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The new genus Phasmomantella gen. nov. is created to accommodate the new species P. nuichuana gen. et sp. nov. described from five adult females from Núi Chúa National Park in southern Central Vietnam. A second species, Phasmomantella pallida (Roy, 2001) gen. et comb. nov., is transferred from Euchomenella where it was originally described based on a single male specimen from the Nha Trang region in the Khánh Hòa Province. Phasmomantella gen. nov. is placed in the tribe Euchomenellini of the subfamily Deroplatyinae. A comprehensive diagnosis and detailed descriptions are presented along with high-resolution photographs, measurements and a distribution map. The standardised measurements are illustrated and a new key is proposed for the tribe Euchomenellini. The unique biogeography and habitats of the collection site within Núi Chúa National Park are discussed in the light of possible endemism and importance for nature conservation.
Four new species of Xiphocentron (Antillotrichia) Brauer, 1870 from the Atlantic forest are diagnosed, described and illustrated. All of them have a small mesal sclerite and a set of spines, differing in size, density and position, on the inner face of the inferior appendage. Moreover, tergum IX varies mostly in the shape of the posterior margin. Four species are described as new for science. Xiphocentron (Antillotrichia) copacabana sp. nov. is distinguished mainly by the projected basoventral margin of the inferior appendage, the spines are clustered in two regions and the quadrate posterior region of tergum IX. Xiphocentron (Antillotrichia) maracanan sp. nov is differentiated by the inferior appendage, with a strongly angled apical region of 90º. Xiphocentron (Antillotrichia) redentor sp. nov. differs by the inferior appendage, with a linear row of thick spines, and the tergum IX, with a posterior margin forming smoothly rounded lobes. Xiphocentron (Antillotrichia) tijuca sp. nov. is diagnosed by the subbasal region of the preanal appendage, which is markedly projected medially, and by the inferior appendage, which is thin subapically, enlarged apically and strongly bent dorsad.
Cestodes (Platyhelminthes) from Australian birds from the South Australian Museum collections were studied with a focus on common endemic terrestrial hosts. Despite the variable state of preservation of the examined worms, we could identify several new taxa, including Sobolevitaenia whittingtoni sp. nov. and Spiniglans beveridgei sp. nov. (Dilepididae) in Corvus mellori Mathews, 1912 (Corvidae); Notopentorchis musealis sp. nov. (Paruterinidae) in Hirundapus caudacutus (Latham, 1801) (Apodidae); Monopylidium australiense sp. nov. (Dilepididae) in Menura novaehollandiae Latham, 1801 (Menuridae); Dictymetra gerganae sp. nov. (Dilepididae) in Podargus strigoides (Latham, 1802) (Podargidae); Dictymetra longiuncinata sp. nov. in Esacus magnirostris (Vieillot, 1818) (Burhinidae) and Cracticotaenia adelaidae sp. nov. (Metadilepididae) in Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1801) (Artamidae) and Corcorax melanorhamphos (Vieillot, 1817) (Corcoracidae). Several other presumably new taxa that cannot be fully described are also reported. This diversity found in common hosts suggests the presence of a rich, and presently almost completely unknown, fauna of cestode parasites in Australian birds. As field collection permits allowing to explore this fauna are extremely difficult to obtain, this is a demonstration of the usefulness of museum collections to describe at least part of it.
It appeared necessary to undertake a redescription of Laophontodes typicus T. Scott, 1894, but with the absence of the type specimen, several additional individuals collected from a number of regions were studied. The specimens chosen were from the western coast of Sussex and the Scottish Firth of Forth (UK), the Skjerstad fjord (Norway), the Patagonian continental slope (Chile) and the Great Meteor Seamount (subtropical north-eastern Atlantic Ocean). All specimens examined had been previously determined as L. typicus and deposited in the collections of renowned research institutions.
However, detailed morphological comparison revealed that only the Sussex material can be assigned to L. typicus; the remaining specimens represent distinct species whose original assignment to L. typicus was erroneous, due to a morphological ambiguity. Thus, the current status of L. typicus must be regarded as a species complex. The Sussex material enabled a detailed redescription of L. typicus. Additionally, five new species are described, namely L. scottorum sp. nov., L. sarsi sp. nov., L. gertraudae sp. nov., L. monsmaris sp. nov. and L. norvegicus sp. nov. They exhibit some morphological similarity, but equally present discrete characters justifying their establishment as distinct taxa. The descriptions are
accompanied by a detailed discussion that explains the justification of the splitting of L. typicus.
Representatives of the subgenus Helochares (s. str.) Mulsant, 1844 of China are revised. One new species, H. (s. str.) songi sp. nov., is described from Guangxi, China. All species known from China are redescribed. A diagnosis and a differential diagnosis are provided for each species. Helochares
fuliginosus d’Orchymont, 1932 is recorded for the first time from China and Cambodia. Additional distribution records of H. atropiceus Régimbart, 1903 and H. pallens (MacLeay, 1825) are provided from China. The habitus and aedeagus of all species are illustrated, and a key for the identification of Chinese species of the subgenus is provided.
In this article, the subgenus Canthon (Goniocanthon) Pereira & Martínez, 1956 is diagnosed within the tribe Deltochilini Lacordaire, 1856 and redefined with three species: 1) C. (Goniocanthon) bicolor Castelnau, 1840, from the Guyanas and northern South America, included for the first time in this subgenus; 2) C. (G.) smaragdulus (Fabricius, 1781), including two subspecies, C. (G.) smaragdulus smaragdulus, senior synonym of Canthon speculifer Castelnau, 1840 (neotype here designated), from the southern portion of the Atlantic Forest and C. (G.) smaragdulus subviridis Schmidt stat. rev. (lectotype here designated) from the northern portion of the Atlantic Forest; 3) C. (G.) fulgidus Redtenbacher, 1868, which includes three subspecies, C. (G.) fulgidus fulgidus from the southern Amazon (lectotype here designated), C. (G.) fulgidus martinezi subsp. nov., from the central and southern Amazon and C. (G.) fulgidus pereirai subsp. nov., from the western Amazon.
We present records of 99 Odonata species from the Réserve Naturelle des Gorilles de Lésio-Louna (RNGLL) in the Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) collected during a short survey from 14 January to 01 February 2017. It is the first systematic Odonata inventory for the RNGLL and for the Congolese part of the species-rich Batéké Plateau. A short introduction is given about the existing knowledge of dragonflies and damselflies from the country. Amongst the recorded species eight are new for the country list, raising it to at least 208 species. Some of the recorded species are endemic and characteristic for sandy streams and rivers of the Batéké Plateau. The potential diversity of the plateau in comparison to other regions of the country is discussed.
A total of 20 Odonata species were recorded from 15 water bodies (3 natural water bodies and 12 manmade reservoirs) in a desert landscape west of the Namak Lake in the northwest of the Central Plateau of Iran, from 27 May to 20 June, 2017. The study area included Qom province and the northern part of Esfahan province (34.07 to 35.14 N, 51.33 to 50.89 E). For Qom province, 17 out of 18 species found are new provincial records. In addition Selysiothemis nigra, Orthetrum chrysostigma and Orthetrum taeniolatum are new findings for Esfahan province. The species around the manmade reservoirs are characterized by a broad ecological amplitude ("generalists") while species assemblages of natural water bodies consisted of more sensitive species. In the arid climate of central part of Iran, manmade reservoirs are major habitats for Odonata species. Although these reservoirs have increased the amount of habitat for generalist species, they do not foster sensitive and specialist species. Furthermore, considering the more intense droughts predicted for these areas in the future, and the current scenario of environmental degradation, some sensitive species may be in danger of local extinction.
A record of male and female specimens of Sinolestes editus Needham, 1930 collected in Dak Hro village (14°19'45'' N, 108°24'23'' E, alt. 1,420m a.s.l.), Dak Roong Commune, K’Bang District, Gia Lai Province, Central Highlands of Vietnam is present with a detailed description of the morphology of these two specimens.
More Odonata found at the Cardamonean foothills in Koh Kong Province of Cambodia in 2014-2018
(2018)
Still unpublished data on Odonata of the coastal foothills of the Cardamom Mts. in Koh Kong Province, SW Cambodia obtained in 2014-2018 are provided. Tetrathemis flavescens Kirby, 1889 is for the first time reported for Cambodia and Risiophlebia guentheri Kosterin, 2015 for SW Cambodia. The photographic records from this area of Gynacantha basiguttata Selys, 1882, Gynacantha demeter Ris, 1911, Heliaeschna crassa Krüger, 1899, Amphithemis curvistyla Selys, 1891 and Pornothemis serrata Krüger, 1902 have been confirmed by specimens. The known local faunas of two neighbouring rivulets in Koh Kong Province, rich in Odonata, are updated and summarised.
Records of Odonata from Gunung Melatai, Nanga Gaat and the Kastima Logging area, all in Sarawak’s Kapit Division, are presented. The most notable records are of Matronoides cyaneipennis Förster, 1897 and Heliogomphus blandulus Lieftinck, 1929. A distribution map for Matronoides cyaneipennis and updated distribution maps for three species from the Coeliccia borneensisgroup are given. Tentative identifications to species of previously published records of Idionyx females are given. The genus Heliogomphus in Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore is reviewed and a simple one marker molecular analysis is presented for the genus in this region. Based on reexamination of specimens from the genus and the molecular results, an additional member of the genus is reported from Borneo: H. sp. cf olivaceus Lieftinck, 1961. Although both morphological and molecular results remain incomplete, it does appear likely that there is at least one more species of Heliogomphus present in Borneo than has been recognised until now, and that H. borneensis Lieftinck, 1964 may be a junior synonym of H. kelantanensis (Laidlaw, 1902).
Macromidia genialis buusraaensis subspecies nova (Odonata, Synthemisidae s.l.) from eastern Cambodia
(2018)
Macromidia genialis buusraaensis subspecies nova is described from 10 males and 2 females from three localities of Mondulkiri Province, the eastern Cambodia (the type locality: a brook downstream Buu Sraa Waterfall 12°34' N 107°25' E). The new subspecies is close to M. g. shanensis Fraser, 1927 and differs from it by an additional, and the broadest, yellow spot on S7. It is partly syntopic with Macromidia rapida Martin, 1907. A brief overview of the current knowledge of the genus Macromidia Martin, 1907 is provided.
Results of a brief examination of the spring aspect of Odonata at the Abrau Peninsula and some nearby localities on 2127th May 2018 are presented. Lestes dryas and Caliaeschna microstigma are reported for the Peninsula for the first time, revealing the world northernmost record of the latter. Some old data of Odonata at Novorossiysk and some recent erroneous data on the Krasnodarskiy Kray are referenced and discussed. The known Odonata fauna of the Abrau Peninsula reaches 38 species.
The Odonata found during work on the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Tropical Agriculture (BEFTA) Project in Riau Province, Sumatra, Indonesia are reported. Prior to the BEFTA project we are only aware of published records of 37 species of Odonata from Riau Province (these are listed in an appendix). Seventy five species have been recorded during the BEFTA project, including five that have not (Archibasis incisura, Archibasis rebeccae and Pseudagrion williamsoni), or not definitely (Argiocnemis species and Mortonagrion species cf aborense), been recorded in Sumatra before. Macromia dione is recorded for the first time since its description. The number of species now known from Riau Province is 88; 51 of these are reported from the province for the first time here.
We present an annotated list of 28 Odonata species (19 Anisoptera, 9 Zygoptera) from Timor Island based on 464 records via photographs and 56 specimens held in collections at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Australia and the Museum Wiesbaden, Germany. Additionally 43 records of eight species (7 Anisoptera, 1 Zygoptera) from Rote Island and one record from Romang were reported. Most Timorese records are from Oecusse Special Administrative Region/Timor-Leste, a region which to date was "terra incognita". Further records from Timor-Leste are predominantly from Lautem Municipality and Baucau Municipality as well as from the Indonesian Kupang Regency. Four species are new records for Timor Island increasing the checklist to 40 species: Brachythemis contaminata (Fabricius, 1793), Tholymis tillarga (Fabricius, 1798), Gynacantha sp. cf. dobsoni Fraser, 1951and Ischnura aurora (Brauer, 1865). We provide the first photographs of live Nososticta impercepta Seehausen & Theischinger, 2017 as well as some descriptions of habitats in Oecusse. At Rote Island five species were reported for the first time as well: Brachythemis contaminata, Crocothemis servilia (Drury, 1773), Rhyothemis phyllis (Sulzer, 1776), Macrodiplax cora (Brauer, 1867) and Potamarcha congener (Rambur, 1842). The record of Orthetrum testaceum (Burmeister, 1839) from Romang Island appears to be the first Odonata documented from this island. The status of Rhyothemis phyllis is discussed with regard to the ssp. ixias Lieftinck, 1953 from the islands of Sumba and Flores. We provide distribution maps of each species as well as suggestions for targeted field research in the future. All historical records of Nososticta selysii (Förster, 1896) from Timor are now assigned to Nososticta impercepta.
Divergent selection between ecologically dissimilar habitats promotes local adaptation, which can lead to reproductive isolation (RI). Populations in the Poecilia mexicana species complex have independently adapted to toxic hydrogen sulfide and show varying degrees of RI. Here, we examined the variation in the mate choice component of prezygotic RI. Mate choice tests across drainages (with stimulus males from another drainage) suggest that specific features of the males coupled with a general female preference for yellow color patterns explain the observed variation. Analyses of male body coloration identified the intensity of yellow fin coloration as a strong candidate to explain this pattern, and common-garden rearing suggested heritable population differences. Male sexual ornamentation apparently evolved differently across sulfide-adapted populations, for example because of differences in natural counterselection via predation. The ubiquitous preference for yellow color ornaments in poeciliid females likely undermines the emergence of strong RI, as female discrimination in favor of own males becomes weaker when yellow fin coloration in the respective sulfide ecotype increases. Our study illustrates the complexity of the (partly non-parallel) pathways to divergence among replicated ecological gradients. We suggest that future work should identify the genomic loci involved in the pattern reported here, making use of the increasing genomic and transcriptomic datasets available for our study system.
As adapter molecules to convert the nucleic acid information into the amino acid sequence, tRNAs play a central role in protein synthesis. To fulfill this function in a reliable way, tRNAs exhibit highly conserved structural features common in all organisms and in all cellular compartments active in translation. However, in mitochondria of metazoans, certain dramatic deviations from the consensus tRNA structure are described, where some tRNAs lack the D- or T-arm without losing their function. In Enoplea, this miniaturization comes to an extreme, and functional mitochondrial tRNAs can lack both arms, leading to a considerable size reduction. Here, we investigate the secondary and tertiary structure of two such armless tRNAs from Romanomermis culicivorax. Despite their high AU content, the transcripts fold into a single and surprisingly stable hairpin structure, deviating from standard tRNAs. The three-dimensional form is boomerang-like and diverges from the standard L-shape. These results indicate that such unconventional miniaturized tRNAs can still fold into a tRNA-like shape, although their length and secondary structure are very unusual. They highlight the remarkable flexibility of the protein synthesis apparatus and suggest that the translational machinery of Enoplea mitochondria may show compensatory adaptations to accommodate these armless tRNAs for efficient translation.
The gecko genus Phyllopezus is distributed mainly along South America’s "Dry Diagonal" (Caatinga, Cerrado, and Chaco). The genus has been the subject of recent taxonomic analyses and includes four described species and seven candidate species referred to here as Phyllopezus pollicaris sensu lato. In Paraguay, Phyllopezus is known from the Chaco and Cerrado where it is abundant, and also from a small isolated population from a rocky hill formation named "Cordillera de Los Altos" (Los Altos mountain range). Here we analyzed genetic samples from across its range, including new samples from Paraguay, using DNA barcoding analysis of the mitochondrial 16S gene and phylogenetic analyses using both Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood methods. We found genetic and morphological differences among geckos from the Los Altos mountain range and the remaining Phyllopezus populations. Using both molecular and morphological evidence we describe a new Phyllopezus species, sister to P. przewalskii. Genetic differentiation among described and putative Phyllopezus species is greater than their morphological differences, which likely accounts for these cryptic taxa remaining undescribed for so long.
The kinorhynch species Echinoderes levanderi Karling, 1954 is redescribed. The species can now be recognized by the presence of spines in middorsal positions on segments 4–8, and in lateroventral positions on segments 6–9, with lateroventral spines on segment 9 showing sexual dimorphism; tubes in subdorsal and ventrolateral positions on segment 2, in sublateral positions on segments 4 and 8, in lateroventral positions on segment 5, and in laterodorsal positions on segment 10. Furthermore, the enlarged sieve plates on segment 9 make the species highly characteristic. New records of the species extend its distributional range into the Bothnian Bay where the bottom water salinity drops below 5 ppt, which is the lowest salinity recorded for a habitat with kinorhynchs.
The South American genus Phantasca Redtenbacher, 1906 (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae: Diapheromaerinae) is re-diagnosed and revised at the species level. The precedingly unknown eggs are described for the first time. The genus Pterolibethra Günther, 1940 (type species: P. heteronemia Günther, 1940) is re-synonymised, with Phantasca (syn. nov.) and consequently the two species originally contained, P. heteronemia Günther, 1940 and P. poeciloptera Günther, 1940, are transferred to Phantasca (comb. rev.). P. laeta Conle, Hennemann & Gutierréz, 2011 is not congeneric and is transferred to the genus Jeremiodes Hennemann & Conle, 2007 (Cladomorphinae: Cladomorphini; comb. nov.). Two species are removed from Bacteria Berthold, 1827 and transferred to Phantasca; these are B. quadrilobata Chopard, 1911 and B. montana Redtenbacher, 1906 (comb. nov.). Six new species are described: P. adiposa sp. nov., P. amabile sp. nov., P. femorata sp. nov., P. guianensis sp. nov., P. nigrolineata sp. nov. and P. ruboligata sp. nov. The male and egg of P. quadrilobata (Chopard, 1911) are described and illustrated for the first time. The genus now contains 13 species that are distributed throughout the northern half of South America. A key as well as detailed descriptions and illustrations are presented for all known species.
Taxonomic revision of Brasiloniscus (Oniscidea, Pudeoniscidae) with description of a new species
(2018)
The Neotropical genus Brasiloniscus, erected by Lemos de Castro (1973), is revised and validated herein. The genus was originally described including two species, B. maculatus and B. verrucosus, but no type species was designated. According to § 13 of ICZN (1999) the name of the genus is therefore unavailable. Both species are redescribed, and B. maculatus is designated as the type species of the genus. The genus name will thus be available for the systematics of Oniscidea. In addition, a new species, B. littoralis gen. et sp. nov., is described based on material from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest from the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Climatic variables have been the main predictors employed in ecological niche modeling and species distribution modeling, although biotic interactions are known to affect species’ spatial distributions via mechanisms such as predation, competition, and mutualism. Biotic interactions can affect species’ responses to abiotic environmental changes differently along environmental gradients, and abiotic environmental changes can likewise influence the nature of biotic interactions. Understanding whether and how to integrate variables at different scales in ecological niche models is essential to better estimate spatial distributions of species on macroecological scales and their responses to change. We report the leaf beetle Eurypedus nigrosignatus as an alien species in the Dominican Republic and investigate whether biotic factors played a meaningful role in the distributional expansion of the species into the Caribbean. We evaluate ecological niche models built with an additive gradient of unlinked biotic predictors—host plants, using likelihood-based model evaluation criteria (Akaike information criterion and Bayesian information criterion) within a range of regularization multiplier parameter values. Our results support the argument that ecological niche models should be more inclusive, as selected biotic predictors can improve the performance of models, despite the increased model complexity, and show that biotic interactions matter at macroecological scales. Moreover, we provide an alternative approach to select optimal combination of relevant variables, to improve estimation of potential invasive areas using global minimum model likelihood scores.
All giraffe (Giraffa) were previously assigned to a single species (G. camelopardalis) and nine subspecies. However, multi‐locus analyses of all subspecies have shown that there are four genetically distinct clades and suggest four giraffe species. This conclusion might not be fully accepted due to limited data and lack of explicit gene flow analyses. Here, we present an extended study based on 21 independent nuclear loci from 137 individuals. Explicit gene flow analyses identify less than one migrant per generation, including between the closely related northern and reticulated giraffe. Thus, gene flow analyses and population genetics of the extended dataset confirm four genetically distinct giraffe clades and support four independent giraffe species. The new findings support a revision of the IUCN classification of giraffe taxonomy. Three of the four species are threatened with extinction, and mostly occurring in politically unstable regions, and as such, require the highest conservation support possible.
Don't poke the bear : using tracking data to quantify behavioural syndromes in elusive wildlife
(2018)
Animal personality traits and the emergence of behavioural syndromes, i.e. between-individual correlation of behaviours, are commonly quantified from behavioural observations in controlled environments. Subjecting large and elusive wildlife to controlled test situations is, however, rarely possible, suggesting that ecologists should exploit alternative measures of behaviours for quantifying differences between individuals. Our goal was to test whether movement and space use data can be used to quantify behavioural syndromes in the wild. We quantified six behaviours from GPS and dual motion sensor tracking devices of 46 adult female brown bears followed in southcentral Sweden over the summer and early autumn. As well as daily travel distance, an indicator for activity, and daily displacement, an indicator for exploration, we quantified four behaviours that increase a bear's likelihood of encountering humans and could thus serve as indicators for boldness: diurnality, selection for roads and selection for two open habitat types, bogs and clearcuts, with low lateral cover. We tested (1) whether behaviours showed repeatable between-individual variation (animal personality) and (2) whether behaviours were correlated between individuals and thus formed a behavioural syndrome. Repeatability of behaviours ranged from 0.16 to 0.61 confirming between-individual variation in movement, activity and space use. A multivariate mixed model revealed significant positive correlations between travel distance, displacement and diurnality, suggesting the existence of an activity–exploration and potentially partial boldness syndrome in our bear population. Selection for exposed or human-frequented habitats were uncorrelated with the activity–exploration syndrome and with each other, albeit there was a trend for stronger road avoidance by bears that readily used clearcuts. We show that large tracking data sets can be used to quantify between-individual correlation in spatial behaviours. We suggest that delineating behavioural types from wildlife tracking data will be of increasing interest because of the importance of animal personality for ecological processes, wildlife conservation and human–wildlife coexistence.
On track
(2018)
In the second issue of the seventh volume of this journal it almost seems that our prayers expounded in the previous editorial were heard. Fourteen students and researchers from Germany came to explore six of the Cabo Verde Islands and found 18 new records of terrestrial species compared to those listed by Arechavaleta et al. (2005). These new records include the first observations of several species for some of these islands and further new observations for Cabo Verde. We refer to the first article entitled ‘Additions to the checklist of terrestrial biodiversity of Cabo Verde’. We hope this will motivate other research groups to bring more students to this archipelago on field trips.
Cabo Verde is a unique biogeographical region, where by mixing temperate and tropical characteristics an unusually high number of endemic species are reported. Cephalopods are central pieces of trophic networks worldwide, interacting as predator/ prey and competing with fish for ecological niches. We aimed to assess how the topography, prey availability, and predatory pressure of the Desertas Islands shaped the behaviour and ecology of the existing Octopus vulgaris population. Visual census (both underwater and on tidal rock pools) were performed on Santa Luzia Island (20 days) and Raso Islet (eight days). Octopus vulgaris individuals were found only in intertidal areas, during low tide, and mean population morphometry averaged 35.6 ± 10.4 cm (total length) and 175.0 ± 53 g (wet weight). The markedly reduced size of O. vulgaris, only partly explainable by Bergmann’s rule, and exclusion from subtidal areas, appears to have been mainly driven by severe predatory pressure and strong inter-specific competition for limited habitat niches. The induced behavioural and morphometric alterations may be the product of developmental plasticity, or have arisen from deeper genetic alterations, which would portray a potential speciation phenomenon of octopus’ populations residing on Cabo Verde’s Desertas Islands.
Pinna rudis Linnaeus, 1758 (Bivalvia: Pinnidae) has an Atlantic-Mediterranean distribution. Habitat degradation is considered the main cause of population declines in the recent past, raising the conservation status of the species to the category of vulnerable in some places. Population dynamics studies of P. rudis are still necessary to fully understand its conservation requirements. Moreover, new methods of individual data collection should be developed as individuals are highly sensitive to extraction and manipulation. In the present study, we propose a non-invasive method to collect P. rudis morphometric data in situ. For this, we sampled 900 m2 of the sea bed at Matiota Beach on São Vicente Island, Cabo Verde Archipelago, and collected 18 individuals to compute the relationship between shell length and width. The regression equation between the parameters allowed us to estimate the total size of 59 P. rudis individuals obtained from the beach. The non-invasive method adopted allowed determination of the total size of the individuals without removing them from the substratum and, thereby, allowing the comparative study of the species in different zones.
Based on six weeks spent in the field on six Cabo Verdean Islands in September/ October 2016 and 2017, we present 18 additions to the checklist of terrestrial biodiversity of the archipelago (ten arthropods, one bird, two fungi, and five flowering plants). Four of them are first records for Cabo Verde, the others for particular islands. Most interesting are the apple of Sodom fruit fly Dacus longistylus, perhaps actively introduced for biocontrol of the toxic apple of Sodom tree and the additions to the distribution of several bee species of the genera Amegilla, Megachile, and Xylocopa. Our observations indicate that the biodiversity of Cabo Verde is still incompletely known and more fieldwork is needed.
The West African region possesses one of the largest knowledge gaps in the distribution and taxonomy of all species, especially inconspicuous ones. This work presents one of the few bat studies ever carried out in the Cabo Verde Islands. Knowledge on the distribution of the seven species recorded in this remote archipelago is still very scarce and with very low resolution (many at island level), so new records are expectable and invaluable for the establishment of conservation policies. A review on the scattered and digitally unavailable (due to the old date of publication) knowledge of the Cabo Verde bat fauna with the first bat records for two islands and new occurrence data for two species on three islands is presented. It is expected that this work can constitute a reference for future bat works in the region, while providing acoustic data that can easily be updated upon future taxonomic revisions.
Untapped potential
(2018)
This first number of the seventh volume of Zoologia Caboverdiana is focussed on two groups of organisms that remain largely understudied in Cabo Verde. We are namely referring to mammals, both terrestrial and aquatic, and to terrestrial invertebrates. Two original articles and a short note, by authors from five different nationalities, including Cabo-Verdean, consolidate the vitality of this peer-reviewed journal.
Of the circa 25 species of butterfly species occurring in the Cabo Verde Archipelago, only one species is endemic: Chilades evorae (Lycaenidae). The species was reared by the authors and colour photographs of the early stages of this species are presented for the first time. The host-plants on the islands of Santo Antão, São Vicente, and Santa Luzia are illustrated with photographs. The butterfly is reported from Raso for the first time, together with a potential host-plant. A tachinid fly species Cadurciella sp. parasitising C. evorae is also reported.
Gervais’ beaked whale Mesoplodon europaeus (Gervais, 1855) is restricted to the Atlantic Ocean. Although most records are from the North Atlantic, it is probably continuously distributed in deep warm waters around the equator (Mead 1989, Norman & Mead 2001). Its occurrence in West Africa is poorly known, as records are rare. It is classified as Data Deficient (Taylor et al. 2008).
The deer ked (Lipoptena cervi) is distributed in Europe, North America, and Siberia and mainly infests cervids as roe deer, fallow deer, and moose. From a one health perspective, deer keds occasionally bite other animals or humans and are a potential vector for Bartonella schoenbuchensis. This bacterium belongs to a lineage of ruminant-associated Bartonella spp. and is suspected to cause dermatitis and febrile diseases in humans. In this study, we analyzed the microbiome from 130 deer keds collected from roe deer, fallow deer and humans in the federal states of Hesse, Baden-Wuerttemberg, and Brandenburg, Germany. Endosymbiontic Arsenophonus spp. and Bartonella spp. represented the biggest portion (~90%) of the microbiome. Most Bartonella spp. (n = 93) were confirmed to represent B. schoenbuchensis. In deer keds collected from humans, no Bartonella spp. were detected. Furthermore, Acinetobacter spp. were present in four samples, one of those was confirmed to represent A. baumannii. These data suggest that deer keds harbor only a very narrow spectrum of bacteria which are potentially pathogenic for animals of humans.
Effects of seasonal or daily temperature variation on fitness and physiology of ectothermic organisms and their ways to cope with such variations have been widely studied. However, the way multivoltines organisms cope with temperature variations from one generation to the next is still not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the multivoltine midge Chironomus riparius Meigen (1803) responds mainly via acclimation as predicted by current theories or whether rapid genetic adaptation is involved. To investigate this issue, a common garden approach has been applied. A mix of larvae from five European populations was raised in the laboratory at three different pre‐exposure temperatures (PET): 14, 20, and 26°C. After three and five generations, respectively, larvae were exposed to three treatment temperatures (TT): 14, 20, and 26°C. Mortality was monitored for the first 48 hr and after emergence. After three generations, significant mortality rate differences depended on an interaction of PET and TT. This finding supports the hypothesis that chironomids respond rapidly to climatic variation via adaptive mechanisms and to a lesser extent via phenotypic plasticity. The result of the experiment indicates that three generations were sufficient to adapt to warm temperature, decreasing the mortality rate, highlighting the potential for chironomids to rapidly respond to seasonally changing conditions.
Blow flies are worldwide the most important insects from a forensic point of view. In Thailand, aside from the two most common species, Chrysomya megacephala (F.) and Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart), Chrysomya chani Kurahashi was also found to be of forensic importance. We present a case of a human female cadaver in its bloated stage of decomposition, discovered at Pachangnoi Subdistrict, northern Thailand. Entomological sampling during the autopsy displayed an assemblage of numerous dipteran larvae. Macroscopic observations showed the coexistence of third instar larvae of the three blow flies C. megacephala, Chrysomya villeneuvi Patton, an unknown blow fly species and one muscid, Hydrotaea sp. The minimum post-mortem interval was estimated to be six days, based on the developmental rate of C. megacephala. The ID of the unknown larva, which is the focus of this report, was revealed later as C. chani by DNA sequencing, using a 1205 bp of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). The occurrence of C. chani on a human body revealed the need to analyse and describe the morphology of its immature stage, to enable forensic entomologists to identify this fly species in future cases. The morphological examination of the third instar was performed, revealing peculiar characteristics: protuberant tubercles encircling abdominal segments; 9–11 lobes on the anterior spiracle; six prominent pairs of tubercles along the peripheral rim of the eighth abdominal segment; a heavily sclerotized complete peritreme of the posterior spiracles. A key to differentiate the third instar of blow flies of forensic importance in Thailand is provided.
Four species of true crocodile (genus Crocodylus) have been described from the Americas. Three of these crocodile species exhibit non-overlapping distributions—Crocodylus intermedius in South America, C. moreletii along the Caribbean coast of Mesoamerica, and C. rhombifer confined to Cuba. The fourth, C. acutus, is narrowly sympatric with each of the other three species. In this study, we sampled 113 crocodiles across Crocodylus populations in Cuba, as well as exemplar populations in Belize and Florida (USA), and sequenced three regions of the mitochondrial genome (D-loop, cytochrome b, cytochrome oxidase I; 3,626 base pair long dataset) that overlapped with published data previously collected from Colombia, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands. Phylogenetic analyses of these data revealed two, paraphyletic lineages of C. acutus. One lineage, found in the continental Americas, is the sister taxon to C. intermedius, while the Greater Antillean lineage is most closely related to C. rhombifer. In addition to the paraphyly of the two C. acutus lineages, we recovered a 5.4% estimate of Tamura-Nei genetic divergence between the Antillean and continental clades. The reconstructed paraphyly, distinct phylogenetic affinities and high genetic divergence between Antillean and continental C. acutus populations are consistent with interspecific differentiation within the genus and suggest that the current taxon recognized as C. acutus is more likely a complex of cryptic species warranting a reassessment of current taxonomy. Moreover, the inclusion, for the first time, of samples from the western population of the American crocodile in Cuba revealed evidence for continental mtDNA haplotypes in the Antilles, suggesting this area may constitute a transition zone between distinct lineages of C. acutus. Further study using nuclear character data is warranted to more fully characterize this cryptic diversity, resolve taxonomic uncertainty, and inform conservation planning in this system.
GTP cyclohydrolase (GCH1) governs de novo synthesis of the enzyme cofactor, tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), which is essential for biogenic amine production, bioactive lipid metabolism and redox coupling of nitric oxide synthases. Overproduction of BH4 via upregulation of GCH1 in sensory neurons is associated with nociceptive hypersensitivity in rodents, and neuron‐specific GCH1 deletion normalizes nociception. The translational relevance is revealed by protective polymorphisms of GCH1 in humans, which are associated with a reduced chronic pain. Because myeloid cells constitute a major non‐neuronal source of BH4 that may contribute to BH4‐dependent phenotypes, we studied here the contribution of myeloid‐derived BH4 to pain and itch in lysozyme M Cre‐mediated GCH1 knockout (LysM‐GCH1−/−) and overexpressing mice (LysM‐GCH1‐HA). Unexpectedly, knockout or overexpression in myeloid cells had no effect on nociceptive behaviour, but LysM‐driven GCH1 knockout reduced, and its overexpression increased the scratching response in Compound 48/80 and hydroxychloroquine‐evoked itch models, which involve histamine and non‐histamine dependent signalling pathways. Mechanistically, GCH1 overexpression increased BH4, nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide, and these changes were associated with increased release of histamine and serotonin and degranulation of mast cells. LysM‐driven GCH1 knockout had opposite effects, and pharmacologic inhibition of GCH1 provided even stronger itch suppression. Inversely, intradermal BH4 provoked scratching behaviour in vivo and BH4 evoked an influx of calcium in sensory neurons. Together, these loss‐ and gain‐of‐function experiments suggest that itch in mice is contributed by BH4 release plus BH4‐driven mediator release from myeloid immune cells, which leads to activation of itch‐responsive sensory neurons.