Geographic isolation, altitude, climate, landscape and habitat are significant predictors of butterfly diversity in mountain ecosystems. Their diversity and its dependence on altitude, aspect (compass bearing) and biogeographic characteristics of the butterflies were surveyed on the karst mountain Biokovo in southern Croatia. The results affirm that there is a high diversity of butterflies in the study area and the species composition and biogeographic elements are more dependent on altitude than aspect of the mountain. The present study indicates that climate, relief and habitat preferences strongly influence the biogeographic features of species and the relationship between species richness per site and altitude, aspect and the altitude-aspect interaction. and Iva Mihoci, Vladimir Hršak, Mladen Kučinić, Vlatka Mičetić Stanković, Antun Delić, Nikola Tvrtković.
The eye nematode Thelazia callipaeda Railliet et Henry, 1910 (Spirurida: Thelaziidae) is a vector-borne zoonotic nematode infecting a range of wild and domestic carnivores as well as humans. It is considered to be a causative agent of emerging and neglected disease and currently invades central part of Europe. Nematodes were collected from the eye of a dog living in Prague, which never travelled outside the Czech Republic. The nematodes were identified based on their morphology and partial sequence of the cox1 gene as T. callipaeda haplotype 1. This finding represents the northernmost record of autochthonous canine thelaziosis in Europe. The insufficient control of imported animals as well as free movement of dogs and wild carnivores within Europe probably facilitates spreading of T. callipaeda throughout the continent. To better understand the spreading of T. callipaeda and to prevent its zoonotic transmissions, information about the risk of this infection in newly invaded countries should be disseminated not only among veterinarians and physicians, but also within the community of pet owners and hunters., Milan Jirků, Roman Kuchta, Elena Gricaj, David Modrý and Kateřina Jirků Pomajbíková., and Obsahuje bibliografii
We observed instances of cannibalism (intraspecific predation) among intra-instar larvae of Culex pipiens Linnaeus, 1758 while performing a bioassay of Lysinibacillus sphaericus (formerly named Bacillus sphaericus) larvicide, when the larvae were exposed to the larvicide for 48 h in the absence of food. Larvae without symptoms of poisoning attacked and devoured those visibly affected. Cannibalism was more prevalent in 1st-2nd instar larvae than in 3rd-4th instar. This phenomenon should be taken into account when interpreting the results of larvicide bioassays, especially when the exposure lasts over 24 h. The necessity of creating optimal conditions for organisms tested is emphasised., Igor Uspensky and Sergei Braun., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Capsazepine is a competitive antagonist of capsaicin, a TRPV1 agonist responsible for the spicy taste of pepper. TRPV1 agonists and antagonists are known to affect mammalian body temperature, but their action on thermoregulation in insects is poorly known. In this study we evaluated the effect of capsazepine on the thermal preference of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana using a thermal gradient. Our results revealed that capsazepine in submicromolar concentrations induces a preference for higher ambient temperatures when compared to the control insects. To assess whether capsazepine may act also as an antagonist of capsaicin in insects, we determined this insects' thermal behaviour when capsazepine was applied before capsaicin. The hypothermic response to capsaicin was clearly blocked by pre-treatment with capsazepine only in female American cockroaches. Our results indicate the involvement of structures functionally similar to TRPV1 in insect thermosensation., Justyna Maliszewska, Eugenia Tęgowska., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Carcinopodacarus polymorphus gen. n. et sp. n. (Acariformes: Dermationidae: Dermationinae) is described from the guira cuckoo Guira guira (Gmelin) (Cuculiformes: Cuculidae) in Brazil. The new genus differs from the closest genus, Psittophagoides Fain, 1964, by the following features: in both sexes, the anterior spines of trochanters I and II are absent (vs present in Psittophagoides), setae d2 are distinctly developed (vs only alveoli), and genual setae mGI are absent (vs present); in males, the hysteronotal shield is split transversally at the level of trochanters III (vs hysteronotal shield entire); in females, the platelets situated posterior to the propodonotal shield are absent (vs present), the metapodosomal sclerites are present (vs absent), and the adanal shields are fused anteriorly to each other (vs separated from each other). In this species, andropolymorphism is detected for the first time for the family. It involves various characters but the most impressive feature is the structure of legs III. In hetero- and mesomorphic males, these legs are strongly hypertrophied and have a distinct ventral spur on femora III; in homeomorphic males, legs III are not modified and subequal to legs IV., Fabio Akashi Hernandes, Luiz Gustavo A. Pedroso, Andre V. Bochkov., and Obsahuje bibliografii
A new species, Castosyringophilus meropis sp. n., found in quills of feathers of the European bee-eater Merops apiaster Linnaeus (Coraciiformes: Meropidae) is described. This new species is close to C. claravis Skoracki et Glowska, 2008 and differs, in females, by the presence apunctate coxal fields (vs sparsely punctate in C. claravis) and by the lengths of setae d1 145-180 µm, f2 170-185 µm and ag3 190-215 µm (vs d1 200-220 µm, f2 230-250 µm and ag3 150-170 µm). We present a vast mite material collected from bee-eaters originated from different localities in Europe, Asia and Africa, both breeding and wintering grounds of this bird. It indicates that the whole world population of the European bee-eater is parasitised by this quill mite species., Maciej Skoracki, Martin Hromada, Bozena Sikora., and Obsahuje bibliografii
We investigated the variation in body colour and its thermoregulatory function in Meteorus pulchricornis (Wesmael) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid wasp of Spodoptera and other free-living lepidopteran larvae. We show that the body colour of adult wasps darkens when cocoons are kept at low temperatures. The range in the variation in colour, however, differs for different parts of the body and among uniparental (thelytokous) strains. This melanism enables these wasps to attain a body temperature in sunshine up to 2°C. Moreover, this small gain in body temperature can markedly increase the flight activity of wasps at low ambient temperatures. We conclude that the variation in body colour that resulted from rearing the cocoons at different temperatures enable the wasps to adapt to changing thermal environments. The ecological significance of the difference in the degree of melanism of the different strains is discussed., Yosuke Abe, Takuma Nishimura, Kaoru Maeto., and Seznam literatury
The term cellular immune response refers to haemocyte-mediated responses, including phagocytosis, nodulation, and encapsulation. In the present study, we identified five types of circulating haemocytes in larvae of the haemolymph of the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée), including granulocytes, oenocytoids, plasmatocytes, prohaemocytes, and spherulocytes. The relative number of total free haemocytes per larva decreased significantly 0.5, 24, and 36 h after the injection of Beauveria bassiana conidia. Upon conidia challenge, both phagocytosis and nodulation were observed in the collected haemolymph from O. furnacalis larvae. In addition, plasma was found to be necessary for both phagocytosis and nodulation. Therefore, we here confirm that phagocytosis and nodulation are involved in O. funacalis larvae during their fight against infection by B. bassiana, and further, that the cellular immune response of O. furnacalis helps eliminate the invading organisms despite the fact that not all the fungal conidia are killed., Dongxu Shen, Miao Li, Yuan Chu, Minglin Lang, Chunju An., and Obsahuje bibliografii
A new myxozoan, Ceratomyxa bohari sp. n., infecting the gall bladder of two-spot red snapper, Lutjanus bohar Forsskål, in the Red Sea off Saudi Arabia, is described using light microscopy and characterised genetically. The infection was recorded as mature spores floating free in the bile. The overall prevalence of infection of the type host was 19% (67 fish infected of 360 examined), with the highest prevalence in autumn (31%; 28/90) and the lowest in winter at 12% (11/90). Mature spores are slender and slightly crescent-shaped in the frontal view, with anterior and posterior margins tapered gradually to rounded valvular tips. Spore valves are unequal with a prominent sutural line. The spore dimensions are 3-4 μm (mean 3.5 μm) in length and 16-19 μm (mean 17 μm) in thickness. Two polar capsules are spherical, equal in size, 1.5 μm in diameter. Coils of the polar filament are indiscernible. The sporoplasm is binucleated and fills nearly one third of the extracapsular space restricted to the area below the capsules. The molecular analysis based on the small subunit rDNA (SSU rDNA) sequence revealed a close relationship with majority of species of Ceratomyxa Thélohan, 1892 and phylogenetic clustering with species from different geographical location. Thus, the shorter spore of the present Ceratomyxa species and the divergence of the SSU rDNA sequences were the distinctive features that separate it from all previously described species and identified this parasite as a new species of Ceratomyxa., Lamjed Mansour, Abdel-Azeem S. Abdel-Baki, Ahmad F. Tamihi, Saleh Al-Quraishy., and Obsahuje bibliografii