The Costanera Sur ecological reserve in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was established in 1986 on the banks of the Rio de la Plata on excavated substrata landfill, where free space was left for plant and animal communities to take over. The 350 ha of the reserve include such biotopes as wetlands, pampas and small areas of woodland, providing a valuable site for the city's inhabitants to meet various species of animals in close proximity to the historical city centre, e.g. 270 bird species have been recorded there., Andrej Funk, Kateřina Funková., Ekologická rezervace Costanera Sur v Buenos Aires v Argentině vznikla v roce 1986 na břehu Río de La Plata na skládce vytěženého substrátu, kde byl ponechán volný prostor k sukcesi společenstev rostlin a živočichů. Na ploše 350 ha rezervace zahrnuje biotopy mokřadů, pampy a malých úseků lesa a představuje cennou lokalitu pro rekreaci obyvatel města i pro poznávání různých druhů zvířat v těsné blízkosti historického centra města. Zatím zde byl doložen výskyt např. 270 druhů ptáků., and cze
Two new body-colour mutations, albinotic (alb) and cream (cr) are isolated and described for the flightless wing-polymorphic bug, Pyrrhocoris apterus (L.). The body colour of alb mutants is white and that of cr mutants either a light cream or creamy yellow. Both the alb and cr mutations most probably inhibit the biosynthesis of the red pigment in epidermal cells that is responsible for the red-coloured body of wild-type bugs. Although sometimes the body colour of younger larval instars of cr mutants is a slightly darker creamy yellow and that of last larval instars of the alb mutants a slightly whiter greyish, there were no other important developmental changes in the body colour of alb and cr homozygous bugs associated with metamorphosis and post-metamorphic aging of adults. Standard genetic analyses showed that both these mutations are inherited as autosomal recessives and exhibit complete penetrance and uniform expression in both sexes. The fertility of the alb and cr homozygous females and fertilization success of the alb and cr homozygous males were substantially lower than those of wild-type bugs. and Radomír SOCHA.
Strong tolerance of freezing is an important strategy for insects living in extremely cold regions. They produce highly effective cryoprotectant systems consisting of ice-nucleating proteins and polyols, which enables tolerable freezing of the body fluid. Therefore, the measurement of the concentrations of polyols and the activity of ice nucleators in the haemolymph is an essential tool for describing tolerance to ice formation in insects occurring in particularly cold places. This study evaluates three parameters: insect body supercooling point (SCP), haemolymph glycerol content and the profile of haemolymph ice nucleating activity that characterize the strategies of cold adaptation and cold hardiness in two previously unstudied beetles, Chrysolina graminis graminis L. and Galerucella nymphaea L., inhabiting Yakutia (Russian Far East, latitude 62°N). The high SCP values, ice nucleating activity and survival of the chrysomelids after freezing indicate that both species are tolerant of freezing. According to the profiles of ice-nucleating activity, the haemolymph from C. graminis graminis is characterized by a higher nucleating potential than that from G. nymphaea. The glycerol level is also higher in C. graminis graminis. The results indicate that both species develop tolerance to low temperatures, but the cold hardiness potential of C. graminis graminis is greater than that of G. nymphaea. This was revealed by the survival test, in which beetles were frozen to a temperature of -22°C for 30 min; 86% of C. graminis graminis and 72% of G. nymphaea survived the test. Thus, the freeze-tolerance of these beetles seems to be based on the production of an integrated cryoprotectant system, the quality of which apparently influences the range of their cold resistance., Natalia G. Li., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a parasitoid wasp widely used in the biological control of fruit flies. In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of the karyotype of this species based on the results of classical and molecular cytogenetic techniques. The cytogenetic analysis confirmed the male and female chromosome numbers previously reported (n = 20, 2n = 40). The entire short arm of most chromosomes is made up of a large constitutive heterochromatic segment. The high heterochromatin content differentiates D. longicaudata from other braconid species. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using autologous 18S rDNA probes revealed six clusters of rDNA, i.e. six nucleolar organizer regions (NORs), in the heterochromatic short arms of different chromosomes in the haploid male karyotype. This number is exceptionally high for Hymenoptera, which usually have two NORs in the diploid complement. It is noteworthy that these rDNA-FISH experiments represent the first use of this technique on a braconid species using autologous probes. Since Ag-NOR-bands were coincident with C-positive bands on metaphase chromosomes, it was not possible to identify active nucleoli. The physical characteristics of the D. longicaudata karyotype, especially the content and distribution of heterochromatin and the number and location of rDNA clusters, contribute to a better understanding of the structure and organization of braconid chromosomes and provide a basis for genomic and evolutionary studies., Leonela Carabajal Paladino ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
1_Chromosomes of six European species (one with two subspecies) of Orthoptera belonging to the tribes Ephippigerini and Bradyporini were analyzed using C-banding, Ag-NOR, DAPI (AT-rich)/CMA3 (GC-rich) staining and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using the 18S rDNA and (TTAGG)n telomeric probes with the aim to better understand chromosomal organization and evolutionary relationships between genera and subgenera within and across both tribes. The evolution of karyotypes was studied in terms of changes in chromosome number (2n) and morphology (FN, the fundamental number – i.e. the number of chromosome arms including the X chromosome). The ancestral 2n = 31 was reduced to 2n = 29 (FN = 31) and 27 (FN = 31) by one or two Robertsonian fusions in the Ephippigerini. Whereas in the Bradyporini 2n = 27 (FN = 32) as a result of two Robertsonian translocations and a pericentric inversion in the X chromosome. The quantity of heterochromatin in GC-rich regions distinguished the karyotypes of Ephippigerini (only a single CG-rich band on one autosome pair) from those of Bradyporini (CG-rich bands on all chromosomes). FISH using the 18S rDNA probe localized 1–3 rDNA clusters to autosomes and/or to the X chromosome in all species examined. The rDNA loci coincided with active NORs as determined by Ag-NOR staining. A comparison of the location of the single NOR/rDNA in two species of the genus Steropleurus (Ephippigerini) suggests that the reduced chromosome number in S. pseudolus results from a Robertsonian fusion between two pairs of autosomes, one of them carrying the NOR/rDNA as in S. stalii (and also in E. ephippiger)., 2_Whereas the karyotypes of three species of the genus Bradyporus, though showing the same chromosome number and morphology, differed in the number and distribution of NORs/rDNA sites [one autosomal in B. (B.) dasypus versus three in B. macrogaster and B. (C.) oniscus, two of them X-linked]. Trends in karyotype diversification of the taxa based on the present data and previous research are discussed. In some individuals belonging to the species Bradyporus (B.) dasypus and B. (C.) m. macrogaster B chromosomes (Bs) were detected: acrocentric (the smallest elements in the complement) and submetacentric (similar to medium-sized autosomes), respectively., Elzbieta Warchalowska-Sliwa ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The Marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) has declined across Europe, including the Czech Republic. Current conservation strategies rely on prevention of habitat loss and degradation, and increase in habitat quality and connectivity via promoting traditional grassland management. The population structure and adult demography parameters of a single population was investigated for eight years (single system), and of all the known Czech populations (multiple populations) for a single year, using mark-recapture. There was substantial variation in the patterns of adult demography, both among years in the single system and among the multiple populations in a single year. In the single system, the date of the first flight of an adult varied by 18 days over the 8 years and total annual numbers varied with a coefficient of variation of 0.40 (females fluctuating more than males). The average density was ca 80 adults/ha. The population size displayed density-dependence, i.e. decreased following years with high adult numbers, with an equilibrium density of 90 individuals/ha. The average density of the multiple populations was ca 120 individuals/ha. The estimated total population for the Czech Republic was 25,000 individuals (17,000 males / 8,000 females) in 2007, which does not indicate an imminent threat of extinction. The regional persistence of E. aurinia is likely to depend on re-colonisation of temporarily vacant sites by dispersing individuals, facilitated by local shifts in adult flight phenology to that better adapted to local conditions. and Kamil Zimmermann, Pavla Blazkova, Oldrich Cizek, Zdenek Fric, Vladimir Hula, Pavel Kepka, David Novotny, Irena Slamova, Martin Konvicka.
This note aims to put on record a hitherto unreported function of caterpillar setae supplementary to those already known. When woolly bear caterpillars of the moth Lemyra imparilis (Butler) have their body hairs removed and are dropped into a bucket of water from a height of 30 cm, they sink immediately. Caterpillars, however, with an intact coat of hairs usually float. This hitherto unreported role of caterpillar setae as life-rafts should depend on a high contact angle θe, and thus on the position, density and dimensions of the hairs. An SEM examination of the surface structure of the setae revealed a system of fine grooves and small distally pointing barbs on the hair shaft, which can trap air to support the weight of the insect. Insect setae generally and body hairs of caterpillars in particular are known to possess many functions, but a role as life-rafts for caterpillars in danger of drowning can now be added to the list of possible uses of body hairs., V. Benno Meyer-Rochow., and Obsahuje bibliografii