš, Tomáš Holer.
Thirty-two specimens of the Nile crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus Laurenti (Reptilia: Crocodylidae), from the Kruger National Park, South Africa, and its vicinity were examined for pentastomid parasites during 1995 to 1999 and 2010 to 2011. Pentastomid parasites occurred throughout the year and were widespread in the study area with an overall prevalence of 97% and an overall mean abundance of 23.4 (0-81). Pentastome assemblages comprised six species in three sebekid genera: Alofia nilotici Riley et Huchzermeyer, 1995, A. simpsoni Riley, 1994, Leiperia cincinnalis Sambon, 1922, Sebekia cesarisi Giglioli in Sambon, 1922, S. minor (Wedl, 1861) and S. okavangoensis Riley et Huchzermeyer, 1995. The possible influence of host age, gender and geographic location (river system) on pentastome prevalence, abundance and species richness was investigated. Generally, neither host age, gender nor locality did affect infracommunities, likely because all hosts examined were adult or subadult and displayed comparable foraging behaviour, resulting in similar exposure pathways to fish intermediate hosts. Additionally, the longevity of pentastomids would contribute to accumulative infections as hosts mature. Structuring of pentastome assemblages was observed in as far as S. minor was the dominant species based on overall prevalence and abundance, followed by the equally common species S. cesarisi and L. cincinnalis. With an overall prevalence ranging from 34% to 41% and relatively low abundances, A. nilotici, A. simpsoni and S. okavangoensis form the rarer component of pentastome communities., Kerstin Junker, Frikkie Calitz, Danny Govender, Boris R. Krasnov, Joop Boomker., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The water-hyacinth grasshopper, Cornops aquaticum, occurs in freshwater environments in the New World between latitudes 23°N and 35°S. At the southernmost margin of this distribution the populations are polymorphic for three centric fusions (Robertsonian translocations). The frequencies of these chromosome rearrangements increase southwards and the recombination in structural homozygotes and heterozygotes diminishes both along the middle and lower courses of the Paraná River. In the present paper we report a similar cline along the southward flowing Uruguay River. In addition, we report the morphological effects of two of these centric fusion polymorphisms, namely the fusions between chromosomes 2 and 5 of the standard complement (fusion 2/5) and chromosomes 3 and 4 (fusion 3/4) and extend this study to the Uruguay River. There is a strong inverse correlation of fusion frequency with temperature, which indicates that these polymorphisms may be related to increased tolerance of colder climates in this originally tropical species, or some other correlated variable. This study is a further example of chromosomal clines correlated with latitude and is one of a few examples of chromosome polymorphisms associated with phenotypic effects. Finally, it indicates ways of using this species for controlling pests., Pablo C. Colombo, María I. Remis., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The effects of photoperiod on pre-imaginal development and reproductive maturation of adult females of the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), were investigated at 20°C and at photoperiods from 10L : 14D to 18L : 6D. Experiments were conducted on a laboratory strain that originated from the Russian Far East. Larvae and adults were fed on the green peach aphid Myzus persicae. Under short day conditions the pre-imaginal development was faster than under long day conditions. The acceleration of pre-imaginal development occurred when day length was shorter than 16 h and the threshold day length was ca 14 h. The rate of reproductive maturation of adult females, in contrast, was twice as high under long day conditions, with the threshold between 14L : 10D and 12L : 12D, although even under short day conditions ca 10% of the females show a tendency to mature more quickly. This difference between the thresholds of these two photoperiodic reactions indicates they are relatively independent of one another. and Sergey Ya. Reznik, Nina P. Vaghina.
The extensive genus Erebia is divided into several groups of species according to phylogenetic relatedness. The species Erebia medusa was assigned to the medusa group and E. epipsodea to the alberganus group. A detailed study of the morphology of their copulatory organs indicated that these species are closely related and based on this E. epipsodea was transferred to the medusa group. Phylogenetic analyses of the gene sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) and mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (ND1) confirm that E. medusa and E. epipsodea are closely related. A possible scenario is that the North American species, E. episodea, evolved after exclusion/isolation from E. medusa, whose current centre of distribution is in Europe., Martina Šemeláková, Peter Pristaš, Lubomír Panigaj., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
This study reports the results of a molecular phylogenetic analysis of thirty three species of Ennominae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). The aim of this analysis was to determine the phylogenetic affinities of 13 European species not previously studied using these methods. Fragments of seven nuclear genes, elongation factor 1 alpha (EF-1α), wingless (wgl), isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), ribosomal protein S5 (RpS5) and expansion segments D1 and D2 of the 28S rRNA gene and fragment of one mitochondrial gene, cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), were used. In the analysis using Bayesian phylogenetic inference, original gene sequences of the target species were combined with a larger data matrix of 20 species of Ennominae, used in a previous study (Wahlberg et al., 2010, Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 55: 929-938). Most notably, the results indicate that the representatives of the genera Cepphis, Plagodis, Pseudopanthera and Selenia form a well-supported monophyletic group which appeared as the sister clade to the rest of the "ennomine" group of tribes. On the other hand, Crocallis and Opisthograptis group together with Ennomos. These results conflict with previous tribal subdivisions of the subfamily pointing to the need to reconsider the concepts of Ennomini and Ourapterygini. Within the tribe Macariini, the genus Macaria appears to be more closely related to Itame (= Speranza) than to Chiasmia clathrata. The emerging phylogenetic tree of Ennominae suggests only a limited phylogenetic inertia in body size making this group a promising target for comparative studies on this central life history trait and its correlates. and Erki Õunap, Juhan Javoiš, Jaan Viidalepp, Toomas Tammaru.
A new genus and new species of Cantacaderinae (Heteroptera: Tingidae) is described, Caledoderus monteithi. A key to genera is provided. The phylogenetic relationships among the Cantacaderinae, including this new genus and species, are revisited. The results are congruent with previous studies. However, the Ceratocaderini is a sister group of Carldrakeaninae and not Cantacaderini, even if only weakly supported by the analysis. Therefore, the status of Ceratocaderini and Cantacaderini is maintained, whereas Carldrakeanini stat. nov. is reduced to tribal level and they are all included in the Cantacaderinae., Eric Guilbert., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
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
Plachetnatky (čeleď Linyphiidae) jsou po skákavkách (Salticidae) druhově nejbohatší čeledí pavouků. V temperátních zónách, včetně České republiky, dokonce jde o pavoučí čeleď s největším počtem druhů. Jsou to lehcí pavouci, snadno a ochotně se šíří větrem. Jejich dobrá migrační schopnost je obzvlášť výhodná v mírných pásech, které musely být po každé době ledové znovu kolonizovány. Své české jméno dostaly plachetnatky podle lapací sítě - horizontálně upředené plachetky. Většina plachetnatek jsou drobné, nenápadně zbarvené druhy. Poměrně velká a pestře zbarvená plachetnatka keřová (Linyphia triangularis) představuje jednu z mála výjimek., The Common Hammock-Weaver is rather untypical member of the family Linyphiidae due to its large size and clear markings on the cephalothorax. It is found across a large part of the Palaearctic and occurs as a ‘generalist’ in damp forests, meadows, forest edges, parks and gardens. The web consists of a horizontal sheet and a network of loose ‘tripwires’. Mature examples of the species are found from August to October. Males show ‘mate guarding’ behaviour., and Milan Řezáč.