Eristalis pertinax varies seasonally, with the spring morph more hairy than the summer morph. We measured the size and the venation of the wings of the seasonal morphs. Wings of the spring morph were significantly larger than those of the summer morph and those of females were larger than those of males. There were also significant differences between the morphs in wing venation and their allometric relationship. The differences between sexes were larger than differences between seasonal morphs. The allometry can account for the sexual dimorphism but not seasonal dimorphism. The differences between seasonal morphs in wing shape were relatively large with very few intermediate individuals. The differences were comparable to those between two related species of Syrphidae. Genetic analyses based on markers in nuclear and mitochondrial genomes unequivocally revealed that spring and summer morphs of E. pertinax form a single population and should not be regarded as separate taxa. Thus seasonal variability in this species is a rare example of polyphenism in Diptera., Lukasz E. Mielczarek, Andrzej Oleksa, Katarzyna Meyza, Adam Tofilski., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The populations of the firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae) in Europe exhibit three kinds of host plant associations: feeding on seeds of (1) Tilia spp. (Tiliaceae), (2) Malvaceae (s. str.), and (3) Robinia pseudacacia (Fabaceae). The three host plant taxa often grow in different habitats and localities. We have tested the hypothesis that P. apterus forms on different host plants specialised "trophic populations" which also influence its food preference. We have collected P. apterus from localities with Tilia platyphyllos, Malva neglecta or Robinia pseudacacia as host plants and tested their preferences in a multiple choice test involving seeds of Tilia cordata, T. platyphyllos, Althaea officinalis, Alcea rosea and Robinia pseudacacia. The original host plant of P. apterus population had no influence on food preferences. However, the preferences differed between adults and the third instar larvae. The adults preferred seeds of Robinia pseudacacia followed by Althaea officinalis, while the preferences of larvae were less pronounced and ranked in order Althaea officinalis, Robinia pseudacacia, and Tilia platyphyllos. Existence of trophic populations of P. apterus was not confirmed by our experiment. Durations of feeding were longer on preferred species of seeds in both adults and larvae. and Marta Kristenová, Alice Exnerová, Pavel Štys.
Trematode sporocysts and rediae reproduce by parthenogenesis, forming clonal groups in the molluscan host. It has recently become popular to consider these groups as eusocial colonies, with division of labour between rediae morphs: small 'soldiers' incapable of reproduction defend the colony, while large rediae reproduce. Alternatively, clonal groups can be considered as self-sustaining infrapopulations. We tested these two hypotheses in the light of new data on rediae of Himasthla elongata (Mehlis, 1831) from snails Littorina littorea (Linnaeus) concerning ultrastructure, growth character and composition of their groups. Clonal groups under study contained rediae of different age and maturity stages: small (young) rediae, rediae with early cercarial embryos, rediae with late embryonic cercariae, rediae with fully formed motile cercariae, rediae with redial embryos and degenerating rediae. Small rediae had a reproductive organ, the germinal mass, whereas most large rediae with developing cercariae did not, which contradicts the eusocialconcept. Overall distribution of rediae by size and by gut to body length ratio was bimodal, which agrees with the eusocial concept ('soldiers' and 'reproductives' as modal size classes). On closer inspection, however, the bimodal size-frequency distributions (SFD) turned out to be the sum of unimodal SFD of rediae at various stages of maturity. The overall bimodality was determined by the character of redial growth resulting in a relatively low occurrence of intermediate morphs and by the developmental arrest in young rediae. The facts that small rediae can attack other rediae and concentrate in the anterior parts of the mollusc can be explained by age-related feeding preferences and niche segregation. They are unlikely to be associated with the 'colony' defence against invaders. To sum up, clonal groups of H. elongata rediae in our study represented self-sustaining infrapopulations., Kirill V. Galaktionov, Irina M. Podvyaznaya, Kirill E. Nikolaev, Ivan A. Levakin., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Larvae of the butterfly, Battus polydamas archidamas (Papilionidae: Troidini) feed exclusively on aristolochic acid (AAs)-containing Aristolochia species (Aristolochiaceae). The distribution of sequestrated AAs in the tissues (body, integument and osmeterial secretions) of B. polydamas archidamas larvae during their development, when fed on a meridic diet containing either a higher or lower concentration of AAs (AAI and AAII) than occurs naturally in the aerial tissues of their host plant, was determined. Accumulation of AAs in the body and integument was proportional to the weight of larvae and greater in the larvae that fed on the diet containing the higher concentration of AAs. Phenolic AAs (AAIa and AAIVa) not present in the diets were found in all larval tissues examined. Integument and body extracts had a higher AAI/AAII ratio than in the original diet and also a relatively high AAIa/AAIVa ratio, suggesting a preferred AAII to AAIa transformation in those larval tissues. In the osmeterial secretion, the value of the AAI/AAII ratio was similar to that in the diets and the AAIa/AAIVa ratio close to 1, which suggests that hydroxylation of AAI to AAIVa and of AAII to AAIa occur to similar extents. The higher accumulation of AAs and the relatively higher proportion of AAI, one of the most toxic AAs, in the integument, suggest that their role is to deter attacks by natural enemies. and Carlos F. PINTO, Alejandro URZÚA, Hermann M. NIEMEYER.
An IgM murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) was obtained against the excretory-secretory antigen (ES-Ag) of in vitro reared protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus (Batsch, 1786). Western blotting revealed that the MAb recognised a 20.6 kDa protein of this ES-Ag. The MAb was used in sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (s-ELISA) for selective sensitisation of the solid phase with the protoscolex-specific protein from its ES-Ag and somatic antigen (S-Ag) to examine serum samples of 108 cows from a cystic echinococcosis (CE) endemic area for specific antibodies and to compare the results with those from necropsies and an indirect ELISA (i-ELISA). The sensitivity of s-ELISA/ES-Ag, s-ELISA/S-Ag and i-ELISA/S-Ag was 48%, 52% and 62%, respectively. The low sensitivity of the ELISA was probably caused by the fact that 13 cows (62%) were infected with sterile cysts (acephalocysts and/or calcified foci) only. A relatively high specificity (80%) of s-ELISA/ES-Ag was observed in cows with fertile cysts. It also detected antibodies in the serum of two cows that had recovered from the disease according to the necropsy. The i-ELISA/S-Ag gave false results in testing sera from a healthy animal and from a cow with tubercular foci. Further analysis will be necessary to define more precisely the value of this study, because the duration of antibody elimination from the bloodstream of recovered cattle remains unknown. The solution of this problem will increase the specificity of the proposed test in monitoring herbivorous animals for CE., Aitbay K. Bulashev, Zhanbolat A. Suranshiev, Orken S. Akibekov, Zhanara Zh. Akanova, Gulmira A. Abulgazimova., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Hunting dogs have probably a higher level of exposure to Neospora caninum Dubey, Carpenter, Speer, Topper et Uggla, 1988 and Toxoplasma gondii Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908 than other canine populations for their different lifestyle. The aim of our survey was to determine the seroprevalence of N. caninum and T. gondii in hunting dogs from southern Italy and assess risk factors related to these protozoan infections. Blood samples were collected from 398 hunting dogs (19 different breeds, aged from 5 month to 14 years). The sera were screened by indirect fluorescence antibody test; a titre ≥ 50 was considered positive. Antibodies to N. caninum and T. gondii were detected in 59 (15%) dogs with titres from 50 to 3 200 and in 94 (24%) dogs with titres from 50 to 1 600, respectively, with co-infection in 25 (6%) dogs. Statistical difference (p ≤ 0.05) was found only for infection with T. gondii between two age groups: ≥ 2-4 years (16%) and ≥ 4-7 years (33%); other observed characteristics were without statistical significance. Our results suggest that the hunting dogs could play an important role in the transmission cycle of N. caninum between wild animals and livestock. This is the first detection of antibodies to T. gondii in hunting dogs in Italy., Tereza Machačová, Eva Bártová, Kamil Sedlák, Radka Slezáková, Marie Budíková, Diego Piantedosi, Vincenzo Veneziano., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The consumption of horse meat has been epidemiologically linked to clinical toxoplasmosis in humans and neosporosis that may cause clinical illness in horses. Here we determined seroprevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908 and species of Neospora Dubey, Carpenter, Speer, Topper et Uggla, 1988 in horses from Italy. Blood samples were collected from 643 apparently healthy horses from 60 farms of 51 municipalities in southern Italy. The presence of antibodies against T. gondii and Neospora spp. were detected by indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT); a titre ≥ 50 was considered positive. The same sera were also tested for antibodies against Neospora spp. by a competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA); samples with ≥ 30% inhibition were considered positive. Antibodies against T. gondii and Neospora spp. were detected in 19 (3.0%) and 15 (2.3%) horses by IFAT, respectively, without statistical difference between gender, age and breeds (p-value ≥ 0.05). Antibodies against species of Neospora were detected in 70 (10.9%) horses by cELISA with statistical difference in gender (6.0-18.5%, p-value ≥ 0.05) and breeds (0-19.4%, p-value ≥ 0.05). Although T. gondii infection rates were low, the risk of human infection should not be dismissed, particularly in Italy where consumption of raw or undercooked horse meat has a long tradition., Eva Bártová, Tereza Machačová, Kamil Sedlák, Marie Budíková, Ugo Mariani, Vincenzo Veneziano., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) is an obligate intracellular, parasitic protozoan within the phylum Apicomplexa that causes toxoplasmosis in mammalian hosts (including humans) and birds. Since meat of wild boar, Sus scrofa (Linnaeus), has been demonstrated to be a potential source of human infection, a careful evaluation of the prevalence of infection with T. gondii in hunted animals is needed to protect public health. In the Var area in southeastern France, we performed a spatio-temporal survey in order to investigate the prevalence of IgG antibodies in wild boars shot by hunters in the Canjuers military camp during two subsequent hunting seasons. Of 841 wild boars screened, antibodies (IgG) to T. gondii (modified agglutination test, cut-off 1 : 6) were found in 141 (16.8%) muscle extract samples. A significant association (p < 0.001) was found between positivity and age, but not gender, and hunting districts. The results obtained indicate that consumption of raw or undercooked meat from wild boars carries an important risk of infection with T. gondii. Wild boars may be considered as a bioindicator of parasite circulation in this ecosystem., Cédric Roqueplo, Radu Blaga, Jean-Lou Marié, Isabelle Vallée, Bernard Davoust., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) is an obligatory intracellular protozoan parasite prevalent in animals and humans worldwide having medical and veterinary importance on account of causing abortion or congenital disease in intermediate hosts, including man. Since T. gondii has already been identified in the milk of goats, Capra aegagrus hircus (Linnaeus), the possibility of acquiring infection by ingesting unpasteurised goat milk should be taken into consideration. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the presence of T. gondii DNA in goat milk. First, 73 goats (females) from 36 farms located in Poland were examined serologically by direct agglutination test (DAT) to estimate the T. gondii serological status. Milk samples from 60 selected lactating females were examined for the presence of T. gondii DNA by Real time PCR and nested PCR (B1 gene). To estimate the clonal type of detected T. gondii, multiplex PCR was performed using 6 markers. In DAT, positive results were found in 70% of 73 goats. Among examined 60 milk samples, 65% were positive in Real time PCR and 43% in nested PCR. It is noteworthy that 11 samples positive in PCR were collected from seronegative goats. The multilocus PCR analysis mostly revealed the occurrence of genotype III, which is relatively rare in Europe. The recorded high prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in tested goats (70%), associated with a high prevalence of T. gondii DNA in goat milk samples (65%), indicates a potential risk of the parasite transmission through goat milk ingestion., Jacek Sroka, Paweł Kusyk, Ewa Bilska-Zając, Jacek Karamon, Jacek Dutkiewicz, Angelina Wójcik-Fatla, Violetta Zając, Krzysztof Stojecki, Mirosław Różycki, Tomasz Cencek., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Hmyz sající krev svých hostitelů často přenáší i původce různých, více či méně závažných onemocnění, čímž představuje hrozbu, ale současně poskytuje dokonalou ukázku biologické adaptace a evolučního závodu s obranou hostitele i s triky přenášených patogenů. Článek stručně představuje vybrané zástupce krevsajícího hmyzu (např. blechy, vši, ovády, kloše, štěnice, komáry) z území České republiky i vyskytující se v různých částech světa, jejich způsob života a jimi přenášené původce onemocnění., Insects sucking the blood of their hosts often transmit the agents of various serious diseases, which pose a threat, but which at the same time provide a perfect example of biological adaptation and the endless evolutionary race against the host's defences with tricks involving transmitted pathogens. This article briefly presents some selected representatives from these blood-sucking insects (e.g. fleas, lice, horseflies, bedbugs, keds and mosquitoes) in the Czech Republic and occurring elsewhere in various parts of the world, their way of life and the aetiological agents which they transmit., and Jan Votýpka.