Recently, there has been rapidly growing interest in the effects of the microbiota on host physiology and behaviour. Due to the nutritional value of bacteria, gut microflora may be particularly important in species that present nuptial gifts during courtship. Here, we explore whether the presence or absence of gut microbiota in males and females of the nuptial gift-giving species Drosophila subobscura (Collin, 1936) alters mating behaviour in terms of female preference, male investment, and female fecundity. We found that females that had been fed antibiotics, compared to females with intact gut bacteria, were more willing to mate with a male that had been fed normally. However female fecundity was higher when both males and females lacked gut bacteria compared to both individuals having a full complement of gut bacteria. This implies that the presence of the microbiota acts to reduce female fecundity in this species, and that male gut bacterial content influences female fecundity. Our results provide further evidence to the growing consensus that the microbiota of an individual may have important effects on both reproductive behaviour and physiology, and suggest that it may also contribute to the nutritional value of the nuptial gift in this system., Benjamin S. Walsh, Chloe Heys, Zenobia Lewis., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Autor čerpá ze své návštěvy pobřežního pásu Francouzské Guyany a Surinamu, především několika tamních chráněných území, v r. 2008, a představuje charakteristické ekosystémy na pobřeží této části Latinské Ameriky. Jde o mangrovy, nížinné zaplavované lesy, močály a vlhké savany, i mělké laguny a suchomilná společenstva na písčitém pobřeží. Na základě pozorování a literatury jsou uvedeny typické nebo něčím zvláštní druhy zdejší flóry i fauny. Za zmínku stojí např. pozorování ohrožených mořských želv kladoucích vejce, včetně kožatky obrovské (Dermochelys coriacea)., The author presents the characteristic coastal ecosystems of French Guyana and Surinam (based on his visit to this coastal area, especially to several protected areas located there, in 2008). The ecosystems include mangroves, lowland flooded forests, swamps and wet savannas, as well as shallow lagoons and xeric communities on the sand coast. Based on observations and literature survey, the article mentions typical or remarkable species of the local fauna and flora. For example, it is worth mentioning observation of threatened sea turtles laying eggs, including the Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)., and Jozef Májsky.
Acclimation to excess light is required for optimizing plant performance under natural environment. The present work showed that the treatment of Arabidopsis leaves with exogenous H2O2 can increase the acclimation of PSII to excess light. Treatments with H2O2 also enhanced the capacity of the mitochondrial alternative respiratory pathway and salicylic acid (SA) content. Our work also showed that the lack in alternative oxidase (AOX1a) in AtAOX1a antisense line and the SA deficiency in NahG (salicylate hydroxylase gene) transgenic mutant attenuated the H2O2-induced acclimation of PSII to excess light. It indicates that the
H2O2-induced acclimation of PSII to excess light could be mediated by the alternative respiratory pathway and SA., Q. Z. Hou, Y. P. Wang, J. Y. Liang, L. Y. Jia, H. Q. Feng, J. Wen, N. Ehmet, J. Y. Bai., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Despite the importance of saprophagous macroarthropods as key facilitators of plant litter decomposition within ecosystems and their likely sensitivity to global climate change and land-use change, a lack of ecological data has precluded attempts to explain their distribution patterns in terms of traits. Using an extensive set of large-scale and long-term biological records, the distribution patterns of 33 woodlice (Crustacea: Oniscidea) species in Britain were characterised by their range size (area of occupancy) and aggregation (degree to which occupied squares are clustered across the range). Body size and seven ecological traits were examined as correlates of range size and fill, while controlling for phylogeny and recording intensity, and comparing fine and broad-scale measures of habitat heterogeneity. Species that used a greater diversity of habitats had larger range sizes. Broad categorisation of habitats (by dominant vegetation) alongside other traits was less accurate in predicting range size than fine-scale habitat (microsites where individuals were discovered) data. The latter explained 25% more variance than broad-scale habitat data, highlighting the value of coupling biological recording of species with data on micro-habitat. Habitat use is an important trait in explaining distribution patterns and we conclude that ensuring land cover heterogeneity will favour conservation of saprophagous macro-arthropod diversity., Bethan V. Purse ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam lileratury
Užovka stromová (Zamenis longissimus) patří mezi kriticky ohrožené druhy naší fauny. V České republice se průkazně vyskytuje pouze ve třech oblastech, přičemž nejzranitelnější je populace v údolí řeky Ohře v západních Čechách, izolovaná stovky kilometrů od souvislého areálu druhu. V letech 2005-07 jsme v Poohří provedli systematický výzkum hadů pod záštitou Fakulty životního prostředí České zemědělské univerzity v Praze a Agentury ochrany přírody a krajiny ČR. Jedinci užovky stromové byli po odchycení změřeni, zváženi, označeni pomocí zástřihů na břišních štítcích (odebrané části štítků posloužily pro analýzu DNA) a detailně vyfotografováni se zaměřením na individuální charakter ošupení (folidózu) hlavy. Na základě zpětných odchytů pak byla odhadována početnost zdejší populace. Během tříletého sledování jsme takto označili a zdokumentovali celkem 432 exemplářů užovky stromové. Jeden ze současných projektů záchranného programu pro užovku stromovou zahrnuje i další odhad početnosti spojený s individuálním značením. Tato aktivita se opakuje zhruba po 10 letech a cílem je zaznamenat změny v početnosti jedinců. V dubnu 2015 se podařilo opětovně odchytit samce označeného v prvním výzkumu pod pořadovým číslem 54. Během výzkumů jsme ho chytili 10x (5x v r. 2005, 2x v r. 2006, 2x v r. 2007 a 1x v r. 2015). To umožnilo zodpovězení i nastolení různých otázek souvisejících např. s věkem a rychlostí růstu., The Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) is a critically endangered species of Czech fauna. In the Czech Republic it demonstrably occurs in three areas. Its population is most vulnerable in the Ohře river valley in western Bohemia, systematic research into which is presented here. During our three-year research we determined and documented the size and weight of 432 Aesculapian snakes, as well as performing DNA analysis and taking photographs of the individual nature of the scaliness involved. An estimate was made of population figures based on repeated captures., and Karel Janoušek, Radka Musilová, Vít Zavadil.
Knowledge of blood parasites in Brazilian chelonians is limited, since they have been recorded in only six species. Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei (Bour) is a freshwater turtle with a wide geographic distribution in Brazil, but there is little information about its natural history. This paper reports on a study of the prevalence and infection intensity of a haemogregarine in two subpopulations of M. vanderhaegei. The study was conducted in two areas of Cerrado in the Upper Paraguay River basin in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, between November 2010 and August 2013. Ninety-five (53%) of the 179 turtles captured were positive for haemogregarine parasites. The parasitic forms observed were two morphotypes of intraerythrocytic gametocytes. The prevalence differed between size classes, increasing significantly according to the animals' body size. There was no significant difference between prevalence and sex, or between sampling periods. The mean parasite intensity was 9 parasites/2,000 erythrocytes (0.45%) and the parasite population presented an aggregated distribution, with an aggregation index of 19 and discrepancy of 0.772. This is the first record of a hemoparasite in the freshwater turtle M. vanderhaegei., Vinícius C. Goes, Elizângela S. Brito, Rafael M. Valadão, Camila O. Gutierrez, Amanda M. Picelli, Lúcio A. Viana., and Obsahuje bibliografii
a1_Hesperomyces virescens is an ectoparasite of some Coccinellidae, which until the mid-1990s was relatively rarely only reported from warm regions in various parts of the world. Analysis of the host and distribution data of H. virescens recorded in the Western Palaearctic and North America reveals several trends in the occurrence and abundance of H. virescens: (1) it has recently been much more frequently recorded, (2) most of the recent records are for more northerly (colder) localities than the early records and (3) the recent records are mostly of a novel host, the invasive harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis). While in North America H. virescens is almost exclusively found on H. axyridis, all European records of this association are very recent and still less numerous than records of Adalia bipunctata as a host. However, based on a relatively few published cases of the H. axyridis-H. virescens association in Europe and the case described in this paper, it is clear that the harlequin ladybird is currently the main host of this parasite. These changes in the abundance and geographical distribution of H. virescens are probably linked to some features of H. axyridis, such as its abundance, multivoltinism with overlapping generations, high level of promiscuity and overwintering in mass aggregations. The occurrence of these features in one species may make it especially suitable for H. virescens and other parasites that require close contact of host individuals for efficient transmission. Indeed, some of the data indicate that parasites other than H. virescens, like the podapolipid mite Coccipolipus hippodamiae and allantonematid nematodes of the genus Parasitylenchus may also heavily parasitize H. axyridis., a2_We hypothesize that the acquisition of H. axyridis as a host by H. virescens, C. hippodamiae and Parasitylenchus spp. may have further consequences for the abundance and distribution of these parasites, including the expansion of their ranges to other continents colonized by invasive populations of this ladybird and areas in Asia where H. axyridis is native., Piotr Ceryngier, Kamila Twardowska., and Seznam literatury
In the last two decades a huge amount of research has focused on the invasive harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis, particularly on potential or actual deleterious effects that have arisen after it has colonised new regions. A focus of this work has been real or anticipated declines in native ladybird abundance since the introduction of H. axyridis, for which it is deemed responsible. Scientists have generally painted a very bleak picture of the effects of H. axyridis on native species: in this paper I argue that the picture painted is often too bleak. I use the case of the 2-spot ladybird, Adalia bipunctata, the species most often invoked as threatened by H. axyridis, to illustrate my point. While there is little question that H. axyridis has led to a decline in A. bipunctata populations in Europe, it seems likely that prior to the invasive ladybird's arrival A. bipunctata occurred in artificially high numbers in the urban environments in which it was typically studied. Pollution in towns and cities led to enhanced numbers of prey aphids on plants there which initially favoured A. bipunctata, and later H. axyridis. Thus one species, A. bipunctata, that has benefitted from an association with humans has been replaced by another, H. axyridis, just as brown rats replaced black rats in Europe and North America. Viewed with a longer perspective, A. bipunctata has more likely declined back to pre-industrial levels: the artificially high level from which it has declined recently was not a 'natural' one, and thus its decline from this level does not imply that it is now threatened or endangered. More broadly, we need a wider perspective, encompassing other ladybirds, longer timeframes and better comparisons with other (non-ladybird) invasive species to more clearly assess whether H. axyridis really poses as much of a threat as is often proposed., John J. Sloggett., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Climate change scenarios predict losses of cold-adapted species from insular locations, such as middle high mountains at temperate latitudes, where alpine habitats extend for a few hundred meters above the timberline. However, there are very few studies following the fates of such species in the currently warming climate. We compared transect monitoring data on an alpine butterfly, Erebia epiphron (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) from summit elevations of two such alpine islands (above 1300 m) in the Jeseník Mts and Krkonoše Mts, Czech Republic. We asked if population density, relative total population abundance and phenology recorded in the late 1990s (past) differs that recorded early in 2010s (present) and if the patterns are consistent in the two areas, which are separated by 150 km. We found that butterfly numbers recorded per transect walk decreased between the past and the present, but relative population abundances remained unchanged. This contradictory observation is due to an extension in the adult flight period, which currently begins ca 10 days earlier and lasts for longer, resulting in the same total abundances with less prominent peaks in abundance. We interpret this development as desynchronization of annual cohort development, which might be caused by milder winters with less predictable snow cover and more variable timing of larval diapause termination. Although both the Jeseník and Krkonoše populations of E. epiphron are abundant enough to withstand such desynchronization, decreased synchronicity of annual cohort development may be detrimental for innumerable small populations of relic species in mountains across the globe., Martin Konvička, Jiří Beneš, Oldřich Čížek, Tomáš Kuras, Irena Klečková., and Obsahuje bibliografii