Three species of the Eurasian family Cobitidae are distributed in Slovakia. In the present paper, we describe the coenological affinity of Cobitis elongatoides, Sabanejewia balcanica and Misgurnus fossilis in two distinct zoogeographical regions, Slovak Tisza and Danube basins and discuss possible differences of their biotop affinity and habitat preferences. The occurrence of S. balcanica is restricted to primary biotopes with harder substratum particles. Typical species assemblages for the rheophilic C. elongatoides are eurytopic and limnophilous species. C. elongatoides is mostly distributed in primary biotopes, such as rivers and channels. It also occurs in secondary biotopes (drainage canal or pit). M. fossilis is distributed mostly in the secondary biotopes, but it is also found in the primary biotopes. Both species prefer fine substratum, but spatial distribution of the two species is different. C. elongatoides prefers harder substratum of sandy particles mixed with mud or detritus and living vegetation, whereas M. fossilis prefers muddy substratum mixed with detritus and dead vegetation.
The community composition and structure of helminths of Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Schreber, 1774) from two widely separated Spanish localities, El Saler (n = 42) and the San Pedro pothole (n = 34), were determined and compared. Five species of trematodes, Plagiorchis (Plagiorchis) sp., Lecithodendrium (Lecithodendrium) linstowi Dollfus, 1931, Prosthodendrium (Prosthodendrium) sp., Pycnoporus heteroporus (Dujardin, 1845) and Parabascus semisquamosus (Braun, 1900), and one species of cestode, Hymenolepis pipistrelli López-Neyra, 1941, were found. The two bat populations harboured the same helminth species and showed the same trematode dominance, but the most important differences between the two helminth community structures were attributable to L. (L.) linstowi and H. pipistrelli. The mean species richness in the two localities was not significantly different. The mean number of helminth species per infected bat, mean infracommunity abundance and mean infracommunity diversity showed significant differences between both localities. The number of helminths per bat in both populations displayed an aggregated distribution. Results indicate that the different characteristics of the P. pipistrellus foraging area in both localities are important in determining the composition and structure of helminth communities in this bat species. This is the first study of a Palaearctic bat helminth community.
The diversity of freshwater and inland saline planktic cyanoprokaryote microflora (cyanobacteria, cyanophytes) in Mexico depends on the wide variation of the biotopes in this country. There are no detailed studies, describing the planktic cyanoprokaryotic species from this region. This paper lists 51 planktic morphospecies, which were found in various water bodies in central Mexico during May 1992 and March-September 1993. Four new species (Cyanobacterium lineatum, Cyanotetras aerotopa, Anabaena fallax, Cylindrospermopsis taverae) are described, and important species commented. Various species characteristic for various types of reservoirs (volcanic lakes, lakes and artificial reservoirs with diverse trophic levels, hypertrophic pools, saline coastal lakes) were found. Taxonomic and ecological elaborations of the planktic cyanobacteria of Mexico (from an ecological, geographical as well as sanitary point of view – eutrofication, biomass production, toxicity) are urgently needed.
The Costanera Sur ecological reserve in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was established in 1986 on the banks of the Rio de la Plata on excavated substrata landfill, where free space was left for plant and animal communities to take over. The 350 ha of the reserve include such biotopes as wetlands, pampas and small areas of woodland, providing a valuable site for the city's inhabitants to meet various species of animals in close proximity to the historical city centre, e.g. 270 bird species have been recorded there., Andrej Funk, Kateřina Funková., Ekologická rezervace Costanera Sur v Buenos Aires v Argentině vznikla v roce 1986 na břehu Río de La Plata na skládce vytěženého substrátu, kde byl ponechán volný prostor k sukcesi společenstev rostlin a živočichů. Na ploše 350 ha rezervace zahrnuje biotopy mokřadů, pampy a malých úseků lesa a představuje cennou lokalitu pro rekreaci obyvatel města i pro poznávání různých druhů zvířat v těsné blízkosti historického centra města. Zatím zde byl doložen výskyt např. 270 druhů ptáků., and cze
The species of the genus Cimex (Heteroptera: Cimicidae) are important ectoparasites of European bats. Unlike other ectoparasites, they are attached to the body of their host only when they need to feed, otherwise they stay in refugia in bat roosts. Consequently, they are often overlooked by bat specialists and in many countries they are either unknown or poorly characterized. This study reports results from thorough investigations of bat roosts of diverse bat species in a Northwest-Southeast transect across Europe: Czech and Slovak Republics, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria. The distribution of Cimex lectularius follows the synanthropic habitats
of its principal hosts, Myotis myotis and M. emarginatus, both Mediterranean elements of the European fauna. The climate in natural roosts (i.e. caves) inhabited by these bats in southern areas appears to restrain the presence of cimicids. In central Europe, C. pipistrelli parasitizes, beside M. myotis, many crevice-dwelling bat species indigenous to the boreal zone. However, in southern Europe, it appears only in connection with Nyctalus noctula. C. lectularius was confirmed for five host bat species and newly recorded for
Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, C. pipistrelli was confirmed for seven bat species and newly recorded for Myotis nattereri. The first record of C.
emarginatus outside of its type locality and Myotis alcathoe as a new host are reported. The host preferences of the species of the genus Cimex
are discussed.
Large hibernating aggregations and behaviour called late summer or autumn “invasions” when large groups of bats enter buildings are known in pipistrelles. We investigated differences in roosting behaviour between two cryptic species (common pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, and soprano pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pygmaeus) during autumn and winter periods. In total 463 bats were sampled in both caves and buildings with temporary occurrence during the period of late summer and autumn mating and presumable migrations from late July to September (10 sites), and in all known types of hibernacula from late November to March (34 sites). Sampling sites were located within the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia and Romania in areas where the two species occur sympatrically throughout the summer. Using a DNA-based identifi cation method, all but four individuals were identifi ed as P. pipistrellus. It means that winter roosts of P. pygmaeus remain largely unknown in the area. Similarly, no P. pygmaeus was found in the “invasion” assemblages. Very abundant groups of P. pipistrellus in underground hibernacula and its exclusive occurrence in sites of “invasions” suggest that roosting behaviour during this time may be species-specifi c.
Two differently coloured strains of the genus Chroococcus were isolated from a cyanobacterial assemblage collected from the stony littoral of a backwater of the Danube River in southern Slovakia. When grown after isolation, both subcultures were similar morphologically and their growth parameters did not differ substantially, but their pigment content (PC: PE and carotenoid ratios), details in their morphology during their life cycles and slime production were different. Identical and different characters of both morphotypes remained stable during cultivation on both agarized and liquid media, even when the cultivation parameters were changed. Both of the subcultures were studied using electron microscopy and almost their complete 16S rRNA genes were sequenced, which showed that in terms of their genetic relationship there was a 96.4% sequence similarity and certain taxonomic interspecific differences between both subcultures were confirmed. The various chromatic modifications recorded in cyanobacteria and their ecological consequences are discussed. The results yielded further data on the changes that occur during the cyanobacterial differentiation processes and their genetic stabilization.
There are 20 endemic genera of mosses and three of liverworts in North America, north of Mexico. All are monotypic except Thelia, with three species. General ecology, reproduction, distribution and nomenclature are discussed for each genus. Distribution maps are provided. The Mexican as well as Neotropical genera of bryophytes are also noted without detailed discussion.