Knowledge of the patterns in the spatial distribution of species provides valuable information about the factors (resources and environment) that regulate the use of space by animals. Typically, the distribution of litter-dwelling scorpions in Atlantic forests is correlated with the structure of their microhabitats, although to better understand their natural history more studies on the patterns in their use of space are required. Therefore, we investigated the effect of rainfall on the patterns in the spatial distributions and population densities of two sympatric species of scorpion, Tityus (Archaeotityus) pusillus Pocock 1893 and Ananteris mauryi Lourenço 1982 in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in Brazil. The study was carried out during the dry (September) and rainy (June) months. We collected 501 individuals (268 T. (A.) pusillus and 233 A. mauryi) by actively searching at night using UV lanterns. We found that the spatial distribution and population density of T. (A.) pusillus, but not A. mauryi, were significantly affected by rainfall, with T. (A.) pusillus individuals showing a clumped pattern during the rainy month and random distribution in the dry month. We also found a different response in the population densities of the two species, with T. (A.) pusillus but not A. mauryi being affected by rainfall. Our results indicate that, although co-habiting in leaf litter, these species respond differently to rainfall, which affects their spatial distribution and abundance in this habitat., Gabriela Cavalcanti Silva de Gusmão Santos, Welton Dionisio-Da-Silva, João Pedro Souza-Alves, Cleide Maria Ribeiro de Albuquerque, André Felipe de Araujo Lira., and Obsahuje bibliografii
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
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
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
We studied the effects of the overstory canopy cover on ground-dwelling harvestmen communities in European beech forests in the Western Carpathian Mts. We analyzed the differences in species richness, abundance and composition in two tree canopy cover categories (closed and open canopy). Overall, 1765 individuals belonging to 16 species were caught using pitfall traps. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed that under both closed and open canopies a similar absolute and rarefied species richness and number of individuals (standardized to 100 pitfall trap days) were caught, and that both species richness and abundance were affected by the season (i.e., time of trap replacement); yet the total number of individuals trapped was more than two times greater under the open canopy than under the closed canopy. Despite the subtle differences in the taxonomic composition of the catches under the open and closed canopies revealed by DCA followed by RDA, the composition of ground-dwelling harvestmen assemblages differed under the two canopy covers. The open canopy was more suitable for heliophilic, xerothermic eurytopic harvestmen species typical for open and ecotonal habitats, such as Egaenus convexus (C.L. Koch) and Oligolophus tridens (C.L. Koch) but still suitable for hemihygrophilic Lophopilio palpinalis (Herbst). The closed canopy stands were preferred by shade-tolerant, hygrophilic eurytopic harvestmen species, such as Trogulus sp. Latreille, Dicranolasma scabrum (Herbst) and Platybunus bucephalus (C.L. Koch). Our results highlight the importance of intra-habitat heterogeneity of a harvestmen community., Ľudmila Černecká, Ivan Mihál, Benjamín Jarčuška., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In Indian agro-ecosystems Rhynocoris marginatus (F.) is one of the most abundant predatory arthropods and feeds on a wide range of insect pests. We investigated the responses of R. marginatus to six species of cotton pests: Spodoptera litura (F.), Sylepta derogata (F.), Pericallia ricini (F.), Mylabris indica (Thunberg), Mylabris pustulata (Thunberg) and Dysdercus cingulatus (F.), in terms of its predatory behaviour (approach and handling times), weight gain, macromolecular profile (content of carbohydrates, proteins, free aminoacids and lipids) and haemocytic profile. We also determined the predator's reliance on kairomones from different species of prey. Larvae of the species of Lepidoptera studied were approached and captured more quickly than adults of the two meloid coleopteran and one heteropteran pest and were more beneficial to the predator in terms of weight gain. Predators had a higher total protein content when reared on larvae of the three lepidopteran species, higher lipid content when reared on adults of the two meloid coleopteran species and a higher carbohydrate content when reared on adults of one heteropteran species. The number of haemocytes was greater in predators reared on larvae of the Lepidoptera studied, followed by those reared on adults of the heteropteran and lowest in those reared on adults of the two meloid coleopterans. Response to kairomones was strongest for S. litura followed by S. derogata and M. pustulata. We conclude that the Lepidoptera studied tended to be, for this predator, superior prey, with S. litura being especially beneficial and the prey species for which R. marginatus has the highest kairomonal preference. Moreover, we propose that R. marginatus may be useful as a biocontrol agent against lepidopteran cotton pests., Kitherian Sahayaraj, Subramanian Muthu Kumar, Annie Enkegaard., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In the present study, we critically revised the recently proposed classification of the subfamily Leishmaniinae Maslov et Lukeš in Jirků et al., 2012. Agreeing with erection of the genus Zelonia Shaw, Camargo et Teixeira in Espinosa et al., 2017 and the subgenus Mundinia Shaw, Camargo et Teixeira in Espinosa et al., 2017 within the genus Leishmania Ross, 1908, we argue that other changes are not well justified. We propose to: (i) raise Paraleishmania Cupolillo, Medina-Acosta, Noyes, Momen et Grimaldi, 2000 to generic rank; (ii) create a new genus Borovskyia gen. n. to accommodate the former Leptomonas barvae Maslov et Lukeš, 2010 as its type and only species; (iii) leave the subfamily Leishmaniinae as originally defined, but establish two infrafamilies within it: Leishmaniatae infrafam. n. and Crithidiatae infrafam. n., Alexei Y. Kostygov, Vyacheslav Yurchenko., and Obsahuje bibliografii
A revisionary study revealed two species of monogeneans, Dactylogyrus crucis Rogers, 1967 and Dactylogyrus lythruri sp. n., parasitising Lythrurus Jordan (formerly a subgenus of Notropis Rafinesque, 1818). New records and updated taxonomy of seven of 12 known minnows of the genus of Lythrurus are provided for D. crucis. A record of Dactylogyrus attenuatus Mizelle et Klucka, 1953 (syn. Dactylogyrus umbratilus [Kimpel, 1939], nomen nudum) on Lythrurus umbratilis (Girard) is referrable to D. crucis. Dactylogyrus lythruri is described from eight species of Lythrurus. It most closely resembles Dactylogyrus beckeri Cloutman, 1987, but is distinguished by having a smaller base of the male copulatory organ (MCO) and lacking a ventral enlargement of the distal end of the basal process. Previous reports of Dactylogyrus banghami Mizelle et Donahue, 1944 and Dactylogyrus cf. beckeri Cloutman, 1987 from Lythrurus atrapiculus (Snelson) and Lythrurus bellus (Hay) from Alabama, and Dactylogyrus confusus Mueller, 1938 from L. umbratilis in Illinois are herein relegated to D. lythruri. Four species of Lythrurus appeared not to be infected with Dactylogyrus., Donald G. Cloutman, Andrew B. Adrian, Chris T. McAllister, Bruce W. Stallsmith, Thomas J. Fayton and Henry W. Robison., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In this paper the strictly attaphilous Central- and South American genus Phoxonotus Marseul, 1862 is revised. Based on the structure of their antennal cavities, the species of Phoxonotus are newly split into two subgenera: Phoxonotus Marseul, 1862 and Alienosternus subgen. n. (type species Saprinus venustus Erichson, 1834). The subgenus Phoxonotus contains three species: Phoxonotus (P.) tuberculatus Marseul, 1862 (French Guyana, Suriname, Brazil: Pará, Mato Grosso), P. (P.) lectus Lewis, 1902 (eastern Peru) and the newly described P. parvotuberculatus sp. n. (Guatemala, Costa Rica). The subgenus Alienosternus subgen. n. contains two species: Phoxonotus (Alienosternus) venustus (Erichson, 1834) (Brazil: Bahia) and P. (Alienosternus) fryi Lewis, 1879 (Brazil: Rio de Janeiro and Bahia). P. tuberculatus Marseul, 1862 is synonymized with P. suturalis Lewis, 1907, syn. n. Lectotype of Phoxonotus fryi Lewis, 1879 is designated. Genitalia of the males for the species for which they are available are illustrated, most type specimens are imaged and scanning electron micrographs of P. tuberculatus provided. Mouthparts and sensory structures of the antennal club of P. tuberculatus are depicted., Tomáš Lackner., and Obsahuje bibliografii