The oldest butterfly fossil known, which was formed about 55 Ma in what is now Denmark, is described. The fragments of its forewing venation indicates it belongs to the Hesperiidae. Further reconstruction indicates that it fits in the Coeliadinae and is close to the extant genera Hasora and Burara. It is here described as Protocoeliades kristenseni gen. et sp. n. It is the first butterfly fossil found on a continent (Europe) where its closest relatives do not currently occur. Its position on the phylogenetic tree of the Coeliadinae and its importance in understanding the time dimension in the evolution of butterflies, and their ecological and biogeographic implications are discussed., Rienk De Jong., and Obsahuje bibliografii
A neotype is designated for Joryma brachysoma (Pillai, 1964). The general morphology and appendages of the female and male stages are illustrated and re-described based on the neotype and several additional fresh specimens collected from the type host Pellona brachysoma Bleeker (=Sardinella brachysoma Bleeker) from nearby the type locality. The present redescription and neotype designation further resolves the taxonomic ambiguity regarding the species identification and conserves the name of J. brachysoma.
Livestock depredation can be devastating to both farmers and the species considered responsible if they are subsequently persecuted. Many proposed conflict solutions are limited in their uptake because they may be short-term, localised, expensive or species-specific. Livestock guarding dogs have been a successful solution in many parts of the world, however recommended imported breeds are generally expensive or inaccessible to many rural farmers. In this study, we report on a program placing local Tswana dogs with farmers in Botswana as a tool to reduce livestock loss. Seventy-five farmers who experienced high conflict from carnivores in both rangelands and wildlife areas were selected to receive a Tswana puppy. Puppies were monitored regularly to determine their performance, survival and owner attitudes toward wildlife. From initial baseline reports of goat losses before farmers received a puppy, loss declined by at least 85% over the following three years. Farmers were very satisfied with the performance of their livestock guarding dog and attitudes toward protection and tolerance of wildlife improved after one year of receiving a puppy. Our study suggests locally bred Tswana dogs are an effective solution for livestock at risk to depredation, particularly for rural farmers and development of community-led programs can be further used to reduce conflict.
Nuptial flights of Crematogaster teranishii Santschi occur in autumn. Queens and possibly larvae pass the first winter without workers in Okayama, Japan. This study examines and tests the hypothesis that C. teranishii queens regulate not only their own diapause, but also that of their larvae. Some queens collected immediately after their nuptial flight in early October were exposed to a low temperature of 10°C for 3 months before transfer to 25°C; these queens started oviposition approximately 8 days after the transfer. Larvae reared by these previously chilled queens pupated synchronously until day 50. Other field-collected queens reared at 25°C without prior chilling reproduced soon after collection. They started oviposition, but the development of their larvae was arrested and pupation occurred late or not at all within the120 day experimental period. The delay in pupation in colonies in which the queens were not previously exposed to low temperature strongly indicates that many larvae are in diapause. Because eggs and larvae were not exposed to low temperatures, they were unable to determine the developmental pathway providing the best response to environmental factors. Results indicate that queens regulate whether their larvae undergo diapause.
Obesity is characterized by chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation. Obesity may also be associated with chronic cough. The aim of this pilot study was to clarify relation of cough reflex sensitivity and body mass index (BMI) in children with chronic cough. Altogether 41 children having symptoms of chronic cough were submitted to cough reflex sensitivity measurement. We assessed the relation of cough reflex sensitivity (CKR) due to BMI. Cough reflex sensitivity was defined as the lowest capsaicin concentration which evoked two (C2) or five (C5) coughs. Capsaicin aerosol in doubling concentrations (from 0.61 to 1250 µmol/l) was inhaled by a single breath method (KoKo DigiDoser; nSpire heath Inc, Louisville, CO, USA), modified by the addition of an inspiratory flow regulator valve (RIFR; nSpire heath Inc, Louisville, CO, USA). BMI was calculated. Pulmonary function was within normal range. Concentrations of capsaicin causing two (C2) and five coughs (C5) were reported. Children' (22 boys and 19 girls, mean age 6.8 years) cough reflex sensitivity (median, with the InterQuartile Range) for C2 was 19.5 (73.4) µmol/l; for C5 it was 78.1 (605.5) µmol/l. We have noticed statistically significant relation of the cough reflex sensitivity (C5) and body mass index (P<0.0001); however, the effect size was small, R2 =0.03. Increase of body mass index in one unit is associated with -34.959 µmol/l decrease of C5. We did not find a statistically significant relation between C2 and BMI (P=0.41). The median value of CKR (C2) in boys is not statistically significantly different than the median value of CKR (C2) in girls (P-value 0.5). The median value of CKR (C5) in boys is not statistically significantly different than the median value of CKR (C5) in girls (P-value 0.5). Increase of body mass index in children suffering from chronic cough relates to decrease of cough reflex sensitivity (C5 value).
Several studies address the question of which forest attributes are most important for the conservation of biodiversity. Unfortunately, there are no unequivocal answers because the response of a biological group to changes in forest structure depends on its natural history and scale of organization. It is important to increase our knowledge of the potential relationships between under studied groups of species and forest variables in order to adopt timber harvesting strategies not detrimental to biodiversity, especially in old-growth forests. We assessed the importance of 10 forest attributes and old-growth for Psychidae (Lepidoptera) species and communities. Research was carried out in 12 forest stands in a mountainous beech dominated landscape in southern Italy, in the middle of the Mediterranean Basin. Samples were collected in 2001 and 2013 and data were merged after pairwise comparison analyses that confirmed the long term stability of communities. Correspondence Analysis, Cluster Analysis and non-parametric Spearman Rank Order Correlation were used to identify determinants of Psychidae abundance and diversity. We collected 2,732 Psychidae belonging to 8 species. Correspondence analysis identified old-growth as the main determinant of communities. Most significant attributes for individual species were beech dominance, diameter at breast height and its standard deviation. For Taleporia defoliella there were positive correlations with these forest parameters, whereas for Psyche crassiorella the correlations were negative. This study underlined the importance of forest attributes associated with old-growth forests for sustaining biodiversity. These findings indicate the need to incorporate these attributes in forest planning, especially those aspects that are easily recognizable such as the number of large trees., Stefano Scalercio, Teresa Bonacci, Rosario Turco, Vincenzo Bernardini., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Reproductive traits are among the most important biological characteristics that facilitate or impede the establishment of non-native fish into new environments. In several tributaries of the Lower River Danube (Bulgaria), the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus Pallas, 1814) is a recent invader. Specimens from the edge of the invasion front were collected monthly (March 2017 to May 2018) from each river. The pioneer individuals displayed relatively small body sizes. First maturation of females occurs at 49 mm total length. Based on the dynamics of oocyte size and GSI, it was established that spawning begins in early spring, at a relatively low water temperature (6-7 °C). The breeding season extended from March to June. Average absolute fecundity was 162 ± 62 oocytes, while average relative fecundity was 94 oocytes/g ± 24. Female fecundity is linearly dependent on the length and weight. Both of the known male alternative reproductive tactics were observed. Body condition factor was lowest during April for both sexes. The relationship between reproductive traits and invasive potential in N. melanostomus is discussed.
Polystomatid monogeneans have a wide diversity of life cycles correlated with the varied ecology and behaviour of their aquatic vertebrate hosts. Typically, transmission involves a swimming infective larva but most hosts are amphibious and invasion is interrupted when hosts leave water. A key life cycle adaptation involves a uterus that, in the most specialised cases, may contain several hundred fully-developed larvae prepared for instant host-to-host transmission. By contrast, one subfamily of the Polystomatidae - the Polystomoidinae, specific to chelonians (freshwater turtles) - has a simplified reproductive system without a uterus. Recently, Polystomoides nelsoni Du Preez et Van Rooyen, 2015 has been described with a uterus containing multiple eggs. The present study explores the exceptional interest of this parasite - for the functional biology of egg production, for the evolution of a reproductive system unique amongst ca 60 species in the subfamily, and for systematic relationships. A new genus is proposed, Uteropolystomoides gen. n., separate from the four currently-recognised genera Polystomoides Ward, 1917, Uropolystomoides Tinsley et Tinsley, 2016, Neopolystoma Price, 1939 and Polystomoidella Price, 1939 which lack a uterus. In addition, U. nelsoni (Du Preez et Van Rooyen, 2015) comb. n. has a suite of distinctive copulatory stuctures: a massive genital bulb with an exceptionally large number of very long genital spines and hyper-development of the vaginal openings. These characters set U. nelsoni apart from all other polystomoidines worldwide except Polystomoides multifalx Stunkard, 1924 and P. stunkardi Harwood, 1931. Missing data for these latter species preclude definitive assessment of inter-relationships but the distinguishing characters of U. nelsoni, especially the unique occurrence of the uterus, suggest a novel evolutionary pathway isolated from other lineages of polystomatids infecting chelonians., Richard C. Tinsley., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Gender-specific reproductive roles are important factors determining sexual dimorphism. Here, we investigate the effects of sex-based differences and reproductive status on the defence of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst, 1797) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) against infection by Steinernema feltiae (Filipjev, 1934) (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae). Female and male beetles, either virgin or post-copulation, were exposed individually to nematodes. Individuals were then sampled every 12 h, dissected, and checked for the presence of nematodes; we also measured their phenoloxidase (PO) activity. Reproductive status affected resistance to nematodes and PO activity as infected virgin individuals had a higher PO activity and lower mortality than reproducing individuals, with no differences between sexes. Mortality also increased with time, while PO activity did not change. Parasite load was related to reproductive status and sex, with reproducing females with the highest parasite loads in all treatments, and virgin males with more nematodes than sexually active males. Our results indicate that the costs of reproduction impair the immunological system of T. castaneum similarly in both sexes. It is possible, however, that other components of the immunological system that we did not measure, such as lysozyme activity, are impaired by infection with S. feltiae in a sex-specific way., Paulina Kramarz, Dariusz Małek, Maria Gaweł, Szymon M. Drobniak, Joanna Homa., and Obsahuje bibliografii