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Plant parasitic nematodes (PPN) are known to survive periods of desiccation, an ability that increases the risk of them surviving unintentional transport between countries. To investigate nematode survival in soil subject to prolonged storage, soil collected from a native forest and an organic orchard was stored separately in cupboards at ambient temperature for 36 months. Subsamples were taken at 0, 3, 6, 12, 13, 24 and 36 months to determine the presence of plant parasitic and total nematodes using a standard misting technique. Pratylenchus was used as a model to determine if PPNs that had been under prolonged storage were able to infect plant hosts at 13, 24 and 36 months. Overall, the total number of nematodes recovered from stored soil declined over time, with differences in species diversity determined by molecular methods, related to soil origin. No PPN were recovered in soil stored beyond 13 months using the three-day misting technique. By comparison, Pratylenchus nematodes, using a baiting method, were found to successfully invade host plant roots (ryegrass and white clover) even after 36 months storage and were observed to produce offspring at 13 months. Baiting was not effective for Pratylenchus found in soil originally collected from the forest but was for orchard soil, a result attributed to the lack of suitable host plants for the Pratylenchus species found in forest soil. This study demonstrated, that in protected environments, nematodes could survive for at least 36 months and were observed to produce offspring at 13 months. Baiting with a host plant was more sensitive in detecting nematodes than using the misting extraction technique, although this approach only works where the host plant is known. Without a priori knowledge of the nematode-plant host association, plant baiting may also produce false negatives. In the context of plant biosecurity and providing an accurate risk assessment in soil contaminants, the development of a generic test for PPN that induces nematodes in a resting stage to emerge and respond to a cue would enhance the probability of detection. However, as assessments at the border are often time limited, a molecular based bioassay that can be used to indicate the presence of multiple species of live PPN species may be a more feasible option for risk assessments.
Sorbus cordigastensis N. Mey. (Kordigast-Mehlbeere) ist eine Rote-Liste-Art aus dem Komplex hybridogener Sippen von Sorbus aria und S. torminalis, die endemisch am Kordigast, einem Zeugenberg des Oberen Jura in der Weismainalb (Naturraum „Nördliche Fränkische Alb“) vorkommt. Ziel der Untersuchung war es, die Verbreitung und Größe der Population sowie den Zustand ihrer Verjüngung zu erfassen. Zu diesem Zweck wurden sämtliche im Gebiet vorkommenden Individuen mit einer Wuchshöhe über 1,3 m punktgenau kartiert. In drei etwa 0,35–0,4 ha großen Waldbeständen wurden mittels Stichprobenverfahren die Anzahl und Wuchshöhe der Jungpflanzen sowie das Ausmaß der Wildschäden ermittelt. Sorbus cordigastensis ist mit etwa einem größeren (> 1,3 m hoch) Individuum pro Hektar im untersuchten Gebiet selten, kommt aber lokal und insbesondere an Waldrändern gehäuft vor. In Beständen mit fruktifizierenden Altbäumen verjüngt sich die Art gut. In den drei untersuchten Waldbeständen konnten, bezogen auf einen Hektar Fläche, im Durchschnitt etwa 1500 Jungpflanzen mit einer Wuchshöhe < 1,3 m nachgewiesen werden. Der Großteil davon ist weniger als 30 cm hoch, Jungpflanzen über 90 cm Höhe fehlen jedoch. Eine der Ursachen dafür sind starke Wildschäden. Bei zwei Drittel aller Jungpflanzen ist der Leittrieb ein- oder mehrmals verbissen. Verschiedene Beobachtungen weisen darauf hin, dass darüber hinaus Lichtmangel in den relativ dichten Beständen die dauerhafte Etablierung der Verjüngung beeinträchtigt. Die Population der Kordigast-Mehlbeere ist derzeit an ihrem Naturstandort noch relativ groß und gut zur Reproduktion fähig. Da sich ihre Verjüngung aber nicht ausreichend etablieren kann, ist der Bestand auf längere Sicht vom Aussterben bedroht. Schutzmaßnahmen müssen darauf abzielen, die Bedingungen für das Aufwachsen der Verjüngung durch Verringerung der Wildschäden und Auflichtung der Bestände zu verbessern.
Wrack burial reduces germination and establishment of the invasive cordgrass Spartina densiflora
(2014)
Germination and emergence of halophytes may decrease significantly by seed burial in dead plant material, or wrack, which is common and abundant in tidal marshes. The effects of plant debris (wrack) burial on seed germination and seedling establishment of Spartina densiflora, an invasive cordgrass, were studied under greenhouse conditions and compared with field observations. Five wrack burial depths were applied: control without wrack, 1 cm (1235 ± 92 g DW wrack m-2), 2 cm (3266 ± 13 g DW m-2), 4 cm (4213 ± 277 g DW m-2), and 8 cm (6138 ± 227 g DW m-2). Sediment pH, electrical conductivity, redox potential and temperature were recorded. Quiescence increased with wrack load up to ~20% at 8 cm deep. Germination decreased with wrack load from 96% to 14%, which could be related with anoxic conditions under the debris since sediment redox potential was as low as -83 ± 7 mV at 8 cm. Germination percentage increased and quiescent and dormant percentages decreased at higher daily sediment temperatures and with higher daily temperature fluctuations, conditions that were recorded without or under low loads of wrack. Spartina densiflora did not show primary dormancy, but its seeds entered into a non-deep physiological dormancy below 1 cm deep in plant debris. The establishment of S. densiflora seedlings was also greatly reduced by wrack burial since only 6 seedlings (11 ± 5 % of germinated seeds) emerged above plant debris from 1 cm and all seedlings died from deeper than 1 cm. S. densiflora seedling development was also reduced by wrack burial. The inverse relationship between germination and emergence of S. densiflora with wrack burial recorded in our study is useful to predict its invasion dynamics and to plan the management of invaded marshes.
A new species of Liolaemus is described from southwest of the town of Añelo, Neuquén Province, Argentina. Integrative evidence methodology of external morphological characters and molecular phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA (cyt-b) is used to place the new species to the species group of Liolaemus boulengeri. The new species is phenotypically close to L. mapuche. The new Liolaemus is medium to large in size (males 77.64–83.98 mm, females 72.88–78.58 mm), with evident sexual dichromatism. Genetic distances of the mtDNA (cyt-b) between the new species and its closest relative species are greater than 3% (L. cuyanus 7.48–12.02%; L. josei 7.56–9.60%; L. puelche 8.23–9.93%; L. mapuche 8.51–9.79%). Molecular and morphological phylogenetic results show L. mapuche as the sister species of the new one. The new species is larger than L. mapuche. Dorsal and ventral scales are more numerous in the new species than in L. mapuche, precloacal pores in females are present in L. mapuche and absent in the new species. It has strict psammophilic habits, using sand mounds and sheltering, under Alpataco (Neltuma alpataco) bushes. The L. boulengeri group now contains 75 species distributed in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.
This is a summary of Elena Abella Pérez's doctoral thesis "Factores ambientales y de manejo que afectan al desarrollo embrionario de la tortuga marina Caretta caretta. Implicaciones en programas de incubación controlada", Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC) and Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 29 October 2010.
Aus Nistkästen wurden nach dem Ausfliegen der Vögel etwa
500 Nester entnommen und die darin vorhandenen Insekten
herausgesucht oder mit einem Eklektor abgesammelt. Die gefundenen
Arten lassen sich den in Nestern bekannten Gilden
zuordnen: Parasiten, Saprophage, Räuber oder Parasitoide
(Schlupfwespen i.w.S. und Raupenfliegen). Für die cyclorrhaphen
Dipteren und ihre Parasitoide wird ein Nahrungsnetz als
Bild eines Teils der Choriozönose im Vogelnest dargestellt. Es
konnten 32 Arten in 10 Familien gefunden werden. Nidikol
sind die Vogelblutfliegen (Protocalliphora azurea, Calliphoridae)
mit ihrem Parasitoiden (Nasonia vitripennis, Pteromalidae), der
durchschnittlich 40% der Puparien abtötet und dadurch für die
Vögel eine besondere Bedeutung hat. Eine zweite Vogelblutfliegenart
(P. falcozi) konnte nur in Süddeutschland gefunden
werden. Bei dieser Art ist der größte Teil der Puparien mit einer
Hülle aus Nistmaterial vor der Parasitierung geschützt. Die
wenigen nicht geschützten Puparien werden ähnlich häufig
parasitiert wie die von P. azurea. Zwei weitere Parasitoide (Dibrachys
cavus und D. lignicola, Pteromalidae) konnten in Puparien
von Raupenfliegen (Triarthria setipennis und Ocytata
pallipes, Tachinidae) gefunden werden, die ihrerseits als Parasitoide
in Ohrwürmern (Forficula auricularia, Forficulidae)
leben. Die Arten der Nahrungskette Ohrwurm → Raupenfliege
→ Dibrachys gehören zu einer anderen Choriozönose, die sich
in Verstecken bildet und sich im Nistkasten mit der der Nester
überschneidet. Bei den Flöhen (Ceratophyllus gallinae, Ceratophyllidae)
konnte das Verlassen des Nestes nach dem Ausfliegen
der Jungvögel bis zur folgenden Brutsaison mit einem Eklektor
ermittelt werden. Im Herbst erscheinen zunächst die im Nest
vorhandenen adulten Flöhe, im folgenden Frühjahr die Individuen
der neuen Generation.
Die in Nistkästen gefundenen saprophagen Insekten werden
erstaunlich wenig parasitiert. Sie fressen Mikroorganismen
und sind am Abbau des Nistmaterials beteiligt. In Nistkästen
spielen sie allerdings eine untergeordnete Rolle, weil das Nistmaterial
normalerweise entfernt wird. Es wird diskutiert, dass
sie in natürlichen Höhlen eine Bedeutung beim Abbau des
Nistmaterials haben. Die Wirkung der Keratin fressenden
Arten, die Haare und Federn abbauen, wird an Hand von
Fängen der Kleistermotte (Endrosis sarcitrella, Oecophoridae)
gezeigt.
The nesting biology of the potter wasp Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) is described based on observations made in the Cerro Turega Hydric Reserve, Penonome, Panama. The collection of building material, the architecture of the nest, the process of building a cell and cell provision with geometrid larvae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), and the emergence time of the adults are recorded.
Paratelenomus saccharalis (Dodd) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) parasitizing Brachyplatys subaeneus (Westwood) eggs is reported for the first time for Panama. Brachyplatys subaeneus is an invasive species from Asia and is regarded as an important agricultural pest in the Americas.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CD3639E3-2A17-44D8-B73C-CA71C779BCCA
The stinkbug Edessa leucogramma (Perty) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae: Edessinae) is reported as a pest of young yellow guayacán trees (Handroanthus chrysanthus (Jacq.) S.O. Grose, Bignoniaceae) in the metropolitan area of the Aburra Valley in Antioquia, Colombia (AMVA). We provide a short description of the adult and immature stages and report for the first-time protozoa associated with the digestive system of this species of true bug in addition to information regarding a fungus found associated with Edessa leucogramma in the field.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8D06E222-249D-413C-AA0A-48E34BF995C1
Anhand eines Datensatzes von 1.708 Vegetationsaufnahmen aus 154 bayerischen Naturwaldreservaten wurde die realisierte ökologische Nische von 25 Baumarten hinsichtlich Lichtbedarf bzw. Schattentoleranz untersucht. Für jede Baumart wurde die Stetigkeit des Vorkommens in Baumschicht und Verjüngung berechnet. Für jede Aufnahme wurde die dem Bestandesunterwuchs zur Verfügung stehende Lichtmenge durch Berechnung des mittleren ungewichteten Licht-Zeigerwertes (mL) aller vorkommenden Arten (ohne Baumschicht) auf einer Relativskala geschätzt. Für jede 0,5-Einheiten-Stufe von mL wurde die Präferenz jeder Baumart, getrennt nach Baum- (> 5m) und Verjüngungsschicht (< 5m), als Differenz zwischen relativer Häufigkeit der jeweiligen Art und der relativen Häufigkeit aller Aufnahmen in der mL-Stufe im gesamten Datensatz berechnet. Die Präferenzprofile von Baumschicht und Verjüngungsschicht bildeten die Grundlage einer numerischen Klassifikation von 6 lichtökologischen Nischen typen. Diese Typen werden hinsichtlich ihrer Bindung an bestimmte Entwicklungsphasen und Strukturen der natürlichen Walddynamik diskutiert, mit geläufigen Einteilungen der Baumarten verglichen und im Hinblick auf eine Prognose des Verhaltens unter sich ändernden Umweltbedingungen ausgewertet. – Während sich Edellaubbäume des Tilio-Acerion in den Reservaten sehr ähnlich wie Fagus und Abies verhalten, bilden die Baumarten der Eichenmischwälder eine lichtökologische Gruppe mit rückläufiger Verjüngungstendenz. Unter den übrigen Halbschattbaumarten hebt sich eine Gruppe heraus, welche sich in geschlossenen Beständen vorausverjüngt und nach Störung in die Baumschicht vordringt. Pionierbaumarten bleiben in Naturwaldreservaten weitestgehend auf Sonderstandorte, wo ihre Verjüngung viel Licht vorfindet, beschränkt.
Anhand eines Datensatzes von 1.708 Vegetationsaufnahmen aus 154 bayerischen Naturwaldreservaten wurde die realisierte ökologische Nische von 25 Baumarten hinsichtlich Lichtbedarf bzw. Schattentoleranz untersucht. Für jede Baumart wurde die Stetigkeit des Vorkommens in Baumschicht und Verjüngung berechnet. Für jede Aufnahme wurde die dem Bestandesunterwuchs zur Verfügung stehende Lichtmenge durch Berechnung des mittleren ungewichteten Licht-Zeigerwertes (mL) aller vorkommenden Arten (ohne Baumschicht) auf einer Relativskala geschätzt. Für jede 0,5-Einheiten-Stufe von mL wurde die Präferenz jeder Baumart, getrennt nach Baum- (> 5m) und Verjüngungsschicht (< 5m), als Differenz zwischen relativer Häufigkeit der jeweiligen Art und der relativen Häufigkeit aller Aufnahmen in der mL-Stufe im gesamten Datensatz berechnet. Die Präferenzprofile von Baumschicht und Verjüngungsschicht bildeten die Grundlage einer numerischen Klassifikation von 6 lichtökologischen Nischentypen. Diese Typen werden hinsichtlich ihrer Bindung an bestimmte Entwicklungsphasen und Strukturen der natürlichen Walddynamik diskutiert, mit geläufigen Einteilungen der Baumarten verglichen und im Hinblick auf eine Prognose des Verhaltens unter sich ändernden Umweltbedingungen ausgewertet. - Während sich Edellaubbäume des Tilio-Acerion in den Reservaten sehr ähnlich wie Fagus und Abies verhalten, bilden die Baumarten der Eichenmischwälder eine lichtökologische Gruppe mit rückläufiger Verjüngungstendenz. Unter den übrigen Halbschattbaumarten hebt sich eine Gruppe heraus, welche sich in geschlossenen Beständen vorausverjüngt und nach Störung in die Baumschicht vordringt. Pionierbaumarten bleiben in Naturwaldreservaten weitestgehend auf Sonderstandorte, wo ihre Verjüngung viel Licht vorfindet, beschränkt.
Within Nearctic Cicindelidae, Cicindelini, Eunota togata (LaFerté-Sénectère, 1841) (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) exists as several distinct phenotypes, some described as subspecies whose taxonomic status has been misinterpreted. Eunota togata togata applies to adults marked with broadly sinuate inner margins on shiny brown elytra common across northern coastal Gulf of Mexico. Eunota togata fascinans (Casey,1914), new synonymy, incorrectly applied to populationsin western Texas and New Mexico, United States, is considered a junior synonym of E. togata globicollis (Casey,1913), the predominant subspecies with broadly sinuate inner margins on coppery elytra found from eastern New Mexico and western Texas into the Southern Great Plains of North America. Eunota togata leucophasma, new subspecies, is comprised of adults with mostly white elytra that are isolated in Hudspeth County, Texas, and Doña Ana, Otero, and Torrance Counties, New Mexico. Intergrades between E. togata globicollis and E. togata leucophasma, new subspecies, are found sporadically in eastern New Mexico and western Texas; however, suggested intergrades between E. togata globicollis and E. togata togata in western Texas are reinterpreted as more typical of intergrades farther north in New Mexico. Adults marked with acutely sinuate inner margins on darker elytra found only in northcentral Kansas to southeast Nebraska should be referred to as E. togata latilabris (Willis,1967), new status. All subspecies are collectively known as the white-cloaked tiger beetle. Geological conditions influencing development of saline habitats and subsequent evolution of divergent white E. togata subspecies in Texas and New Mexico, and darker E. togata subspecies in Kansas and Nebraska, are discussed and compared to more uniformly marked E. togata subspecies found elsewhere in North America.
Es gibt zahlreiche Publikationen, die dokumentieren, dass Wirbeltiere in das Beutespektrum von Spinnen gehören können, wobei offensichtlich insbesondere Amphibien und Reptilien erbeutet werden (z.B. De Armas 2001, Menin et al. 2005, Toledo 2005, Maffei et al. 2010). Solche Berichte stützen sich fast immer auf Beobachtungen aus den Tropen.
Zwischen dem Nordrand der Mittelgebirge und den nordwestdeutschen Altmoränengebieten liegt eine bis 30 km breite Lößzone, die als altbesiedeltes Gebiet eine stark ausgeräumte Kulturlandschaft darstellt. Die Restflächen der Wälder betragen nur noch 5%, zeigen aber eine breite Amplitude verschiedener Waldgesellschaften. In den eigentlichen Lößbereichen wachsen vor allem Eichen-Hainbuchenwälder verschiedener Ausprägung von sehr artenarmen bis zu artenreichen Beständen. Sie gehören zum Stellario-Carpinetum Oberd. 1957, das sich in 2 Subass.-Gruppen mit 4 Subassoziationen und mehrere Varianten gliedern lässt. Einige Wälder nasser Standorte lassen sich dem Alno-Ulmion zuordnen.
Rare species have long exerted a particular fascination for many botanists. The reasons for this are discussed, as are the justifications for the scientific study of rare and threatened species. A high proportion of the threatened species currently on the Schedules of threatened species in New South Wales were first collected by the earliest botanical explorers. Possible reasons for their success in finding rare species are speculated upon.
Legislative requirements for the identification of threatened species have arisen under the Biodiversity Convention, and the particular regime established by the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 is described. Features of the plants currently included on the New South Wales Schedules are discussed and the question as to whether they are affected by a variety of recording biases is examined. The consequences of listing for the long term conservation of threatened species are explored.
Australian subtropical rainforests and plant populations have become increasingly fragmented since European settlement. Managing relict populations and remnants within the landscape matrix is dependent upon our understanding of plant reproductive biology. The incidence of autogamous self-compatibility and dioecy was investigated in subtropical rainforests, near Taree, in the Manning Valley (northern New South Wales). The proportion of dioecious species in rainforests of the region is high (~17%), but varies among sites. The potential for hermaphroditic species to self-pollinate was examined by bagging inflorescences in the field. Of the > 30 species (in 14 families) studied, nine species exhibited high levels of selfcompatibility. These were predominantly pioneer and edge species, but other pioneer species were self-incompatible. Different behaviour occurred within families. Twenty species (in 13 families) regenerated from basal coppice or root suckers following bushfire. The significance of knowledge of reproductive biology for management is discussed.
The tortoise beetle, Cassida sphaerula Boheman, 1854 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Cassidini) is endemic to South Africa. Its endemic host, Arctotheca prostrata (Salisb.) Britten (Asteraceae) has been introduced in other countries where it is becoming invasive. Cassida sphaerula could provide a potential biocontrol of Arctotheca weeds as it spends the entire life cycle on this host. An intensive field study, with rearing, photography, and short films of C. sphaerula was conducted in its native habitat to document the life cycle. A checklist of Cassidinae genera in South Africa, along with 19 new host records for Cassidini species in South Africa are presented. Oothecae are simple, with few laminate membranes enclosing fewer than five eggs. There are five larval instars. Larvae and adults feed by making a series of cuts in the ventral cuticle, forming an arc, and they consume the mesophyll as the cuticle is rolled to one side. This creates many ventral craters, thickened on one margin with the rolled cuticle; these ventral craters correspond to ‘windows’ in the dorsal leaf surface where the dorsal cuticle is left intact. This unusual feeding pattern is known in three Cassida species, all in South Africa. Like many tortoise beetles, instar I initiates a feces-only shield on its paired caudal processes (= urogomophi); this construction is retained, along with exuviae, by subsequent instars. The shield construction was studied by film and dissections. This revealed that the columnar or pyramidal shield in this species has an exterior of dry or moist feces that obscures the central nested stack of exuviae, each exuviae compressed onto the caudal processes. Pupae may retain the entire larval shield of exuviae and feces or only the 5th instar exuviae; this behavioral flexibility in pupal shield retention is novel for tortoise beetles. Behaviors of C. sphaerula are discussed in the context of phylogenetic characters that can give evolutionary insights into the genus, tribe, and subfamily.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4AC56F98-6474-4AAD-A2A9-51AE2F39A1E1
Maize and rice constitute some of the most important cereals cultivated in the world, being used as staple food for people especially in Africa. The rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica, and the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, are major pests of stored grains in the tropics. The use of parasitoids in biological pest control is already common in different agricultural and horticultural fields. At present, grain managers tend to look at alternatives to chemicals to control insects in stored grain. Lariophagus distinguendus (Förster) is a synovigenic, solitary larval and pupal ectoparasitoid of several beetle species that infest stored goods. The ability for long-range host finding of this parasitoid mediated by volatiles has been shown (Steidle & Schöller 1997). Habrobracon hebetor (Say) is a gregarious ectoparasitoid of many lepidopterous pests. This wasp occurs naturally in the stored grain ecosystem (Keever & al. 1985) where it attacks several pyralid moths, including the rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica. The present study was conducted to assess the host finding of the two parasitoids H. hebetor and L. distinguendus.
Classifying and mapping landscapes are tools to simplify complex systems into the discreet subsets widely used in landscape management. In 1999, the Queensland Government adopted a Regional Ecosystems approach as a state-wide landscape classification scheme. For the Cape York Peninsula bioregion in north-eastern Australia, Regional Ecosystems (RE) were initially recognised based on a pre-existing vegetation map and classification for the bioregion. The classification had been developed using expert-techniques based on extensive field plot data. Here, we use numerical analyses to classify the field plot data and identify savanna plant communities associated with two widespread landform groups in the bioregion (the old loamy and sandy plains (land zone 5) and the hills and lowlands on igneous rocks (land zone 12). Communities were identified at the plant association level, using species importance values calculated from foliage cover and vegetation height at each plot. We developed a descriptive-framework for each community using statistically based characterising species and biophysical attributes. We recognise 57 communities compared with 110 that had been previously identified using expert-techniques. This classification is used to recommend refined Regional Ecosystems under the government’s regulations. The descriptive-framework supported consistent descriptions of communities and assignment of new sites to the classification. We conclude that incorporating quantitative methods in classifying and describing plant communities will improve the robustness and defensibility of Regional Ecosystems and their use in landscape management across Queensland.
We describe a new species of Dravidogecko from the poorly-inventoried Periyar Plateau of Southern Western Ghats, Peninsular India. The new species Dravidogecko beddomei sp. nov. is characterized by: precloacal-femoral pores 46‒52; scales across belly 31‒33; supralabials 9–11; infralabials 8–9; lamellae on digit IV of pes 10–11. Additionally, the new species is divergent (>13%) from its related congeners. Like its congeners, the new species is currently known only from its type locality and its vicinity – the Devar Malai, Kakki Reservoir – and Sivagiri Hills in the Periyar Plateau of Southern Western Ghats. This discovery further increases the list of new reptiles described from this under-studied massif in the Southern Western Ghats.
Variants resistant to compounds specifically targeting HCV are observed in clinical trials. A multi-variant viral dynamic model was developed to quantify the evolution and in vivo fitness of variants in subjects dosed with monotherapy of an HCV protease inhibitor, telaprevir. Variant fitness was estimated using a model in which variants were selected by competition for shared limited replication space. Fitness was represented in the absence of telaprevir by different variant production rate constants and in the presence of telaprevir by additional antiviral blockage by telaprevir. Model parameters, including rate constants for viral production, clearance, and effective telaprevir concentration, were estimated from 1) plasma HCV RNA levels of subjects before, during, and after dosing, 2) post-dosing prevalence of plasma variants from subjects, and 3) sensitivity of variants to telaprevir in the HCV replicon. The model provided a good fit to plasma HCV RNA levels observed both during and after telaprevir dosing, as well as to variant prevalence observed after telaprevir dosing. After an initial sharp decline in HCV RNA levels during dosing with telaprevir, HCV RNA levels increased in some subjects. The model predicted this increase to be caused by pre-existing variants with sufficient fitness to expand once available replication space increased due to rapid clearance of wild-type (WT) virus. The average replicative fitness estimates in the absence of telaprevir ranged from 1% to 68% of WT fitness. Compared to the relative fitness method, the in vivo estimates from the viral dynamic model corresponded more closely to in vitro replicon data, as well as to qualitative behaviors observed in both on-dosing and long-term post-dosing clinical data. The modeling fitness estimates were robust in sensitivity analyses in which the restoration dynamics of replication space and assumptions of HCV mutation rates were varied.
In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden vor allem zwei Themenkomplexe dargestellt: einerseits die Wachstums- und Ausbreitungsstrategie von Polygonum cuspidatum, andererseits seine Vergesellschaftung sowie die phänologische Entwicklung auf gemähten und nicht gemähten Flächen. Besonders konnten die Auswirkungen der Mahd auf den Japanknöterich berücksichtigt werden.
Generative Ausbreitungsstrategie: Eine Kartierung von karpellaten und staminaten Pflanzen im Schwarzwald und der Freiburger Bucht zeigt, daß die karpellaten Pflanzen bei weitem überwiegen; bei einer Fortpflanzung über Samen müssten aber staminate und karpellate Pflanzen etwa im gleichen Verhältnis vorhanden sein. Zudem werden im Freiland nur äußerst selten Keimpflanzen gefunden. Keimexperimente ergaben, daß die Samen von Polygonum cuspidatum unter Gewächshausbedingungen gut keimfähig sind. Aus diesen Ergebnissen folgt, daß eine generative Fortpflanzung und Ausbreitung von Polygonum cuspidatum im Untersuchungsgebiet von untergeordneter Bedeutung ist.
Wachstumsstrategie und vegetative Ausbreitung: Bei der morphologischen Analyse der Rhizome unterscheiden wir drei Typen von Rhizomen: Ausläufer-Rhizome, die dem radialen Wachstum der Polykormone dienen, ältere Rhizome und verdickte Basalteile zur Reservestoffspeicherung. Auf 3 Versuchsflächen wurden die ober- und unterirdischen Teile von Polygonum cuspidatum-Pflanzen abgeerntet. Die Bestimmung der Biomasse ergab Spitzenwerte der Produktion von 25 kg Frischgewicht pro qm. Der Verteilerschlüssel der Assimilate zeigt, daß die Rhizome ca. 2/3, die oberirdischen Pflanzenteile nur ca. 1/3 der Pflanzenbiomasse ausmachen. Bei der vegetativen Ausbreitung lassen sich 2 Strategien unterscheiden: (a.) Die "Unterwanderung" angrenzender Flächen durch Ausläufer; die Wachstumsgeschwindigkeit der Ausläufer liegt hierbei in der Größenordnung von 50 cm pro Jahr. (b.) Die Etablierung neuer Polykormone an von der Mutterpflanze entfernten Orten durch Verschleppung von abgebrochenen Rhizomstücken. Diese können schon ab einer Länge von 1 - 1,5 cm austreiben, sofern sie mindestens einen Knoten besitzen.
Syntaxonomisch können die pflanzensoziologischen Aufnahmen folgenden Gesellschaften zugeordnet werden: Polygonum cuspidatum-Glechometalia-Gesellschaft (nicht gemäht); Polygonum cuspidatum-Glechometalia-Gesellschaft, Arrhenatherum-Form (gemäht); Polygonum cuspidatum-Artemisienea-Gesellschaft (gemäht); und Polygonum cuspidatum-Arrhenatheretalia-Gesellschaft (gemäht).
Eine Mahd des Japanknöterichs über mehrere Jahre hinweg, ist positiv zu bewerten: Einerseits zeigen die phänologischen und pflanzensoziologischen Untersuchungen, daß aus Polygonum cuspidatum-Dominanzbeständen wieder artenreiche Flächen entstehen. Andererseits ist eine starke Abnahme der Masse an Speicherorganen die Folge, welche langfristig auf eine Dezimierung des Knöterichs hoffen lässt.
Vorratsschädliche Insekten sind Spezialisten, die in der Lage sind, trockene pflanzliche Materialien aufzuspüren, zu besiedeln und damit über die Befeuchtung durch Respiration dem Abbau durch weitere Organismen (Pilze, Milben, Bakterien) zuzuführen. Auf diese Weise sind sie die Auslöser eines Kompostierungsprozesses. Durch ihr hervorragendes Orientierungsvermögen entlang eines Duftstoffgradienten finden sie sich regelmäßig in Vorratslagern und Gebäuden der Lebens- und Futtermittelverarbeitung ein, falls sie nicht bereits mit befallenen Produkten passiv eingeschleppt wurden. In der Praxis der Schädlingsbekämpfung in Deutschland werden zunehmend auch Verfahren der Hitzeentwesung in Gebäuden angeboten, die der Begasung mit giftigen Gasen Konkurrenz machen und auch in Betrieben des Ökolandbaus eingesetzt werden können. Einen Überblick über den Einsatz extremer Temperaturen im Vorratsschutz vermitteln die Arbeiten von Fields (1992), Burks et al. (2000) und Adler & Rassmann (2000). Laborversuche unter definierten Temperaturen hatten zum Ziel, die Widerstandsfähigkeit bestimmter Arten und ihrer Entwicklungsstadien zu überprüfen. Darüber hinaus wird kurz über Erfahrungen in der Praxis berichtet.
Als Nachtrag zu "Neophytischs Kultur- und Anbaupflanzen als Kulturflüchtlinge des Rheinlandes" (Adolphi 1995) werden Neufunde und andere neue Beobachtungen mitgeteilt. Zu den bemerkenswerten Erstfunden gehören Malus toringo, Mirabilis jalapa, Morus nigra, Pistia stratiotes, Solidaga x erskinii, Spartium junceum und der Gattungsbastard x Mahoberberis.
A new species of echinoderid kinorhynchs, Echinoderes xiphophorus sp. nov. collected from oxidized brown silt at the deepest depression in the Sea of Japan, North-West Pacific, is described and illustrated using light and electron microscopy. This new representative of the most speciose kinorhynch genus is characterized by the unique set of spines and tubes and can easily be distinguished from most of its congeners. The second trunk segment bears three pairs of tubes in subdorsal, midlateral and ventrolateral position in both sexes; one pair of tubes on trunk segment 5 in lateroventral position and on trunk segment 8 in sublateral position; aciculate lateroventral spines on trunk segments 6–9; aciculate middorsal spines on trunk segments 4, 6, 8. This species is well recognized by very long tergal extensions of the posteriormost segment, some of the longest within the family Echinoderidae. Males of Echinoderes xiphophorus sp. nov. are well distinguished from all the congeners by extremely long sword-like appendages dorsally to three pairs of penile spines. The species constitutes the first deep-sea representative of the Echinoderidae in the Sea of Japan and the deepest representative of the Kinorhyncha in this sea.
We report here the results from two field trips to collect Odonata in the Crocker Range National Park in western Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia. Thirtysix species were collected. Telosticta fugispinosa had not been described at the time of collection, nor had the two Devadatta species. There was no published record of Protosticta species cf kinabaluensis before the 2012 expedition, nor of Drepanosticta species cf crenitis.
Two botanical pesticides, Neem Azal-T/S (NA) and Quassia amara, one biopesticide, Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. aizawai (Bta) and one combination of Bta + NA were tested against 2nd and 4th instar larvae of the noctuids Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) on field beans under both laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The maximum mortality of 58 and 27 % was obtained in Bta + NA treatments in case of 2nd and 4th instar larvae of H. armigera under laboratory conditions followed by Bta (50 and 14 %) and NA (34 and 7 %) alone treatments. Under greenhouse conditions a mortality of 69 and 26 % was observed in case of Bta + NA treatments in 2nd and 4th instar larvae of H. armigera followed by Bta (67 and 20 %) and NA (56 and 10 %) alone. The mortality of H. armigera larvae was higher under greenhouse conditions. There was a significant difference in the mortality between 2nd and 4th instar larvae both under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The mortality of H. armigera was higher in 2nd instar than in the 4th instar larvae in all treatments. Similar results were obtained in case of S. exigua both under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The results indicate that Bta and NA have the potential to the control of H. armigera and S. exigua either independently or in combination, when used at the right stage of the field populations. The uassia-extracts tested did not show a high efficacy against larvae of H. armigera and S. exigua.
During a survey of the fishes in the region of the Wonga-Wongué Presidential Reserve, 14 new populations of the subgenus Chromaphyosemion Myers, 1924 were found. These observations extend the previously known distribution range of the subgenus 120 kilometres southward. None of these populations could be related to any described species. Based on the colouration of the males and females, together with a genetic marker (mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b sequences), the populations studied are grouped into six new species which are described in this article, all close to Aphyosemion alpha Huber, 1998 with which they share the presence of a black alpha-shaped mark on the pre- and post-opercular region. The group composed of A. alpha and the six new species is referred to here as the A. alpha species group. All the new species, A. aurantiacum Chirio, Legros & Agnèse sp. nov., A. barakoniense Chirio, Legros & Agnèse sp. nov., A. flammulatum Chirio, Legros & Agnèse sp. nov., A. flavocyaneum Chirio, Legros & Agnèse sp. nov., A. pusillum Chirio, Legros & Agnèse sp. nov. and A. rubrogaster Chirio, Legros & Agnèse sp. nov., are further unambiguously diagnosed by unique combinations of colour patterns, making it possible to generate an identification key for the A. alpha species group. It is likely that the coastal dunes of Wonga-Wongué that form a sandy relief, could have led to the fragmentation and then isolation of the hydrographical networks that flow into the Atlantic Ocean, making possible a significant number of allopatric speciations.
The hoverfly genus Eumerus Meigen, 1822 (Eristalinae: Merodontini) comprises 250+ described species, of which 36 are reported from the Iberian Peninsula. The high species diversity linked to the low degree of morphological differentiation between some species, which is even lower in females, leads to a high taxonomic complexity in this genus. The aim of this work is to confirm the morphological and molecular validity of an undescribed species of Eumerus, which is widespread in the Iberian Peninsula. The new species is described and compared with similar species. The genitalia of the new species are similar to those of Eumerus clavatus Becker, 1923 and Eumerus uncipes Rondani, 1850, but also share some features with Eumerus nudus Loew, 1848. The COI-5’ barcode is provided for the new taxon and analysed together with those of other named Eumerus sequences/species publicly available online. In the light of the morphology and barcoding data, the systematic position of the new species is discussed.
Elusive flaws are identified in techniques widely adopted to organize the Material Examined sections in taxonomic publications, mostly regarding the usage of the term ibidem and the nesting of information such as country and states. Logical errors are identified that prevent objective retrieval of the original information and can hinder or block its interpretation, even in case-by-case analyses. It is demonstrated that the free usage of ibidem in the sense of “same as previous except as follows” compromises the interpretation of data, characterizing bad practice. Solutions are proposed for the precise usage of both the term ibidem and the nesting technique. A new technique for organizing, compressing, and presenting information, called grid-setting, is described and evaluated. Its most notable practical effect is that the Material Examined section becomes literally a coded data sheet, which can be accurately converted back to spreadsheet format. In addition, the grid-setting technique was able to generate texts up to 30% shorter than those edited with the best-known traditional techniques. The new ideas and fixes are incorporated into a new software, flexible enough to process varied and unlimited data into largely user-defined texts, which remain nevertheless universal in their format and logical interpretation.
A checklist and classification of the species of Elateridae reported from mainland Ecuador are given. Anchastus boulardi Chassain, Cardiorhinus apicalis Golbach, Physorhinus marginatus Candèze, and P. sexnotatus Steinheil are reported from Ecuador for the first time. The recorded elaterid fauna of Ecuador is now represented by 140 species, 38 genera, and 9 subfamilies, which are low taxon richness numbers when compared to those of neighboring countries.
A systematic, literature-based compilation of bryophytes of Réunion Island has been made, with the additional examination of herbarium specimens. The list of 148 genera and 404 species and infraspecific taxa of mosses and 87 genera and 241 species and infraspecific taxa of hepatics and hornworts are here reported, including four mosses reported as new to Réunion.
Daddy-long-leg giants: revision of the spider genus Artema Walckenaer, 1837 (Araneae, Pholcidae)
(2017)
This is the first revision of Artema Walckenaer, 1837, a genus consisting of large and phylogenetically interesting species. Even though Artema is not species-rich (now eight nominal species), it has suffered from poor descriptions and synonymies. Our main goal was to gather all available material and to clarify species limits. Four species are easily distinguished from other congeners: Artema atlanta Walckenaer, 1837, the type species; A. kochi Kulczyński, 1901 (revalidated); A. bunkpurugu Huber & Kwapong, 2013; and A. nephilit sp. nov. All other species are problematic for varying reasons: species limits are unclear between A. doriae Thorell, 1881 and A. transcaspica Spassky, 1934; A. magna Roewer, 1960 and A. ziaretana (Roewer, 1960) are problematic because they are based on female and juvenile types respectively and little new material is available. The material available to us suggests the existence of a few further species; however, they are not formally described, either because of small sample sizes (Artema sp. a and A. sp. b are represented by only one specimen each) or because of unclear species limits (between Artema sp. c, A. transcaspica and A. doriae).This study is the first serious step towards understanding the genus. Intensive collecting effort is needed in order to fully clarify species limits.
Pholetesor acrocercophagus sp. nov., P. camerariae sp. nov. and P. indicus sp. nov.(Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae) are described as new to science. These three species were reared from Acrocercops sp., Acrocercops phaeospora Meyrick, 1916 and Cameraria virgulata Meyrick, 1914 (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), respectively. Characteristics of these new species and their affinities with related taxa are discussed. Data on habitat, host records and host plant species for all the parasitoid species is provided. A key to the Indian species of the genus Pholetesor Mason, 1981 reared from lepidopteran leafminers is also given.
Die floristische Untersuchung epiphytischer Moose auf Stämmen der Baumfarne Cyathea arborea und Dicksonia sellowiana belegt eine große Artenvielfalt von Laub- und Lebermoosen. Von insgesamt 142 Arten wurden 20 in mehr als 10 % der Aufnahmen nachgewiesen; 77 Arten kamen nur 1 bis 3 mal vor. Es wurden fünf neue Assoziationen in zwei neuen Ordnungen beschrieben: Die Assoziationen der Ordnung Hymenodontetalia aeruginosae (Syrrhopodetum proliferi, Porotricho-Syrrhopodetum incompleti und Orthostichello-Syrrhopodetum parasitici) kommen fast ausschließlich auf Cyathea arborea vor. Sie bevorzugen luftfeuchte Habitate in Küstenregenwäldern, Nebelwäldern und in Feuchtwäldern landeinwärts der Küstengebirge. Das Campylopodetum extincti und das Campylopodetum occulti aus der neuen Ordnung Syrrhopodetetalia gaudichaudii bevorzugen Dicksonia sellowiana als Phorophyt. Daher trifft man diese Assoziationen hauptsächlich auf dem Planalto der südlichen Staaten Brasiliens an, wo Araukarienwald vorherrschend ist. In beiden Ordnungen sind die beherrschenden Wuchsformen Filze und Decken (meist Lebermoose). Die charakteristischen Elemente der Hymenodetetalia aeruginosae waren die Kurzrasen und vom Substrat abstehende Lebensformen (Bäumchen, Wedel, Schweif). Für die Ordnung Syrrhopodetetalia gaudichaudii sind dagegen die Kurzrasen-Polster-Mischform und Hochrasen typisch, die sich v.a. aus Camyplopus- und Syrrhopodon-Arten zusammensetzen.
This paper reports on the genus Cobbionema Filipjev, 1922 in Sweden with the description of four species and a revision of the genus. Cobbionema acrocerca Filipjev, 1922 is relatively small in size, with a tail that has a conical proximal and a digitate distal section. Cobbionema cylindrolaimoides Schuurmans Stekhoven, 1950 is similar to C. acrocerca in most characters except having a larger body size and heavily cuticularized mandibles. Cobbionema brevispicula sp. nov. is characterised by short spicules and a conoid tail. Cobbionema acuminata sp. nov. is characterised by a long two-part spicule, a conical tail and three (one mid dorsal and two ventrosublateral) sharply pointed tines in the anterior chamber of the stoma that are located more anterior than in all the other species. We also present a molecular phylogeny of the family based on the nearly full-length 18S and the D2-D3 expansion segment of the 28S rRNA genes. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian trees inferred from both genes strongly support a clade that included Cobbionema, Demonema Cobb, 1894 and Halichoanolaimus de Man, 1888 and another clade with Gammanema Cobb, 1920 and Latronema Wieser, 1954 nested together. None of the trees supported the monophyly of the subfamilies Choniolaiminae and Selachinematinae.
Matsucoccus krystalae Ahmed and Miller, new species, (Hemiptera:Coccomorpha: Matsucoccidae) is described based on morphological characters of adult females and third-instar males. We designate the lectotype of Matsucoccus alabamae Morrison. Matsucoccus alabamae Morrison and M. gallicolus Morrison are redescribed, also based on adult females and third-instar males. Detailed illustrations and descriptions are presented for each species and an identification key for the five species occurring in the eastern U.S. is provided. Analysis of 18S, 28S D2/D3, and 28S D10 loci were performed to support morphological determination. Barcodes using 5′ COI of M. alabamae and M. krystalae were generated, the first such data from authoritatively identified Matsucoccus species. Of particular interest is that most of the specimens in the study were taken in Lindgren funnel traps.
The Specialized Information Service Biodiversity Research (BIOfid) has been launched to mobilize valuable biological data from printed literature hidden in German libraries for over the past 250 years. In this project, we annotate German texts converted by OCR from historical scientific literature on the biodiversity of plants, birds, moths and butterflies. Our work enables the automatic extraction of biological information previously buried in the mass of papers and volumes. For this purpose, we generated training data for the tasks of Named Entity Recognition (NER) and Taxa Recognition (TR) in biological documents. We use this data to train a number of leading machine learning tools and create a gold standard for TR in biodiversity literature. More specifically, we perform a practical analysis of our newly generated BIOfid dataset through various downstream-task evaluations and establish a new state of the art for TR with 80.23% F-score. In this sense, our paper lays the foundations for future work in the field of information extraction in biology texts.
Die steigende Nachfrage nach großmaßstäblichen Standorts-und Bodeninformationen im Bereich der forstlichen Planungs- und Entscheidungsunterstützung umfasst auch die Grundwasserflurabstände. Diese gehen entweder direkt in statistische und prozessorientierte Modelle ein oder sind eine wichtige Grundlage für die digitale Standortsprognose. In dieser Untersuchung wurde für das niedersächsische Tiefland ein Disaggregierungsansatz entwickelt, mit dem der mittlere Grundwassertiefstand (MNGW) der flächendeckenden BÜK50 von Niedersachsen (1 : 50000) in die Grundwasserflurabstandseinstufung der Standortskartierung (1 : 25000) übersetzt werden kann, die nicht flächendeckend vorliegt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass durch die Disaggregierung eine Verbesserung der Ableitung von Grundwasserinformation für Waldstandorte aus der BÜK50 erreicht werden kann. Die Genauigkeit (AC) erhöhte sich von 0,64 auf 0,69 und der Kappa-Koeffizient von 0,34 auf 0,48. Trotzdem ist die Übereinstimmung zwischen modellierten und kartierten Einstufungen mit einem Kappa-Koeffizienten von 0,48 des Validierungsdatensatzes nur als „moderat“ zu bezeichnen.
Here, I describe four new species of the Neoserica vulpes species group: Neoserica daxue sp. nov., N. mianningana sp. nov., N. myanmarensis sp. nov., and N. yanyuan sp. nov. Genitalia and habitus of the new species are illustrated. Additional records of species from the group are given and the key to species of the Neoserica vulpes species group is updated.
Zur Unterscheidung von Dipsacus pilosus L. und Dipsacus strigosus WILLDENOW ex ROEMER et SCHULTES
(2007)
Dipsacus strigosus WILLDENOW ex ROEMER et SCHULTES 1818 ist nach WISSKIRCHEN & HAEUPLER (1998) in Deutschland ein zumindest regional fest eingebürgerter Neophyt. Allerdings ist die Sippe in der Vergangenheit immer wieder mit der indigenen Dipsacus pilosus L. 1753 verwechselt worden und aus diesem Grunde wohl als bestimmungskritisch anzusehen, obwohl die Verschlüsselung in ROTHMALER, Band 4, seit der 9. Auflage (2002) eine eindeutige Bestimmung ermöglicht. In die verbreiteten Bestimmungswerke wurde Dipsacus strigosus erst im letzten Jahrzehnt aufgenommen. Die Sippe ist in den neueren Auflagen von SCHMEIL (2000), OBERDORFER (2001) und ROTHMALER (2002) verschlüsselt und in HAEUPLER & MUER (2000) abgebildet, fehlt aber noch in ROTHMALER, BAND 2 (1996).
Field and herbarium studies of the lichen family Cladoniaceae in the states of Paraíba, Pernambuco and Sergipe, Northeast Brazil, yielded 22 species, many of them being new reports for the region. The phenolic compounds identified in each species are reported. Cladonia clathrata Ahti & Xavier Filho, Cladonia polita Ahti, Cladonia polyscypha Ahti & Xavier Filho, and Cladonia rugicaulis Ahti are described as new. C. clathrata, C. rhodoleuca Vainio, C. rugicaulis, C. salzmannii Nyl., and C. subminiata Stenroos appear to represent an element confined to northeastern Brazil.
The Cladonematidae are a family of hydrozoans with a worldwide distribution and morphological adaptations for a benthic mode of life. Species of this family are characterized by high morphological variability, which has caused many taxonomical debates, mainly for the species of the genera Eleutheria Quatrefages, 1842 and Staurocladia Hartlaub, 1917. Herein, we describe Staurocladia dzilamensis sp. nov., a new species of crawling hydromedusa from the southern Gulf of Mexico. This finding also constitutes the first record of the genus Staurocladia for the Gulf of Mexico. The presence of additional nematocyst clusters, supplementing the apical one on the upper branch of the tentacles, places it within Staurocladia. The presence of exumbrellar buds, a conspicuous marginal ring of nematocysts, 6–11 bifid tentacles with lower branches longer than their upper counterpart, the cnidome with stenoteles of two size classes, and two nematocyst clusters on the upper branch supplementing the apical one, opposite placed alternately on its aboral and oral sides permits to differentiate S. dzilamensis from its congeners. A taxonomic key for the species of Staurocladia is provided.
This paper treats the planthopper genus, Atracis Stål, 1866 (Flatidae: Flatoidinae) in China. Five new species, A. ocularia sp. nov., A. patefacta sp. nov., A. punctulata sp. nov., A. sphaerica sp. nov. and A. ungulata sp. nov., are described and a checklist of all its known species from China is provided.
The variability of the reticulum pattern, ornamentation and outline of the Urocythereis populations of the La Strea Bay is analysed. The results show that the shell features of the form U. distinguenda (Neviani, 1928) (= U. oblonga Brady, 1866) have to be included within the high variability range of U. margaritifera (G.W. Müller, 1894). Consequently, it is suggested that in the upper infralittoral waters of the inlet two (and not three, as stated in previous investigations) species of the genus Urocythereis presently live. A second form, displaying a relatively low variability, is described as a new species, U. ilariae sp. nov.
With the change to one scientific name for pleomorphic fungi, generic names typified by sexual and asexual morphs have been evaluated to recommend which name to use when two names represent the same genus and thus compete for use. In this paper, generic names in Pucciniomycotina and Ustilaginomycotina are evaluated based on their type species to determine which names are synonyms. Twenty-one sets of sexually and asexually typified names in Pucciniomycotina and eight sets in Ustilaginomycotina were determined to be congeneric and compete for use. Recommendations are made as to which generic name to use. In most cases the principle of priority is followed. However, eight generic names in the Pucciniomycotina, and none in Ustilaginomycotina, are recommended for protection: Classicula over Naiadella, Gymnosporangium over Roestelia, Helicobasidium over Thanatophytum and Tuberculina, Melampsorella over Peridermium, Milesina over Milesia, Phragmidium over Aregma, Sporobolomyces over Blastoderma and Rhodomyces, and Uromyces over Uredo. In addition, eight new combinations are made: Blastospora juruensis, B. subneurophyla, Cronartium bethelii, C. kurilense, C. sahoanum, C. yamabense, Milesina polypodii, and Prospodium crusculum combs. nov.
The ant genus Vollenhovia Mayr, 1865 (Myrmicinae, Crematogastrini) mostly occurs in the Australasian and Oriental regions. We revised its diversity in India and Sri Lanka based on qualitative and quantitative morphology, recognizing eleven taxa, including a new species which is described herewith: V. escherichi Forel, 1911, V. gastropunctata Bharti & Kumar, 2013, V. karimalaensis Dhadwal et al., 2023, V. keralensis Kripakaran & Sadasivan, 2022, V. mawrapensis Dhadwal et al., 2023, V. oblonga laevithorax Emery, 1889, V. penetrans (Smith, 1857), V. pfeifferi Bharti et al., 2023, V. taylori Rilta et al., 2023, V. terayamai Rilta et al., 2023, and V. yasmeenae sp. nov. The subspecies status of V. oblonga laevithorax and its relationship with V. penetrans, whose type series does not contain workers, still requires to be assessed in the context of a broader revision including the whole Oriental region. The known distribution of the genus in the Indian subcontinent appears to be fragmentary, still requiring extensive sampling efforts. Four species are from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in the southern Indian state of Kerala, one is endemic to the biogeographically related Sri Lanka, three are known from Eastern India near the border with Bangladesh, two are reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and one is restricted to the Himachal Pradesh in northern India. A comprehensive key of the known Vollenhovia species from India and Sri Lanka is provided.