The genus Triaenops has been considered monospecific in its a frican and Middle Eastern range (T. persicus), while three other species have been recognised as endemic to Madagascar (T. menamena, T. furculus, and T. auritus), and another to the western Seychelles (T. pauliani). We analysed representative samples of T. persicus from East Africa and the Middle East using both morphological and molecular genetics approaches and compared them with most of the available type material of species of this genus. Morphological comparisons revealed four distinct morphotypes in the set of examined specimens; one in Africa, the others in the Middle East. The Middle Eastern morphotypes differed mainly in size, while the allopatric African form showed differences in skull shape. Two of three Arabian morphotypes occur in sympatry. Cytochrome b gene-based molecular analysis revealed significant divergences (K2P distance 6.4–8.1% in complete cyt b sequence) among most of the morphotypes. Therefore, we propose a split of the current T. persicus rank into three species: T. afer in Africa, and T. persicus and T. parvus sp. nov. in the Middle east. The results of the molecular analysis also indicated relatively close proximity of the Malagasy T. menamena to Arabian T. persicus, suggesting a northern route of colonisation of Madagascar from populations from the Middle east or north-eastern Africa as a plausible alternative to presumed colonisation from east Africa. Due to a considerable genetic distance (21.6–26.2% in 731 bp sequence of cyt b) and substantial morphological differences from the continental forms of Triaenops as well as from Malagasy T. menamena, we propose generic status (Paratriaenops gen. nov.) for the group of Malagasy species, T. furculus, T. auritus, and T. pauliani. We separated the genera Triaenops and Paratriaenops gen. nov. from other hipposiderid bats into Triaenopini trib. nov. recognising their isolated position within the family Hipposideridae Lydekker, 1891.
A taxonomic study of the Pilosella alpicola group growing in the Carpathians revealed the presence of two morphologically distinguishable taxa: P. ullepitschii (Błocki) Szeląg and P. rhodopea (Griseb.) Szeląg. While P. ullepitschii is endemic to the Carpathians, P. rhodopea is a Balkan subendemic with two isolated localities in the Southern Carpathians (Mt Cozia and Mt Zmeuretu). The core area of distribution of P. ullepitchii is the natural subalpine and alpine meadows of the Western Carpathians (the Vysoké and Západné Tatry Mts in Slovakia and Poland). In addition, only three isolated localities are known from the Nemira Mts (Romanian Eastern Carpathians) and one from the Bucegi Mts (Romanian Southern Carpathians). Interestingly, the Romanian populations occur in man-made habitats (secondary pastures). Karyological and flow cytometric analyses of 305 plants from 13 populations of P. ullepitschii revealed only diploid plants (2n = 2x = 18). One Carpathian population of P. rhodopea from Mt Cozia is also diploid. This is the first report of diploidy in this species. However, the populations from the main part of the distribution of this taxon in the Balkan mountains include other cytotypes. Detailed morphological descriptions and distributions for both taxa are given.
Four European taxa of the Tortula muralis complex (T. lingulata, T. muralis var. aestiva, T. muralis var. muralis, T. obtusifolia) were evaluated using multivariate analysis of morphological characters, a cultivation experiment and cytological screening (flow cytometry, chromosome counts). This study revealed that only T. lingulata is morphologically well defined within the complex and several new sporophytic characters that can be used to distinguish this taxon from the superficially most similar T. obtusifolia. The traditionally recognized taxa T. muralis var. muralis, T. muralis var. aestiva and T. obtusifolia showed continuous variation, with frequent intermediate plants. However, the main character of the gametophyte used for determination (costa excurrency) proved to be stable in cultivation, indicating that this character is under genetic control. Additionally, rather complex and only partly species-specific patterns of ploidy variation were found within the complex. Tortula lingulata and T. obtusifolia appear to be cytologically homogeneous; plants of T. lingulata were found to be diploid, whereas plants tentatively named as T. obtusifolia were haploid. In contrast, both haploid and diploid cytotypes were found in both varieties of T. muralis, with a marked predominance of diploids in var. aestiva and less marked predominance of diploids in var. muralis. Current varietal level of the evaluated infraspecific taxa of T. muralis was thus found to be warranted. It is suggested that plants previously recognized as T. obtusifolia should be treated as a subspecies of T. muralis.
Southern-African Longitarsus capensis species-group, which is closely related to the Mediterranean anchusae species-group is revised. L. capensis species-group includes 15 species, 8 of which are new to science: Longitarsus capensis Baly, 1877, L. cedarbergensis Biondi, 1999, L. luctuosus Biondi, 1999, L. lugubris Biondi, 1999, L. melanicus Biondi, 1999, L. neseri Biondi, 1999, L. transvaalensis Biondi, 1999, L. afromeridionalis sp.n., L. debiasei sp.n., L. grobbelaariae sp.n., L. hexrivierbergensis sp.n., L. malherbei sp.n., L. piketbergensis sp.n., L. rouxi sp.n., and L. sudafricanus sp.n. A key to all the species is presented as well as line drawings of male and female genitalia, scanning electron micrographs of some diagnostic morphological characters, and auto-ecological and zoogeographical data. Relationships within the capensis-group, and between the anchusae and capensis-group are better defined and hypotheses explaining the separate distributions of Mediterranean and south African anchusae and capensis species-groups proposed. Finally, the host-plant shift from native Lobostemon spp. to the introduced plant Echium plantagineum L. shown by some species of the capensis group is also discussed.
Perennial grasses belonging to the genus Molinia are widespread in most of Europe and consist of a polyploid complex of closely related taxa with a confusing taxonomy. Based on extensive sampling at 241 localities in Europe, four cytotypes were identified based on chromosome counts and results of flow cytometry: tetraploids (2n = 36), hexaploids (2n = 54), octoploids (2n = 72) and dodecaploids (2n = 108). While tetra- and dodecaploids were commonly recorded, octoploids were less common and only two hexaploid individuals were identified. Previously reported decaploid counts (2n = 90) from central Europe are probably erroneous and refer to 2n = 108. The tetraploid cytotype is distributed throughout Europe and broadly sympatric with other cytotypes. Octo- and dodecaploids were spatially separated with dodecaploids occurring in the western, central and south-central part of Europe and octoploids in the east-central and southeastern part of Europe. All quantitative characters measured (lengths of lemmas, anthers, caryopses and stomata, lengths of the longest hair on the callus and diameter of the culm below the panicle) showed a linear trend across ploidy levels. Tetra-, octo- and dodecaploid cytotypes formed almost non-overlapping groupings in principal component and discriminant analyses of morphological characters. The following taxonomic concept of this complex is proposed: Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench is a predominantly tetraploid taxon incorporating very rarely reported hexaploid and perhaps also diploid plants; higher cytotypes (2n = 8x, 12x) are considered to be M. arundinacea Schrank, consisting of two subspecies: a dodecaploid subspecies occurring in the southern and western part of central Europe and the octoploid Molinia arundinacea subsp. freyi Dančák in east-central and southeastern Europe.
As a result of inconsistencies in morphological characters, Cerastium pumilum and C. glutinosum have been misunderstood or confused in many European floras since the 1960s. In the second volume of the Flora Nordica, a revised treatment of C. pumilum s.l. is provided and this concept is tested here for eastern Central European populations. The cytometric and morphological part of the study is based on living plants from 85 populations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Austria and Hungary. Flow cytometric analyses of the samples revealed two groups differing in ploidy level and corresponding to two cytotypes (a known octoploid, 2n ≈ 72, for C. glutinosum and yet unknown dodecaploid, 2n ≈ 108, for C. pumilum). Eleven morphological characters were scored or measured in plants of known ploidy level and the data set analysed using multivariate statistics (principal component analysis and canonical discriminant analysis); the two morphologically well-separated groups were identical with the two cytotype groups detected by flow cytometry. Based on these results, we suggest treating the detected cyto-morphotypes as the species C. pumilum and C. glutinosum. Our analysis further revealed that the traditionally used characters (glabrous vs. hairy adaxial surface and presence vs. absence of a scarious margin to the tip of the lowermost bracts) are not taxonomically informative. The characters best differentiating the species include indument on the lowermost vernal internodium, length of mature stylodia, length of glandular hairs on sepals and maximum diameter of mature seed. A key for identification of both species is also provided. A revision of almost 1600 specimens deposited in 16 Central European herbaria revealed that the species show different distribution patterns in Central Europe and partial habitat segregation. Specimens from the Czech Republic previously assigned to C. litigiosum were identified as C. pumilum; consequently, C. litigiosum must be removed from the Czech flora.
The taxonomy of European Eristalinus syrphid flies is reviewed. New data on their life histories, biological notes and a key to species using pupal characters are provided. The larvae and puparia of Eristalinus taeniops (Wiedemann, 1818) and Eristalinus megacephalus (Rossi, 1794) are described for the first time, including new morphological characters of the thoracic respiratory process of all species. The morphology of the male genitalia of E. megacephalus is described and compared with that of E. taeniops.
The results of our morphological studies of the male genitalia and molecular data (mitochondrial COI and nuclear 28S rDNA) do not support the traditional adult classification based on the patterning on the eyes (fasciate vs punctate). We present a phylogeny of the species based on molecular data. The molecular and morphological data indicate that the relationship between some species with punctate eyes and those with fasciate eyes may be closer than with other species with punctate eyes. Moreover the results of the molecular studies support two clades, which does not accord with the traditional arrangement of this group of Syrphidae.
Accordingly we propose that the characters of male genitalia stated by Kanervo in 1938 (but subsequently largely ignored) for arranging the European species of the Eristalinus-Eristalodes-Lathyrophthalmus complex, are suitable for classifying these species.
The current state of the taxonomy of Rubus ser. Discolores in the Czech Republic is summarized. Since 1995, when the group was treated in the Flora of the Czech Republic (Holub 1995), six new species have been recognized, some of which are also known from adjacent areas. They are described in the present study: R. austroslovacus Trávníček, R. flos-amygdalae Trávníček et Holub, R. guttiferus Trávníček et Holub, R. parthenocissus Trávníček et Holub, R. pericrispatus Holub et Trávníček and R. portae-moravicae Holub et Trávníček. The first five belong to the group of triploid species close to R. montanus Lej. and R. grabowskii Weihe, whilst R. portae-moravicae is related to R. praecox Bertol. Two additional species, originally recognized under provisional names, were found to be identical to species described earlier: R. perperus H. E. Weber and R. phyllostachys P. J. Mueller; the latter is also found in Slovakia. At present, 17 indigenous species, one naturalized alien (R. armeniacus Focke) and one rare garden escape (R. ulmifolius Schott) of the ser. Discolores are known to occur in the Czech Republic. Distribution data and a key for the identification of all the species are presented.
A review of all known descriptions of immature stages of the species of the genera Scaeva Fabricius, 1805, Ischiodon Sack, 1913 and Simosyrphus Bigot, 1882 is presented using SEM illustrations. The third instar larval and/or pupal morphology of Scaeva dignota (Rondani, 1857), Scaeva mecogramma (Bigot, 1860) and Simosyrphus grandicornis (Macquart, 1842) are newly described. All species of the genera studied in this paper are very similar for all the studied characters of their immature stages, including the chaetotaxy. Molecular characters of the mitochondrial cox1 gene (1128bp) were used for inferring relationships of the studied taxa. The nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) was additionally applied for species delimitation of the closely related species Scaeva selenitica and S. dignota. The Palaearctic Scaeva species could be split into two groups based on the analysis of morphology of posterior respiratory process. These groups were previously diagnosed as S. selenitica-group [i.e., S. selenitica (Meigen, 1822), S. dignota (Rondani, 1857), S. mecogramma (Bigot, 1860)] and S. pyrastri-group [i.e., S. pyrastri (Linnaeus, 1758), S. albomaculata (Macquart, 1842), S. latimaculata (Brunetti, 1923)]. Semiscaeva Kuznetzov, 1985 and Scaeva Fabricius, 1805 are the available names for these two natural groups that should be classified as subgenera; the former name is proposed for S. selenitica-group and the latter for S. pyrastri-group. Mecoscaeva Kuznetzov, 1985 syn. n. is transferred as a junior synonym of the subgenus Semiscaeva Kuznetzov, 1985 according to the principle of the first reviser. Based on the analysis of immature stages, the generic name Ischiodon Sack, 1913 syn. n. is proposed as a junior synonym of the genus Simosyrphus Bigot, 1882. The similarity of immature stages between Scaeva s. str. and Simosyrphus grandicornis Macquart, 1842, Simosyrphus aegyptius (Wiedemann, 1830) comb. n. and Simosyrphus scutellaris (Fabricius, 1805) comb. n. is discussed. All the proposed subgeneric and generic taxa based on morphological studies received high support employing molecular characters.