Sample records for quadrata fabricius crustacea

  1. Evidence of marine debris usage by the ghost crab Ocypode quadrata (Fabricius, 1787).

    PubMed

    Costa, Leonardo Lopes; Rangel, Danilo Freitas; Zalmon, Ilana Rosental

    2018-03-01

    Sandy beaches are sites of marine debris stranding, but the interaction of beach biota with waste is poorly studied. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the ghost crab Ocypode quadrata selects marine debris by types using a non-destructive method on sandy beaches of Southeastern Brazil. We found marine debris in 7% of 1696 surveyed burrows, and the ghost crabs selectivity was mainly by soft plastic (30%), straw (11%), rope (6%) and foam (4%). Burrows with marine debris showed higher occupation rate (~68%) compared to burrows without debris (~28%), indicating that these materials may increase the capacity of ghost crabs to memorize their burrows placement (homing). The percentage of marine debris was not always related to their amount in the drift line, but ghost crabs used more debris near urbanized areas. Future studies should test whether ghost crabs are using marine debris for feeding, homing or other mechanisms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Review of the fish-parasitic genus Cymothoa Fabricius, 1793 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cymothoidae) from Australia.

    PubMed

    Martin, Melissa B; Bruce, Niel L; Nowak, Barbara F

    2016-06-03

    The genus Cymothoa Fabricius, 1793 is revised for Australian waters. Cymothoa hermani Hadfield, Bruce & Smit, 2011, previously known from Tanzania on the host Selar crumenophthalmus (Bloch, 1793) is new to Australian waters. Cymothoa carangi Avdeev, 1979; Cymothoa epimerica Avdeev, 1979; Cymothoa parupenei Avdeev, 1979; Cymothoa propria Avdeev, 1979; Cymothoa rotunda Avdeev, 1979 and Cymothoa pulchrum Lanchester, 1902 are redescribed. Cymothoa curta Schioedte & Meinert, 1884, first described from the host Anableps anableps (Linnaeus, 1758); and Cymothoa plebeia Schioedte & Meinert, 1884, first described from Cape Verde; are redescribed and excluded from the Australian fauna. Cymothoa limbata Schioedte & Meinert, 1884 is placed into junior synonymy with Cymothoa eremita (Brünnich, 1783). A key to the Australian species of Cymothoa is presented.

  3. Fabricius, David (1564-1617) and Fabricius, Johannes (1587-1616)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murdin, P.

    2000-11-01

    Lutheran pastor and astronomer in Osteel, East Frisia (northwest Germany), discoverer (1596) of the first known variable star, mira stella (`wonderful star'), now simply Mira (Omicron Ceti). Fabricius observed the star at its brightest and thought it was a nova, after which Holwarda noticed that a star in Cetus cataloged by PTOLEMY and TYCHO was missing but then it reappeared. Eventually the long...

  4. A new species of hermit crab of the genus Pagurus Fabricius, 1775 (Crustacea: Anomura: Paguridae) from the southern Caribbean off Venezuela.

    PubMed

    Lima, Daniel José Marcondes; Lemaitre, Rafael

    2016-09-06

    A male specimen of a new species of the heterogeneous genus Pagurus Fabricius, 1775, collected in 1968 off the Caribbean coast of Venezuela, was discovered among the vast crustacean collections of the Smithsonian Institution. This new species herein described and illustrated is named P. scopaopsis, and is characterized primarily by the presence of: a brush-like setation pattern on the dactyl of the left third pereopod, dense small tubercles on the dorsal surfaces of the dactyl and fixed finger of the right chela, and a raised longitudinal ridge armed with spines on the palm and fixed finger of the left chela.

  5. On the identity of some weevil species described by Johann Christian Fabricius (1745-1808) in the Museum of Zoology of Copenhagen (Coleoptera, Cucujoidea, Curculionoidea, Tenebrionoidea).

    PubMed

    Alonso-Zarazaga, Miguel A

    2014-01-01

    The types of thirty-two nominal weevil species described by Johann Christian Fabricius are reviewed and lecto- and paralectotypes are designated for twenty-two of them. A neotype is designated for Curculiosticticus Fabricius, 1777. Protapionvaripes (Germar, 1817) is declared a nomen protectum over Curculioflavipes Fabricius, 1775. Based on a study of syntypes, Rhinomacercurculioides Fabricius, 1781 is confirmed as a member of Mycterus (Mycteridae), Bruchusundatus Fabricius, 1787 is tentatively transferred to Erotylidae, Curculiofulvirostris Fabricius, 1787 and Anthribusroboris Fabricius, 1798 are confirmed as members of Salpingus (Salpingidae), and Brachyceruscristatus Fabricius, 1798 is transferred to Tenebrionidae. Based on lectotype designation, Curculiocaninus Fabricius, 1792 is confirmed as a synonym of Sitonalineatus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Curculioinnocuus Fabricius, 1802 as a synonym of Cneorhinusbarcelonicus (Herbst, 1797). Bruchusrufipes Fabricius, 1792 is not considered an available species name, but a later use of Bruchusrufipes Olivier, 1790. Cossonusincisus Pascoe, 1885 is reinstated as valid from synonymy under Cossonusilligeri Champion, 1909 and Cossonusvulneratus Illiger, 1805 from synonymy under Cossonuscanaliculatus (Fabricius, 1792) (a primary homonym of Curculiocanaliculatus Olivier, 1791). Cossonuscanaliculatus Fabricius, 1802 is a secondary homonym of the former and is replaced with Cossonusincisus. Salpingusfulvirostris (Fabricius, 1787) is reinstated as valid from synonymy under Salpingusplanirostris (Fabricius, 1787), a primary homonym of Curculioplanirostris Piller & Mitterpacher, 1783. The following new combinations are proposed: Brachysomuserinaceus (Fabricius, 1802) (from Curculio), Bronchusferus (Gyllenhal, 1840) (from Hipporhinus), Bronchusglandifer (Fabricius, 1792) (from Curculio), Bronchusnivosus (Sparrman, 1785) (from Curculio), Bronchussparrmani (Gyllenhal, 1833) (from Hipporhinus), Coelocephalapionatrirostre (Fabricius, 1802

  6. 40 CFR 180.1071 - Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Milk, Soybeans, Eggs, Fish, Crustacea, and Wheat; exemption from the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ..., Eggs, Fish, Crustacea, and Wheat; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. 180.1071 Section 180... Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Milk, Soybeans, Eggs, Fish, Crustacea, and Wheat; exemption from the requirement of a..., tree nuts, milk, soybeans, eggs (including putrescent eggs), fish, crustacea, and wheat are exempted...

  7. 40 CFR 180.1071 - Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Milk, Soybeans, Eggs, Fish, Crustacea, and Wheat; exemption from the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ..., Eggs, Fish, Crustacea, and Wheat; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. 180.1071 Section 180... Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Milk, Soybeans, Eggs, Fish, Crustacea, and Wheat; exemption from the requirement of a..., tree nuts, milk, soybeans, eggs (including putrescent eggs), fish, crustacea, and wheat are exempted...

  8. Taxonomic identity of the ghost ant, Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius, 1793) (Formicidae: Dolichoderinae).

    PubMed

    Guerrero, Roberto J

    2018-04-18

    This paper revises the taxonomy of Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius, 1793) as follows: T. melanocephalum = Tapinoma luffae (Kuriam, 1955) syn. nov., = Tapinoma melanocephalum coronatum Forel, 1908 syn. nov., = Tapinoma melanocephalum malesianum Forel, 1913 syn. nov. A neotype of Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius, 1793) is designed here. Lectotypes of Tapinoma melanocephalum coronatum Forel, 1908 and T. melanocephalum malesianum Forel, 1913 are designated. Formica wallacei is proposed as a replacement name for Formica familiaris (= T. melanocephalum senior synonym). The worker, queen and male are redescribed and diagnosed. The morphological variability of populations is discussed. All castes are included in full color images.

  9. Effect of entomopathogenic nematodes on Plectrodera scalator (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

    Treesearch

    Declan J. Fallon; Leellen F. Solter; Leah S. Bauer; Deborah L. Miller; James R. Cate; Michael L. McManus

    2006-01-01

    Entomopathogenic nematodes were screened for efficacy against the cottonwood borer, Plectrodera scalator (Fabricius). Steinernema feltiae SN and S. carpocapsae All killed 58 and 50% of larvae, respectively, in Wlter paper bioassays but less than 10% in diet cup bioassays. S. glaseri NJ, S. riobrave TX, and H. indica MG-13 killed less than 10% of larvae in both assays....

  10. Onthophagus cervicornis Kirby, 1825, new synonym under Onthophagus dama (Fabricius, 1798) (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae)

    PubMed Central

    Rossini, Michele; Vaz-de-Mello, Fernando Z.; Mann, Darren J.

    2014-01-01

    Abstract After examining syntypes of Onthophagus cervicornis Kirby, 1825, previously considered to be a synonym of the North American Onthophagus striatulus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1809), we confirm the true identity and new synonymy under South Asian Onthophagus dama (Fabricius, 1798). PMID:25061364

  11. The Nearctic-Caribbean species Leptotrachelus dorsalis (Fabricius, 1801): Larval descriptions with a diagnosis of immature Ctenodactylini and natural history notes on the genus and tribe (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Adults and larvae of Leptotrachelus dorsalis (Fabricius), live in association with grasses, the larvae in the appressed leaf axils. Both adult and larval L. dorsalis eat larvae of the Sugarcane Borer, Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius), and perhaps other insects living in the confines of the leaf shea...

  12. Expression of the ephrin receptor B2 in the embryonic chicken bursa of Fabricius

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Chicken B-cells develop in a specific organ, the bursa of Fabricius. To understand the bursal microenvironment guiding B-cell development, previous studies identified ephrin (Eph) receptor B2 (EphB2) gene transcripts in the embryonic bursa. We hypothesize that the EphB2 receptors and their ligands r...

  13. First record of the Palearctic plant bug Rhabdomiris striatellus (Fabricius) (Heteroptera: Miridae: Mirinae) in North America

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The Palearctic plant bug Rhabdomiris striatellus (Fabricius) (Heteroptera: Miridae: Mirinae) is reported for the first time in North America, based on specimens collected on pin oak, Quercus palustris Münchh., and white oak, Q. alba L. (Fagaceae), from Long Island, New York. A diagnosis and photogra...

  14. Collecting and Preserving Marine and Freshwater Isopoda (Crustacea: Peracarida)

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Background Isopoda are the most diverse Crustacea. In order to encourage the study of isopod crustaceans and their use in biodiversity studies, systematics, ecology, physiology and more, one needs to know who the isopods are and where to find them. New information This is a short “how to” guide focusing on the free-living marine and freshwater isopods: where they live and how to collect and preserve them. The tools and techniques described here are simple, but invaluable in accessing the natural history of these remarkable creatures. PMID:26023284

  15. Brachyrhynchus membranaceus (Fabricius), an Old World flat bug (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae) newly discovered in the Western Hemisphere

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The Old World aradid Brachyrhynchus membranaceus (Fabricius), belonging to the subfamily Mezirinae, is reported for the first time from the Western Hemisphere. Since 2005, eight specimens have been intercepted at United States ports-of-entry in international commerce from Costa Rica, Dominican Repub...

  16. Occurrence of Dendrocephalus brasiliensis Pesta, 1921 (Crustacea, Anostraca) in the Caras river, southern Ceara, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Freita, Francisco R V; Lucena, Isis C DE; Alencar, Damares R; Santos, Israel J M; Pinheiro, Allysson P

    2017-01-01

    Occurrence of Dendrocephalus brasiliensis Pesta, 1921 (Crustacea, Anostraca) in the Caras river, southern Ceara, Brazil. The specimens were collected in March and April 2014. The new occurrence extends the distribution and update area of occupancy of the species, which is characterized by a specific habitat: temporary lakes.

  17. Insights into the ecology, genetics and distribution of Lucanus elaphus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), North America's giant stag beetle

    Treesearch

    Michael D. Ulyshen; Louis G. Zachos; John O. Stireman; Thomas N. Sheehan; Ryan C. Garrick

    2017-01-01

    1. Little is known about the biology or conservation status of Lucanus elaphus Fabricius in North America despite well-documented declines of a related species, Lucanus cervus (L.), in Europe. This study provides information critical to developing conservation plans for L. elaphus...

  18. vasa-related genes and their expression in stem cells of colonial parasitic rhizocephalan barnacle Polyascus polygenea (Arthropoda: Crustacea: Cirripedia: Rhizocephala).

    PubMed

    Shukalyuk, Andrey I; Golovnina, Kseniya A; Baiborodin, Sergei I; Gunbin, Konstantin V; Blinov, Alexander G; Isaeva, Valeria V

    2007-02-01

    vasa (vas)-related genes are members of the DEAD-box protein family and are expressed in the germ cells of many Metazoa. We cloned vasa-related genes (PpVLG, CpVLG) and other DEAD-box family related genes (PpDRH1, PpDRH2, CpDRH, AtDRHr) from the colonial parasitic rhizocephalan barnacle Polyascus polygenea, the non-colonial Clistosaccus paguri (Crustacea: Cirripedia: Rhizocephala), and the parasitic isopodan Athelgis takanoshimensis (Crustacea: Isopoda). The colonial Polyascus polygenea, a parasite of the coastal crabs Hemigrapsus sanguineus and Hemigrapsus longitarsis was used as a model object for further detailed investigations. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that PpVLG and CpVLG are closely related to vasa-like genes of other Arthropoda. The rest of the studied genes form their own separate branch on the phylogenetic tree and have a common ancestry with the p68 and PL10 subfamilies. We suppose this group may be a new subfamily of the DEAD-box RNA helicases that is specific for parasitic Crustacea. We found PpVLG and PpDRH1 expression products in stem cells from stolons and buds of internae, during asexual reproduction of colonial P. polygenea, and in germ cells from sexually reproducing externae, including male spermatogenic cells and female oogenic cells.

  19. New Introduction: The Red-haired Bark Beetle, Hylurgus ligniperda Fabricius (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), NA-PR-03-02

    Treesearch

    US Forest service, Northeastern Area, State & Private Forestry

    2002-01-01

    Discovery: An overwintering colony of adult Red-haired Bark Beetles (Hylurgus ligniperda Fabricius) was discovered in November 2000 near Rochester, New York. These European beetles were found during an evaluation of white pine root decline in a Christmas tree plantation. Hylurgus ligniperda was intercepted 169 times at ports of entry in the United States between 1985...

  20. A bibliography of Paleozoic Crustacea from 1698 to 1889, including a list of North American species and a systematic arrangement of genera

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Vogdes, Anthony Wayne

    1890-01-01

    The sole object of this bulletin is to give a general view of the literature on the Paleozoic Crustacea and to aid students and paleontologists in their researches. It is the result of more or less constant work during the past ten years.In its compilation I have examined almost every reference before recording it; those not so examined are indicated by a star (*) following the title.For convenience, the subject-matter has been arranged as follows:Part I. List of authors, including a brief index of the genera described in each work. Part II. A catalogue of the North American Paleozoic trilobites. Part III. The non-trilobitic Paleozoic Crustacea, with a list of the species.

  1. Two new species of the genus Oxyporus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxyporinae) in Yunnan Province, China.

    PubMed

    Li, Guo-Feng; Li, Hong-Wei; Wang, Chun-Mei; Li, Hua-Feng; Ze, Sang-Zi

    2018-01-02

    Two new species of the genus Oxyporus Fabricius, 1775 are described based on specimens collected in Yunnan Province, China, namely Oxyporus (Oxyporus) fentianae sp. nov. from Mojiang County and Oxyporus (Oxyporus) ningerius sp. nov. from Ninger County. The number of Oxyporus species worldwide is thus increased to 130. Color images of the habitus and aedeagi of the two new species are included. A key to the Oxyporus species of Yunnan Province is provided.

  2. Toxic effect of NiCl2 on development of the bursa of Fabricius in broiler chickens

    PubMed Central

    Yin, Shuang; Cui, Hengmin; Peng, Xi; Fang, Jing; Zuo, Zhicai; Deng, Junliang; Wang, Xun; Wu, Bangyuan; Guo, Hongrui

    2016-01-01

    This study was conducted with objective of evaluating the toxic effects of nickel chloride (NiCl2) on development of bursa of Fabricius in broilers fed on diets supplemented with 0, 300, 600 and 900 mg/kg of NiCl2 for 42 days by using the methods of experimental pathology, flow cytometry (FCM), and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The results showed that dietary NiCl2 in 300 mg/kg and over induced toxic suppression in the bursal development, which was characterized by decreasing lymphocytes histopathologically and relative weight, increasing G0/G1 phase (a prolonged nondividing state), reducing S phase (DNA replication) and proliferating index, and increasing percentages of apoptotic cells. Concurrently, the mRNA expression levels of bax, cytochrome c (cyt c), apoptotic peptidase activating factor 1 (Apaf-1), caspase-3, caspase-6, caspase-7 and caspase-9 were increased and the bcl-2 mRNA expression levels were decreased. The toxic suppression of bursal development finally impaired humoral immunity duo to the reduction of B lymphocyte population and B lymphocyte activity in the broiler chicken. This study provides new evidences for further studying the effect mechanism of Ni and Ni compoundson B-cell or bursa of Fabricius. PMID:26683707

  3. Diversity of bacteria isolated from crustacea larvae and their rearing water

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haryanti; Sugama, Ketut; Nishijima, Toshitaka

    2003-04-01

    The bacteria in the genus Vibrio are heterothrophic, which exist in the larval rearing water of Crustacea and often show diverse pathogenicities to marine animals. In order to assess the bacterial diversity associated with Crustacean seed production, 32 strains were isolated from black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) and mangrove crab (Scylla paramamosain) larvae and their rearing-water and characterized using biochemical and molecular approaches. Two or more genotypically different species were identified. The vibriosis of black tiger shrimp was causes by V. harveyi, V. alginolyticus and Vibrio spp. predominantly, while that of crab by V. harveyi and V. alginolyticus only.

  4. A taxonomic monograph of the assassin bug genus Zelus Fabricius (Hemiptera: Reduviidae): 71 species based on 10,000 specimens

    PubMed Central

    Hart, Elwood R; Weirauch, Christiane

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The New World assassin bug genus Zelus Fabricius, 1803 (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae: Harpactorini) is revised based on more than 10,000 specimens. Seventy-one species are recognized and twenty-four described as new: Zelus aithaleos sp. n., Zelus amblycephalus sp. n., Zelus antiguensis sp. n., Zelus auralanus sp. n., Zelus bahiaensis sp. n., Zelus banksi sp. n., Zelus casii sp. n., Zelus championi sp. n., Zelus cordazulus sp. n., Zelus fuliginatus sp. n., Zelus gilboventris sp. n., Zelus gracilipes sp. n., Zelus grandoculus sp. n., Zelus kartaboides sp. n., Zelus lewisi sp. n., Zelus panamensis sp. n., Zelus paracephalus sp. n., Zelus rosulentus sp. n., Zelus russulumus sp. n., Zelus spatulosus sp. n., Zelus truxali sp. n., Zelus umbraculoides sp. n., Zelus umbraculus sp. n., and Zelus xouthos sp. n. Five species, Zelus araneiformis Haviland, 1931, Zelus gradarius Bergroth, 1905, Zelus modestus (Stål, 1862), Zelus subfasciatus Stål, 1860 and Zelus vittaticeps Stål, 1866, are removed from Zelus and placed incertae sedis within Harpactorini. Nine new synonyms are recognized (senior synonym in parentheses): Zelus atripes Champion, 1898 syn. nov. (=Zelus conjungens [Stål, 1860]), Zelus dispar Fabricius, 1803 syn. nov. (=Zelus pedestris Fabricius, 1803), Zelus formosus Haviland, 1931 syn. nov. (=Zelus laticornis Herrich-Schaeffer, 1853), Zelus obscuridorsis (Stål, 1860) syn. nov. (=Zelus pedestris), Zelus pallidinervus Haviland, 1931 syn. nov. (=Zelus kartabensis Haviland, 1931), Zelus personatus Berg, 1879 syn. nov. (=Zelus versicolor Herrich-Schaeffer, 1848), Zelus trimaculatus Champion, 1898 syn. nov. (=Zelus means Fabricius, 1803), Zelus trimaculicollis (Stål, 1855) syn. nov. (=Zelus means), and Zelus tristis Haviland, 1931 syn. nov. (=Zelus laticornis). Zelus conjungens (Stål, 1860) stat. rev. Is resurrected from junior synonymy with zealous armillatus (Lepeletier & Seville, 1825). Zelus ambulans Stål, 1862 stat. rev

  5. A taxonomic monograph of the assassin bug genus Zelus Fabricius (Hemiptera: Reduviidae): 71 species based on 10,000 specimens.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Guanyang; Hart, Elwood R; Weirauch, Christiane

    2016-01-01

    The New World assassin bug genus Zelus Fabricius, 1803 (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae: Harpactorini) is revised based on more than 10,000 specimens. Seventy-one species are recognized and twenty-four described as new: Zelus aithaleos sp. n., Zelus amblycephalus sp. n., Zelus antiguensis sp. n., Zelus auralanus sp. n., Zelus bahiaensis sp. n., Zelus banksi sp. n., Zelus casii sp. n., Zelus championi sp. n., Zelus cordazulus sp. n., Zelus fuliginatus sp. n., Zelus gilboventris sp. n., Zelus gracilipes sp. n., Zelus grandoculus sp. n., Zelus kartaboides sp. n., Zelus lewisi sp. n., Zelus panamensis sp. n., Zelus paracephalus sp. n., Zelus rosulentus sp. n., Zelus russulumus sp. n., Zelus spatulosus sp. n., Zelus truxali sp. n., Zelus umbraculoides sp. n., Zelus umbraculus sp. n., and Zelus xouthos sp. n. Five species, Zelus araneiformis Haviland, 1931, Zelus gradarius Bergroth, 1905, Zelus modestus (Stål, 1862), Zelus subfasciatus Stål, 1860 and Zelus vittaticeps Stål, 1866, are removed from Zelus and placed incertae sedis within Harpactorini. Nine new synonyms are recognized (senior synonym in parentheses): Zelus atripes Champion, 1898 syn. nov. (=Zelus conjungens [Stål, 1860]), Zelus dispar Fabricius, 1803 syn. nov. (=Zelus pedestris Fabricius, 1803), Zelus formosus Haviland, 1931 syn. nov. (=Zelus laticornis Herrich-Schaeffer, 1853), Zelus obscuridorsis (Stål, 1860) syn. nov. (=Zelus pedestris), Zelus pallidinervus Haviland, 1931 syn. nov. (=Zelus kartabensis Haviland, 1931), Zelus personatus Berg, 1879 syn. nov. (=Zelus versicolor Herrich-Schaeffer, 1848), Zelus trimaculatus Champion, 1898 syn. nov. (=Zelus means Fabricius, 1803), Zelus trimaculicollis (Stål, 1855) syn. nov. (=Zelus means), and Zelus tristis Haviland, 1931 syn. nov. (=Zelus laticornis). Zelus conjungens (Stål, 1860) stat. rev. Is resurrected from junior synonymy with zealous armillatus (Lepeletier & Seville, 1825). Zelus ambulans Stål, 1862 stat. rev. and Zelus

  6. Plant feeding promotes diversification in the Crustacea

    PubMed Central

    Poore, Alistair G. B.; Ahyong, Shane T.; Lowry, James K.; Sotka, Erik E.

    2017-01-01

    About half of the world’s animal species are arthropods associated with plants, and the ability to consume plant material has been proposed to be an important trait associated with the spectacular diversification of terrestrial insects. We review the phylogenetic distribution of plant feeding in the Crustacea, the other major group of arthropods that commonly consume plants, to estimate how often plant feeding has arisen and to test whether this dietary transition is associated with higher species numbers in extant clades. We present evidence that at least 31 lineages of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial crustaceans (including 64 families and 185 genera) have independently overcome the challenges of consuming plant material. These plant-feeding clades are, on average, 21-fold more speciose than their sister taxa, indicating that a shift in diet is associated with increased net rates of diversification. In contrast to herbivorous insects, most crustaceans have very broad diets, and the increased richness of taxa that include plants in their diet likely results from access to a novel resource base rather than host-associated divergence. PMID:28760973

  7. Plant feeding promotes diversification in the Crustacea.

    PubMed

    Poore, Alistair G B; Ahyong, Shane T; Lowry, James K; Sotka, Erik E

    2017-08-15

    About half of the world's animal species are arthropods associated with plants, and the ability to consume plant material has been proposed to be an important trait associated with the spectacular diversification of terrestrial insects. We review the phylogenetic distribution of plant feeding in the Crustacea, the other major group of arthropods that commonly consume plants, to estimate how often plant feeding has arisen and to test whether this dietary transition is associated with higher species numbers in extant clades. We present evidence that at least 31 lineages of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial crustaceans (including 64 families and 185 genera) have independently overcome the challenges of consuming plant material. These plant-feeding clades are, on average, 21-fold more speciose than their sister taxa, indicating that a shift in diet is associated with increased net rates of diversification. In contrast to herbivorous insects, most crustaceans have very broad diets, and the increased richness of taxa that include plants in their diet likely results from access to a novel resource base rather than host-associated divergence.

  8. Benthic Crustacea from tropical and temperate reef locations: differences in assemblages and their relationship with habitat structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kramer, Michael J.; Bellwood, David R.; Taylor, Richard B.; Bellwood, Orpha

    2017-09-01

    Tropical and temperate marine habitats have long been recognised as fundamentally different system, yet comparative studies are rare, particularly for small organisms such as Crustacea. This study investigates the ecological attributes (abundance, biomass and estimated productivity) of benthic Crustacea in selected microhabitats from a tropical and a temperate location, revealing marked differences in the crustacean assemblages. In general, microhabitats from the tropical location (dead coral, the epilithic algal matrix [algal turfs] and sand) supported high abundances of small individuals (mean length = 0.53 mm vs. 0.96 mm in temperate microhabitats), while temperate microhabitats (the brown seaweed Carpophyllum sp., coralline turf and sand) had substantially greater biomasses of crustaceans and higher estimated productivity rates. In both locations, the most important microhabitats for crustaceans (per unit area) were complex structures: tropical dead coral and temperate Carpophyllum sp. It appears that the differences between microhabitats are largely driven by the size and relative abundance of key crustacean groups. Temperate microhabitats have a higher proportion of relatively large Peracarida (Amphipoda and Isopoda), whereas tropical microhabitats are dominated by small detrital- and microalgal-feeding crustaceans (harpacticoid copepods and ostracods). These differences highlight the vulnerability of tropical and temperate systems to the loss of complex benthic structures and their associated crustacean assemblages.

  9. Sensitivity of midge larvae of Chironomus tentans Fabricius (Diptera Chironomidae) to heavy metals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Khangarot, B.S.; Ray, P.K.

    1989-03-01

    The discharge of heavy metals into the natural waters has numerous obvious impacts on physical, chemical and biological parameters of aquatic ecosystem. Bioassay tests are important steps in establishing appropriate water quality criteria and standards for diverse use of ponds, lakes, streams and river waters. Therefore, the acute toxicities of various heavy metals to water flea Daphnia magna, and snail Lymnaea acuminata, and toad tadpoles Bufo mentanostictus have been reported from the authors' laboratory. Chironomid larvae might be particularly useful as indicators of water quality because they are widely distributed in freshwater systems and often from diverse communities within particularmore » habitat. The aim of this study was to determine the acute toxicity of ten heavy metals to the midge larvae Chironomus tentans Fabricius, which forms an important link in aquatic food chain(s).« less

  10. On newly and recently recorded species of the genus Lema Fabricius (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Criocerinae) from Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Chi-Feng; Matsumura, Yoko

    2013-01-01

    Abstract New records of four species (Lema lacertosa Lacordaire, 1845, Lema diversipes Pic, 1921, Lema cyanella (Linnaeus, 1758), Lema trivittata trivittata Say, 1824 and additional information on one recently recorded species (Lema solani Fabricius, 1798) are reported for Taiwan. Lema diversipes Pic, 1921 is removed from synonymy with Lema lacertosa Lacordaire, 1845; both species are redescribed. A lectotype is designated for Lema phungi Pic, 1924. The synonymies of Lema phungi Pic, 1924 and Lema jeanvoinei Pic, 1932 with Lema lacertosa Lacordaire, 1845 are supported. A revised key to the known species in Taiwan is provided. PMID:23653513

  11. First record of Puerulus mesodontus Chan, Ma & Chu, 2013 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Achelata, Palinuridae) from south of Java, Indonesia.

    PubMed

    Wardiatno, Yusli; Hakim, Agus Alim; Mashar, Ali; Butet, Nurlisa Alias; Adrianto, Luky; Farajallah, Achmad

    2016-01-01

    Three specimens of Puerulus mesodontus Chan, Ma & Chu, 2013 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Achelata, Palinuridae) were collected from Palabuhanratu Bay, southern Java, Indonesia. There is no previous record on the presence of the species in Indonesia. This finding represents the first record of this species in Java, Indonesia, and confirms that the species is present in the Indian Ocean. The morphological characters of the species are described. This paper contains a new distribution record of a lobster species from Indonesian waters.

  12. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial protein coding genes confirms the reciprocal paraphyly of Hexapoda and Crustacea

    PubMed Central

    Carapelli, Antonio; Liò, Pietro; Nardi, Francesco; van der Wath, Elizabeth; Frati, Francesco

    2007-01-01

    Background The phylogeny of Arthropoda is still a matter of harsh debate among systematists, and significant disagreement exists between morphological and molecular studies. In particular, while the taxon joining hexapods and crustaceans (the Pancrustacea) is now widely accepted among zoologists, the relationships among its basal lineages, and particularly the supposed reciprocal paraphyly of Crustacea and Hexapoda, continues to represent a challenge. Several genes, as well as different molecular markers, have been used to tackle this problem in molecular phylogenetic studies, with the mitochondrial DNA being one of the molecules of choice. In this study, we have assembled the largest data set available so far for Pancrustacea, consisting of 100 complete (or almost complete) sequences of mitochondrial genomes. After removal of unalignable sequence regions and highly rearranged genomes, we used nucleotide and inferred amino acid sequences of the 13 protein coding genes to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships among major lineages of Pancrustacea. The analysis was performed with Bayesian inference, and for the amino acid sequences a new, Pancrustacea-specific, matrix of amino acid replacement was developed and used in this study. Results Two largely congruent trees were obtained from the analysis of nucleotide and amino acid datasets. In particular, the best tree obtained based on the new matrix of amino acid replacement (MtPan) was preferred over those obtained using previously available matrices (MtArt and MtRev) because of its higher likelihood score. The most remarkable result is the reciprocal paraphyly of Hexapoda and Crustacea, with some lineages of crustaceans (namely the Malacostraca, Cephalocarida and, possibly, the Branchiopoda) being more closely related to the Insecta s.s. (Ectognatha) than two orders of basal hexapods, Collembola and Diplura. Our results confirm that the mitochondrial genome, unlike analyses based on morphological data or nuclear

  13. A new species of Parapygmephorus Cross, 1965 (Acari; Heterostigmatina; Neopygmephoridae) phoretic on Halictus quadricinctus (Fabricius, 1776) (Hym.; Halictidae) from Iran.

    PubMed

    Hajiqanbar, Hamidreza; Khaustov, Alexander; Kamali, Karim

    2011-01-01

    A new species of the genus Parapygmephorus Cross, 1965 (Acari: Heterostigmatina, Neopygmephoridae) is described from Northeastern Iran. A phoretic adult female of Parapygmephorus khorasanicus Hajiqanbar and Khaustov sp. n. was discovered clasping on hairs on the ventral body surface of Halictus quadricinctus (Fabricius, 1776) (Hymenoptera; Halictidae). It is the fifth representative among the known species of the genus Parapygmephorus in the world. Differentiation of new species from other species of the genus is discussed, and a key to known world species is provided.

  14. First Record of Euphoria lurida Fabricius (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Injurious to Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) (Asterales: Asteraceae) in Brazil.

    PubMed

    Androcioli, H G; Hoshino, A T; Pastório, M A; Cardoso, P C; de Araújo, P M; Fernandes, T A P; Menezes, A O

    2017-02-01

    We present the first report on Euphoria lurida (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) infestation on safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), a crop of industrial and medicinal importance. Between September and October 2013-2015 in Paraná State, we observed E. lurida adults feeding on safflower plants from the inception of flower head formation onwards, over an area of approximately 400 m 2 . Losses in the productivity of infested plants were estimated between 15 and 50%. The damage was characterized by perforations in the upper portion and at the base of the developing flower heads or open flowers, resulting in withering and abortion of the reproductive structures.

  15. Structure and Ultrastructure of the Endodermal Region of the Alimentary Tract in the Freshwater Shrimp Neocaridina heteropoda (Crustacea, Malacostraca)

    PubMed Central

    Sonakowska, Lidia; Włodarczyk, Agnieszka; Poprawa, Izabela; Binkowski, Marcin; Śróbka, Joanna; Kamińska, Karolina; Kszuk-Jendrysik, Michalina; Chajec, Łukasz; Zajusz, Bartłomiej; Rost-Roszkowska, Magdalena Maria

    2015-01-01

    The freshwater shrimp Neocaridina heteropoda (Crustacea, Malacostraca, Decapoda) originates from Asia and is one of the species that is widely available all over the world because it is the most popular shrimp that is bred in aquaria. The structure and the ultrastructure of the midgut have been described using X-ray microtomography, transmission electron microscopy, light and fluorescence microscopes. The endodermal region of the alimentary system in N. heteropoda consists of an intestine and a hepatopancreas. No differences were observed in the structure and ultrastructure of males and females of the shrimp that were examined. The intestine is a tube-shaped organ and the hepatopancreas is composed of two large diverticles that are divided into the blind-end tubules. Hepatopancreatic tubules have three distinct zones – proximal, medial and distal. Among the epithelial cells of the intestine, two types of cells were distinguished – D and E-cells, while three types of cells were observed in the epithelium of the hepatopancreas – F, B and E-cells. Our studies showed that the regionalization in the activity of cells occurs along the length of the hepatopancreatic tubules. The role and ultrastructure of all types of epithelial cells are discussed, with the special emphasis on the function of the E-cells, which are the midgut regenerative cells. Additionally, we present the first report on the existence of an intercellular junction that is connected with the E-cells of Crustacea. PMID:25996951

  16. Male meiosis in Crustacea: synapsis, recombination, epigenetics and fertility in Daphnia magna.

    PubMed

    Gómez, Rocío; Van Damme, Kay; Gosálvez, Jaime; Morán, Eugenio Sánchez; Colbourne, John K

    2016-09-01

    We present the first detailed cytological study of male meiosis in Daphnia (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Cladocera)-an aquatic microcrustacean with a cyclical parthenogenetic life cycle. Using immunostaining of the testes in Daphnia magna for baseline knowledge, we characterized the different stages of meiotic division and spermiogenesis in relation to the distribution of proteins involved in synapsis, early recombination events and sister chromatid cohesion. We also studied post-translational histone modifications in male spermatocytes, in relation to the dynamic chromatin progression of meiosis. Finally, we applied a DNA fragmentation test to measure sperm quality of D. magna, with respect to levels of inbreeding. As a proxy for fertility, this technique may be used to assess the reproductive health of a sentinel species of aquatic ecosystems. Daphnia proves to be a model species for comparative studies of meiosis that is poised to improve our understanding of the cytological basis of sexual and asexual reproduction.

  17. Toxic Effects of Couroupita guianensis Against Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

    PubMed

    Baskar, K; Ignacimuthu, S; Jayakumar, M

    2015-02-01

    Laboratory experiments were conducted to find out the efficacy of different crude extracts and fractions of Couroupita guianensis (Lecythidaceae) against Spodoptera litura (Fabricius). Results revealed that hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts of C. guianensis showed larvicidal and pupicidal activities against S. litura. Maximum larvicidal activity (68.66%) was observed in hexane extract at 5.0% concentration followed by chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts, and least LC50 value of 2.64% was observed in hexane extract. A 100% pupicidal activity was observed in hexane extract. Based on the efficacy of crude extracts, the effective crude extract (hexane extract) was further fractionated and subjected to screening for biological activities against S. litura. Among the eight fractions isolated from the hexane extract, fraction 8 showed maximum antifeedant activity (81. 8%) and larvicidal activity (76.9%) at 1000-ppm concentration; this fraction showed least LC50 value of 375.92 ppm for larvicidal activity. Cent per cent pupicidal activity was recorded. Reduced midgut and hemolymph protein contents were observed at 1000 ppm of fraction 8. Histopathological studies revealed that fraction 8 severely damaged the midgut cells of S. litura. This fraction could be used to develop botanical formulation to control agricultural pests.

  18. Characterization of chitinolytic bacteria and histological aspects of Shell Disease Syndrome in European spiny lobsters (Palinurus elephas) (Fabricius 1787).

    PubMed

    Mancuso, M; Costanzo, M T; Maricchiolo, G; Gristina, M; Zaccone, R; Cuccu, D; Genovese, L

    2010-07-01

    The present research reports the first description of Shell Disease Syndrome in European spiny lobsters Palinurus elephas (Fabricius 1787), which occurred in an experimental aquaculture facility in Sicily (Italy). Both bacterial characterization and histopathological examination of the exoskeleton at site of lesions was carried out. Infected specimens showed tail fan erosions, and in one case uropod ulceration and complete loss of periods. Identified species included: Listonella anguillarum 50.5%, Vibrio parahaemolyticus 27.5% and Vibrio alginolyticus 22%. Microscopic evaluation of lesions indicate the presence of inflammatory responses, which include melanization and pseudomembrane formation, similar to those described for other crustaceans affected by SDS. (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Redescription of the orb-weaving spider Gasteracantha geminata (Fabricius, 1798) (Araneae, Araneidae).

    PubMed

    Sankaran, Pradeep M; Jobi, Malamel J; Sebastian, Pothalil A

    2015-02-02

    The orb-weaving spider genus Gasteracantha Sundevall, 1833 (Araneidae) is notable for its pronounced sexual size dimorphism. Gasteracantha females are characterized by having a highly sclerotized "spiny" abdomen varying in relative size and number of spines, as well as abdomen dorsally and ventrally provided with varying numbers of sigillae (Cambridge 1879). The genus currently includes 70 described species and 31 subspecies (World Spider Catalog 2014). The Oriental species Gasteracantha geminata (Fabricius, 1798) was originally described from Ramnad (now known as Ramanathapuram) in Tamilnadu State of Southern India based on an unspecified number of female specimen(s). The female of this species has been described and illustrated several times by various authors. Its male is only known from the description of Simon (1895). Simon's original description of the male of G. geminata was supported by two simple but beautiful and informative illustrations: a retrolateral view of the cephalothorax and a dorsal view of the abdomen (Simon 1895, figs. 886, 887). However we lack a clear and detailed description of the male genitalia. The present paper provides detailed redescription of G. geminata and illustrations of the male pedipalp. 

  20. Bioprospection of immature salivary glands of Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

    PubMed

    Caleffe, Ronaldo Roberto Tait; de Oliveira, Stefany Rodrigues; Gigliolli, Adriana Aparecida Sinópolis; Ruvolo-Takasusuki, Maria Claudia Colla; Conte, Helio

    2018-06-08

    Larval therapy (LT) comprises the application of sterile Calliphoridae larvae for wound debridement, disinfection, and healing in humans and animals. Larval digestion plays a key role in LT, where the salivary glands and gut produce and secrete proteolytic and antimicrobial substances. The objective of this work was to bioprospect the salivary glands of Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 1794) larvae, using ultrastructural, morphological, and histological observations, and the total protein electrophoretic profile. The salivary glands present a deferent duct, originating from the buccal cavity, which bifurcates into efferent ducts that insert through a slight dilatation to a pair of tubular-shaped tissues, united in the region of fat cells. Histologically, the secretion had protein characteristics. Cell cytoplasm presented numerous free ribosomes, autophagic vacuoles, spherical and elongated mitochondria, atypical Golgi complexes, and dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum. In the apical cytoplasm, secretory granules and microvilli secretions demonstrated intense protein synthesis, basal cytoplasm with trachea insertions, and numerous mitochondria. The present work described the ultrastructure and morphology of C. megacephala third instar salivary glands, confirming intense protein synthesis and the molecular weight of soluble proteins. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Muscle precursor cells in the developing limbs of two isopods (Crustacea, Peracarida): an immunohistochemical study using a novel monoclonal antibody against myosin heavy chain

    PubMed Central

    Kreissl, S.; Uber, A.

    2008-01-01

    In the hot debate on arthropod relationships, Crustaceans and the morphology of their appendages play a pivotal role. To gain new insights into how arthropod appendages evolved, developmental biologists recently have begun to examine the expression and function of Drosophila appendage genes in Crustaceans. However, cellular aspects of Crustacean limb development such as myogenesis are poorly understood in Crustaceans so that the interpretative context in which to analyse gene functions is still fragmentary. The goal of the present project was to analyse muscle development in Crustacean appendages, and to that end, monoclonal antibodies against arthropod muscle proteins were generated. One of these antibodies recognises certain isoforms of myosin heavy chain and strongly binds to muscle precursor cells in malacostracan Crustacea. We used this antibody to study myogenesis in two isopods, Porcellio scaber and Idotea balthica (Crustacea, Malacostraca, Peracarida), by immunohistochemistry. In these animals, muscles in the limbs originate from single muscle precursor cells, which subsequently grow to form multinucleated muscle precursors. The pattern of primordial muscles in the thoracic limbs was mapped, and results compared to muscle development in other Crustaceans and in insects. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00427-008-0216-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. PMID:18443823

  2. A new iphiculid crab (Crustacea, Brachyura, Leucosioidea) from the Middle Miocene of Austria, with notes on palaeobiogeography of Iphiculus

    PubMed Central

    Hyžný, Matúš; Gross, Martin

    2017-01-01

    A new fossil species of the iphiculid genus Iphiculus Adams & White, 1849, (Crustacea, Brachyura) is described on the basis of three specimens from the Middle Miocene Florian Beds of Styria, Austria. Iphiculus eliasi sp. nov. constitutes the first European record of the genus. This occurrence represents the oldest record of Iphiculus, having implications for the palaeobiogeographic history of the family Iphiculidae. It is suggested that Iphiculus may have originated in the Western Tethys and migrated subsequently into the Indo-West Pacific. Alternatively, its current geographic restriction to the Indo-West Pacific can be a remnant of an ancient broader geographic distribution. PMID:27811673

  3. Increasing morphological complexity in multiple parallel lineages of the Crustacea

    PubMed Central

    Adamowicz, Sarah J.; Purvis, Andy; Wills, Matthew A.

    2008-01-01

    The prospect of finding macroevolutionary trends and rules in the history of life is tremendously appealing, but very few pervasive trends have been found. Here, we demonstrate a parallel increase in the morphological complexity of most of the deep lineages within a major clade. We focus on the Crustacea, measuring the morphological differentiation of limbs. First, we show a clear trend of increasing complexity among 66 free-living, ordinal-level taxa from the Phanerozoic fossil record. We next demonstrate that this trend is pervasive, occurring in 10 or 11 of 12 matched-pair comparisons (across five morphological diversity indices) between extinct Paleozoic and related Recent taxa. This clearly differentiates the pattern from the effects of lineage sorting. Furthermore, newly appearing taxa tend to have had more types of limbs and a higher degree of limb differentiation than the contemporaneous average, whereas those going extinct showed higher-than-average limb redundancy. Patterns of contemporary species diversity partially reflect the paleontological trend. These results provide a rare demonstration of a large-scale and probably driven trend occurring across multiple independent lineages and influencing both the form and number of species through deep time and in the present day. PMID:18347335

  4. The First Record of Argulus foliacesus (Crustacea: Branchiura) Infestation on Lionhead Goldfish (Carassius auratus) in Iran

    PubMed Central

    Noaman, V; Chelongar, Y; Shahmoradi, AH

    2010-01-01

    Argulus foliaceus (Crustacea: Branchiura), or the fish louse, is an ectoparasite of the skin or gill of the fresh water fish species. Clinical signs in infected fish include scratching on aquarium walls, erratic swimming, and poor growth. It causes pathological changes due to direct tissue damage and secondary infections. In the present study, lionhead goldfish (Carassius auratus), taken from a goldfish aquarium with symptoms such as abnormal swimming, poor growth and death, were examined for ectoparasites. The parasites collected from the skin and fins of fish were identified as A. foliaceus. Then, treatment was carried out by trichlorfon. After administration, no parasite was observed on the fish. This is the first report of infection with A. foliaceus of lionhead goldfish (Carassius auratus) in Iran. PMID:22347247

  5. Intersexuality in Crustacea: an environmental issue?

    PubMed

    Ford, Alex T

    2012-02-01

    This paper aims to give a historical overview of current understanding about intersexuality in crustaceans, assesses gaps in our knowledge and asks whether it should be an environmental concern. The oldest known cases of intersexuality come from 70 million year old fossil crabs whilst the oldest published case of intersex crustacean stems from a 1730 Royal Society report of a gynandromorph lobster. Many crustacean species are sequential hermaphroditic or simultaneous hermaphrodites. Consequently, there has been confusion as to whether accounts of intersex in the literature are correct. Intersexuality is fairly common throughout the Crustacea and it has been suggested that intersex may arise through different mechanisms. For example, sexual gynandromorphism may arise through disruption in early embryonic development whereas intersexuality may also arise through perturbations of androgenic gland hormone and sexual differentiation in later development. The causes of intersex are multifaceted and can occur through a number of mechanisms including parasitism, environmental sex determination, genetic abnormalities and increasingly pollution is being implicated. Despite many studies on the effects of endocrine disrupters on crustaceans, very few have focussed on wild populations or male related endpoints; rather many laboratory studies have been attempting to assess biomarkers of feminisation. This is surprising as many of the seminal papers on endocrine disruption focussed on effects found in the wild and male specimens. This paper argues that we might have been addressing the right questions (i.e. pollution induced intersex), but in the wrong way (feminisation); and therefore gives recommendations for future directions for research. Biomarker development has been hampered by paucity of genomic and endocrine knowledge of many crustacean model species; however this is rapidly changing with the advent of cheaper affordable genomic techniques and high throughput sequencing

  6. Remarkable convergent evolution in specialized parasitic Thecostraca (Crustacea)

    PubMed Central

    Pérez-Losada, Marcos; Høeg, Jens T; Crandall, Keith A

    2009-01-01

    Background The Thecostraca are arguably the most morphologically and biologically variable group within the Crustacea, including both suspension feeders (Cirripedia: Thoracica and Acrothoracica) and parasitic forms (Cirripedia: Rhizocephala, Ascothoracida and Facetotecta). Similarities between the metamorphosis found in the Facetotecta and Rhizocephala suggests a common evolutionary origin, but until now no comprehensive study has looked at the basic evolution of these thecostracan groups. Results To this end, we collected DNA sequences from three nuclear genes [18S rRNA (2,305), 28S rRNA (2,402), Histone H3 (328)] and 41 larval characters in seven facetotectans, five ascothoracidans, three acrothoracicans, 25 rhizocephalans and 39 thoracicans (ingroup) and 12 Malacostraca and 10 Copepoda (outgroup). Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses showed the Facetotecta, Ascothoracida and Cirripedia each as monophyletic. The better resolved and highly supported DNA maximum likelihood and morphological-DNA Bayesian analysis trees depicted the main phylogenetic relationships within the Thecostraca as (Facetotecta, (Ascothoracida, (Acrothoracica, (Rhizocephala, Thoracica)))). Conclusion Our analyses indicate a convergent evolution of the very similar and highly reduced slug-shaped stages found during metamorphosis of both the Rhizocephala and the Facetotecta. This provides a remarkable case of convergent evolution and implies that the advanced endoparasitic mode of life known from the Rhizocephala and strongly indicated for the Facetotecta had no common origin. Future analyses are needed to determine whether the most recent common ancestor of the Thecostraca was free-living or some primitive form of ectoparasite. PMID:19374762

  7. Developmental Times of Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) at Constant Temperatures and Applications in Forensic Entomology.

    PubMed

    Yang, Yong-Qiang; Li, Xue-Bo; Shao, Ru-Yue; Lyu, Zhou; Li, Hong-Wei; Li, Gen-Ping; Xu, Lyu-Zi; Wan, Li-Hua

    2016-09-01

    The characteristic life stages of infesting blowflies (Calliphoridae) such as Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) are powerful evidence for estimating the death time of a corpse, but an established reference of developmental times for local blowfly species is required. We determined the developmental rates of C. megacephala from southwest China at seven constant temperatures (16-34°C). Isomegalen and isomorphen diagrams were constructed based on the larval length and time for each developmental event (first ecdysis, second ecdysis, wandering, pupariation, and eclosion), at each temperature. A thermal summation model was constructed by estimating the developmental threshold temperature D0 and the thermal summation constant K. The thermal summation model indicated that, for complete development from egg hatching to eclosion, D0 = 9.07 ± 0.54°C and K = 3991.07 ± 187.26 h °C. This reference can increase the accuracy of estimations of postmortem intervals in China by predicting the growth of C. megacephala. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  8. BASH, a novel signaling molecule preferentially expressed in B cells of the bursa of Fabricius.

    PubMed

    Goitsuka, R; Fujimura, Y; Mamada, H; Umeda, A; Morimura, T; Uetsuka, K; Doi, K; Tsuji, S; Kitamura, D

    1998-12-01

    The bursa of Fabricius is a gut-associated lymphoid organ that is essential for the generation of a diversified B cell repertoire in the chicken. We describe here a novel gene preferentially expressed in bursal B cells. The gene encodes an 85-kDa protein, designated BASH (B cell adaptor containing SH2 domain), that contains N-terminal acidic domains with SH2 domain-binding phosphotyrosine-based motifs, a proline-rich domain, and a C-terminal SH2 domain. BASH shows a substantial sequence similarity to SLP-76, an adaptor protein functioning in TCR-signal transduction. BASH becomes tyrosine-phosphorylated with the B cell Ag receptor (BCR) cross-link or by coexpression with Syk and Lyn and associates with signaling molecules including Syk and a putative chicken Shc homologue. Overexpression of BASH results in suppression of the NF-AT activation induced by BCR-cross-linking. These findings suggest that BASH is involved in BCR-mediated signal transduction and could play a critical role in B cell development in the bursa.

  9. Concurrent Fowlpox and Candidiasis Diseases in Backyard Chickens with Unusual Pox Lesions in the Bursa of Fabricius.

    PubMed

    Ogasawara, Fusae; Yamamoto, Yu; Sato, Yasuo; Fukunari, Kazuhiro; Murata, Ken-Ichi; Yaegashi, Gakuji; Goto, Makiko; Murakami, Ryukoh

    2016-09-01

    Concurrent fowlpox and candidiasis diseases occurred in a backyard chicken flock. Four deceased chickens (one Nagoya breed and three white silkie chickens) were examined for diagnosis. At necropsy, white curd-like plaques were observed in the crop. Fungal elements that stained positive for Candida albicans with immunohistochemistry were distributed throughout the tongue, choanal mucosa, esophagus, and crop. Typical fowlpox lesions, composed of proliferating epithelial cells with ballooning degeneration and viral intracytoplasmic inclusions, were observed in the conjunctiva, nasal mucosa, and skin around the cloaca. Interestingly, hyperplastic interfollicular epithelium with rare virus inclusions was observed in the bursa of Fabricius (BF). Some bursal follicles were replaced by proliferating epithelial cells. These proliferating cells immunohistochemically stained positive for cytokeratin. PCR and subsequent genetic sequencing detected the C. albicans gene in the crop, and fowlpox virus genes in the BF. These results indicate that this outbreak was a rare presentation of fowlpox in spontaneously infected chickens, with unusual pox lesions in the BF.

  10. Host specificity of Argulus coregoni (Crustacea: Branchiura) increases at maturation.

    PubMed

    Mikheev, V N; Pasternak, A F; Valtonen, E T

    2007-11-01

    We tested the hypothesis that host specificity in ectoparasites does not depend exclusively on the features of the host but also on surrounding habitats, using 2 fish ectoparasites, Argulus coregoni and A. foliaceus (Crustacea: Branchiura), occurring sympatrically in Finnish lakes. Although these parasites are considered to be of low specificity, we found that the larger of the 2 species, A. coregoni developed a pronounced preference for salmonid hosts at the beginning of maturation (defined by the presence of copulating specimens). Argulus foliaceus infects a much wider range of fish hosts. We showed that specialization of A. coregoni on salmonids does not necessarily result from incompatibility with other fishes, but could instead reflect higher sensitivity of oxygen depletion compared with A. foliaceus. Adult A. coregoni may meet these demands by attaching to salmonids, the typical inhabitants of well-aerated waters. Young parasites of both species showed little host specificity and attached mainly to fishes with higher body reflectivity. In host choice experiments, A. coregoni of 4-5 mm length preferred salmonids (rainbow trout) to cyprinids (roach) irrespective of the type of fish host, on which it had been previously grown in the laboratory. We suggest that such an innate ontogenetic shift in host preference maintains the major part of the parasite population on its principal host, ensuring successful reproduction within suitable habitats.

  11. Developmental changes in cell proliferation and apoptosis in the normal duck bursa of Fabricius.

    PubMed

    Fang, Jing; Peng, Xi

    2014-12-01

    The aim of this work was to investigate developmental changes in cell proliferation and apoptosis in normal duck bursa of Fabricius using flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Studies were carried out on Tianfu ducks on days 24 and 27 of embryogenesis (E24 and E27) along with days 20, 70, and 200 of postnatal development (P20, P70, and P200). Results showed that the percentage of G0/G1 bursa cells significantly increased between E24 and P200 while the percentage of cells in the S phase or G2 + M phase as well as the proliferating index obviously decreased during the same period. Proliferation cell nuclear antigen was detected in lymphocyte and interfollicular epithelium. The proliferative lymphocyte density tended to decrease from E24 to P200. Apoptotic bodies in macrophages, free apoptotic bodies, or nuclei with condensed chromatin in lymphocytes in follicles were identified by transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling. Both flow cytometry and microscopic analysis reveal that the proportion of apoptotic cells and apoptotic lymphocyte density increased from E24 to P20, fell on P70, then rose again on P200. Our foundings demonstrate that cell proliferation decreases and apoptosis increases with age. These changes may account for duck bursa development and involution.

  12. Jamaica's Critically Endangered Butterfly: A Review of the Biology and Conservation Status of the Homerus Swallowtail (Papilio (Pterourus) homerus Fabricius).

    PubMed

    Lehnert, Matthew S; Kramer, Valerie R; Rawlins, John E; Verdecia, Vanessa; Daniels, Jaret C

    2017-07-10

    The Homerus swallowtail, Papilio ( Pterourus ) homerus Fabricius, is listed as an endangered species and is endemic to the Caribbean island of Jamaica. The largest butterfly in the Western Hemisphere, P. homerus once inhabited seven of Jamaica's 14 parishes and consisted of at least three populations; however, now only two stronghold populations remain, a western population in the rugged Cockpit Country and an eastern population in the Blue and John Crow Mountains. Despite numerous studies of its life history, much about the population biology, including estimates of total numbers of individuals in each population, remains unknown. In addition, a breeding program is needed to establish an experimental population, which could be used to augment wild populations and ensure the continued survival of the species. Here, we present a review of the biology of P. homerus and recommendations for a conservation plan.

  13. Life History of Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius, 1775) (Diptera, Calliphoridae), a Blowfly of Medical and Forensic Importance.

    PubMed

    Alvarez Garcia, D M; Pérez-Hérazo, A; Amat, E

    2017-12-01

    The life history traits of blow fly Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius, 1775) was studied under semi-controlled laboratory conditions at 29.14°C temperature, 72.53% relative humidity, and 12-h photoperiod. The raw data were analyzed based on the age-stage, two-sex life table, considering the development rates among individuals of both sexes. Cochliomyia macellaria survival rate was 0.43 (♂) and 0.40 (♀), while life expectancy was 17.9 (♂) and 20.9 (♀) days, for adult males and females, respectively. The total fecundity was 681.15 eggs/female, with an average of 3.65 batches/female and 199 eggs/batch. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) was 0.327 days -1 , the finite rate of population increase (λ) was 3.35 days -1 , the mean generation time (T) was 17.15 days, and the net reproduction rate (R 0 ) was 272.46 offspring/individual. The population parameters found here corroborates that C. macellaria population act as a r selected species under laboratory conditions. Additionally, development data and accumulated degree days (ADD) for each stage of C. macellaria are provided and its implications for the forensic use are discussed.

  14. Storage of Euschistus heros Eggs (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Liquid Nitrogen for Parasitization by Telenomus podisi Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae).

    PubMed

    Favetti, B M; Butnariu, A R; Doetzer, A K

    2014-06-01

    Records in the literature with regard to the influence of freezing of pentatomid eggs on parasitism by microhymenopterans are scarce. In this research, we compared the storage of Euschistus heros (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) eggs in liquid nitrogen for different periods with the objective of optimizing the multiplication of Telenomus podisi Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) in the laboratory. Fresh eggs of E. heros were exposed (S3, S6) or not (NS3, NS6) to UV light for 30 min and stored in 1.5-mL plastic vials in liquid nitrogen either for 3 (S3, NS3) or 6 months (S6, NS6), and egg suitability to parasitoid development was compared to control eggs exposed (SC) or not (NSC) to UV treatment. Global data analysis showed that E. heros eggs stored in liquid nitrogen with or without UV treatment, for 3 or 6 months, were suitable for T. podisi parasitization.

  15. Painful sexual intercourse caused by a disproportionately long penis: an historical note on a remarkable treatment devised by Guilhelmius Fabricius Hildanus (1560-1634).

    PubMed

    Kompanje, Erwin J O

    2006-10-01

    Between 1598 and 1641, the famous surgeon Guilhelmius Fabricius Hildanus (1560-1634) published 600 medical and surgical observations in his Observationum et curationum chirurgicarum centuriae I-VI. One of the case reports bears the title 'Pain and infertility caused by a too large penis.' The woman described in this case report most likely suffered from positional deep dyspareunia. Hildanus invented in 1593 a remarkable made-to-measure device. This device was a very well-considered and faultless curative for the woman's dyspareunia. It seemed that the dyspareunia had a simple cause: the disproportional large penis of the woman's husband. Four hundred years later, Hildanus' forgotten penis shortening device deserves a resurrection in today's medical practice. This remarkable and almost forgotten case report is described and discussed.

  16. Effects of feeding a Fusarium toxin-contaminated diet to infectious bursal disease virus-infected broilers on the protein turnover of the bursa of Fabricius and spleen.

    PubMed

    Dänicke, Sven; Pappritz, Julia; Goyarts, Tanja; Xu, Bu; Rautenschlein, Silke

    2011-02-01

    Two experiments were carried out to examine the effects of feeding an uncontaminated control diet (CON) or a Fusarium toxin-contaminated diet (FUS; 10.7 mg deoxynivalenol [DON]/kg diet) to growing broilers, which were either uninfected or infected with infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) beginning at 1 day post hatch. Broilers had been infected at three weeks post hatch with either a classical virulent infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV-IM, Exp. 1) or a very virulent IBDV (vvIBDV, Exp. 2) strain. The effects of the DON-contaminated diet in combination with the virus-infection on the bursa of Fabricius and spleen were determined at 3 and 6-7 days post infection. The transient development of the bursa oedema and the bursa atrophy was not significantly affected by the diet after infection with the different IBDV-strains. The histopathological lesions were more severe in IBDV-IM-infected birds at 6 days post infection when additionally exposed to the FUS diet as compared to the FUS-free feed. Most parameters of the bursa of Fabricius and spleen protein turnover (e.g. fractional protein synthesis rate, protein, DNA and RNA content and derived indices) were significantly and interactively influenced by infection and stage of infection. The vvIBDV-infected birds responded with a more pronounced depressing effect on the fractional protein synthesis rate after feeding the DON-containing FUS diet when compared to their IBDV-IM-infected counterparts, where the opposite effect was observed. It can be concluded that feeding a FUS diet to IBDV-infected broilers might modulate the virulence-dependent pathogenesis of an IBDV infection.

  17. Jamaica’s Critically Endangered Butterfly: A Review of the Biology and Conservation Status of the Homerus Swallowtail (Papilio (Pterourus) homerus Fabricius)

    PubMed Central

    Kramer, Valerie R.; Rawlins, John E.; Verdecia, Vanessa; Daniels, Jaret C.

    2017-01-01

    The Homerus swallowtail, Papilio (Pterourus) homerus Fabricius, is listed as an endangered species and is endemic to the Caribbean island of Jamaica. The largest butterfly in the Western Hemisphere, P. homerus once inhabited seven of Jamaica’s 14 parishes and consisted of at least three populations; however, now only two stronghold populations remain, a western population in the rugged Cockpit Country and an eastern population in the Blue and John Crow Mountains. Despite numerous studies of its life history, much about the population biology, including estimates of total numbers of individuals in each population, remains unknown. In addition, a breeding program is needed to establish an experimental population, which could be used to augment wild populations and ensure the continued survival of the species. Here, we present a review of the biology of P. homerus and recommendations for a conservation plan. PMID:28698508

  18. Paleocene decapod Crustacea from northeastern Mexico: Additions to biostratigraphy and diversity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martínez-Díaz, José Luis; Aguillón-Martínez, Martha Carolina; Luque, Javier; Vega, Francisco J.

    2017-03-01

    New decapod specimens from mid-Paleocene shallow marine deposits of NE Mexico represents an important addition to the diversity, paleobiogeography and evolution of the Crustacea record. In this work, we describe additions to the decapod assemblage from the Paleocene (Selandian) Rancho Nuevo Formation (Difunta Group, Parras Basin, Coahuila). Due to the evident size differences with other decapod assemblages, we compare the new assemblage with those from the Lower Paleocene (Danian) Mexia Clay Member of the Wills Point Formation, Texas, and the Lower Eocene (Ypresian) El Bosque Formation in Chiapas. Species reported from the mid-Paleocene (Selandian) assemblage of the Porters Creek Formation (Alabama), are correlatable to the decapod species from NE Mexico in age, size and systematic composition. The erymid lobster Enoploclytia gardnerae (Rathbun, 1935) is represented by several carapaces and chelae remains. One isolated palm of Callianassidae is included. Numerous carapaces of Linuparus wilcoxensis Rathbun, 1935 are described, representing the most abundant lobster. A new record for the raninid Notopoides sp., and presence of Quasilaeviranina sp. cf. arzignagnensis and Quasilaeviranina ovalis are here reported. New raninids, Claudioranina latacantha sp. nov. and Claudioranina sp. (Cyrtorhininae) are also part of this assemblage. Paraverrucoides alabamensis (Rathbun, 1935), and Tehuacana americana (Rathbun, 1935) are represented by several carapaces exhibiting intraspecific morphological variation. Different sizes among the Early and Middle Paleocene and Early Eocene decapod populations suggests a possible effect of variation in seawater temperatures and/or a Lilliput effect after the K/Pg event.

  19. Differential Recruitment of Camponotus femoratus (Fabricius) Ants in Response to Ant Garden Herbivory.

    PubMed

    Vicente, R E; Dáttilo, W; Izzo, T J

    2014-12-01

    Although several studies have shown that ants can recognize chemical cues from their host plants in ant-plant systems, it is poorly demonstrated in ant gardens (AGs). In this interaction, ant species constantly interact with various epiphyte species. Therefore, it is possible to expect a convergence of chemical signals released by plants that could be acting to ensure that ants are able to recognize and defend epiphyte species frequently associated with AGs. In this study, it was hypothesized that ants recognize and differentiate among chemical stimuli released by AG epiphytes and non-AG epiphytes. We experimentally simulated leaf herbivore damage on three epiphyte species restricted to AGs and a locally abundant understory herb, Piper hispidum, in order to quantify the number of recruited Camponotus femoratus (Fabricius) defenders. When exposed to the AG epiphytes Peperomia macrostachya and Codonanthe uleana leaves, it was observed that the recruitment of C. femoratus workers was, on average, respectively 556% and 246% higher than control. However, the number of ants recruited by the AG epiphyte Markea longiflora or by the non-AG plant did not differ from paper pieces. This indicated that ants could discern between chemicals released by different plants, suggesting that ants can select better plants. These results can be explained by evolutionary process acting on both ants' capability in discerning plants' chemical compounds (innate attraction) or by ants' learning based on the epiphyte frequency in AGs (individual experience). To disentangle an innate behavior, a product of classical coevolutionary process, from an ant's learned behavior, is a complicated but important subject to understand in the evolution of ant-plant mutualisms.

  20. Time of Death Revealed by Hydrocarbons of Empty Puparia of Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae): A Field Experiment

    PubMed Central

    Zhu, Guang-Hui; Yu, Xiao-Jun; Xie, Liang-Xing; Luo, Hao; Wang, Dian; Lv, Jun-Yao; Xu, Xiao-Hu

    2013-01-01

    Determination of the postmortem interval (PMI) is crucial for investigating homicide. However, there are currently only limited methods available. Especially, once the PMI exceeds the duration of pre-adult development of the flies with the adult emergence, its determination is very approximate. Herein, we report the regular changes in hydrocarbon composition during the weathering process of the puparia in the field in Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), one of the common species of necrophagous flies. Correlation analysis showed that the relative abundance of nearly all of the branched alkanes and alkenes decreased significantly with the weathering time. Especially, for 9 of the peaks, over 88% of the variance in their abundance was explained by weathering time. Further analysis indicated that the regular changes caused mainly by the different weathering rates of various hydrocarbons. Additionally, the weathering rates were found to depend on the chemical structure and molecular weight of the hydrocarbons. These results indicate strongly that hydrocarbon analysis is a powerful tool for determining the weathering time of the necrophagous fly puparia, and is expected to markedly improve the determination of the late PMI. PMID:24039855

  1. Brain architecture of the largest living land arthropod, the Giant Robber Crab Birgus latro (Crustacea, Anomura, Coenobitidae): evidence for a prominent central olfactory pathway?

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Several lineages within the Crustacea conquered land independently during evolution, thereby requiring physiological adaptations for a semi-terrestrial or even a fully terrestrial lifestyle. Birgus latro Linnaeus, 1767, the giant robber crab or coconut crab (Anomura, Coenobitidae), is the largest land-living arthropod and inhabits Indo-Pacific islands such as Christmas Island. B. latro has served as a model in numerous studies of physiological aspects related to the conquest of land by crustaceans. From an olfactory point of view, a transition from sea to land means that molecules need to be detected in gas phase instead of in water solution. Previous studies have provided physiological evidence that terrestrial hermit crabs (Coenobitidae) such as B. latro have a sensitive and well differentiated sense of smell. Here we analyze the brain, in particular the olfactory processing areas of B. latro, by morphological analysis followed by 3 D reconstruction and immunocytochemical studies of synaptic proteins and a neuropeptide. Results The primary and secondary olfactory centers dominate the brain of B. latro and together account for ca. 40% of the neuropil volume in its brain. The paired olfactory neuropils are tripartite and composed of more than 1,000 columnar olfactory glomeruli, which are radially arranged around the periphery of the olfactory neuropils. The glomeruli are innervated ca. 90,000 local interneurons and ca. 160,000 projection neurons per side. The secondary olfactory centers, the paired hemiellipsoid neuropils, are targeted by the axons of these olfactory projection neurons. The projection neuron axonal branches make contact to ca. 250.000 interneurons (per side) associated with the hemiellipsoid neuropils. The hemiellipsoid body neuropil is organized into parallel neuropil lamellae, a design that is quite unusual for decapod crustaceans. The architecture of the optic neuropils and areas associated with antenna two suggest that B. latro has

  2. The amazing diversity of the genus Monospilus Sars, 1862 (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Aloninae) in South America.

    PubMed

    Sousa, Francisco Diogo R; Elmoor-Loureiro, Lourdes M A; Panarelli, Eliana A

    2017-03-13

    The main goal of this paper is to describe three new species of the genus Monospilus Sars, 1862 (Crustacea: Cladocera). Monospilus macroerosus sp. nov. differs from other species of the genus in several peculiar morphological traits, the most striking being the presence of a saw-shaped pecten of teeth on the postabdominal claw. This species inhabits semiterrestrial habitats (wet leaf litter on hydromorphic soil from gallery forest), exhibiting adaptations related to movement and food handling in this type of habitat. Monospilus brachyspinus sp. nov. inhabits truly aquatic habitats, where lives being associated with macrophytes and submerged leaves. It may be recognized by the postabdominal claw, which is armed with proximal spinulae modified in a short spine. In Monospilus sp., the proximal spinulae are modified in a long and slender spine. So far, Monospilus sp. occurs in southern South America, while Monospilus macroerosus sp. nov. and Monospilus brachyspinus sp. nov. occur in the Cerrado biome in Brazil, in the central portion of South America. Some conclusions about the conservation status of new species also are made.

  3. Seawater Ca2+ concentration influences solar orientation in Talitrus saltator (Crustacea, Amphipoda).

    PubMed

    Ugolini, Alberto; Ungherese, Giuseppe; Mercatelli, Luca; Saer, Doumett; Lepri, Luciano

    2009-03-01

    The role of salinity in the ecophysiology of many intertidal invertebrates has been extensively investigated. Calcium (Ca(2+)), magnesium (Mg(2+)), potassium (K(+)) and sodium (Na(+)) are the major constituents of seawater and it has been demonstrated that sandhoppers tested under the sun in diluted seawater (3.5 per thousand) head seaward, instead of going landward as expected. Therefore, the variation in seawater salinity (from 35 per thousand to 3.5 per thousand) influences their directional choice. This paper investigates the contribution of different cations to the sea-land directional choice of Talitrus saltator (Crustacea, Amphipoda) by the sun compass orientation mechanism. Results of releases carried out in basic seawater selectively deprived of Ca(2+), Mg(2+) or K(+) and containing the same concentration of Na(+) indicate that only the reduction in Ca(2+) concentration affects the capacity of solar orientation. The pH does not influence the directional choice of sandhoppers and nor do small variations in salinity in the range 32-39 per thousand. Moreover, the clear photopositive tendency registered in experiments of phototaxis in Ca(2+)-deprived seawater indicates that the absence of Ca(2+) does not affect the normal functioning of the visual cells. Therefore, our results show that Ca(2+) seawater concentration is important for the correct functioning of one of the principal mechanisms of orientation in supralittoral amphipods and it could affect their survival in the field.

  4. Larva and pupa of Ctesias (s. str.) serra (Fabricius, 1792) with remarks on biology and economic importance, and larval comparison of co-occurring genera (Coleoptera, Dermestidae).

    PubMed

    Kadej, Marcin

    2018-01-01

    Updated descriptions of the last larval instar (based on the larvae and exuviae) and first detailed description of the pupa of Ctesias (s. str.) serra (Fabricius, 1792) (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) are presented. Several morphological characters of C. serra larvae are documented: antenna, epipharynx, mandible, maxilla, ligula, labial palpi, spicisetae, hastisetae, terga, frons, foreleg, and condition of the antecostal suture. The paper is fully illustrated and includes some important additions to extend notes for this species available in the references. Summarised data about biology, economic importance, and distribution of C. serra are also provided. The comparison of larval characteristics for some of the genera of Dermestidae co-occurring with Ctesias is presented. A key for identification of these genera is also provided.

  5. Comparative life-histories, population dynamics and productivity of Schistomysis populations (Crustacea, Mysida) in European shelf environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    San Vicente, Carlos; Sorbe, Jean Claude

    2013-08-01

    A biological study of suprabenthic mysids of genus Schistomysis (Crustacea, Mysida, Mysidae) was carried out based on quantitative samples collected in coastal waters of the SE Bay of Biscay (NE Atlantic) and the Catalan Sea (W Mediterranean). Aspects of the ecology of species noted during this study are summarized and the results of previous researches are incorporated. Small and large-scale environmental factors (swash and surf climate, depth, temperature, day-night and seasonal cycles) contributed significantly to population distributions. All Schistomysis populations are characterized by faster individual growth and earlier maturity at higher temperature, resulting in intensive recruitment during spring or summer seasons in combination with higher fecundity of genitors. Regarding productivity, our production and P/B¯ estimates ranged between 2255-26,321 mg AFDW/100 m3/year and 6.09-9.73, respectively. These production values are similar to those found for comparable marine mysids with two or three generations per year. The observed demographic heterogeneity and production of populations has ecological implications in the Bay of Biscay and Mediterranean areas, where Schistomysis species are dominant components of littoral and shelf suprabenthic communities.

  6. The Hyalella (Crustacea: Amphipoda) species cloud of the ancient Lake Titicaca originated from multiple colonizations.

    PubMed

    Adamowicz, Sarah J; Marinone, María Cristina; Menu-Marque, Silvina; Martin, Jeffrey W; Allen, Daniel C; Pyle, Michelle N; De Los Ríos, Patricio; Sobel, Crystal N; Ibañez, Carla; Pinto, Julio; Witt, Jonathan D S

    2018-08-01

    Ancient lakes are renowned for their exceptional diversity of endemic species. As model systems for the study of sympatric speciation, it is necessary to understand whether a given hypothesized species flock is of monophyletic or polyphyletic origin. Here, we present the first molecular characterization of the Hyalella (Crustacea: Amphipoda) species complex of Lake Titicaca, using COI and 28S DNA sequences, including samples from the connected Small and Large Lakes that comprise Lake Titicaca as well as from a broader survey of southern South American sites. At least five evolutionarily distant lineages are present within Lake Titicaca, which were estimated to have diverged from one another 12-20 MYA. These major lineages are dispersed throughout the broader South American Hyalella phylogeny, with each lineage representing at least one independent colonization of the lake. Moreover, complex genetic relationships are revealed between Lake Titicaca individuals and those from surrounding water bodies, which may be explained by repeated dispersal into and out of the lake, combined with parallel intralacustrine diversification within two separate clades. Although further work in deeper waters will be required to determine the number of species present and modes of diversification, our results strongly indicate that this amphipod species cloud is polyphyletic with a complex geographic history. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Occurrence and behaviour of Paromola cuvieri (Crustacea, Decapoda) in the Santa Maria di Leuca cold-water coral community (Mediterranean Sea)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Capezzuto, Francesca; Maiorano, Porzia; Panza, Michele; Indennidate, Antonella; Sion, Letizia; D'Onghia, Gianfranco

    2012-01-01

    Occurrence and behaviour of Paromola cuvieri (Crustacea, Decapoda) were recorded by means of the MEMO lander equipped with two digital cameras and deployed in the cold-water coral community of the Santa Maria di Leuca (Mediterranean Sea). A total of 14 individuals were observed at depths between 547 and 648 m; 10 in the coral habitat on coral mounds and 4 off the coral habitat on muddy bottoms. Thirteen specimens recorded were females, one male and all were shown to scavenge the bait. All the specimens carried a sponge on their exoskeleton using the fifth pereiopods. The specimens were distinguishable by the size and shape of the carried sponge. The present observations demonstrate both passive covering behaviour and active behaviour of discouraging approach and attack from competitors or predators, respectively. This study represents the first in situ documentation of Paromola cuvieri behaviour interacting with other deep-sea species in the Mediterranean Sea.

  8. Species diversity and phylogeographical affinities of the Branchiopoda (Crustacea) of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.

    PubMed

    Jeffery, Nicholas W; Elías-Gutiérrez, Manuel; Adamowicz, Sarah J

    2011-01-01

    The region of Churchill, Manitoba, contains a wide variety of habitats representative of both the boreal forest and arctic tundra and has been used as a model site for biodiversity studies for nearly seven decades within Canada. Much previous work has been done in Churchill to study the Daphnia pulex species complex in particular, but no study has completed a wide-scale survey on the crustacean species that inhabit Churchill's aquatic ecosystems using molecular markers. We have employed DNA barcoding to study the diversity of the Branchiopoda (Crustacea) in a wide variety of freshwater habitats and to determine the likely origins of the Churchill fauna following the last glaciation. The standard animal barcode marker (COI) was sequenced for 327 specimens, and a 3% divergence threshold was used to delineate potential species. We found 42 provisional and valid branchiopod species from this survey alone, including several cryptic lineages, in comparison with the 25 previously recorded from previous ecological works. Using published sequence data, we explored the phylogeographic affinities of Churchill's branchiopods, finding that the Churchill fauna apparently originated from all directions from multiple glacial refugia (including southern, Beringian, and high arctic regions). Overall, these microcrustaceans are very diverse in Churchill and contain multiple species complexes. The present study introduces among the first sequences for some understudied genera, for which further work is required to delineate species boundaries and develop a more complete understanding of branchiopod diversity over a larger spatial scale.

  9. Species Diversity and Phylogeographical Affinities of the Branchiopoda (Crustacea) of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

    PubMed Central

    Jeffery, Nicholas W.; Elías-Gutiérrez, Manuel; Adamowicz, Sarah J.

    2011-01-01

    The region of Churchill, Manitoba, contains a wide variety of habitats representative of both the boreal forest and arctic tundra and has been used as a model site for biodiversity studies for nearly seven decades within Canada. Much previous work has been done in Churchill to study the Daphnia pulex species complex in particular, but no study has completed a wide-scale survey on the crustacean species that inhabit Churchill's aquatic ecosystems using molecular markers. We have employed DNA barcoding to study the diversity of the Branchiopoda (Crustacea) in a wide variety of freshwater habitats and to determine the likely origins of the Churchill fauna following the last glaciation. The standard animal barcode marker (COI) was sequenced for 327 specimens, and a 3% divergence threshold was used to delineate potential species. We found 42 provisional and valid branchiopod species from this survey alone, including several cryptic lineages, in comparison with the 25 previously recorded from previous ecological works. Using published sequence data, we explored the phylogeographic affinities of Churchill's branchiopods, finding that the Churchill fauna apparently originated from all directions from multiple glacial refugia (including southern, Beringian, and high arctic regions). Overall, these microcrustaceans are very diverse in Churchill and contain multiple species complexes. The present study introduces among the first sequences for some understudied genera, for which further work is required to delineate species boundaries and develop a more complete understanding of branchiopod diversity over a larger spatial scale. PMID:21610864

  10. [Effect of Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions in Ca-ATPase activity isolated from Pachymerus nucleorum (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae) larvae].

    PubMed

    Dias, Decivaldo S; Coelho, Milton V

    2007-01-01

    ATPases, an important target of insecticides, are enzymes that hydrolyze ATP and use the energy released in that process to accomplish some type of cellular work. Pachymerus nucleorum (Fabricius) larvae possess an ATPase, that presents high Ca-ATPase activity, but no Mg-ATPase activity. In the present study, the effect of zinc and copper ions in the activity Ca-ATPase of that enzyme was tested. More than 90% of the Ca-ATPase activity was inhibited in 0.5 mM of copper ions or 0.25 mM of zinc ions. In the presence of EDTA, but not in the absence, the inhibition by zinc was reverted with the increase of calcium concentration. The inhibition by copper ions was not reverted in the presence or absence of EDTA. The Ca-ATPase was not inhibited by treatment of the ATPase fraction with copper, suggesting that the copper ion does not bind directly to the enzyme. The results suggest that zinc and copper ions form a complex with ATP and bind to the enzyme inhibiting its Ca-ATPase activity.

  11. Oldest record of Mathildellidae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Goneplacoidea) associated with Retroplumidae from the Upper Cretaceous of NE Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vega, Francisco J.; Ahyong, Shane T.; Espinosa, Belinda; Flores-Ventura, José; Luna, Laura; González-González, Arturo H.

    2018-03-01

    A new genus and species of the Mathildellidae Prebranchioplax cretacica (Crustacea: Decapoda: Goneplacoidea) is reported from shallow marine sediments of the upper Campanian Parras Shale and Cerro del Pueblo Formation (Parras Basin), Coahuila, NE Mexico. Prebranchioplax cretacica was collected from siliceous concretions associated with more abundant specimens of the retroplumid Costacopluma mexicana Vega and Perrilliat, 1989. P. cretacica bears similarities to Eocene species of Branchioplax from Japan, USA (Alaska and Washington), England, Hungary and Tajikistan as well as with Eogeryonidae (Portunoidea) species from the Upper Cretaceous of Spain and Marocarcinidae (Styracocarcinus) from Morocco. However, clear differences in the carapace frontal shape places P. cretacica in the Mathildellidae. This record represents the oldest known Mathildellidae, and along with the Retroplumidae, appear to have originated during the Late Cretaceous in ancient seas of Mexico, with a wide distribution during Paleogene times becoming restricted today to deep waters of the Indo-Pacific region and Atlantic Ocean. Comments on preservation and morphology of Costacopluma mexicana are also included. Crab specimens preserved in siliceous concretions from one locality (Entronque) show peculiar desiccation marks, and a possible model of taphonomy.

  12. First inventory of the Crustacea (Decapoda, Stomatopoda) of Juan de Nova Island with ecological observations and comparison with nearby islands in the Mozambique channel (Europa, Glorieuses, Mayotte)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poupin, J.

    2016-04-01

    Crustacea Decapoda and Stomatopoda are inventoried for the first time in Juan de Nova Island, Iles Eparses, Mozambique channel. In total, 112 species are reported: 69 crabs, 28 anomurans, 11 shrimps, 3 mantis shrimps and 1 lobster. A comparison is made with nearby islands in the Mozambique channel: Glorieuses Islands (157 species), Europa Island (178 species), and Mayotte Island (505 species). The lower species richness at Juan de Nova is explained by the small size of the island and by the difficulties to collect the crustaceans on the reef flat hardly accessible at low tide. The crustaceans are listed by main habitats from land to outer reef (2-20 m). The presence of the coconut crab (Birgus latro), an endangered species vulnerable to human predation, is confirmed.

  13. Effects of turmeric (Curcuma longa) and vitamin E on histopathological lesions induced in bursa of Fabricius of broiler chicks by salinomycin.

    PubMed

    Sayrafi, Reza; Mirzakhani, Navideh; Mobaseri, Reza

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of the turmeric in comparison to vitamin E on bursal damages induced by salinomycin in broiler chickens. In this study, forty one day-old broiler chicks were randomly divided into four treatment groups: 1- basal diet as control, 2- basal diet plus salinomycin, 3- basal diet plus salinomycin (SLM) and vitamin E (Vit. E) and 4- basal diet plus salinomycin and turmeric powder. The chicks were treated for two weeks. At the end of the experiment, the bursal tissues were removed and fixed in 10% formalin solution. Tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin stain for histopathological studies. Light microscopic observations showed that, SLM diminished cortex thickness of bursal tissue, enhanced its medulla zone and caused severe lymphocytic necrosis. In addition, SLM led to fibrosis of interstitium along with sever edema of medulla zone in the bursal tissue of the chicken. Administration of Vit. E and TP significantly inhibited the SLM-induced derangements and comparing the Vit. E and TP showed no significant differences. The results of this study indicated that the turmeric may protect bursa of Fabricius against toxicity induced by salinomycin in chicks.

  14. Lunar-Rhythmic Molting in Laboratory Populations of the Noble Crayfish Astacus astacus (Crustacea, Astacidea): An Experimental Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Franke, Robert; Hoerstgen-Schwark, Gabriele

    2013-01-01

    Juvenile noble crayfish, Astacusastacus (Crustacea, Astacidea) in the second year of age were kept in the laboratory for a twelve-month period under continuing “summer conditions” (LD 16:8, 19°C). Molting processes in this population could be synchronized by artificial moonlight cycles. Peaks of exuviations occurred at “new moons”. Males showed a slightly higher degree of synchronization than females. A phase-shift of the artificial lunar cycle in relation to the natural cycle resulted in a corresponding shift of the molting cycle. This clearly demonstrates that changes in the nocturnal light regime provide the primary external information for the lunar-monthly molting rhythm. There is a first indication that lunar photic stimuli do not act directly but as a zeitgeber which entrains an endogenous molting rhythm to the lunar cycle. Moreover, the results of the long-term experiments suggest that the hibernal resting period of A . astacus in the field (no molts between October and April) may also involve some endogenous programming. Continuing artificial summer conditions can delay but not completely suppress this resting period. The adaptive significance of the phenomena and how the findings may be applied to improve the management of crowded crayfish stocks are discussed. PMID:23840899

  15. Histological studies on the marsupium of two terrestrial isopods (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea)

    PubMed Central

    Csonka, Diána; Halasy, Katalin; Hornung, Elisabeth

    2015-01-01

    Abstract The marsupium, a brood pouch in peracarid crustaceans (Crustacea, Malacostraca) has evolved in terrestrial environment for providing nutrition and optimal conditions for embryogenesis. In the present study we give details on the histology and ultrastructure of its constituting elements such as oostegites and cotyledons. Marsupia of two different eco-morphological types of woodlice, namely the non-conglobating species Trachelipus rathkii Brandt, 1833 and the conglobating species Cylisticus convexus De Geer, 1778 were investigated. Light microscopic (LM) studies showed some differences in the main structure of the two species’ brood pouch: in Trachelipus rathkii, a ‘clinger’ type woodlice, the oostegites bend outwards during brood incubation as growing offspring require more space, while in Cylisticus convexus, a ‘roller’ type isopod, the sternites arch into the body cavity to ensure space for developing offspring and still allowing conglobation of the gravid females. The quantitative analysis of the oostegites’ cuticle proved that the outer part is about 2.5 - 3 times thicker compared to the inner part in both species. Electron microscopic (TEM) examinations show only small histological differences in the oostegites and cotyledon structure of the two species. Cellular elements and moderately electron dense fleecy precipitate are found in the hemolymph space between the two cuticles of oostegites. The cells contain PAS positive polysaccharide areas. TEM studies revealed some differences in the cotyledon ultrastructure of the two species. Cotyledons of Trachelipus rathkii consist of cells with cristate mitochondria and granular endoplasmic reticulum with cisterns. Cotyledons of Cylisticus convexus consist of cells with densely cristate mitochondria and ribosomes attached to vesicular membrane structures. In both species cells with electron dense bodies were observed. We conclude that - besides the differences in marsupial shapes - the fine

  16. Effect of ingested tungsten oxide (WOx) nanofibers on digestive gland tissue of Porcellio scaber (Isopoda, Crustacea): fourier transform infrared (FTIR) imaging.

    PubMed

    Novak, Sara; Drobne, Damjana; Vaccari, Lisa; Kiskinova, Maya; Ferraris, Paolo; Birarda, Giovanni; Remškar, Maja; Hočevar, Matej

    2013-10-01

    Tungsten nanofibers are recognized as biologically potent. We study deviations in molecular composition between normal and digestive gland tissue of WOx nanofibers (nano-WOx) fed invertebrate Porcellio scaber (Iosopda, Crustacea) and revealed mechanisms of nano-WOx effect in vivo. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) imaging performed on digestive gland epithelium was supplemented by toxicity and cytotoxicity analyses as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the surface of the epithelium. The difference in the spectra of the Nano-WOx treated and control cells showed up in the central region of the cells and were related to lipid peroxidation, and structural changes of nucleic acids. The conventional toxicity parameters failed to show toxic effects of nano-WOx, whereas the cytotoxicity biomarkers and SEM investigation of digestive gland epithelium indicated sporadic effects of nanofibers. Since toxicological and cytological measurements did not highlight severe effects, the biochemical alterations evidenced by FTIR imaging have been explained as the result of cell protection (acclimation) mechanisms to unfavorable conditions and indication of a nonhomeostatic state, which can lead to toxic effects.

  17. Fly artifact documentation of Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) - a forensically important blowfly species in Malaysia.

    PubMed

    Zuha, R M; Supriyani, M; Omar, B

    2008-04-01

    Analysis on fly artifacts produced by forensically important blowfly, Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) (Diptera:Calliphoridae), revealed several unique patterns. They can be divided into fecal spots, regurgitation spots and swiping stains. The characteristics of fecal spots are round with three distinct levels of pigmentation; creamy, brownish and darkly pigmented. Matrix of the spots appears cloudy. The round spots are symmetrical and non-symmetrical, delineated by irregular and darker perimeter which only visible in fairly colored fecal spots. Diameter of these artifacts ranged from 0.5 mm to 4 mm. Vomit or regurgitation spots are determined by the presence of craters due to sucking activity of blowflies and surrounded by thickly raised and darker colored perimeter. The size of these specks ranged from 1 mm to 2 mm. Matrix of the spots displays irregular surface and reflective under auxiliary microscope light. Swiping stains due to defecation by flies consists of two distinguishable segments, the body and tail. It can be seen as a tear drop-like, sperm-like, snake-like and irregular tadpole-like stain. The direction of body and tail is inconsistent and length ranged between 4.8 mm to 9.2 mm. A finding that should be highlighted in this observation is the presence of crater on tadpole-like swiping stain which is apparent by its raised border characteristic and reflective under auxiliary microscope light. The directionality of this darkly brown stain is random. This unique mix of regurgitation and swiping stain has never been reported before. Highlighting the features of artifacts produced by flies would hopefully add our understanding in differentiating them from blood spatters produced from victims at crime scenes.

  18. Development of B cells expressing surface immunoglobulin molecules that lack V(D)J-encoded determinants in the avian embryo bursa of Fabricius

    PubMed Central

    Sayegh, Camil E.; Demaries, Sandra L.; Iacampo, Sandra; Ratcliffe, Michael J. H.

    1999-01-01

    Immunoglobulin gene rearrangement in avian B cell precursors generates surface Ig receptors of limited diversity. It has been proposed that specificities encoded by these receptors play a critical role in B lineage development by recognizing endogenous ligands within the bursa of Fabricius. To address this issue directly we have introduced a truncated surface IgM, lacking variable region domains, into developing B precursors by retroviral gene transfer in vivo. Cells expressing this truncated receptor lack endogenous surface IgM, and the low level of endogenous Ig rearrangements that have occurred within this population of cells has not been selected for having a productive reading frame. Such cells proliferate rapidly within bursal epithelial buds of normal morphology. In addition, despite reduced levels of endogenous light chain rearrangement, those light chain rearrangements that have occurred have undergone variable region diversification by gene conversion. Therefore, although surface expression of an Ig receptor is required for bursal colonization and the induction of gene conversion, the specificity encoded by the prediversified receptor is irrelevant and, consequently, there is no obligate ligand for V(D)J-encoded determinants of prediversified avian cell surface IgM receptor. PMID:10485907

  19. A dataset on the species composition of amphipods (Crustacea) in a Mexican marine national park: Alacranes Reef, Yucatan

    PubMed Central

    Simões, Nuno; Pech, Daniel

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Background Alacranes Reef was declared as a National Marine Park in 1994. Since then, many efforts have been made to inventory its biodiversity. However, groups such as amphipods have been underestimated or not considered when benthic invertebrates were inventoried. Here we present a dataset that contributes to the knowledge of benthic amphipods (Crustacea, Peracarida) from the inner lagoon habitats from the Alacranes Reef National Park, the largest coral reef ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico. The dataset contains information on records collected from 2009 to 2011. Data are available through Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). New information A total of 110 amphipod species distributed in 93 nominal species and 17 generic species, belonging to 71 genera, 33 families and three suborders are presented here. This information represents the first online dataset of amphipods from the Alacranes Reef National Park. The biological material is currently deposited in the crustacean collection from the regional unit of the National Autonomous University of Mexico located at Sisal, Yucatan, Mexico (UAS-Sisal). The biological material includes 588 data records with a total abundance of 6,551 organisms. The species inventory represents, until now, the richest fauna of benthic amphipods registered from any discrete coral reef ecosystem in Mexico. PMID:29416428

  20. A dataset on the species composition of amphipods (Crustacea) in a Mexican marine national park: Alacranes Reef, Yucatan.

    PubMed

    Paz-Ríos, Carlos E; Simões, Nuno; Pech, Daniel

    2018-01-01

    Alacranes Reef was declared as a National Marine Park in 1994. Since then, many efforts have been made to inventory its biodiversity. However, groups such as amphipods have been underestimated or not considered when benthic invertebrates were inventoried. Here we present a dataset that contributes to the knowledge of benthic amphipods (Crustacea, Peracarida) from the inner lagoon habitats from the Alacranes Reef National Park, the largest coral reef ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico. The dataset contains information on records collected from 2009 to 2011. Data are available through Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). A total of 110 amphipod species distributed in 93 nominal species and 17 generic species, belonging to 71 genera, 33 families and three suborders are presented here. This information represents the first online dataset of amphipods from the Alacranes Reef National Park. The biological material is currently deposited in the crustacean collection from the regional unit of the National Autonomous University of Mexico located at Sisal, Yucatan, Mexico (UAS-Sisal). The biological material includes 588 data records with a total abundance of 6,551 organisms. The species inventory represents, until now, the richest fauna of benthic amphipods registered from any discrete coral reef ecosystem in Mexico.

  1. Cytogenetics of Melitoma segmentaria (Fabricius, 1804) (Hymenoptera, Apidae) reveals differences in the characteristics of heterochromatin in bees

    PubMed Central

    Cristiano, Maykon Passos; Simões, Talitta Guimarães; Lopes, Denilce Meneses; Pompolo, Silvia das Graças

    2014-01-01

    Abstract To date, more than 65 species of Brazilian bees (of the superfamily Apoidea) have been cytogenetically studied, but only a few solitary species have been analyzed. One example is the genus Melitoma Lepeletier & Serville, 1828, for which there is no report in the literature with regard to cytogenetic studies. The objective of the present study is to analyze the chromosome number and morphology of the species Melitoma segmentaria (Fabricius, 1804), as well as to determine the pattern of heterochromatin distribution and identify the adenine–thymine (AT)- and guanine–cytosine (GC)-rich regions. Melitoma segmentaria presents chromosome numbers of 2n=30 (females) and n=15 (males). With C-banding, it is possible to classify the chromosomes into seven pseudo-acrocentric pairs (AM), seven pseudo-acrocentric pairs with interstitial heterochromatin (AMi), and one totally heterochromatic metacentric pair (Mh). Fluorochrome staining has revealed that heterochromatin present in the chromosomal arms is rich in GC base pairs (CMA3+) and the centromeric region is rich in AT base pairs (DAPI+). The composition found for Melitoma diverges from the pattern observed in other bees, in which the heterochromatin is usually rich in AT. In bees, few heterochromatic regions are rich in GC and these are usually associated with or localized close to the nucleolus organizer regions (NORs). Silver nitrate impregnation marks the heterochromatin present in the chromosome arms, which makes identification of the NOR in the chromosomes impossible. As this technique reveals proteins in the NOR, the observation that is made in the present study suggests that the proteins found in the heterochromatin are qualitatively similar to those in the NOR. PMID:25349673

  2. Cell Death in the Epithelia of the Intestine and Hepatopancreas in Neocaridina heteropoda (Crustacea, Malacostraca)

    PubMed Central

    Sonakowska, Lidia; Włodarczyk, Agnieszka; Wilczek, Grażyna; Wilczek, Piotr; Student, Sebastian; Rost-Roszkowska, Magdalena Maria

    2016-01-01

    The endodermal region of the digestive system in the freshwater shrimp Neocaridina heteropoda (Crustacea, Malacostraca) consists of a tube-shaped intestine and large hepatopancreas, which is formed by numerous blind-ended tubules. The precise structure and ultrastructure of these regions were presented in our previous studies, while here we focused on the cell death processes and their effect on the functioning of the midgut. We used transmission electron microscopy, light and confocal microscopes to describe and detect cell death, while a quantitative assessment of cells with depolarized mitochondria helped us to establish whether there is the relationship between cell death and the inactivation of mitochondria. Three types of the cell death were observed in the intestine and hepatopancreas–apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy. No differences were observed in the course of these processes in males and females and or in the intestine and hepatopancreas of the shrimp that were examined. Our studies revealed that apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy only involves the fully developed cells of the midgut epithelium that have contact with the midgut lumen–D-cells in the intestine and B- and F-cells in hepatopancreas, while E-cells (midgut stem cells) did not die. A distinct correlation between the accumulation of E-cells and the activation of apoptosis was detected in the anterior region of the intestine, while necrosis was an accidental process. Degenerating organelles, mainly mitochondria were neutralized and eventually, the activation of cell death was prevented in the entire epithelium due to autophagy. Therefore, we state that autophagy plays a role of the survival factor. PMID:26844766

  3. Evidence for the presence of serotonin in Mysidacea (Crustacea, Peracarida) as revealed by fluorescence immunohistochemistry.

    PubMed

    Moreau, X; Benzid, D; De Jong, L; Barthélémy, R-M; Casanova, J-P

    2002-12-01

    In crustaceans, serotonin (5-HT) exerts a wide range of physiological actions on many tissues. However, 5-HT has not been detected to date in Mysidacea (Crustacea, Peracarida). We have investigated the presence of 5-HT in the brain and the eyestalks of two Mysida (Leptomysis lingvura, Hemimysis margalefi) and one Lophogastrida (Lophogaster typicus) species by using the immunohistofluorescence technique. 5-HT-like immunopositive areas exhibit a similar pattern in the three species. 5-HT-like immunostaining is present in the retinular photosensitive cells, except in the deep-living species L. typicus. 5-HT-like cell bodies and fibres are observed in the lamina ganglionaris and in the three medullae. In the sinus gland, only 5-HT-like endings are detected. In the eyestalks, 5-HT-like fibres detected in the optic tract link with the protocerebrum, in which 5-HT-like somata and their extensions are found. Some neurones are detected in the anterior median cell cluster, in the protocerebral bridge and in the central body. In the deutocerebrum, the paracentral lobes are connected by immunoreactive fibres that run along the deutocerebral commissure. The glomeruli of the olfactory lobes exhibit strong diffuse immunostaining. Beside and in the median part of the deutocerebrum, at least two large serotoninergic neurones project their axons into the olfactory lobe cell cluster. Immunoreactive fibres are also found in the antennular neuropiles. Our results demonstrate the presence of 5-HT-like cell bodies and fibres in Mysidacea. The distribution patterns of the 5-HT immunoreactivity found herein are compared with those of other peracarids and decapods.

  4. A major host plant volatile, 1-octen-3-ol, contributes to mating in the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bendera, M.; Ekesi, S.; Ndung'u, M.; Srinivasan, R.; Torto, B.

    2015-10-01

    Previous studies on the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a serious pest of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (Fabales: Fabaceae), in sub-Saharan Africa have focused on sex pheromones, but the role of the host plant on sexual behavior has not been explored. We investigated this interaction in the laboratory using behavioral assays and chemical analyses. We found that the presence of cowpea seedlings and a dichloromethane extract of the leaf increased coupling in the legume pod borer by 33 and 61 %, respectively, compared to the control, suggesting the involvement of both contact and olfactory cues. We used coupled gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection (GC/EAD) and GC-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to identify compounds from the cowpea leaf extract, detected by M. vitrata antenna. We found that the antennae of the insect consistently detected four components, with 1-octen-3-ol identified as a common and dominant component in both the volatiles released by the intact cowpea plant and leaf extract. We therefore investigated its role in the coupling of M. vitrata. In dose-response assays, 1-octen-3-ol increased coupling in M. vitrata with increasing dose of the compound compared to the control. Our results suggest that the cowpea volatile 1-octen-3-ol contributes to M. vitrata sexual behavior.

  5. Nebria brevicollis (Fabricius, 1792) in North America, benign or malign? (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Nebriini).

    PubMed

    Labonte, James R

    2011-01-01

    Nebria brevicollis (Fabricius) is one of the most frequently encountered and widely distributed carabid beetles in Europe. Until recently, the only North American records were based on two single specimens, both from the 1930's in southeastern Canada. In 2008, this species was found at thirteen different sites in five counties in northwestern Oregon. As of the end of 2010, it has been found in thirty-four different sites in ten Oregon counties, with a north-south range of ~150 km and an east-west range of ~90 km. It was also detected in 2010 in southwestern Washington (Vancouver), just north of Portland and the Columbia River.The ecological amplitude of Nebria brevicollis in Oregon rivals that of the most eurytopic native carabid species, e.g., Pterostichus algidus LeConte and Scaphinotus marginatus (Fischer von Waldheim). It has been found in highly degraded heavy industrial sites, agricultural fields, city parks, gardens, second growth woodlands, mature conifer forests, montane rock gardens, and otherwise pristine stands of old growth noble fir, with elevations ranging from essentially sea level to 1,249 meters. Climates at these locales vary from that of the Mediterranean Willamette Valley floor, where snow rarely occurs and summers are hot and dry, to the summit of the Oregon Coast Range, where deep snow may be present from November through April and summers are cool. The carabid communities in which Nebria brevicollis has been found range from those predominantly of fellow exotic species, e.g., at heavily perturbed sites, to those where it is the only exotic species, such as at the Coast Range summit.Nebria brevicollis is clearly an invasive species in that it is not restricted to anthropogenic habitats, is rapidly expanding its North American range, and can be abundant in essentially pristine settings. What is not yet clear is whether it is or will become a damaging species. Although it is already the most abundant carabid species in some settings, based upon

  6. The Protective Role of Selenium in AFB1-Induced Tissue Damage and Cell Cycle Arrest in Chicken's Bursa of Fabricius.

    PubMed

    Hu, Ping; Zuo, Zhicai; Wang, Fengyuan; Peng, Xi; Guan, Ke; Li, Hang; Fang, Jing; Cui, Hengmin; Su, Gang; Ouyang, Ping; Zhou, Yi

    2018-03-06

    Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) is a naturally occurring secondary metabolites of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, and is the most toxic form of aflatoxins. Selenium (Se) with antioxidant and detoxification functions is one of the essential trace elements for human beings and animals. This study aims to evaluate the protective effects of Se on AFB 1 -induced tissue damage and cell cycle arrest in bursa of Fabricius (BF) of chickens. The results showed that a dietary supplement of 0.4 mg·kg -1 Se alleviated the histological lesions induced by AFB 1 , as demonstrated by decreasing vacuoles and nuclear debris, and relieving oxidative stress. Furthermore, flow cytometry studies showed that a Se supplement protected AFB 1 -induced G 2 M phase arrest at 7 days and G 0 G 1 phase arrest at 14 and 21 days. Moreover, the mRNA expression results of ATM, Chk2, p53, p21, cdc25, PCNA, cyclin D 1 , cyclin E 1 , cyclin B 3 , CDK6, CDK2, and cdc2 indicated that Se supplement could restore these parameters to be close to those in the control group. It is concluded that a dietary supplement of 0.4 mg kg -1 Se could diminish AFB 1 -induced immune toxicity in chicken's BF by alleviating oxidative damage and cell cycle arrest through an ATM-Chk2-cdc25 route and the ATM-Chk2-p21 pathway.

  7. Eight new species of Andrena Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Andrenidae) from Israel-a Mediterranean hotspot for wild bees.

    PubMed

    Pisanty, Gideon; Scheuchl, Erwin; Dorchin, Netta

    2016-11-10

    More than 150 solitary bee species of the genus Andrena Fabricius are known from Israel and the West Bank, where they are distributed along a broad climatic gradient and diverse habitats and vegetation types. Extensive collecting throughout Israel in recent years has yielded eight new species and one new subspecies, adding to the rich bee fauna of the region:   A. crocusella Pisanty & Scheuchl n. sp., A. danini Pisanty & Scheuchl n. sp., A. hermonella Scheuchl & Pisanty n. sp., A. israelica Scheuchl & Pisanty n. sp., A. judaea Scheuchl & Pisanty n. sp., A. menahemella Scheuchl & Pisanty n. sp., A. palaestina Pisanty & Scheuchl n. sp., A. perahia Pisanty & Scheuchl n. sp., and A. sphecodimorpha mediterranea Pisanty & Scheuchl n. ssp. The previously unknown female of A. fimbriatoides Scheuchl 2004 and male of A. wolfi Gusenleitner & Scheuchl 2000 are also described here for the first time. The discovery of males of A. wolfi lead us to reinstate A. iohannescaroli Nobile 2000 as a valid taxon. Detailed morphological description and differential diagnosis against closest relatives are provided for all species, as well as information on the distribution, phenology and flower visitation, when available. A neotype is designated for A. sphecodimorpha Hedicke, the holotype of which is considered to be lost. Additional collecting efforts in diverse habitats and seasons, incorporating diverse collecting techniques, are required in order to deepen our knowledge of the rich bee fauna in threatened habitats in the Mediterranean Basin, which constitutes one of the world's major hotspots for wild bees.

  8. Phylogeography of Daphnia magna Straus (Crustacea: Cladocera) in Northern Eurasia: Evidence for a deep longitudinal split between mitochondrial lineages.

    PubMed

    Bekker, Eugeniya I; Karabanov, Dmitry P; Galimov, Yan R; Haag, Christoph R; Neretina, Tatiana V; Kotov, Alexey A

    2018-01-01

    Species with a large geographic distributions present a challenge for phylogeographic studies due to logistic difficulties of obtaining adequate sampling. For instance, in most species with a Holarctic distribution, the majority of studies has concentrated on the European or North American part of the distribution, with the Eastern Palearctic region being notably understudied. Here, we study the phylogeography of the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia magna Straus, 1820 (Crustacea: Cladocera), based on partial mitochondrial COI sequences and using specimens from populations spread longitudinally from westernmost Europe to easternmost Asia, with many samples from previously strongly understudied regions in Siberia and Eastern Asia. The results confirm the previously suspected deep split between Eastern and Western mitochondrial haplotype super-clades. We find a narrow contact zone between these two super-clades in the eastern part of Western Siberia, with proven co-occurrence in a single lake in the Novosibirsk region. However, at present there is no evidence suggesting that the two mitochondrial super-clades represent cryptic species. Rather, they may be explained by secondary contact after expansion from different refugia. Interestingly, Central Siberia has previously been found to be an important contact zone also in other cladoceran species, and may thus be a crucial area for understanding the Eurasian phylogeography of freshwater invertebrates. Together, our study provides an unprecedented complete, while still not global, picture of the phylogeography of this important model species.

  9. Reproductive biology and seasonality of the Indo-Australasian mysid Mesopodopsis orientalis (Crustacea: Mysida) in a tropical mangrove estuary, Malaysia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanamura, Yukio; Siow, Ryon; Chee, Phaik-Ean

    2008-04-01

    A year-round survey of the tropical shallow-water mysid Mesopodopsis orientalis (Tattersall, 1908) (Crustacea, Mysidacea) was conducted in the Merbok mangrove estuary, northwestern Peninsular Malaysia. The mysid formed dense aggregations at the river's edge close to the mangrove forest during the daytime, but very few were captured elsewhere in the estuary system. The sampled population was found in a wide range of salinities from 16 to 32, demonstrating broad euryhalinity, and the number of the catch at the littoral zone ranged from 11.8 to 2273 ind m -2. The overall annual mean was 709.2 ind m -2. Females predominated over males in the entire population, and brooding females were present at every monthly sample, indicating that reproduction is continuous year round. The clutch size positively correlated with female body length. The diameter of eggs (Stage I embryos) was unaffected by the seasonality and independent of the maternal size within an observed size range. The life history pattern of the estuarine population of M. orientalis showed close similarity to that of the coastal counterpart. However, the former was found to produce fewer but larger eggs, and the specimens in this population were larger than those in the coastal population at the embryo, juvenile, and adult stages. This evidence indicates that the life history features of the estuarine population would differ to some degree from those of the coastal counterpart.

  10. The effect of starvation and re-feeding on mitochondrial potential in the midgut of Neocaridina davidi (Crustacea, Malacostraca)

    PubMed Central

    Włodarczyk, Agnieszka; Sonakowska, Lidia; Kamińska, Karolina; Marchewka, Angelika; Wilczek, Grażyna; Wilczek, Piotr; Student, Sebastian; Rost-Roszkowska, Magdalena

    2017-01-01

    The midgut in the freshwater shrimp Neocaridina davidi (previously named N. heteropoda) (Crustacea, Malacostraca) is composed of a tube-shaped intestine and a large hepatopancreas that is formed by numerous blind-ended tubules. The precise structure and ultrastructure of these regions were presented in our previous papers, while here we focused on the ultrastructural changes that occurred in the midgut epithelial cells (D-cells in the intestine, B- and F- cells in the hepatopancreas) after long-term starvation and re-feeding. We used transmission electron microscopy, light and confocal microscopes and flow cytometry to describe all of the changes that occurred due to the stressor with special emphasis on mitochondrial alterations. A quantitative assessment of cells with depolarized mitochondria helped us to establish whether there is a relationship between starvation, re-feeding and the inactivation/activation of mitochondria. The results of our studies showed that in the freshwater shrimp N. davidi that were analyzed, long-term starvation activates the degeneration of epithelial cells at the ultrastructural level and causes an increase of cells with depolarized (non-active) mitochondria. The process of re-feeding leads to the gradual regeneration of the cytoplasm of the midgut epithelial cells; however, these changes were observed at the ultrastructural level. Additionally, re-feeding causes the regeneration of mitochondrial ultrastructure. Therefore, we can state that the increase in the number of cells with polarized mitochondria occurs slowly and does not depend on ultrastructural alterations. PMID:28282457

  11. The effect of starvation and re-feeding on mitochondrial potential in the midgut of Neocaridina davidi (Crustacea, Malacostraca).

    PubMed

    Włodarczyk, Agnieszka; Sonakowska, Lidia; Kamińska, Karolina; Marchewka, Angelika; Wilczek, Grażyna; Wilczek, Piotr; Student, Sebastian; Rost-Roszkowska, Magdalena

    2017-01-01

    The midgut in the freshwater shrimp Neocaridina davidi (previously named N. heteropoda) (Crustacea, Malacostraca) is composed of a tube-shaped intestine and a large hepatopancreas that is formed by numerous blind-ended tubules. The precise structure and ultrastructure of these regions were presented in our previous papers, while here we focused on the ultrastructural changes that occurred in the midgut epithelial cells (D-cells in the intestine, B- and F- cells in the hepatopancreas) after long-term starvation and re-feeding. We used transmission electron microscopy, light and confocal microscopes and flow cytometry to describe all of the changes that occurred due to the stressor with special emphasis on mitochondrial alterations. A quantitative assessment of cells with depolarized mitochondria helped us to establish whether there is a relationship between starvation, re-feeding and the inactivation/activation of mitochondria. The results of our studies showed that in the freshwater shrimp N. davidi that were analyzed, long-term starvation activates the degeneration of epithelial cells at the ultrastructural level and causes an increase of cells with depolarized (non-active) mitochondria. The process of re-feeding leads to the gradual regeneration of the cytoplasm of the midgut epithelial cells; however, these changes were observed at the ultrastructural level. Additionally, re-feeding causes the regeneration of mitochondrial ultrastructure. Therefore, we can state that the increase in the number of cells with polarized mitochondria occurs slowly and does not depend on ultrastructural alterations.

  12. The water flea Daphnia magna (Crustacea, Cladocera) as a test species for screening and evaluation of chemicals with endocrine disrupting effects on crustaceans.

    PubMed

    Tatarazako, Norihisa; Oda, Shigeto

    2007-02-01

    The water flea Daphnia magna (Crustacea, Cladocera) is a cyclical parthenogen, which can reproduce both by parthenogenesis and by sexual reproduction. With its ease of handling in the laboratory, several testing methods using D. magna exist for regulatory toxicity testing. Recently, several studies revealed that one of the major hormone groups in insects and crustaceans, juvenile hormones, are involved in the shift of reproductive mode from parthenogenesis to sexual reproduction (production of male neonates). Using offspring sex ratio as a new endpoint has made it possible to identify chemicals with juvenile hormone-like effects on crustaceans. The testing method using D. magna, in which offspring sex ratio is incorporated as a new endpoint, is now being proposed to the OECD as an enhanced version of the existing OECD Test Guideline 211: Daphnia magna reproduction test. No other clear-cut endpoint for identifying juvenile-hormone disrupting effects has ever been found in crustaceans than the induction of male neonates production in cladocerans. In this regard, it is expected that testing methods using D. magna are suitable for screening and risk assessment of chemicals with juvenile-hormone disrupting effects.

  13. First report on C-banding, fluorochrome staining and NOR location in holocentric chromosomes of Elasmolomus (Aphanus) sordidus Fabricius, 1787 (Heteroptera, Rhyparochromidae)

    PubMed Central

    Suman, Vikas; Kaur, Harbhajan

    2013-01-01

    Abstract In spite of various cytogenetic works on suborder Heteroptera, the chromosome organization, function and its evolution in this group is far from being fully understood. Cytologically, the family Rhyparochromidae constitutes a heterogeneous group differing in chromosome numbers. This family possesses XY sex mechanism in the majority of the species with few exceptions. In the present work, multiple banding techniques viz., C-banding, base-specific fluorochromes (DAPI/CMA3) and silver nitrate staining have been used to cytologically characterize the chromosomes of the seed plant pest Elasmolomus (Aphanus) sordidus Fabricius, 1787 having 2n=12=8A+2m+XY. One pair of the autosomes was large while three others were of almost equal size. At diplotene, C-banding technique revealed, that three autosomal bivalents show terminal constitutive heterochromatic bands while one medium sized bivalent was euchromatic. Microchromosomes (m-chromosomes) were positively heteropycnotic. After DAPI and CMA3 staining, all the autosomal bivalents showed equal fluorescence, except CMA3 positive signals, observed at both telomeric heterochromatic regions of one medium sized autosomal bivalent. Silver nitrate staining further revealed that this chromosome pair carries Nucleolar Organizer Regions (NORs) at the location of CMA3 positive signals. The X chromosome showed a thick C-band, positive to both DAPI /CMA3 while Y, otherwise C-negative, was weakly positive to DAPI and negative to CMA3, m-chromosomes were DAPI bright and CMA3 dull. PMID:24039525

  14. Effect of morphine on the growth rate of Calliphora stygia (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and possible implications for forensic entomology.

    PubMed

    George, Kelly A; Archer, Melanie S; Green, Lauren M; Conlan, Xavier A; Toop, Tes

    2009-12-15

    Insect specimens collected from decomposing bodies enable forensic entomologists to estimate the minimum post-mortem interval (PMI). Drugs and toxins within a corpse may affect the development rate of insects that feed on them and it is vital to quantify these effects to accurately calculate minimum PMI. This study investigated the effects of morphine on growth rates of the native Australian blowfly, Calliphora stygia (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Several morphine concentrations were incorporated into pet mince to simulate post-mortem concentrations in morphine, codeine and/or heroin-dosed corpses. There were four treatments for feeding larvae; T 1: control (no morphine); T 2: 2 microg/g morphine; T 3: 10 microg/g morphine; and T 4: 20 microg/g morphine. Ten replicates of 50 larvae were grown at 22 degrees C for each treatment and their development was compared at four comparison intervals; CI 1: 4-day-old larvae; CI 2: 7-day-old larvae; CI 3: pupae; and CI 4: adults. Length and width were measured for larvae and pupae, and costae and tibiae were measured for adults. Additionally, day of pupariation, day of adult eclosion, and survivorship were calculated for each replicate. The continued presence of morphine in meat was qualitatively verified using high-performance liquid chromatography with acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence detection. Growth rates of C. stygia fed on morphine-spiked mince did not differ significantly from those fed on control mince for any comparison interval or parameter measured. This suggests that C. stygia is a reliable model to use to accurately age a corpse containing morphine at any of the concentrations investigated.

  15. The ventral nerve cord in Cephalocarida (Crustacea): new insights into the ground pattern of Tetraconata.

    PubMed

    Stegner, Martin E J; Brenneis, Georg; Richter, Stefan

    2014-03-01

    Cephalocarida are Crustacea with many anatomical features that have been interpreted as plesiomorphic with respect to crustaceans or Tetraconata. While the ventral nerve cord (VNC) has been investigated in many other arthropods to address phylogenetic and evolutionary questions, the few studies that exist on the cephalocarid VNC date back 20 years, and data pertaining to neuroactive substances in particular are too sparse for comparison. We reinvestigated the VNC of adult Hutchinsoniella macracantha in detail, combining immunolabeling (tubulin, serotonin, RFamide, histamine) and nuclear stains with confocal laser microscopy, complemented by 3D-reconstructions based on serial semithin sections. The subesophageal ganglion in Cephalocarida comprises three segmental neuromeres (Md, Mx1, Mx2), while a separate ganglion occurs in all thoracic segments and abdominal segments 1-8. Abdominal segments 9 and 10 and the telson are free of ganglia. The maxillar neuromere and the thoracic ganglia correspond closely in their limb innervation pattern, their pattern of mostly four segmental commissures and in displaying up to six individually identified serotonin-like immunoreactive neurons per body side, which exceeds the number found in most other tetraconates. Only two commissures and two serotonin-like immunoreactive neurons per side are present in abdominal ganglia. The stomatogastric nervous system in H. macracantha corresponds to that in other crustaceans and includes, among other structures, a pair of lateral neurite bundles. These innervate the gut as well as various trunk muscles and are, uniquely, linked to the unpaired median neurite bundle. We propose that most features of the cephalocarid ventral nerve cord (VNC) are plesiomorphic with respect to the tetraconate ground pattern. Further, we suggest that this ground pattern includes more serotonin-like neurons than hitherto assumed, and argue that a sister-group relationship between Cephalocarida and Remipedia, as

  16. Morphological and molecular characterization of Brazilian populations of Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and the evolutionary relationship among species of Diatraea Guilding

    PubMed Central

    Francischini, Fabricio J. B.; de Campos, Jaqueline Bueno; Alves-Pereira, Alessandro; Gomes Viana, João Paulo; Grinter, Christopher C.; Clough, Steven J.

    2017-01-01

    The sugarcane borer or corn stalk borer, Diatraea Guilding is polyphagous insect pest of many important crops such as corn, sorghum and sugarcane. Losses arising from the attack of Diatraea species have been a serious problem, which may cause loss in sugarcane production around 0.25% in sugar, 0.20% in alcohol and 0.77% of body weight for every 1% infestation and up to 21% in corn production fields. In Brazil, the most commonly reported species are Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794) and Diatraea impersonatella (Walker, 1863) (= D. flavipennella). However, multiple other species of Diatraea have been identified in Brazil according to the literature. Currently, little information exists on the presence of the other species causing injury to sugarcane and corn. The objectives of this study were to improve the accuracy of species assignment, evaluate the population genetic structure, and address many of the outstanding questions of systematics and evolution of Brazilian populations of D. saccharalis. To address these main questions, classical taxonomic methods were used, focused on morphological characterization of the reproductive organs, especially the male genitalia. In addition, genetic studies were performed using simple sequence repeats (SSR) and a fragment of cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. The data and findings from this research will contribute to the understanding of evolutionary aspects of insect pests in order to develop more effective and sustainable population management practices. PMID:29145390

  17. Evolution and phylogeny of the mud shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda) revealed from complete mitochondrial genomes.

    PubMed

    Lin, Feng-Jiau; Liu, Yuan; Sha, Zhongli; Tsang, Ling Ming; Chu, Ka Hou; Chan, Tin-Yam; Liu, Ruiyu; Cui, Zhaoxia

    2012-11-16

    The evolutionary history and relationships of the mud shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda: Gebiidea and Axiidea) are contentious, with previous attempts revealing mixed results. The mud shrimps were once classified in the infraorder Thalassinidea. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses, however, suggest separation of the group into two individual infraorders, Gebiidea and Axiidea. Mitochondrial (mt) genome sequence and structure can be especially powerful in resolving higher systematic relationships that may offer new insights into the phylogeny of the mud shrimps and the other decapod infraorders, and test the hypothesis of dividing the mud shrimps into two infraorders. We present the complete mitochondrial genome sequences of five mud shrimps, Austinogebia edulis, Upogebia major, Thalassina kelanang (Gebiidea), Nihonotrypaea thermophilus and Neaxius glyptocercus (Axiidea). All five genomes encode a standard set of 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and a putative control region. Except for T. kelanang, mud shrimp mitochondrial genomes exhibited rearrangements and novel patterns compared to the pancrustacean ground pattern. Each of the two Gebiidea species (A. edulis and U. major) and two Axiidea species (N. glyptocercus and N. thermophiles) share unique gene order specific to their infraorders and analyses further suggest these two derived gene orders have evolved independently. Phylogenetic analyses based on the concatenated nucleotide and amino acid sequences of 13 protein-coding genes indicate the possible polyphyly of mud shrimps, supporting the division of the group into two infraorders. However, the infraordinal relationships among the Gebiidea and Axiidea, and other reptants are poorly resolved. The inclusion of mt genome from more taxa, in particular the reptant infraorders Polychelida and Glypheidea is required in further analysis. Phylogenetic analyses on the mt genome sequences and the distinct gene orders provide further

  18. The use of olfactory and visual cues in host choice by the capsid bugs Lygus rugulipennis Poppius and Liocoris tripustulatus fabricius.

    PubMed

    Wynde, Fiona J H; Port, Gordon R

    2012-01-01

    Lygus rugulipennis Poppius and Liocoris tripustulatus Fabricius (Heteroptera: Miridae) are pests of glasshouse cucumber and sweet pepper crops respectively. L. rugulipennis has a wide range of foodplants, but L. tripustulatus is specialised with very few food plants. We report behavioural assessments to investigate whether either species exhibits a preference for salad over wild hosts, and whether the role of olfaction and vision in response to cues from host plants can be distinguished. Olfactory responses to leaves were tested in choice chambers. L. rugulipennis was presented nettle (wild host) and a salad leaf of cucumber or sweet pepper, where the salad leaves had higher nitrogen content. L. tripustulatus was tested with nettle and sweet pepper of two different nitrogen contents. Female L. rugulipennis spent more time on the cucumber salad host, and chose it first most often, but males showed no preference. Neither sex discriminated between sweet pepper or nettle leaves, but males made more first contacts with sweet pepper. Neither sex of L. tripustulatus discriminated between sweet pepper and nettle leaves when the sweet pepper had higher nitrogen. When the plant species contained equivalent nitrogen both sexes spent more time on nettle. There was no difference in first choice made by either sex. When visual stimuli were available, and leaves had equivalent nitrogen, L. rugulipennis showed no preference and L. tripustulatus preferred nettle leaves. We conclude that the generalist L. rugulipennis has the ability to use remote olfactory cues for host choice whereas the specialist L. tripustulatus relies mainly on contact chemosensory and gustatory cues.

  19. The Use of Olfactory and Visual Cues in Host Choice by the Capsid Bugs Lygus rugulipennis Poppius and Liocoris tripustulatus Fabricius

    PubMed Central

    Wynde, Fiona J. H.; Port, Gordon R.

    2012-01-01

    Lygus rugulipennis Poppius and Liocoris tripustulatus Fabricius (Heteroptera: Miridae) are pests of glasshouse cucumber and sweet pepper crops respectively. L. rugulipennis has a wide range of foodplants, but L. tripustulatus is specialised with very few food plants. We report behavioural assessments to investigate whether either species exhibits a preference for salad over wild hosts, and whether the role of olfaction and vision in response to cues from host plants can be distinguished. Olfactory responses to leaves were tested in choice chambers. L. rugulipennis was presented nettle (wild host) and a salad leaf of cucumber or sweet pepper, where the salad leaves had higher nitrogen content. L. tripustulatus was tested with nettle and sweet pepper of two different nitrogen contents. Female L. rugulipennis spent more time on the cucumber salad host, and chose it first most often, but males showed no preference. Neither sex discriminated between sweet pepper or nettle leaves, but males made more first contacts with sweet pepper. Neither sex of L. tripustulatus discriminated between sweet pepper and nettle leaves when the sweet pepper had higher nitrogen. When the plant species contained equivalent nitrogen both sexes spent more time on nettle. There was no difference in first choice made by either sex. When visual stimuli were available, and leaves had equivalent nitrogen, L. rugulipennis showed no preference and L. tripustulatus preferred nettle leaves. We conclude that the generalist L. rugulipennis has the ability to use remote olfactory cues for host choice whereas the specialist L. tripustulatus relies mainly on contact chemosensory and gustatory cues. PMID:23226493

  20. Attraction and consumption of methyl eugenol by male Bactrocera umbrosa Fabricius (Diptera: Tephritidae) promotes conspecific sexual communication and mating performance.

    PubMed

    Wee, S L; Abdul Munir, M Z; Hee, A K W

    2018-02-01

    The Artocarpus fruit fly, Bactrocera umbrosa (Fabricius) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is an oligophagous fruit pest infesting Moraceae fruits, including jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lamarck), a fruit commodity of high value in Malaysia. The scarcity of fundamental biological, physiological and ecological information on this pest, particularly in relation to behavioural response to phytochemical lures, which are instrumental to the success of many area-wide fruit fly control and management programmes, underpins the need for studies on this much-underrated pest. The positive response of B. umbrosa males to methyl eugenol (ME), a highly potent phytochemical lure, which attracts mainly males of many Bactrocera species, was shown to increase with increasing age. As early as 7 days after emergence (DAE), ca. 22% of males had responded to ME and over 50% by 10 DAE, despite no occurrence of matings (i.e. the males were still sexually immature). Male attraction to ME peaked from 10 to 27 DAE, which corresponded with the flies' attainment of sexual maturity. In wind-tunnel assays during the dusk courtship period, ME-fed males exhibited earlier calling activity and attracted a significantly higher percentage of virgin females compared with ME-deprived males. ME-fed males enjoyed a higher mating success than ME-deprived males at 1-day post ME feeding in semi-field assays. ME consumption also promotes aggregation behaviour in B. umbrosa males, as demonstrated in wind-tunnel and semi-field assays. We suggest that ME plays a prominent role in promoting sexual communication and enhancing mating performance of the Artocarpus fruit fly, a finding that is congruent with previous reports on the consequences of ME acquisition by other economically important Bactrocera species.

  1. Taxonomic notes on Neoperla (Plecoptera: Perlidae) from Sichuan Province of China with the description of two new species.

    PubMed

    Li, Weihai; Wang, Ying; Wang, Rongfeng

    2017-01-17

    Species of the perlid genus Neoperla from Sichuan Province, China are reviewed. Two new species are described, Neoperla caii Li & Wang, sp. nov. and N. emeishana Li & Wang, sp. nov. The new species are compared with related congeners. Available types of several known Neoperla species from Sichuan Province were studied and complementary descriptions or brief taxonomic comments are presented for N. bilineata Wu & Claassen, N. chui Wu & Claassen, N. microtumida Wu & Claassen, N. quadrata Wu & Claassen and N. truncata Wu.

  2. Including irrigation in niche modelling of the invasive wasp Vespula germanica (Fabricius) improves model fit to predict potential for further spread

    PubMed Central

    Kriticos, Darren J.; Veldtman, Ruan

    2017-01-01

    The European wasp, Vespula germanica (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), is of Palaearctic origin, being native to Europe, northern Africa and Asia, and introduced into North America, Chile, Argentina, Iceland, Ascension Island, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Due to its polyphagous nature and scavenging behaviour, V. germanica threatens agriculture and silviculture, and negatively affects biodiversity, while its aggressive nature and venomous sting pose a health risk to humans. In areas with warmer winters and longer summers, queens and workers can survive the winter months, leading to the build-up of large nests during the following season; thereby increasing the risk posed by this species. To prevent or prepare for such unwanted impacts it is important to know where the wasp may be able to establish, either through natural spread or through introduction as a result of human transport. Distribution data from Argentina and Australia, and seasonal phenology data from Argentina were used to determine the potential distribution of V. germanica using CLIMEX modelling. In contrast to previous models, the influence of irrigation on its distribution was also investigated. Under a natural rainfall scenario, the model showed similarities to previous models. When irrigation is applied, dry stress is alleviated, leading to larger areas modelled climatically suitable compared with previous models, which provided a better fit with the actual distribution of the species. The main areas at risk of invasion by V. germanica include western USA, Mexico, small areas in Central America and in the north-western region of South America, eastern Brazil, western Russia, north-western China, Japan, the Mediterranean coastal regions of North Africa, and parts of southern and eastern Africa. PMID:28715452

  3. Prevalence of cymothoid isopods (Crustacea, Isopoda) and proximate analysis of parasites and their host fishes, Southeastern India.

    PubMed

    Rajaram, Rajendran; Rakesh Kumar, Kulanthasamy; Vinothkumar, Shanmugam; Metillo, Ephrime B

    2018-06-01

    Cymothoid isopods (Crustacea, Isopoda) are considered as potential threat to the health of different fish species. In order to evaluate the prevalence and proximate analysis of Cymothoid isopods and its host, an investigation was carried out fish species belonging to families Hemiramphidae and Belonidae in the Palk Bay region, Southeastern India. A total of 1265 individuals of teleost fish belonging to family Hemiramphidae species, Hemiramphus far (462), H. archipelagicus (78), and H. lutkie (277) and another family Belonidae species, Tylosurus crocodilus (448), were examined for cymothoid ectoparasitic infestation. Prevalence in H. far was the highest (39%) for the cymothoid Mothocys plagulophora , while T. crocodilus was most infested (13%) with Mothocys renardi, H. far and H. lutkie were not infested by M. renardi while T. crocodilus was not infested by M. plagulophora. Proximate analysis showed reduced level of protein in parasite infested fish compared with non-infested individuals. However, carbohydrate and lipid concentrations were lower in infested fish than non-infested individuals. Proximate analysis values in the two parasites of Mothocys species were similar, and these values were comparable to those unaffected fish species indicating that parasites were well nourished. The proximate analysis of isopod parasite M. plagulophora showed 21.6 ± 7.7, 1.26 ± 0.05, 5.49 ± 1.06% of protein, carbohydrate and lipid respectively, and in M. renardi, 21.09 ± 6.6, 1.32 ± 0.12, 5.83 ± 0.72% of protein, carbohydrate and lipid respectively. Cadmium levels were similar between affected and non-affected fish individuals and among species. The Pb levels were comparable among all T. crocodilus individuals, but the levels of Cd not showed much variation between affected and unaffected individuals in all four fish species.

  4. The complete mitochondrial genome of the black mud crab, Scylla serrata (Crustacea: Brachyura: Portunidae) and its phylogenetic position among (pan)crustaceans.

    PubMed

    Jondeung, Amnuay; Karinthanyakit, Wirangrong; Kaewkhumsan, Jitlada

    2012-12-01

    The black mud crab, Scylla serrata (Forskål 1775), is the most economically important edible crab in South-East Asia. In the present study, the complete mitochondrial genome of black mud crab, S. serrata, was determined with the sequential polymerase chain reaction and primer walking sequencing. The complete mitochondrial genome was 15,721 bp in length with an A+T content of 69.2 % and contained 37 mitochondrial genes (13 protein coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes and 22 transfer RNA genes) and a control region (CR). The analysis of the CR sequence shows that it contains a multitude of repetitive fragments which can fold into hairpin-like or secondary structures and conserved elements as in other arthropods. The gene order of S. serrata mainly retains as the pancrustacean ground pattern, except for a single translocation of trnH. The gene arrangement of S. serrata appears to be a typical feature of portunid crabs. Phylogenetic analyses with concatenated amino acid sequences of 12 PCGs establishes that S. serrata in a well-supported monophyletic Portunidae and is consistent with previous morphological classification. Moreover, the phylogenomic results strongly support monophyletic Pancrustacea (Hexapoda plus "Crustaceans"). Within Pancrustacea, this study identifies Malacostraca + Entomostraca and Branchiopoda as the sister group to Hexapoda, which confirms that "Crustacea" is not monophyletic. Cirripedia + Remipedia appear to be a basal lineage of Pancrustacea. The present study also provides considerable data for the application of both population and phylogenetic studies of other crab species.

  5. Long-term exposure of several marine benthic animals to static magnetic fields.

    PubMed

    Bochert, R; Zettler, M L

    2004-10-01

    Electrical currents in underwater sea cables could induce magnetic fields. The sea cables lie on or within the sea bottom and this is the living area for many invertebrate and vertebrate species. North Sea prawn Crangon crangon (Crustacea, Decapoda), round crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii (Crustacea, Brachyura), glacial relict isopod Saduria entomon (Crustacea, Isopoda), blue mussel Mytilus edulis (Bivalvia), and young flounder Plathichthys flesus (Pisces) were exposed to a static magnetic field (MF) of 3.7 mT for several weeks. The results showed no differences in survival between experimental and control animals. Mussels M. edulis were kept under static magnetic field conditions for 3 months during their reproductive period in spring. The determination of gonad index and condition index revealed no significant differences to the control group. 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  6. Evolution and phylogeny of the mud shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda) revealed from complete mitochondrial genomes

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background The evolutionary history and relationships of the mud shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda: Gebiidea and Axiidea) are contentious, with previous attempts revealing mixed results. The mud shrimps were once classified in the infraorder Thalassinidea. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses, however, suggest separation of the group into two individual infraorders, Gebiidea and Axiidea. Mitochondrial (mt) genome sequence and structure can be especially powerful in resolving higher systematic relationships that may offer new insights into the phylogeny of the mud shrimps and the other decapod infraorders, and test the hypothesis of dividing the mud shrimps into two infraorders. Results We present the complete mitochondrial genome sequences of five mud shrimps, Austinogebia edulis, Upogebia major, Thalassina kelanang (Gebiidea), Nihonotrypaea thermophilus and Neaxius glyptocercus (Axiidea). All five genomes encode a standard set of 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and a putative control region. Except for T. kelanang, mud shrimp mitochondrial genomes exhibited rearrangements and novel patterns compared to the pancrustacean ground pattern. Each of the two Gebiidea species (A. edulis and U. major) and two Axiidea species (N. glyptocercus and N. thermophiles) share unique gene order specific to their infraorders and analyses further suggest these two derived gene orders have evolved independently. Phylogenetic analyses based on the concatenated nucleotide and amino acid sequences of 13 protein-coding genes indicate the possible polyphyly of mud shrimps, supporting the division of the group into two infraorders. However, the infraordinal relationships among the Gebiidea and Axiidea, and other reptants are poorly resolved. The inclusion of mt genome from more taxa, in particular the reptant infraorders Polychelida and Glypheidea is required in further analysis. Conclusions Phylogenetic analyses on the mt genome sequences and the

  7. The Bostrichidae of the Maltese Islands (Coleoptera)

    PubMed Central

    Nardi, Gianluca; Mifsud, David

    2015-01-01

    Abstract The Bostrichidae of the Maltese Islands are reviewed. Ten species are recorded with certainty from this Archipelago, of which 6 namely, Trogoxylon impressum (Comolli, 1837), Amphicerus bimaculatus (A.G. Olivier, 1790), Heterobostrychus aequalis (Waterhouse, 1884), Sinoxylon unidentatum (Fabricius, 1801), Xyloperthella picea (A.G. Olivier, 1790) and Apate monachus Fabricius, 1775 are recorded for the first time. Two of the mentioned species (Heterobostrychus aequalis and Sinoxylon unidentatum) are alien and recorded only on the basis of single captures and the possible establishment of these species is discussed. Earlier records of Scobicia pustulata (Fabricius, 1801) from Malta are incorrect and should be attributed to Scobicia chevrieri (A. Villa & J.B. Villa, 1835). A zoogeographical analysis and an updated checklist of the 12 species of Bostrichidae recorded from the Maltese Islands and neigbouring Sicilian islands (Pantelleria, Linosa and Lampedusa) are also provided. Rhizopertha dominica (Fabricius, 1792) form granulipennis Lesne in Beeson & Bhatia, 1937 from Uttarakhand (northern India) was overlooked by almost all subsequent authors. Its history is summarized and the following new synonymy is established: Rhizopertha dominica (Fabricius, 1792) form granulipennis Lesne in Beeson & Bhatia, 1937 = Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius, 1792), syn. n. Finally, records of Amphicerus bimaculatus from Azerbaijan, of Bostrichus capucinus (Linnaeus, 1758) from Jordan and Syria, of Scobicia chevrieri from Jordan and Italy, of Xyloperthella picea from Italy, and of Apate monachus from Corsica (France) and Italy, are also provided. PMID:25685033

  8. The little shrimp that could: phylogeography of the circumtropical Stenopus hispidus (Crustacea: Decapoda), reveals divergent Atlantic and Pacific lineages

    PubMed Central

    Iacchei, Matthew; Coleman, Richard R.; Gaither, Michelle R.; Browne, William E.; Bowen, Brian W.; Toonen, Robert J.

    2018-01-01

    The banded coral shrimp, Stenopus hispidus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Stenopodidea) is a popular marine ornamental species with a circumtropical distribution. The planktonic larval stage lasts ∼120–253 days, indicating considerable dispersal potential, but few studies have investigated genetic connectivity on a global scale in marine invertebrates. To resolve patterns of divergence and phylogeography of S. hispidus, we surveyed 525 bp of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) from 198 individuals sampled at 10 locations across ∼27,000 km of the species range. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that S. hispidus has a Western Atlantic lineage and a widely distributed Indo-Pacific lineage, separated by sequence divergence of 2.1%. Genetic diversity is much higher in the Western Atlantic (h = 0.929; π = 0.004) relative to the Indo-Pacific (h = 0.105; π < 0.001), and coalescent analyses indicate that the Indo-Pacific population expanded more recently (95% HPD (highest posterior density) = 60,000–400,000 yr) than the Western Atlantic population (95% HPD = 300,000–760,000 yr). Divergence of the Western Atlantic and Pacific lineages is estimated at 710,000–1.8 million years ago, which does not readily align with commonly implicated colonization events between the ocean basins. The estimated age of populations contradicts the prevailing dispersal route for tropical marine biodiversity (Indo-Pacific to Atlantic) with the oldest and most diverse population in the Atlantic, and a recent population expansion with a single common haplotype shared throughout the vast Indian and Pacific oceans. In contrast to the circumtropical fishes, this diminutive reef shrimp challenges our understanding of conventional dispersal capabilities of marine species. PMID:29527409

  9. Mitochondrial genomes suggest that hexapods and crustaceans are mutually paraphyletic

    PubMed Central

    Cook, Charles E; Yue, Qiaoyun; Akam, Michael

    2005-01-01

    For over a century the relationships between the four major groups of the phylum Arthropoda (Chelicerata, Crustacea, Hexapoda and Myriapoda) have been debated. Recent molecular evidence has confirmed a close relationship between the Crustacea and the Hexapoda, and has included the suggestion of a paraphyletic Hexapoda. To test this hypothesis we have sequenced the complete or near-complete mitochondrial genomes of three crustaceans (Parhyale hawaiensis, Squilla mantis and Triops longicaudatus), two collembolans (Onychiurus orientalis and Podura aquatica) and the insect Thermobia domestica. We observed rearrangement of transfer RNA genes only in O. orientalis, P. aquatica and P. hawaiensis. Of these, only the rearrangement in O. orientalis, an apparent autapomorphy for the collembolan family Onychiuridae, was phylogenetically informative. We aligned the nuclear and amino acid sequences from the mitochondrial protein-encoding genes of these taxa with their homologues from other arthropod taxa for phylogenetic analysis. Our dataset contains many more Crustacea than previous molecular phylogenetic analyses of the arthropods. Neighbour-joining, maximum-likelihood and Bayesian posterior probabilities all suggest that crustaceans and hexapods are mutually paraphyletic. A crustacean clade of Malacostraca and Branchiopoda emerges as sister to the Insecta sensu stricto and the Collembola group with the maxillopod crustaceans. Some, but not all, analyses strongly support this mutual paraphyly but statistical tests do not reject the null hypotheses of a monophyletic Hexapoda or a monophyletic Crustacea. The dual monophyly of the Hexapoda and Crustacea has rarely been questioned in recent years but the idea of both groups' paraphyly dates back to the nineteenth century. We suggest that the mutual paraphyly of both groups should seriously be considered. PMID:16024395

  10. 2-Methyl-(Z)-7-Octadecene - the sex pheromone of allopatric Lymantria serva and Lymantria lucescens: two potential invasive species in the Orient

    Treesearch

    Paul W. Schaefer; Gerhard Gries; Regine Gries; Yasutomo Higashiura; Yi-Bin Fan

    2003-01-01

    Our objective was to identify the sex pheromones of two allopatric Lymantria species (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae): (1) L. serva (Fabricius) in Taiwan whose larvae attack and occasionally defoliate Ficus spp. and (2) L. lucescens (Fabricius) in Honshu, Japan, whose larvae feed on Quercus...

  11. Evaluation of gill nets, fyke nets, and mark-recapture methods to estimate the number of Hirudinea and Crustacea on fish.

    PubMed

    Szalai, A J; Dick, T A

    1991-12-01

    Twenty species of fishes (n = 20,759) were collected from Dauphin Lake, Manitoba, Canada, to determine the types and numbers of ectoparasites they harbored. Counts of ectoparasites on fishes collected with different gear were compared to evaluate different methods of collection and to estimate rates of recruitment of ectoparasites by fishes. Ectoparasites were found on 11 species of fishes and the majority of these were parasitic leeches (Myzobdella moorei, Cystobranchus verilli, and Placobdella montifera) and parasitic Crustacea (Argulus appendiculosus and Lernaea cyprinacea). Some fishes also were infested by neascus-type metacercariae (blackspot) or had tumors (lymphocystis). The prevalence of ectoparasites was correlated with the abundance, feeding habits, and spatial distribution of fish species. Argulus appendiculosus and blackspot were more prevalent on benthic fishes, whereas M. moorei and tumors were more prevalent on limnetic fishes. Mark-recapture records showed that fishes occupying shallow (less than or equal to 1.5 m) water had a higher prevalence of infestation and 28 of 29 infected fishes caught by gill nets were captured in shallow water. Placobdella montifera was the only ectoparasite found on fishes from deep (1.5-3.5 m) water and the only species that was acquired by fishes previously released with no ectoparasite (2 of 239 fishes). The littoral zone (less than or equal to 1.5 m) comprises only 14% of the surface area and 3% of the volume of Dauphin Lake, yet 72% of all gill-netted fishes harboring ectoparasites were collected there. Intensities of ectoparasites estimated from gill net and pound net samples were similar, but prevalence of ectoparasites estimated from samples obtained with gill nets was lower.

  12. Deep Coastal Marine Taphonomy: Investigation into Carcass Decomposition in the Saanich Inlet, British Columbia Using a Baited Camera

    PubMed Central

    Anderson, Gail S.; Bell, Lynne S.

    2014-01-01

    Decomposition and faunal colonization of a carcass in the terrestrial environment has been well studied, but knowledge of decomposition in the marine environment is based almost entirely on anecdotal reports. Three pig carcasses were deployed in Saanich Inlet, BC, over 3 years utilizing Ocean Network Canada’s VENUS observatory. Each carcass was deployed in late summer/early fall at 99 m under a remotely controlled camera and observed several times a day. Dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, density and pressure were continuously measured. Carcass 1 was immediately colonized by Munida quadrispina, Pandalus platyceros and Metacarcinus magister, rapidly scavenged then dragged from view by Day 22. Artifacts specific to each of the crustaceans’ feeding patterns were observed. Carcass 2 was scavenged in a similar fashion. Exposed tissue became covered by Orchomenella obtusa (Family Lysianassidae) which removed all the internal tissues rapidly. Carcass 3 attracted only a few M. quadrispina, remaining intact, developing a thick filamentous sulphur bacterial mat, until Day 92, when it was skeletonized by crustacea. The major difference between the deployments was dissolved oxygen levels. The first two carcasses were placed when oxygen levels were tolerable, becoming more anoxic. This allowed larger crustacea to feed. However, Carcass 3 was deployed when the water was already extremely anoxic, which prevented larger crustacea from accessing the carcass. The smaller M. quadrispina were unable to break the skin alone. The larger crustacea returned when the Inlet was re-oxygenated in spring. Oxygen levels, therefore, drive the biota in this area, although most crustacea endured stressful levels of oxygen to access the carcasses for much of the time. These data will be valuable in forensic investigations involving submerged bodies, indicating types of water conditions to which the body has been exposed, identifying post-mortem artifacts and providing realistic

  13. A New Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Species of Ostracoda (Crustacea) from the Western Pacific: Implications for Adaptation, Endemism, and Dispersal of Ostracodes in Chemosynthetic Systems.

    PubMed

    Tanaka, Hayato; Yasuhara, Moriaki

    2016-10-01

    Deep-sea hydrothermal vent fields are among the most extreme habitats on Earth. Major research interests in these ecosystems have focused on the anomalous macrofauna, which are nourished by chemoautotrophic bacterial endosymbionts. In contrast, the meiofauna is largely overlooked in this chemosynthetic environment. The present study describes a new species, Thomontocypris shimanagai sp. nov. (Crustacea: Ostracoda), which was collected from the surface of colonies of neoverrucid barnacles and paralvinellid worms on the chimneys at the Myojin-sho submarine caldera. This is the first discovery of an ostracode from deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments in the western Pacific region. In addition to the species description, we discuss three aspects: 1) adaptation, 2) endemism, and 3) dispersal strategy of the hydrothermal vent ostracodes. Regarding these aspects, we conclude the following: 1) the new species may feed on sloughed-off tissues, mucus secretions, or fecal pellets of sessile organisms, rather than depend on chemoautotrophic bacteria as symbionts for energy; 2) as has been pointed out by other studies, Thomontocypris does not likely represent a vent-specific genus; however, this new species is considered to be endemic at the species level, as it has not been found outside of the type locality; and 3) this new species may have migrated from adjacent deep-sea chemosynthesis-based habitats, such as hydrothermal vents, with wood falls potentially having acted as stepping stones.

  14. [Immunochemical study of the proteins of various tissues in Crustacea (Decapoda): nature, role, origin].

    PubMed

    Durliat, M

    1983-11-01

    The main proteins of the haemolymph of Crustacea Decapoda have been identified and analysed: haemocyanin, plasma coagulogen, heteroagglutinins, vitellogenins, and molt-related proteins. All these complex components exhibit a high molecular weight and as oligomeric fractions are able to aggregate or dissociate in subunits according to the composition of medium and experimental procedures. Besides their important rôle in the defense mechanism, some proteins are involved in the edification of diverse tissues. They are detected within different compartments: soft integument, calcified carapace and hepatopancreas. They are either in transit or sequestered or synthetized within these tissues. In the crayfish Astacus leptodactylus, some components have been identified in different compartments: --in aqueous extracts from soft integument: the haemocyanin, coagulogen and both fraction F1 (lipoprotein with an approximate molecular weight of 45 kdal) and fraction F2 related to the molt. Both coagulogen and fraction F2 appear sometimes as melanized. These two latter fractions exhibit some glucose-mannose residues and they occur with a higher relative amount than in the blood. --in soluble extracts from calcified cuticle: among the numerous fractions showing a high molecular weight, the haemocyanin and coagulogen are detected. --in aqueous extracts from hepatopancreas: both haemocyanin and coagulogen appear with a little relative amount. Components termed as Fa and Fb are found with a high concentration. One minor fraction is also detected. --in aqueous extracts from eggs: the haemocyanin and fraction Fb are present. Other proteins showing only some antigenic identities with those of the haemolymph are also detected in all these tissues. The haemolymph proteins are not present within these compartments following a passive diffusion. Indeed, their relative amount varies according to the tissue investigated and is different from that found in the blood. Except the haemocyanin

  15. Jellyfish as vectors of bacterial disease for farmed salmon (Salmo salar).

    PubMed

    Ferguson, Hugh W; Delannoy, Christian M J; Hay, Stephen; Nicolson, James; Sutherland, David; Crumlish, Margaret

    2010-05-01

    Swarms or blooms of jellyfish are increasingly problematic and can result in high mortality rates of farmed fish. Small species of jellyfish, such as Phialella quadrata (13 mm in diameter), are capable of passing through the mesh of sea cages and being sucked into the mouth of fish during respiration. Results of the current study show that the initial damage to gills of farmed Atlantic salmon, likely produced by nematocyst-derived toxins from the jellyfish, was compounded by secondary bacterial infection with Tenacibaculum maritimum. Results also demonstrate that these filamentous bacteria were present on the mouth of the jellyfish and that their DNA sequences were almost identical to those of bacteria present on the salmon gills. This suggests that the bacterial lesions were not the result of an opportunistic infection of damaged tissue, as previously thought. Instead, P. quadrata is probably acting as a vector for this particular bacterial pathogen, and it is the first time that evidence to support such a link has been presented. No prior literature describing the presence of bacteria associated with jellyfish, except studies about their decay, could be found. It is not known if all jellyfish of this and other species carry similar bacteria or the relationship to each other. Their source, the role they play under other circumstances, and indeed whether the jellyfish were themselves diseased are also not known. The high proteolytic capabilities of T. maritimum mean that partially digested gill tissues were readily available to the jellyfish, which rely heavily on intracellular digestion for their nutrition.

  16. Functional morphology of amplexus (clasping) in spinicaudatan clam shrimps (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) and its evolution in bivalved branchiopods: A video-based analysis.

    PubMed

    Sigvardt, Zandra M S; Rogers, D Christopher; Olesen, Jørgen

    2017-04-01

    Male clam shrimps (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Laevicaudata, Spinicaudata, and Cyclestherida) have their first one or two trunk limb pairs modified as "claspers," which are used to hold the female during mating and mate guarding. Clasper morphology has traditionally been important for clam shrimp taxonomy and classification, but little is known about how the males actually use the claspers during amplexus (clasping). Homologies of the various clasper parts ("movable finger," "large palp," "palm," "gripping area," and "small palp") have long been discussed between the three clam shrimp taxa, and studies have shown that only some structures are homologous while others are convergent ("partial homology"). We studied the clasper functionality in four spinicaudatan species using video recordings and scanning electron microscopy, and compared our results with other clam shrimp groups. General mating behavior and carapace morphology was also studied. Generally, spinicaudatan and laevicaudatan claspers function similarly despite some parts being nonhomologous. We mapped clasper morphology and functionality aspects on a branchiopod phylogeny. We suggest that the claspers of the three groups were adapted from an original, simpler clasper, each for a "stronger" grip on the female's carapace margin: 1) Spinicaudata have two clasper pairs bearing an elongated apical club/gripping area with one setal type; 2); Cyclestherida have one clasper pair with clusters of molariform setae on the gripping area and at the movable finger apex; and 3) Laevicaudata have one clasper pair, but have incorporated an additional limb portion into the clasper palm and bear a diverse set of setae. J. Morphol. 278:523-546, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Metabolic insights into the cold survival strategy and overwintering of the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

    PubMed

    Zhu, Wei; Zhang, Huan; Meng, Qian; Wang, Menglong; Zhou, Guiling; Li, Xuan; Wang, Hongtuo; Miao, Lin; Qin, Qilian; Zhang, Jihong

    2017-07-01

    The common cutworm, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a destructive pest in Asia. Although overwintering in the field has not been reported for this species, their larvae are capable of long-term survival in fluctuating temperatures, i.e., 5°C (12h) plus 13°C (12h), if food is available. With an increase in climate change due to global warming and the widespread use of greenhouses, further understanding of their cold survival strategy is needed to predict and control their population in the future. In this study, metabolomics was performed to analyze the metabolic features of S. litura larvae exposed to two typical low temperatures: 15°C and 4°C, at which the development, locomotion and feeding activities are maintained or halted, respectively. The results showed that the strategies that regulate lipid and amino acid metabolism were similar at 15°C and 4°C. Cold exposure induced a metabolic shift of energy from carbohydrate to lipid and decreased free amino acids level. Biosynthesis likely contributed to the decrease in amino acids levels even at 4°C, a non-feeding temperature, suggesting an insufficient suppression of anabolism. This explains why food and high temperature pulses are necessary for their long-term cold survival. Glycometabolism was different between 15°C and 4°C. Carbohydrates were used rapidly at 15°C, while trehalose accumulated at 4°C. Interestingly, abundant trehalose and serine are prominent features of Spodoptera exigua larvae, an overwintering species, when compared to S. litura larvae. Exposure to 4°C also induced up-regulation of carbohydrase and protease in the guts of S. litura. Therefore, it is likely that concurrence of food supplement and fluctuating temperatures could facilitate the cold survival of S. litura larvae. We also found that exposure to 4°C could activate the mevalonate pathway in S. litura larvae, which might be related to glycometabolism at 4°C. Overall, our study describes

  18. Effective landscape scale management of Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) utilizing biological control

    Treesearch

    G. P. Markin; D. Larson

    2013-01-01

    The stem mining weevil, Ceutorhynchus litura Fabricius, the gall forming fly, Urophora cardui L., and the seedhead weevil, Larinus planus Fabricius, were established as biological control agents on an 1800 hectare multiple-habitat wildlife refuge in northwestern Oregon in the mid-1990s. At the time, Canada thistle was the most wide spread, aggressive, and difficult...

  19. Harpacticoida (Crustacea, Copepoda) across a longitudinal transect of the Vema Fracture Zone and along a depth gradient in the Puerto Rico trench

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmidt, Christina; Lins, Lidia; Brandt, Angelika

    2018-02-01

    The aim of this study was the investigation of abundance, composition and biodiversity of benthic deep-sea Harpacticoida (Crustacea, Copepoda) in the Vema Fracture Zone (VFZ) and Puerto Rico trench. The study revealed a clear East-West gradient in total abundance of Harpacticoida with a westward decrease in abundances in the VFZ and significant differences in the community composition in the Eastern (East Vema) and Western Atlantic basin (West Vema) on family and genus level. The Puerto Rico trench and its upper slope did not only differ in abundance, but were distinct with respect to community composition on family and genus level. Thus, the upper slope might be considered as an ecotone, a transition zone where a rapid distinction of species composition occurs. In our study fiarea, 837 adult harpacticoid specimens could be assigned to 16 families and 1 subfamily. The most abundant families found were Ameiridae Boeck, 1865, Pseudotachidiidae Lang, 1936 and Ectinosomatidae Sars, 1903. Genera and species were investigated within selected families (Argestidae Por, 1986, Cletodidae T. Scott, 1905, Canthocamptidae Brady, 1880 and Zosimeidae Seifried, 2003) where 11 genera, and 73 species could be discriminated. Within the selected families, the genera Zosime Boeck, 1873 and Mesocletodes Sars, 1909 were dominant. In the study area, a high number of singletons was detected, which might be endemic to the respective region. Furthermore, a low total number of species in the trench was observed which was attributed to frequent disturbances in the dynamic environment of the Puerto Rico trench (e.g. turbidites or seismic activity) and high adaptability of specialists and opportunists to these disturbances.

  20. A Comprehensive Assessment of the Effects of Transgenic Cry1Ac/Cry1Ab Rice Huahui 1 on Adult Micraspis discolor (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Xia; Guo, Yunling; Kong, Hua; Zuo, Jiao; Huang, Qixing; Jia, Ruizong; Guo, Anping; Xu, Lin

    2016-01-01

    Micraspis discolor (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a widely distributed coleoptera predator in southern Asia in rice ecosystem, and adult M. discolor feed on both rice pollen and soft-bodied arthropods. Bitrophic bioassay and tritrophic bioassay were conducted to evaluate the potential impact of Cry1Ac/Cry1Ab-expressing rice Huahui 1 and its non-transgenic counterpart Minghui 63 on fitness parameters of adult M. discolor. The results showed that the survival, and fecundity of this beetle’ adults were not different when they fed on Bt rice or non-Bt rice pollen or Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) reared on Bt rice or non-Bt rice. Toxicity assessment to ensure M. discolor adults were not sensitive to Cry1Ab or Cry1Ac protein independent from the pollen background, M. discolor adults were fed with an artificial diet containing Cry1Ac, Cry1Ab or both protein approximately 10 times higher concentration than in Huahui 1 rice pollen. No difference was detected for any of the life-table parameters tested between Cry protein-containing and pure diet. Artificial diet containing E-64 (N-(trans-Epoxysuccinyl)-L-leucine 4-guanidinobutylamide) was included as a positive control. In contrast, the pre-oviposition and fecundity of M. discolor were significantly adversely affected by feeding on E-64-containing diet. In both bioassays, the uptakes of Cry protein by adult M. discolor were tested by ELISA measurements. These results indicated that adults of M. discolor are not affected by Cry1Ab- or Cry1Ac-expressing rice pollen and are not sensitive to Cry protein at concentrations exceeding the levels in rice pollen in Huahui1. This suggests that M. discolor adults would not be harmed by Cry1Ac/Cry1Ab rice if Bt rice Huahui 1 were commercialized. PMID:26914608

  1. Understanding Insulin Endocrinology in Decapod Crustacea: Molecular Modelling Characterization of an Insulin-Binding Protein and Insulin-Like Peptides in the Eastern Spiny Lobster, Sagmariasus verreauxi.

    PubMed

    Chandler, Jennifer C; Gandhi, Neha S; Mancera, Ricardo L; Smith, Greg; Elizur, Abigail; Ventura, Tomer

    2017-08-23

    The insulin signalling system is one of the most conserved endocrine systems of Animalia from mollusc to man. In decapod Crustacea , such as the Eastern spiny lobster, Sagmariasus verreauxi (Sv) and the red-claw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus (Cq), insulin endocrinology governs male sexual differentiation through the action of a male-specific, insulin-like androgenic gland peptide (IAG). To understand the bioactivity of IAG it is necessary to consider its bio-regulators such as the insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP). This work has employed various molecular modelling approaches to represent S. verreauxi IGFBP and IAG, along with additional Sv-ILP ligands, in order to characterise their binding interactions. Firstly, we present Sv- and Cq-ILP2: neuroendocrine factors that share closest homology with Drosophila ILP8 (Dilp8). We then describe the binding interaction of the N-terminal domain of Sv-IGFBP and each ILP through a synergy of computational analyses. In-depth interaction mapping and computational alanine scanning of IGFBP_N' highlight the conserved involvement of the hotspot residues Q 67 , G 70 , D 71 , S 72 , G 91 , G 92 , T 93 and D 94 . The significance of the negatively charged residues D 71 and D 94 was then further exemplified by structural electrostatics. The functional importance of the negative surface charge of IGFBP is exemplified in the complementary electropositive charge on the reciprocal binding interface of all three ILP ligands. When examined, this electrostatic complementarity is the inverse of vertebrate homologues; such physicochemical divergences elucidate towards ligand-binding specificity between Phyla.

  2. External morphology of Lightiella monniotae (Crustacea, Cephalocarida) in the light of Cambrian 'Orsten' crustaceans.

    PubMed

    Olesen, Jørgen; Haug, Joachim T; Maas, Andreas; Waloszek, Dieter

    2011-09-01

    The species-poor meiofaunal Cephalocarida have played an important role in discussions of the phylogeny and evolution of Crustacea since their discovery in 1955. One reason may be that the morphology of cephalocarids includes some aspects of putatively ancient appearance, such as the simple roof-shaped head shield, the anterior three head appendages resembling those of a nauplius larva, or the trunk-limb-like second maxilla. Cephalocarida have even been suggested to represent the sister taxon to all other Eucrustacea. Presence of possibly plesiomorphic characters, however, does not necessarily point to a basal position in the system. Growing evidence demonstrates that the modification of the fourth post-antennular cephalic appendage, the 'maxilla', into a "mouth part" may have occurred independently in the different eucrustacean lineages, so a trunk-limb-like maxilla is an ancient feature that does not hold only for cephalocarids. Retention of its plesiomorphic shape and function in the Cephalocarida remains, however, noteworthy. Cephalocarids are still little studied and incompletely known, especially their external morphology. By examining several adults and one young specimen of Lightiella monniotae Cals and Delamare Deboutteville, 1970 from New Caledonia, we aimed to a) document as many details as possible, and b) compare these data with other species of Cephalocarida. We also aimed to reconstruct aspects of the ground pattern of Cephalocarida, which is a pre-requisite for any comparisons in a broader perspective of crustacean phylogeny. Among the new findings or conclusions are: (1) Lightiella is in need of a revision since several assumed differences between the species are questionable or subject to intra-specific variability; (2) the cuticle of the trunk-limb basipod is sub-divided into a number of smaller sclerotized areas as in various exceptionally 3D preserved fossil crustaceans from Cambrian 'Orsten' faunal assemblages; (3) a small transitional portion

  3. [Cross reactivity between fish and shellfish].

    PubMed

    Torres Borrego, J; Martínez Cuevas, J F; Tejero García, J

    2003-01-01

    In Spain, fish allergy represents 18 % of all cases of food allergy in children while reactions caused by crustacea and mollusks account for 3.8 % and 1.6 % respectively. Cross-reactivity is defined as the recognition of distinct antigens by the same IgE antibody, demonstrable by in vivo and in vitro tests, which clinically manifests as reactions caused by antigens homologous to different species. Subclinical sensitization can also occur, giving rise to patients sensitized to particular fish or shellfish but who do not present symptoms on consumption.Cod and shrimp have been the models used to study allergy to fish and crustacea respectively. The major allergens responsible for cross-reactivity among distinct species of fish and amphibians are proteins that control calcium flow in the muscular sarcoplasm of these animals, called parvalbumins, with a molecular weight of approximately 12 kD and an isoelectric point of 4.75, resistant to the action of heat and enzymatic digestion. Recently, recombinant carp parvalbumin has been reproduced, confirming that this allergen contains 70 % of the IgE epitopes present in natural extract of cod, tuna and salmon, which makes it a valid tool in the diagnosis of patients with fish allergy. Moreover, this recombinant allergen could constitute the basis for the development of immunotherapy against food allergy. In the case of shellfish, a non-taxonomic group that includes crustacea and mollusks, the major allergen is tropomyosin, an essential protein in muscle contraction both in invertebrates and vertebrates. In invertebrates, tropomyosins, which have a molecular weight of between 38 and 41 kD, show great homology in their amino acid sequence and are the panallergens responsible for cross-reactions between crustacea, insects, mites, nematodes, and different classes of mollusks. It is estimated that 50 % of individuals allergic to some type of fish are at risk for reacting to a second species, while those allergic to some type of

  4. A simple, inexpensive video camera setup for the study of avian nest activity

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sabine, J.B.; Meyers, J.M.; Schweitzer, Sara H.

    2005-01-01

    Time-lapse video photography has become a valuable tool for collecting data on avian nest activity and depredation; however, commercially available systems are expensive (>USA $4000/unit). We designed an inexpensive system to identify causes of nest failure of American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus) and assessed its utility at Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia. We successfully identified raccoon (Procyon lotor), bobcat (Lynx rufus), American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), and ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata) predation on oystercatcher nests. Other detected causes of nest failure included tidal overwash, horse trampling, abandonment, and human destruction. System failure rates were comparable with commercially available units. Our system's efficacy and low cost (<$800) provided useful data for the management and conservation of the American Oystercatcher.

  5. Discovering Mira Ceti: Celestial Change and Cosmic Continuity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hatch, Robert Alan

    In the short narrative that follows I introduce two new heroes. Although we begin with Fabricius's first sighting in 1596, the new pivot point in the drama is the collaboration between Hevelius and Boulliau that began around 1660. As it happens, Learned Europe paid little attention to Mira in the generation after the first scattered sightings of 1596, indeed, nearly 70 years passed before the New Star was given a working identity. Like Columbus discovering America, Fabricius and Holwarda saw different things - for convenience, I call them Fabricius's Star and Holwarda's Star. Hevelius's Historiola (Danzig, 1662) and Boulliau's Ad astronomos (Paris, 1667) presented a different vision. It made Mira famous. As I shall argue, if Hevelius gave Mira a history, Boulliau gave Mira a future.5 In the end, the New Star not only challenged the ancient cosmos, it became an enduring icon for the New Science, a returning reminder of celestial continuity and cosmic order.

  6. Morphology and identification of the final instar nymphs of three cicadas (Hemiptera, Cicadidae) in Guanzhong Plain, China based on comparative morphometrics.

    PubMed

    Hou, Zehai; Li, Qinglong; Wei, Cong

    2014-01-01

    The present investigation provides comparative morphometrics of the final instar nymphs of three dominant cicada species, i.e., Cryptotympana atrata (Fabricius), Meimuna mongolica (Distant) and Platypleura kaempferi (Fabricius), in Guanzhong Plain, China. Particularly, characters on the antennae, legs, and apex of abdomen of both males and females of these three species were investigated and analyzed. In addition, the numbers of hind tibial spines of the final instar nymphs of 21 representatives of Cicadoidea were compared. The results provide useful characteristics for nymph identification of related species and for further taxonomic and phylogenetic analysis of Cicadoidea.

  7. Morphology and identification of the final instar nymphs of three cicadas (Hemiptera, Cicadidae) in Guanzhong Plain, China based on comparative morphometrics

    PubMed Central

    Hou, Zehai; Li, Qinglong; Wei, Cong

    2014-01-01

    Abstract The present investigation provides comparative morphometrics of the final instar nymphs of three dominant cicada species, i.e., Cryptotympana atrata (Fabricius), Meimuna mongolica (Distant) and Platypleura kaempferi (Fabricius), in Guanzhong Plain, China. Particularly, characters on the antennae, legs, and apex of abdomen of both males and females of these three species were investigated and analyzed. In addition, the numbers of hind tibial spines of the final instar nymphs of 21 representatives of Cicadoidea were compared. The results provide useful characteristics for nymph identification of related species and for further taxonomic and phylogenetic analysis of Cicadoidea. PMID:25147447

  8. A taxonomic review of the genus Antodynerus de Saussure, 1855 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from the Indian subcontinent.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Girish P; Carpenter, James M

    2013-10-30

    The genus Antodynerus de Saussure, 1855 is reviewed from the Indian subcontinent. Three species with one additional subspecies are present, namely Antodynerus flavescens flavescens (Fabricius, 1775), A. f. karachiensis Giordani Soika, 1970, A. limbatus (de Saussure, 1852), and A. punctatipennis (de Saussure, 1853). The parasitic association of strepsipteran insects and the symbiotic association of mites are reported for the first time in the genus Antodynerus. The distribution of A. f. flavescens (Fabricius) and A. limbatus (de Saussure) in the Indian states is augmented. The latter species is newly recorded from China (Tibet). A key to species of the Indian subcontinent is provided.

  9. Evidence of a tick RNAi pathway by comparative genomics and reverse genetics screen of targets with known loss-of-function phenotypes in Drosophila

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The Arthropods are a diverse group of organisms including Chelicerata (ticks, mites, spiders), Crustacea (crabs, shrimps), and Insecta (flies, mosquitoes, beetles, silkworm). The cattle tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, is an economically significant ectoparasite of cattle affecting cattle...

  10. Acute toxicity of ten chemicals to fairy shrimp relative to other crustaceans and mollusks

    EPA Science Inventory

    Several species of fairy shrimp in the genus Branchinecta (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act due to destruction of seasonal wetland habitats in Oregon and California, making protection of the hydrology and water quality of the limited...

  11. MEMBRANOUS LABYRINTH IN BACULOVIRUS-INFECTED CRUSTRACEAN CELLS: POSSIBLE ROLES IN VIRAL REPRODUCTION

    EPA Science Inventory

    The origins and morphogenesis of the membranous labyrinth (ML) in Baculovirus penaei (BP) infected cells of penaeid shrimps (Crustacea:Decapoda) are described. t is hypothesized that, because of the close parallel and concurrent development of the ML and virus reproduction, and o...

  12. Crab and shellfish occurrences in the newly-grown mangrove habitats in southern Thailand

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yeesin, P.; Bautip, S.; Chesoh, S.

    2018-04-01

    Mangrove crabs and shellfish populating in Prince of Songkla University’s new grown mangrove forest were investigated from January 2011 to December 2011 and then repeated annually. A total of 12 species under 6 families of crab and 11 species under 5 families of shellfish were recorded. The most abundant family of crab was Sesarmidae (64.18 %), followed by Ocypodidae, Varunidae, Macrophthalmidae, Portunidae and Dotillidae. Episesarma mederi ( H. Milne Edwards, 1853) showed highest dominant species. In addition, the most dominant family of shellfish was Potamididae (13.79 %), followed by Melampidae, Assimineidae, Onchidiidae and Littorinidae. Sea snail (Cerithidae quadrata; Sowerby, 1866) presented the most dominant coastal mollusc species. Abundance and diversification crabs and mollusks show important component of food web of this type ecosystem. However, only trapped hold samples during low tide were collected but this preliminary finding enables reasonable specified regulation measures.

  13. Review of the family Veliidae in Romania (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerromorpha).

    PubMed

    Berchi, Gavril Marius; Kment, Petr

    2015-05-25

    A critical review of the family Veliidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerromorpha) in Romania is provided. In total, two genera and eight species (Microvelia Westwood, 1834-3 species, Velia Latreille, 1804-5 species) are known from the country. Microvelia buenoi Drake, 1920 and Velia serbica Tamanini, 1951 are recorded for the first time from Romania. The occurrence of V. affinis filippii Tamanini, 1947 and V. mancinii mancinii Tamanini, 1947 is confirmed by additional records. Based on proven or suspected misidentifications, V. currens (Fabricius, 1794) and V. rivulorum (Fabricius, 1775) are excluded from the Romanian fauna. A checklist of the Veliidae of Romania and updated distribution maps are provided. Biogeographical aspects of the fauna are summarized.

  14. New Coleoptera records from New Brunswick, Canada: Cerambycidae.

    PubMed

    Webster, Reginald P; Sweeney, Jon D; Demerchant, Ian; Silk, Peter J; Mayo, Peter

    2012-01-01

    Five species of Cerambycidae, Acmaeops discoideus (Haldeman), Anelaphus villosus (Fabricius), Phymatodes species (CNC sp. n. #1), Sarosesthes fulminans (Fabricius), and Urgleptus signatus (LeConte) are newly recorded for New Brunswick, Canada. All but Acmaeops villosus are new to the Maritime provinces. Phymatodes testaceus (Linnaeus) is removed from the faunal list of the province as a result of mislabeled specimens, records of Phymatodes maculicollis LeConte are presented confirming the presence of this species in New Brunswick, and the first recent records ofNeospondylis upiformis (Mannerheim) are presented. Additional records are given for the recently recorded Phymatodes aereus (Newman), indicating a wider distribution in the province. Collection data, habitat data, and distribution maps are presented for each species.

  15. A surface-associated activity trap for capturing water surface and aquatic invertebrates in wetlands

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hanson, Mark A.; Roy, Christiane C.; Euliss, Ned H.; Zimmer, Kyle D.; Riggs, Michael R.; Butler, Malcolm G.

    2000-01-01

    We developed a surface-associated activity trap (SAT) for sampling aquatic invertebrates in wetlands. We compared performance of this trap with that of a conventional activity trap (AT) based on non-detection rates and relative abundance estimates for 13 taxa of common wetland invertebrates and for taxon richness using data from experiments in constructed wetlands. Taxon-specific non-detection rates for ATs generally exceeded those of SATs, and largest improvements using SATs were for Chironomidae and Gastropoda. SATs were efficient at capturing cladocera, Chironomidae, Gastropoda, total Crustacea, and multiple taxa (taxon richness) but were only slightly better than ATs at capturing Dytiscidae. Temporal differences in capture rates were observed only for cladocera, Chironomidae, Dytiscidae, and total Crustacea, with capture efficiencies of SATs usually decreasing from mid-June through mid-July for these taxa. We believe that SATs may be useful for characterizing wetland invertebrate communities and for developing improved measures of prey available to foraging waterfowl and other aquatic birds.

  16. A surface-associated activity trap for capturing water-surface and aquatic invertebrates in wetlands

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hanson, M.A.; Roy, C.C.; Euliss, N.H.; Zimmer, K.D.; Riggs, M.R.; Butler, Malcolm G.

    2000-01-01

    We developed a surface-associated activity trap (SAT) for sampling aquatic invertebrates in wetlands. We compared performance of this trap with that of a conventional activity trap (AT) based on non-detection rates and relative abundance estimates for 13 taxa of common wetland invertebrates and for taxon richness using data from experiments in constructed wetlands. Taxon-specific non-detection rates for ATs generally exceeded those of SATs, and largest improvements using SATs were for Chironomidae and Gastropoda. SATs were efficient at capturing cladocera, Chironomidae, Gastropoda, total Crustacea, and multiple taxa (taxon richness) but were only slightly better than ATs at capturing Dytiscidae. Temporal differences in capture rates were observed only for cladocera, Chironomidae, Dytiscidae, and total Crustacea, with capture efficiencies of SATs usually decreasing from mid-June through mid-July for these taxa. We believe that SATs may be useful for characterizing wetland invertebrate communities and for developing improved measures of prey available to foraging waterfowl and other aquatic birds.

  17. 40 CFR 180.950 - Tolerance exemptions for minimal risk active and inert ingredients.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ...) Both the raw and processed forms of peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soybeans, eggs, fish, crustacea, and... is an animal feed composed of dried animal fat and protein that has been sterilized. Other than meat.... The term commonly consumed food commodities shall only apply to food commodities (whether a raw...

  18. New Coleoptera records from New Brunswick, Canada: Cerambycidae

    PubMed Central

    Webster, Reginald P.; Sweeney, Jon D.; DeMerchant, Ian; Silk, Peter J.; Mayo, Peter

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Five species of Cerambycidae, Acmaeops discoideus (Haldeman), Anelaphus villosus (Fabricius), Phymatodes species (CNC sp. n. #1), Sarosesthes fulminans (Fabricius), and Urgleptus signatus (LeConte) are newly recorded for New Brunswick, Canada. All but Acmaeops villosus are new to the Maritime provinces. Phymatodes testaceus (Linnaeus) is removed from the faunal list of the province as a result of mislabeled specimens, records of Phymatodes maculicollis LeConte are presented confirming the presence of this species in New Brunswick, and the first recent records ofNeospondylis upiformis (Mannerheim) are presented. Additional records are given for the recently recorded Phymatodes aereus (Newman), indicating a wider distribution in the province. Collection data, habitat data, and distribution maps are presented for each species. PMID:22539899

  19. The Late Precambrian fossil Kimberella is a mollusc-like bilaterian organism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fedonkin, Mikhail A.; Waggoner, Benjamin M.

    1997-08-01

    The fossil Kimberella quadrata was originally described from late Precambrian rocks of southern Australia. Reconstructed as a jellyfish, it was later assigned to the cubozoans (`box jellies'), and has been cited as a clear instance of an extant animal lineage present before the Cambrian. Until recently, Kimberella was known only from Australia, with the exception of some questionable north Indian specimens. We now have over thirty-five specimens of this fossil from the Winter Coast of the White Sea in northern Russia. Our study of the new material does not support a cnidarian affinity. We reconstruct Kimberella as a bilaterally symmetrical, benthic animal with a non-mineralized, univalved shell, resembling a mollusc in many respects. This is important evidence for the existence of large triploblastic metazoans in the Precambrian and indicates that the origin of the higher groups of protostomes lies well back in the Precambrian.

  20. Sirex research and management in South America

    Treesearch

    Edson Tadeu Iede; Susete Rocio C. Penteado; Wilson Reis Filho

    2011-01-01

    The European woodwasp, Sirex noctilio Fabricius, 1793 (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) is being monitoring and/or controlled on about 4.1 million hectares Pinus spp. plantations in South America’s Southern Cone.

  1. An annotated checklist of the New World pentodontine scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Pentodontini).

    PubMed

    López-García, Margarita M; Gasca-Álvarez, Héctor J; Cave, Ronald D; Amat-García, Germán

    2016-09-26

    An updated and annotated checklist of the Pentodontini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) of the New World is presented. The tribe is composed of 32 genera and 151 species, including the introduced species Heteronychus arator (Fabricius).

  2. Biochemical composition of deep-sea decapod crustaceans with two different benthic life strategies off the Portuguese south coast

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosa, R.; Nunes, M. L.

    2003-01-01

    The objectives of the present study were to characterize the benthic life strategies of Aristeus antennatus (Crustacea: Penaeidea), Parapenaeus longirostris (Crustacea: Penaeidea) and Nephrops norvegicus (Crustacea: Astacidea) on the basis of biochemical composition (proximate chemical composition, total lipids, glycogen and cholesterol contents), and its response to biological and environmental factors (sex, maturation, reproduction, food availability and depth) into account. The specimens were collected at depths between 200 and 600 m off the Portuguese south coast (Algarve). The nektobenthic species ( A. antennatus and P. longirostris) showed higher protein, lipid, cholesterol and glycogen contents, and lower moisture content in the muscle than the benthic-endobenthic species ( N. norvegicus). Consequently, the energy content of the nektobenthic species was also higher. Principal component analyses were used to assess the relationship between the different biochemical contents and to relate them to the biotic and abiotic factors. Depth seems to have the most important role in the observed trends of the biochemical composition. The increase of the ovarian lipid levels occurs as a result of the maturation process. The highest values were obtained in mature N. norvegicus females. The differences can be due to maternal investment (lipid metabolism of the female is geared to the provision of egg lipid), since N. norvegicus produce large lecithotrophic eggs. The biochemical differences observed in the three species did not seem to be due to distinct trophic strategies, but instead were a consequence of depth, which may have a significant interspecific effect on food intake. It was also evident that reproductive cycle has profound effects upon the biochemistry of the three species. Gonadal maturation has large associated energy costs due to the increase in biosynthetic work. Moreover, the biochemical composition would be influenced by or synchronized with seasonal

  3. Internal current generation in respiration chambers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saborowski, R.; Buchholz, F.

    1998-06-01

    A technical device generating a constant and directed current within a sealed respiration chamber is described. It does not involve any external pumps or tubing. This system is easy to handle, and improved the maintenance of rheotactic pelagic species like the Northern krill ( Meganyctiphanes norvegica, Crustacea) or small fishes ( Gasterosteus aculeatus) under experimental conditions.

  4. Methyl 2-(methylthio)benzoate: A sex attractant for the June beetles, Phyllophaga tristis and P. apicata

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Male antennae of Phyllophaga tristis (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) were tested using a coupled gas chromatograph-electroantennogram detector (GC-EAD) system for electrophysiological responses to five sex pheromones identified from other Phyllophaga species including L-valine ...

  5. The decapod red pigment-concentrating hormone (Panbo-RPCH) is the first identified neuropeptide of the order Plecoptera and is interpreted as homoplastic character state.

    PubMed

    Gäde, Gerd; Marco, Heather G

    2015-09-15

    This paper presents the first neuropeptide structure, identified by mass spectrometry, in two species of Plectoptera (stoneflies) and in one species of the coleopteran family Lycidae. In all three species, the octapeptide Panbo-RPCH (first identified in Pandalus borealis as a red pigment-concentrating hormone: pGlu-Leu-Asn-Phe-Ser-Pro-Gly-Trp amide) is present. A review of the literature available on invertebrate neuropeptides that are identified or predicted from expressed sequence tags, transcriptome shotgun assemblies, and from fully sequenced genomes, show that Panbo-RPCH is found in Malacostraca (Crustacea) and certain hemipteran Heteroptera (Insecta). To date, Panbo-RPCH has not been shown present in non-Malacostracan crustaceans, nor in basal taxa of the Insecta (Archaeognatha, Zygentoma, Ephemeroptera, Odonata). The present data adds to knowledge on the distribution of Panbo-RPCH, and when taking into account the most accepted, current phylogenetics of the Crustacea-Hexapoda relationship, this distribution of Panbo-RPCH in Malacostraca, Plecoptera, some hemipteran Heteroptera and in Coleoptera (Lycidae) can best be explained by homoplasy, implying parallel evolution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Isolation, partial purification and characterization of active polypeptide from the sea anemone Bartholomea annulata.

    PubMed

    Sánchez-Rodríguez, Judith; Zugasti, Alejandro; Santamaría, Abel; Galván-Arzate, Sonia; Segura-Puertas, Lourdes

    2006-08-01

    In the sea anemone Bartholomea annulata, four different types of cnidocysts, basitrichous isorhizas, microbasic p-mastigophores, microbasic amastigophores and spirocysts were identified. In relation to the efficacy of different substances to induce discharge of nematocysts we observe that distilled water induced more than 70% of microbasic p-mastigophores to discharge, whereas spirocysts were discharged in a lesser extent (approximately 20%). The median lethal dose (LD50) in mice was found after injection of 700.7 mg protein per kg of body weight from the crude extract. The protein with neurotoxic effect was isolated using low-pressure liquid chromatography. The neurotoxic activity was determined using sea crabs (Ocypode quadrata), injecting 15 microg of crude extract or isolated fraction into the third walking leg, and violent motor activity followed by progressive loss of sensibility to external stimuli, further leading to full paralysis were observed. The active fraction (called V) eluted at 43.9 min.

  7. Assessing the trophic state of Linhos lake: a first step towards ecological rehabilitation.

    PubMed

    Pereira, R; Soares, A M V M; Ribeiro, R; Gonçalves, F

    2002-03-01

    Lack of recognition of the value of wetlands has led to the loss of considerable areas of these ecosystems in the past. Linhos lake (Figueira da Foz, Portugal) is a good example of one of these ecosystems, in which human intervention was responsible for its environmental degradation and led to its precocious terrestrialization. Physico-chemical conditions and zooplankton community structure were studied in Linhos lake, in order to evaluate ecosystem functioning and to acquire baseline information. The system is characterised by high oxygen depletion. Spatial heterogeneity was confirmed by the existence of significant differences in total densities for the three zooplanktonic groups. Rotifers were the most abundant group attaining their maximum density in April (2251 x 1 ind/l). Keratella quadrata, K. cochlearis, Polyarthra vulgaris, Filinia terminalis and Hexarthra mira were the main abundant species. Correspondence analysis suggested temperature as the main controlling factor in species seasonality. In order to prevent the precocious disappearance of the lake some restoration measures were proposed based on zooplankton community structure.

  8. Ten new species from the Patagonian Andes (Argentina and Chile), mostly belonging to a newly designated Stigmella purpurimaculae group (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae).

    PubMed

    Stonis, Jonas R; Remeikis, Andrius; Davis, Donald R

    2014-11-25

    Ten new Stigmella Schrank species are described: Stigmella purpurimaculae Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. cana Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. truncata Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. sceptra Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. concreta Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. pseudoconcreta Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. quadrata Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. (all belonging to the newly designated S. purpurimaculae group), and S. semilactea Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. brutea Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. pseudodigitata Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. (not attributed to a species group) are described from the Andes (Patagonia: Argentina and Chile). For the species of the purpurimaculae group, a partial reduction of phallus, dentate cornuti, and strong development of utriculus (which can be equal or longer of the corpus bursae) are characteristic. Some of the species of the purpurimaculae group were collected near Nothofagus pumilio (Poepp. & Endl.) Krasser, Nothofagaceae, but there is still no confirmation that Nothofagus is a host-plant. All new Stigmella species are illustrated with photographs and drawings of the adults and genitalia.

  9. Evaluating the Effects of Different Vegetation Types on Necrophagous Fly Communities (Diptera: Calliphoridae; Sarcophagidae): Implications for Conservation

    PubMed Central

    Pereira de Sousa, José Roberto; Carvalho-Filho, Fernando da Silva; Juen, Leandro; Esposito, Maria Cristina

    2016-01-01

    The present study was conducted in five different phytogeographic zones of the Brazilian state of Maranhão, three of which (the Amazon Forest, Cerrado, and Palm Groves) are more heterogeneous, whereas the other two (Marshlands and Mangroves) are more homogeneous. In each zone, nine sites were visited for the collection of necrophagous flies using bait traps in 2010, 2011, and 2012. The calliphorid and sarcophagid communities observed at each site were compared in terms of species richness, composition, and abundance. The more heterogeneous zones had higher species richness, except in the case of the sarcophagids in the forest habitats. The calliphorids Chloroprocta idioidea (Robineau- Desvoidy, 1830), Mesembrinella bicolor (Fabricius, 1805), Hemilucilia semidiaphana (Rondani, 1850) and Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann, 1819) were more closely associated with the Cerrado, Palm Grove and Amazon Forest zones, and Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius, 194) with the Mangrove. In the sarcophagids, Peckia (Euboettcheria) subducta (Lopes, 1935) and P. (Pattonella) palidipilosa (Curran & Walley, 1934) were associated with the Amazon Forest, and P. (Sarcodexia) lambens (Wiedemann, 1830) and Tricharaea (Sarcophagula) occidua (Fabricius, 1794) with the Palm Grove and Cerrado zones. In the calliphorids, the greatest dissimilarity was recorded between the Amazon Forest and the Mangrove and Lowland grassland zones. In the sarcophagids, by contrast, the greatest dissimilarities were recorded between the Amazon Forest and all the other four zones. In general, then, the phytogeographic zones with the highest environmental heterogeneity were characterized by the greatest species richness and abundance of necrophagous flies. PMID:27798664

  10. Two Additional Invasive Scarabaeoid Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) in Hawaii

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Two species of dynastine scarab beetles are reported for the first time on the island of Hawaii: the Pasadena masked chafer, Cyclocephala pasadenae (Casey)(Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) and the Temnorhynchus retusus (Fabricius)(Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Pentodontini). The Pasadena mask...

  11. Stylet Penetration Estimates for a Suite of Phytophagous Hemipteran Pests of Row Crops

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Members of the Miridae (Lygus lineolaris Palisot de Beauvois and Pseudatomoscelis seriatus Reuter) and Pentatomidae (Acrosternum hilare Say, Euschistus servus (Say), E. tristigmus (Say), E. quadrator Rolston, Oebalus pugnax (Fabricius), Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood), and Thyanta custator accerra M...

  12. Preface: Recent Developments in Taxonomy and Biodiversity of Symbiotic Copepoda (Crustacea)-A Volume in Celebration of the Career of Prof. Il-Hoi Kim.

    PubMed

    Huys, Rony

    2016-10-11

    Symbiosis is one of the most successful modes of life displayed by aquatic organisms, as measured by the number of times it evolved and how many symbiotic species are presently in existence. Among the Crustacea copepods utilize an extraordinary range of hosts, occurring on virtually every phylum of marine macroinvertebrates and, jointly with the monogeneans, are the most speciose group of metazoan ectoparasites of marine fishes (Rhode 2005). Several species have a major impact on global finfish and shellfish aquaculture, causing significant effects on farm production, economic viability and sustainability (Shinn et al. 2015). Parasitism by copepods on other metazoans has evolved independently numerous times in the evolutionary history of animal life on Earth and has led to an exceptional diversity in morphologies, physiologies, life-strategies and habitat preferences of its members. Reflecting the diversity of hosts, copepods show an amazing variety of adaptations which secure infection of and survival on the hosts. Since the first descriptions of parasitic copepods occurring on fish by Linnaeus (1758) and the first report of a copepod utilizing an invertebrate host by Say (1818) (Clausidium caudatum (Say, 1818)) the number of described symbiotic copepods has seen a steady increase over a 200-yr period, culminating in a total of 5,306 valid species recognized today. About 38% of all described copepod species utilize either vertebrate (2,450 spp.) or invertebrate hosts (2,856 spp.), however, many host groups have not been thoroughly examined, and for this reason even approximate estimates of true species numbers are futile. Plotting the proposal of new species by decade (Fig. 1) shows a sharp rise since 1950 with 67% of the species having been described in the preceding 65 years. This period of exceptionally rapid progress can be attributed to a number of highly prolific investigators such as Arthur Humes, Il-Hoi Kim, Ju-shey Ho and Jan Stock who, single-handedly or

  13. The blowflies of the Madeira Archipelago: species diversity, distribution and identification (Diptera, Calliphoridae s. l.)

    PubMed Central

    Prado e Castro, Catarina; Szpila, Krzysztof; Martínez-Sánchez, Anabel; Rego; Silva, Isamberto; Serrano, Artur R.M.; Boieiro, Mário

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Knowledge on the taxonomic diversity and distribution of blowflies from the Madeira Archipelago is updated. New and interesting findings are reported for poorly studied islands and islets of this archipelago, together with a brief analysis of the diversity of Macaronesian Calliphoridae s. l. Seven blowfly species were collected during this study, including the first records of Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819), Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826), Pollenia rudis (Fabricius, 1794) and Stomorhina lunata (Fabricius, 1805) from Porto Santo, and of Calliphora vicina, Lucilia sericata and Stomorhina lunata from Desertas Islands. The presence of Calliphora loewi Enderlein, 1903 in Madeira Laurisilva forest is discussed and its first instar larva is redescribed, revealing important differences in relation to its original description. An identification key to the adult Madeiran blowflies is provided for the first time. PMID:27917052

  14. Evidence for sex pheromones and inbreeding avoidance in select North America yellowjacket species (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Little is known about the roles of sex pheromones in mate-finding behavior of social wasps (Vespidae). Working with the aerial yellowjacket, Dolichovespula arenaria (Fabricius), baldfaced hornet, D. maculata (L.), western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica (Saussure), southern yellowjacket, V. squam...

  15. Acoustic detectability of Rhynchophorus cruentatus (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The palmetto weevil, Rhynchophorus cruentatus Fabricius, native to Florida, attacks palm trees. Like its economically destructive relatives, R. ferrugineus (Olivier) and R. palmarum L., it feeds internally and often is not detected until irreparable damage occurs. Acoustic methods previously used su...

  16. Host plant resistance to megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) in diverse soybean germplasm maturity groups V through VIII

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Initially discovered in Georgia in 2009, the exotic invasive plataspid, Megacopta cribraria Fabricius has become a serious pest of soybean. Managing M. cribraria in soybean typically involves the application of broad-spectrum insecticides. Soybean host plant resistance is an attractive alternative...

  17. New records of Pipunculidae attacking proconiine sharpshooter (Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Proconiini)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Five records of Pipunculidae (Diptera) attacking proconiine sharpshooters (Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae) are documented here for the first time. Eudorylas alternatus (Cresson) is documented as a parasitoid of Cuerna obtusa Oman and Beamer, and Oncometopia orbona (Fabricius) is recorded as being at...

  18. Genetic variation, and biological activity of nucleopolyhedrovirus samples from larvae Heliothis virescens, Helicoverpa zea, and Helicoverpa armigera

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    To assess the diversity and relationships of baculoviruses found in insects of the heliothine pest complex, a PCR-based method was used to classify 90 samples of nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV; Baculoviridae: Alphabaculovirus) obtained worldwide from larvae of Heliothis virescens (Fabricius), Helicoverpa...

  19. Genetic variability in krill.

    PubMed

    Valentine, J W; Ayala, F J

    1976-02-01

    We have estimated genetic variability by gel electrophoresis in three species of krill, genus Euphausia (Arthropoda: Crustacea). Genetic variability is low where trophic resources are most seasonal, and high where trophic resources are most stable. Simlar trends have been found in benthic marine invertebrates. The observed trends of genetic variability do not correlate with trends in the stability of physical environment parameters.

  20. Geographic distribution of phylogenetically-distinct legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea: Crambidae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Maruca vitrata Fabricius is a pantropical lepidopteran pest of legumes. Phylogenetic analysis of a mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase-I gene (coxI) fragment indicates that three Maruca sp. mitochondrial lineages have unique geographic distributions [lineages 1 and 2: Australia, Taiwan, and West Afr...

  1. Rearing Xyleborus volvulus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on Media Containing Sawdust from Avocado or Silkbay, with or without Raffaelea lauricola (Ophiostomatales: Ophiostomataceae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Like other ambrosia beetles, Xyleborus volvulus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) lives in a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with fungi that serve as food source. Until recently, X. volvulus was not considered a pest, and none of its symbionts were considered plant pathogens. However, recent ...

  2. Isolation and characterization of a reovirus from common eiders (Somateria mollissima) from Finland

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hollmen, T.; Franson, J. Christian; Kilpi, Mikael; Docherty, D.E.; Hansen, W.R.; Hario, Martti

    2002-01-01

    Samples of brain, intestine, liver, lung, spleen, and bursa of Fabricius were collected from five common eider (Somateria mollissima) duckling carcasses during a die-off in the western Gulf of Finland (59°50′N, 23°15′E) in June 1996. No viral activity was observed in specific-pathogen-free chicken embryos inoculated with tissue suspensions, but samples of bursa of Fabricius from three birds were positive when inoculated into Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) embryo fibroblasts. The isolates were characterized as nonenveloped RNA viruses and possessed several characteristics of the genus Orthoreovirus. Virus particles were icosahedral with a mean diameter of 72 nm and were stable at pH 3.0; their genome was separated into 10 segments by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) ducklings experimentally infected with the eider reovirus showed elevated serum activities of aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase enzymes and focal hemorrhages in the liver, spleen, and bursa of Fabricius. During 1997–99, the prevalence of neutralizing antibodies to the isolated virus ranged from 0 to 86% in 302 serum samples collected from incubating eider hens at three nesting areas along coastal Finland. The highest seroprevalence was found in Hanko in 1999, just weeks before reports of an uninvestigated mortality event resulting in the death of an estimated 98% of ducklings at that location. These findings raise the question of potential involvement of the virus in poor duckling survival and eider population declines observed in several breeding areas along coastal Finland since the mid-1980s.

  3. Duck plague in free-flying waterfowl observed during the Lake Andes epizootic

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Proctor, S.J.; Pearson, G.L.; Leibovitz, Louis

    1975-01-01

    The first major epizootic of duck plague in free-flying waterfowl occurred at Lake Andes, South Dakota, in January and February, 1973. Duck plague was diagnosed in black ducks, mallards, pintail-mallard hybrids, redheads, common mergansers, common golden eyes, canvasbacks, American widgeon, wood ducks, and Canada geese, indicating the general susceptibility of ducks to duck plague. Clinical signs observed in mallards were droopiness, polydipsia, lethargy, reduced wariness, weakness, reluctance to fly, swimming in circles, bloody diarrhea, bloody fluid draining from the nares and bill, and terminal convulsions.Because the mallard was the most numerous and heavily infected species during the Lake Andes epizootic, gross and microscopic lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, spleen, thymus, bursa of Fabricius, heart, lung, bone marrow, pancreas, and ovaries were described. Lesions of the esophagus and cloaca were in the stratified submucosal glands. In the small and large intestine, lesions were located in lymphocytic aggregates, lamina propria, and crypt epithelium. Hemorrhages and necrosis of hepatocytes and bile duct epithelium were noted in the liver. Diffuse necrosis of lymphocytic and reticuloendothelial tissue were evident in the spleen, bursa of Fabricius, and thymus. Hemorrhages in other tissues such as the lung and heart were often associated with lymphoid nodules, while those in organs such as the pancreas were associated with acinar necrosis. Intranuclear inclusion bodies were seen in stratified squamous epithelium of the esophagus and cloaca, crypt epithelium of the intestine, hepatocytes, bile duct epithelium, cells of Hassel's corpuscles, splenic periarteriolar reticular cells, and epithelial cells in the bursa of Fabricius.

  4. Biodiversity of the white coral bank off Cape Santa Maria di Leuca (Mediterranean Sea): An update

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mastrototaro, F.; D'Onghia, G.; Corriero, G.; Matarrese, A.; Maiorano, P.; Panetta, P.; Gherardi, M.; Longo, C.; Rosso, A.; Sciuto, F.; Sanfilippo, R.; Gravili, C.; Boero, F.; Taviani, M.; Tursi, A.

    2010-03-01

    The biodiversity of the Santa Maria di Leuca (SML) coral bank is summarized and its description is updated using data collected by means of underwater video systems, benthic samplers and fishing gears. A total of 222 living species have been recorded within the coral bank area in the depth range 280-1121 m. The most abundant benthic taxa recorded are Porifera (36 species) followed by Mollusca (35) and Cnidaria (31). The scleractinian corals Madrepora oculata and Lophelia pertusa are the main colonial species in the structure of the SML bank. Annelida, Crustacea and Bryozoa have been found with 24, 23 and 19 species, respectively. A total of 40 species of demersal fish have been recorded. Other faunal taxa were found with small numbers of species. One hundred and thirty-five species are new for the SML bank, 31 of which represent new records for the north-western Ionian Sea (2 Porifera, 17 Cnidaria, 1 Mollusca, 3 Annelida, 2 Crustacea, 4 Bryozoa and 4 Echinodermata). The finding of the annelid Harmothoë vesiculosa represents the first record for the Mediterranean Sea. The SML coral bank represents a biodiversity "hot-spot" on the bathyal bottoms of the Mediterranean Sea.

  5. An Artificial Diet for Rearing Cochliomyia macellaria (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Larvae of the secondary screwworm, Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius), feed on carrion and may sometimes cause animal myiasis. They have been reared in the laboratory on various animal tissues to study their growth and development because of their importance in forensic science. We use the secondary...

  6. Description and key to the fifth-instars of some Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) associated with coffee plants in Brazil.

    PubMed

    Maccagnan, D H B; Martinelli, N M

    2011-01-01

    Fifth-instars of the cicada species Dorisiana drewseni (Stål), Dorisiana viridis (Olivier), Fidicina mannifera (Fabricius), Fidicinoides pronoe (Walker) and Carineta fasciculata (Germar) are described and illustrated. Moreover, a key to the nymphs of these species along with Quesada gigas (Olivier) is also provided.

  7. AnthWest, occurrence records for wool carder bees of the genus Anthidium (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae, Anthidiini) in the Western Hemisphere

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Bees are among the most important pollinators of flowering plants in most ecosystems. This paper describes a large dataset that represents one of the outcomes of a comprehensive, broadly comparative study on the diversity, biology, biogeography, and evolution of Anthidium Fabricius in the Western He...

  8. Petroleum effects on neural systems in marine organisms. Progress report, 1 August 1979-14 April 1980

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1980-01-01

    Progress is reported in the following areas: (1) petroleum effects on chemosensory systems in the kelp crab, Pugettia producta, and the California spiny lobster, Panulirus interruptus; (2) chemosensory bradycardia in the spiny lobster; (3) petroleum effects on epithelial potentials in the coelenterate Tubularia; (4) petroleum effects on bioluminescence in the marine dinoflagellate, Pyrocystis fusiformis; and (5) analysis of petroleum for neurological testing on crustacea. (ACR)

  9. Bibliography of Publications 1979-1985, Reports 1955-1985, Theses 1978-1985.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-05-01

    J. Gonor. 1982. The tidal exchange of Callianassa californiensis (Crustacea: Decapoda ) larvae between the ocean and the Salmon River estuary, Oregon...Pandalus iordani ( Decapoda , Pandalidae) larvae off the Oregon coast. Fishery Bull. 81:455-472. Miller, C. B., B. W. Frost, H. P. Batchelder, M. Clemons...known Si requirement. II. Strong pH dependence of uptake kinetic parameters in Phaeodactylum Tricornutum (Bacillariophyceae). J. Phycology 21:168-171

  10. Genetic variability in krill.

    PubMed Central

    Valentine, J W; Ayala, F J

    1976-01-01

    We have estimated genetic variability by gel electrophoresis in three species of krill, genus Euphausia (Arthropoda: Crustacea). Genetic variability is low where trophic resources are most seasonal, and high where trophic resources are most stable. Simlar trends have been found in benthic marine invertebrates. The observed trends of genetic variability do not correlate with trends in the stability of physical environment parameters. Images PMID:1061166

  11. Brain architecture in the terrestrial hermit crab Coenobita clypeatus (Anomura, Coenobitidae), a crustacean with a good aerial sense of smell

    PubMed Central

    Harzsch, Steffen; Hansson, Bill S

    2008-01-01

    Background During the evolutionary radiation of Crustacea, several lineages in this taxon convergently succeeded in meeting the physiological challenges connected to establishing a fully terrestrial life style. These physiological adaptations include the need for sensory organs of terrestrial species to function in air rather than in water. Previous behavioral and neuroethological studies have provided solid evidence that the land hermit crabs (Coenobitidae, Anomura) are a group of crustaceans that have evolved a good sense of aerial olfaction during the conquest of land. We wanted to study the central olfactory processing areas in the brains of these organisms and to that end analyzed the brain of Coenobita clypeatus (Herbst, 1791; Anomura, Coenobitidae), a fully terrestrial tropical hermit crab, by immunohistochemistry against synaptic proteins, serotonin, FMRFamide-related peptides, and glutamine synthetase. Results The primary olfactory centers in this species dominate the brain and are composed of many elongate olfactory glomeruli. The secondary olfactory centers that receive an input from olfactory projection neurons are almost equally large as the olfactory lobes and are organized into parallel neuropil lamellae. The architecture of the optic neuropils and those areas associated with antenna two suggest that C. clypeatus has visual and mechanosensory skills that are comparable to those of marine Crustacea. Conclusion In parallel to previous behavioral findings of a good sense of aerial olfaction in C. clypeatus, our results indicate that in fact their central olfactory pathway is most prominent, indicating that olfaction is a major sensory modality that these brains process. Interestingly, the secondary olfactory neuropils of insects, the mushroom bodies, also display a layered structure (vertical and medial lobes), superficially similar to the lamellae in the secondary olfactory centers of C. clypeatus. More detailed analyses with additional markers will be

  12. The diatraea complex (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Colombia’s Cauca River Valley: identity, distribution, and parasitoids

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The sugarcane stem borers Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius) and D. indigenella Dyar & Heinrich are common pests of sugarcane crops in Colombia’s Cauca river valley (CRV). In 2012, however, D. tabernella Dyar was recorded for the first time in northern CRV and just one year later D. busckella Dyar & H...

  13. From Asian curiosity to eruptive American pest: Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) and prospects for biological control

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The kudzu bug or bean plataspid, Megacopta cribraria (Fabricius), is native to Asia where it appears to be widely distributed (although the taxonomy is not entirely clear), but is infrequently a pest of legumes. This bug appeared in 2009 in the southeastern United States, where it is closely associa...

  14. Seasonal occurrence and interspecific interactions of egg parasitoids of Megacopta cribraria (Heteroptera: Plataspidae) in Japan

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    We conducted a field study to determine seasonal egg parasitism rates of the kudzu bug Megacopta cribraria (Fabricius) on the kudzu plant, Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr. var. lobata (Willd.) Maesen et Almeida ex Sanjappa and Pradeep in Tokyo, Japan during the period from May 2014 to September 2014. ...

  15. Histopathological characterization and shedding dynamics of LPAI H6N2 in Guinea fowls (Numida meleagris) infected experimentally

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Guineafowl of different ages were inoculated intravenously with a H6N2 wild waterfowl-origin low-pathogenicity type A influenza virus. No evidence of clinical disease was observed. The examined infected birds had atrophy of the spleen, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius when compared to the non-infect...

  16. Hyperpigmentation Results in Aberrant Immune Development in Silky Fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus Brisson)

    PubMed Central

    Han, Deping; Wang, Shuxiang; Hu, Yanxin; Zhang, Yuanyuan; Dong, Xianggui; Yang, Zu; Wang, Jiankui; Li, Junying; Deng, Xuemei

    2015-01-01

    The Silky Fowl (SF) is known for its special phenotypes and atypical distribution of melanocytes among internal organs. Although the genes associated with melanocyte migration have been investigated substantially, there is little information on the postnatal distribution of melanocytes in inner organs and the effect of hyperpigmentation on the development of SF. Here, we analyzed melanocyte distribution in 26 tissues or organs on postnatal day 1 and weeks 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, and 23. Except for the liver, pancreas, pituitary gland, and adrenal gland, melanocytes were distributed throughout the body, primarily around blood vessels. Interaction between melanocytes and the tissue cells was observed, and melanin was transported by filopodia delivery through engulfed and internalized membrane-encapsulated melanosomes. SFs less than 10 weeks old have lower indices of spleen, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius than White Leghorns (WLs). The expression levels of interferon-γ and interlukin-4 genes in the spleen, and serum antibody levels against H5N1 and infectious bursal disease virus were lower in SF than in WL. We also found immune organ developmental difference between Black-boned and non-Black- boned chickens from SFs and WLs hybrid F2 population. However, degeneration of the thymus and bursa of Fabricius occurred later in SF than in WL after sexual maturity. Analysis of apoptotic cells and apoptosis-associated Bax and Bcl-2 proteins indicated that apoptosis is involved in degeneration of the thymus and bursa of Fabricius. Therefore, these results suggest that hyperpigmentation in SF may have a close relationship with immune development in SF, which can provide an important animal model to investigate the roles of melanocyte. PMID:26047316

  17. Plant as a plenteous reserve of lectin

    PubMed Central

    Hivrale, AU; Ingale, AG

    2013-01-01

    Lectins are clusters of glycoproteins of nonimmune foundation that combine specifically and reversibly to carbohydrates, mainly the sugar moiety of glycoconjugates, resulting in cell agglutination and precipitation of glycoconjugates. They are universally distributed in nature, being established in plants, fungi, viruses, bacteria, crustacea, insects, and animals, but leguminacae plants are rich source of lectins. The present review reveals the structure, biological properties, and application of plant lectins. PMID:24084524

  18. Resveratrol induces antioxidant and heat shock protein mRNA expression in response to heat stress in black-boned chickens.

    PubMed

    Liu, L L; He, J H; Xie, H B; Yang, Y S; Li, J C; Zou, Y

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of dietary resveratrol at 0, 200, 400, or 600 mg/kg of diet on the performance, immune organ growth index, serum parameters, and expression levels of heat shock protein (Hsp) 27, Hsp70, and Hsp90 mRNA in the bursa of Fabricius, thymus, and spleen of 42-d-old female black-boned chickens exposed to heat stress at 37 ± 2°C for 15 d. The results showed that heat stress reduced daily feed intake and BW gain; decreased serum glutathione (GSH), growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor-1 levels; and inhibited GSH peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities compared with birds subjected to thermo-neutral circumstances. Chickens that were fed diets supplemented with resveratrol exhibited a linear increase in feed intake and BW gain (P < 0.001); serum GSH, growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor-1 levels (P ≤ 0.01); and GSH-Px, SOD, and CAT activities (P < 0.001) compared with chickens that were fed diets without resveratrol during heat stress. In contrast, serum malonaldehyde concentrations were decreased (P < 0.001) in the chickens fed a resveratrol-supplemented diet. Heat stress also reduced (P < 0.05) the growth index of the bursa of Fabricus and spleen; however, it had no effect on the growth index of the thymus. The growth index of the bursa of Fabricius and spleen increased (P < 0.05) upon heat stress and coincided with an increase in supplemental resveratrol levels. The expression of Hsp27, Hsp70, and Hsp90 mRNA in the bursa of Fabricius and spleen were increased (P < 0.01), but those of Hsp27 and Hsp90 mRNA in thymus were decreased (P < 0.01) under heat stress compared with no heat stress. Resveratrol attenuated the heat stress-induced overexpression of Hsp27, Hsp70, and Hsp90 mRNA in the bursa of Fabricius and spleen and increased the low expression of Hsp27 and Hsp90 mRNA in thymus upon heat stress. The results suggest that supplemental resveratrol improves growth performance

  19. Effect of High Dietary Manganese on the Immune Responses of Broilers Following Oral Salmonella typhimurium Inoculation.

    PubMed

    Pan, Shuqin; Zhang, Keying; Ding, Xuemei; Wang, Jianping; Peng, Huanwei; Zeng, Qiufeng; Xuan, Yue; Su, Zuowei; Wu, Bing; Bai, Shiping

    2018-02-01

    Manganese (Mn) is an essential nutrient for both host and pathogen. Recent studies have demonstrated the nutritional immunity of Mn against Salmonella infection in mammals. To investigate the effect of high dietary Mn on immune responses of broilers following Salmonella challenge, 144 1-day-old male broilers were fed a basal diet (containing 20.04 mg Mn/kg) plus an additional 40 (the control group) or 400 mg Mn/kg (the H-Mn group) for 7 days. The 72 broilers in each group were then orally inoculated with 5 × 10 7 CFUs of Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC#14028) or phosphate-buffered saline. Peripheral blood, spleens, cecal tonsils, and bursa of Fabricius were collected from Salmonella-inoculated and Salmonella-noninoculated broilers (n = 6) at 2 days post inoculation (2 DPI) and 7 days post inoculation (7 DPI). Peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations were determined by flow cytometry. The messenger RNA (mRNA) abundance of genes was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Salmonella counts were higher (P < 0.05) in the H-Mn group than that in the control group at 2 DPI in the cecal contents of Salmonella-inoculated broilers. High dietary Mn increased CD3 + CD4 + and CD3 + CD8 + percentages in the peripheral blood of Salmonella-inoculated broilers at 2 DPI. Salmonella inoculation increased interleukin (IL)-6 mRNA expression in spleens and bursa of Fabricius at 2 DPI and increased IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA expression in cecal tonsils at 7 DPI in the H-Mn group. These changes were not observed in the control group. High dietary Mn increased interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in spleens and decreased IFN-γ and IL-12 mRNA expression in cecal tonsils of Salmonella-inoculated broilers at 2 DPI. High dietary Mn decreased IL-17 mRNA expression in the bursa of Fabricius at 7 DPI, but increased this expression in cecal tonsils at 2 and 7 DPI in Salmonella-inoculated broilers. These results suggested that dietary Mn level affected T helper (Th) 1-cytokine

  20. Spreading Depressions as Secondary Insults After Traumatic Injury to the Human Brain

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-09-01

    meeting of the COSBID consortium took place on 6-8 May 2010 in Barcelona , Spain. Drs. Hartings and Wilson attended and made presentations on the topics...questions. 11 VI. REFERENCES aHartings JA, Strong AJ, Fabricius M, Manning A, Bhatia R, Dreier JP, Mazzeo AT, Tortella FC , Bullock MR. Spreading

  1. Sirex noctilio, the New York story

    Treesearch

    Carolyn Klass; E. Richard Hoebeke

    2007-01-01

    Sirex wood wasp, (Sirex noctilio Fabricius), was first identified in February 2005 from a Lindgren funnel trap taken September 7, 2004 in Fulton, NY (Oswego County). We followed the development of the events in New York chronologically from this first identification to the results of an expanded trapping program in 2005.

  2. Atypical feeding behavior of Long-tailed Ducks in the wake of a commercial fishing boat while clamming

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Perry, Matthew; Osenton, Peter C.; White, Timothy P.

    2017-01-01

    A foraging group of Clangula hyemalis (Long-tailed Duck) was observed on 10 February 2010 diving behind a commercial boat that was clamming near Monomoy Island, Nantucket Sound, MA. We used a shotgun to collect 9 of the ducks, and our analyses of gizzard and gullet (esophagus and proventriculus) revealed 37 food items in the gizzard and 16 in the gullet. Mollusca were the dominant food in the gizzard (49%), whereas Crustacea were dominant in the gullet (57%). Crustacea were the second most important food in the gizzard (38%), whereas Mollusca were the second most important food in the gullet (31%). Relatively high volumes of the Amphipoda Caprella sp. (skeleton shrimp) and the Decopoda Crangon septemspinosa (Sand Shrimp) were recorded in the gullet and gizzard. Ensis directus (Atlantic Jackknife Clam) formed the greatest volume of Mollusca in the gizzard (15%) and in the gullet (15%). Long-tailed Ducks had fed on this Bivalvia and several other species of Mollusca that had no shell or broken shell when consumed. Many of the food organisms were apparently dislodged and some damaged by the clamming operation creating an opportunistic feeding strategy for the Long-tailed Ducks.

  3. Morphological evidence of mechanoreceptive gravity perception in a water flea - Daphnia magna

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meyers, D. G.

    1985-01-01

    Hair-like structures or setae located in the basal membrane of the swimming antennae of the water flea, D. magna, were observed by scanning electron microscopy and compared to mechanoreceptors in the Higher Order Crustacea. Similarities in anatomy, size, attachment, number, length, and orientation support the hypothesis that the setae are rheoceptive mechanoreceptors which mediate gravity perception through deflection by water currents during the sink phase of hop-and-sink swimming behavior.

  4. First report of Amylostereum areolatum in pines in the United States

    Treesearch

    A. D. Wilson; N.M. Schiff; D. A. Haugen; E. R. Hoebeke

    2009-01-01

    The wood decay fungus Amylostereum areolatum (Fr.) Boidin, native to Eurasia and North Africa (4), is the mycosymbiont of several siricid woodwasps including Sirex noctilio Fabricius, a major pest of pines in New Zealand, Australia, South America, and South Africa where it has been introduced. Adult females of S. noctilio are effective vectors of...

  5. Behavior and ecology of exotic and native siricids and their hymenopteran parasitoids in southern pine stands

    Treesearch

    Kamal J.K. Gandhi; Christopher Asaro; Brittany F. Barnes; Jamie Dinkins; Wood Johnson; Victor C. Mastro; Jim R. Meeker; Daniel R. Miller; John R. Riggins; Kelley E. Zylstra

    2011-01-01

    The Eurasian woodwasp, Sirex noctilio Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Siricidae), is an introduced invasive pest in North America. This siricid woodwasp is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa where it is considered to a secondary colonizer of conifer trees. However, it is a primary colonizer of conifer trees in its non-native zone in the Southern Hemisphere...

  6. Morphology and identification of the mature larvae of several species of the genus Otiorhynchus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Entiminae) from Central Europe with an update of the life history traits.

    PubMed

    Gosik, Rafał; Sprick, Peter; Skuhrovec, Jiří; Deruś, Magdalena; Hommes, Martin

    2016-05-05

    The mature larvae of 14 Otiorhynchus taxa are described: O. (Otiorhynchus) armadillo (Rossi, 1792), O. (Nehrodistus) armatus Boheman, 1846, O. (Otiorhynchus) aurifer Boheman, 1843, O. (Pocodalemes) crataegi Germar, 1824, Otiorhynchus (Arammichnus) indefinitus Reitter, 1912 (syn. O. dieckmanni Magnano, 1979), O. (Choilisanus) raucus (Fa-bricius, 1777) and 3 taxa of the O. (Otiorhynchus) tenebricosus complex (Herbst, 1784), O. (Otiorhynchus) clavipes (Bonsdorff, 1785), O. (Otiorhynchus) fuscipes (Olivier, 1807) and O. (Otiorhynchus) lugdunensis Boheman, 1843, are described and illustrated for the first time. The larvae of (Otiorhynchus) meridionalis Gyllenhal, 1834, O. (Pendragon) ovatus (Linnaeus, 1758), O. (Zustalestus) rugosostriatus (Goeze, 1777), O. (Metopiorrhynchus) singularis (Linnaeus, 1767), and O. (Dorymerus) sulcatus (Fabricius, 1775) are redescribed and illustrated, and new characters are added. Important characters of the mature larvae (e.g. chaetotaxy, shape of head and body) are explained in detail and illustrated. A key to the identification of the mature larvae of 19 Otiorhynchus taxa is provided. Breeding and collecting data of the larvae are given, and the study is completed by a current overview on the life histories of all treated species.

  7. Larval Distribution and Behavior of Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Relative to Other Species on Florida Black Bear (Carnivora: Ursidae) Decomposing Carcasses.

    PubMed

    Swiger, S L; Hogsette, J A; Butler, J F

    2014-02-01

    Larval interactions of dipteran species, blow flies in particular, were observed and documented daily over time and location on five black bear carcasses in Gainesville, FL, USA, from June 2002 - September 2004. Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius) or Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) larvae were collected first, after which Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) oviposited on the carcasses in multiple locations (i.e., neck, anus, and exposed flesh) not inhabited already by the other blow fly larvae. Within the first week of decomposition, C. rufifacies larvae grew to ≥12 mm, filling the carcasses with thousands of larvae and replacing the other calliphorid larvae either through successful food source competition or by predation. As a result, C. macellaria and C. megacephala were not collected past their third instar feeding stage. The blow fly species, C. megacephala, C. macellaria, Lucilia caeruleiviridis (Macquart), Phormia regina (Meigen), Lucilia sericata (Meigen), and C. rufifacies, completed two developmental cycles in the 88.5-kg carcass. This phenomenon might serve to complicate or prevent the calculation of an accurate postmortem interval.

  8. The potential mechanism of Bursal-derived BPP-II on the antibody production and avian pre-B cell.

    PubMed

    Feng, Xiuli; Cao, Ruibing; Zhou, Bin; Liu, Qingtao; Liu, Ke; Liu, Xiaodong; Zhang, Yuanpeng; Gu, Jinyan; Miao, Denian; Chen, Puyan

    2013-03-01

    The bursa of Fabricius is critical for the normal development of the B lymphocytes responsible for antibody production. However, the mechanism of the bursal-derived bioactive factor on B cell development is little reported. In this paper, chicks were immunized with BPP-II and AIV vaccine or AIV antigen, and antibody and IL-4 production were detected. The results showed that BPP-II played strongly inducing roles on the humoral immune responses. To investigate the gene expression at transcriptional level, avian pre-B lymphocyte DT40 cells were treated with BPP-II, and were analyzed with the gene microarray. The results proved that BPP-II treatment regulated 11 pathways, in which homologous recombination is a vital mechanism which is involved in antibody Ig gene conversion and diversification during B cell development. These results suggested Bursal-derived biological active factor BPP-II might be involved in the antibody production processes and B cell development, which is vital to the humoral central immune organ, the bursa of Fabricius. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Infectious bursal disease in New Brunswick.

    PubMed

    Ide, P R; Stevenson, R G

    1973-10-01

    A flock of four week old chickens experienced a disease of sudden onset in which the only symptoms were those of depression shortly before death, and in which the predominant histological lesion was necrosis of lymphocytes in the bursa of Fabricius.A virus, designated strain Sk-1, was isolated from pooled bursal tissue of affected birds and was serologically identified as a strain of the infectious bursal agent. This virus was chloroform resistant, did not hemagglutinate guinea pig or chicken erythrocytes and did not produce a cytopathic effect in chick embryo tissue cultures. Equivocal results were obtained in filtration studies but the agent was less than 100nm in diameter. Four week old chicks inoculated with strain Sk-1 developed microscopic lesions in the bursa of Fabricius which were similar to those seen in the original field specimens. Inoculated chick embryos exhibited characteristic macroscopic lesions and necrosis of vascular tissue was a common histological change.A limited serological survey of local poultry flocks indicated that infection by this agent had occurred in four of the ten flocks examined.

  10. The origin of crustaceans: new evidence from the Early Cambrian of China.

    PubMed Central

    Chen, J. Y.; Vannier, J.; Huang, D. Y.

    2001-01-01

    One of the smallest arthropods recently discovered in the Early Cambrian Maotianshan Shale Lagerstätte is described. Ercaia gen. nov. has an untagmatized trunk bearing serially repeated biramous appendages (long and segmented endopods and flap-like exopods), a head with an acron bearing stalked lateral eyes and a sclerite and two pairs of antennae. The position of this 520 million-year-old tiny arthropod within the Crustacea is supported by several anatomical features: (i) a head with five pairs of appendages including two pairs of antennae, (ii) highly specialized antennae (large setose fans with a possible function in feeding), and (iii) specialized last trunk appendages (segmented pediform structures fringed with setae). The segmentation pattern of Ercaia (5 head and 13 trunk) is close to that of Maxillopoda but lacks the trunk tagmosis of modern representatives of the group. Ercaia is interpreted as a possible derivative of the stem group Crustacea. Ercaia is likely to have occupied an ecological niche similar to those of some Recent meiobenthic organisms (e.g. copepods living in association with sediment). This new fossil evidence supports the remote ancestry of crustaceans well before the Late Cambrian and shows, along with other fossil data (mainly Early Cambrian in China), that a variety of body plans already coexisted among the primitive crustacean stock. PMID:11674864

  11. Control of molting in crustacea

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Skinner, D.M.; Graham, D.E.; Holland, C.A.

    1982-01-01

    The single, overriding event that occurs during all proecdysial periods in crustaceans is the synthesis of a new exoskeleton that encompasses an enlarged animal when the old shell is cast off. Regeneration of missing appendages and larval or puberty metamorphoses also occur during proecdysis. Proecdysial periods have been divided into substages defined by the occurrence of specific events. Although a number of factors must be postulated to account for individual proecdysial events, only the molting hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone, has been identified and isolated. Much evidence indicates that the X-organ sinus glands complex, a neurosecretory tissue located in the eyestalks, is themore » source of a molt inhibiting hormone (MIH) responsible for maintaining animals in anecdysis. An exuviation factor has been proposed to support the extrication of the animal from the old exoskeleton. There is evidence for a limb growth inhibitory factor (LGIF) that affects the rate of growth of regenerating limbs. We are proposing an anecdysial limb autotomy factor (LAF/sub an/) that propels into precocious molts anecdysial limb autotomy factor (LAF/sub pro/) that interrupts the proecdysial period of animals that lose one or more normal or partially regenerated pereopods before a critical time in proecdysis.« less

  12. The First Complete Mitochondrial Genome Sequences for Stomatopod Crustaceans: Implications for Phylogeny

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Swinstrom, Kirsten; Caldwell, Roy; Fourcade, H. Matthew

    2005-09-07

    We report the first complete mitochondrial genome sequences of stomatopods and compare their features to each other and to those of other crustaceans. Phylogenetic analyses of the concatenated mitochondrial protein-coding sequences were used to explore relationships within the Stomatopoda, within the malacostracan crustaceans, and among crustaceans and insects. Although these analyses support the monophyly of both Malacostraca and, within it, Stomatopoda, it also confirms the view of a paraphyletic Crustacea, with Malacostraca being more closely related to insects than to the branchiopod crustaceans.

  13. Effect of limb regeneration on size increase at molt of the shore crabs Hemigrapsus oregonensis and Pachygrapsus crassipes.

    PubMed

    Kuris, A M; Mager, M

    1975-09-01

    Size increase at molt is reduced following multiple limb regeneration in the shore crabs, Hemigrapsus oregonensis and Pachygrapsus crassipes. Limb loss per se does not influence postmolt size. Effect of increasing number of regenerating limbs is additive. Postmolt size is programmed early in the premolt period of the preceding instar and is probably not readily influenced by water uptake mechanics at ecdysis. A simple model for growth, molting, and regeneration in heavily calcified Crustacea is developed from the viewpoint of adaptive strategies and energetic considerations.

  14. [Genitalia of three species of Heilipus Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) that damage avocado fruits (Persea americana Mill.) in Mexico and Costa Rica].

    PubMed

    Castañeda-Vildózola, Alvaro; Valdez-Carrasco, Jorge; Equihua-Martínez, Armando; González-Hernández, Héctor; Romero-Nápoles, Jesús; Solís-Aguilar, Juan F; Ramírez-Alarcón, Samuel

    2007-01-01

    The male and female genitaliae of three species of the genus Heilipus Germar (H. lauri Boheman, H. pittieri Barber and H. trifasciatus Fabricius) that damage avocado fruits (Persea americana Mill.) in Mexico and Costa Rica are described and illustrated. The aedeagus, spiculum gastrale, styli of 8th sternite are different in each one of the three species studied and can be used for specific identification.

  15. Colaspis caligula, a new species found in association with Vitis vinifera (L.) crops in Argentina (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

    PubMed

    Agrain, Federico A; Cabrera, Nora; Holgado, Miriam G; Vicchi, Franco R

    2016-09-05

    Some species of Colaspis Fabricius are well-known pests of several crops in Argentina. In this contribution, we describe a new species within this genus: Colaspis caligula n. sp., found in association with Vitis vinifera (Linnaeus) crops. We provide descriptions and illustrations of the mature larva, pupa and adult, as well as notes on its diagnostic characters, life cycle, and the damages produced to the plants.

  16. Status of the new genera in Gistel’s “Die Insecten-Doubletten aus der Sammlung des Herrn Grafen Rudolph von Jenison Walworth” issued in 1834

    PubMed Central

    Bousquet, Yves; Bouchard, Patrice

    2017-01-01

    proposed: Ocys [Aleochara nigra Gravenhorst, 1802; Staphylinidae], Hydatobia [Staphylinus impressus Olivier, 1795; Staphylinidae], Hedonius [Elater noctilucus Linnaeus, 1758; Elateridae], Charmionus [Elater porcatus Linnaeus, 1767; Elateridae], Epaphius [Dasytes variegatus Germar, 1823; Melyridae], Geophilus [Scarabeus asper Fabricius, 1775; Scarabaeidae], Atrimedeus [Scarabaeus punctatus Villers, 1789; Scarabaeidae], Polycarmes [Melolontha villosa Fabricius, 1781; Scarabaeidae], Cecrops [Tenebrio gigas Linnaeus, 1763; Tenebrionidae], Pythonissus [Helops morio Fabricius, 1777; Tenebrionidae], Ceratades [Cerambyx sutor Linnaeus, 1758; Cerambycidae]. The following genus-group names are declared nomina oblita [nomina protecta in square brackets]: Berecyntha [Aulacochilus Chevrolat, 1836; Erotylidae], Ceraunus [Golofa Hope, 1837; Scarabaeidae], Atrimedeus [Pentodon Hope, 1837; Scarabaeidae], Eupalus [Temnorhynchus Hope, 1837; Scarabaeidae], Pelops [Prionychus Solier, 1835; Tenebrionidae]. PMID:29134025

  17. The Paramyxea Levine 1979: An original example of evolution towards multicellularity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Desportes, Isabelle

    1984-03-01

    The Paramyxea are parasitic in marine invertebrates. Their development is a sporulation involving the differentiation within a stem cell of several sporonts which produce spores made of cells enclosed inside each other. Three genera are recognized according to the number of spores and sporal cells, and the taxonomic position of the host (Polychaeta, Mollusca, Crustacea). The Paramyxea exhibit both protistan and metazoan characters. Their nine singlets centrioles are observed in different Protoctists whereas the fact that their sporal cells acquire distinctive cytological features may be interpreted as an evolution towards multicellularity.

  18. Grays Harbor and Chehalis River Improvements to Navigation Environmental Studies. Benthic Invertebrate Studies in Grays Harbor, Washington,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-04-01

    protected from wave action by the jetty, ocean swells were a major environmental feature at the site. In addition, strong tidal currents sweep along thc...2 ) BIOMS j2 SURFACE OF ROCK 1 2Mean 1I Mean Crustacea 0 0 0 0 0 0 Corophium spinicorne 125,758 67,425 96,592 25.432 21.364 23,398 Annelida 0 0 0 0 0...variety of p 127 *I factors, both biotic (e.g., reproductive and distributive patterns of key species) and abiotic (e.g., salinity regimes). The most

  19. Mid-Pacific Marine Laboratory. Annual report for the period, 1 October 1977--30 September 1978

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Reese, E.S.; Johnson, V.R. Jr.

    1979-03-01

    Studies on behavior included reproduction and sociobiology of reef fishes and aggression, hearing, and ultrasonic telemetry in sharks. Ecological studies included population, growth, and mortality studies on birds, corals, crustacea, echinoderms, fishes, molluscs, and rats. Geochemistry studies included biogeochemistry of reef organisms and hydrogeochemistry of groundwater. Geology studies included bioerosion of sea urchins, biology of endolithic processes, and survey of soils. Oceanography studies were conducted on lagoon circulation. Physiological studies were conducted on symbiosis in corals and utilization of organic material by Foraminifera. Studies on systematics of algae, echinoderms, and fishes were conducted. (HLW)

  20. New data on the Pterophoridae fauna of Liberia (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae).

    PubMed

    Ustjuzhanin, Petr; Kovtunovich, Vasily; Sáfián, Szabolcs

    2017-03-27

    There have been no special studies on plume moths of Liberia until recently. In the World Catalogue of Insects (Gielis 2003) only two species are reported from Liberia: Agdistis tamaricis (Zeller, 1847) and Megalorhipida leucodactyla (Fabricius, 1794) despite its well-known richness for other Lepidoptera groups (Fox et al. 1965, Larsen 2005) and its biogeographic position in the centre of the Upper Guinean biodiversity hotspot (Myers et al. 2000).

  1. Review of forensically important entomological specimens collected from human cadavers in Malaysia (2005-2010).

    PubMed

    Kavitha, Rajagopal; Nazni, Wasi Ahmad; Tan, Tian Chye; Lee, Han Lim; Azirun, Mohd Sofian

    2013-07-01

    Forensic entomological specimens collected from human decedents during crime scene investigations in Malaysia in the past 6 years (2005-2010) are reviewed. A total of 80 cases were recorded and 93 specimens were collected. From these specimens, 10 species of cyclorrphagic flies were identified, consisting of Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) -38 specimens (40.86%), Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) -36 specimens (38.70%), Chrysomya villeneuvi (Patton) -2 specimens (2.15%), Chrysomya nigripes (Aubertin) -2 specimens (2.15%), Chrysomya pinguis (Walker) -1 specimen (1.08%), Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus) -1 specimen (1.08%), Hemipyrellia liguriens (Wiedemann) -5 specimens (5.37%), Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Wulp) -1 specimen (1.08%), Megaselia scalaris (Loew)-1 specimen (1.08%) and Sarcophaga ruficornis (Fabricius) -4 specimens (4.30%). In two specimens (2.15%), the maggots were not identifiable. Ch. megacephala and Ch. rufifacies were the commonest species found in human decedents from three different ecological habitats. S. nudiseta is an uncommon species found only on human cadavers from indoors. A total of 75 cases (93.75%) had a single fly infestation and 5 cases (6.25%) had double fly infestation. In conclusion, although large numbers of fly species were found on human decedents, the predominant species are still those of Chrysomya. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

  2. Feeding ecology of pelagic fish species in the Gulf of Riga (Baltic Sea): the importance of changes in the zooplankton community.

    PubMed

    Lankov, A; Ojaveer, H; Simm, M; Põllupüü, M; Möllmann, C

    2010-12-01

    The feeding ecology of four pelagic fish species was studied in relation to their prey availability in the Gulf of Riga (Baltic Sea) during the summer 1999-2006. The zooplankton community was dominated by the cladoceran Bosmina longispina, rotifers Keratella cochlearis and K. quadrata and the copepod Eurytemora affinis, with the highest interannual variability in abundance recorded for B. longispina. The last influenced the diet of adult sprat Sprattus sprattus, juvenile smelt Osmerus eperlanus and three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus as these were strongly selecting for B. longispina. The fish feeding activity did not match the abundance dynamics of their preferred prey, suggesting that fishes may switch to consume other prey in case the preferred diet was limited. A considerable dietary overlap indicated high potential competition between pelagic fish species. While herring Clupea harengus membras and G. aculeatus were relying on very different food, the diets of young O. eperlanus and G. aculeatus were very similar. Interannual variability in zooplankton composition and abundance significantly affected the diet composition of fishes, but those changes were insufficient to exert a consistent influence upon fish feeding activity and total amounts of zooplankton consumed. © 2010 The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology © 2010 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  3. Arthrophycus in the Silurian of Alabama (USA) and the problem of compound trace fossils

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rindsberg, Andrew K.; Martin, A.J.

    2003-01-01

    Arthrophycus brongniartii (Harlan, 1832) is common in marginal-marine deposits in the Silurian Red Mountain Formation of Alabama. The ichnospecies, the second to be named in North America, is revived and emended after long disuse. Transitional forms to Rusophycus isp. and other morphologic evidence indicate that the maker of Arthrophycus was an arthropod, perhaps a trinucleine (raphiophorid?) trilobite. Interconnection of Arthrophycus and Nereites biserialis, as well as intergradation of Arthrophycus with Cruziana aff. quadrata, Phycodes flabellum, and Asterosoma ludwigae, indicate that these Red Mountain trace fossils were made by the same species of arthropod. Possible relationships with Arthrophycus alleghaniensis (Harlan, 1831) in the Silurian belt from Ontario to Tennessee are also explored. Ichnofamily Arthrophycidae Schimper, 1879 is emended. The ichnofamily is interpreted as chiefly the work of arthropods. Arthrophycus and other trace fossils from the Silurian of Alabama constitute a test case to build criteria for recognizing the members of complexes of trace fossils. In general, criteria such as interconnection of different forms, intergradation among unconnected forms, similarity of size, similarity of morphologic elements, and co-occurrence should be examined in order to determine the biologic and ethologic interrelationships of trace fossils. ?? 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Review of the Chinese Leucospidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea)

    PubMed Central

    Ye, Xin-hai; van Achterberg, Cornelis; Yue, Qi; Xu, Zai-fu

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The Chinese fauna of the family Leucospidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) is reviewed and illustrated for the first time. Twelve species of Leucospis Fabricius, 1775 are recorded; of which two species are new to science: Leucospis aequidentata sp. n. and Leucospis shaanxiensis sp. n. and one species is reported new for China: Leucospis intermedia Illiger, 1807. An identification key to Chinese species is included. A lectotype is designated for Leucospis aurantiaca Shestakov, 1923. PMID:28331388

  5. Data Mining for Double Stars in Astrometric Catalogs

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-03-22

    Astron. Gesell . de Ball (1904) 76 WFD1906a........... Cape General Catalog Gill (1906) 11 WFD1906b........... Kat. der Astron. Gesell . Becker (1906... Gesell . Skinner (1908) 73 WFD1909............. Greenwich Second Nine Year Catalog Christie (1909) 127 WFD1914............. Abbadia Observatory (Algiers...TychoDouble Star reduction project (Fabricius et al. 2002) and 14 by 2MASS. Six others were confirmed with the USNO speckle camera and 26 inch (0.7 m) refractor

  6. Molluscicidal properties and selective toxicity of surface-active agents

    PubMed Central

    Visser, S. A.

    1965-01-01

    Of over 100 commercially produced surface-active agents tested against the bilharziasis vector snail Biomphalaria sudanica, 13 were found to possess considerable and highly selective molluscicidal properties at concentrations of less than 1 ppm for exposures of 48 hours. Against crustacea, fish, water plants, mosquito larvae, mice, and the eggs of B. sudanica, the toxicities of the 13 surfactants were slight. The chemicals did not appear to be absorbed by organic matter to any appreciable extent. It is thought that the toxicity to B. sudanica is of both a chemical and a physical nature. PMID:5294185

  7. A new Hermeuptychia (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) is sympatric and synchronic with H. sosybius in southeast US coastal plains, while another new Hermeuptychia species – not hermes – inhabits south Texas and northeast Mexico

    PubMed Central

    Cong, Qian; Grishin, Nick V.

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Hermeuptychia intricata Grishin, sp. n. is described from the Brazos Bend State Park in Texas, United States, where it flies synchronously with Hermeuptychia sosybius (Fabricius, 1793). The two species differ strongly in both male and female genitalia and exhibit 3.5% difference in the COI barcode sequence of mitochondrial DNA. Setting such significant genitalic and genotypic differences aside, we were not able to find reliable wing pattern characters to tell a difference between the two species. This superficial similarity may explain why H. intricata, only distantly related to H. sosybius, has remained unnoticed until now, despite being widely distributed in the coastal plains from South Carolina to Texas, USA (and possibly to Costa Rica). Obscuring the presence of a cryptic species even further, wing patterns are variable in both butterflies and ventral eyespots vary from large to almost absent. To avoid confusion with the new species, neotype for Papilio sosybius Fabricius, 1793, a common butterfly that occurs across northeast US, is designated from Savannah, Georgia, USA. It secures the universally accepted traditional usage of this name. Furthermore, we find that DNA barcodes of Hermeuptychia specimens from the US, even those from extreme south Texas, are at least 4% different from those of H. hermes (Fabricius, 1775)—type locality Brazil: Rio de Janeiro—and suggest that the name H. hermes should not be used for USA populations, but rather reserved for the South American species. This conclusion is further supported by comparison of male genitalia. However, facies, genitalia and 2.1% different DNA barcodes set Hermeuptychia populations in the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas apart from H. sosybius. These southern populations, also found in northeastern Mexico, are described here as Hermeuptychia hermybius Grishin, sp. n. (type locality Texas: Cameron County). While being phylogenetically closer to H. sosybius than to any other Hermeuptychia

  8. Selenium Deficiency Induces Autophagy in Immune Organs of Chickens.

    PubMed

    Khoso, Pervez Ahmed; Pan, Tingru; Wan, Na; Yang, Zijiang; Liu, Ci; Li, Shu

    2017-05-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of selenium (Se) deficiency on autophagy-related genes and on ultrastructural changes in the spleen, bursa of Fabricius, and thymus of chickens. The Se deficiency group was fed a basal diet containing Se at 0.033 mg/kg and the control group was fed the same basal diet containing Se at 0.15 mg/kg. The messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of the autophagy genes microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3)-I, LC3-II, Beclin 1, dynein, autophagy associated gene 5 (ATG5), and target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) were assessed using real-time qPCR. The protein levels of LC3-II, Beclin 1, and dynein were investigated using western blot analysis. Furthermore, the ultrastructure was observed using an electron microscope. The results indicated that spleen mRNA levels of LC3-I, LC3-II, Beclin 1, dynein, ATG5, and TORC1 and the protein levels of LC3-II, Beclin 1, and dynein were increased in the Se deficiency group compared with the control group. In the bursa of Fabricius, the mRNA levels of LC3-I, LC3-II, Beclin 1, dynein, ATG5, and TORC1 and the protein levels of Beclin 1 and dynein were increased; furthermore, the protein level of LC3-II was decreased in the Se deficiency group compared to the control group. In the thymus, the mRNA levels of LC3-I, Beclin 1, and ATG5 increased; the levels of LC3-II, dynein, and TORC1 were decreased; the protein level of Beclin 1 increased; and the levels of LC3-II and dynein decreased in the Se deficiency group compared to those in the control group. Further cellular morphological changes, such as autophagy vacuoles, autolysosomes, and lysosomal degradation, were observed in the spleen, bursa of Fabricius, and thymus of the Se-deficiency group. In summary, Se deficiency caused changes in autophagy-related genes, which increased the autophagic process and also caused structural damages to the immune organs of chickens.

  9. Pictorial key to species of the genus Ropalidia Guérin-Méneville, 1831 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) from China, with description of one new species

    PubMed Central

    Tan, Jiang-Li; Van Achterberg, Kees; Chen, Xue-Xin

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Twenty two species of the paper wasp genus Ropalidia Guérin-Méneville, 1831, are listed from China. Among them, R. malaisei van der Vecht, 1962, R. cyathiformis (Fabricius, 1804), R. santoshae Das & Gupta, 1989, R. scitula (Bingham, 1897), R. obscura Gusenleitner, 1996 and R. ornaticeps (Cameron, 1900) are new records from China. A new species, R. parartifex Tan & van Achterberg, is described. Their diagnostic characteristics are summarized in an illustrated key and 36 colourplates. PMID:24715777

  10. Diversity of the Monstrilloida (Crustacea: Copepoda)

    PubMed Central

    Suárez-Morales, Eduardo

    2011-01-01

    Monstrilloid copepods are protelean parasites of different groups of marine benthic invertebrates. Only their first naupliar, preadult, and adult phases are planktonic. Monstrilloids are currently represented by more than 115 nominal species contained in four genera. Its taxonomic knowledge has been hampered by nomenclatural and descriptive problems derived from their peculiar ontogeny and poor definitions of taxa. One of the most important difficulties is that of matching males to females. The only reliable methods to link the sexes of a species are the confirmation of particular apomorphies shared by both sexes, finding both sexes in the same host or as a pre-copulatory male-female pair in the plankton, or by the use of molecular markers. A general overview of the morphology of the group and its life cycle is provided herein. Recently, upgraded descriptive standards have been established and the relevance of redescribing taxa based on type and museum specimens has been demonstrated. The rate of species description per decade has had several peaks between 1840 and 2010: (1971–1980, 1991–2000, 2001–2010), each related to the activity of a few researchers. An analysis of the world distribution of published records of the Monstrilloida revealed that the Northeast Atlantic is the best studied region (45% of all records), followed by the Northwestern Atlantic (17%); the least surveyed areas include regions of the southern hemisphere (less than 3%). The Northeast Atlantic region harbors the highest number of known species (32 nominal species), followed by the Caribbean Sea/Gulf of Mexico (24), the Mediterranean/Black Sea (19), Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines region (17), Japanese waters (17), and the Brazil-Argentina area (16). Other than these generalized patterns, little can be concluded concerning the biogeography of the group. Many species records are doubtful or improbable, and purportedly cosmopolitan nominal species are being revealed as species complexes yet to be studied. PMID:21853055

  11. [Parasitoids of Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) collected in Itumbiara, Goias, Brazil].

    PubMed

    Marchiori, Carlos H

    2004-04-01

    This study determined the species of parasitoids associated with Chrysomya megacephala, collected on bovine kidney baits, in Itumbiara, State of Goias, Brazil. The pupae were obtained by flotation. They were individually placed in gelatin capsules until the emergence of the adult flies or their parasitoids. The overall prevalence of parasitism was 18.6%. Brachymeria podagrica, Nasonia vitripennis and Pachycrepoideus vindemiae presented frequencies of 8.6%, 8.6% and 1.4%, respectively. This work reports for the first time the occurrence of Brachymeria podagrica in pupae of Chrysomya megacephala.

  12. Genomic and pathogenic analysis of a Muscovy duck parvovirus strain causing short beak and dwarfism syndrome without tongue protrusion.

    PubMed

    Fu, Qiuling; Huang, Yu; Wan, Chunhe; Fu, Guanghua; Qi, Baomin; Cheng, Longfei; Shi, Shaohua; Chen, Hongmei; Liu, Rongchang; Chen, Zhenhai

    2017-12-01

    In 2008, clinical cases of short beak and dwarfism syndrome (SBDS) caused by Muscovy duck parvovirus (MDPV) infection were found in mule duck and Taiwan white duck farms in Fujian, China. A MDPV LH strain causing duck SBDS without tongue protrusion was isolated in this study. Phylogenetic analysis show that the MDPV LH strain was clustered together with other MDPV strains, but divergent from GPV isolates. Two major fragment deletions were found in the inverted terminal repeats (ITR) of MDPV LH similar to the ones in the ITR of MDPV GX5, YY and SAAS-SHNH strains. To investigate the pathogenicity of the MDPV LH strain, virus infection of young mule ducks was performed. The infected ducks showed SBDS symptoms including retard growth and shorten beaks without tongue protrusion. Atrophy of thymus, spleen and bursa of Fabricius was identified in the infected ducks. The results show that MDPV LH strain is moderately pathogenic to mule duck, leading to occurrence of SBDS. As far as we know, it is the first study showing that SBDS without tongue protrusion, and atrophy of thymus, spleen and bursa of Fabricius possibly associated with immunosuppression were found in the MDPV-infected ducks. The established duck-MDPV-SBDS system will help us to further work on the virus pathogenesis and develop efficacious vaccine against MDPV infection. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  13. Using SDS-PAGE gel fingerprinting to identify soft-bodied wood-boring insect larvae to species.

    PubMed

    O'Neill, Mark A; Denos, Mia; Reed, Daniel

    2018-03-01

    This paper describes the progress that we have made in assessing the feasibility of 'fingerprinting' using imaged SDS-PAGE gels of haemolymph proteins, to identify soft-bodied wood-boring insect larvae such as the Asian longhorn beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motscholsky, 1853) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Because of stringent import restrictions and difficulty in obtaining licences to work with these organisms, we opted to work with four species of scarab beetle, Mecynorhina polyphemus (Fabricius, 1781), Pachnoda sinuata (Fabricius, 1775), Eucidella shiratica (Csiki, 1909) and Eucidella shultzeorum (Kolbe, 1906) which have near identical larval morphologies. We show that this technology when combined with an advanced pattern matching system (Digital Automated Identification SYstem - DAISY) can classify soft-bodied insect larvae that are almost identical morphologically to species at a level of accuracy is in excess of 98%. The study also indicates that the technology copes well with noisy data and small training sets. The experience gained in undertaking this study gives us confidence that we will be able to develop a field deployable system in the medium term. We believe that as a high-throughput identification tool, this technology is superior to competitor technologies (e.g. fingerprinting of imaged DNA gels) in terms of speed, cost and ease of use; and therefore, is suitable for low-cost deployment in the field. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  14. A taxonomic review of the genus Antepipona de Saussure, 1855 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from India.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Girish P; Carpenter, James M; Sureshan, Pavittu M

    2016-08-16

    A review of 20 Indian species of the genus Antepipona de Saussure with a key to species and subspecies is provided. A new synonymy is proposed for Antepipona biguttata (Fabricius, 1787) =A. excelsa keralensis Lambert, 2004, syn. nov. The parasitic association of Strepsiptera is reported for the first time in the genus Antepipona. Antepipona rufescens (Smith, 1857) is newly recorded from India and A. ovalis (de Saussure, 1853) from Bangladesh. The reported distributions of ten species within India are enlarged.

  15. Uncovering Ultrastructural Defences in Daphnia magna – An Interdisciplinary Approach to Assess the Predator-Induced Fortification of the Carapace

    PubMed Central

    Rabus, Max; Söllradl, Thomas; Clausen-Schaumann, Hauke; Laforsch, Christian

    2013-01-01

    The development of structural defences, such as the fortification of shells or exoskeletons, is a widespread strategy to reduce predator attack efficiency. In unpredictable environments these defences may be more pronounced in the presence of a predator. The cladoceran Daphnia magna (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Cladocera) has been shown to develop a bulky morphotype as an effective inducible morphological defence against the predatory tadpole shrimp Triopscancriformis (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Notostraca). Mediated by kairomones, the daphnids express an increased body length, width and an elongated tail spine. Here we examined whether these large scale morphological defences are accompanied by additional ultrastructural defences, i.e. a fortification of the exoskeleton. We employed atomic force microscopy (AFM) based nanoindentation experiments to assess the cuticle hardness along with tapping mode AFM imaging to visualise the surface morphology for predator exposed and non-predator exposed daphnids. We used semi-thin sections of the carapace to measure the cuticle thickness, and finally, we used fluorescence microscopy to analyse the diameter of the pillars connecting the two carapace layers. We found that D . magna indeed expresses ultrastructural defences against Triops predation. The cuticle in predator exposed individuals is approximately five times harder and two times thicker than in control daphnids. Moreover, the pillar diameter is significantly increased in predator exposed daphnids. These predator-cue induced changes in the carapace architecture should provide effective protection against being crushed by the predator’s mouthparts and may add to the protective effect of bulkiness. This study highlights the potential of interdisciplinary studies to uncover new and relevant aspects even in extensively studied fields of research. PMID:23776711

  16. Parasite Dispersal From the Ornamental Goldfish Trade.

    PubMed

    Trujillo-González, Alejandro; Becker, Joy A; Hutson, Kate S

    2018-01-01

    Goldfish, Carassius auratus Linnaeus, 1758, are immensely popular ornamental cyprinid fish, traded in more than 100 countries. For more than 500 years, human translocation has facilitated the spread of goldfish globally, which has enabled numerous and repeated introductions of parasite taxa that infect them. The parasite fauna assemblage of goldfish is generally well documented, but few studies provide evidence of parasite coinvasion following the release of goldfish. This review provides a comprehensive synopsis of parasites that infect goldfish in farmed, aquarium-held, native, and invasive populations globally and summarises evidence for the cointroduction and coinvasion of goldfish parasites. More than 113 species infect goldfish in their native range, of which 26 species have probably coinvaded with the international trade of goldfish. Of these, Schyzocotyle acheilognathi (Cestoda: Bothriocephalidae), Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Ciliophora: Ichthyophthiriidae), Argulus japonicus (Crustacea: Argulidae), Lernaea cyprinacea (Crustacea: Ergasilidae), Dactylogyrus anchoratus, Dactylogyrus vastator and Dactylogyrus formosus (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) are common to invasive goldfish populations in more than four countries and are considered a high risk of continued spread. Coinvasive parasites include species with direct and complex life cycles, which have successfully colonised new environments through utilisation of either new native hosts or suitable invasive hosts. Specifically, I. multifiliis, A. japonicus and L. cyprinacea can cause harm to farmed freshwater fish species and are important parasites to consider for biosecurity. These species may threaten other aquatic animal industries given their low host specificity and adaptable life histories. Future attention to biosecurity, management and border detection methods could limit the continued spread of exotic parasites from the ornamental trade of goldfish. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.

  17. Comparative analysis of deutocerebral neuropils in Chilopoda (Myriapoda): implications for the evolution of the arthropod olfactory system and support for the Mandibulata concept

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Originating from a marine ancestor, the myriapods most likely invaded land independently of the hexapods. As these two evolutionary lineages conquered land in parallel but separately, we are interested in comparing the myriapod chemosensory system to that of hexapods to gain insights into possible adaptations for olfaction in air. Our study connects to a previous analysis of the brain and behavior of the chilopod (centipede) Scutigera coleoptrata in which we demonstrated that these animals do respond to volatile substances and analyzed the structure of their central olfactory pathway. Results Here, we examined the architecture of the deutocerebral brain areas (which process input from the antennae) in seven additional representatives of the Chilopoda, covering all major subtaxa, by histology, confocal laser-scan microscopy, and 3D reconstruction. We found that in all species that we studied the majority of antennal afferents target two separate neuropils, the olfactory lobe (chemosensory, composed of glomerular neuropil compartments) and the corpus lamellosum (mechanosensory). The numbers of olfactory glomeruli in the different chilopod taxa ranged from ca. 35 up to ca. 90 and the shape of the glomeruli ranged from spheroid across ovoid or drop-shape to elongate. Conclusion A split of the afferents from the (first) pair of antennae into separate chemosensory and mechanosensory components is also typical for Crustacea and Hexapoda, but this set of characters is absent in Chelicerata. We suggest that this character set strongly supports the Mandibulata hypothesis (Myriapoda + (Crustacea + Hexapoda)) as opposed to the Myriochelata concept (Myriapoda + Chelicerata). The evolutionary implications of our findings, particularly the plasticity of glomerular shape, are discussed. PMID:22214384

  18. The genera in the second catalogue (1833–1836) of Dejean’s Coleoptera collection

    PubMed Central

    Bousquet, Yves; Bouchard, Patrice

    2013-01-01

    Abstract All genus-group names listed in the second edition of the catalogue (1833-1836) of Dejean’s beetle collection are recorded. For each new genus-group name the originally included available species are listed and for generic names with at least one available species, the type species and the current status are given. Names available prior to the publication of Dejean’s second catalogue (1833-1836) are listed in an appendix. The following new synonymies are proposed: Cyclonotum Dejean, 1833 (= Dactylosternum Wollaston, 1854) [Hydrophilidae], Hyporhiza Dejean, 1833 (= Rhinaspis Perty, 1830) [Scarabaeidae], Aethales Dejean, 1834 (= Epitragus Latreille, 1802) [Tenebrionidae], Arctylus Dejean, 1834 (= Praocis Eschscholtz, 1829) [Tenebrionidae], Euphron Dejean, 1834 (= Derosphaerus Thomson, 1858) [Tenebrionidae], Hipomelus Dejean, 1834 (= Trachynotus Latreille, 1828) [Tenebrionidae], Pezodontus Dejean, 1834 (= Odontopezus Alluaud, 1889) [Tenebrionidae], Zygocera Dejean, 1835 (= Disternopsis Breuning, 1939) [Cerambycidae], and Physonota Chevrolat, 1836 (= Anacassis Spaeth, 1913) [Chrysomelidae]. Heterogaster pilicornis Dejean, 1835 [Cerambycidae] and Labidomera trimaculata Chevrolat, 1836 [Chrysomelidae] are placed for the first time in synonymy with Anisogaster flavicans Deyrolle, 1862 and Chrysomela clivicollis Kirby, 1837 respectively. Type species of the following genus-group taxa are proposed: Sphaeromorphus Dejean, 1833 (Sphaeromorphus humeralis Erichson, 1843) [Scarabaeidae], Adelphus Dejean, 1834 (Helops marginatus Fabricius, 1792) [Tenebrionidae], Cyrtoderes Dejean, 1834 (Tenebrio cristatus DeGeer, 1778) [Tenebrionidae], Selenepistoma Dejean, 1834 (Opatrum acutum Wiedemann, 1823) [Tenebrionidae], Charactus Dejean, 1833 (Lycus limbatus Fabricius, 1801) [Lycidae], Corynomalus Chevrolat, 1836 (Eumorphus limbatus Olivier, 1808) [Endomychidae], Hebecerus Dejean, 1835 (Acanthocinus marginicollis Boisduval, 1835) [Cerambycidae], Pterostenus Dejean, 1835

  19. Hermit crabs in the diet of Pigeon Guillemots at Kachemak Bay, Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Litzow, Michael A.; Piatt, John F.; Figurski, Jared D.

    1998-01-01

    Guillemots (Cepphus spp.) feed their chicks a diet that is almost exclusively fish. We observed Pigeon Guillemots (C. columba) at two colonies in Alaska where hermit crabs (Crustacea: Anomura) were a major part of the diet for some nestlings. Hermit crabs were delivered to three of five observed nests at one colony, comprised between 2% and 22% of the items delivered at those nests, and were the second most common food type at one nest. Hermit crabs may be an attractive prey item when lipid-rich forage fish are scarce, and crabs living in gastropod shells that have been softened by encrustations of Suberites sponges may be vulnerable to guillemot predation.

  20. A new genus and species of myrmecophilous brentid beetle (Coleoptera: Brentidae) inhabiting the myrmecophytic epiphytes in the Bornean rainforest canopy.

    PubMed

    Maruyama, Munetoshi; Bartolozzi, Luca; Inui, Yoko; Tanaka, Hiroshi O; Hyodo, Fujio; Shimizu-Kaya, Usun; Takematsu, Yoko; Hishi, Takuo; Itioka, Takao

    2014-04-08

    Pycnotarsobrentus inuiae Maruyama & Bartolozzi, gen. nov. and sp. nov. (Brentinae: Eremoxenini) is described from the Lambir Hills National Park, Borneo (Sarawak, Malaysia) based on specimens collected from Crematogaster difformis F. Smith, 1857 ant nests in the myrmecophytic epiphytic ferns Platycerium crustacea Copel. and Lecanopteris ridleyi H. Christ. A second species of Pycnotarsobrentus is known from Malaysia but is represented by only one female and consequently not yet described pending discovery of a male. Pycnotarsobrentus belongs to the tribe Eremoxenini and shares some character states with the African genus Pericordus Kolbe, 1883. No species of Eremoxenini with similar morphological modifications are known from the Oriental region.

  1. Genetic relationships among freshwater mussel species from fifteen Amazonian rivers and inferences on the evolution of the Hyriidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionida).

    PubMed

    Santos-Neto, Guilherme da Cruz; Beasley, Colin Robert; Schneider, Horacio; Pimpão, Daniel Mansur; Hoeh, Walter Randolph; Simone, Luiz Ricardo Lopes de; Tagliaro, Claudia Helena

    2016-07-01

    The current phylogenetic framework for the South American Hyriidae is solely based on morphological data. However, freshwater bivalve morphology is highly variable due to both genetic and environmental factors. The present study used both mitochondrial (COI and 16S) and nuclear (18S-ITS1) sequences in molecular phylogenetic analyses of nine Neotropical species of Hyriidae, collected from 15 South American rivers, and sequences of hyriids from Australia and New Zealand obtained from GenBank. The present molecular findings support traditional taxonomic proposals, based on morphology, for the South American subfamily Hyriinae, currently divided in three tribes: Hyriini, Castaliini and Rhipidodontini. Phylogenetic trees based on COI nucleotide sequences revealed at least four geographical groups of Castalia ambigua: northeast Amazon (Piriá, Tocantins and Caeté rivers), central Amazon, including C. quadrata (Amazon and Aripuanã rivers), north (Trombetas river), and C. ambigua from Peru. Genetic distances suggest that some specimens may be cryptic species. Among the Hyriini, a total evidence data set generated phylogenetic trees indicating that Paxyodon syrmatophorus and Prisodon obliquus are more closely related, followed by Triplodon corrugatus. The molecular clock, based on COI, agreed with the fossil record of Neotropical hyriids. The ancestor of both Australasian and Neotropical Hyriidae is estimated to have lived around 225million years ago. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. New Coleoptera records from New Brunswick, Canada: Geotrupidae and Scarabaeidae

    PubMed Central

    Webster, Reginald P.; Sweeney, Jon D.; DeMerchant, Ian

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Two species of Geotrupidae, Geotrupes splendidus splendidus (Fabricius) and Odonteus liebecki (Wallis), are newly reported for New Brunswick, Canada. Twelve species of Scarabaeidae are added to the faunal list of the province, including Aegialia criddlei Brown, Caelius humeralis (Brown), Dialytellus dialytoides (Fall), Diapterna omissa (LeConte), Diapterna pinguis (Haldeman), Planolinoides aenictus (Cooper and Gordon), Stenotothorax badipes (Melsheimer), and Ataenius strigatus (Say), which are also newly recorded for the Maritime provinces. Collection data, habitat data, and distribution maps are presented for each species. PMID:22539883

  3. [The history of discovery of bulbourethral glands].

    PubMed

    Kutia, S A; Sataeva, T P; Nikolaeva, N G; Printseva, N Yu; Moroz, G A

    2016-08-01

    The article outlines the chronology of the discovery of the bulbourethral glands. Their first image appeared in 1600 in a collection of anatomical tables by Italian anatomist Hieronymus Fabricius of Acquapendente. In the scientific literature, they were first mentioned in one of the editions of "Journal des scavans" in 1684 as discovered by the French surgeon Jean Mry. The first detailed description of the structure, topography and function of these glands was presented in the work of English physician and anatomist William Cowper in 1699.

  4. A faunistic study on the leafhoppers of northwestern Iran (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae)

    PubMed Central

    Abdollahi, Tandis; Jalalizand, Ali Reza; Mozaffarian, Fariba; Wilson, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Abstract The leafhopper fauna of northwestern Iran: Azarbaijan-e-Sharghi, Azarbaijan-e-Gharbi and Ardabil provinces is listed from previously published records and from our current work. Sixty-nine species are included with four species (Mogangella straminea Dlabola, 1957, Doratura stylata (Boheman, 1847), Macrosteles sordidipennis (Stål, 1858) and Psammotettix seriphidii Emeljanov, 1962) listed as new for Iran and Balclutha punctata (Fabricius, 1775), as a new record for the region. A distribution map of the species in northwestern Iran is given. PMID:25931954

  5. Taxonomic revision of genus Ablattaria Reitter (Coleoptera, Silphidae) using geometric morphometrics

    PubMed Central

    Qubaiová, Jarin; Růžička, Jan; Šípková, Hana

    2015-01-01

    Abstract The genus Ablattaria Reitter, 1884 (Coleoptera: Silphidae: Silphinae) is revised. Four taxa are recognized as valid species: Ablattaria arenaria (Kraatz, 1876), Ablattaria cribrata (Ménétries, 1832), Ablattaria laevigata (Fabricius, 1775) and Ablattaria subtriangula Reitter, 1905. Ablattaria laevigata var. meridionalis Ganglbauer, 1899 is newly treated as a junior subjective synonym of Ablattaria laevigata. Lectotypes are designated for Phosphuga arenaria Kraatz, 1876, Ablattaria arenaria var. punctigera Reitter, 1884, Ablattaria arenaria var. alleoni Portevin, 1926, Silpha cribrata Ménétries, 1832, Silpha laevigata Fabricius, 1775, Silpha gibba Brullé, 1832, Ablattaria gibba var. costulata Portevin, 1926, Ablattaria gibba var. distinguenda Portevin, 1926, Ablattaria gibba var. punctata Portevin, 1926 and Ablattaria subtriangula Reitter, 1905. The distribution of all taxa is mapped, based on material examined. Geometric morphometric methods were used to evaluate shape variability in Ablattaria. Results indicated sexual dimorphism in all species. Shape inconsistency was found between the sexes of all taxa when tested independently. The first two relative warp axes indicated 65.17% shape variation in males and 65.72% in females. Canonical variate analysis separated the taxa studied. There was minimal overlap between some groups in both sexes. Differences in body shape between populations of Ablattaria laevigata from Central Europe, Italy and Greece + Turkey were also examined. Relative warps implied 58.01% shape variability on both axes in males and 64.78% in females. CVA revealed noticeable overlaps between the groups, although the Italian population demonstrated a higher separation in both sexes. PMID:25685005

  6. Quantifying pteridines in the heads of blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae): Application for forensic entomology.

    PubMed

    Cammack, J A; Reiskind, M H; Guisewite, L M; Denning, S S; Watson, D W

    2017-11-01

    In forensic cases involving entomological evidence, establishing the postcolonization interval (post-CI) is a critical component of the investigation. Traditional methods of estimating the post-CI rely on estimating the age of immature blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) collected from remains. However, in cases of delayed discovery (e.g., when remains are located indoors), these insects may have completed their development and be present in the environment as adults. Adult fly collections are often ignored in cases of advanced decomposition because of a presumed little relevance to the investigation; herein we present information on how these insects can be of value. In this study we applied an age-grading technique to estimate the age of adults of Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius), Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius), and Phormia regina (Meigen), based on the temperature-dependent accumulation of pteridines in the compound eyes, when reared at temperatures ranging from 5 to 35°C. Age could be estimated for all species*sex*rearing temperature combinations (mean r 2 ±SE: 0.90±0.01) for all but P. regina reared at 5.4°C. These models can be used to increase the precision of post-CI estimates for remains found indoors, and the high r 2 values of 22 of the 24 regression equations indicates that this is a valid method for estimating the age of adult blow flies at temperatures ≥15°C. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Respiratory infection of turkeys with Listeria monocytogenes Scott A.

    PubMed

    Huff, G R; Huff, W E; Beasley, J N; Rath, N C; Johnson, M G; Nannapaneni, R

    2005-12-01

    The pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes strain Scott A was studied by challenging day-old male turkey poults by air sac inoculation with tryptose phosphate broth containing 10(0) cfu (control), 10(4), 10(5), and 10(6) cfu (low challenge), or 10(7) and 10(8) cfu (high challenge) of the Scott A (serotype 4b) strain of L. monocytogenes. Mortality at 2 wk postinfection (PI) ranged from 25% for low challenge to 100% for high challenge (P= 0.0001). Gross and histopathological lesions were observed in heart, liver, spleen, lung, and bursa of Fabricius of mortalities at 4 days PI. Listeria monocytogenes challenge resulted in significantly decreased relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius and increased relative weight of the spleen, and L. monocytogenes was isolated by direct plating of liver, pericardium, brain, and both left and right stifle joint synovium (knee) cultures, as well as gall bladder, yolk sac, and cecal tonsil from transfer swabs onto Listeria-selective agar. Isolates were confirmed as positive using Gram stain, biochemical tests, and the Biolog system. High challenge resulted in confirmed L. monocytogenes isolation from 48% of left knee and 59% of right knee cultures. Low challenge resulted in isolation of L. monocytogenes from 11% of both left and right knee cultures. These results suggest that L. monocytogenes Scott A colonization of turkey knee synovial tissue can initiate in day-of-age poults and that L. monocytogenes Scott A can be invasive through air sac infection.

  8. First checklist of the fruit flies of Morocco, including new records (Diptera, Tephritidae)

    PubMed Central

    Harym, Younes El; Belqat, Boutaïna

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The first checklist of the Tephritidae of Morocco, containing 59 species, is presented here. Out of 38 species collected during the present project, three (Campiglossa martii (Becker, 1908), Tephritis divisa (Rondani, 1871), and Terellia sp. near longicauda) present new records for North Africa, and ten (Carpomya incompleta (Becker, 1903), Chaetorellia conjuncta (Becker, 1913), Chetostoma curvinerve Rondani, 1856, Dacus frontalis (Becker, 1922), D. longistylus (Wiedemann, 1830), Dioxyna sororcula (Wiedemann, 1830), Ensina sonchi (Linnaeus, 1767), Myopites inulaedyssentericae Blot, 1827, M. stylatus Fabricius, 1794, and Tephritis vespertina (Loew, 1844)) are new for Morocco. PMID:29118602

  9. The apid cuckoo bees of the Cape Verde Islands (Hymenoptera, Apidae).

    PubMed

    Straka, Jakub; Engel, Michael S

    2012-01-01

    The apid cuckoo bees of the Cape Verde Islands (Republic of Cape Verde) are reviewed and five species recognized, representing two genera. The ammobatine genus Chiasmognathus Engel (Nomadinae: Ammobatini), a specialized lineage of cleptoparasites of nomioidine bees is recorded for the first time. Chiasmognathus batelkaisp. n. is distinguished from mainland African and Asian species. The genus Thyreus Panzer (Apinae: Melectini) is represented by four species - Thyreus denoliisp. n., Thyreus batelkaisp. n., Thyreus schwarzisp. n., and Thyreus aistleitnerisp. n. Previous records of Thyreus scutellaris (Fabricius) from the islands were based on misidentifications.

  10. A Transgenerational Endocrine Signaling Pathway in Crustacea

    PubMed Central

    LeBlanc, Gerald A.; Wang, Ying H.; Holmes, Charisse N.; Kwon, Gwijun; Medlock, Elizabeth K.

    2013-01-01

    Background Environmental signals to maternal organisms can result in developmental alterations in progeny. One such example is environmental sex determination in Branchiopod crustaceans. We previously demonstrated that the hormone methyl farnesoate could orchestrate environmental sex determination in the early embryo to the male phenotype. Presently, we identify a transcription factor that is activated by methyl farnesoate and explore the extent and significance of this transgenerational signaling pathway. Methodology/Principal Findings Several candidate transcription factors were cloned from the water flea Daphnia pulex and evaluated for activation by methyl farnesoate. One of the factors evaluated, the complex of two bHLH-PAS proteins, dappuMet and SRC, activated a reporter gene in response to methyl farnesoate. Several juvenoid compounds were definitively evaluated for their ability to activate this receptor complex (methyl farnesoate receptor, MfR) in vitro and stimulate male sex determination in vivo. Potency to activate the MfR correlated to potency to stimulate male sex determination of offspring (pyriproxyfen>methyl farnesoate>methoprene, kinoprene). Daphnids were exposed to concentrations of pyriproxyfen and physiologic responses determined over multiple generations. Survivial, growth, and sex of maternal organisms were not affected by pyriproxyfen exposure. Sex ratio among offspring (generation 2) were increasingly skewed in favor of males with increasing pyriproxyfen concentration; while, the number of offspring per brood was progressively reduced. Female generation 2 daphnids were reared to reproductive maturity in the absence of pyriproxyfen. Sex ratios of offspring (generation 3) were not affected in this pyriproxyfen lineage, however, the number of offspring per brood, again, was significantly reduced. Conclusions Results reveal likely components to a hormone/receptor signaling pathway in a crustacean that orchestrates transgenerational modifications to important population metrics (sex ratios, fecundity of females). A model is provided that describes how these signaling processes can facilitate population sustainability under normal conditions or threaten sustainability when perturbed by environmental chemicals. PMID:23613913

  11. Ostracod (Ostracoda, Crustacea) genomics - Promises and challenges.

    PubMed

    Schön, Isa; Martens, Koen

    2016-10-01

    Ostracods are well-suited model organisms for evolutionary research. Classic genetic techniques have mostly been used for phylogenetic studies on Ostracoda and were somewhat affected by the lack of large numbers of suitable markers. Genomic methods with their huge potential have so far rarely been applied to this group of crustaceans. We provide relevant examples of genomic studies on other organisms to propose future avenues of genomic ostracod research. At the same time, we suggest solutions to the potential problems in ostracods that the application of genomic techniques might present. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Expression of the reproductive female-specific vitellogenin gene in endocrinologically induced male and intersex Cherax quadricarinatus crayfish.

    PubMed

    Shechter, Asaf; Aflalo, Eliahu D; Davis, Claytus; Sagi, Amir

    2005-07-01

    In oviparous females, the synthesis of the yolk precursor vitellogenin is an important step in ovarian maturation and oocyte development. In decapod Crustacea, including the red-claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus), this reproductive process is regulated by inhibitory neurohormones secreted by the endocrine X-organ-sinus gland (XO-SG) complex. In males, the C. quadricarinatus vitellogenin gene (CqVg), although present, is not expressed under normal conditions. We show here that endocrine manipulation by removal of the XO-SG complex from male animals induced CqVg transcription. The CqVg gene was expressed differentially during the molt cycle in these induced males: no expression was seen in the intermolt stages, but expression was occasionally detected in the premolt stages and always detected in the early postmolt stages. Relative quantitation with a real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction showed that expression of CqVg in induced early postmolt males was an order of magnitude lower than that in reproductive females, a finding that was consistent with RNA in situ hybridization results. The SDS-PAGE of high-density lipoproteins from the hemolymph of endocrinologically induced early postmolt males did not show the typical vitellogenin-related polypeptide profile found in reproductive females. On the other hand, removal of the XO-SG complex from intersex individuals, which are chromosomally female but functionally male and possess an arrested female reproductive system, induced the expression, translation, and release of CqVg products into the hemolymph, as was the case for vitellogenic females. The expression of CqVg in endocrinologically manipulated molting males and intersex animals provides an inducible model for the investigation and understanding of the endocrine regulation of CqVg expression and translation in Crustacea as well as the relationship between the endocrine axes regulating molt and reproduction.

  13. New species of Edessa Fabricius, 1803 (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) from Costa Rica.

    PubMed

    Fernandes, Jose Antonio Marin; Silva, Valeria Juliete Da; Correia, Andre Oliveira; Nunes, Benedito Mendes

    2015-08-12

    The edessines from Costa Rica are little known; only 18 species have been registered or described from this country so far. Mainly based in a large sample from Instituto Nacional de Biodiverdidad (INBio), Costa Rica, we decided to update the information concerning Edessinae from Costa Rica. We present a list of species from Costa Rica raising the number of known species from Costa Rica to 65. We are also describing nine new species: Edessa bella Fernandes & Silva, E. bruneolineata Fernandes & Correia, E. curvata Fernandes & Nunes, E. lewisi Fernandes & Silva, E. nigroangulata Fernandes & Silva, E. osae Fernandes & Nunes, E. oxcarti Fernandes & Correia, E. pallidoangulata Fernandes & Nunes and E. puravida Fernandes & Correia. Species were described, illustrated and photographed. Distribution maps for the species are also provided.

  14. Kinetic Model of Growth of Arthropoda Populations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ershov, Yu. A.; Kuznetsov, M. A.

    2018-05-01

    Kinetic equations were derived for calculating the growth of crustacean populations ( Crustacea) based on the biological growth model suggested earlier using shrimp ( Caridea) populations as an example. The development cycle of successive stages for populations can be represented in the form of quasi-chemical equations. The kinetic equations that describe the development cycle of crustaceans allow quantitative prediction of the development of populations depending on conditions. In contrast to extrapolation-simulation models, in the developed kinetic model of biological growth the kinetic parameters are the experimental characteristics of population growth. Verification and parametric identification of the developed model on the basis of the experimental data showed agreement with experiment within the error of the measurement technique.

  15. Detailed simulation of a Lobster-eye telescope.

    PubMed

    Putkunz, Corey T; Peele, Andrew G

    2009-08-03

    The concept of an x-ray telescope based on the optics of the eye of certain types of crustacea has been in currency for nearly thirty years. However, it is only in the last decade that the technology to make the telescope and the opportunity to mount it on a suitable space platform have combined to allow the idea to become a reality. Accordingly, we have undertaken a detailed simulation study, updating previous simplified models, to properly characterise the performance of the instrument in orbit. The study reveals details of how the particular characteristics of the lobster-eye optics affect the sensitivity of the instrument and allow us to implement new ideas in data extraction methods.

  16. [Seasonality and diurnal activity of Tabanidae (Diptera: Insecta) of canopy in the Adolpho Ducke Forested Reserve, Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil].

    PubMed

    Oliveira, Aldenira F; Ferreira, Ruth L M; Rafael, José A

    2007-01-01

    The seasonality and diurnal flight activity of tabanids from canopy was studied at Ducke Reserve, in the county of Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil, using a suspended trap installed at 20 m above the soil, connected to the carbon dioxide gas cylinder. During one day, twice monthly collects of Tabanidae were taken from April 2000 to June 2001. The material was collected from the trap in intervals of 2h and placed in plastic tubes. A total of 955 individuals, corresponding to thirty species were collected. Philipotabanus stigmaticalis (Kröber) (37.9%) was caught all over the year and showed higher flight activity between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Acanthocera marginalis Walker (16.3%) was more abundant in the less rainy months (July to November) with a higher activity period between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Acanthocera gorayebi Henriques Rafael (9.0%) was more abundant in July with more activity between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Dichelacera damicornis (Fabricius) (10.9%) was more abundant in the months of heavier rainfall (January, February and April) and showed higher diurnal activity between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Diachlorus podagricus (Fabricius) (6.6%) was caught throughout the year except in February and showed higher activity between 10:00 a.m. and 14:00 p.m. The climatic factors when correlated to the tabanids richness just showed significant correlation with precipitation, while the specimens abundance was correlated to humidity and precipitation.

  17. Toxic impact of aldrin on acid and alkaline phosphatase activity of penaeid prawn, Metapenaeus monoceros: In vitro study

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Reddy, M.S.; Jayaprada, P.; Rao, K.V.R.

    1991-03-01

    The increasing contamination of the aquatic environment by the indiscriminate and widespread use of different kinds of pesticides is a serious problem for environmental biologists. Organochlorine insecticides are more hazardous since they are not only more toxic but also leave residues in nature. The deleterious effects of aldrin on several crustaceans have been studied. But studies concerning the impact of aldrin on biochemical aspects of crustaceans are very much limited. The present study is aimed at probing the in vitro effects of aldrin on the acid and alkaline phosphatase activity levels in selected tissues of penaeid prawn, Metapenaeus monoceros (Fabricius).

  18. Parasitoids of Monochamus galloprovincialis (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), vector of the pine wood nematode, with identification key for the Palaearctic region

    PubMed Central

    Petersen-Silva, Ricardo; Pujade-Villar, Juli; Naves, Pedro; Edmundo Sousa; Belokobylskij,  Sergey

    2012-01-01

    Abstract The parasitoid complex associated with Monochamus galloprovincialis (Olivier), vector of the pine wood nematode, is discussed. Four species of the family Braconidae and one Ichneumonidae were found associated with Monochamus galloprovincialis in Portugal, namely Atanycolus denigrator (Linnaeus), Atanycolus ivanowi (Kokujev), Cyanopterus flavator (Fabricius), Doryctes striatellus (Nees) (Braconidae), and Xorides depressus (Holmgren) (Ichneumonidae). Atanycolus ivanowi, Atanycolus denigrator, Doryctes striatellus and Xorides depressus are new species for Portugal fauna, and Monochamus galloprovincialis is recorded as a new host of Xorides depressus. A key for determination of the ichneumonoid parasitoids of the pine sawyer is provided for the Palaearctic fauna. PMID:23378807

  19. The apid cuckoo bees of the Cape Verde Islands (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

    PubMed Central

    Straka, Jakub; Engel, Michael S.

    2012-01-01

    Abstract The apid cuckoo bees of the Cape Verde Islands (Republic of Cape Verde) are reviewed and five species recognized, representing two genera. The ammobatine genus Chiasmognathus Engel (Nomadinae: Ammobatini), a specialized lineage of cleptoparasites of nomioidine bees is recorded for the first time. Chiasmognathus batelkai sp. n. is distinguished from mainland African and Asian species. The genus Thyreus Panzer (Apinae: Melectini) is represented by four species – Thyreus denolii sp. n., Thyreus batelkai sp. n., Thyreus schwarzi sp. n., and Thyreus aistleitneri sp. n. Previous records of Thyreus scutellaris (Fabricius) from the islands were based on misidentifications. PMID:22977347

  20. Carotenoid diagenesis in recent marine sediments. I. The Peru continental shelf (15/sup 0/S, 75/sup 0/W)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Repeta, D.J.; Gagosian, R.B.

    1987-04-01

    The authors report here the distribution of carotenoids in Peru marine surface sediments, including partial identification of 37 pigments, 33 of which have not been previously reported to occur in marine sediments. Their analysis demonstrates that zooplanktonic crustacea, diatoms, dinoflagellates, cryptomonads, purple nonsulfur photosynthetic bacteria, and unidentified species of photosynthetic bacteria are contributors to sedimentary organic matter. Fucoxanthin, fucoxanthinol, diadinoxanthin, peridinin and peridininol, the principal carotenoids of diatoms and dinoflagellates observed in sediment traps, are nearly absent from their sample, even though these phytoplankton are the primary source of organic matter. They attribute this to the presence of 5,6 epoxidesmore » in these pigments, a feature which causes rapid cleavage of the polyene and fragmentation to low molecular weight compounds.« less

  1. Biological studies on the blue crab Portunus pelagicus and its parasitic infection in Kuwaiti waters.

    PubMed

    Al-Behbehani, Bahija E

    2007-04-01

    The study investigated the parasites of symbiotic fauna of the blue crab, Portunus pelagicus and the environmental factors, which was lacking in Kuwait. P. pelagicus feeding habits was studied by examination of the digestive tract. The foregut (stomach) contents of 250 crabs (110 male & 140 female) collected from fish-market, Souq-Sharq, Edelyia capital governorate were investigated. A barnacle, Balanus sp. and staked barnacle Octolasmis sp. (Crustacea: Cirripedia) were found strongly firmly to the carapace, appendages and gills of 30% male crabs and 27% female ones. Endoparasites included unidentified immature trematode stages and nematode larvae in the muscular tissues of both sexes. The main food recovered included molluscs, crustaceans, fish bones and unidentified food materials. The results were reported, photographed and critically discussed.

  2. Gill metazoan parasites of the spotted goatfish Pseudupeneus maculatus (Ostheichthyes: Mullidae) from the Coast of Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Cardoso, L; Lacerda, A C F; Gonçalves, E L T; Cadorin, D I; Bonfim, C N C; Oliveira, R L M; Martins, M L

    2017-11-09

    This study evaluated the parasite fauna on the gills of spotted goatfish Pseudupeneus maculatus captured in the dry and rainy seasons in the coast of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil. Eight parasite species were identified belonging to the following taxa: Monogenea (Haliotrema caraïbensis, Haliotrema caballeroi and Haliotrema golvani); Crustacea (Rocinela signata, Hamaticolax scutigerulus and Caligidae gen. sp.) and Cestoda (Nybelinia indica and Pseudolacistorhynchus noodti). The most prevalent parasites were: Monogenea (100%), H. scutigerulus (35%), N. indica (11.7%), R. signata (8.3%), Caligidae gen. sp. (3.33%) and P. noodti (0.83%). Values of infestation are compared to other studies, and the uncommon occurrence of Trypanorhyncha on the gills suggests that the spotted goatfish could be an intermediate host for the parasite.

  3. New introduction in California: the redhaired pine bark beetle, Hylurgus ligniperda Fabricius

    Treesearch

    Deguang Liu; Michael J. Bohne; Jana C. Lee; Mary Louise Flint; Richard L. Penrose; Steven J. Seybold

    2007-01-01

    An overwintering North American population of the redhaired pine bark beetle (RPBB) was first discovered in November 2000 in Rochester, New York. In July 2003 it was also detected at two locations in Los Angeles County, California near heavily urbanized areas where exotic pines of Mediterranean origin are favored landscape trees. California and New York currently have...

  4. Northwestward range extension for Diacyclops harryi (Crustacea: Copepoda)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reid, Janet W.; Hudson, Patrick L.; Bowen, Charles A.

    2002-01-01

    A recent find of the groundwater-inhabiting copepod crustacean Diacyclops harryi extended the known range of this species far northwestward, to include northern Ohio and the drainage basin of the Laurentian Great Lakes. The species was previously collected in drainages of the Atlantic Slope from New York to North Carolina. Ostracodes tentatively identified as ?Nannocandona n. sp., and amphipods belonging to the subterranean species Bactrurus mucronatus were also found at the Ohio locality.

  5. Global Biodiversity and Phylogenetic Evaluation of Remipedia (Crustacea)

    PubMed Central

    Neiber, Marco T.; Hartke, Tamara R.; Stemme, Torben; Bergmann, Alexandra; Rust, Jes; Iliffe, Thomas M.; Koenemann, Stefan

    2011-01-01

    Remipedia is one of the most recently discovered classes of crustaceans, first described in 1981 from anchialine caves in the Bahamas Archipelago. The class is divided into the order Enantiopoda, represented by two fossil species, and Nectiopoda, which contains all known extant remipedes. Since their discovery, the number of nectiopodan species has increased to 24, half of which were described during the last decade. Nectiopoda exhibit a disjunct global distribution pattern, with the highest abundance and diversity in the Caribbean region, and isolated species in the Canary Islands and in Western Australia. Our review of Remipedia provides an overview of their ecological characteristics, including a detailed list of all anchialine marine caves, from which species have been recorded. We discuss alternative hypotheses of the phylogenetic position of Remipedia within Arthropoda, and present first results of an ongoing molecular-phylogenetic analysis that do not support the monophyly of several nectiopodan taxa. We believe that a taxonomic revision of Remipedia is absolutely essential, and that a comprehensive revision should include a reappraisal of the fossil record. PMID:21625553

  6. Predation of schistosomiasis vector snails by ostracoda (crustacea)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sohn, I.G.; Kornicker, L.S.

    1972-01-01

    An ostracod species of Cypretta is an effective predator in laboratory experiments on 1- to 3-day-old Biomphalaria glabrata, a vector snail of the blood fluke that causes the tropical and subtropical disease schistosomiasis.

  7. Floating marine litter as a raft for drifting voyages for Planes minutus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Grapsidae) and Liocarcinus navigator (Crustacea: Decapoda: Polybiidae).

    PubMed

    Tutman, P; Kapiris, K; Kirinčić, M; Pallaoro, A

    2017-07-15

    The Columbus crab Planes minutus and Arch-fronted swimming crab Liocarcinus navigator, within their distribution ranges in the Mediterranean, were found rafted on plastic macro-litter floating on the open south Adriatic. While P. minutus was recorded from inanimate flotsam outside of the Mediterranean, L. navigator is herein reported for the first time on floating marine litter. The role of floating litter as habitat or as a dispersal agent for marine invertebrates has received quite attention however, records of decapod crabs drifting on litter has been relatively sparse. Our results suggests that vast quantities of floating debris, comprised primarily of non-biodegradable plastic polymers, probably will augment natural floating substrates in the marine environment, potentially facilitating the spread of invasive species. The dispersion of rafting crabs through floating debris should be investigated given the high potential ecological risk of invasion by exotic species due to the increase in waste production (ecological risk assessment). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Review of the Eustrophinae (Coleoptera, Tetratomidae) of America north of Mexico

    PubMed Central

    Pollock, Darren A.

    2012-01-01

    Abstract The Nearctic fauna (north of Mexico) of Eustrophinae is reviewed, and consists of the following five genera and 12 species: Pseudoholostrophus (Pseudoholostrophus) impressicollis (LeConte), Pseudoholostrophus (Holostrophinus) discolor (Horn), Holostrophus bifasciatus (Say), Eustrophus tomentosus Say, Eustrophopsis confinis (LeConte), Eustrophopsis bicolor (Fabricius), Eustrophopsis brunneimarginatus (Dury), Eustrophopsis indistinctus (LeConte), Eustrophopsis arizonensis (Horn), Eustrophopsis ornatus (Van Dyke), Eustrophopsis crowdyi sp. n., and Synstrophus repandus (Horn). A lectotype is designated for Eustrophus brunneimarginatus Dury. A key is given to separate genera and species, supplemented with illustrations of relevant features, including aedeagi of all Nearctic species of Eustrophopsis. Detailed distribution (including Mexican records) and natural history data are provided. PMID:22611332

  9. Taxonomy and Biogeography without frontiers – WhatsApp, Facebook and smartphone digital photography let citizen scientists in more remote localities step out of the dark

    PubMed Central

    Suprayitno, Nano; Narakusumo, Raden Pramesa; von Rintelen, Thomas; Hendrich, Lars

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background Taxonomy and biogeography can benefit from citizen scientists. The use of social networking and open access cooperative publishing can easily connect naturalists even in more remote areas with in-country scientists and institutions, as well as those abroad. This enables taxonomic efforts without frontiers and at the same time adequate benefit sharing measures. New information We present new distribution and habitat data for diving beetles of Bali island, Indonesia, as a proof of concept. The species Hydaticus luczonicus Aubé, 1838 and Eretes griseus (Fabricius, 1781) are reported from Bali for the first time. The total number of Dytiscidae species known from Bali is now 34. PMID:29104436

  10. Taxonomy and Biogeography without frontiers - WhatsApp, Facebook and smartphone digital photography let citizen scientists in more remote localities step out of the dark.

    PubMed

    Suprayitno, Nano; Narakusumo, Raden Pramesa; von Rintelen, Thomas; Hendrich, Lars; Balke, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Taxonomy and biogeography can benefit from citizen scientists. The use of social networking and open access cooperative publishing can easily connect naturalists even in more remote areas with in-country scientists and institutions, as well as those abroad. This enables taxonomic efforts without frontiers and at the same time adequate benefit sharing measures. We present new distribution and habitat data for diving beetles of Bali island, Indonesia, as a proof of concept. The species Hydaticus luczonicus Aubé, 1838 and Eretes griseus (Fabricius, 1781) are reported from Bali for the first time. The total number of Dytiscidae species known from Bali is now 34.

  11. Description of larva and puparium of Oplodontha rubrithorax (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) from the Oriental Region.

    PubMed

    Nerudová, Jana; Kovac, Damir; Tóthová, Andrea

    2015-05-01

    This is the first description of larva and puparium of Oplodontha rubrithorax (Macquart, 1838) from the Oriental Region. Larvae were found at a hot spring in North Thailand. The morphological features and cuticular structures of the larva are documented by drawings and SEM micrographs and the main characters are compared with the European O. viridula (Fabricius, 1775), the only described larva of this genus. Differences between larvae of both species were only found in pubescence. The characteristic, somewhat dilated and slightly clavate hairs on the dorsal surface of the body segments of O. viridula larva are apparently lacking in the larva of O. rubrithorax.

  12. Redistribution of fallout radionuclides in Enewetak Atoll lagoon sediments by callianassid bioturbation.

    PubMed

    McMurtry, G M; Schneider, R C; Colin, P L; Buddemeier, R W; Suchanek, T H

    The lagoon sediments of Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands contain a large selection of fallout radionuclides as a result of 43 nuclear weapon tests conducted there between 1948 and 1958. Studies of the burial of fallout radionuclides have been conducted on the islands and in several of the large craters, but studies of their vertical distribution have been limited to about the upper 20 cm of the lagoon sediments. We have found elevated fallout radionuclide concentrations buried more deeply in the lagoon sediments and evidence of burrowing into the sediment by several species of callianassid ghost shrimp (Crustacea: Thalassinidea) which has displaced highly radioactive sediment. The burrowing activities of callianassids, which are ubiquitous on the lagoon floor, facilitate radionuclide redistribution and complicate the fallout radionuclide inventory of the lagoon.

  13. Release of digestive enzymes from the crustacean hepatopancreas: effect of vertebrate gastrointestinal hormones.

    PubMed

    Resch-Sedlmeier, G; Sedlmeier, D

    1999-06-01

    Vertebrate gastrointestinal hormones were tested on their ability to liberate digestive enzymes from the crustacean midgut gland. CCK-8 (desulfated form), gastrin, bombesin, secretin, and substance P were detected to release enzymes. Maximal concentrations observed were 5 nM CCK for protease release, 1 nM gastrin for protease and 100 nM for amylase release, 100 nM bombesin for protease release, 10 nM secretin for amylase and protease release, and 100 nM substance P for protease release. Unlike in vertebrates, glucagon was unable to stimulate enzyme release in crustaceans, this also applies to the counterpart insulin. These results may support the assumption that Crustacea possess endogenous factors resembling the above mentioned vertebrate hormones, at least in such a way that the appropriate receptors have the capacity to accept these hormones.

  14. Vertical Distribution and Daily Flight Periodicity of Ambrosia Beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Florida Avocado Orchards Affected by Laurel Wilt.

    PubMed

    Menocal, Octavio; Kendra, Paul E; Montgomery, Wayne S; Crane, Jonathan H; Carrillo, Daniel

    2018-05-28

    Ambrosia beetles have emerged as significant pests of avocado ((Persea americana Mill. [Laurales: Lauraceae])) due to their association with pathogenic fungal symbionts, most notably Raffaelea lauricola T.C. Harr., Fraedrich & Aghayeva (Ophiostomatales: Ophiostomataceae), the causal agent of the laurel wilt (LW) disease. We evaluated the interaction of ambrosia beetles with host avocado trees by documenting their flight height and daily flight periodicity in Florida orchards with LW. Flight height was assessed passively in three avocado orchards by using ladder-like arrays of unbaited sticky traps arranged at three levels (low: 0-2 m; middle: 2-4 m; high: 4-6 m). In total, 1,306 individuals of 12 Scolytinae species were intercepted, but six accounted for ~95% of the captures: Xyleborus volvulus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Xyleborinus saxesenii Ratzeburg (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Euplatypus parallelus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Xyleborus bispinatus Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Xyleborus affinis Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), and Hypothenemus sp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The primary vector of R. lauricola, Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), was not detected. Females of X. volvulus showed a preference for flight at low levels and X. bispinatus for the low and middle levels; however, captures of all other species were comparable at all heights. At a fourth orchard, a baiting method was used to document flight periodicity. Females of X. saxesenii and Hypothenemus sp. were observed in flight 2-2.5 h prior to sunset; X. bispinatus, X. volvulus, and X. affinis initiated flight at ~1 h before sunset and Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) at 30 min prior to sunset. Results suggest that ambrosia beetles in South Florida fly near sunset (when light intensity and wind speed decrease) at much greater heights than previously assumed and have species-specific patterns in host

  15. Jerusalem artichokes stimulate growth of broiler chickens and protect them against endotoxins and potential cecal pathogens.

    PubMed

    Kleessen, Brigitta; Elsayed, N A A E; Loehren, U; Schroedl, W; Krueger, Monika

    2003-11-01

    Control of intestinal pathogens during the earliest phases of broiler production may be the best strategy for the reduction of human pathogens on processed broiler carcasses. The recent ban on antibiotics in poultry feed has served to focus much attention on alternative methods of controlling the gastrointestinal microflora. A field trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of the fructan-rich Jerusalem artichoke, or topinambur (administered as 0.5% topinambur syrup in drinking water), on cultural numbers of selected cecal bacteria (total aerobes, Enterobacteriaceae, Bdellovibrio spp., and Clostridium perfringens) and levels of bacterial endotoxins as well as on body weights and relative weights of organs (the pancreas and the bursa of Fabricius) of chickens in the first 35 days of life (with weekly investigations being conducted). One-day-old broiler chickens (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to experimental (with topinambur) and control (without topinambur) groups. They were allowed free access to a standard broiler diet without growth-promoting antibiotics. Topinambur treatment resulted in a significant increase (P < 0.01) in cecal counts of B. bacteriovorus, which parasitizes susceptible gram-negative pathogens. Topinambur led to significantly smaller numbers of total aerobes, Enterobacteriaceae, and C. perfringens as well as to reduced levels of endotoxins in the blood compared with those for control birds. Increased body weights resulting from topinambur consumption were observed on day 35 of the trial period (P < 0.05). The relative weights of the pancreas and the bursa of Fabricius, however, were higher (P < 0.05) for topinambur-treated broilers than for control birds at the ages of 14, 21, 28, and 35 days. These results indicate that a small amount of topinambur in broilers' drinking water has a beneficial effect on growth performance, reduces bacterial endotoxin levels, and suppresses potential pathogens in broilers' ceca.

  16. Immuno-pathological studies on broiler chicken experimentally infected with Escherichia coli and supplemented with neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf extract

    PubMed Central

    Sharma, Vikash; Jakhar, K. K.; Dahiya, Swati

    2016-01-01

    Aim: The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of neem leaf extract (NLE) supplementation on immunological response and pathology of different lymphoid organs in experimentally Escherichia coli challenged broiler chickens. Materials and Methods: For this study, we procured 192-day-old broiler chicks from local hatchery and divided them into Groups A and Group B containing 96 birds each on the first day. Chicks of Group A were supplemented with 10% NLE in water, whereas chicks of Group B were not supplemented with NLE throughout the experiment. At 7th day of age, chicks of Group A were divided into A1 and A2 and Group B into B1 and B2 with 54 and 42 chicks, respectively, and chicks of Groups A1 and B1 were injected with E. coli O78 at 107 colony-forming units/0.5 ml intraperitoneally. Six chicks from each group were sacrificed at 0, 2, 4, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days post infection; blood was collected and thorough post-mortem examination was conducted. Tissue pieces of spleen and bursa of Fabricius were collected in 10% buffered formalin for histopathological examination. Serum was separated for immunological studies. Result: E. coli specific antibody titer was significantly higher in Group A1 in comparison to Group B1. Delayed-type hypersensitivity response against 2,4 dinirochlorobenzene (DNCB) antigen was significantly higher in Group A1 as compared to Group B1. Pathological studies revealed that E. coli infection caused depletion of lymphocytes in bursa of Fabricius and spleen. Severity of lesions in Group A1 was significantly lower in comparison to Group B1. Conclusion: 10% NLE supplementation enhanced the humoral as well as cellular immune responses attributed to its immunomodulatory property in experimentally E. coli infected broiler chicken. PMID:27536035

  17. Total and methyl mercury contents and distribution characteristics in cicada, Cryptotympana atrata (Fabricius).

    PubMed

    Zheng, Dongmei; Zhang, Zhongsheng; Wang, Qichao

    2010-06-01

    Total and methyl mercury concentrations of cicada bodies, wings, and exuviae were investigated to study the mercury distribution characteristics. Results indicated that total and methyl mercury concentrations of cicada bodies were 2.64 mg/kg and 123.93 ng/g on average, respectively. In cicada tissues, total mercury concentrations were found to increase in the order of exuviae (0.50 mg/kg on average) < wings (0.98 mg/kg on average) < cicada bodies (2.64 mg/kg on average) and methyl mercury concentrations of cicada bodies were 123.93 ng/g on average and were the highest. Methyl mercury concentrations accounted for about 4.69% of total mercury in cicada bodies and most mercury was in inorganic forms in cicada. Sex differences of total mercury concentrations were significantly great (F = 8.433, p < 0.01) and total mercury concentrations of the males, which were 3.38 mg/kg on average, were much higher. Correlation analysis showed that neither total nor methyl mercury concentrations of cicada bodies was significantly related to the corresponding contents of soil (r = 0.0598, p > 0.05).

  18. The Meladema Laporte, 1835 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae) of the Sahara Desert.

    PubMed

    Ribera, Ignacio; Bilton, David T; Cardoso, Anabela

    2018-03-20

    Meladema Laporte, 1835 is a genus of large diving beetles, found in the Western Palaearctic, from the Canary Islands and Madeira to western Turkey (Bilton Ribera 2017). The genus currently contains four species: the widespread M. coriacea Laporte, 1835, distributed from the Canary Islands to Turkey and ranging from southern France and the central Balkans south to the central Sahara, two Atlantic Island endemics, M. imbricata (Wollaston, 1871) from the western Canary Islands and M. lanio (Fabricius, 1775) from the main island of Madeira, and a fourth, recently described species, M. lepidoptera Bilton Ribera, 2017 from the Tyrrhenian Islands (Corsica, Sardinia, Elba, Montecristo) and parts of the Italian mainland (Bilton Ribera 2017).

  19. Keys to genera of the spider wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) of Russia and neighbouring countries, with check-list of genera.

    PubMed

    Loktionov, Valery M; Lelej, Arkady S

    2015-10-28

    Keys to 55 genera of spider wasps of Russia and neighbouring countries in females and males are given. Of them 34 genera are distributed in Russia. An annotated list of genera with type species and distribution data within Russia and biogeographical regions is given. The genus Xenaporus Ashmead, 1902 and X. eremocanus Wolf, 1990 are newly recorded from Russia. According to ICZN 1995 (Opinion 1820) new synonymy (valid name first) is proposed for the type species of genus Cryptocheilus Panzer, 1806: Sphex annulata Fabricius, 1798 (=Pompilus alternatus Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1845, syn. nov.; =Pompilus comparatus Smith, 1855, syn. nov.; =Priocnemis culpabilis Costa, 1893, syn. nov.; Salius annulatilis Richards, 1935, syn. nov.).

  20. Response of macroinvertebrate communities to remediation-simulating conditions in Pennsylvania streams influenced by acid mine drainage

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ross, R.M.; Long, E.S.; Dropkin, D.S.

    2008-01-01

    We compared naturally alkaline streams with limestone lithology to freestone streams with and without acid mine drainage (AMD) to predict benthic macroinvertebrate community recovery from AMD in limestone-treated watersheds. Surrogate-recovered (limestone) and, in many cases, freestone systems had significantly higher macroinvertebrate densities; diversity; taxa richness; Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) taxa; EPT/chironomid ratios; scraper/collector - gatherer ratios; herbivores; collector - filterers; and scrapers. AMD-influenced systems had significantly greater numbers of Diptera and collector - gatherers. An entire trophic level (herbivores) was 'restored' in surrogate-recovered streams, which also showed greater trophic specialization. Indicator analysis identified seven taxa (within Crustacea, Diptera, Nematoda, Trichoptera, and Ephemeroptera) as significant indicators of limestone systems and six taxa (within Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Tricoptera, Coleoptera, and Mollusca) as significant freestone indicators, all useful as biological indicators of recovery from AMD. ?? Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007.

  1. Makrozoobentos as bioindicator water quality of Krukut River, Depok, West Java, Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jayanti, A. D.; Fachrul, M. F.; Hendrawan, D.

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the Diversity Index, Similarity Index, and Dominance Index. The research location in Krukut River along 12 km. The research was conducted in March - June 2017 in 7 sampling points. Macrozoobentos obtained as many as 23 species belonging to the 9 classes are 3 types of Bivalves, 7 types of Arthopoda, 2 types of Molusca, 4 types of insects, 4 types of Oligochaeta, 2 Malacostraca, 1 Crustacea, 1 Diptera, and 1 Nematodes. The highest abundance of macrozoobentos is 10550 Ind/m2, whereas the lowest macrozoobenthic abundance is 850 Ind/m2. The range of Diversity Index (H') 0.32 - 1.80, Similarity Index (E) 0.58-1.07 and Dominance Index (C) 0.40-0.63. Therefore the result shows that Krukut River is in category medium pollution.

  2. The monophyletic origin of freshwater crayfish estimated from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences.

    PubMed Central

    Crandall, K A; Harris, D J; Fetzner, J W

    2000-01-01

    Despite their widespread use as model organisms, the phylogenetic status of the around 520 species of freshwater crayfish is still in doubt. One hypothesis suggests two distinct origins of freshwater crayfish as indicated by their geographical distribution, with two centres of origin near the two present centres of diversity; one in south-eastern United States and the other in Victoria, Australia. An alternative theory proposes a single (monophyletic) origin of freshwater crayfish. Here we use over 3000 nucleotides from three different gene regions in estimating phylogenetic relationships among freshwater crayfish and related Crustacea. We show clear evidence for monophyly of freshwater crayfish and for the sister-group relationship between crayfish and clawed lobsters. Monophyly of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea is also supported. However, the monophyly of the family Cambaridae is questioned with the genus Cambaroides being associated with the Astacidae. PMID:11467432

  3. Phylogenetic position of the pentastomida and [pan]crustacean relationships

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lavrov, Dennis V.; Brown, Wesley M.; Boore, Jeffrey L.

    2004-01-31

    Pentastomids are a small group of vermiform animals with unique morphology and parasitic lifestyle. They are generally recognized as being related to the Arthropoda, however the nature of this relationship is controversial. We have determined the complete sequence of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the pentastomid Armillifer armillatus and complete, or nearly complete, mtDNA sequences from representatives of four previously unsampled groups of Crustacea: Remipedia (Speleonectes tulumensis), Cephalocarida (Hutchinsoniella macracantha), Cirripedia (Pollicipes polymerus), and Branchiura (Argulus americanus). Analyses of the mtDNA gene arrangements and sequences determined in this study indicate unambiguously that pentastomids are a group of modified crustaceans likelymore » related to branchiurans. In addition, gene arrangement comparisons strongly support an unforeseen assemblage of pentastomids with maxillopod and cephalocarid crustaceans, to the exclusion of remipedes, branchiopods, malacos tracans and insects.« less

  4. The ovary structure and oogenesis in the basal crustaceans and hexapods. Possible phylogenetic significance.

    PubMed

    Jaglarz, Mariusz K; Kubrakiewicz, Janusz; Bilinski, Szczepan M

    2014-07-01

    Recent large-scale phylogenetic analyses of exclusively molecular or combined molecular and morphological characters support a close relationship between Crustacea and Hexapoda. The growing consensus on this phylogenetic link is reflected in uniting both taxa under the name Pancrustacea or Tetraconata. Several recent molecular phylogenies have also indicated that the monophyletic hexapods should be nested within paraphyletic crustaceans. However, it is still contentious exactly which crustacean taxon is the sister group to Hexapoda. Among the favored candidates are Branchiopoda, Malacostraca, Remipedia and Xenocarida (Remipedia + Cephalocarida). In this context, we review morphological and ultrastructural features of the ovary architecture and oogenesis in these crustacean groups in search of traits potentially suitable for phylogenetic considerations. We have identified a suite of morphological characters which may prove useful in further comparative studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Cryptofauna of the epilithic algal matrix on an inshore coral reef, Great Barrier Reef

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kramer, M. J.; Bellwood, D. R.; Bellwood, O.

    2012-12-01

    Composed of a collection of algae, detritus, sediment and invertebrates, the epilithic algal matrix (EAM) is an abundant and ubiquitous feature of coral reefs. Despite its prevalence, there is a paucity of information regarding its associated invertebrate fauna. The cryptofaunal invertebrate community of the EAM was quantitatively investigated in Pioneer Bay on Orpheus Island, Great Barrier Reef. Using a vacuum collection method, a diversity of organisms representing 10 different phyla were identified. Crustacea dominated the samples, with harpacticoid copepods being particularly abundant (2025 ± 132 100 cm-2; mean density ± SE). The volume of coarse particulate matter in the EAM was strongly correlated with the abundance of harpacticoid copepods. The estimated biomass of harpacticoid copepods (0.48 ± 0.05 g m-2; wet weight) suggests that this group is likely to be important for reef trophodynamics and nutrient cycling.

  6. Active immunisation of black tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) against vibriosis in Thailand.

    PubMed

    Böhnel, H; Lohavanijaya, P; Rungin, S; Schnug, C; Seifert, H S

    1999-08-01

    Mechanisms of host defence in Crustaceae and vibriosis in shrimp and methods for its prevention are discussed as introduction. The own work deals with the development of a site-specific multivalent anti-vibrio vaccine and its application in Thailand. The vaccine was produced in a continuous bioreactor system from field strains of Vibrio alginolyticus, V. harveyi, V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus, purified through ultrafiltration, and inactivated by formalin. It was applied to Penaeus monodon PL prior to release into the ponds via artemia larvae. As mean result from numerous trials carried out under commercial field conditions in Eastern Thailand it was shown that the PL tolerated the vaccine perfectly. Due to technical problems only few of the field trials could be monitored until harvest. The data available allow claiming an obvious protective effect of the vaccine.

  7. Development of calcium bodies in Hylonsicus riparius (Crustacea: Isopoda).

    PubMed

    Vittori, Miloš; Khurshed, Mohammed; Picavet, Daisy I; van Noorden, Cornelis J F; Štrus, Jasna

    2018-03-01

    Calcium bodies are internal epithelial sacs found in terrestrial isopods of the family Trichoniscidae that contain a mineralized extracellular matrix that is deposited and resorbed in relation to the molt cycle. Calcium bodies in several trichoniscids are filled with bacteria, the function of which is currently unknown. The woodlouse Hyloniscus riparius differs from other trichoniscids in that it possesses two different pairs of calcium bodies, the posterior pair being filled with bacteria and the anterior pair being devoid of bacteria. We explored the development of these organs and bacterial colonization of their lumen during the postmarsupial development with the use of optical clearing and whole-body confocal imaging of larval and juvenile stages. Our results show that calcium bodies are formed as invaginations of the epidermis in the region of intersegmental membranes during the postmarsupial development. The anterior pair of calcium bodies is generated during the first postmarsupial manca stage, whereas the posterior calcium bodies first appear in juveniles and are immediately colonized by bacteria, likely through a connection between the calcium body lumen and the body surface. Mineral is deposited in calcium bodies as soon as they are present. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. The Australian Monstrilloida (Crustacea: Copepoda) II. Cymbasoma Thompson, 1888.

    PubMed

    Suárez-Morales, Eduardo; Mckinnon, A David

    2016-04-08

    Monstrilloid copepods collected during the past two decades from zooplankton surveys in reef and coastal areas of Australia were analyzed. A first contribution included the taxonomic analysis of three genera of the Monstrilloida, Monstrillopsis Sars, 1921, Maemonstrilla Grygier & Ohtsuka, 2008, and the newly described Australomonstrillopsis Suárez-Morales & McKinnon, 2014. In this document a taxonomic analysis of the species belonging to the genus Cymbasoma Thompson, 1888 is provided. A total of 28 species were found, most of them being undescribed. Seventeen species were described based on females only and eight on male specimens while three species were described from both sexes. Males of Australian species of Cymbasoma are distinguished by details of the genital complex, body size and proportions, ornamentation and processes of the cephalic region, number of caudal setae, and the characteristic structure or ornamentation of the genital lappets. Two main groups of males were distinguished on the basis of the number of caudal setae (3 or 4). As for the females, 20 of the 25 new species of Cymbasoma have fifth legs with an unarmed inner lobe and three setae on the outer lobe; one of these species (C. jinigudira sp. nov.) belongs to the C. longispinosum species-group (sensu Üstün et al. 2014). Another group, consisting of five species, has only two setae on the outer (exopodal) lobe. There were no Australian species of Cymbasoma with a single lobe. A species group, named after C. agoense, is proposed to include species sharing a globose body and a female fifth leg with a large endopodal lobe and an outer (exopodal) lobe with two setae. The females of the new species of Cymbasoma from Australia can be distinguished from their known congeners by unique combinations of characters including the type of body ornamentation, body size and shape, antennule armature and proportions, the presence of distinctive features of the legs 1-4, the presence/absence of processes on the genital compound somite, and the presence/absence of a constriction of the anal somite. We report the occurrence of two previously described species, C. agoense Sekiguchi, 1982 from Japan and C. bali Desai & Krishnaswamy, 1962 from India in Australian waters. Considering the addition of the 25 new species here described, the number of nominal species of the genus is now 66. A key to the Australian species of Cymbasoma (males and females) and a map showing their occurrence in Australia are also provided.

  9. Redescription of three cirolanid isopods (Crustacea: Peracarida) from Indonesia.

    PubMed

    Sidabalok, Conni M; Bruce, Niel L

    2016-05-24

    Three species of Cirolanidae described by Nierstrasz in 1931 are redescribed from the type material: Cirolana indica Nierstrasz, 1931, with new material from Singapore and Lombok Island, Indonesia; C. vanhoeffeni Nierstrasz, 1931; and C. stebbingi Nierstrasz, 1931, which is here transferred to the genus Politolana Bruce, 1981 based on the elongate body, long peduncle of pleopod 1, narrow and slender frontal lamina, flat and robust carpus of pereopod 7, long and acute robust setae on merus-propodus pereopod 1, secondary unguis on dactylus, and antenna peduncle articles 1-2 shorter than the subequal articles 3-5.

  10. Molecular Phylogeny and Revision of Copepod Orders (Crustacea: Copepoda).

    PubMed

    Khodami, Sahar; McArthur, J Vaun; Blanco-Bercial, Leocadio; Martinez Arbizu, Pedro

    2017-08-22

    For the first time, the phylogenetic relationships between representatives of all 10 copepod orders have been investigated using 28S and 18S rRNA, Histone H3 protein and COI mtDNA. The monophyly of Copepoda (including Platycopioida Fosshagen, 1985) is demonstrated for the first time using molecular data. Maxillopoda is rejected, as it is a polyphyletic group. The monophyly of the major subgroups of Copepoda, including Progymnoplea Lang, 1948 (=Platycopioida); Neocopepoda Huys and Boxshall, 1991; Gymnoplea Giesbrecht, 1892 (=Calanoida Sars, 1903); and Podoplea Giesbrecht, 1892, are supported in this study. Seven copepod orders are monophyletic, including Platycopioida, Calanoida, Misophrioida Gurney, 1933; Monstrilloida Sars, 1901; Siphonostomatoida Burmeister, 1834; Gelyelloida Huys, 1988; and Mormonilloida Boxshall, 1979. Misophrioida (=Propodoplea Lang, 1948) is the most basal Podoplean order. The order Cyclopoida Burmeister, 1835, is paraphyletic and now encompasses Poecilostomatoida Thorell, 1859, as a sister to the family Schminkepinellidae Martinez Arbizu, 2006. Within Harpacticoida Sars, 1903, both sections, Polyarthra Lang, 1948, and Oligoarthra Lang, 1948, are monophyletic, but not sister groups. The order Canuelloida is proposed while maintaining the order Harpacticoida s. str. (Oligoarthra). Cyclopoida, Harpacticoida and Cyclopinidae are redefined, while Canuelloida ordo. nov., Smirnovipinidae fam. nov. and Cyclopicinidae fam. nov are proposed as new taxa.

  11. Talitrid amphipods (Crustacea) as biomonitors for copper and zinc

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rainbow, P. S.; Moore, P. G.; Watson, D.

    1989-06-01

    Data are presented on the copper and zinc concentrations of four talitrid amphipod species (standard dry weight 10 mg), i.e. Orchestia gammarellus (Pallas), O. mediterranea Costa, Talitrus saltator Montagu and Talorchestia deshayesii (Audouin), from 31 sites in S.W. Scotland, N. Wales and S.W. England. More limited data are also presented for cadmium in O. gammarellus (three sites) and T. deshayesii (one site). In S.W. Scotland, copper concentrations were raised significantly in O. gammarellus from Whithorn and Auchencairn (Solway) and Loch Long and Holy Loch (Clyde). In S.W. England, copper concentrations were highest at Restronguet Creek, Torpoint and Gannel (Cornwall). Samples of O. gammarellus from Islay (inner Hebrides) taken adjacent to the effluent outfalls of local whisky distilleries fell into two groups based on copper concentrations (presumably derived from copper stills), the higher copper levels deriving from the more productive distilleries. High copper levels were found in T. saltator and Tal. deshayesii from Dulas Bay (Wales). Zinc levels in O. gammarellus were high in Holy Loch and Auchencairn (Scotland), Gannel and Torpoint (England) but extremely elevated (as was Zn in O. mediterranea) at Restronguet Creek. Zinc was also high in T. saltator from Dulas Bay (Wales), but not in Tal. deshayesii. Cadmium levels in O. gammarellus from Kilve (Bristol Channel) were much raised. These differences (a) conform with expectations of elevated bioavailability of these metals from well researched areas (S.W. England & N. Wales), and (b) identify hitherto unappreciated areas of enrichment in S.W. Scotland. Orchestia gammarellus is put forward as a suitable biomonitor for copper and zinc in British coastal waters.

  12. Phylogeny of the Paracalanidae Giesbrecht, 1888 (Crustacea: Copepoda: Calanoida).

    PubMed

    Cornils, Astrid; Blanco-Bercial, Leocadio

    2013-12-01

    The Paracalanidae are ecologically-important marine planktonic copepods that occur in the epipelagic zone in temperate and tropical waters. They are often the dominant taxon - in terms of biomass and abundance - in continental shelf regions. As primary consumers, they form a vital link in the pelagic food web between primary producers and higher trophic levels. Despite the ecological importance of the taxon, evolutionary and systematic relationships within the family remain largely unknown. A multigene phylogeny including 24 species, including representatives for all seven genera, was determined based on two nuclear genes, small-subunit (18S) ribosomal RNA and Histone 3 (H3) and one mitochondrial gene, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). The molecular phylogeny was well supported by Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analysis; all genera were found to be monophyletic, except for Paracalanus, which was separated into two distinct clades: the Paracalanus aculeatus group and Paracalanus parvus group. The molecular phylogeny also confirmed previous findings that Mecynocera and Calocalanus are genera of the family Paracalanidae. For comparison, a morphological phylogeny was created for 35 paracalanid species based on 54 morphological characters derived from published descriptions. The morphological phylogeny did not resolve all genera as monophyletic and bootstrap support was not strong. Molecular and morphological phylogenies were not congruent in the positioning of Bestiolina and the Paracalanus species groups, possibly due to the lack of sufficient phylogenetically-informative morphological characters. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Composition of abyssal macrofauna along the Vema Fracture Zone and the hadal Puerto Rico Trench, northern tropical Atlantic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brandt, A.; Frutos, I.; Bober, S.; Brix, S.; Brenke, N.; Guggolz, T.; Heitland, N.; Malyutina, M.; Minzlaff, U.; Riehl, T.; Schwabe, E.; Zinkann, A.-C.; Linse, K.

    2018-02-01

    We analyzed composition and variations in benthic macrofaunal communities along a transect of the entire length of the Vema-Fracture Zone on board of RV Sonne (SO-237) between December 2014 and January 2015 in order to test whether the Mid-Atlantic Ridge serves as a barrier limiting benthic taxon distribution in the abyssal basins on both sides of the ridge or whether the fracture zone permits the migration of species between the western and eastern abyssal Atlantic basins. The Puerto Rico Trench, much deeper than the surrounding abyssal West Atlantic, was sampled to determine whether the biodiversity of its hadal macrofauna differs from that of the abyssal Atlantic. The composition of the macrofauna from the epibenthic sledge catches yielded a total of 21,332 invertebrates. Crustacea occurred most frequently (59%) with 12,538 individuals followed by Annelida (mostly Polychaeta) (26%) with 5491 individuals, Mollusca (7%) with 1458 individuals, Echinodermata (4%) with 778 individuals, Nematoda (2%) with 502 individuals and Chaetognatha (1%) with 152 and Porifera (1%) with 131 individuals. All other taxa occurred with overall less than ten individuals (Hemichordata, Phoronida, Priapulida, Brachiopoda, invertebrate Chordata, Echiurida, Foraminifera (here refereed to macrofaunal Komokiacea only), Chelicerata, Platyhelminthes). Within the Crustacea, Peracarida (62.6%) with 7848 individuals and Copepoda (36.1%) with 44,526 individuals were the most abundant taxa. Along the abyssal Vema-Fracture Zone macrofaunal abundances (ind./1000 m2) were generally higher on the eastern side, while the highest normalized abundance value was reported in the Puerto Rico Trench at abyssal station 14-1 2313 individuals/1000 m2. The lowest abundance was reported at station 11-4 with 120 ind./1000 m2 located at the western side of the Vema-Fracture Zone. The number of major macrofaunal taxa (phylum, class) ranged between five (stations 12-5, 13-4 and 13-5 at hadal depths in the Puerto Rico

  14. The complete mitochondrial genome of the stomatopod crustacean Squilla mantis

    PubMed Central

    Cook, Charles E

    2005-01-01

    Background Animal mitochondrial genomes are physically separate from the much larger nuclear genomes and have proven useful both for phylogenetic studies and for understanding genome evolution. Within the phylum Arthropoda the subphylum Crustacea includes over 50,000 named species with immense variation in body plans and habitats, yet only 23 complete mitochondrial genomes are available from this subphylum. Results I describe here the complete mitochondrial genome of the crustacean Squilla mantis (Crustacea: Malacostraca: Stomatopoda). This 15994-nucleotide genome, the first described from a hoplocarid, contains the standard complement of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and a non-coding AT-rich region that is found in most other metazoans. The gene order is identical to that considered ancestral for hexapods and crustaceans. The 70% AT base composition is within the range described for other arthropods. A single unusual feature of the genome is a 230 nucleotide non-coding region between a serine transfer RNA and the nad1 gene, which has no apparent function. I also compare gene order, nucleotide composition, and codon usage of the S. mantis genome and eight other malacostracan crustaceans. A translocation of the histidine transfer RNA gene is shared by three taxa in the order Decapoda, infraorder Brachyura; Callinectes sapidus, Portunus trituberculatus and Pseudocarcinus gigas. This translocation may be diagnostic for the Brachyura. For all nine taxa nucleotide composition is biased towards AT-richness, as expected for arthropods, and is within the range reported for other arthropods. Codon usage is biased, and much of this bias is probably due to the skew in nucleotide composition towards AT-richness. Conclusion The mitochondrial genome of Squilla mantis contains one unusual feature, a 230 base pair non-coding region has so far not been described in any other malacostracan. Comparisons with other Malacostraca show that all

  15. Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from Camiguin of Mindanao Province and Dinagat Island in the Philippines, with a new genus and three new species.

    PubMed

    Lee, Young June; Marshall, David C; Mohagan, Alma; Hill, Kathy B R

    2016-03-30

    This paper provides the first faunal checklist for the family Cicadidae (Hemiptera) from Camiguin of Mindanao Province and Dinagat Island in the Philippines, comprising ten species belonging to nine genera. Cryptotympana shillana Lee & Mohagan sp. nov., Orientopsaltria inermis (Stål, 1870), Purana crassinotata Lee, 2015, and Huechys parvula Haupt, 1924 are recorded for the first time from Camiguin. Platypleura dinagatensis Lee sp. nov., Chremistica kyoungheeae Lee, 2010, Dundubia vaginata (Fabricius, 1787), Oncotympana pallidiventris Stål, 1870, and Philipsalta nigrina Lee, Marshall & Hill sp. nov. are newly recorded from Dinagat Island. A new genus Philipsalta Lee, Marshall & Hill gen. nov. is erected. Huechysini Distant, 1905 syn. nov. is synonymized with Cicadettini Buckton, 1889. Information on geographic distributions of the Camiguin and Dinagat species is also provided.

  16. Multiple species of scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) as contaminants in forensic entomology laboratory insect colony.

    PubMed

    Zuha, R M; Jenarthanan, L X Q; Disney, R H L; Omar, B

    2015-09-01

    In forensic entomology, larval rearing usually includes the presence of biological contaminants including scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae). Scuttle flies are recognized as forensically important insects and have been reported causing nuisance and contamination in laboratory environments. This paper reports for the first time the finding of multiple scuttle fly species affecting colonies of third instar larvae of the Oriental latrine blowfly, Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), reared indoors at the Forensic Science Simulation Site, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Adult scuttle flies were discovered inside a rearing container after the emergence of adult C. megacephala., The scuttle fly species are Megaselia scalaris (Loew), M. spiracularis Schmitz and Puliciphora borinquenensis (Wheeler). Notes on the life history and biology of these species are discussed herein.

  17. Foods of Spectacled Eiders Somateria fischeri in the Bering Sea, Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Petersen, M.R.; Piatt, John F.; Trust, K.A.

    1998-01-01

    The winter diet of Spectacled Eiders living in marine habitats is known only from two individuals described by Cottam (1939). Here we examine marine diets from 36 stomachs collected near St. Lawrence Island, Bering Sea, Alaska, during May-June in 1987 and 1992. All Spectacled Eiders ate Mollusca, including Gastropoda (snails; frequency of occurrence 20.0%; sole taxon 0.0%) and Bivalvia (bivalves; 80.0%; 48.0%), and Crustacea (barnacles, amphipods and crabs; 30.6%; 0.0%). One bird ate a cod. The predominant species group eaten was Macoma Clams (72.0%; 36.0%). Prey species of Spectacled Eiders occur predominantly in waters 25-60 m deep in the Bering Sea. To obtain these prey, especially the bivalves, on the winter area Spectacled Eiders must forage in waters exceeding 40 m. We speculate that Spectacled Eiders regularly forage at depths of 45-70 m throughout winter.

  18. Population genetic structure of a California endemic Branchiopod, Branchinecta sandiegonensis

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Davies, Cathleen P.; Simovich, Marie A.; Hathaway, Stacie A.

    1997-01-01

    Branchinecta sandiegonensis (Crustacea: Anostraca) is a narrow range endemic fairy shrimp discontinuously distributed in ephemeral pools on coastal mesas in San Diego County, USA. Ten populations across the range of the species were subjected to allozyme analysis for eleven loci. The species exhibits low variability (P95 =9.1–45.5) and one third of the loci tested did not conform to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium expectations. The species also exhibited a high degree of genetic differentiation between populations. F ST values (fixation index) for most pairs of populations were above 0.25 (0.036–0.889).Low genetic variability and high genetic structure may result from low gene flow and founder effects due to habitat fragmentation and the lack of potential vectors for cyst dispersal. The unpredictable rainfall of the region also creates potential for variable population sizes which could affect structure and variability.

  19. Diversity of marine planktonic ostracods in South China Sea: a DNA taxonomy approach.

    PubMed

    Xu, Lei; Wang, Lianggen; Ning, Jiajia; Li, Hong; Ji, Yingying; Du, Feiyan

    2018-04-19

    Ostracods (Crustacea, Ostracoda) are small bivalved crustaceans, contributing over 200 described species to the marine zooplankton community. They are widely distributed and are relatively abundant components of the mesozooplankton, playing an important role in the transport of organic matter to deep layers. However, identification of ostracods based on micro-morphological characters is extremely difficult and time-consuming. Previous fragmentary taxonomic studies of ostracods in the South China Sea (SCA), were based solely on morphology. Here, by analysing the mitochondrial COI gene, we explore the taxa across the SCA using molecular tools for the first time. Our results show that sequence divergence among species varies within a large range, from 12.93% to 35.82%. Sixteen of the taxonomic units recovered by DNA taxonomy agree well with morphology, but Paraconchoecia oblonga, Conchoecia magna and Halocypris brevirostris split into two clades each, each of which contains cryptic species.

  20. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dexter, R.W.

    An investigation was made oi the links in the food chain which could transmit radioactive matter in sea water through food fishes to man. Data are included on the stomach contents of food fishes landed at Gloucester. Massachusetts, during the summer of 1960. Progress is reported in studies to determine any marked changes in certain populations which may be attributed to fall-out radiation. Observations are included on marine communities at Cape Ann, Massachusetts; populations of Anostraea crustacea in Northeastern Ohio and East Central Illinois; a Gastropod population of the Salt Fork River, Illinois; the chimney swift population on the campusmore » of Kent State University; the Japanese beetle population of the Kent-Ravenna area of Portage County, Ohio; and the population of fresh water jellyfish in Crystal Lake, Ohio. A list of publications during the period is included. (C.H.)« less

  1. Early embryonic development of the head region of Gryllus assimilis Fabricius, 1775 (Orthoptera, Insecta).

    PubMed

    Liu, Yu; Maas, Andreas; Waloszek, Dieter

    2010-09-01

    We report our investigations on the embryonic development of Gryllus assimilis, with particular attention to the head. Significant findings revealed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images include: (1) the pre-antennal lobes represent the anterior-most segment that does not bear any appendages; (2) each of the lobes consists of central and marginal regions; (3) the central region thereof develops into the protocerebrum and the optic lobes, whereas the marginal region thereof becomes the anterior portion of the head capsule; (4) the initial position of the antennal segment is posterior to the mouth region; (5) appendage anlagen are transitorily present in the intercalary segment, and they later vanish together with the segment itself; (6) a bulged sternum appears to develop from the ventral surface of the mandibular, maxillary and labial segments. Embryonic features are then compared across the Insecta and further extended to the embryos of a spider (Araneae, Chelicerata). Striking similarities shared by the anterior-most region of the insect and spider embryos lead the authors to conclude that such comparison should be further undertaken to cover the entire Euarthropoda. This will help us to understand the embryology and evolution of the arthropod head. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Azadirachtin Affects the Growth of Spodoptera litura Fabricius by Inducing Apoptosis in Larval Midgut.

    PubMed

    Shu, Benshui; Zhang, Jingjing; Cui, Gaofeng; Sun, Ranran; Yi, Xin; Zhong, Guohua

    2018-01-01

    Azadirachtin, the environmentally friendly botanical pesticide, has been used as an antifeedant and pest growth regulator in integrated pest management for decades. It has shown strong biological activity against Spodoptera litura , but the mechanism of toxicity remains unclear. The present study showed that azadirachtin inhibited the growth of S. litura larvae, which was resulted by structure destroy and size inhibition of the midgut. Digital gene expression (DGE) analysis of midgut suggested that azadirachtin regulated the transcriptional level of multiple unigenes involved in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and calcium apoptotic signaling pathways. Simultaneously, the expression patterns of some differentially expressed unigenes were verified by quantitative real time-PCR (qRT-PCR). In addition, the enhanced terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, the increased expression of caspase family members and apoptosis-binding motif 1 (IBM1) on both gene and protein level and the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytoplasm were induced in midgut after azadirachtin treatment. These results demonstrated that azadirachtin induced structural alteration in S. litura larval midgut by apoptosis activation. These alterations may affect the digestion and absorption of nutrients and eventually lead to the growth inhibition of larvae.

  3. Azadirachtin Affects the Growth of Spodoptera litura Fabricius by Inducing Apoptosis in Larval Midgut

    PubMed Central

    Shu, Benshui; Zhang, Jingjing; Cui, Gaofeng; Sun, Ranran; Yi, Xin; Zhong, Guohua

    2018-01-01

    Azadirachtin, the environmentally friendly botanical pesticide, has been used as an antifeedant and pest growth regulator in integrated pest management for decades. It has shown strong biological activity against Spodoptera litura, but the mechanism of toxicity remains unclear. The present study showed that azadirachtin inhibited the growth of S. litura larvae, which was resulted by structure destroy and size inhibition of the midgut. Digital gene expression (DGE) analysis of midgut suggested that azadirachtin regulated the transcriptional level of multiple unigenes involved in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and calcium apoptotic signaling pathways. Simultaneously, the expression patterns of some differentially expressed unigenes were verified by quantitative real time-PCR (qRT-PCR). In addition, the enhanced terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, the increased expression of caspase family members and apoptosis-binding motif 1 (IBM1) on both gene and protein level and the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytoplasm were induced in midgut after azadirachtin treatment. These results demonstrated that azadirachtin induced structural alteration in S. litura larval midgut by apoptosis activation. These alterations may affect the digestion and absorption of nutrients and eventually lead to the growth inhibition of larvae. PMID:29535638

  4. An SSH library responsive to azadirachtin A constructed in Spodoptera litura Fabricius cell lines.

    PubMed

    Yan, Chao; Zhang, Zhi-Xiang; Xu, Han-Hong

    2012-05-31

    The present study revealed differentially expressed genes responsive to azadirachtin A (Aza) in Spodoptera litura cell line through suppression subtractive hybridization. In the Aza-responsive SSH library, approximately 270 sequences represent 53 different identified genes encoding proteins with various predicted functions, and the percentages of the gene clusters were 26.09% (genetic information processing), 11.41% (cell growth and death), 7.07% (metabolism), 6.52% (signal transduction/transport) and 2.72% (immunity), respectively. Eleven clones homologous to identified genes were selected to be confirmed through quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. Among the eleven clones validated, all but one transcript of lipase showed an increase in SL cell line collected from ETA, whereas the transcripts of other genes were lower in the SL cell line collected from ETA compared with that of UETA. These genes were considered to be related to the response of SL cell line to Aza. These will provide a new clue to uncover the molecular mechanisms of Aza acting on SL cell line. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Taxonomic Review of the Orders Mysida and Stygiomysida (Crustacea, Peracarida)

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    The order Mysida (2 families, 178 genera, 1132 species) contains species across a broad range of habitats, such as subterranean, fresh, brackish, coastal, and surface to deep-sea habitats. The Stygiomysida (2 families, 2 genera, 16 species), however, are found primarily in subterranean waters, but always in waters with a marine influence. The Mysida and Stygiomysida body is divided into three main regions: cephalon, thorax, and abdomen. They are shrimp-like in appearance, containing morphological features earlier referred to as defining a "caridoid facies". The shrimp-like morphology was to some extent diagnostic for the historic Decapod taxon Schizopoda, containing the Nebalia, Mysida, Lophogastrida, and Euphausiacea. In 1904 the concept of Schizopoda was abandoned, and the Mysidacea (Mysida and Lophogastrida) along with Cumacea, Amphipoda, Isopoda, and Tanaidacea were placed in a new taxon, the Peracarida. Later discoveries of groundwater mysids led to the establishment of Stygiomysida, but placement to either Lophogastrida or Mysida remained unclear. The presence of oostegites and absence of podobranchiae, coupled with non-statocyst bearing uropods have been used to classify the Stygiomysida as a primitive Mysida family, comparable to Petalophthalmidae. On the other hand, equally suggestive characters, but for a Lophogastrida affiliation, was suggested for the archaic foregut characters and again, non-statocyst bearing uropods. With the inclusion of DNA sequence data of ribosomal genes, sister group relationships between Stygiomysida, Lophogastrida, and Mictacea within the Peracarida are observed, which supports a classification of the Stygiomysida as a separate order removed from the Mysida. PMID:25927358

  6. Living males of the ‘ancient asexual’ Darwinulidae (Ostracoda: Crustacea)

    PubMed Central

    Smith, Robin J; Kamiya, Takahiro; Horne, David J

    2006-01-01

    Three living male darwinulid ostracods of a new species of the genus Vestalenula have been found in Yakushima, Japan. This is the first report of living darwinulid males for over 100 years and their morphology casts doubt on the two previous records from the late 1800s. The presence of male darwinulids also calls into question the hypothesis that the family Darwinulidae is an exclusively ancient asexual group, reproducing without sex for over 200 million years (Myr). Male carapaces are of similar size and shape to A-1 juvenile females of the same species, suggesting that males may have been dismissed as A-1 juveniles in other living and fossil species. The antennae and fifth limbs are sexually dimorphic: the male antennae have six segments compared with five in the female and a series of putative chemical receptors originating at the extra segment boundary, while the male fifth limbs have well-developed grasping hooks, as in males of many ostracod groups. The lack of Zenker's Organ and of complex internal structures within the hemipenis contradicts previous hypotheses of the phylogenetic position of darwinulids. PMID:16777754

  7. Towards Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture: Lessons from Caprellids (Crustacea: Amphipoda)

    PubMed Central

    Hachero-Cruzado, Ismael; González-Romero, Pablo; Jiménez-Prada, Pablo; Cassell, Christopher; Ros, Macarena

    2016-01-01

    The search for alternative live feed organisms and the progression of Integrative Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) are currently being highly prioritised in EU strategies. Caprellids could potentially be an important exploitable resource in aquaculture due to their high levels of beneficial polyunsaturated fatty acids, fast growing nature and widespread distribution. Furthermore, since they are mainly detritivorous, they could be excellent candidates for integration into IMTA systems, potentially benefitting from uneaten feed pellets and faeces released by cultured fish in fish farms and sea-cage structures. Despite this, there is a lack of experimental studies to: (i) test inexpensive diets for caprellids, such as detritus, (ii) develop sustainable caprellid culture techniques and (iii) include caprellids in IMTA systems. The main aim of this study was to determine whether detritus (D) in the form of fish faeces provided an adequate diet for caprellids in comparison to other traditional diets, such as Artemia nauplii (A) or phytoplankton (P). Adult survival rate was shown to be significantly higher for caprellids fed with D. Conversely, hatchlings had the highest survival rate with A, although the juvenile growth rate and number of moults was similar in the three diets. With regard to lipid composition, caprellids fed with A had higher concentrations of Triacylglycerols (TAG) and Phosphatidylcholine (PC) while those fed with P or D were richer in polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially 22:6(n-3) (DHA). Interestingly, caprellids fed with D were also a rich source of 18:2(n-6) (LA), considered to be an essential fatty acid in vertebrates. It was found that detritus based mainly on fish faeces and uneaten feed pellets can be considered an adequate feed for adult caprellids, providing a source of both omega-3 (DHA) and omega-6 (LA) fatty acids. Hatchlings however seem to require an additional input of TAG and PC during juvenile stages to properly grow. PMID:27124465

  8. [Walking in Crustacea: motor program and peripheral regulation (author's transl)].

    PubMed

    Clarac, F; Ayers, J

    1977-01-01

    1. Rock lobsters can walk in all directions. In the present study, we report the organization of the motor output of the three muscles which control the mero-carpopodite joint (M-C): the extensor E, the flexor F and the accuracy flexor FA, during unrestrained locomotion (fig. 1). 2. During lateral walking, movements of the M-C joint provide most of the propulsive force, whereas during forward and backward walking this joint function more as a strut (fig. 2). Corresponding differences are observed in the motor discharge in the different walking modes. During lateral walking, discharge in the M-C extensor and M-C flexor alternates, whereas during forward and backward walking these antagonists are coactivated (fig. 3 and 4). 3. We have also examined the effects of alterations of proprioceptive feedback: the FA tendon has been cut to eliminate MCO afferents during walking. This ablation does not modify the burst period and the temporal structure of the output pattern is largely unaffected (fig. 5, 6 and 7). MCO may influence the motor output of a given muscle depending upon whether it participates in the return stroke or the power stroke.

  9. Detoxification, endocrine, and immune responses of tree swallow nestlings naturally exposed to air contaminants from the Alberta oil sands.

    PubMed

    Cruz-Martinez, Luis; Fernie, Kim J; Soos, Catherine; Harner, Tom; Getachew, Fitsum; Smits, Judit E G

    2015-01-01

    Changes in environmental and wildlife health from contaminants in tailings water on the Canadian oil sands have been well-studied; however, effects of air contaminants on wildlife health have not. A field study was conducted to assess biological costs of natural exposure to oil sands-related air emissions on birds. Nest boxes for tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) were erected at two sites; within 5 km of active oil sands mining and extraction, and ≥ 60 km south, at one reference site. Passive air monitors were deployed at the nest boxes to measure nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, volatile organic compounds, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Nestlings were examined at day 9 post hatching to assess T cell function and morphometry. At day 14 post hatching, a subset of nestlings was euthanized to measure detoxification enzymes, endocrine changes, and histological alterations of immune organs. Except for ozone, all air contaminants were higher at the two oil sands sites than the reference site (up to 5-fold). Adult birds had similar reproductive performance among sites (p>0.05). Nestlings from industrial sites showed higher hepatic ethoxyresorufin O-dealkylase (EROD) induction (p<0.0001) with lower relative hepatic mass (p=0.0001), a smaller T cell response to the phytohemagglutinin skin test (p=0.007), and smaller bursae of Fabricius (p<0.02); a low sample size for one site indicating lower body condition scores (p=0.01) at day 14 warrants cautious interpretation. There were no differences among nestlings for feather corticosterone (p>0.6), and no histological alterations in the spleen or bursa of Fabricius (p>0.05). This is the first report examining toxicological responses in wild birds exposed to air contaminants from industrial activity in the oil sands. It is also the first time that small, individual air contaminant monitors have been used to determine local contaminant levels in ambient air around nest boxes of wild birds. Copyright

  10. The evolution of anatomical illustration and wax modelling in Italy from the 16th to early 19th centuries

    PubMed Central

    Riva, Alessandro; Conti, Gabriele; Solinas, Paola; Loy, Francesco

    2010-01-01

    Although the contribution to anatomical illustration by Vesalius and his followers has received much attention, less credit has been given to Veslingius and particularly Fabricius. By 1600, Fabricius had amassed more than 300 paintings that together made the Tabulae Pictae, a great atlas of anatomy that was highly admired by his contemporaries. Many of his new observations were incorporated into subsequent books, including those by Casserius, Spighelius, Harvey and Veslingius. Also of importance were the Tabulae by Eustachius (1552), which, although only published in 1714, greatly influenced anatomical wax modelling. In 1742, Pope Benedict XIV established a Museum of Anatomy in Bologna, entrusting to Ercole Lelli the creation of several anatomical preparations in wax. Felice Fontana realised that the production of a large number of models by the casting method would make cadaveric specimens superfluous for anatomical teaching and in 1771 he asked the Grand Duke to fund a wax-modelling workshop in Florence as part of the Natural History Museum, later known as La Specola. Fontana engaged Giuseppe Ferrini as his first modeller and then the 19-year-old Clemente Susini who, by his death in 1814, had superintended the production of, or personally made, more than 2000 models. In 1780, the Austrian Emperor Joseph II visited La Specola and ordered a great number of models for his Josephinum museum; these were made by Fontana with the help of Clemente Susini and supervised by the anatomist Paolo Mascagni. It is, however, in Cagliari that some of Susini’s greatest waxes are to be found. These were made when he was free of Fontana’s influence and were based on dissections made by Francesco Antonio Boi (University of Cagliari). Their distinctive anatomical features include the emphasis given to nerves and the absence of lymphatics in the brain, a mistake made on earlier waxes. The refined technical perfection of the anatomical details demonstrates the closeness of the

  11. Effects of Enterococcus faecium SLB 120 on growth performance, blood parameters, relative organ weight, breast muscle meat quality, excreta microbiota shedding, and noxious gas emission in broilers.

    PubMed

    Lan, R X; Lee, S I; Kim, I H

    2017-09-01

    This 5-week study was conducted to determine the effects of Enterococcus faecium (SLB 120) on growth performance, blood parameters, relative organ weight, breast muscle meat quality, excreta microbiota shedding, and noxious gas emission in broilers. A total of 816 one-day-old male broilers were allocated to 4 groups with 12 replications (17 broilers/pen) according to body weight (43.2 ± 0.32 g). Dietary treatment groups were: (1) CON, basal diet, (2) T1, CON + 0.05% E. faecium, (3) T2, CON + 0.10% E. faecium, (4) T3, CON + 0.20% E. faecium. From day 1 to 21, dietary E. faecium supplementation showed linear increase (P < 0.05) in gain:feed ratio. From day 21 to 35 and the overall period, dietary E. faecium supplementation showed a linear increase (P < 0.05) in body weight gain and gain:feed ratio. On day 35, dietary E. faecium supplementation showed a linear increase (P < 0.05) in the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter and nitrogen, and the relative weight of bursa of Fabricius; no differences were observed in white blood cells, red blood cells or lymphocyte counts. Dietary E. faecium supplementation showed a linear decrease (P < 0.05) in excreta E.coli counts on day 7 and 35, while excreta Lactobacillus counts were linearly increased (P < 0.05) on day 35. On day 35, dietary E. faecium supplementation linearly decreased (P < 0.05) excreta NH3, H2S, and total mercaptans emission, but only H2S emission was linearly decreased (P < 0.05) on day 7. In conclusion, the supplementation of E. faecium improved growth performance, the digestibility of dry matter and nitrogen, the relative weight of bursa of Fabricius, and shifted excreta microbiota by increasing Lactobacillus and decreasing E.coli counts, as well as decreased excreta NH3, H2S, and total mercaptans gas emission. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

  12. Peritrich epibionts on the hadal isopod species Macrostylis marionae n. sp. from the Puerto Rico Trench used as indicator for sex-specific behaviour

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kniesz, Katharina; Brandt, Angelika; Riehl, Torben

    2018-02-01

    Macrostylis marionae n. sp. is described by means of integrative taxonomy. It is the second isopod species (Crustacea) described from the hadal Puerto Rico Trench. It differs from other Macrostylidae (Janiroidea) predominantly by the lack of the tergal borders between the fossosome segments. Adult males of M. marionae n. sp. differed from females and juveniles of both sexes in a higher number of peritrich ciliate epibionts. In total, 64.3% of adult males and only 10.5% of adult females were infested. Because macrostylids are generally considered infaunal, with a digging lifestyle, while peritrichs require aquatic medium for filter feeding, this observed pattern led to the hypothesis of a behavioural sexual dimorphism in this species of Macrostylidae. Accordingly, the epibionts may prefer adult male macrostylids as basibionts because of a rather epifaunal and roaming lifestyle. In contrast they may avoid females due to a stationary and infaunal behaviour. Additionally, the stage progression of the M. marionae male ontogeny was reconstructed.

  13. [Phylogeny of protostome moulting animals (Ecdysozoa) inferred from 18 and 28S rRNA gene sequences].

    PubMed

    Petrov, N B; Vladychenskaia, N S

    2005-01-01

    Reliability of reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships within a group of protostome moulting animals was evaluated by means of comparison of 18 and 28S rRNA gene sequences sets both taken separately and combined. Reliability of reconstructions was evaluated by values of the bootstrap support of major phylogenetic tree nodes and by degree of congruence of phylogenetic trees inferred by various methods. By both criteria, phylogenetic trees reconstructed from the combined 18 and 28S rRNA gene sequences were better than those inferred from 18 and 28S sequences taken separately. Results obtained are consistent with phylogenetic hypothesis separating protostome animals into two major clades, moulting Ecdysozoa (Priapulida + Kinorhyncha, Nematoda + Nematomorpha, Onychophora + Tardigrada, Myriapoda + Chelicerata, Crustacea + Hexapoda) and unmoulting Lophotrochozoa (Plathelminthes, Nemertini, Annelida, Mollusca, Echiura, Sipuncula). Clade Cephalorhyncha does not include nematomorphs (Nematomorpha). Conclusion was taken that it is necessary to use combined 18 and 28S data in phylogenetic studies.

  14. Environmental quality assessment of Grand Harbour (Valletta, Maltese Islands): a case study of a busy harbour in the Central Mediterranean Sea.

    PubMed

    Romeo, Teresa; D'Alessandro, Michela; Esposito, Valentina; Scotti, Gianfranco; Berto, Daniela; Formalewicz, Malgorzata; Noventa, Seta; Giuliani, Silvia; Macchia, Simona; Sartori, Davide; Mazzola, Angelo; Andaloro, Franco; Giacobbe, Salvatore; Deidun, Alan; Renzi, Monia

    2015-12-01

    Contamination levels by plastic debris, trace elements and persistent organic pollutants were assessed and related to macrobenthic diversity within soft bottoms of Grand Harbour (Malta, Central Mediterranean). Sediment toxicity was evaluated by ecotoxicological method, deploying Bacteria (Vibrio fischeri), Echinodermata (Paracentrotus lividus) and Crustacea (Corophium orientale). Univariate analysis (Pearson's test) was used to test relationships between biodiversity indices, pollutants and grain size. A multivariate approach (PERMANOVA) was applied to investigate for any significant differences among sampling stations concerning plastic abundances and to test the relationship between infaunal abundances and pollutant concentrations (the BIOENV test). Significant differences in the plastic abundances were found between sampling stations. The lowest value for Shannon-Wiener biodiversity index was associated to the highest sediment pollution level. Multivariate analyses suggest that MBT and TBT were factors that most influenced macrozoobenthic abundance and biodiversity. The bivalve Corbula gibba and the introduced polychaete Monticellina dorsobranchialis were the most abundant found species.

  15. Effects of two classification strategies on a Benthic Community Index for streams in the Northern Lakes and Forests Ecoregion

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Butcher, Jason T.; Stewart, Paul M.; Simon, Thomas P.

    2003-01-01

    Ninety-four sites were used to analyze the effects of two different classification strategies on the Benthic Community Index (BCI). The first, a priori classification, reflected the wetland status of the streams; the second, a posteriori classification, used a bio-environmental analysis to select classification variables. Both classifications were examined by measuring classification strength and testing differences in metric values with respect to group membership. The a priori (wetland) classification strength (83.3%) was greater than the a posteriori (bio-environmental) classification strength (76.8%). Both classifications found one metric that had significant differences between groups. The original index was modified to reflect the wetland classification by re-calibrating the scoring criteria for percent Crustacea and Mollusca. A proposed refinement to the original Benthic Community Index is suggested. This study shows the importance of using hypothesis-driven classifications, as well as exploratory statistical analysis, to evaluate alternative ways to reveal environmental variability in biological assessment tools.

  16. Pancrustacean phylogeny: hexapods are terrestrial crustaceans and maxillopods are not monophyletic

    PubMed Central

    Regier, Jerome C.; Shultz, Jeffrey W.; Kambic, Robert E.

    2005-01-01

    Recent molecular analyses indicate that crustaceans and hexapods form a clade (Pancrustacea or Tetraconata), but relationships among its constituent lineages, including monophyly of crustaceans, are controversial. Our phylogenetic analysis of three protein-coding nuclear genes from 62 arthropods and lobopods (Onychophora and Tardigrada) demonstrates that Hexapoda is most closely related to the crustaceans Branchiopoda (fairy shrimp, water fleas, etc.) and Cephalocarida+Remipedia, thereby making hexapods terrestrial crustaceans and the traditionally defined Crustacea paraphyletic. Additional findings are that Malacostraca (crabs, isopods, etc.) unites with Cirripedia (barnacles, etc.) and they, in turn, with Copepoda, making the traditional crustacean class Maxillopoda paraphyletic. Ostracoda (seed shrimp)—either all or a subgroup—is associated with Branchiura (fish lice) and likely to be basal to all other pancrustaceans. A Bayesian statistical (non-clock) estimate of divergence times suggests a Precambrian origin for Pancrustacea (600 Myr ago or more), which precedes the first unambiguous arthropod fossils by over 60 Myr. PMID:15734694

  17. The Cholevinae of Romania (exclusive of Leptodirini) (Coleoptera, Leiodidae) with special reference to the hypogeal records.

    PubMed

    Nitzu, Eugen

    2013-01-01

    The first catalogue of the Romanian Cholevinae (excluding Leptodirini) is presented, based on revised and new records. The overall distribution and distribution in Romania are documented for every species, with particular reference to subterranean environment (caves and subterranean superficial environment). Epigeal and hypogeal records are listed separately. Thirty two of forty nine species group taxa recorded in the Romanian fauna occur both in the epigeal and subterranean environment, 14 of them frequently recorded in the latter. Many species, dependant on the subterranean environment during certain stages of their life cycle, are considered troglophilic or subtroglophilic: Choleva cisteloides dacica Jeannel 1922, Ch. glauca Britten, 1918, Catops picipes Fabricius, 1792, C. longulus Kellner, 1846 and C. tristis Panzer, 1874. The Romanian fauna of Cholevinae is more similar to that of the Central Europe than the Balkan Peninsula.

  18. Preparation of chitooligosaccharides from cicada slough and their antibacterial activity.

    PubMed

    Wu, Sheng-Jun; Pan, Sai-Kun; Wang, Hong-Bin; Wu, Jin-Hua

    2013-11-01

    In this study, chitooligosaccharides were prepared from cicada slough of Cryptotympana atrata Fabricius by hydrolysis using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Factors affecting the hydrolysis of chitosan were investigated and the optimum hydrolysis conditions were as follows: time, 4 h; temperature, 65 °C; amount of H2O2, 2% (v/v); and pH, 5. Under these conditions, the average degree of polymerisation decreased to ~4.5. The Fourier transform infrared spectra and product sugar composition indicate that there were no significant chemical changes in the backbones of the chitosan treated with H2O2.The chitooligosaccharides had high antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli at the concentration of 100mg/mL. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Description of five species of Xanthopimpla Saussure 1892 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) from Malaysia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dass, Angeline David; Ghani, Idris Abd.

    2013-11-01

    Description of five species of Xanthopimpla Saussure, 1829 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) from Malaysia was done using specimens deposited in Centre for Insects Systematics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (CIS, UKM). Type and non-type specimens were loaned from several repositories namely Zoological Museum of Amsterdam Netherlands (ZMAN), Swedish Museum of Natural History (NRM), British Natural History Museum London (BMNH) and Department of Agricultural Malaysia (DOA) for identification and comparison. The specimens were identified to the species level which gives rise to five species namely Xanthopimpla conica Cushman, 1925, Xanthopimpla despinosa leipephelis Townes & Chiu, 1970, Xanthopimpla flavolineata Cameron, 1907, Xanthopimpla punctata (Fabricius, 1781) and Xanthopimpla tricapus impressa Townes & Chiu, 1970. A dichotomous key and descriptions for five Xanthopimpla spesies were provided. Photos and illustrations of carina on propodeum were also included in this paper.

  20. A bursal pentapeptide (BPP-I), a novel bursal-derived peptide, exhibits antiproliferation of tumor cell and immunomodulator activity.

    PubMed

    Feng, Xiu L; Liu, Qing T; Cao, Rui B; Zhou, Bin; Wang, Fang Q; Deng, Wen L; Qiu, Ya F; Zhang, Yu; Ishag, Hassan; Ma, Zhi Y; Zheng, Qi S; Chen, Pu Y

    2012-06-01

    The bursa of Fabricius (BF) is the central humoral immune organ unique to birds. Here, we isolated a novel bursal pentapeptide I (BPP-I), LGPGP, from BF. BPP-I could play inhibition effect on MCF-7 but not on CEF or Vero cell proliferation in vitro, and enhance antitumor factor p53 protein expression. Also, BPP-I stimulated antibody production in a dose-dependent manner in hybridoma cell. Furthermore, BPP-I could induce various immune responses in mice immunization experiments, including increase antibody production and cytokines IL-4 and IFN-γ level, and induce T-cell immunophenotyping. These results suggest that BPP-I is a potential immunomodulator of antitumor and immunity. The study could provide some novel insights on the probable candidate reagent for the antitumor and immune improvement.

  1. Temporal variation in plankton assemblages and physicochemistry of Devils Lake, North Dakota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Leland, H.V.; Berkas, W.R.

    1998-01-01

    ; and the rotifers Brachionus spp., Filinia longiseta, Keratella cochlearis and K. quadrata) also indicated variation in algal populations related to grazing.

  2. Predator Diet and Trophic Position Modified with Altered Habitat Morphology

    PubMed Central

    Tewfik, Alexander; Bell, Susan S.; McCann, Kevin S.; Morrow, Kristina

    2016-01-01

    Empirical patterns that emerge from an examination of food webs over gradients of environmental variation can help to predict the implications of anthropogenic disturbance on ecosystems. This “dynamic food web approach” is rarely applied at the coastal margin where aquatic and terrestrial systems are coupled and human development activities are often concentrated. We propose a simple model of ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata) feeding that predicts changing dominant prey (Emerita talpoida, Talorchestia sp., Donax variablis) along a gradient of beach morphology and test this model using a suite of 16 beaches along the Florida, USA coast. Assessment of beaches included quantification of morphological features (width, sediments, slope), macrophyte wrack, macro-invertebrate prey and active ghost crab burrows. Stable isotope analysis of carbon (13C/12C) and nitrogen (15N/14N) and the SIAR mixing model were used to determine dietary composition of ghost crabs at each beach. The variation in habitat conditions displayed with increasing beach width was accompanied by quantifiable shifts in ghost crab diet and trophic position. Patterns of ghost crab diet were consistent with differences recorded across the beach width gradient with respect to the availability of preferred micro-habitats of principal macro-invertebrate prey. Values obtained for trophic position also suggests that the generalist ghost crab assembles and augments its diet in fundamentally different ways as habitat morphology varies across a highly dynamic ecosystem. Our results offer support for a functional response in the trophic architecture of a common food web compartment (ghost crabs, macro-invertebrate prey) across well-known beach morphologies. More importantly, our “dynamic food web approach” serves as a basis for evaluating how globally wide-spread sandy beach ecosystems should respond to a variety of anthropogenic impacts including beach grooming, beach re-nourishment, introduction of non

  3. Effect of bursa Fabricius extracts on antibody production in bursectomized or bursal cell autografted chickens.

    PubMed Central

    Baba, T; Okuno, Y

    1976-01-01

    Restoration and enhancement of immune response against BSA antigen was achieved by 5-day consecutive doses of BF estract from 4-5-week-old chickens, in birds which had been surgically bursectomized or given BF-cell autografts at 17 days of age. A similar 5-day treatment with other tissue extract, i.e. liver, spleen, pancreas or intestine, or with LPS of E. coli, in contrast, failed to provide such restoration or enhancement. PMID:61937

  4. A new species of the genus Oxyporus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxyporinae) in Yunnan Province, China.

    PubMed

    Li, Guo-Feng; Wang, Chun-Mei; Li, Hua-Feng; Li, Zhi-Gang; Huang, Pu-Ze

    2017-05-18

    Oxyporus (Oxyporus) wangae sp. nov. is described from Yunnan, China. Color images of the habitus and aedeagus of the new species are included. A key to the genus Oxyporus of Yunnan Province species is provided.

  5. Genetic diversity of the Dwarf honeybee (Apis florea Fabricius, 1787) populations based on microsatellite markers.

    PubMed

    Asadi, N; Rahimi, A; Ghaheri, M; Kahrizi, D; Bagheri Dehbaghi, M; Khederzadeh, S; Banabazi, M H; Esmaeilkhanian, S; Veisi, B; Geravandi, M; Karim, H; Vaziri, S; Daneshgar, F; Zargooshi, J

    2016-10-31

    Apis florea is one of two species of small, wild honeybee. The present study was conducted to evaluate the genetic diversity of Apis florea honeybee from 48 nests (colonies) using microsatellite markers in the South of Iran. All honeybee samples were analyzed for six microsatellite loci (A88, A107, A7, B124, A113 and A35). The six loci had different numbers of alleles in the sampled colonies ranging from 7 (loci A107) to 3 (loci A7, A35). Gene diversity in Apis florea ranged from 0.491 to 0.595. This range probably reflects the spreading of nests in a large region with a varied climate. Phylogenetic tree showed two distinct clusters including a) Minab region samples and b) Bandar Abbas, Bandar Khamir and Qeshm Island regions. All of these regions are geographically rich, having varied vegetation and climate conditions. Our findings are an important contribution to the methods of studying distribution and conservation of Apis florea.

  6. Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) (Acari: Ixodidae), the Cayenne tick: phylogeography and evidence for allopatric speciation

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Amblyomma cajennense F. is one of the best known and studied ticks in the New World because of its very wide distribution, its economical importance as pest of domestic ungulates, and its association with a variety of animal and human pathogens. Recent observations, however, have challenged the taxonomic status of this tick and indicated that intraspecific cryptic speciation might be occurring. In the present study, we investigate the evolutionary and demographic history of this tick and examine its genetic structure based on the analyses of three mitochondrial (12SrDNA, d-loop, and COII) and one nuclear (ITS2) genes. Because A. cajennense is characterized by a typical trans-Amazonian distribution, lineage divergence dating is also performed to establish whether genetic diversity can be linked to dated vicariant events which shaped the topology of the Neotropics. Results Total evidence analyses of the concatenated mtDNA and nuclear + mtDNA datasets resulted in well-resolved and fully congruent reconstructions of the relationships within A. cajennense. The phylogenetic analyses consistently found A. cajennense to be monophyletic and to be separated into six genetic units defined by mutually exclusive haplotype compositions and habitat associations. Also, genetic divergence values showed that these lineages are as distinct from each other as recognized separate species of the same genus. The six clades are deeply split and node dating indicates that they started diverging in the middle-late Miocene. Conclusions Behavioral differences and the results of laboratory cross-breeding experiments had already indicated that A. cajennense might be a complex of distinct taxonomic units. The combined and congruent mitochondrial and nuclear genetic evidence from this study reveals that A. cajennense is an assembly of six distinct species which have evolved separately from each other since at least 13.2 million years ago (Mya) in the earliest and 3.3 Mya in the latest lineages. The temporal and spatial diversification modes of the six lineages overlap the phylogeographical history of other organisms with similar extant trans-Amazonian distributions and are consistent with the present prevailing hypothesis that Neotropical diversity often finds its origins in the Miocene, after the Andean uplift changed the topology and consequently the climate and ecology of the Neotropics. PMID:24320199

  7. Extensive population admixture on drone congregation areas of the giant honeybee, Apis dorsata (Fabricius, 1793).

    PubMed

    Beaurepaire, Alexis L; Kraus, Bernard F; Koeniger, Gudrun; Koeniger, Nikolaus; Lim, Herbert; Moritz, Robin F A

    2014-12-01

    The giant honeybee Apis dorsata often forms dense colony aggregations which can include up to 200 often closely related nests in the same location, setting the stage for inbred matings. Yet, like in all other Apis species, A. dorsata queens mate in mid-air on lek like drone congregation areas (DCAs) where large numbers of males gather in flight. We here report how the drone composition of A. dorsata DCAs facilitates outbreeding, taking into the account both spatial (three DCAs) and temporal (subsequent sampling days) dynamics. We compared the drones' genotypes at ten microsatellite DNA markers with those of the queen genotypes of six drone-producing colonies located close to the DCAs (Tenom, Sabah, Malaysia). None of 430 sampled drones originated from any of these nearby colonies. Moreover, we estimated that 141 unidentified colonies were contributing to the three DCAs. Most of these colonies were participating multiple times in the different locations and/or during the consecutive days of sampling. The drones sampled in the DCAs could be attributed to six subpopulations. These were all admixed in all DCA samples, increasing the effective population size an order of magnitude and preventing matings between potentially related queens and drones.

  8. Extensive population admixture on drone congregation areas of the giant honeybee, Apis dorsata (Fabricius, 1793)

    PubMed Central

    Beaurepaire, Alexis L; Kraus, Bernard F; Koeniger, Gudrun; Koeniger, Nikolaus; Lim, Herbert; Moritz, Robin F A

    2014-01-01

    The giant honeybee Apis dorsata often forms dense colony aggregations which can include up to 200 often closely related nests in the same location, setting the stage for inbred matings. Yet, like in all other Apis species, A. dorsata queens mate in mid-air on lek like drone congregation areas (DCAs) where large numbers of males gather in flight. We here report how the drone composition of A. dorsata DCAs facilitates outbreeding, taking into the account both spatial (three DCAs) and temporal (subsequent sampling days) dynamics. We compared the drones’ genotypes at ten microsatellite DNA markers with those of the queen genotypes of six drone-producing colonies located close to the DCAs (Tenom, Sabah, Malaysia). None of 430 sampled drones originated from any of these nearby colonies. Moreover, we estimated that 141 unidentified colonies were contributing to the three DCAs. Most of these colonies were participating multiple times in the different locations and/or during the consecutive days of sampling. The drones sampled in the DCAs could be attributed to six subpopulations. These were all admixed in all DCA samples, increasing the effective population size an order of magnitude and preventing matings between potentially related queens and drones. PMID:25558361

  9. Insight into the C-F bond mechanism of molecular analogs for antibacterial drug design.

    PubMed

    Liu, Junna; Lv, Biyu; Liu, Huaqing; Li, Xin; Yin, Weiping

    2018-06-01

    The activities of biological molecules usually rely on both of intra-molecular and intermolecular interactions between their function groups. These interactions include interonic attraction theory, Van der Waal's forces and the function of geometry on the individual molecules, whether they are naturally or synthetic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of C-F bond compound using combination of experiments verification and theoretical calculation. We target on the insect natural products from the maggots of Chrysomyis megacephala Fabricius. Based on density functional theory(DFT) and B3LYP method, a theoretical study of the C-F bond on fluoride was designed to explore compounds 2 and 4 antibacterial structure-activity relationship. With the progress in DFT, first-principle calculation based on DFT has gradually become a routine method for drug design, quantum chemistry and other science fields.

  10. [Anthropoentomophagic biodiversity of the Zongolica region, Veracruz, Mexico].

    PubMed

    Ramos-Elorduy, Julieta; Landero-Torres, Ivonne; Murguía-González, Joaquín; Pino, José M M

    2008-03-01

    Anthropoentomophagic biodiversity of the Zongolica region, Veracruz, Mexico. During two and a half years (2003-2005) we recorded the insect species used as food at Zongolica, Veracruz State, Mexico. Interviews were made among people (200) of this municipality to know which insects they consumed. The total of registered species was 57 (Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Homoptera, Megaloptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera). The Orthoptera was the most frequently ingested. Twenty-four of these species were new records for edible insects of Mexico. They are eaten in immature stages or as adults, generally only roasted. Consumption is seasonal. Some species are commercialized in the "tianguis" (little town markets) and/or in the larger Zongolica market. There is a "protoculture" of three species, one cockroach (Periplaneta australasiae Fabricius) and two moths (Latebraria amphipyroides Guenée and Arsenura armida armida Cramer). In Zongolica, anthropoentomophagy is an ancestral habit.

  11. Inclusion body disease of cranes: comparison of pathologic findings in cranes with acquired vs. experimentally induced disease

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schuh, J.C.; Sileo, L.; Siegfried, Lynne M.; Yuill, Thomas M.

    1986-01-01

    Inclusion body disease of cranes was the cause of death in 17 immature and mature cranes of 5 different species in Wisconsin. A herpesvirus of unknown origin was the apparent cause. An isolate of this herpesvirus was used to experimentally infect 3 species of cranes. Macroscopic and microscopic lesions associated with naturally acquired and experimentally induced disease were essentially identical. Multifocal hepatic and splenic necrosis was found in all cranes evaluated. Necrosis of the gastrointestinal tract, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius also was seen in some of the cranes. Eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies often were commonly associated with hepatic lesions, sometimes with the splenic lesions, and rarely with the thymic or gastrointestinal tract lesions. The lesions of this inclusion body disease were similar to those reported for cranes in Austria from which a crane herpesvirus was isolated.

  12. Exoskeletal cuticle differentiation during intramarsupial development of Porcellio scaber (Crustacea: Isopoda).

    PubMed

    Mrak, Polona; Znidaršič, Nada; Zagar, Kristina; Ceh, Miran; Strus, Jasna

    2014-09-01

    Exoskeletal crustacean cuticle is a calcified apical extracellular matrix of epidermal cells, illustrating the chitin-based organic scaffold for biomineralization. Studies of cuticle formation during molting reveal significant dynamics and complexity of the assembly processes, while cuticle formation during embryogenesis is poorly investigated. This study reveals in the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber, the ultrastructural organization of the differentiating precuticular matrices and exoskeletal cuticles during embryonic and larval intramarsupial development. The composition of the epidermal matrices was obtained by WGA lectin labelling and EDXS analysis. At least two precuticular matrices, consisting of loosely arranged material with overlying electron dense lamina, are secreted by the epidermis in the mid-stage embryo. The prehatching embryo is the earliest developmental stage with a cuticular matrix consisting of an epicuticle and a procuticle, displaying WGA binding and forming cuticular scales. In newly hatched marsupial larva manca, a new cuticle is formed and calcium sequestration in the cuticle is evident. Progression of larval development leads to the cuticle thickening, structural differentiation of cuticular layers and prominent cuticle calcification. Morphological characteristics of exoskeleton renewal in marsupial manca are described. Elaborated cuticle in marsupial larvae indicates the importance of the exoskeleton in protection and support of the larval body in the marsupium and during the release of larvae in the external environment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Ultrastructure of the labrum and foregut of Derocheilocaris remanei (Crustacea, Mystacocarida).

    PubMed

    Herrera-Alvarez, Letizia; Fernández, Isabel; Benito, Jesús; Pardos, Fernando

    1996-11-01

    The cuticle-lined foregut of Derocheilocaris remanei consists of the mouth with its associated labrum, and an undifferentiated esophagus. It is separated from the midgut by an esophageal valve. The labrum is a conspicuous structure moved by five pairs of muscles (four dorsoventral and one longitudinal). Four pairs of subcuticular glands open to its inner face forming two longitudinal, lateral rows of cuticular pores. Each secretory unit is composed of a glandular component (with one or two secretory cells), a neck cell, and a duct cell. In addition, a single gland cell opens mesially into the buccal cavity. The ventrally located mouth is a complex structure characterized by a filter-like system, a sensory organ, and epithelial cells with highly developed microvilli. The esophagus is a simple tube with a characteristic curvature following the mouth. It has a rounded cross section and a triradiate lumen. A layer of circular musculature surrounds this region. The end of the esophagus protrudes into the midgut lumen forming the so-called esophageal valve. The ultrastructural features of the foregut, with the presence of a mucus-trapping mechanism, a relatively well-developed filter system and associated structures and an esophagus lacking glands confirm the microphagic feeding habits of mystacocarids. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Copyright © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  14. Leucon parasiphonatus, a new species (Crustacea: Cumacea: Leuconidae) from Antarctic waters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mühlenhardt-Siegel, U.

    1994-03-01

    Six specimens of Leucon parasiphonatus n. sp. were collected at depths ranging from 15 to 424 m in the vicinity of King George Island (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica) and the south eastern Weddell Sea. Leucon parasiphonatus belongs to the subgenus Leucon and differs from the other already known antarctic and Subantarctic species of the genus, in the absence of a serrated dorsomedian line and in the presence of a long pseudorostrum with several fine setae at its tip, surrounding the very long branchial siphon. The surface of the carapace is granulated; the carapace displays no teeth except for a few at its antero-lateral margin and at its ventral margin. The species most similar to Leucon parasiphonatus is Leucon siphonatus, reported from Mediterranean and North Atlantic waters.

  15. Bodotria jejuensis sp. nov. (Crustacea, Cumacea, Bodotriidae), a new Korean cumacean.

    PubMed

    Lee, Chang-Mok; Kim, Sung-Hyun; Kim, Young-Hyo

    2016-09-06

    A new species of Cumacea belonging to the genus Bodotria Goodsir, 1843 was collected from the Jeju-do Island, Korea. The new speices, Bodotria jejuensis sp. nov. is similar to B. similis Calman, 1907, B. rugosa Gamô, 1963, B. carinata Gamô, 1964, and B. biplicata Gamô, 1964 in having a pitted carapace, prominent dorso-lateral carina, and unarticulated endopod of uropod. However, longish elliptical shape of carapace, well-developed dorso-lateral carina and distinct lateral ridge are the major characteristics which serve to distinguish the new species from its congeners. The new species is fully illustrated and extensively compared with related species. A key to the Korean Bodotria species is also provided.

  16. Diversity and Distribution of Freshwater Amphipod Species in Switzerland (Crustacea: Amphipoda)

    PubMed Central

    Altermatt, Florian; Alther, Roman; Fišer, Cene; Jokela, Jukka; Konec, Marjeta; Küry, Daniel; Mächler, Elvira; Stucki, Pascal; Westram, Anja Marie

    2014-01-01

    Amphipods are key organisms in many freshwater systems and contribute substantially to the diversity and functioning of macroinvertebrate communities. Furthermore, they are commonly used as bioindicators and for ecotoxicological tests. For many areas, however, diversity and distribution of amphipods is inadequately known, which limits their use in ecological and ecotoxicological studies and handicaps conservation initiatives. We studied the diversity and distribution of amphipods in Switzerland (Central Europe), covering four major drainage basins, an altitudinal gradient of>2,500 m, and various habitats (rivers, streams, lakes and groundwater). We provide the first provisional checklist and detailed information on the distribution and diversity of all amphipod species from Switzerland. In total, we found 29 amphipod species. This includes 16 native and 13 non-native species, one of the latter (Orchestia cavimana) reported here for the first time for Switzerland. The diversity is compared to neighboring countries. We specifically discuss species of the genus Niphargus, which are often receiving less attention. We also found evidence of an even higher level of hidden diversity, and the potential occurrence of further cryptic species. This diversity reflects the biogeographic past of Switzerland, and suggests that amphipods are ideally suited to address questions on endemism and adaptive radiations, post-glaciation re-colonization and invasion dynamics as well as biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships in aquatic systems. PMID:25354099

  17. Cyclopidae (Crustacea, Copepoda) from the upper Paraná River floodplain, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Lansac-Tôha, F A; Velho, L F M; Higuti, J; Takahashi, E M

    2002-02-01

    Cyclopid copepods from samples of fauna associated with aquatic macrophytes and plancton obtained in lotic and lentic environments were obtained from the upper Paraná River floodplain (in the states of Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil). Macrophytes were collected in homogeneous stands and washed. Plankton samples, taken from the water column surface and bottom, were obtained using a motor pump, with a 70 microns mesh plankton net for filtration. Twelve taxa of Cyclopidae were identified. Among them, Macrocyclops albidus albidus, Paracyclops chiltoni, Ectocyclops rubescens, Homocyclops ater, Eucyclops solitarius, Mesocyclops longisetus curvatus, Mesocyclops ogunnus, and Microcyclops finitimus were new finds for this floodplain. Eight species were recorded exclusively in aquatic macrophyte samples. Among these species, M. albidus albidus and M. finitimus presented greatest abundances. Only four species were recorded in plankton samples, and Thermocyclops minutus and Thermocyclops decipiens are limited to this type of habitat. Among these four species, T. minutus is the most abundant, especially in lentic habitats.

  18. Copepod (Crustacea) emergence from soils from everglades marshes with different hydroperiods

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Loftus, W.F.; Reid, J.W.

    2000-01-01

    During a severe drought period in the winter and spring of 1989, we made three collections of dried marsh soils from freshwater sloughs in Everglades National Park, Florida, at sites characterized by either long or intermediate annual periods of flooding (hydroperiod). After rehydrating the soils in aquaria, we documented the temporal patterns of copepod emergence over two-week periods. The species richness of copepods in the rehydrated soils was lower than in pre-drought samples from the same slough sites. Only six of the 16 species recorded from the Everglades emerged in the aquarium tests. The long hydroperiod site had a slightly different assemblage and higher numbers of most species than the intermediate-hydroperiod sites. More individuals and species emerged from the early dry-season samples compared with samples taken later in the dry season. The harpacticoid, Cletocamptus deitersi, and the cyclopoid, Microcyclops rubellus, were abundant at most sites. The cyclopoids - Ectocyclops phaleratus, Homocyclops ater, and Paracyclops chiltoni - are new records for the Everglades. We infer that 1) only a subset of Everglades copepod species can survive drought by resting in soils; and that 2) survival ability over time differs by species.

  19. Habitat ephemerality and hatching fractions of a diapausing anostracan (Crustacea: Branchiopoda)

    Treesearch

    Marie A. Simovich; Thomas E. Philippi; Ellen T. Bauder; Jacob A. Moorad

    2005-01-01

    Diapause allows aquatic organisms to survive periods of drydown in intermittent pools. However, often not all of the individuals hatch in response to a filling event. This prolonged diapause can be a bet-hedging adaptation to unpredictability in the duration of filling events. Under the simplest bet-hedging model of selection on prolonged diapause, the fraction of eggs...

  20. Effect of in ovo-delivered prebiotics and synbiotics on the morphology and specific immune cell composition in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue.

    PubMed

    Madej, J P; Bednarczyk, M

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine how pre- and synbiotic administration in ovo into the air chamber at d 12 of egg incubation influenced the specific immune cell composition and distribution in the ileum, cecal tonsils (CT) and bursa of Fabricius of broilers. The experiment was performed on 800 hatching eggs of the meat-type chickens (Ross 308). Hatching eggs were treated with: prebiotic, consisting of inulin (Pre1) or Bi(2)tos(®) (Pre2); symbiotic, composed of inulin and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis IBB SL1 (Syn1) or Bi(2)tos and Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris IBB SC1 (Syn2); or physiological saline as a control group. Seven chickens from each treatment group were randomly selected on , 1, 7, and 21 after hatch for tissue collection. Ileum, cecal tonsil and bursa of Fabricius samples were immunohistochemically stained and the proportions of Bu-1(+), CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8α(+) and TCRγδ(+) cells were estimated. It was indicated that the pre- and synbiotics do not adversely affect the development of the GALT of the chicken. The temporary decrease in B-cell number in bursa on d 7 after hatch suggested an increased colonization rate of the peripheral lymphoid organs by these cells after Pre1, Pre2, and Syn2 treatment. In CT at d 7 after hatch more potent colonization of the GALT by T cells was observed in all pre- and synbiotic treated groups and by B cells in both synbiotic-treated groups than those in respective controls. Then, on d 21 in both synbiotic-treated groups, an increase in T-cell number in ileum was also noticed with faster colonization of the CT by B cells. In 21-day-old chickens, both synbiotics exerted stronger stimulatory effect on the GALT colonization by T cells then prebiotics respectively. Similarly, the colonization by B cells was more pronounced in the Syn2 than in the Pre2 group. The data obtained in this study indicated that prebiotics and particularly synbiotics administrated in ovo stimulated GALT development after hatch.

  1. Cytogenetic data on six leafcutter ants of the genus Acromyrmex Mayr, 1865 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae): insights into chromosome evolution and taxonomic implications

    PubMed Central

    Barros, Luísa Antônia Campos; de Aguiar, Hilton Jeferson Alves Cardoso; Mariano, Cléa dos Santos Ferreira; Andrade-Souza, Vanderly; Costa, Marco Antonio; Delabie, Jacques Hubert Charles; Pompolo, Silvia das Graças

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Cytogenetic data for the genus Acromyrmex Mayr, 1865 are available, to date, for a few species from Brazil and Uruguay, which have uniform chromosome numbers (2n = 38). The recent cytogenetic data of Acromyrmex striatus (Roger, 1863), including its banding patterns, showed a distinct karyotype (2n = 22), similar to earlier studied Atta Fabricius, 1804 species. Karyological data are still scarce for the leafcutter ants and many gaps are still present for a proper understanding of this group. Therefore, this study aimed at increasing cytogenetic knowledge of the genus through the characterization of other six species: Acromyrmex balzani (Emery, 1890), Acromyrmex coronatus Fabricius, 1804, Acromyrmex disciger (Mayr, 1887), Acromyrmex echinatior (Forel, 1899), Acromyrmex niger (Smith, 1858) and Acromyrmex rugosus (Smith, 1858), all of which were collected in Minas Gerais – Brazil, except for Acromyrmex echinatior which was collected in Barro Colorado – Panama. The number and morphology of the chromosomes were studied and the following banding techniques were applied: C-banding, fluorochromes CMA3 and DAPI, as well as the detection of 45S rDNA using FISH technique. All the six species had the same chromosome number observed for already studied species, i.e. 2n = 38. Acromyrmex balzani had a different karyotype compared with other species mainly due to the first metacentric pair. The heterochromatin distribution also showed interspecific variation. Nevertheless, all the studied species had a pair of bands in the short arm of the first subtelocentric pair. The fluorochrome CMA3 visualized bands in the short arm of the first subtelocentric pair for all the six species, while Acromyrmex rugosus and Acromyrmex niger also demonstrated in the other chromosomes. The AT-rich regions with differential staining using DAPI were not observed. 45S ribosomal genes were identified by FISH in the short arm of the first subtelocentric pair in Acromyrmex coronatus, Acromyrmex

  2. Effects of feed-borne Fusarium mycotoxins with or without yeast cell wall adsorbent on organ weight, serum biochemistry, and immunological parameters of broiler chickens.

    PubMed

    Li, Z; Yang, Z B; Yang, W R; Wang, S J; Jiang, S Z; Wu, Y B

    2012-10-01

    The objectives of the present study were to investigate the toxicity of feed-borne Fusarium mycotoxins on organ weight, serum biochemistry, and immunological parameters of broiler chickens and to evaluate the efficacy of yeast cell wall adsorbent in preventing mycotoxin-induced adverse effects. In total, 300 one-day-old vaccinated (Marek's disease and infectious bronchitis) Arbor Acres broiler chickens (mixed sex) were randomly divided into 3 treatments (5 repetitions per treatment) and fed basal diet and naturally contaminated diets with or without yeast cell wall adsorbent. Treatments were control, naturally contaminated diet (NCD; aflatoxin, 102.08 mg/kg; zearalenone, 281.92 mg/kg; fumonisin, 5,874.38 mg/kg; deoxynivalenol, 2,038.96 mg/kg), and NCD + 2 g/kg of yeast cell wall adsorbent (NCDD). The test included 2 phases: d 0-21 and d 22-42. At 42 d, broilers fed contaminated diets without yeast cell wall adsorbent had higher (P < 0.05) serum albumin and higher relative weight of liver, bursa of Fabricius, and thymus, and greater splenic mRNA expression of IL-1β and IL-6 at 42 d compared with the control, but lower (P < 0.05) serum globulin at 42 d, IgA at 21 d, relative weight of spleen at 21 d, antibody titers of Newcastle disease at both 28 d and 42 d, and splenic mRNA expression of IFN-γ at 42 d were observed in the NCD treatment compared with control. Dietary addition of yeast cell wall adsorbent in the NCD treatment showed a positive protection effect on the relative weight of the liver and spleen at 21 d, relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius and thymus at 42 d, antibody titers of Newcastle disease at both 28 d and 42 d, and splenic mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and IFN-γ at 42 d. It is suggested that feeding a naturally contaminated diet for 42 d might result in a deleterious effect in broiler chickens, and addition of 2 g/kg of yeast cell wall enterosorbent can partly neutralize the detrimental effects of the naturally contaminated feed.

  3. Wetlands or aquatic ape? Availability of food resources.

    PubMed

    Ellis, D V

    1993-01-01

    A human evolutionary scenario including an ape inhabiting marine wetlands is rational in a number of contexts. The concept is viable ecologically due to the availability of abundant animal foods in a variety of habitats ranging from mangrove forests to coral reefs. The food resources include mollusks, crustacea and fish abundant in wet zones and pools between high and low tide levels. There is seasonal abundance of swarming marsh insects, turtles, eggs and chicks of colonial birds, and occasional beached and dying marine mammals. Some of these foods would provide an enriched source of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids needed for brain development, and thus allow a spiral of increasing brain development, tool utilisation for better food gathering, and vocal communication for group action. The concept is viable also in terms of availability of the ape-human stock in the African Rift Valley, isolated from montane forests during the late Pliocene, and as an adaptive explanation for many of the species-specific human characters not found in other ground living primates.

  4. Total arsenic in raw and boiled portions of Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) from the central Adriatic Sea.

    PubMed

    Visciano, Pierina; Perugini, Monia; Manera, Maurizio; Abete, Maria Cesarina; Tarasco, Renata; Salese, Carmine; Amorena, Michele

    2013-12-18

    The distribution of total arsenic in different portions of Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus L., Crustacea) was studied both in fresh samples and after a boiling process. All individuals (n = 80) were selected of medium standard commercial size (13-15 cm). The highest mean concentrations (26.86 ± 1.57 mg/kg wet weight (ww)) were found in the raw brown meat of the crustacean, probably due to its detoxification role, whereas the lowest mean values (15.97 ± 0.85 mg/kg ww) were in the raw exoskeleton. The raw white meat reported mean values of 16.09 ± 0.61 mg/kg ww. The levels of arsenic contamination detected in the boiled portions showed a significant (p < 0.01) decrease compared to the raw portions, as a consequence of solubilization phenomena. In fact, a large amount of arsenic from raw lobsters was transferred to the corresponding boiling broth. In the most commonly consumed portion, the white meat, only slight losses (7.22%) in total arsenic content were observed compared to the raw portion.

  5. Trait-based characterization of species transported on Japanese tsunami marine debris: Effect of prior invasion history on trait distribution.

    PubMed

    Miller, Jessica A; Gillman, Reva; Carlton, James T; Murray, Cathryn Clarke; Nelson, Jocelyn C; Otani, Michio; Ruiz, Gregory M

    2018-01-12

    Nearly 300 coastal marine species collected from >630 debris items from the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami have landed alive along the North American Pacific coast and the Hawaiian Archipelago. We synthesized life history, environmental, and distributional traits for 103 of these species and compared species with (n=30) and without (n=62) known invasion histories. The species represent 12 phyla, and Mollusca, Crustacea, and Bryozoa accounted for 71 of the 103 species. The majority are native to the Northwest Pacific and the Central Indo-Pacific. Species with known invasion history were more common on artificial and hardpan substrates, in temperate reef, fouling, and flotsam habitats, at subtropical and tropical temperatures, and exhibited greater salinity tolerance than species with no prior invasion history. Thirty-five Japanese tsunami marine species without prior invasion history overlapped in ordination trait space with known invaders, indicating a subset of species in this novel assemblage that possess traits similar to species with known invasion history. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Methyl farnesoate levels in male spider crabs exhibiting active reproductive behavior.

    PubMed

    Sagi, A; Ahl, J S; Danaee, H; Laufer, H

    1994-09-01

    The concentration of methyl farnesoate (MF) in the hemolymph and its synthesis by the mandibular organs (MOs) were investigated to determine whether this compound is related to the differences in the size of the reproductive system and the mating behavior among male morphotypes of the spider crab, Libinia emarginata. Large-claw abraded males displayed mating behavior under competitive conditions. They have the largest reproductive systems, their MOs synthesize large amounts of MF in vitro, and the concentration of MF in their hemolymph is high. Small-claw abraded males displayed mating behavior with receptive females only when isolated. These smaller crabs have intermediate-sized reproductive systems, their MOs synthesize the most MF, and they have the highest circulating level of MF relative to their body size. The unabraded males did not display mating behavior; their reproductive systems are smaller; their MO activity is low, as is their circulating level of MF. The strong relationship between MF levels and the intensity of reproductive behavior suggests that MF may be one of the driving forces behind mating behavior in Crustacea.

  7. Do insect repellents induce drift behaviour in aquatic non-target organisms?

    PubMed

    Fink, Patrick; Moelzner, Jana; Berghahn, Ruediger; von Elert, Eric

    2017-01-01

    Synthetic insect repellents are compounds applied to surfaces to discourage insects, mainly mosquitoes, from landing on those surfaces. As some of these repellents have repeatedly been detected in surface waters at significant concentrations, they may also exert repellent effects on aquatic non-target organisms. In running water systems, aquatic invertebrates actively enter downstream drift in order to avoid unfavourable environmental conditions. We thus tested the hypothesis that the widely used insect repellents DEET (N,N-Diethyl-m-toluamide), EBAAP (3-[N-butyl-N-acetyl]-aminopropionic acid ethyl ester) and Icaridin (1-piperidinecarboxylic acid 2-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-methylpropyl ester) induce downstream drift behaviour in the aquatic invertebrates Gammarus pulex (Crustacea, Amphipoda) and Cloeon dipterum (Insecta, Ephemeroptera), using a laboratory-scale drift assay. We found no clear increase in the drift behaviour of both invertebrate species across a concentration gradient of eight orders of magnitude and even beyond maximum environmental concentrations for any of the three repellents. We found no evidence for a direct drift-inducing activity of insect repellents on aquatic non-target organisms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Hyporheic invertebrate assemblages at reach scale in a Neotropical stream in Brazil.

    PubMed

    Mugnai, R; Messana, G; Di Lorenzo, T

    2015-11-01

    In the Neotropical Region, information concerning hyporheic communities is virtually non-existent. We carried out a sampling survey in the hyporheic zone of the Tijuca River, in the Tijuca National Park, located in the urban area of the city of Rio de Janeiro. Biological samples from the hyporheic zone were collected in three different stream reaches, in June 2012. The main objectives were: 1) to describe the structure of invertebrate assemblages in the hyporheic zone of a neotropical stream; 2) to apply a reach-scale approach in order to investigate spatial patterns of the hyporheic assemblages in relation to hydrology, depth and microhabitat typology. A total of 1460 individuals were collected and identified in 31 taxa belonging to Nematoda, Annelida, Crustacea, Hydrachnidia and Insecta. The class Insecta dominated the upper layer of the hyporheic zone. Copepods were the most abundant taxon among crustaceans and occurred mostly in the upwelling areas of the reaches. The results of this study represent one of the few contributions so far about hyporheic invertebrate assemblages of the Neotropical Region.

  9. Muscular system in interna of Peltogaster paguri (Rhizocephala: Peltogastridae).

    PubMed

    Miroliubov, Aleksei A

    2017-03-01

    Rhizocephalan parasites have a peculiar life cycle, and their adults lost almost all traits found usually in Crustacea. Despite some data on anatomy and ultrastructure of interna of Peltogastridae, some crucial aspects of morphology are still unknown. For example, there is only one mentioning of myocytes found in interna of Rhizocephalans (Sacculina carcini). So we aimed at studying the muscular system of the interna of Peltogaster paguri using serial histological sectioning and fluorescent staining (TRITC-labeled phalloidin) with confocal microscopy. Within the wall of the main trunk we found striated muscular fibers. The majority of these fibers form a unidirectional single spiral. There are additional small fibers that connect the coils of the large spiral. The density of muscular fibers is highest near the externa stalk, and the number of muscle fibers decreases towards the distal part of the main trunk. We suggest that such a muscular system could provide peristaltic movements of the main trunk and the transport of nutrients through the interna. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. First Insights into the Subterranean Crustacean Bathynellacea Transcriptome: Transcriptionally Reduced Opsin Repertoire and Evidence of Conserved Homeostasis Regulatory Mechanisms

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Bo-Mi; Kang, Seunghyun; Ahn, Do-Hwan; Kim, Jin-Hyoung; Ahn, Inhye; Lee, Chi-Woo; Cho, Joo-Lae; Min, Gi-Sik; Park, Hyun

    2017-01-01

    Bathynellacea (Crustacea, Syncarida, Parabathynellidae) are subterranean aquatic crustaceans that typically inhabit freshwater interstitial spaces (e.g., groundwater) and are occasionally found in caves and even hot springs. In this study, we sequenced the whole transcriptome of Allobathynella bangokensis using RNA-seq. De novo sequence assembly produced 74,866 contigs including 28,934 BLAST hits. Overall, the gene sequences were most similar to those of the waterflea Daphnia pulex. In the A. bangokensis transcriptome, no opsin or related sequences were identified, and no contig aligned to the crustacean visual opsins and non-visual opsins (i.e. arthropsins, peropsins, and melaopsins), suggesting potential regressive adaptation to the dark environment. However, A. bangokensis expressed conserved gene family sets, such as heat shock proteins and those related to key innate immunity pathways and antioxidant defense systems, at the transcriptional level, suggesting that this species has evolved adaptations involving molecular mechanisms of homeostasis. The transcriptomic information of A. bangokensis will be useful for investigating molecular adaptations and response mechanisms to subterranean environmental conditions. PMID:28107438

  11. Cytogenetic studies on populations of Camponotus rufipes (Fabricius, 1775) and Camponotus renggeri Emery, 1894 (Formicidae: Formicinae)

    PubMed Central

    de Aguiar, Hilton Jeferson Alves Cardoso; Barros, Luísa Antônia Campos; Alves, Danúbia Rodrigues; Mariano, Cléa dos Santos Ferreira; Delabie, Jacques Hubert Charles; Pompolo, Silvia das Graças

    2017-01-01

    Two valid ant species, Camponotus rufipes and Camponotus renggeri, have recently been the subject of a broad discussion with reference to taxa synonymization. Both species are quite common among the Neotropical myrmecofauna and share some unique traits, such as the shape of the scape and the pilosity patterns of the tibiae and scapes. A single morphological trait can help distinguish these species; however, only a combination of different approaches can enlighten our view of the complex phylogenetic relationships prevailing in the different populations of these two taxa. Therefore, focusing on the taxonomic issues concerning these two species, a cytogenetic survey including 10 populations of C. rufipes and two populations of C. renggeri was performed. In order to better understand the extent of the relationship between C. rufipes and C. renggeri, two common Neotropical Camponotus species, C. atriceps and C. cingulatus were taken as outgroups. All four species of Camponotus that were studied had 2n = 40 chromosomes (4sm+34st+2t); however, the abundance of chromosome rearrangements observed, combined with several chromosome markers, suggest that C. rufipes and C. renggeri are two good distinct species although closely related. The already reported chromosome translocation 2n = 39 (1m+4sm+32st+2t) for C. rufipes has been found in different populations as in the unprecedented chromosome inversions found both in C. rufipes and in C. renggeri populations. Within the C. renggeri chromosome inversions, both the heterozygous state 2n = 40 (1m+3sm+34st+2t) and the homozygous state, 2n = 40 (2m+2sm+34st+2t) were identified. However, only heterozygous specimens for chromosome inversions were found among C. rufipes, with karyotype configurations distinct from those found in C. renggeri, with 2n = 40 (1m+4sm+34st+2t). None of the populations studied showed signs of mosaic individuals. With respect to rDNA clusters, the 18S rDNA seemed to be more restricted inside the genome, as C. renggeri showed four 18S rDNA clusters, whereas, C. rufipes, C. atriceps, and C. cingulatus showed only two clusters. The chromosome locations of the 5S rDNA clusters were pointed for the first time in Formicidae, and showed itself to be more widely spread over the genome. By combining different chromosome banding approaches it was possible to demonstrate the crucial importance that chromosome inversions played on the karyotype evolution within these ants. The results also showed that chromosome translocations might be a consequence of the chromatin dynamic condition observed among Camponotus species. The homozygosis condition found in a C. renggeri from a Brazilian savanna population for chromosome inversions and the contrasting heterozygous condition for a different kind of chromosome inversion in C. rufipes from the Brazilian coastal rainforest, opens the window for a chromosome race hypothesis within the group C. renggeri and C. rufipes. The wide distribution, rich ecological interactions, genetic diversity, and morphological variability among C. renggeri and C. rufipes justify questioning of the actual taxonomic status of these species. The answer of this puzzle is clear when observing the number of 18S rDNA clusters of these ants, as C. rufipes has only two clusters whereas C. renggeri has four. PMID:28520797

  12. Sublethal Effects of Insecticide Exposure on Megacopta cribraria (Fabricius) Nymphs: Key Biological Traits and Acetylcholinesterase Activity.

    PubMed

    Miao, Jin; Reisig, Dominic D; Li, Guoping; Wu, Yuqing

    2016-01-01

    Megacopta cribraria F. (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), the kudzu bug, is an invasive insect pest of U.S. soybean. At present, insecticide application is the primary and most effective control option for M. cribraria In this study, the potential effects of sublethal and low-lethal concentrations (LC10 and LC40) of three common insecticides on key biological traits and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity of the treated nymphal stage of insect were assessed. The results show that the sublethal concentration of imidacloprid significantly reduced adult emergence rate of M. cribraria A low-lethal concentration of imidacloprid significantly increased nymphal development time, but significantly decreased adult emergence rate and adult longevity. Both sublethal and low-lethal concentrations of acephate caused an increase in nymphal development time and a reduction in adult emergence rate and adult longevity. Fecundity of females was significantly reduced only by exposure to low-lethal concentrations of acephate. Sublethal and low-lethal concentrations of bifenthrin increased nymphal development time, but significantly decreased adult emergence rate. In addition, we found that the AChE activity of M. cribraria was significantly increased only by LC40 imidacloprid, but strongly inhibited by acephate. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.

  13. Evaluation of the growth of the bursa of fabricius in broilers reared under different light photoperiods

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Previous studies have investigated the interaction of different light sources and light intensity. Studies are lacking concerning the effect of different light sources and photoperiods on broiler growth and health. The results reported here are a part of a larger study to evaluate the interaction of...

  14. Palaeo island-affinities revisited--biogeography and systematics of the Indo-Pacific genus Cethosia Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).

    PubMed

    Müller, C J; Beheregaray, L B

    2010-10-01

    The Indo-Pacific is a very complex region encompassing several micro-continents with unique tectonic and geomorphologic histories. Unsurprisingly, the biogeographic history of Indo-Pacific biota is generally poorly known, especially that of organisms found in the heart of the region, the biodiversity hotspot known as Wallacea. Here, we explore the biogeographic history of the Indo-Pacific butterfly genus Cethosia using all known species and many distinctive subspecies. Cethosia butterflies span the Indo-Pacific tropics, including several lineages with localized endemism that are critically important when reconstructing biogeographic history of the Indo-Pacific and, in particular, of Wallacea. A phylogenetic hypothesis is proposed, based on sequences of the mitochondrial genes cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and NADH dehydrogenase 5 (ND5), and the nuclear wingless gene. Both Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian analyses showed that the genus is monophyletic and consistently recovered seven, generally very well supported, clades, namely the cydippe, leschenault, biblis, nietneri, hypsea, penthesilea and cyane clades. Species group relationships are largely concordant with general morphology (i.e., wing pattern and colouration) and, based on the phylogeny, we propose a revised systematic classification at the species level. The evolution of the genus appears associated with the inferred geological history of the region, in particular with respect to the expanding Wallacea theory, whereby ancient connected terranes were fragmented during the mid Miocene to early Pliocene, approximately 14-3 Mya. Recent diversification events in Cethosia were likely promoted by climatic fluctuations during the Pliocene and, to a lesser extent, the Pleistocene. Our results support the view that, while dispersal has been important for Cethosia throughout much of the region, the high levels of island endemism and the essentially allopatric radiations recovered in Cethosia in Wallacea are better explained by vicariant processes linked to the history of formation of micro-continent and associated palaeo islands. Crown Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Ecology, Behaviour and Control of Apis cerana with a Focus on Relevance to the Australian Incursion

    PubMed Central

    Koetz, Anna H.

    2013-01-01

    Apis cerana Fabricius is endemic to most of Asia, where it has been used for honey production and pollination services for thousands of years. Since the 1980s, A. cerana has been introduced to areas outside its natural range (namely New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Australia), which sparked fears that it may become a pest species that could compete with, and negatively affect, native Australian fauna and flora, as well as commercially kept A. mellifera and commercial crops. This literature review is a response to these concerns and reviews what is known about the ecology and behaviour of A. cerana. Differences between temperate and tropical strains of A. cerana are reviewed, as are A. cerana pollination, competition between A. cerana and A. mellifera, and the impact and control strategies of introduced A. cerana, with a particular focus on gaps of current knowledge. PMID:26462524

  16. A new species of Paraonis and an annotated checklist of polychaetes from mangroves of the Brazilian Amazon Coast (Annelida, Paraonidae)

    PubMed Central

    Ribeiro, Rannyele Passos; Alves, Paulo Ricardo; de Almeida, Zafira da Silva; Ruta, Christine

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The polychaete fauna from the mangroves of the Amazon Coast in Maranhão state, Brazil, is reported in this study. Fourteen species are listed, namely Alitta succinea (Leuckart, 1847); Arabella (Arabella) iricolor Montagu, 1804; Capitella capitata (Fabricius, 1780) complex; Exogone (Exogone) breviantennata Hartmann-Schröder, 1959; Heteromastus filiformis (Claparède, 1864); Isolda pulchella Müller, 1858; Mediomastus californiensis Hartman, 1944; Namalycastis fauveli Nageswara Rao, 1981; Namalycastis geayi (Gravier, 1901); Namalycastis senegalensis (Saint-Joseph, 1901); Nephtys simoni Perkins, 1980; Paraonis amazonica sp. n.; Sigambra bassi (Hartman, 1945); and Sigambra grubii Müller, 1858. Among them, Namalycastis fauveli and Namalycastis geayi are recorded for the first time in Brazil. Paraonis amazonica sp. n. is a new species for science, characterized by a rounded prostomium, 4–8 pairs of foliaceous branchiae, absent eyes, and two types of modified neurochaetae, acicular and hook-shaped. PMID:29674886

  17. Columbid herpesvirus-1 in two Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperii) with fatal inclusion body disease.

    PubMed

    Pinkerton, Marie E; Wellehan, James F X; Johnson, April J; Childress, April L; Fitzgerald, Scott D; Kinsel, Michael J

    2008-07-01

    We report two separate naturally occurring cases of fatal herpesviral disease in Cooper's Hawks (Accipiter cooperii). Gross lesions included splenomegaly and hepatomegaly, with diffuse pale mottling or scattered small white foci. Histologic lesions included splenic and hepatic necrosis associated with eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies characteristic of herpesvirus. In one case, necrosis and inclusions were also noted in bone marrow, thymus, bursa of Fabricius, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, ceca, and the enteric system. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated viral particles typical of herpesvirus within hepatocyte nuclei and budding from the nuclear membrane. Herpesviral DNA was amplified via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of paraffin-embedded liver and spleen, and sequence data were consistent with columbid herpesvirus-1, an alphaherpesvirus of Rock Pigeons (Columba livia). PCR results provide evidence that this disease is transmitted to raptors via Rock Pigeons, most likely through ingestion of Rock Pigeons as prey.

  18. Spatial distribution of Dermacentor reticulatus in Romania.

    PubMed

    Chitimia-Dobler, Lidia

    2015-11-30

    Dermacentor reticulatus (Fabricius, 1794), also known as the marsh tick or ornate dog tick is the second most significant vector (next to Ixodes ricinus) of protozoan, rickettsial and viral pathogens in Europe. Until now, only limited information on the distribution of D. reticulatus in Romania is available. A study was conducted on the distribution of D. reticulatus in Romania during 2012-2014. In this study, D. reticulatus was detected in 17 counties, in 14 of which the species was recorded for the first time. Tick activity was evident throughout the year, except during July and August. Additionally, D. reticulatus was recorded for the first time in Romania from wild boar, foxes and humans. These data suggest that this tick species has a broader geographic range and may have more veterinary and medical importance than previously known. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Larval Competition Reduces Body Condition in the Female Seed Beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus

    PubMed Central

    Schade, Daynika J.; Vamosi, Steven M.

    2012-01-01

    Early body condition may be important for adult behavior and fitness, and is impacted by a number of environmental conditions and biotic interactions. Reduced fecundity of adult females exposed to larval competition may be caused by reduced body condition or shifts in relative body composition, yet these mechanisms have not been well researched. Here, body mass, body size, scaled body mass index, and two body components (water content and lean dry mass) of adult Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) females exposed to larval competition or reared alone were examined. Experimental females emerged at significantly smaller body mass and body size than control females. Additionally, scaled body mass index and water content, but not lean dry mass, were significantly reduced in experimental females. To our knowledge, these are the first results that demonstrate a potential mechanism for previously documented direct effects of competition on fecundity in female bruchine beetles. PMID:22954282

  20. Larval competition reduces body condition in the female seed beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus.

    PubMed

    Schade, Daynika J; Vamosi, Steven M

    2012-01-01

    Early body condition may be important for adult behavior and fitness, and is impacted by a number of environmental conditions and biotic interactions. Reduced fecundity of adult females exposed to larval competition may be caused by reduced body condition or shifts in relative body composition, yet these mechanisms have not been well researched. Here, body mass, body size, scaled body mass index, and two body components (water content and lean dry mass) of adult Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) females exposed to larval competition or reared alone were examined. Experimental females emerged at significantly smaller body mass and body size than control females. Additionally, scaled body mass index and water content, but not lean dry mass, were significantly reduced in experimental females. To our knowledge, these are the first results that demonstrate a potential mechanism for previously documented direct effects of competition on fecundity in female bruchine beetles.

  1. The sequential tissue distribution of duck Tembusu virus in adult ducks.

    PubMed

    Wu, Li; Liu, Jinxiong; Chen, Pucheng; Jiang, Yongping; Ding, Leilei; Lin, Yuan; Li, Qimeng; He, Xijun; Chen, Qiusheng; Chen, Hualan

    2014-01-01

    In 2010, a novel Tembusu virus (TMUV) that caused a severe decrease in the egg production of ducks was isolated in southeast China. Given the novelty of this duck pathogen, little information is available regarding its pathogenesis. Here, we systematically investigated the replication kinetics of TMUV PTD2010 in adult male and female ducks. We found that PTD2010 was detectable in most of the parenchymatous organs as well as the oviduct and intestinal tract from days 1 to 7 after inoculation. Viral titers were maintained at high levels for at least 9 days in the spleen, kidney, bursa of Fabricius, brain, and ovary. No virus was detected in any of these organs or tissues at 18 days after inoculation. PTD2010, thus, causes systemic infections in male and female ducks; its replication kinetics show similar patterns in most organs, with the exception of the ovaries and testes.

  2. Eosinophilic meningitis beyond the Pacific Basin: the global dispersal of a peridomestic zoonosis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the nematode lungworm of rats.

    PubMed

    Kliks, M M; Palumbo, N E

    1992-01-01

    The principal etiologic agent of human eosinophilic meningitis, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, was first detected in rats in Canton, China in 1933. The first human case was detected on Taiwan in 1944. Epidemic outbreaks were noted on Ponape (E. Caroline Is.) from 1944 to 1948. The disease may present as transient meningitis or a more severe disease involving the brain, spinal cord and nerve roots, with a characteristic eosinophilia of the peripheral blood and CSF. Since 1961 it has been known that human infections are usually acquired by purposeful or accidental ingestion of infective larvae in terrestrial mollusks, planaria and fresh-water crustacea. There is no effective specific treatment. The African land snail, Achatina fulica played an important role in the panpacific dispersal of the organism: it will be important in Africa in the future as well. Rats were, and will continue to be the principal agents of expansion of the parasite beyond the Indopacific area. During and just after WWII the parasite was introduced, and/or spread passively from South and Southeast Asia into the Western Pacific islands and eastward and southward through Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia and into Polynesia, sequestered in shipments of war material and facilitated by post-war commerce. In the 1950s numerous cases were identified for the first time on Sumatra, the Philippines, Taiwan, Saipan, New Caledonia, and as far east as Rarotonga and Tahiti. Then cases were detected in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Java, Sarawak, the New Hebrides, Guam and Hawaii during the 1960s. Subsequently in the Pacific Basin the disease has appeared on Okinawa, other Ryukyu islands, Honshu, Kyushu, New Britain, American Samoa and Western Samoa, Australia, Hong Kong, Bombay, India, Fiji and most recently in mainland China. The parasite in rats now occurs throughout the Indopacific Basin and littoral. Beyond the Indopacific region, the worm has been found in rodents in Madagascar (ca 1963), Cuba (1973), Egypt

  3. Mechanisms of apoptosis in Crustacea: What conditions induce versus suppress cell death?

    PubMed

    Menze, Michael A; Fortner, Grady; Nag, Suman; Hand, Steven C

    2010-03-01

    Arthropoda is the largest of all animal phyla and includes about 90% of extant species. Our knowledge about regulation of apoptosis in this phylum is largely based on findings for the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Recent work with crustaceans shows that apoptotic proteins, and presumably mechanisms of cell death regulation, are more diverse in arthropods than appreciated based solely on the excellent work with fruit flies. Crustacean homologs exist for many major proteins in the apoptotic networks of mammals and D. melanogaster, but integration of these proteins into the physiology and pathophysiology of crustaceans is far from complete. Whether apoptosis in crustaceans is mainly transcriptionally regulated as in D. melanogaster (e.g., RHG 'killer' proteins), or rather is controlled by pro- and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins as in vertebrates needs to be clarified. Some phenomena like the calcium-induced opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) are apparently lacking in crustaceans and may represent a vertebrate invention. We speculate that differences in regulation of the intrinsic pathway of crustacean apoptosis might represent a prerequisite for some species to survive harsh environmental insults. Pro-apoptotic stimuli described for crustaceans include UV radiation, environmental toxins, and a diatom-produced chemical that promotes apoptosis in offspring of a copepod. Mechanisms that serve to depress apoptosis include the inhibition of caspase activity by high potassium in energetically healthy cells, alterations in nucleotide abundance during energy-limited states like diapause and anoxia, resistance to opening of the calcium-induced MPTP, and viral accommodation during persistent viral infection. Characterization of the players, pathways, and their significance in the core machinery of crustacean apoptosis is revealing new insights for the field of cell death.

  4. Mechanisms of apoptosis in Crustacea: what conditions induce versus suppress cell death?

    PubMed Central

    Menze, Michael A.; Fortner, Grady; Nag, Suman; Hand, Steven C.

    2014-01-01

    Arthropoda is the largest of all animal phyla and includes about 90% of extant species. Our knowledge about regulation of apoptosis in this phylum is largely based on findings for the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Recent work with crustaceans shows that apoptotic proteins, and presumably mechanisms of cell death regulation, are more diverse in arthropods than appreciated based solely on the excellent work with fruit flies. Crustacean homologs exist for many major proteins in the apoptotic networks of mammals and D. melanogaster, but integration of these proteins into the physiology and pathophysiology of crustaceans is far from complete. Whether apoptosis in crustaceans is mainly transcriptionally regulated as in D. melanogaster (e.g., RHG ‘killer’ proteins), or rather is controlled by pro- and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins as in vertebrates needs to be clarified. Some phenomena like the calcium-induced opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) are apparently lacking in crustaceans and may represent a vertebrate invention. We speculate that differences in regulation of the intrinsic pathway of crustacean apoptosis might represent a prerequisite for some species to survive harsh environmental insults. Pro-apoptotic stimuli described for crustaceans include UV radiation, environmental toxins, and a diatom-produced chemical that promotes apoptosis in offspring of a copepod. Mechanisms that serve to depress apoptosis include the inhibition of caspase activity by high potassium in energetically healthy cells, alterations in nucleotide abundance during energy-limited states like diapause and anoxia, resistance to opening of the calcium-induced MPTP, and viral accommodation during persistent viral infection. Characterization of the players, pathways, and their significance in the core machinery of crustacean apoptosis is revealing new insights for the field of cell death. PMID:20043212

  5. Molting and cuticle deposition in the subterranean trichoniscid Titanethes albus (Crustacea, Isopoda)

    PubMed Central

    Vittori, Miloš; Kostanjšek, Rok; Žnidaršič, Nada; Štrus, Jasna

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Terrestrial isopods are a suitable group for the study of cuticle synthesis and calcium dynamics because they molt frequently and have evolved means to store calcium during molt. Little data is currently available on molting in Synocheta and subterranean isopods. We studied the molting dynamics in the subterranean trichoniscid Titanethes albus under laboratory conditions and performed a microscopic investigation of sternal CaCO3 deposits and the tergal epithelium during molt in this species. In accordance with its lower metabolic rate, molting in the laboratory is roughly 2–3 times less frequent in Titanethes albus than would be expected for an epigean isopod under similar conditions. Animals assumed characteristic postures following the molt of each body half and did not consume the posterior exuviae after posterior molt. The structure of sternal calcium deposits and the ultrastructural characteristics of the epidermis during cuticle formation in Titanethes albus are similar to those described in representatives of Ligiidae. During the deposition of the exocuticle, the apical plasma membrane of epidermal cells forms finger-like extensions and numerous invaginations. In the ecdysial space of individuals in late premolt we observed cellular extensions surrounded by bundles of tubules. PMID:22536097

  6. Zinc uptake and regulation by the sublittoral prawn Pandalus montagui (Crustacea: Decapoda)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nugegoda, D.; Rainbow, P. S.

    1988-06-01

    The sublittoral decapod crustacean Pandalus montagui Leach in artificial seawater at 10°C regulates the total body zinc concentration to a constant level in dissolved zinc concentrations up to ca. 22 μg Zn l -1, beyond which there is net accumulation of body zinc. This threshold of zinc regulation breakdown is lower than that in the littoral decapods Palaemon elegans (ca. 93 μg Zn l -1) and Palaemonetes varians (ca. 190 μg Zn l -1) under the same physico-chemical conditions. Correspondingly, zinc uptake rates of the three species of decapods decrease in the order P. montagui > P. elegans > P. varians. It is concluded that regulation of total body zinc concentration is more efficient in decapods adapted to the fluctuating environments of littoral habitats, possibly as a result of changes in permeability of uptake surfaces in combination with improved zinc excretion systems. The moult cycle is important in determining the ability of an individual prawn to regulate zinc. Body zinc in Pandalus montagui consists of at least two pools of zinc exchanging at different rates which the environment. Zinc and copper are not evenly distributed in the tissues of P. montagui.

  7. A comprehensive and integrative reconstruction of evolutionary history for Anomura (Crustacea: Decapoda)

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The infraorder Anomura has long captivated the attention of evolutionary biologists due to its impressive morphological diversity and ecological adaptations. To date, 2500 extant species have been described but phylogenetic relationships at high taxonomic levels remain unresolved. Here, we reconstruct the evolutionary history—phylogeny, divergence times, character evolution and diversification—of this speciose clade. For this purpose, we sequenced two mitochondrial (16S and 12S) and three nuclear (H3, 18S and 28S) markers for 19 of the 20 extant families, using traditional Sanger and next-generation 454 sequencing methods. Molecular data were combined with 156 morphological characters in order to estimate the largest anomuran phylogeny to date. The anomuran fossil record allowed us to incorporate 31 fossils for divergence time analyses. Results Our best phylogenetic hypothesis (morphological + molecular data) supports most anomuran superfamilies and families as monophyletic. However, three families and eleven genera are recovered as para- and polyphyletic. Divergence time analysis dates the origin of Anomura to the Late Permian ~259 (224–296) MYA with many of the present day families radiating during the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. Ancestral state reconstruction suggests that carcinization occurred independently 3 times within the group. The invasion of freshwater and terrestrial environments both occurred between the Late Cretaceous and Tertiary. Diversification analyses found the speciation rate to be low across Anomura, and we identify 2 major changes in the tempo of diversification; the most significant at the base of a clade that includes the squat-lobster family Chirostylidae. Conclusions Our findings are compared against current classifications and previous hypotheses of anomuran relationships. Many families and genera appear to be poly- or paraphyletic suggesting a need for further taxonomic revisions at these levels. A divergence time analysis provides key insights into the origins of major lineages and events and the timing of morphological (body form) and ecological (habitat) transitions. Living anomuran biodiversity is the product of 2 major changes in the tempo of diversification; our initial insights suggest that the acquisition of a crab-like form did not act as a key innovation. PMID:23786343

  8. Empirical calibration of shell chemistry of Cyprideis torosa (Jones, 1850) (Crustacea: Ostracoda)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marco-Barba, J.; Ito, E.; Carbonell, E.; Mesquita-Joanes, F.

    2012-09-01

    Cyprideis torosa is a species of ostracode that inhabits a wide range of aquatic habitats in which its low Alk/Ca requirement is met. Its fossil remains are widely used in palaeoecological studies of coastal environments and inland salt lakes. We collected C. torosa from 20 water bodies near Valencia, Spain. Temperature, chlorophyll a concentration, electrical conductivity, and the concentration of major ions and oxygen isotopes were measured at each site. Between 2 and 20 live individuals of C. torosa were collected per site, their instar stage and sex determined and their shell chemistry (Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca and carbon and oxygen isotope composition) analyzed. Three of these sites were sampled monthly for one year, and ostracode population structure and shell chemistry (20-40 shells) were analyzed. The water chemistry varied widely between sites. TDS (total dissolved solids) ranged from 0.5 to 71.8 g/L but chloride was always the dominant anion. There is a significant positive relationship between ostracode and water δ18O except at high TDS (>20 g/L) when shell δ18O values are lower than expected. No effect of either temperature or water Mg/Ca is observed on the Mg/Ca in the ostracode calcite in waters with Mg/Ca < 6 (molar ratio). Ostracode shell Sr/Ca is strongly and significantly related to water Sr/Ca. δ13C values in C. torosa shells are ˜2‰ lower than observed δ13CDIC. These results provide new and more accurate quantification tools to reconstruct past hydrochemistry from C. torosa shells.

  9. Preliminary observations on the mandibles of palaemonoid shrimp (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Palaemonoidea)

    PubMed Central

    De Grave, Sammy; Johnson, Magnus L.

    2015-01-01

    The mandibles of caridean shrimps have been widely studied in the taxonomy and functional biology of the group. Within the Palaemonoidea the mandibles reach a high level of structural diversity reflecting the diverse lifestyles within the superfamily. However, the majority of studies have been restricted to light microscopy, with the ultrastructure at finer levels poorly known. This study investigates the mandible of nine species belonging to six of the recognised families of the Palaemonoidea using SEM and analyses the results in a phylogenetic and dietary framework. The results of the study indicate that little phylogenetic information is conveyed by the structure of the mandible, but that its form is influenced by primary food sources of each species. With the exception of Anchistioides antiguensis, all species examined possessed cuticular structures at the distal end of the pars molaris (molar process). Five types of cuticular structures are recognised herein, each with a unique form, but variable in number, placement and arrangement. Each type is presumed to have a different function which is likewise related to diet. PMID:25825676

  10. Responses of the brackish-water amphipod Gammarus duebeni (crustacea) to saline sewage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, M. B.; Johnson, I.

    Soon after the openiing of the Looe sewage treatment works (Cornwall, southwest England) in 1973, it became colonized by the brackish-water amphipod Gammarus duebeni Liljeborg. The works is unusual as it operates with saline sewage and has a tidally-based pattern of salinity fluctuation (S=13 to 34). Various responses of this unique amphipod population (sewage amphipods) have been compared with G. duebeni from the adjacent Looe River estuary (estuarine amphipods) in an attempt to identify long-term responses to sewage. Sewage amphipods were significantly smaller than their estuarine equivalents; the sewage population was biased significantly to males, whereas the sex ratio of the estuarine population significantly favours females. Compared with the estuary, the consistently lower oxygen levels in the works were reflected in significant differences in metabolism. Sewage amphipods maintained high levels of activity under hypoxia ( e.g. swimming), and the higher survival and lower rates of lactic acid accumulation under anoxia than estuarine individuals. In addition, sewage amphipods recovered more rapidly from anoxia and had a lower critical oxygen tension (p c) than estuarine amphipods. Sewage amphipods are exposed to higher levels of heavy metals associated with the domestic sewage and zinc concentrations are particularly elevated in the works. Exposure to elevated zinc concentrations resulted in similar patterns of body zinc uptake for sewage and estuarine Gammarus at high (30) and low (10) salinity, with zinc regulation apparently occuring to an external threshold of 200 γmgZn·dm -3. No consistent interpopulational differences in the effect ofzinc on zinc uptake or on osmoregulation have been identified. However, sewage amphipods had higher survival at all zinc/salinity combinations compared with estuarine individuals. These indicate that sewage amphipods are adapted to the unusual combination of conditions prevailing in the treatment works and, if reproductive isolation is confirmed, suggest that the speciation process may have commenced.

  11. A flowthrough fecundity test with Nitocra spinipes (Harpacticoidea Crustacea) for aquatic toxicity.

    PubMed

    Bengtsson, B E; Bergström, B

    1987-12-01

    A sublethal flowthrough fecundity test with the euryhaline harpacticoid copepod Nitocra spinipes has been developed as a complement to the acute toxicity test (for 48 or 96 hr LC50) with the same species (B-E. Bengtsson, 1981, Mar. Pollut. Biol. 9,238-241). Bacterial suspension as feed and test water are continuously fed by a peristaltic pump to the system. Newly fertilized females with ovigerous bands are harvested from laboratory cultures and put into the test vessels at the start of the experiment. They are then exposed to a series of concentrations of chemicals or industrial effluents for 13 days. The amount of live offspring (metanauplia and copepodids) are recorded and an EC50 for fecundity is calculated. The report gives a detailed technical description of the test system and presents the results from 11 tests with pure chemicals (Zn, Cd, As, and pentachlorophenate) and six industrial effluents (pulp industry, textile industry, and refinery) in salinities ranging from 3 to 25%.

  12. [Evaluation of Psilocybe cubensis (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) toxicity over Artemia franciscana (Crustacea, Anostraca)].

    PubMed

    Vega-Villasante, Fernando; Ruiz-González, Luis Eduardo; Guerrero-Galván, Saúl Rogelio; Guzmán-Dávalos, Laura

    2013-01-03

    Psilocybe cubensis is a species with psychodysleptic action that grows on cattle dung in pastures in the tropics and subtropics. This fungus has been widely used in Mexico since ancient times both for ceremonies and rituals, as well as for healing or medicinal purposes. Artemia franciscana is a crustacean frequently used as a model organism for toxicity testing. With the objective of determining the toxicity of P. cubensis, the results of a study with the extract of P. cubensis on nauplii and adults of the brine shrimp A. franciscana are presented. Specimens were collected at Bahía de Banderas, Jalisco, Mexico, and were dried and homogenized in artificial sea water. Bioassays were carried out on crystal vials filled with different concentrations of the extract of P. cubensis (EAP), and with potassium dichromate as reference toxic compound. The median lethal concentration (LC(50)) in nauplii and adults and the inhibition of cysts hatching in A. franciscana were calculated. Nauplii showed a LC(50) = 135 μg/ml, while adults a LC(50) = 172 μg/ml. Cysts' hatching was inhibited by the EAP at all tested concentrations. Under the conditions of this study, the extract of P. cubensis was toxic for nauplii and adults of A. franciscana. Copyright © 2011 Revista Iberoamericana de Micología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  13. First records of parasitic copepods (Crustacea, Siphonostomatoida) from marine fishes in Korea.

    PubMed

    Venmathi Maran, B A; Soh, H Y; Hwang, U W; Chang, C Y; Myoung, J G

    2015-06-01

    The knowledge of the biodiversity of parasitic copepods in South Korea is increasing. Interestingly we report here, some parasitic copepods considered as the first record of findings from Korea. Nine species of parasitic copepods (Siphonostomatoida) including six genera of three different families [Caligidae (7), Lernaeopodidae (1), Lernanthropidae (1)] were recovered from eight species of wild fishes in Korea: 1) Caligus hoplognathi Yamaguti & Yamasu, 1959 (♀, ♂) from the body surface of barred knifejaw Oplegnathus fasciatus (Temminck & Schlegel); 2) Caligus lagocephali Pillai, 1961 (♀) from the gills of panther puffer Takifugu pardalis (Temminck & Schlegel); 3) Euryphorus brachypterus (Gerstaecker, 1853) (♀, ♂) from the opercular cavity of Atlantic bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus); 4) Euryphorus nordmanni Milne Edwards, 1840 (♀, ♂) from the opercular cavity of common dolphin fish Coryphaena hippurus Linnaeus; 5) Gloiopotes huttoni (Thomson) (♀, ♂) from the body surface of black marlin Istiompax indica (Cuvier); 6) Lepeophtheirus hapalogenyos Yamaguti & Yamasu, 1959 (♀) from the gill filaments of O. fasciatus; 7) Lepeophtheirus sekii Yamaguti, 1936 (♀, ♂) from the body surface of red seabream Pagrus major (Temminck & Schlegel); 8) Brachiella thynni Cuvier, 1830 (♀) from the body surface of longfin tuna or albacore Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre); 9) Lernanthropinus sphyraenae (Yamaguti & Yamasu, 1959) (♀) from the gill filaments of moon fish Mene maculata (Bloch & Schneider). Since the female was already reported in Korea, it is a new record for the male of C. hoplognathi. A checklist for the parasitic copepods of the family Caligidae, Lernaeopodidae and Lernanthropidae of Korea is provided.

  14. Species and hybrids in the genus Diaphanosoma Fischer, 1850 (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Cladocera).

    PubMed

    Liu, Ping; Xu, Lei; Xu, Shao-Lin; Martínez, Alejandro; Chen, Hua; Cheng, Dan; Dumont, Henri J; Han, Bo-Ping; Fontaneto, Diego

    2018-01-01

    Cladocerans are well-studied planktonic crustaceans, especially those of the genus Daphnia in which interesting evolutionary questions have been addressed on speciation processes. The aim of the present study is to demonstrate that other genera of cladocerans show similar levels of cryptic diversity, intraspecific gene flow, and thus become useful model systems for comparison. In order to do so, we chose the genus Diaphanosoma, widespread in tropical and temperate areas. We started with a survey of species diversity in the genus Diaphanosoma in Asia using a morphological approach, then obtained sequences from a mitochondrial and a nuclear marker from multiple individuals of different species, performed tests on DNA taxonomy and molecular phylogenies, and assessed the role of hybridization in explaining the cases of mitonuclear discordance. The results are that cryptic diversity occurs in Diaphanosoma, and mitonuclear discordance was found in about 6% of the sequenced animals. Past hybridization is supported as the most likely explanation for the discordance: no evidence was found of first generation hybrids with heterozygous sequences. Our analysis on patterns of genetic diversity in Diaphanosoma supports similarities and differences with what is known in Daphnia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Anchistropus spp. (Crustacea: Cladocera: Chydoridae): a new distribution record for Lake Erie

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Evans, Marlene S.; Hiltunen, Jarl K.; Schloesser, Donald W.

    1990-01-01

    This note extends the known Great Lakes distribution of Anchistropus sp. from Lake Michigan, Huron, Superior, and St. Clair to Rondeau Harbor in Lake Erie. Anchistropus sp. was collected in benthic samples where it occurred as epibionts on hydra. Previous studies, which are briefly reviewed, have noted the parasitic nature of Anchistropus. Although only one species of Anchistropus (A. minor) is known from North America, our specimens cannot be positively identified as that species: the structure of the postabdomen and first leg differs from the original taxonomic description of A. minor. Others have noted differences between the original description of A. minor and the morphology of specimens collected over the succeeding years.

  16. Anxiety-like behaviour increases safety from fish predation in an amphipod crustacea

    PubMed Central

    Banchetry, Loan; Cézilly, Frank

    2017-01-01

    Anxiety is an emotional state generally expressed as sustained apprehension of the environment and elevated vigilance. It has been widely reported in vertebrates and, more recently, in a few invertebrate species. However, its fitness value remains elusive. We investigated anxiety-like behaviour and its consequences in an amphipod crustacean, using electric shock as aversive stimuli, and pharmacological assays. An anxiety-like state induced by electric shocks in Gammarus fossarum was expressed through increased sheltering behaviour in the absence of predation risk, thereby showing the pervasive nature of such behavioural response. Increasing the number of electric shocks both increased refuge use and delayed behavioural recovery. The behavioural effect of electric shock was mitigated by pre-treatment with LY354740, a metabotropic glutamate receptor group II/III agonist. Importantly, we found that this modulation of decision-making under an anxiety-like state resulted in an increased survival to predation in microcosm experiments. This study confirms the interest in taking an evolutionary view to the study of anxiety and calls for further investigation on the costs counterbalancing the survival benefit of an elevated anxiety level evidenced here. PMID:29308271

  17. Anxiety-like behaviour increases safety from fish predation in an amphipod crustacea.

    PubMed

    Perrot-Minnot, Marie-Jeanne; Banchetry, Loan; Cézilly, Frank

    2017-12-01

    Anxiety is an emotional state generally expressed as sustained apprehension of the environment and elevated vigilance. It has been widely reported in vertebrates and, more recently, in a few invertebrate species. However, its fitness value remains elusive. We investigated anxiety-like behaviour and its consequences in an amphipod crustacean, using electric shock as aversive stimuli, and pharmacological assays. An anxiety-like state induced by electric shocks in Gammarus fossarum was expressed through increased sheltering behaviour in the absence of predation risk, thereby showing the pervasive nature of such behavioural response. Increasing the number of electric shocks both increased refuge use and delayed behavioural recovery. The behavioural effect of electric shock was mitigated by pre-treatment with LY354740, a metabotropic glutamate receptor group II/III agonist. Importantly, we found that this modulation of decision-making under an anxiety-like state resulted in an increased survival to predation in microcosm experiments. This study confirms the interest in taking an evolutionary view to the study of anxiety and calls for further investigation on the costs counterbalancing the survival benefit of an elevated anxiety level evidenced here.

  18. ELECTRICAL STUDIES ON THE COMPOUND EYE OF LIGIA OCCIDENTALIS DANA (CRUSTACEA: ISOPODA)

    PubMed Central

    Ruck, Philip; Jahn, Theodore L.

    1954-01-01

    The ERG of the compound eye in freshly collected Ligia occidentalis, in response to high intensity light flashes of ⅛ second or longer duration, begins with a negative on-effect quickly followed by an early positive deflection, rapidly returns to the baseline during illumination, and ends with a positive off-effect. As the stimulus intensity is decreased the early positivity progressively decreases and the rapid return to the baseline is replaced by a slowing decline of the negative on-effect. Responses were recorded with one active electrode subcorneally situated in the illuminated eye, the reference electrode in the dark eye. The dark-adapted eye shows a facilitation of the amplitude and rates of rise and fall of the on-effect to a brief, high intensity light stimulus. This facilitation may persist for more than 2 minutes. Following light adaptation under conditions in which the human eye loses sensitivity by a factor of almost 40,000 the Ligia eye loses sensitivity by a factor of only 3. The flicker fusion frequency of the ERG may be as high as 120/second with a corneal illumination of 15,000 foot-candles. Bleeding an otherwise intact animal very rapidly results in a decline of amplitude, change of wave form, and loss of facilitation in the ERG. When the eye is deganglionated without bleeding the animal the isolated retina responds in the same manner as the intact eye. Histological examination of the Ligia receptor layer showed that each ommatidium contains three different retinula cell types, each of which may be responsible for a different aspect of the ERG. PMID:13174786

  19. Seven new freshwater species of Gammarus from southern China (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Gammaridae)

    PubMed Central

    Hou, Zhonge; Zhao, Shuangyan; Li, Shuqiang

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Seven new species of the genus Gammarus are described and illustrated from southern China. The new species Gammarus vallecula Hou & Li, sp. n., G. qinling Hou & Li, sp. n., G. zhigangi Hou & Li, sp. n. and G. jidutanxian Hou & Li, sp. n. are characterized by inner ramus of uropod III half the length of outer ramus. Gammarus longdong Hou & Li, sp. n. is characterized by inner ramus of uropod III 0.9 times as long as outer ramus. Gammarus mosuo Hou & Li, sp. n. is characterized by pereopods V–VII with long setae on anterior margins and both rami of uropod III armed with simple setae. Gammarus caecigenus Hou & Li, sp. n. can be distinguished from other species by eyes absent. DNA barcodes of the new species are documented as proof of molecular differences between species. A key to the new species and a map of their distributions are provided. PMID:29674920

  20. Survey of Biofouling an Australian Navy Ships: Crustacea; Isopoda and Amphipoda; Caprellidea

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-01-01

    On uptake, ballast water can contain a diversity of plankton and nekton that, depending on the length and temperature of the voyage, may survive...and Sphaeroma walkeri, both previously reported as introduced species and now having a wide distribution , both in Australia and world wide. Other...established as introduced species with a cosmopolitan distribution , both in Australia and worldwide. Other species that were recorded in the survey

  1. Phylogenetic systematics of Schacontia Dyar with descriptions of eight new species (Lepidoptera, Crambidae)

    PubMed Central

    Goldstein, Paul Z.; Metz, Mark A.; Solis, M. Alma

    2013-01-01

    Abstract The Neotropical genus Schacontia Dyar (1914) is reviewed and revised to include eleven species. Schacontia replica Dyar, 1914, syn. n. and Schacontia pfeifferi Amsel, 1956, syn. n. are synonymized with Schacontia chanesalis (Druce, 1899) and eight new species are described: Schacontia umbra,sp. n., Schacontia speciosa,sp. n., Schacontia themis, sp. n., Schacontia rasa, sp. n., Schacontia nyx,sp. n., Schacontia clotho, sp. n., Schacontia lachesis, sp. n., and Schacontia atropos, sp. n. Three species, Schacontia medalba, Schacontia chanesalis, and Schacontia ysticalis, are re-described. An analysis of 64 characters (56 binary, 8 multistate; 5 head, 13 thoracic, 13 abdominal, 25 male genitalic, and 8 female genitalic) scored for all Schacontia and three outgroup species (Eustixia pupula Hübner, 1823, Glaphyria sesquistrialis Hübner, 1823, and Hellula undalis (Fabricius, 1781)) retrieved 8 equally most parsimonious trees (L=102, CI=71, RI=84) of which the strict consensus is: [[[[medalba + umbra] + chanesalis] + speciosa] + [ysticalis + [rasa + themis + [atropos + lachesis + nyx + clotho

  2. Blowflies (Diptera, Calliphoridae) Associated with Pig Carcasses in a Caatinga Area, Northeastern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Alves, A C F; Santos, W E; Farias, R C A P; Creão-Duarte, A J

    2014-04-01

    Studies that focused on Calliphoridae associated with pig carcasses are abundant in southern and southeastern Brazil; however, there are few in northeast. Here, we present an inventory of the blowfly species associated with the stages of decomposition of pig carcasses in a caatinga area during dry and rainy seasons. The study took place at the Private Reserve for the Environmental Inheritance "Fazenda Almas," state of Paraíba, Brazil. Using a modified version of the Shannon trap, 32,909 adult specimens belonging to eight species were captured. During the dry season, Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius) (52.2%) and Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) (39.9%) were the most abundant species. In the rainy season, when the majority of individuals were captured (93.7%), Chloroprocta idioidea (Robineau-Desvoidy) (71.1%) was the most abundant. Five decomposition stages were recognized, being the active decay the most attractive to colonization by blowflies, except for Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann), which was more abundant in the bloated stage.

  3. Chewing Lice of Swan Geese (Anser cygnoides): New Host-Parasite Associations.

    PubMed

    Choi, Chang-Yong; Takekawa, John Y; Prosser, Diann J; Smith, Lacy M; Ely, Craig R; Fox, Anthony D; Cao, Lei; Wang, Xin; Batbayar, Nyambayar; Natsagdorj, Tseveenmayadag; Xiao, Xiangming

    2016-10-01

    Chewing lice (Phthiraptera) that parasitize the globally threatened swan goose Anser cygnoides have been long recognized since the early 19th century, but those records were probably biased towards sampling of captive or domestic geese due to the small population size and limited distribution of its wild hosts. To better understand the lice species parasitizing swan geese that are endemic to East Asia, we collected chewing lice from 14 wild geese caught at 3 lakes in northeastern Mongolia. The lice were morphologically identified as 16 Trinoton anserinum (Fabricius, 1805), 11 Ornithobius domesticus Arnold, 2005, and 1 Anaticola anseris (Linnaeus, 1758). These species are known from other geese and swans, but all of them were new to the swan goose. This result also indicates no overlap in lice species between older records and our findings from wild birds. Thus, ectoparasites collected from domestic or captive animals may provide biased information on the occurrence, prevalence, host selection, and host-ectoparasite interactions from those on wild hosts.

  4. Spatial distribution, temporal variation and specificity of microhabitat of Tropisternus species (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) in permanent ponds.

    PubMed

    Gómez Lutz, M C; Kehr, A I; Fernández, L A

    2015-06-01

    The spatial distribution and temporal variation of 11 species of Tropisternus were analyzed in two permanent ponds located in the province of Corrientes, Argentina. Samples were collected every 15 days, between October 2010 and March 2011. The species recorded were Tropisternus collaris (Fabricius), Tropisternus ovalis Castelnau, Tropisternus laevis (Sturm), Tropisternus lateralis limbatus (Brullé), Tropisternus longispina Fernández & Bachmann, Tropisternus carinispina Orchymont, Tropisternus bourmeisteri Fernández & Bachmann, Tropisternus apicipalpis (Chevrolat), Tropisternus dilatatus Bruch, Tropisternus obesus Bruch, and Tropisternus ignoratus Knisch. The first four were present in higher proportions than the remaining during most of the study period. The spatial distribution of individuals was mostly related to the homogeneity or heterogeneity of the ecosystem in relation to microhabitats with aquatic vegetation: In ponds with different microhabitats, individuals were mainly aggregated, whereas in ponds with homogenous features, individuals were randomly distributed. However, when species were analyzed individually, the spatial distribution and the use of microhabitat by each species were different with respect to preference and behavior.

  5. Natural History of the Neotropical Arboreal Ant, Odontomachus hastatus: Nest Sites, Foraging Schedule, and Diet

    PubMed Central

    Camargo, Rafael X.; Oliveira, Paulo S.

    2012-01-01

    The ecology of most arboreal ants remains poorly documented because of the difficulty in accessing ant nests and foragers in the forest canopy. This study documents the nesting and foraging ecology of a large (∼13 mm total length) arboreal trap—jaw ant, Odontomachus hastatus (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a sandy plain forest on Cardoso Island, off the coast of Southeast Brazil. The results showed that O. hastatus nested in root clusters of epiphytic bromeliads, most commonly Vriesea procera (70% of nest plants). Mature O. hastatus colonies include one to several queens and about 500 workers. Foraging by O. hastatus is primarily nocturnal year—round, with increased foraging activity during the wet/warm season. The foragers hunt singly in the trees, preying on a variety of canopy—dwelling arthropods, with flies, moths, ants, and spiders accounting for > 60% of the prey captured. Although predators often have impacts on prey populations, the ecological importance of O. hastatus remains to be studied. PMID:22957686

  6. Gaia DR2 documentation Chapter 3: Astrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hobbs, D.; Lindegren, L.; Bastian, U.; Klioner, S.; Butkevich, A.; Stephenson, C.; Hernandez, J.; Lammers, U.; Bombrun, A.; Mignard, F.; Altmann, M.; Davidson, M.; de Bruijne, J. H. J.; Fernández-Hernández, J.; Siddiqui, H.; Utrilla Molina, E.

    2018-04-01

    This chapter of the Gaia DR2 documentation describes the models and processing steps used for the astrometric core solution, namely, the Astrometric Global Iterative Solution (AGIS). The inputs to this solution rely heavily on the basic observables (or astrometric elementaries) which have been pre-processed and discussed in Chapter 2, the results of which were published in Fabricius et al. (2016). The models consist of reference systems and time scales; assumed linear stellar motion and relativistic light deflection; in addition to fundamental constants and the transformation of coordinate systems. Higher level inputs such as: planetary and solar system ephemeris; Gaia tracking and orbit information; initial quasar catalogues and BAM data are all needed for the processing described here. The astrometric calibration models are outlined followed by the details processing steps which give AGIS its name. We also present a basic quality assessment and validation of the scientific results (for details, see Lindegren et al. 2018).

  7. Ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) of the Hanford Nuclear Site in south-central Washington State.

    PubMed

    Looney, Chris; Zack, Richard S; Labonte, James R

    2014-01-01

    Carabidae) collected from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and Hanford National Monument (together the Hanford Site), which is located in south-central Washington State. The Site is a relatively undisturbed relict of the shrub-steppe habitat present throughout much of the western Columbia Basin before the westward expansion of the United States. Species, localities, months of capture, and capture method are reported for field work conducted between 1994 and 2002. Most species were collected using pitfall traps, although other capture methods were employed. Trapping results indicate the Hanford Site supports a diverse ground beetle community, with over 90% of the 92 species captured native to North America. Four species collected during the study period are newly recorded for Washington State: Bembidion diligens Casey, Calosoma obsoletum Say, Pseudaptinus rufulus (LeConte), and Stenolophus lineola (Fabricius). Based on these data, the Site maintains a diverse ground beetle fauna and, due to its size and diversity of habitats, is an important repository of shrub-steppe biodiversity.

  8. Review of the Capitellidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) from the Eastern Tropical Pacific region, with notes on selected species

    PubMed Central

    García-Garza, María Elena; León-González, Jesús Angel De

    2011-01-01

    Abstract The main objective of this work is to contribute to the taxonomic knowledge of the species of Capitellidae reported for the Eastern Tropical Pacific. This catalogue includes the original name of each species, new names, synonymies, type localities, the museum or institution where the type material is deposited, revision of the material reported for the region by different authors, new examined material, previous reports from other regions of the world, and comments on systematics and distributions. The catalogue lists 43 species in 19 genera. Of these, 6 species were erroneously recorded for the region (Decamastus gracilis Hartman, 1963; Decamastus nudus Thomassin, 1970; Mastobranchus variabilis Edwing, 1984; Notomastus aberans Day, 1957; Notomastus americanus Day, 1973; Notomastus latericeus Sars, 1851) and 5 species are found here to be questionable records for the Eastern Tropical Pacific (Capitella capitata (Fabricius, 1780); Dasybranchus glabrus Moore, 1909; Decamastus lumbricoides Grube, 1878; Notomastus lineatus Claparède, 1870 and Notomastus tenuis Moore, 1909). PMID:22368451

  9. Nocturnal colonization behavior of blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in southeastern Australia.

    PubMed

    George, Kelly A; Archer, Melanie S; Toop, Tes

    2013-01-01

    Worldwide research into nocturnal colonization by blowflies has produced many contradictory findings, prompting investigation specific to southeastern Australia. Initial experiments showed that blowfly colonization begins shortly after sunrise and continues until sunset; nocturnal colonization never occurred. Colonization peaks occurred at mid-morning, midday, and in the hours preceding sunset. In an additional experiment, wild blowflies were captured and placed in cages with colonization medium supplied nocturnally. Colonization occurred on four of five nights, and Calliphora augur (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) was the main species colonizing baits nocturnally. Results suggest that colonization is most likely to occur during warm weather and when flies are able to walk or crawl to bait. In particular, blowflies trapped within a confined space (such as a room or car) with warmer-than-ambient temperature may be stimulated to colonize nearby remains. Entomologists should consider these findings when estimating minimum postmortem interval under these environmental conditions. © 2012 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  10. The genus Anthia Weber in the Republic of South Africa, Identification, distribution, biogeography, and behavior (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

    PubMed Central

    Mawdsley, Jonathan R.; Erwin, Terry L.; Sithole, Hendrik; Mawdsley, James L.; Mawdsley, Alice S.

    2011-01-01

    Abstract A key is presented for the identification of the four species of Anthia Weber (Coleoptera: Carabidae) recorded from the Republic of South Africa: Anthia cinctipennis Lequien, Anthia circumscripta Klug, Anthia maxillosa (Fabricius), and Anthia thoracica (Thunberg). For each of these species, illustrations are provided of adult beetles of both sexes as well as illustrations of male reproductive structures, morphological redescriptions, discussions of morphological variation, annual activity histograms, and maps of occurrence localities in the Republic of South Africa. Maps of occurrence localities for these species are compared against ecoregional and vegetation maps of southern Africa; each species of Anthia shows a different pattern of occupancy across the suite of ecoregions and vegetation types in the Republic of South Africa. Information about predatory and foraging behaviors, Müllerian mimicry, and small-scale vegetation community associations is presented for Anthia thoracica based on field and laboratory studies in Kruger National Park, South Africa. PMID:22144866

  11. Development of the oriental latrine fly, Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae), at five constant temperatures

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gruner, S. V.; Slone, D.H.; Capinera, J.L.; Turco, M. P.

    2017-01-01

    Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) is a forensically important fly that is found throughout the tropics and subtropics. We calculated the accumulated development time and transition points for each life stage from eclosion to adult emergence at five constant temperatures: 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 °C. For each transition, the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles were calculated with a logistic linear model. The mean transition times and % survivorship were determined directly from the raw laboratory data. Development times of C. megacephala were compared with that of two other closely related species, Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) and Phormia regina (Meigen). Ambient and larval mass temperatures were collected from field studies conducted from 2001–2004. Field study data indicated that adult fly activity was reduced at lower ambient temperatures, but once a larval mass was established, heat generation occurred. These development times and durations can be used for estimation of a postmortem interval (PMI).

  12. Intercropping for Management of Insect Pests of Castor, Ricinus communis, in the Semi—Arid Tropics of India

    PubMed Central

    Srinivasa Rao, M.; Venkateswarlu, B.

    2012-01-01

    Intercropping is one of the important cultural practices in pest management and is based on the principle of reducing insect pests by increasing the diversity of an ecosystem. On—farm experiments were conducted in villages of semi—arid tropical (SAT) India to identify the appropriate combination of castor (Ricinus communis L.) (Malpighiales: Euphorbiaceae) and intercropping in relation to pest incidence. The diversity created by introducing cluster bean, cowpea, black gram, or groundnut as intercrops in castor (1:2 ratio proportions) resulted in reduction of incidence of insect pests, namely semilooper (Achaea janata L.), leaf hopper (Empoasca flavescens Fabricius), and shoot and capsule borer (Conogethes punctiferalis Guenee). A buildup of natural enemies (Microplitis, coccinellids, and spiders) of the major pests of castor was also observed in these intercropping systems and resulted in the reduction of insect pests. Further, these systems were more efficient agronomically and economically, and were thus more profitable than a castor monocrop. PMID:22934569

  13. Apomictic parthenogenesis in a parasitoid wasp Meteorus pulchricornis, uncommon in the haplodiploid order Hymenoptera.

    PubMed

    Tsutsui, Y; Maeto, K; Hamaguchi, K; Isaki, Y; Takami, Y; Naito, T; Miura, K

    2014-06-01

    Although apomixis is the most common form of parthenogenesis in diplodiploid arthropods, it is uncommon in the haplodiploid insect order Hymenoptera. We found a new type of spontaneous apomixis in the Hymenoptera, completely lacking meiosis and the expulsion of polar bodies in egg maturation division, on the thelytokous strain of a parasitoid wasp Meteorus pulchricornis (Wesmael) (Braconidae, Euphorinae) on pest lepidopteran larvae Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Noctuidae). The absence of the meiotic process was consistent with a non-segregation pattern in the offspring of heterozygous females, and no positive evidence was obtained for the induction of thelytoky by any bacterial symbionts. We discuss the conditions that enable the occurrence of such rare cases of apomictic thelytoky in the Hymenoptera, suggesting the significance of fixed heterosis caused by hybridization or polyploidization, symbiosis with bacterial agents, and occasional sex. Our finding will encourage further genetic studies on parasitoid wasps to use asexual lines more wisely for biological control.

  14. Interspecific competition between Snellenius manilae and Meteorus pulchricornis, larval parasitoids of Spodoptera litura.

    PubMed

    Chen, W-T; Hwang, S-Y

    2015-10-01

    Snellenius manilae (Ashmead) and Meteorus pulchricornis (Wesmael) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) are larval endoparasitoids of Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Both species preferentially parasitize early-instar S. litura and occupy similar ecological niches. Therefore, competition between the two species may occur. In this study, intrinsic competition and cage experiments were conducted to discuss the interactions between S. manilae and M. pulchricornis. The results indicated that in intrinsic competition, M. pulchricornis was always the dominant species. In cage experiments, when the total number of parasitoids was four, the parasitism rates following the release of one species were significantly higher than the release of two species simultaneously. In addition, parasitism rate of eight M. pulchricornis was also significantly higher than the parasitism rate of the treatment released four S. manilae and four M. pulchricornis simultaneously. Therefore, competition occurs between S. manilae and M. pulchricornis, and M. pulchricornis is typically the superior of the two species. The use of M. pulchricornis as a biological agent for S. litura should be considered.

  15. Chewing Lice of Swan Geese (Anser cygnoides): New Host-Parasite Associations

    PubMed Central

    Choi, Chang-Yong; Takekawa, John Y.; Prosser, Diann J.; Smith, Lacy M.; Ely, Craig R.; Fox, Anthony D.; Cao, Lei; Wang, Xin; Batbayar, Nyambayar; Natsagdorj, Tseveenmayadag; Xiao, Xiangming

    2016-01-01

    Chewing lice (Phthiraptera) that parasitize the globally threatened swan goose Anser cygnoides have been long recognized since the early 19th century, but those records were probably biased towards sampling of captive or domestic geese due to the small population size and limited distribution of its wild hosts. To better understand the lice species parasitizing swan geese that are endemic to East Asia, we collected chewing lice from 14 wild geese caught at 3 lakes in northeastern Mongolia. The lice were morphologically identified as 16 Trinoton anserinum (Fabricius, 1805), 11 Ornithobius domesticus Arnold, 2005, and 1 Anaticola anseris (Linnaeus, 1758). These species are known from other geese and swans, but all of them were new to the swan goose. This result also indicates no overlap in lice species between older records and our findings from wild birds. Thus, ectoparasites collected from domestic or captive animals may provide biased information on the occurrence, prevalence, host selection, and host-ectoparasite interactions from those on wild hosts. PMID:27853128

  16. Spermatodesm reorganization in the spermatophore and in the spermatheca of the bushcricket Tylopsis liliifolia (Fabricius) (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae).

    PubMed

    Viscuso, Renata; Vitale, Danilo G M

    2015-05-01

    Spermatozoa of Tettigoniidae are usually transferred to the female by means of a spermatophore which is also the site of feather-shaped spermatodesm formation. These spermatodesms are then transferred to a spermatheca, composed of a spermathecal duct and of a seminal receptacle, involved in storing spermatozoa. In order to extend the knowledge about sperm transfer and spermatodesms reorganization in the Tettigoniidae, a morpho-structural investigation was carried out on spermatophore and spermatheca of Tylopsis liliifolia and on the reorganization of the gametes from the spermatophore. Our results show that the spermatodesms undergo disorganization in the spermatophore; unlike other Tettigoniidae, however, feather-shaped spermatodesms are never found. The epithelium of the spermatheca consists of two cell types, the cuticle-forming and the gland cells, with secretory features. The gland cells, absent in the distal tract of the seminal receptacle, release their secretion in a "reservoir" where an efferent duct opens. In the distal tract of the spermathecal duct, adjacent epithelial cells show diversified ultrastructural characteristics whose probable role is discussed. A particular feature of T. liliifolia is the genesis of the feather-shaped spermatodesms in the seminal receptacle. This feature and the peculiar organization of the feather-shaped spermatodesm are a possible autapomorphy of T. liliifolia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Microbial Diversity in the Gut of Cashew Stem Girdler, Analeptes trifasciata Fabricius (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), in Ibadan, Nigeria

    PubMed Central

    Oyedokun, A.V.; Adeniyi, D.O.

    2016-01-01

    The cashew stem girdler, Analeptes trifasciata, is a major insect pest of cashew in Nigeria causing economic damage in cashew plantations even at low density. In this study, newly emerged adults of A. trifasciata reared from field-infested cashew stems were collected from the rearing cages, sexed, and dissected to reveal the internal structures of the insects. The gut was excised and separated into the foregut, midgut, and hindgut. The dissected gut compartments were blotted dry by sandwiching in sterile Whatman No. 1 (150 mm) filter paper for a minute. The inoculated gut parts showed the presence of eight fungi flora, namely, Aspergillus repens, Trichoderma spp., Fusarium verticillioides, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, yeast, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium spp., and Rhizopus stolonifer. The frequencies of occurrence of bacteria in the gut compartments of A. trifasciata were Enterobacter spp.: 83.33%; Escherichia coli and Streptococcus spp.: 55.56% each; Staphylococcus spp.: 44.44%; Klebsiella pneumonia: 50% and Salmonella shigella: 11.11%, while each of Serratia marceascea, Pseudomonas spp., and Micrococcus lutea had 5.56% occurrence. The occurrence of mycoflora and microbiota species varied in the gut compartments of A. trifasciata, indicating the role of these microorganisms in metabolic and other bioprocesses of A. trifasciata during digestion and synthesis of complex food substances from the cashew stem substrate. This study would provide basic information for enzymatic studies of A. trifasciata with a view to developing an integrated pest management (IPM) protocol for managing the pest in cashew plantations. PMID:27147898

  18. Microbial Diversity in the Gut of Cashew Stem Girdler, Analeptes trifasciata Fabricius (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), in Ibadan, Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Oyedokun, A V; Adeniyi, D O

    2016-01-01

    The cashew stem girdler, Analeptes trifasciata, is a major insect pest of cashew in Nigeria causing economic damage in cashew plantations even at low density. In this study, newly emerged adults of A. trifasciata reared from field-infested cashew stems were collected from the rearing cages, sexed, and dissected to reveal the internal structures of the insects. The gut was excised and separated into the foregut, midgut, and hindgut. The dissected gut compartments were blotted dry by sandwiching in sterile Whatman No. 1 (150 mm) filter paper for a minute. The inoculated gut parts showed the presence of eight fungi flora, namely, Aspergillus repens, Trichoderma spp., Fusarium verticillioides, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, yeast, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium spp., and Rhizopus stolonifer. The frequencies of occurrence of bacteria in the gut compartments of A. trifasciata were Enterobacter spp.: 83.33%; Escherichia coli and Streptococcus spp.: 55.56% each; Staphylococcus spp.: 44.44%; Klebsiella pneumonia: 50% and Salmonella shigella: 11.11%, while each of Serratia marceascea, Pseudomonas spp., and Micrococcus lutea had 5.56% occurrence. The occurrence of mycoflora and microbiota species varied in the gut compartments of A. trifasciata, indicating the role of these microorganisms in metabolic and other bioprocesses of A. trifasciata during digestion and synthesis of complex food substances from the cashew stem substrate. This study would provide basic information for enzymatic studies of A. trifasciata with a view to developing an integrated pest management (IPM) protocol for managing the pest in cashew plantations.

  19. Not all shellfish "allergy" is allergy!

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    The popularity of shellfish has been increasing worldwide, with a consequent increase in adverse reactions that can be allergic or toxic. The approximate prevalence of shellfish allergy is estimated at 0.5-2.5% of the general population, depending on degree of consumption by age and geographic regions. The manifestations of shellfish allergy vary widely, but it tends to be more severe than most other food allergens. Tropomyosin is the major allergen and is responsible for cross-reactivity between members of the shellfish family, particularly among the crustacea. Newly described allergens and subtle differences in the structures of tropomyosin between different species of shellfish could account for the discrepancy between in vitro cross-antigenicity and clinical cross-allergenicity. The diagnosis requires a thorough medical history supported by skin testing or measurement of specific IgE level, and confirmed by appropriate oral challenge testing unless the reaction was life-threatening. Management of shellfish allergy is basically strict elimination, which in highly allergic subjects may include avoidance of touching or smelling and the availability of self-administered epinephrine. Specific immunotherapy is not currently available and requires the development of safe and effective protocols. PMID:22410209

  20. Biomineralizations: insights and prospects from crustaceans

    PubMed Central

    Luquet, Gilles

    2012-01-01

    Abstract For growing, crustaceans have to molt cyclically because of the presence of a rigid exoskeleton. Most of the crustaceans harden their cuticle not only by sclerotization, like all the arthropods, but also by calcification. All the physiology of crustaceans, including the calcification process, is then linked to molting cycles. This means for these animals to find regularly a source of calcium ions quickly available just after ecdysis. The sources of calcium used are diverse, ranging from the environment where the animals live to endogenous calcium deposits cyclically elaborated by some of them. As a result, crustaceans are submitted to an important and energetically demanding calcium turnover throughout their life. The mineralization process occurs by precipitation of calcium carbonate within an organic matrix network of chitin-proteins fibers. Both crystalline and stabilized amorphous polymorphs of calcium carbonate are found in crustacean biominerals. Furthermore, Crustacea is the only phylum of animals able to elaborate and resorb periodically calcified structures. Notably for these two previous reasons, crustaceans are more and more extensively studied and considered as models of choice in the biomineralization research area. PMID:22536102

  1. Toxicity of Metals to a Freshwater Ostracod: Stenocypris major

    PubMed Central

    Shuhaimi-Othman, Mohammad; Yakub, Nadzifah; Ramle, Nur-Amalina; Abas, Ahmad

    2011-01-01

    Adults of freshwater ostracod Stenocypris major (Crustacea, Candonidae) were exposed for a four-day period in laboratory conditions to a range of copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), aluminium (Al), and manganese (Mn) concentrations. Mortality was assessed, and median lethal times (LT50) and concentrations (LC50) were calculated. LT50 and LC50 increased with the decrease in mean exposure concentrations and times, respectively, for all metals. LC50s for 96 hours for Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb, Ni, Fe, Al, and Mn were 25.2, 13.1, 1189.8, 526.2, 19743.7, 278.9, 3101.9, and 510.2 μg/L, respectively. Metals bioconcentration in S. major increases with exposure to increasing concentrations, and Cd was the most toxic to S. major, followed by Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, Al, and Ni (Cd>Cu>Fe>Mn>Pb>Zn>Al>Ni). Comparison of LC50 values for metals for this species with those for other freshwater crustacean reveals that S. major is equally or more sensitive to metals than most other tested crustacean. PMID:21559091

  2. Behavioural and physiological effects of the trophically transmitted cestode parasite, Cyathocephalus truncatus, on its intermediate host, Gammarus pulex.

    PubMed

    Franceschi, N; Rigaud, T; Moret, Y; Hervant, F; Bollache, L

    2007-11-01

    Some parasites with complex life-cycles are able to manipulate the behaviour of their intermediate hosts in a way that increases their transmission to the next host. Gammarids infected by the tapeworm Cyathocephalus truncatus (Cestoda: Spathebothriidea) are known to be more predated by fish than uninfected ones, but potential behavioural manipulation by the parasite has never been investigated. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that C. truncatus is able to manipulate the behaviour of one of its intermediate hosts, Gammarus pulex (Crustacea: Amphipoda). To assess if any behavioural change was linked to other phenotypic alterations, we also measured the immunity of infected and uninfected individuals and investigated the pathogenic effects of the parasite. Infected gammarids were significantly less photophobic than uninfected ones, but no effect of infection on the level of immune defence was found. The results on survival, swimming activity and oxygen consumption suggest that the parasite also has various pathogenic effects. However, the alteration in host phototaxis was not correlated to some of these pathogenic effects. Therefore, we propose that the modification in host reaction to light is a behavioural manipulation, explaining the previously observed increase of gammarid predation rate.

  3. Food resource utilization of the skates Rioraja agassizii (Müller & Henle, 1841) and Psammobatis extenta (Garman, 1913) on the continental shelf off Ubatuba, South-eastern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Muto, E Y; Soares, L S; Goitein, R

    2001-05-01

    The feeding habits of Rioraja agassizii (syn. Raja agassizii) and Psammobatis extenta (syn. Psammobatis glansdissimilis) of the South-eastern Brazilian coast were studied by means of stomach content analysis. The samples were obtained on eight seasonal oceanographic cruises, carried out between October 1985 and July 1987. The importance of each food item was evaluated on the basis of the Index of Relative Importance and the feeding similarity by Percentage of Similarity. The results indicated that both species are benthic feeders, preying mainly on Crustacea, especially Amphipoda, Caridea and Brachyura. Teleostei were also important for R. agassizii. Seasonal variation of the diet seems to be associated with the availability of the prey, whose distribution and abundance are related to the dynamics of the water masses of the region. Juveniles and adults of P. extenta exploited the same resources while juveniles and adults of R. agassizii presented low diet similarity during most of the year. Caridea were an important food for all length classes of R. agassizii, while Amphipoda were for smaller specimens, and Teleostei for larger ones. The feeding overlap between the two species was higher during autumn 1986, winter 1986 and winter 1987.

  4. Feeding habits of the congeneric species Stellifer rastrifer and Stellifer brasiliensis (Acanthopterygii: Sciaenidae) co-occurring in the coast of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Sabinson, L M; Rodrigues-Filho, J L; Peret, A C; Branco, J O; Verani, J R

    2015-05-01

    The objective of the present study was to investigate the feeding habits allowing the occurrence of the congeneric species Stellifer rastrifer and Stellifer brasiensis, collected on a seasonal basis, in the operating area of the artisanal seabob-shrimp trawl fishery in Porto Belo, an important fishing area on the southern Brazilian coast. Fish were collected seasonally from November 2009 to August 2010, in isobaths of 10, 20 and 30 m. Of the 450 stomachs analyzed, 194 belonged to Stellifer rastrifer and 242 to Stellifer brasiliensis. From the totality of analyzed stomachs 33.49% were empty and 66.52% had some content. Crustacea were the predominant food category in the diet of S. rastrifer and S. brasiliensis, and the shrimp Acetes americanus was the most frequent crustacean in stomachs of both studied species. The overlapping in the diet of the species was high, however when analyzing the overlap in each season it was found that it occurred only during spring and winter. Although the most important items in the diet of these species are the same, the intake of each alternates in time, suggesting a difference in predation pressure, which leads to less direct competition in a given time.

  5. Endemism and long distance dispersal in the waterfleas of Easter Island.

    PubMed

    Damme, Kay Van

    2016-08-22

    Easter Island is known for a depauperate terrestrial and aquatic biota. The discovery of new taxa is unusual, even among the island's micro-invertebrates. A new cladoceran, Ovalona pascua sp. nov. (Crustacea: Cladocera: Anomopoda: Chydoridae), is described from freshwater environments. The chydorid, the only known extant cladoceran on the island, is the dominant aquatic invertebrate in the surface waters. Based on detailed morphological comparison, including a character similarity matrix applied across the species in the genus (12 characters/17 spp), the new taxon is proposed here as an insular endemic with affinities in the East (New World). The revision challenges the theory that invasive zooplankton species were introduced from the subantarctic islands during the 18th century. Human introduction is not the main mechanism through which cladocerans could have arrived on Easter Island. Late Pleistocene - Early Holocene fossils in Cañellas-Boltà et al. (2012) from cores in Rano Raraku Lake are identified here as Daphnia O.F. Müller, 1785 (subgenus Ctenodaphnia Dybowski & Grochowski, 1895). The establishment of Daphnia before human colonization on Easter Island provides strong proof of successful long distance dispersal by ephippia over thousands of kilometers of open sea.

  6. Carapace Colour, Inter-moult Duration and the Behavioural and Physiological Ecology of the Shore Crab Carcinus maenas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reid, D. G.; Abelló, P.; Kaiser, M. J.; Warman, C. G.

    1997-02-01

    Adult male Carcinus maenasoccur on the shore with carapace colours ranging from green to deep red. In the past, this was believed to be indicative of moult state; green crabs having recently moulted and red ones being in late inter-moult. A series of different studies carried out in recent years has shown that this is not the full story. Green males have been shown to be more tolerant of salinity fluctuations and aerial exposure than red males. Conversely, red males compete more successfully for mates and food. It is hypothesized that some crabs remain in inter-moult longer than others, developing stronger and thicker carapaces and chelae, and are thus more likely to win mating conflicts. This advantage is gained at the cost of reduced tolerance to the conditions of intertidal life. The change in colouration is believed to be due to photo-denaturation of pigments in the carapace over a long inter-moult. This paper is a synthesis of studies which have led to these conclusions, and their importance is discussed in relation to the behavioural and physiological ecology of other intertidal Crustacea.

  7. Purification and cDNA cloning of ferritin from the hepatopancreas of the freshwater crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus.

    PubMed

    Huang, T S; Law, J H; Söderhäll, K

    1996-03-01

    Ferritin was purified from the hepatopancreas of the freshwater crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus after injection of iron. It has the same size as horse spleen ferritin (440 kDa) and migrates as two bands, 19 kDa and 20 kDa, respectively, in SDS/PAGE under reducing conditions. Crayfish ferritin (20 kDa) was cloned from a hepatopancreas cDNA library. The deduced amino acid sequence of the crayfish ferritin shows a closer relationship to vertebrate ferritin heavy chains than to insect ferritin and contains the conserved H-specific residues for the ferroxidase centre found in vertebrate ferritin heavy chain. An IRE(iron-responsive element)-like sequence with a predicted stem-loop structure was present in the 5' untranslated region of the crayfish ferritin mRNA. Crayfish ferritin does not share the atypical properties of insect ferritins, such as high molecular mass of intact protein, abundance in hemolymph, and export into vacuoles. We suggest that there are two different types of ferritins distributed in different species: insect-type or secretory ferritins which are predominant in the snail oocyte and insects, and vertebrate (crustacean)-type or cytosolic ferritins which are predominant in vertebrates and crustacea.

  8. Genome Sequences of Marine Shrimp Exopalaemon carinicauda Holthuis Provide Insights into Genome Size Evolution of Caridea.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Jianbo; Gao, Yi; Zhang, Xiaojun; Wei, Jiankai; Liu, Chengzhang; Li, Fuhua; Xiang, Jianhai

    2017-07-05

    Crustacea, particularly Decapoda, contains many economically important species, such as shrimps and crabs. Crustaceans exhibit enormous (nearly 500-fold) variability in genome size. However, limited genome resources are available for investigating these species. Exopalaemon carinicauda Holthuis, an economical caridean shrimp, is a potential ideal experimental animal for research on crustaceans. In this study, we performed low-coverage sequencing and de novo assembly of the E. carinicauda genome. The assembly covers more than 95% of coding regions. E. carinicauda possesses a large complex genome (5.73 Gb), with size twice higher than those of many decapod shrimps. As such, comparative genomic analyses were implied to investigate factors affecting genome size evolution of decapods. However, clues associated with genome duplication were not identified, and few horizontally transferred sequences were detected. Ultimately, the burst of transposable elements, especially retrotransposons, was determined as the major factor influencing genome expansion. A total of 2 Gb repeats were identified, and RTE-BovB, Jockey, Gypsy, and DIRS were the four major retrotransposons that significantly expanded. Both recent (Jockey and Gypsy) and ancestral (DIRS) originated retrotransposons responsible for the genome evolution. The E. carinicauda genome also exhibited potential for the genomic and experimental research of shrimps.

  9. Carotenoids of two freshwater amphipod species (Gammarus pulex and G. roeseli) and their common acanthocephalan parasite Polymorphus minutus.

    PubMed

    Gaillard, Maria; Juillet, Cédrik; Cézilly, Frank; Perrot-Minnot, Marie-Jeanne

    2004-09-01

    Carotenoid compositions of two freshwater Gammarus species (Crustacea: Amphipoda) and of their common acanthocephalan parasite Polymorphus minutus were characterized. The effect of carotenoid uptake by the parasite was addressed by comparing the carotenoid content of uninfected and infected female hosts. Using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), co-chromatography of reference pigments and electron ionization mass spectrometry of collected HPLC fractions (EI-MS), several xanthophylls and non-polar compounds were identified. Seven kinds of carotenoids, mainly xanthophylls, were identified in gammarids. Astaxanthin was predominant, amounting to 40 wt.% of total carotenoid in both uninfected G. pulex and G. roeseli. By contrast, we found only non-polar compounds with a predominance of esterified forms of astaxanthin in P. minutus larvae. No significant effect of infection on carotenoid content was evidenced in G. pulex and G. roeseli females. Our study highlights the use of a Matrix Solid Phase Dispersion as an efficient extraction method of both xanthophylls and non-polar pigments in small samples, including lipid-rich ones as P. minutus parasite. We discuss on the presumptive pathway leading to the formation of free astaxanthin in gammarids via hydroxy compounds, and on the accumulation of esters of astaxanthin in parasites.

  10. Diastereoisomer- and species-specific distribution of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) in fish and marine invertebrates.

    PubMed

    Son, Min-Hui; Kim, Jongchul; Shin, Eun-Su; Seo, Sung-Hee; Chang, Yoon-Seok

    2015-12-30

    The levels and distributional characteristics of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) diastereoisomers have been largely reported for various fish and select shellfish. In this study, we reclassified a number and variety of marine invertebrates, including shellfish, to further contribute to the comprehensive understanding of the effects and assessment of human exposure to HBCD. Overall, 30 marine invertebrate species (n=188) were investigated and the following order of ∑2HBCD (α- and γ-HBCD) was observed: fish>chordata>cephalopoda>echinodermata>bivalve>crustacea. The marine invertebrates that were reclassified into nektonic and benthic organisms showed similar concentration of ∑2HBCD. The feeding habits and modes of the marine organisms were considered to compare the degree of bioaccumulation and diastereoisomer-specific distribution of HBCD due to the effects of the environment in and around pollution sources, as well as the organisms' metabolic capacities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the species-specific distribution patterns of HBCD for both fish and marine invertebrates. We expect to significantly expand the understanding of the environmental fate of HBCD for marine organisms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Looking back on a decade of barcoding crustaceans

    PubMed Central

    Raupach, Michael J.; Radulovici, Adriana E.

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Species identification represents a pivotal component for large-scale biodiversity studies and conservation planning but represents a challenge for many taxa when using morphological traits only. Consequently, alternative identification methods based on molecular markers have been proposed. In this context, DNA barcoding has become a popular and accepted method for the identification of unknown animals across all life stages by comparison to a reference library. In this review we examine the progress of barcoding studies for the Crustacea using the Web of Science data base from 2003 to 2014. All references were classified in terms of taxonomy covered, subject area (identification/library, genetic variability, species descriptions, phylogenetics, methods, pseudogenes/numts), habitat, geographical area, authors, journals, citations, and the use of the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD). Our analysis revealed a total number of 164 barcoding studies for crustaceans with a preference for malacostracan crustaceans, in particular Decapoda, and for building reference libraries in order to identify organisms. So far, BOLD did not establish itself as a popular informatics platform among carcinologists although it offers many advantages for standardized data storage, analyses and publication. PMID:26798245

  12. Factors associated with parasite dominance in fishes from Brazil.

    PubMed

    Amarante, Cristina Fernandes do; Tassinari, Wagner de Souza; Luque, Jose Luis; Pereira, Maria Julia Salim

    2016-06-14

    The present study used regression models to evaluate the existence of factors that may influence the numerical parasite dominance with an epidemiological approximation. A database including 3,746 fish specimens and their respective parasites were used to evaluate the relationship between parasite dominance and biotic characteristics inherent to the studied hosts and the parasite taxa. Multivariate, classical, and mixed effects linear regression models were fitted. The calculations were performed using R software (95% CI). In the fitting of the classical multiple linear regression model, freshwater and planktivorous fish species and body length, as well as the species of the taxa Trematoda, Monogenea, and Hirudinea, were associated with parasite dominance. However, the fitting of the mixed effects model showed that the body length of the host and the species of the taxa Nematoda, Trematoda, Monogenea, Hirudinea, and Crustacea were significantly associated with parasite dominance. Studies that consider specific biological aspects of the hosts and parasites should expand the knowledge regarding factors that influence the numerical dominance of fish in Brazil. The use of a mixed model shows, once again, the importance of the appropriate use of a model correlated with the characteristics of the data to obtain consistent results.

  13. A taxonomic review of the Selenophori group (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Harpalini) in the West Indies, with descriptions of new species and notes about classification and biogeography

    PubMed Central

    Shpeley, Danny; Hunting, Wesley; Ball, George E.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Primarily a taxonomic review of the West Indian elements of the selenophorine Harpalini, this paper includes a classification, a key, descriptions and illustrations of taxa, re-rankings, and new synonymies. In total, 45 species and subspecies are treated, six of which are described as new. A new genus and new species are as follows, with type localities in parentheses: Paraulacoryssus gen. n., (type species Selenophorus puertoricensis Mutchler, 1934); Neodiachipteryx davidsoni sp. n., (Zamba, Dominican Republic); Selenophorus spinosus sp. n., seriatoporus species group (Benjamin Constant, state of Amazonas, Brazil); Selenophorus obtusoides sp. n., parumpunctatus species group (near Soroa, Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba); Selenophorus iviei sp. n., nonseriatus species group (Big River, Montserrat, 16°45.719N', 62°11.335W'); Selenophorus irec sp. n., nonseriatus species group (Vernou, Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles); and Selenophorus fabricii sp. n., opalinus species group (Cabo Rojo, Pedernales Province, Dominican Republic). This last species was misidentified as Selenophorus integer (Fabricius). In turn, that species was misidentified as Selenophorus chalybeus Dejean. Selenophorus chalybeus Dejean is a junior synonym of Selenophorus integer Fabricius, syn. n.; and Isopleurus macleayi Kirby is a junior synonym of Selenophorus pyritosus Dejean, syn. n. Biogeographically, log of land area plotted against log of number of species shows that the equilibrium theory of biogeography applies to the West Indian selenophorine fauna. Taxonomically, the selenophorine taxa of the West Indies are arranged in eight genera. The 30 species/subspecies of Selenophorus (sensu stricto) are arranged in 10 species groups. Geographically, the major sources of the selenophorines are the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles. The West Indian islands probably have been invaded by 26 taxa. Of the currently extant taxa, 11 are classified as immigrant, meaning that they are

  14. A taxonomic review of the Selenophori group (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Harpalini) in the West Indies, with descriptions of new species and notes about classification and biogeography.

    PubMed

    Shpeley, Danny; Hunting, Wesley; Ball, George E

    2017-01-01

    Primarily a taxonomic review of the West Indian elements of the selenophorine Harpalini, this paper includes a classification, a key, descriptions and illustrations of taxa, re-rankings, and new synonymies. In total, 45 species and subspecies are treated, six of which are described as new. A new genus and new species are as follows, with type localities in parentheses: Paraulacoryssus gen. n. , (type species Selenophorus puertoricensis Mutchler, 1934); Neodiachipteryx davidsoni sp. n. , (Zamba, Dominican Republic); Selenophorus spinosus sp. n. , seriatoporus species group (Benjamin Constant, state of Amazonas, Brazil); Selenophorus obtusoides sp. n. , parumpunctatus species group (near Soroa, Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba); Selenophorus iviei sp. n. , nonseriatus species group (Big River, Montserrat, 16°45.719N', 62°11.335W'); Selenophorus irec sp. n. , nonseriatus species group (Vernou, Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles); and Selenophorus fabricii sp. n. , opalinus species group (Cabo Rojo, Pedernales Province, Dominican Republic). This last species was misidentified as Selenophorus integer (Fabricius). In turn, that species was misidentified as Selenophorus chalybeus Dejean. Selenophorus chalybeus Dejean is a junior synonym of Selenophorus integer Fabricius, syn. n. ; and Isopleurus macleayi Kirby is a junior synonym of Selenophorus pyritosus Dejean, syn. n. Biogeographically, log of land area plotted against log of number of species shows that the equilibrium theory of biogeography applies to the West Indian selenophorine fauna. Taxonomically, the selenophorine taxa of the West Indies are arranged in eight genera. The 30 species/subspecies of Selenophorus ( sensu stricto ) are arranged in 10 species groups. Geographically, the major sources of the selenophorines are the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles. The West Indian islands probably have been invaded by 26 taxa. Of the currently extant taxa, 11 are classified as immigrant , meaning that they are

  15. Expression and distribution of the duck enteritis virus UL51 protein in experimentally infected ducks.

    PubMed

    Shen, Chanjuan; Cheng, Anchun; Wang, Mingshu; Xu, Chao; Jia, Renyong; Chen, Xiaoyue; Zhu, Dekang; Luo, Qihui; Cui, Hengmin; Zhou, Yi; Wang, Yin; Xu, Zhiwen; Chen, Zhengli; Wang, Xiaoyu

    2010-06-01

    To determine the expression and distribution of tegument proteins encoded by duck enteritis virus (DEV) UL51 gene in tissues of experimentally infected ducks, for the first time, an immunoperoxidase staining method to detect UL51 protein (UL51p) in paraffin-embedded tissues is reported. A rabbit anti-UL51 polyclonal serum, raised against a recombinant 6-His-UL51 fusion protein expressed in Escherichia coli, was prepared, purified, and used as primary antibodies. Fifty-eight 30-day-old DEV-free ducks were intramuscularly inoculated with the pathogenic DEV CHv strain as infection group, and two ducks were selected as preinfection group. The tissues were collected at sequential time points between 2 and 480 hr postinoculation (PI) and prepared for immunoperoxidase staining. DEV UL51p was first found in the spleen and liver at 8 hr PI; in the bursa of Fabricius and thymus at 12 hr PI; in the Harders glands, esophagus, small intestine (including the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum), and large intestine (including the caecum and rectum) at 24 hr PI; in the glandularis ventriculus at 48 hr PI; and in the pancreas, cerebrum, kidney, lung, and myocardium at 72 hr PI. Throughout the infection process, the UL51p was not seen in the muscle. Furthermore, the intensity of positive staining of DEV UL51p antigen in various tissues increased sharply from 8 to 96 hr PI, peaked during 120-144 hr PI, and then decreased steadily from 216 to 480 hr PI, suggesting that the expressional levels of DEV UL51p in systemic organs have a close correlation with the progression of duck virus enteritis (DVE) disease. A number of DEV UL51p was distributed in the bursa of Fabricius, thymus, spleen, liver, esophagus, small intestine, and large intestine of DEV-infected ducks, whereas less DEV UL51p was distributed in the Harders glands, glandularis ventriculus, cerebrum, kidney, lung, pancreas, and myocardium of DEV-infected ducks. Moreover, DEV UL51p can be expressed in the cytoplasm of various types

  16. Family-group names in Coleoptera (Insecta)

    PubMed Central

    Bouchard, Patrice; Bousquet, Yves; Davies, Anthony E.; Alonso-Zarazaga, Miguel A.; Lawrence, John F.; Lyal, Chris H. C.; Newton, Alfred F.; Reid, Chris A. M.; Schmitt, Michael; Ślipiński, S. Adam; Smith, Andrew B. T.

    2011-01-01

    Abstract We synthesize data on all known extant and fossil Coleoptera family-group names for the first time. A catalogue of 4887 family-group names (124 fossil, 4763 extant) based on 4707 distinct genera in Coleoptera is given. A total of 4492 names are available, 183 of which are permanently invalid because they are based on a preoccupied or a suppressed type genus. Names are listed in a classification framework. We recognize as valid 24 superfamilies, 211 families, 541 subfamilies, 1663 tribes and 740 subtribes. For each name, the original spelling, author, year of publication, page number, correct stem and type genus are included. The original spelling and availability of each name were checked from primary literature. A list of necessary changes due to Priority and Homonymy problems, and actions taken, is given. Current usage of names was conserved, whenever possible, to promote stability of the classification. New synonymies (family-group names followed by genus-group names): Agronomina Gistel, 1848 syn. nov. of Amarina Zimmermann, 1832 (Carabidae), Hylepnigalioini Gistel, 1856 syn. nov. of Melandryini Leach, 1815 (Melandryidae), Polycystophoridae Gistel, 1856 syn. nov. of Malachiinae Fleming, 1821 (Melyridae), Sclerasteinae Gistel, 1856 syn. nov. of Ptilininae Shuckard, 1839 (Ptinidae), Phloeonomini Ádám, 2001 syn. nov. of Omaliini MacLeay, 1825 (Staphylinidae), Sepedophilini Ádám, 2001 syn. nov. of Tachyporini MacLeay, 1825 (Staphylinidae), Phibalini Gistel, 1856 syn. nov. of Cteniopodini Solier, 1835 (Tenebrionidae); Agronoma Gistel 1848 (type species Carabus familiaris Duftschmid, 1812, designated herein) syn. nov. of Amara Bonelli, 1810 (Carabidae), Hylepnigalio Gistel, 1856 (type species Chrysomela caraboides Linnaeus, 1760, by monotypy) syn. nov. of Melandrya Fabricius, 1801 (Melandryidae), Polycystophorus Gistel, 1856 (type species Cantharis aeneus Linnaeus, 1758, designated herein) syn. nov. of Malachius Fabricius, 1775 (Melyridae), Sclerastes

  17. Nitric oxide augments voltage-activated calcium currents of crustacea (Idotea baltica) skeletal muscle.

    PubMed

    Erxleben, C; Hermann, A

    2001-03-16

    Invertebrate skeletal muscle contraction is regulated by calcium influx through voltage-dependent calcium channels in the sarcolemmal membrane. In present study we investigated the effects of nitric oxide (NO) donors on calcium currents of single skeletal muscle fibres from the marine isopod, Idotea baltica, using two-electrode voltage clamp recording techniques. The NO donors, S-nitrosocysteine, S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine or hydroxylamine reversibly increased calcium inward currents in a time dependent manner. The increase of the current was prevented by methylene blue. Our experiments suggest that NO increases calcium inward currents. NO, by acting on calcium ion channels in the sarcolemmal membrane, therefore, may directly be involved in the modulation of muscle contraction.

  18. Lilliput effect in a retroplumid crab (Crustacea: Decapoda) across the K/Pg boundary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martínez-Díaz, José Luis; Phillips, George E.; Nyborg, Torrey; Espinosa, Belinda; Távora, Vladimir de Araújo; Centeno-García, Elena; Vega, Francisco J.

    2016-08-01

    The genus Costacopluma (Brachyura: Decapoda: Retroplumidae) had a wide distribution during the early Paleogene and is currently represented by 14 species across the Late Cretaceous and early Paleogene. Described early Paleogene species have a smaller mean body size compared to Campanian-Maastrichtian populations of Africa, northeastern Mexico, and southeastern United States. Originally described from the Paleocene and Eocene of Alabama, Costacopluma grayi Feldmann and Portell, 2007, is now documented from the uppermost Maastrichtian (66.2 Ma) of northeastern Mexico and Mississippi and Lower Paleocene of Arkansas, all representing medium size specimens. The morphological features of latest Maastrichtian (66.2 Ma) individuals are identical to those observed among populations of C. grayi from the Paleogene of Alabama and Arkansas, which have a smaller mean size. This size reduction, or dwarfism, in C. grayi across the K-Pg boundary is an example of the Lilliput effect. Dwarfism has been documented in several invertebrate groups as a response to environmental stress, but this is the first record of the Lilliput effect in brachyuran crustaceans. The stratigraphic and geographic range for Costacopluma mexicana Vega and Perrilliat, 1989, is extended to the upper Campanian in northeastern Mexico and lower Maastrichtian in Mississippi and is suggested as a possible ancestor of C. grayi. Different preservational modes for this species in northeastern Mexico are discussed.

  19. Linking Insects with Crustacea: Physiology of the Pancrustacea: An Introduction to the Symposium.

    PubMed

    Tamone, Sherry L; Harrison, Jon F

    2015-11-01

    Insects and crustaceans represent critical, dominant animal groups (by biomass and species number) in terrestrial and aquatic systems, respectively. Insects (hexapods) and crustaceans are historically grouped under separate taxonomic classes within the Phylum Arthropoda, and the research communities studying hexapods and crustaceans are quite distinct. More recently, the hexapods have been shown to be evolutionarily derived from basal crustaceans, and the clade Pancrustacea recognizes this relationship. This recent evolutionary perspective, and the fact that the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology has strong communities in both invertebrate biology and insect physiology, provides the motivation for this symposium. Speakers in this symposium were selected because of their expertise in a particular field of insect or crustacean physiology, and paired in such a way as to provide a comparative view of the state of the current research in their respective fields. Presenters discussed what aspects of the physiological system are clearly conserved across insects and crustaceans and how cross-talk between researchers utilizing insects and crustaceans can fertilize understanding of such conserved systems. Speakers were also asked to identify strategies that would enable improved understanding of the evolution of physiological systems of the terrestrial insects from the aquatic crustaceans. The following collection of articles describes multiple recent advances in our understanding of Pancrustacean physiology. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. Mechanical properties of the cement of the stalked barnacle Dosima fascicularis (Cirripedia, Crustacea)

    PubMed Central

    Zheden, Vanessa; Klepal, Waltraud; Gorb, Stanislav N.; Kovalev, Alexander

    2015-01-01

    The stalked barnacle Dosima fascicularis secretes foam-like cement, the amount of which usually exceeds that produced by other barnacles. When Dosima settles on small objects, this adhesive is additionally used as a float which gives buoyancy to the animal. The dual use of the cement by D. fascicularis requires mechanical properties different from those of other barnacle species. In the float, two regions with different morphological structure and mechanical properties can be distinguished. The outer compact zone with small gas-filled bubbles (cells) is harder than the interior one and forms a protective rind presumably against mechanical damage. The inner region with large, gas-filled cells is soft. This study demonstrates that D. fascicularis cement is soft and visco-elastic. We show that the values of the elastic modulus, hardness and tensile stress are considerably lower than in the rigid cement of other barnacles. PMID:25657833

  1. Crustacea in Arctic and Antarctic sea ice: distribution, diet and life history strategies.

    PubMed

    Arndt, Carolin E; Swadling, Kerrie M

    2006-01-01

    This review concerns crustaceans that associate with sea ice. Particular emphasis is placed on comparing and contrasting the Arctic and Antarctic sea ice habitats, and the subsequent influence of these environments on the life history strategies of the crustacean fauna. Sea ice is the dominant feature of both polar marine ecosystems, playing a central role in physical processes and providing an essential habitat for organisms ranging in size from viruses to whales. Similarities between the Arctic and Antarctic marine ecosystems include variable cover of sea ice over an annual cycle, a light regimen that can extend from months of total darkness to months of continuous light and a pronounced seasonality in primary production. Although there are many similarities, there are also major differences between the two regions: The Antarctic experiences greater seasonal change in its sea ice extent, much of the ice is over very deep water and more than 80% breaks out each year. In contrast, Arctic sea ice often covers comparatively shallow water, doubles in its extent on an annual cycle and the ice may persist for several decades. Crustaceans, particularly copepods and amphipods, are abundant in the sea ice zone at both poles, either living within the brine channel system of the ice-crystal matrix or inhabiting the ice-water interface. Many species associate with ice for only a part of their life cycle, while others appear entirely dependent upon it for reproduction and development. Although similarities exist between the two faunas, many differences are emerging. Most notable are the much higher abundance and biomass of Antarctic copepods, the dominance of the Antarctic sea ice copepod fauna by calanoids, the high euphausiid biomass in Southern Ocean waters and the lack of any species that appear fully dependent on the ice. In the Arctic, the ice-associated fauna is dominated by amphipods. Calanoid copepods are not tightly associated with the ice, while harpacticoids and cyclopoids are abundant. Euphausiids are nearly absent from the high Arctic. Life history strategies are variable, although reproductive cycles and life spans are generally longer than those for temperate congeners. Species at both poles tend to be opportunistic feeders and periods of diapause or other reductions in metabolic expenditure are not uncommon.

  2. Biodiversity and Biogeography of Chthamalid Barnacles from the North-Eastern Pacific (Crustacea Cirripedia)

    PubMed Central

    Chan, Benny K. K.; Chen, H. -N.; Dando, P. R.; Southward, A. J.; Southward, E. C.

    2016-01-01

    The biogeography and ecology of the species of Chthamalus present on the west coast of America are described, using data from 51 localities from Alaska to Panama, together with their zonation on the shore with respect to that of other barnacles. The species present were C. dalli, Pilsbry 1916, C. fissus, Darwin, 1854, C. anisopoma Pilsbry 1916 and four species in the C. panamensis complex. The latter are C. panamensis Pilsbry, 1916, C. hedgecocki, Pitombo & Burton, 2007, C. alani nom. nov. (formerly C. southwardorum Pitombo & Burton, 2007) and C. newmani sp. nov.). These four species were initially separated by enzyme electrophoresis. They could only be partially separated by DNA bar coding but may be separated using morphological characters. PMID:26958842

  3. Characterization of cement float buoyancy in the stalked barnacle Dosima fascicularis (Crustacea, Cirripedia).

    PubMed

    Zheden, Vanessa; Kovalev, Alexander; Gorb, Stanislav N; Klepal, Waltraud

    2015-02-06

    Dosima fascicularis is the only barnacle which can drift autonomously at the water surface with a foam-like cement float. The cement secreted by the animal contains numerous gas-filled cells of different size. When several individuals share one float, their size and not their number is crucial for the production of both volume and mass of the float. The gas content within the cells of the foam gives positive static buoyancy to the whole float. The volume of the float, the gas volume and the positive static buoyancy are positively correlated. The density of the cement float without gas is greater than that of seawater. This study shows that the secreted cement consists of more than 90% water and the gas volume is on average 18.5%. Our experiments demonstrate that the intact foam-like cement float is sealed to the surrounding water.

  4. Characterization of cement float buoyancy in the stalked barnacle Dosima fascicularis (Crustacea, Cirripedia)

    PubMed Central

    Zheden, Vanessa; Kovalev, Alexander; Gorb, Stanislav N.; Klepal, Waltraud

    2015-01-01

    Dosima fascicularis is the only barnacle which can drift autonomously at the water surface with a foam-like cement float. The cement secreted by the animal contains numerous gas-filled cells of different size. When several individuals share one float, their size and not their number is crucial for the production of both volume and mass of the float. The gas content within the cells of the foam gives positive static buoyancy to the whole float. The volume of the float, the gas volume and the positive static buoyancy are positively correlated. The density of the cement float without gas is greater than that of seawater. This study shows that the secreted cement consists of more than 90% water and the gas volume is on average 18.5%. Our experiments demonstrate that the intact foam-like cement float is sealed to the surrounding water. PMID:25657839

  5. Predation by dipteran larvae on fairy shrimp (Crustacea: Anostraca) in Utah rock pools

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Graham, T.B.

    1994-01-01

    A series of experiments examined how ecological factors affect notonectid foraging success on fairy shrimp. Variation in pond depth over natural ranges had no direct effect on notonectid ability to capture fairy shrimp. Decreases in water clarity over natural ranges led to decreased notonectid ability to capture fairy shrimp. This corresponds with the observation that six weeks after the fairy shrimp hatched they were more likely to be present in cloudy ponds than in ponds containing clearer water. If correct, this is a situation where physical factors have a major effect on how a biological interaction influences the local distribution of species. It appears water depth indirectly affects notonectid foraging rates, as shallow ponds are apparently made cloudy by wind-driven waves disturbing the bottom mud. These results suggest the notonectid-fairy shrimp interaction will not be a constant for any given pond, but will depend on abiotic factors like amount of rainfall and frequency of windy conditions.

  6. Developmental Transcriptomics of the Hawaiian Anchialine Shrimp Halocaridina rubra Holthuis, 1963 (Crustacea: Atyidae).

    PubMed

    Havird, Justin C; Santos, Scott R

    2016-12-01

    Many crustacean species progress through a series of metamorphoses during the developmental transition from embryo to adult. The molecular genetic basis of this transition, however, is not well characterized for a large number of crustaceans. Here, we employ multiple RNA-Seq methodologies to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between "early" (i.e., Z 1 - Z 2 ) as well as "late" (i.e., Z 3 - Z 4 ) larval and adult developmental stages of Halocaridina rubra Holthuis (1963), an atyid shrimp endemic to the environmentally variable anchialine ecosystem of the Hawaiian Islands. Given the differences in salinity tolerance (narrow vs. wide range), energy acquisition (maternal yolk-bearing vs. microphagous grazing), and behavior (positively phototactic vs. not) between larvae and adults, respectively, of this species, we hypothesized the recovery of numerous DEGs belonging to functional categories relating to these characteristics. Consistent with this and regardless of methodology, hundreds of DEGs were identified, including upregulation of opsins and other light/stimulus detection genes and downregulation of genes related to ion transport, digestion, and reproduction in larvae relative to adults. Furthermore, isoform-switching, which has been largely unexplored in crustacean development, appears to be pervasive between H. rubra larvae and adults, especially among structural and oxygen-transport genes. Finally, by comparing RNA-Seq methodologies, we provide recommendations for future crustacean transcriptomic studies, including a demonstration of the pitfalls associated with identifying DEGs from single replicate samples as well as the utility of leveraging "prepackaged" bioinformatics pipelines. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. Olfactory projection neuron pathways in two species of marine Isopoda (Peracarida, Malacostraca, Crustacea).

    PubMed

    Stemme, Torben; Eickhoff, René; Bicker, Gerd

    2014-08-01

    The neuroanatomy of the olfactory pathway has been intensely studied in many representatives of Malacostraca. Nevertheless, the knowledge about bilateral olfactory integration pathways is mainly based on Decapoda. Here, we investigated the olfactory projection neuron pathway of two marine isopod species, Saduria entomon and Idotea emarginata, by lipophilic dye injections into the olfactory neuropil. We show that both arms of the olfactory globular tract form a chiasm in the center of the brain, as known from several other crustaceans. Furthermore, the olfactory projection neurons innervate both the medulla terminalis and the hemiellipsoid body of the ipsi- and the contralateral hemisphere. Both protocerebral neuropils are innervated to a comparable extent. This is reminiscent of the situation in the basal decapod taxon Dendrobranchiata. Thus, we propose that an innervation by the olfactory globular tract of both the medulla terminalis and the hemiellipsoid body is characteristic of the decapod ground pattern, but also of the ground pattern of Caridoida. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. A new species of Moraria (Crustacea: Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from the Laurentian Great Lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reid, Janet W.; Lesko, Lynn T.

    2003-01-01

    Moraria hudsoni n. sp. is described from Trails End Bay in Lake Michigan and Prentiss Bay in Lake Huron, Michigan, USA. The new species differs from its congeners in chaetotaxy, body ornamentation, and other characters. We review published records of members of Moraria from North and Central America; no species is known from South America. Species of this genus have been found in the mountains of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, but none of these has been validly described. In North America, eight species have been recorded from Alaska, Canada, and the conterminous USA as far south as North Carolina. We report new geographical records of M. affinis from Virginia, and of both M. cristata and M. virginiana from Maryland and Virginia. We provide a tabular key to aid in identification of the named species of Moraria in North America.

  9. Barcoding of ancient lake ostracods (crustacea) reveals cryptic speciation with extremely low distances.

    PubMed

    Karanovic, Ivana

    2015-01-01

    Ostracods are drastically reduced crustaceans, with never more than eight appendages enclosed between two valves, leaving only a limited number of morphological characters for species delineation. Conservative morphology of characters used to define genera, along with high variability of characters used to define species are creating problems in applying a morphospecies concept. A high intraspecific variability in a Lake Biwa (Japan) endemic, Physocypria biwaensis (Okubo, 1990), has been observed previously but was never studied in detail. Two sympatric forms, differing in pigmentation and size, suggest a presence of reproductive isolation. The aim of this study is to employ molecular and morphometric tools to aid in species delineation within P. biwaensis complex and reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships. A fragment of the mtCOI gene was amplified from 30 specimens, and an additional 37 specimens were studied for morphological characters. Resulting phylogenies showed that each morphologically distinct form is associated with a distinct phylogenetic group based on mtDNA. The average pairwise distance is very low (5%), indicating a recent divergence time. I speculate that there is a possibility that one of them originated in the lake, while the other probably colonized it afterwards. This seems to be supported with an apparent niche partitioning at different depths. In spite of the fact that traditionally used sexual characters are highly variable in these two species, the morphometric analysis of shell and soft part related characters clearly delineates them and suggests that such characters may be useful for future detection of seemingly cryptic ostracod species.

  10. New deep-sea Paratanaoidea (Crustacea: Peracarida: Tanaidacea) from the northeastern Gulf of Mexico.

    PubMed

    Drumm, David T; Bird, Graham J

    2016-08-23

    One new genus is erected and four new species of paratanaoidean tanaidaceans are described from deep waters in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico: one in each of the genera Collettea, Tanaella, and Pseudomacrinella, and one as a new genus in the family Anarthruridae. Keys to species in the genera Collettea, Tanaella, and the genera of the Anarthruridae are provided.

  11. Acute and Chronic Effects of Tributyltin on the Mysid Acanthomysis sculpta (Crustacea, Mysidacea).

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-05-01

    performed using a flowthrough tributyltin ( TBT ) dosing system ranging in concentrations from 0.03- to 0.52-pg/L TBT . The acute test was performed within a...juveniles . . . 19 12. Summary of chronic values in pg/L TBT . . . 26 viii INTRODUCTION Tributyltin ( TBT ) is commonly used as an antifouling toxicant in...AD-AI75 294 ACUTE AND CHRONIC EFFECTS OF TRIBUTYLTIN ON THE NYSID 1/1 ACRNTHOMYSIS SCULPT..(U) NAVAL OCEAN SYSTEMS CENTER SAN DIEGO CA B N DAVIDSON

  12. Testosterone metabolism in the estuarine mysid Neomysis integer (Crustacea; Mysidacea) following tributyltin exposure.

    PubMed

    Verslycke, Tim; Poelmans, Sofie; De Wasch, Katia; Vercauteren, Jordy; Devos, Christophe; Moens, Luc; Sandra, Patrick; De Brabander, Hubert F; Janssen, Colin R

    2003-09-01

    Current evidence suggests that the biocide tributyltin (TBT) causes the development of imposex, a state of pseudohermaphrodism in which females exhibit functional secondary male characteristics, by altering the biotransformation or elimination of testosterone. Imposex in gastropods following TBT exposure is the most complete example of the effects of an endocrine disrupter on marine invertebrates. Previous studies have demonstrated that the estuarine mysid Neomysis integer converts testosterone into multiple polar and nonpolar metabolites resulting from both phase I and phase II biotransformations. In this study, the effects of TBT chloride (TBTCl) on the phase I and II testosterone metabolism of N. integer were evaluated. The TBTCl was highly toxic to N. integer (96-h median lethal concentration [LC50] of 164 ng/L). To assess the effects on testosterone metabolism, mysids were exposed for 96 h to different concentrations of TBTCl (control, 10, 100, and 1,000 ng/L), and testosterone elimination as polar hydroxylated, nonpolar oxido-reduced, and glucose- and sulfate-conjugated metabolites was examined. The TBTCl differentially affected testosterone metabolism. The effect of TBTCl on phase I metabolism was unclear and has been shown to vary among species, likely depending on the inducibility or presence of certain P450 isozyme families. Reductase activity and metabolic androgenization were induced in the 10-ng/L treatment, whereas higher concentrations resulted in a reduction of sulfate conjugation. The exact mechanisms underlying TBT-induced imposex and alterations in the steroid metabolism need to be further elucidated.

  13. Mapping invasive species risks with stochastic models: a cross-border United States-Canada application for Sirex noctilio fabricius

    Treesearch

    Denys Yemshanov; Frank H. Koch; Daniel W. McKenney; Marla C. Downing; Frank Sapio

    2009-01-01

    Nonindigenous species have caused significant impacts to North American forests despite past and present international phytosanitary efforts. Though broadly acknowledged, the risks of pest invasions are difficult to quantify as they involve interactions between many factors that operate across a range of spatial and temporal scales: the transmission of invading...

  14. A new invasive species in maryland: the biology and distribution of kudzu bug, megacopta cribraria (fabricius) (femiptera: plataspidae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The relaxation of trade restrictions in the 1960s and 70s led to an unintended exchange of invasive insect species as well as manufactured goods between the United States and its new trade partners. Consequently, the number of exotic insect pests accidently entering and taking up residence in the U...

  15. Effects of mannan oligosaccharide dietary supplementation on performances of the tropical spiny lobsters juvenile (Panulirus ornatus, Fabricius 1798).

    PubMed

    Sang, Huynh Minh; Fotedar, Ravi

    2010-03-01

    The effects of dietary mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) (Bio-Mos, Alltech, USA) on the growth, survival, physiology, bacteria and morphology of the gut and immune response to bacterial infection of tropical rock lobsters (Panulirus ornatus) juvenile were investigated. Dietary inclusion level of MOS at 0.4% was tested against the control diet (trash fish) without MOS inclusion. At the end of 56 days of rearing period, a challenged test was also conducted to evaluate the bacterial infection resistant ability of the lobsters fed the two diets. Lobster juvenile fed MOS diet attained 2.86 +/- 0.07 g of total weigh and 66.67 +/- 4.76% survival rate which were higher (P < 0.05) than the lobsters fed control diet (2.35 +/- 0.14 g total weight and 54.76 +/- 2.38% survival rate, respectively) thus providing the higher (P < 0.05) specific growth rate (SGR) and average weekly gain (AWG) of lobsters fed MOS diet. Physiological condition indicators such as wet tail muscle index (Tw/B), wet hepatosomatic index (Hiw) and dry tail muscle index (Td/B) of the lobsters fed MOS supplemented diet were higher (P < 0.05) than that of the lobsters fed the control diet. Bacteria in the gut (both total aerobic and Vibrio spp.) and gut's absorption surface indicated by the internal perimeter/external perimeter ratio were also higher (P < 0.05) when the lobsters were fed MOS diet. Lobsters fed MOS diet were in better immune condition showed by higher THC and GC, and lower bacteraemia. Survival, THC, GC were not different among the lobsters fed either MOS or control diet after 3 days of bacterial infection while bacteraemia was lower in the lobsters fed MOS diet. After 7 days of bacterial infection the lobsters fed MOS diet showed higher survival, THC, GC and lower bacteraemia than the lobsters fed the control diet. The experimental trial demonstrated the ability of MOS to improve the growth performance, survival, physiological condition, gut health and immune responses of tropical spiny lobsters juveniles. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Invasion of Asian tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798, in the western north Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fuller, Pam L.; Knott, David M.; Kingsley-Smith, Peter R.; Morris, James A.; Buckel, Christine A.; Hunter, Margaret E.; Hartman, Leslie D.

    2014-01-01

    After going unreported in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean for 18 years (1988 to 2006), the Asian tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, has recently reappeared in the South Atlantic Bight and, for the first time ever, in the Gulf of Mexico. Potential vectors and sources of this recent invader include: 1) discharged ballast water from its native range in Asia or other areas where it has become established; 2) transport of larvae from established non-native populations in the Caribbean or South America via ocean currents; or 3) escape and subsequent migration from active aquaculture facilities in the western Atlantic. This paper documents recent collections of P. monodon from the South Atlantic Bight and the Gulf of Mexico, reporting demographic and preliminary phylogenetic information for specimens collected between North Carolina and Texas from 2006 through 2012. The increased number of reports in 2011 and 2012, ranging from 102 mm to 298 mm total length, indicates that an adult population is present in densities sufficient for breeding, which is indicative of incipient establishment. Based on these reports of P. monodon, its successful invasion elsewhere, and its life history, we believe that this species will become common in the South Atlantic Bight and Gulf of Mexico in less than 10 years. Penaeus monodon is an aggressive predator in its native range and, if established, may prey on native shrimps, crabs, and bivalves. The impacts of an established P. monodon population are potentially widespread (e.g., alterations in local commercial fisheries, direct and indirect pressures on native shrimp, crab and bivalve populations, and subsequent impacts on the populations of other predators of those organisms) and should be considered by resource managers. The impacts of P. monodon on native fauna and the source(s) or vector(s) of the invasion, however, remain unknown at this time.

  17. Development of the Oriental Latrine Fly, Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae), at Five Constant Temperatures.

    PubMed

    Gruner, S V; Slone, D H; Capinera, J L; Turco, M P

    2017-03-01

    Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) is a forensically important fly that is found throughout the tropics and subtropics. We calculated the accumulated development time and transition points for each life stage from eclosion to adult emergence at five constant temperatures: 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 °C. For each transition, the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles were calculated with a logistic linear model. The mean transition times and % survivorship were determined directly from the raw laboratory data. Development times of C. megacephala were compared with that of two other closely related species, Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) and Phormia regina (Meigen). Ambient and larval mass temperatures were collected from field studies conducted from 2001-2004. Field study data indicated that adult fly activity was reduced at lower ambient temperatures, but once a larval mass was established, heat generation occurred. These development times and durations can be used for estimation of a postmortem interval (PMI). © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. Pigeon circovirus infection in disqualified racing pigeons from Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Huang, Yen-Li; Castaneda, Omir Adrian; Thongchan, Duangsuda; Khatri-Chhetri, Rupak; Tsai, Shinn-Shyong; Wu, Hung-Yi

    2017-08-01

    Pigeons (Columba livia) infected with pigeon circovirus (PiCV) have been reported worldwide. The present study diagnosed PiCV infection in tissue samples of disqualified racing pigeons in Taiwan, using molecular and microscopy diagnostics. Among the 164 dead pigeons examined, 96.95% (159/164) tested positive for PiCV. Severe histopathological lesions, with characteristic inclusions, were observed in various organs of the PiCV-infected pigeons. Multiglobular basophilic intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies were found in the bursa of Fabricius and non-lymphoid tissues. The present study identified, for the first time, the presence of inclusion bodies in the thyroid gland, oesophagus, gizzard, and in the third eyelid of circovirus-infected pigeons. The presence of inclusion bodies in the third eyelid and mucosa of the gizzard was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. A high detection rate of PiCV and some severe lesions evident in disqualified racing pigeons, as well as PiCV sequences in this study were highly similar with those detected in European countries suggesting an epidemiological association possibly due to imported pigeons.

  19. [Abundance and species diversity of tabanids (Diptera) in the biosphere reserve Ipassa-Makokou (Gabon) during the rainy season].

    PubMed

    Mavoungou, J F; Makanga, B K; Acapovi-Yao, G; Desquesnes, M; M'Batchi, B

    2012-05-01

    The abundance and species diversity of tabanids were evaluated by trapping of insects using Vavoua traps, during the rainy season, from October 4 to November 30, 2009, in three different habitats: primary forest, secondary forest and village, in the biosphere reserve Ipassa-IRET Makokou in Gabon. Eight species belonging to three genera of tabanids have been identified for a total of 402 specimens caught. The tabanid species numerically the most abundant were: Tabanus secedens Walker, 1854 (55.2%), Tabanus obscurehirtus Ricardo, 1908 (13.9%), Chrysops dimidiatus Wulp, 1885 (11.2%) and Chrysops silaceus Austen, 1907 (10.7%). The less abundant species were Tabanus par Walker, 1854 (3.2%), Tabanus besti arbucklei Austen, 1912 (3%), Tabanus marmorosus congoicola Bequaert, 1930 (1%) and Ancala fasciata fasciata (Fabricius, 1775) (0.5%). Specimens of the genera Tabanus and Chrysops could not be identified, these insects represented respectively 0.7% and 0.5% of the insects trapped. The highest proportion of tabanids was trapped in secondary forest (75.1%) and the lower in primary forest (4.5%).

  20. Apoptosis induction in duck tissues during duck hepatitis A virus type 1 infection.

    PubMed

    Sheng, X D; Zhang, W P; Zhang, Q R; Gu, C Q; Hu, X Y; Cheng, G F

    2014-03-01

    To investigate the role of apoptosis in duck viral hepatitis pathogenesis, 4- and 21-d-old ducks were inoculated with duck hepatitis A virus serotype 1 and killed at 2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h postinfection. TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling was used to detect apoptosis cells. Expression profiles of apoptosis-related genes including caspase-3, -8, -9, and Bcl-2 in spleen, bursa of Fabricius, liver, and the quantity of virus in blood were examined using real-time PCR. The TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling analysis indicated there was a significant difference of apoptotic cells between treatments and controls. The same difference also appeared in virus amount variation in blood during infection. Gene expression analysis revealed that the apoptosis-related gene expression profile was different in the 2 groups, and also different between various organs. This study suggested that apoptosis may play an important role in duck hepatitis A virus serotype 1 infection, and apoptosis suppression might facilitate virus multiplication, resulting in the highest virus concentration in the host.

  1. Capturing the sublimity of a free radical gas.

    PubMed

    Leong, S K

    1999-12-01

    This paper reviews the work related to nitric oxide (NO) done by the author and his postgraduates and colleagues in the past 7 years in the National University of Singapore. Our work shows that (i) NADPH-d and NO synthase (NOS) are often but not always identical; (ii) NO (as indicated by NADPH-d histochemistry and NOS immunohistochemistry) is generated in some endocrine (thyroid, parathyroid and ultimobranchial glands) and immune (thymus and bursa of Fabricius) organs and the cochlea. It is noted from the above studies that NO could possibly regulate blood flow through the various organs via its presence in the vascular endothelial cells and also via nitrergic neurons innervating the blood vessels. It could also regulate the activity of the secretary cells of these organs by being present in them, as well as acting through nitrergic neurons closely related to them. The paper also examines the Janus-faced nature of NO as a neuroprotective and neurodestructive agent, and the apparent noninvolvement of peroxynitrite and inducible NOS in neuronal death occurring in the red nucleus and nucleus dorsalis after spinal cord hemisection.

  2. Ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) of the Hanford Nuclear Site in south-central Washington State

    PubMed Central

    Looney, Chris; Zack, Richard S.; LaBonte, James R.

    2014-01-01

    Abstract In this paper we report on ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) collected from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and Hanford National Monument (together the Hanford Site), which is located in south-central Washington State. The Site is a relatively undisturbed relict of the shrub-steppe habitat present throughout much of the western Columbia Basin before the westward expansion of the United States. Species, localities, months of capture, and capture method are reported for field work conducted between 1994 and 2002. Most species were collected using pitfall traps, although other capture methods were employed. Trapping results indicate the Hanford Site supports a diverse ground beetle community, with over 90% of the 92 species captured native to North America. Four species collected during the study period are newly recorded for Washington State: Bembidion diligens Casey, Calosoma obsoletum Say, Pseudaptinus rufulus (LeConte), and Stenolophus lineola (Fabricius). Based on these data, the Site maintains a diverse ground beetle fauna and, due to its size and diversity of habitats, is an important repository of shrub-steppe biodiversity. PMID:24715791

  3. Development and evaluation of granule and emulsifiable concentrate formulations containing Derris elliptica extract for crop pest control.

    PubMed

    Wiwattanapatapee, Ruedeekorn; Sae-Yun, Attawadee; Petcharat, Jiraporn; Ovatlarnporn, Chitchamai; Itharat, Arunporn

    2009-12-09

    Derris elliptica Benth. extracts containing rotenone have long been used as natural insecticides, but time-consuming preparation processes and the short shelf life of the extract limit their use in pest control. In this study, stable water-dispersible granules and emulsifiable concentrate liquids containing Derris extract (equivalent to 5% w/w of rotenone) were developed with simple techniques. Accelerated degradation kinetics of rotenone in the Derris extract, and in both formulations, indicated that its degradation followed first-order kinetics. The predicted half-life (t(1/2)) and shelf life (t(90%)) at 30 degrees C of rotenone in Derris extract were 520 and 79 days, respectively. Derris granules and emulsifiable concentrate clearly prolong the stability of rotenone 8-fold (t(90%) = 633 days) and 1.4-fold (t(90%) = 110 days), respectively. The study of rotenone degradation after application onto plants indicated that both formulations would be effective for up to 3 days after spraying. Preliminary efficacy testing indicated that the Derris emulsifiable concentrate was clearly more effective than Derris water-dispersible granules in controlling Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

  4. Delayed vaccine virus replication in chickens vaccinated subcutaneously with an immune complex infectious bursal disease vaccine: Quantification of vaccine virus by real-time polymerase chain reaction

    PubMed Central

    2005-01-01

    Abstract The distribution of the immune complex vaccine virus for infectious bursal disease (IBD) in tissue was examined and the viral loads of the organs were quantitatively compared. One-day-old specific pathogen free (SPF) and maternally immune broiler chickens were injected subcutaneously with the vaccine. Lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues were collected at various time intervals during the experiment to test for infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV)-RNA by using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Only the bursa of Fabricius was found to be positive with unusually long viral persistence in the broiler group. The positive bursa samples were further investigated by using real-time PCR coupled with a TaqMan probe. The highest amounts of the virus were detected at its first appearance in the bursa: on day 14 post vaccination (PV) in the SPF chickens and on day 17 and day 21 PV in the maternally immune broiler group. The virus then gradually cleared, most likely due to the parallel appearance of the active immune response indicated by seroconversion. PMID:15971678

  5. Toxicity of fluoranthene to Daphnia magna, Hyalella azteca, Chironomus tentans, and Stylaria lacustris in water-only and whole sediment exposures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Suedel, B.C.; Rodgers, J.H. Jr.

    1996-07-01

    Fluoranthene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) with a hydrophobic nature (water solubility = 265 {mu}g/L; U.S. EPA 1980) and a propensity to sorb to sediments. Fluoranthene has a K{sub oc} of 4.65, an intermediate value for PAHs. Fluoranthene can be toxic to some aquatic organisms at concentrations lower than its aqueous solubility. Therefore, desorption from sediments could produce aqueous concentrations that are harmful to aquatic organisms. Very few studies have examined the toxicity of fluoranthene to freshwater organisms. Data for other PAHs show that crustaceans are the most sensitive species, followed by polychaete worms and fish. Effects of fluoranthene-amendedmore » sediments on selected marine benthic organisms were examined. The objectives of this research were to (1) determine the relative sensitivities of Daphnia magna Straus, Hyalella azteca Saussure, Chironomus tentans Fabricius, and Stylaria lacustris Linnaeus in 48-hr and 10-d aqueous phase exposures to fluoranthene; and (2) determine the relative responses of these organisms in 10-d fluoranthene-amended sediment exposures. 12 refs., 3 tabs.« less

  6. A checklist of beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera) on pig carcasses in the suburban area of southwestern China: A preliminary study and its forensic relevance.

    PubMed

    Lyu, Zhou; Wan, Li-Hua; Yang, Yong-Qiang; Tang, Rui; Xu, Lyu-Zi

    2016-07-01

    Examining the succession pattern of carrion insects on vertebrate carcasses is widely accepted as an effective method to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI) of decayed bodies. Investigation of the community of sarcosaprophagous insects, especially flies and beetles, is the foundation of the succession pattern study. This study aimed to investigate the sarcosaprophagous beetles succession on animal carcasses in the suburban area of southwestern China and to establish a basic catalog for forensic application. The present study was conducted in 2013 in a mountain in Chongqing municipality with modified Schoenly traps. Carcasses of miniature pig were used to simulate human bodies. For most carcasses, five decomposition stages were observed. A total of 2108 adult coleopterans belonging to at least 61 species and 18 families were collected in the study, and most of the specimens occurred at the advanced decay stage. Omosita colon (Linnaeus, 1758), Necrodes nigricornis (Harold, 1875), Necrobia ruficollis (Fabricius, 1775) and Neosilusa ceylonica (Kraatz, 1857) were the dominant species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

  7. Within-Host Competition between Two Entomopathogenic Fungi and a Granulovirus in Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).

    PubMed

    Pauli, Giuliano; Moura Mascarin, Gabriel; Eilenberg, Jørgen; Delalibera Júnior, Italo

    2018-06-13

    We provide insights into how the interactions of two entomopathogenic fungi and a virus play a role in virulence, disease development, and pathogen reproduction for an economically important insect crop pest, the sugarcane borer Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). In our model system, we highlight the antagonistic effects of the co-inoculation of Beauveria bassiana and granulovirus (DisaGV) on virulence, compared to their single counterparts. By contrast, combinations of Metarhizium anisopliae and B. bassiana , or M. anisopliae and DisaGV, have resulted in additive effects against the insect. Intriguingly, most cadavers that were derived from dual or triple infections, produced signs/symptoms of only one species after the death of the infected host. In the combination of fungi and DisaGV, there was a trend where a higher proportion of viral infection bearing conspicuous symptoms occurred, except when the larvae were inoculated with M. anisopliae and DisaGV at the two highest inoculum rates. Co-infections with B. bassiana and M. anisopliae did not affect pathogen reproduction, since the sporulation from co-inoculated larvae did not differ from their single counterparts.

  8. Chewing lice of swan geese (Anser cygnoides): New host-parasite associations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Choi, Chang-Yong; Takekawa, John Y.; Prosser, Diann J.; Smith, Lacy M.; Ely, Craig R.; Fox, Anthony D.; Cao, Lei; Wang, Xin; Batbayar, Nyambayar; Natsagdorj, Tseveenmayadag; Xiao, Xiangming

    2016-01-01

    Chewing lice (Phthiraptera) that parasitize the globally threatened swan goose Anser cygnoides have been long recognized since the early 19th century, but those records were probably biased towards sampling of captive or domestic geese due to the small population size and limited distribution of its wild hosts. To better understand the lice species parasitizing swan geese that are endemic to East Asia, we collected chewing lice from 14 wild geese caught at 3 lakes in northeastern Mongolia. The lice were morphologically identified as 16 Trinoton anserinum (Fabricius, 1805), 11 Ornithobius domesticus Arnold, 2005, and 1 Anaticola anseris (Linnaeus, 1758). These species are known from other geese and swans, but all of them were new to the swan goose. This result also indicates no overlap in lice species between older records and our findings from wild birds. Thus, ectoparasites collected from domestic or captive animals may provide biased information on the occurrence, prevalence, host selection, and host-ectoparasite interactions from those on wild hosts.

  9. A contribution to the knowledge of New World Bruchinae (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae): taxonomic revision of Ctenocolum Kingsolver & Whitehead, with description of five new species.

    PubMed

    De Albuquerque, Felícia Pereira; Manfio, Daiara; Ribeiro-Costa, Cibele Stramare

    2014-07-16

    The aim of this contribution was to review the species of Ctenocolum which are mainly distributed in the Neotropical region. The larvae of this genus have a high degree of specificity with the tribe Millettieae feeding mainly on seeds of Lonchocarpus Kunth (Fabaceae, Papilionoideae) and until now we do not know other bruchine consuming seeds of this genus. Here 13 valid species were studied, five new, divided in two groups, as previosly proposed in literature, group podagricus with Ctenocolum aquilus Albuquerque & Ribeiro-Costa sp. nov., C. biolleyi Kingsolver & Whitehead, C. colburni Kingsolver & Whitehead, C. martiale Kingsolver & Whitehead, C. milelo Albuquerque & Ribeiro-Costa sp. nov., C. podagricus (Fabricius), C. punctinotatus Albuquerque & Ribeiro-Costa sp. nov., C. pygospilotos Albuquerque & Ribeiro-Costa sp. nov. and C. triangulatus Albuquerque & Ribeiro-Costa sp. nov.; group tuberculatum with C. acapulcensis Kingsolver & Whitehead, C. janzeni Kingsolver & Whitehead, C. salvini (Sharp) and C. tuberculatum (Motschulsky). A lectotype is designated for Bruchus salvini and Bruchus pictifemur. Moreover, descriptions, redescriptions, diagnoses, key, geographic distribution and host plant records are also included.

  10. VizieR Online Data Catalog: Carlsberg Meridian Catalog, Vol. 6 (CMC6, 1992)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Copenhagen University Observatory; Royal Greenwich, Observatory

    1995-11-01

    The Carlsberg Meridian Catalogues give accurate positions, proper motions and magnitudes of stars north of declination -45deg and down to 15th magnitude. They also contain observations of the solar system objects: Mars, Callisto, Saturn, Titan, Iapetus, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and many minor planets. Typical mean errors for an entry are 0.1arcsec in position, 3mas/yr in proper motion, and 0.05mag in magnitude. The stars observed belong to a large number of observing programmes typically dealing with the reference frame or with galactic kinematics. The Carlsberg Automatic Meridian Circle on La Palma is operated by Copenhagen University Observatory, Royal Greenwich Observatory, and Real Instituto y Observatorio de la Armada at the Observatory del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias. For a detailed introduction, please refer to the printed catalogue. A description of the programme may also be found in the 1993 paper by Fabricius (=1993BICDS..42....5F), from which the present description is derived. This 6th volume corresponds to observations made during the year 1990. (4 data files).

  11. Dipterans Associated with a Decomposing Animal Carcass in a Rainforest Fragment in Brazil: Notes on the Early Arrival and Colonization by Necrophagous Species

    PubMed Central

    Vasconcelos, Simao D.; Cruz, Tadeu M.; Salgado, Roberta L.; Thyssen, Patricia J.

    2013-01-01

    This study aimed to provide the first checklist of forensically-important dipteran species in a rainforest environment in Northeastern Brazil, a region exposed to high rates of homicides. Using a decomposing pig, Sus scrofa L. (Artiodactyla: Suidae), carcass as a model, adult flies were collected immediately after death and in the early stages of carcass decomposition. To confirm actual colonization of the carcass, insects that completed their larval development on the resource were also collected and reared until adult stage. A diverse assemblage of dipterans composed of at least 28 species from seven families with necrophagous habits was observed within minutes after death. Besides Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae, species from forensically-important families such as Phoridae, Anthomyiidae, and Fanniidae were also registered. Eleven species were shown to complete their development on the carcass. The majority of individuals emerged from larvae collected at the dry stage of decomposition. Hemilucilia segmentaria Fabricius (Diptera: Calliphoridae), H. semidiaphana (Rondani), and Ophyra chalcogaster (Wiedemann) (Muscidae) were the dominant species among the colonizers, which supports their importance as forensic evidence in Brazil. PMID:24787899

  12. Epilachnini (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)—A Revision of the World Genera

    PubMed Central

    Tomaszewska, Wioletta; Szawaryn, Karol

    2016-01-01

    Based on the recent revised generic classification of the tribe Epilachnini (Szawaryn et al. 2015), all 27 genera are re-described, diagnosed, illustrated, and included in an identification key. The following nomenclatural changes are made: Epilachna (Hypsa) Mulsant 1850, Epilachna (Cleta) Mulsant 1850, Solanophila Weise 1898, Epilachna (Aparodentata) Wang and Cao 1993, and Epilachna (Uniparodentata) Wang and Cao 1993 are removed from synonymy of Epilachna Chervolat 1837. The subgenus Cleta of Epilachna is raised to the genus level, as Cleta Mulsant 1850 stat. nov.; the subgenus Uniparodentata of Epilachna is raised to the genus level, as Uniparodentata Wang and Cao 1993 stat. nov. Chazeauiana Tomaszewska and Szawaryn 2015 (type species, Epilachna sahlbergi Mulsant 1850), and Epilachna (Hypsa) Mulsant 1850 (type species, Epilachna nigrolimbata Thomson 1875) are synonymized here under the name Cleta Mulsant 1850 (type species, Epilachna eckloni Mulsant 1850)—new synonyms; Fuerschia Tomaszewska and Szawaryn 2015 (type species, Coccinella canina Fabricius 1781) is synonymized with Solanophila Weise 1898 (type species, Epilachna gibbosa Crotch 1874)—new synonym; Ryszardia Tomaszewska and Szawaryn 2015 (type species, Epilachna decipiens Crotch 1874) and Epilachna (Aparodentata) Wang and Cao, 1993 (type species, Epilachna yongshanensis Cao and Xiao 1984) are synonymized under the name Uniparodentata Wang and Cao 1993 (type species, Epilachna paramagna Pang and Mao 1979)—new synonyms. Henosepilachna (Elateria) Fürsch 1964 (type species: Coccinella elaterii Rossi 1794) is removed from synomyms of Henosepilachna Li 1961 [type species, Coccinella sparsa Herbst 1786 (=Coccinella vigintioctopunctata Fabricius 1775)] and is synonymized here with Chnootriba Chevrolat 1837 (type species: Coccinella similis Thunberg 1781)—new synonym. Coccinella flavofasciata Laporte 1840, Epilachna aequatorialis Gordon 1975, E. bizonata Crotch 1874, E. convergens Crotch 1874, E. cruciata

  13. Preliminary analysis of length and GC content variation in the ribosomal first internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) of marine animals.

    PubMed

    Chow, S; Ueno, Y; Toyokawa, M; Oohara, I; Takeyama, H

    2009-01-01

    Length and guanine-cytosine (GC) content of the ribosomal first internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) were compared across a wide variety of marine animal species, and its phylogenetic utility was investigated. From a total of 773 individuals representing 599 species, we only failed to amplify the ITS1 sequence from 87 individuals by polymerase chain reaction with universal ITS1 primers. No species was found to have an ITS1 region shorter than 100 bp. In general, the ITS1 sequences of vertebrates were longer (318 to 2,318 bp) and richer in GC content (56.8% to 78%) than those of invertebrates (117 to 1,613 bp and 35.8% to 71.3%, respectively). Specifically, gelatinous animals (Cnidaria and Ctenophora) were observed to have short ITS1 sequences (118 to 422 bp) with lower GC content (35.8% to 61.7%) than the other animal taxa. Mollusca and Crustacea were diverse groups with respect to ITS1 length, ranging from 108 to 1,118 and 182 to 1,613 bp, respectively. No universal relationship between length and GC content was observed. Our data indicated that ITS1 has a limited utility for phylogenetic analysis as obtaining confident sequence alignment was often impossible between different genera of the same family and even between congeneric species.

  14. Feeding habits of the Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (L. 1758), in the central Mediterranean Sea (Strait of Messina)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Battaglia, Pietro; Andaloro, Franco; Consoli, Pierpaolo; Esposito, Valentina; Malara, Danilo; Musolino, Simona; Pedà, Cristina; Romeo, Teresa

    2013-03-01

    The study of feeding habits of the Atlantic bluefin tuna was carried out in 123 specimens, ranging from 115 to 222 cm fork length (FL) and collected during spring seasons of 2010 and 2011 in the central Mediterranean Sea (Strait of Messina). The analysis of stomach contents allowed us to identify 91 taxa of prey items, mainly belonging to Teleostea (54), Cephalopoda (20) and Crustacea (13). The percentage of index of relative abundance ( IRI) shows the highest values for the myctophid Hygophum benoiti (% IRI = 22.854) and the stomiid Chauliodus sloani (% IRI = 15.124), followed by the oegopsid squid Illex coindetii (% IRI = 14.316). The broad spectrum of prey items could suggest a generalist behavior of this predator, with several species that occasionally occurs in its diet. However, if prey are grouped into food categories, the importance of mesopelagic and benthopelagic fishes can be appreciated (54.41 % of % IRI). The assessment of the hypothetical foraging rhythm of the Atlantic bluefin tuna highlighted that its feeding activity is concentrated on diel migrating fauna during night and on larger preys upon daylight. The predation on the high-energetic food as mesopelagic and bathypelagic fishes during the pre-spawning and the spawning period may bring an energetic advantage in tuna metabolism and gonadal maturation

  15. Early Miocene amber inclusions from Mexico reveal antiquity of mangrove-associated copepods.

    PubMed

    Huys, Rony; Suárez-Morales, Eduardo; Serrano-Sánchez, María de Lourdes; Centeno-García, Elena; Vega, Francisco J

    2016-10-12

    Copepods are aquatic microcrustaceans and represent the most abundant metazoans on Earth, outnumbering insects and nematode worms. Their position of numerical world predominance can be attributed to three principal radiation events, i.e. their major habitat shift into the marine plankton, the colonization of freshwater and semiterrestrial environments, and the evolution of parasitism. Their variety of life strategies has generated an incredible morphological plasticity and disparity in body form and shape that are arguably unrivalled among the Crustacea. Although their chitinous exoskeleton is largely resistant to chemical degradation copepods are exceedingly scarce in the geological record with limited body fossil evidence being available for only three of the eight currently recognized orders. The preservation of aquatic arthropods in amber is unusual but offers a unique insight into ancient subtropical and tropical ecosystems. Here we report the first discovery of amber-preserved harpacticoid copepods, represented by ten putative species belonging to five families, based on Early Miocene (22.8 million years ago) samples from Chiapas, southeast Mexico. Their close resemblance to Recent mangrove-associated copepods highlights the antiquity of the specialized harpacticoid fauna living in this habitat. With the taxa reported herein, the Mexican amber holds the greatest diversity of fossil copepods worldwide.

  16. Characterizing lesions in corals from American Samoa

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Work, T. M.; Rameyer, R. A.

    2005-11-01

    The study of coral disease has suffered from an absence of systematic approaches that are commonly used to determine causes of diseases in animals. There is a critical need to develop a standardized and portable nomenclature for coral lesions in the field and to incorporate more commonly available biomedical tools in coral disease surveys to determine the potential causes of lesions in corals. We characterized lesions in corals from American Samoa based on gross and microscopic morphology and classified them as discoloration, growth anomalies, or tissue loss. The most common microscopic finding in corals manifesting discoloration was the depletion of zooxanthellae, followed by necrosis, sometimes associated with invasive algae or fungi. The most common microscopic lesion in corals manifesting tissue loss was cell necrosis often associated with algae, fungi, or protozoa. Corals with growth anomaly had microscopic evidence of hyperplasia of gastrovascular canals, followed by necrosis associated with algae or metazoa (polychaete worms). Several species of apparently normal corals also had microscopic changes, including the presence of bacterial aggregates or crustacea in tissues. A single type of gross lesion (e.g., discoloration) could have different microscopic manifestations. This phenomenon underlines the importance of using microscopy to provide a more systematic description of coral lesions and to detect potential pathogens associated with these lesions.

  17. Early Miocene amber inclusions from Mexico reveal antiquity of mangrove-associated copepods

    PubMed Central

    Huys, Rony; Suárez-Morales, Eduardo; Serrano-Sánchez, María de Lourdes; Centeno-García, Elena; Vega, Francisco J.

    2016-01-01

    Copepods are aquatic microcrustaceans and represent the most abundant metazoans on Earth, outnumbering insects and nematode worms. Their position of numerical world predominance can be attributed to three principal radiation events, i.e. their major habitat shift into the marine plankton, the colonization of freshwater and semiterrestrial environments, and the evolution of parasitism. Their variety of life strategies has generated an incredible morphological plasticity and disparity in body form and shape that are arguably unrivalled among the Crustacea. Although their chitinous exoskeleton is largely resistant to chemical degradation copepods are exceedingly scarce in the geological record with limited body fossil evidence being available for only three of the eight currently recognized orders. The preservation of aquatic arthropods in amber is unusual but offers a unique insight into ancient subtropical and tropical ecosystems. Here we report the first discovery of amber-preserved harpacticoid copepods, represented by ten putative species belonging to five families, based on Early Miocene (22.8 million years ago) samples from Chiapas, southeast Mexico. Their close resemblance to Recent mangrove-associated copepods highlights the antiquity of the specialized harpacticoid fauna living in this habitat. With the taxa reported herein, the Mexican amber holds the greatest diversity of fossil copepods worldwide. PMID:27731321

  18. Lethal/sublethal responses of Daphnia magna to acute norfloxacin contamination and changes in phytoplankton-zooplankton interactions induced by this antibiotic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pan, Ying; Yan, Shi-Wei; Li, Ruo-Zhu; Hu, Yi-Wen; Chang, Xue-Xiu

    2017-01-01

    Although the well-known antibiotic norfloxacin (NOR) is recognized as an important environmental pollutant, little is known about its impacts on ecological processes, particularly on species interactions. In this paper, we quantified Daphnia magna (Crustacea, Cladocera) responses in mortality rate at lethal NOR concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg L-1), and in heartbeat rate, swimming behavior and feeding rate (on the green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa) at sublethal NOR concentrations (0, 25, 50 and 100 mg L-1) to determine the effects of this antibiotic in plankton systems. In 96-h-long lethal experiment, mortality rates of D. magna increased significantly with increasing NOR concentration and exposure time. In sublethal experiments, heartbeat rate decreased, while time ratio of vertical to horizontal swimming (TVH) and the duration of quiescence increased in D. magna individuals exposed to increasing NOR concentrations after 4 and 12 h of exposure. These collectively led to decreases in both average swimming ability and feeding rate, consistent with the positive relationship between average swimming ability and feeding rate. Overall, results indicate that, by affecting zooplankton heartbeat rate and behavior, NOR decreased feeding efficiency of D. magna even at low doses, therefore, it might seriously compromise ecosystem health and function.

  19. Quantification of bioluminescence from the surface to the deep sea demonstrates its predominance as an ecological trait

    PubMed Central

    Martini, Séverine; Haddock, Steven H. D.

    2017-01-01

    The capability of animals to emit light, called bioluminescence, is considered to be a major factor in ecological interactions. Because it occurs across diverse taxa, measurements of bioluminescence can be powerful to detect and quantify organisms in the ocean. In this study, 17 years of video observations were recorded by remotely operated vehicles during surveys off the California Coast, from the surface down to 3,900 m depth. More than 350,000 observations are classified for their bioluminescence capability based on literature descriptions. The organisms represented 553 phylogenetic concepts (species, genera or families, at the most precise taxonomic level defined from the images), distributed within 13 broader taxonomic categories. The importance of bioluminescent marine taxa is highlighted in the water column, as we showed that 76% of the observed individuals have bioluminescence capability. More than 97% of Cnidarians were bioluminescent, and 9 of the 13 taxonomic categories were found to be bioluminescent dominant. The percentage of bioluminescent animals is remarkably uniform over depth. Moreover, the proportion of bioluminescent and non-bioluminescent animals within taxonomic groups changes with depth for Ctenophora, Scyphozoa, Chaetognatha, and Crustacea. Given these results, bioluminescence has to be considered an important ecological trait from the surface to the deep-sea. PMID:28374789

  20. Associated macrozoobenthos with the invasive Asian clam Corbicula fluminea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ilarri, Martina I.; Freitas, Fabiana; Costa-Dias, Sérgia; Antunes, Carlos; Guilhermino, Lúcia; Sousa, Ronaldo

    2012-08-01

    The Asian clam Corbicula fluminea is one of the most invasive species in brackish and freshwater ecosystems. In the Minho estuary (NW of the Iberian Peninsula) this invasive species can reach densities up to 4000 ind m- 2, occurring over large areas. C. fluminea can significantly alter the physical structure of the benthic environment, and the structure and functioning of this estuarine community. In this context, this work aimed to evaluate the correlation of different densities of C. fluminea on the macrozoobenthos across five sites in the Minho estuary during three distinct periods of 2009 (winter, spring and summer). The comparative analysis indicate that macrozoobenthic density, biomass and diversity positively respond to increasing density of C. fluminea, with abiotic conditions also playing an important role in the observed patterns, both in brackish and freshwater settings. Crustacea, Insecta and Gastropoda are the main faunal groups responding positively to C. fluminea increasing density. The mechanisms responsible for these positive trends still needs to be established although engineering activities and the increase in waste products may play essential roles. Nevertheless, despite such positive effects, earlier studies have showed that the density, biomass and spatial distribution of some species, especially native bivalves dramatically decreased after C. fluminea introduction.

  1. Composition and abundance of epibenthic-sledge catches in the South Polar Front of the Atlantic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brandt, A.; Havermans, C.; Janussen, D.; Jörger, K. M.; Meyer-Löbbecke, A.; Schnurr, S.; Schüller, M.; Schwabe, E.; Brandão, S. N.; Würzberg, L.

    2014-10-01

    An epibenthic sledge (EBS) was deployed at seven different deep-sea stations along the South Polar Front of the Atlantic in order to explore the composition and abundance of macrofaunal organisms and to identify the most abundant taxa in this transition zone to the Southern Ocean. In total 3,130 specimens were sampled by means of the EBS on board of RV Polarstern during the expedition ANT-XXVIII/3 in the austral summer of 2012. Benthic and suprabenthic Crustacea occurred to be most frequent in the samples. Among those, copepods were by far most numerous, with 1,585 specimens followed by the peracarid taxa Isopoda (236 ind.), Amphipoda (103 ind.), Tanaidacea (78 ind.) and Cumacea (50 ind.). Annelida were represented by a high number of specimens belonging to different polychaete taxa (404 ind.). The molluscan fauna was clearly dominated by Bivalvia (255 ind.), followed in numbers of specimens by Gastropoda (47 ind.). The deep-sea benthos sampled along the Southern Polar Front occurred in surprisingly low abundances, contrasting the largely high surface productivity of the area. Numbers of specimens across different macrofaunal taxa and especially of peracarid crustaceans underscored by far those from South Ocean sites at higher latitudes in the Weddell Sea.

  2. Characterizing lesions in corals from American Samoa

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Work, Thierry M.; Rameyer, Robert A.

    2005-01-01

    The study of coral disease has suffered from an absence of systematic approaches that are commonly used to determine causes of diseases in animals. There is a critical need to develop a standardized and portable nomenclature for coral lesions in the field and to incorporate more commonly available biomedical tools in coral disease surveys to determine the potential causes of lesions in corals. We characterized lesions in corals from American Samoa based on gross and microscopic morphology and classified them as discoloration, growth anomalies, or tissue loss. The most common microscopic finding in corals manifesting discoloration was the depletion of zooxanthellae, followed by necrosis, sometimes associated with invasive algae or fungi. The most common microscopic lesion in corals manifesting tissue loss was cell necrosis often associated with algae, fungi, or protozoa. Corals with growth anomaly had microscopic evidence of hyperplasia of gastrovascular canals, followed by necrosis associated with algae or metazoa (polychaete worms). Several species of apparently normal corals also had microscopic changes, including the presence of bacterial aggregates or crustacea in tissues. A single type of gross lesion (e.g., discoloration) could have different microscopic manifestations. This phenomenon underlines the importance of using microscopy to provide a more systematic description of coral lesions and to detect potential pathogens associated with these lesions.

  3. Evaluating coral reef health in American Samoa

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Work, Thierry M.; Rameyer, Robert A.

    2005-01-01

    The study of coral disease has suffered from an absence of systematic approaches that are commonly used to determine causes of diseases in animals. There is a critical need to develop a standardized and portable nomenclature for coral lesions in the field and to incorporate more commonly available biomedical tools in coral disease surveys to determine the potential causes of lesions in corals. We characterized lesions in corals from American Samoa based on gross and microscopic morphology and classified them as discoloration, growth anomalies, or tissue loss. The most common microscopic finding in corals manifesting discoloration was the depletion of zooxanthellae, followed by necrosis, sometimes associated with invasive algae or fungi. The most common microscopic lesion in corals manifesting tissue loss was cell necrosis often associated with algae, fungi, or protozoa. Corals with growth anomaly had microscopic evidence of hyperplasia of gastrovascular canals, followed by necrosis associated with algae or metazoa (polychaete worms). Several species of apparently normal corals also had microscopic changes, including the presence of bacterial aggregates or crustacea in tissues. A single type of gross lesion (e.g., discoloration) could have different microscopic manifestations. This phenomenon underlines the importance of using microscopy to provide a more systematic description of coral lesions and to detect potential pathogens associated with these lesions.

  4. Timing sexual differentiation: full functional sex reversal achieved through silencing of a single insulin-like gene in the prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

    PubMed

    Ventura, Tomer; Manor, Rivka; Aflalo, Eliahu D; Weil, Simy; Rosen, Ohad; Sagi, Amir

    2012-03-01

    In Crustacea, an early evolutionary group (∼50 000 species) inhabiting most ecological niches, sex differentiation is regulated by a male-specific androgenic gland (AG). The identification of AG-specific insulin-like factors (IAGs) and genomic sex markers offers an opportunity for a deeper understanding of the sexual differentiation mechanism in crustaceans and other arthropods. Here, we report, to our knowledge, the first full and functional sex reversal of male freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) through the silencing of a single IAG-encoding gene. These "neofemales" produced all-male progeny, as proven by sex-specific genomic markers. This finding offers an insight regarding the biology and evolution of sex differentiation regulation, with a novel perspective for the evolution of insulin-like peptides. Our results demonstrate how temporal intervention with a key regulating gene induces a determinative, extreme phenotypic shift. Our results also carry tremendous ecological and commercial implications. Invasive and pest crustacean species represent genuine concerns worldwide without an apparent solution. Such efforts might, therefore, benefit from sexual manipulations, as has been successfully realized with other arthropods. Commercially, such manipulation would be significant in sexually dimorphic cultured species, allowing the use of nonbreeding, monosex populations while dramatically increasing yield and possibly minimizing the invasion of exotic cultured species into the environment.

  5. Introduction to the symposium--barnacle biology: essential aspects and contemporary approaches.

    PubMed

    Zardus, John D

    2012-09-01

    Barnacles have evolved a number of specialized features peculiar for crustaceans: they produce a calcified, external shell; they exhibit sexual strategies involving dioecy and androdioecy; and some have become internal parasites of other Crustacea. The thoroughly sessile habit of adults also belies the highly mobile and complex nature of their larval stages. Given these and other remarkable innovations in their natural history, it is perhaps not surprising that barnacles present a spectrum of opportunities for study. This symposium integrates research on barnacles in the areas of larval biology, biofouling, reproduction, biogeography, speciation, population genetics, ecological genomics, and phylogenetics. Pioneering comparisons are presented of metamorphosis among barnacles from three major lineages. Biofouling is investigated from the perspectives of biochemical and biomechanical mechanisms. Tradeoffs in reproductive specializations are scrutinized through theoretical modeling and empirical validation. Patterns of endemism and diversity are delineated in Australia and intricate species boundaries in the genus Chthamalus are elucidated for the Indo-Pacific. General methodological concerns with population expansion studies in crustaceans are highlighted using barnacle models. Data from the first, draft barnacle genome are employed to examine location-specific selection. Lastly, barnacle evolution is framed in a deep phylogenetic context and hypothetical origins of defined characters are outlined and tested.

  6. Comprehensive Transcriptome Study to Develop Molecular Resources of the Copepod Calanus sinicus for Their Potential Ecological Applications

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Qing; Sun, Fanyue; Yang, Zhi; Li, Hongjun

    2014-01-01

    Calanus sinicus Brodsky (Copepoda, Crustacea) is a dominant zooplanktonic species widely distributed in the margin seas of the Northwest Pacific Ocean. In this study, we utilized an RNA-Seq-based approach to develop molecular resources for C. sinicus. Adult samples were sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. The sequencing data generated 69,751 contigs from 58.9 million filtered reads. The assembled contigs had an average length of 928.8 bp. Gene annotation allowed the identification of 43,417 unigene hits against the NCBI database. Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway mapping analysis revealed various functional genes related to diverse biological functions and processes. Transcripts potentially involved in stress response and lipid metabolism were identified among these genes. Furthermore, 4,871 microsatellites and 110,137 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in the C. sinicus transcriptome sequences. SNP validation by the melting temperature (T m)-shift method suggested that 16 primer pairs amplified target products and showed biallelic polymorphism among 30 individuals. The present work demonstrates the power of Illumina-based RNA-Seq for the rapid development of molecular resources in nonmodel species. The validated SNP set from our study is currently being utilized in an ongoing ecological analysis to support a future study of C. sinicus population genetics. PMID:24982883

  7. Phylogenetic Information Content of Copepoda Ribosomal DNA Repeat Units: ITS1 and ITS2 Impact

    PubMed Central

    Zagoskin, Maxim V.; Lazareva, Valentina I.; Grishanin, Andrey K.; Mukha, Dmitry V.

    2014-01-01

    The utility of various regions of the ribosomal repeat unit for phylogenetic analysis was examined in 16 species representing four families, nine genera, and two orders of the subclass Copepoda (Crustacea). Fragments approximately 2000 bp in length containing the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) 18S and 28S gene fragments, the 5.8S gene, and the internal transcribed spacer regions I and II (ITS1 and ITS2) were amplified and analyzed. The DAMBE (Data Analysis in Molecular Biology and Evolution) software was used to analyze the saturation of nucleotide substitutions; this test revealed the suitability of both the 28S gene fragment and the ITS1/ITS2 rDNA regions for the reconstruction of phylogenetic trees. Distance (minimum evolution) and probabilistic (maximum likelihood, Bayesian) analyses of the data revealed that the 28S rDNA and the ITS1 and ITS2 regions are informative markers for inferring phylogenetic relationships among families of copepods and within the Cyclopidae family and associated genera. Split-graph analysis of concatenated ITS1/ITS2 rDNA regions of cyclopoid copepods suggested that the Mesocyclops, Thermocyclops, and Macrocyclops genera share complex evolutionary relationships. This study revealed that the ITS1 and ITS2 regions potentially represent different phylogenetic signals. PMID:25215300

  8. Richness patterns in the parasite communities of exotic poeciliid fishes.

    PubMed

    Dove, A D

    2000-06-01

    Three species of poeciliids (Gambusia holbrooki, Xiphophorus helleri and X. maculatus) and 15 species of ecologically similar native freshwater fishes (mainly eleotrids, ambassids, melanotaeniids and retropinnids) were examined for parasite richness to investigate parasite flux, qualitative differences, quantitative differences and the structuring factors in parasite communities in the 2 fish types in Queensland, Australia. Theory suggests that poeciliids would harbour depauperate parasite communities. Results supported this hypothesis; poeciliids harboured more species-poor parasite infracommunities and regional faunas than natives (P < 0.0001), despite greater sampling effort for the former. Cluster analysis of presence/absence data for poeciliids and the 6 most-sampled native fishes revealed that parasite communities of the 2 fish groups are qualitatively distinct; the proportion of parasite species with complex life-cycles was lower in poeciliids than in native species, and Myxosporea, Microspora, Coccidia and parasitic Crustacea were all absent from poeciliids. Limited exchange of parasite species has occurred between natives and poeciliids. Logistic ordinal regression analysis revealed that fish origin (exotic or native), environmental disturbance and host sex were all significant determinants of parasite community richness (P < 0.05). Theoretical modelling suggests that poeciliids are at a competitive advantage over native fishes because of their lack of parasites.

  9. Toward a Global Phylogeny of the “Living Fossil" Crustacean Order of the Notostraca

    PubMed Central

    Vanhove, Maarten P. M.; Denis, Carla; Jocque, Merlijn; Timms, Brian V.; Brendonck, Luc

    2012-01-01

    Tadpole shrimp (Crustacea, Notostraca) are iconic inhabitants of temporary aquatic habitats worldwide. Often cited as prime examples of evolutionary stasis, surviving representatives closely resemble fossils older than 200 mya, suggestive of an ancient origin. Despite significant interest in the group as ‘living fossils’ the taxonomy of surviving taxa is still under debate and both the phylogenetic relationships among different lineages and the timing of diversification remain unclear. We constructed a molecular phylogeny of the Notostraca using model based phylogenetic methods. Our analyses supported the monophyly of the two genera Triops and Lepidurus, although for Triops support was weak. Results also revealed high levels of cryptic diversity as well as a peculiar biogeographic link between Australia and North America presumably mediated by historic long distance dispersal. We concluded that, although some present day tadpole shrimp species closely resemble fossil specimens as old as 250 mya, no molecular support was found for an ancient (pre) Mesozoic radiation. Instead, living tadpole shrimp are most likely the result of a relatively recent radiation in the Cenozoic era and close resemblances between recent and fossil taxa are probably the result of the highly conserved general morphology in this group and of homoplasy. PMID:22529967

  10. Filling the gap between identified neuroblasts and neurons in crustaceans adds new support for Tetraconata

    PubMed Central

    Ungerer, Petra; Scholtz, Gerhard

    2007-01-01

    The complex spatio-temporal patterns of development and anatomy of nervous systems play a key role in our understanding of arthropod evolution. However, the degree of resolution of neural processes is not always detailed enough to claim homology between arthropod groups. One example is neural precursors and their progeny in crustaceans and insects. Pioneer neurons of crustaceans and insects show some similarities that indicate homology. In contrast, the differentiation of insect and crustacean neuroblasts (NBs) shows profound differences and their homology is controversial. For Drosophila and grasshoppers, the complete lineage of several NBs up to formation of pioneer neurons is known. Apart from data on median NBs no comparable results exist for Crustacea. Accordingly, it is not clear where the crustacean pioneer neurons come from and whether there are NBs lateral to the midline homologous to those of insects. To fill this gap, individual NBs in the ventral neuroectoderm of the crustacean Orchestia cavimana were labelled in vivo with a fluorescent dye. A partial neuroblast map was established and for the first time lineages from individual NBs to identified pioneer neurons were established in a crustacean. Our data strongly suggest homology of NBs and their lineages, providing further evidence for a close insect–crustacean relationship. PMID:18048285

  11. Characterization of Circular ssDNA Viruses within the Echinoderm Nanobiome

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jackson, E.; Bistolas, K. S.; Hewson, I.

    2016-02-01

    Viral metagenomics has revealed a great diversity and presence of circular single-stranded(ss) DNA viruses most similar to the viral family Circoviridae in various environments both ambient and host. These viruses are an emerging paradigm in viral discovery amongst aquatic invertebrates mainly from the sub-phlya Crustacea and to a lesser extent the phylum Echinodermata. This parasite-host relationship is furthered here with the discovery of circo-like viruses extracted from the tissue of members from the family Holothuroidea (sea cucumbers). Verification and presence of these viruses within the tissue of the host was confirmed through rigorous genome architecture screening and PCR amplification of the rep gene from unamplified viral DNA extracts. Phylogenetic analysis of the rep gene reveals high similarity to circular ssDNA viruses from environmental metagenomic surveys of marine habitats. The significance of these findings is changing the perception and understanding of circular ssDNA viruses by broadening the known host range and blurring certain defining characteristics established by their pathogenic counterparts. Aside from discover and characterization, the potential ecological impacts of ssDNA viruses upon their host remains relatively unknown and further investigations should aim to determine the pathology, route of infection, and ecological implications of viral infection.

  12. Long-term studies (1871-2000) on acidification and recovery of lakes in the Bohemian Forest (central Europe).

    PubMed

    Vrba, Jaroslav; Kopácek, Jirí; Fott, Jan; Kohout, Leos; Nedbalová, Linda; Prazáková, Miroslava; Soldán, Tomás; Schaumburg, Jochen

    2003-07-01

    This paper evaluates long-term changes in the atmospheric depositions of S and N compounds, lake water quality, and biodiversity at eight glacial lakes in the Bohemian Forest over the past 130 years. This time interval covers (i) the 'background' pre-acidification status of the lakes, (ii) a period of changes in the communities that can be partly explained by introduction of fish, (iii) a period of strong lake acidification with its adverse impacts on the communities, (iv) the lake reversal from acidity, which includes the recent status of the lakes. The lake water chemistry has followed-with a characteristic hysteresis-both the sharp increase and decline in the deposition trends of strong anions. Remarkable changes in biota have mirrored the changing water quality. Fish became extinct and most species of zooplankton (Crustacea) and benthos (Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera) retreated due to the lake water acidification. Independent of ongoing chemical reversal, microorganisms remain dominant in the recent plankton biomass as well as in controlling the pelagic food webs. The first signs of the forthcoming biological recovery have already been evidenced in some lakes, such as the population of Ceriodaphnia quadrangula (Cladocera) returning into the pelagial of one lake or the increase in both phytoplankton biomass and rotifer numbers in another lake.

  13. Lighten up the dark: metazoan parasites as indicators for the ecology of Antarctic crocodile icefish (Channichthyidae) from the north-west Antarctic Peninsula.

    PubMed

    Kuhn, Thomas; Zizka, Vera M A; Münster, Julian; Klapper, Regina; Mattiucci, Simonetta; Kochmann, Judith; Klimpel, Sven

    2018-01-01

    Due to its remote and isolated location, Antarctica is home to a unique diversity of species. The harsh conditions have shaped a primarily highly adapted endemic fauna. This includes the notothenioid family Channichthyidae. Their exceptional physiological adaptations have made this family of icefish the focus of many studies. However, studies on their ecology, especially on their parasite fauna, are comparatively rare. Parasites, directly linked to the food chain, can function as biological indicators and provide valuable information on host ecology (e.g., trophic interactions) even in remote habitats with limited accessibility, such as the Southern Ocean. In the present study, channichthyid fish ( Champsocephalus gunnari : n = 25, Chaenodraco wilsoni : n = 33, Neopagetopsis ionah : n = 3, Pagetopsis macropterus : n = 4, Pseudochaenichthys georgianus : n = 15) were collected off South Shetland Island, Elephant Island, and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula (CCAML statistical subarea 48.1). The parasite fauna consisted of 14 genera and 15 species, belonging to the six taxonomic groups including Digenea (four species), Nematoda (four), Cestoda (two), Acanthocephala (one), Hirudinea (three), and Copepoda (one). The stomach contents were less diverse with only Crustacea (Euphausiacea, Amphipoda) recovered from all examined fishes. Overall, 15 new parasite-host records could be established, and possibly a undescribed genotype or even species might exist among the nematodes.

  14. Non-Traditional Vectors for Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning

    PubMed Central

    Deeds, Jonathan R.; Landsberg, Jan H.; Etheridge, Stacey M.; Pitcher, Grant C.; Longan, Sara Watt

    2008-01-01

    Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), due to saxitoxin and related compounds, typically results from the consumption of filter-feeding molluscan shellfish that concentrate toxins from marine dinoflagellates. In addition to these microalgal sources, saxitoxin and related compounds, referred to in this review as STXs, are also produced in freshwater cyanobacteria and have been associated with calcareous red macroalgae. STXs are transferred and bioaccumulate throughout aquatic food webs, and can be vectored to terrestrial biota, including humans. Fisheries closures and human intoxications due to STXs have been documented in several non-traditional (i.e. non-filter-feeding) vectors. These include, but are not limited to, marine gastropods, both carnivorous and grazing, crustacea, and fish that acquire STXs through toxin transfer. Often due to spatial, temporal, or a species disconnection from the primary source of STXs (bloom forming dinoflagellates), monitoring and management of such non-traditional PSP vectors has been challenging. A brief literature review is provided for filter feeding (traditional) and non-filter feeding (non-traditional) vectors of STXs with specific reference to human effects. We include several case studies pertaining to management actions to prevent PSP, as well as food poisoning incidents from STX(s) accumulation in non-traditional PSP vectors. PMID:18728730

  15. Toxicity of leachate from weathering plastics: An exploratory screening study with Nitocra spinipes.

    PubMed

    Bejgarn, Sofia; MacLeod, Matthew; Bogdal, Christian; Breitholtz, Magnus

    2015-08-01

    Between 60% and 80% of all marine litter is plastic. Leachate from plastics has previously been shown to cause acute toxicity in the freshwater species Daphnia magna. Here, we present an initial screening of the marine environmental hazard properties of leachates from weathering plastics to the marine harpacticoid copepod [Crustacea] Nitocra spinipes. Twenty-one plastic products made of different polymeric materials were leached and irradiated with artificial sunlight. Eight of the twenty-one plastics (38%) produced leachates that caused acute toxicity. Differences in toxicity were seen for different plastic products, and depending on the duration of irradiation. There was no consistent trend in how toxicity of leachate from plastics changed as a function of irradiation time. Leachate from four plastics became significantly more toxic after irradiation, two became significantly less toxic and two did not change significantly. Analysis of leachates from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) by liquid chromatography coupled to a full-scan high-resolution mass spectrometer showed that the leachates were a mixture of substances, but did not show evidence of degradation of the polymer backbone. This screening study demonstrates that leachates from different plastics differ in toxicity to N. spinipes and that the toxicity varies under simulated weathering. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  16. Quantification of bioluminescence from the surface to the deep sea demonstrates its predominance as an ecological trait

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martini, Séverine; Haddock, Steven H. D.

    2017-04-01

    The capability of animals to emit light, called bioluminescence, is considered to be a major factor in ecological interactions. Because it occurs across diverse taxa, measurements of bioluminescence can be powerful to detect and quantify organisms in the ocean. In this study, 17 years of video observations were recorded by remotely operated vehicles during surveys off the California Coast, from the surface down to 3,900 m depth. More than 350,000 observations are classified for their bioluminescence capability based on literature descriptions. The organisms represented 553 phylogenetic concepts (species, genera or families, at the most precise taxonomic level defined from the images), distributed within 13 broader taxonomic categories. The importance of bioluminescent marine taxa is highlighted in the water column, as we showed that 76% of the observed individuals have bioluminescence capability. More than 97% of Cnidarians were bioluminescent, and 9 of the 13 taxonomic categories were found to be bioluminescent dominant. The percentage of bioluminescent animals is remarkably uniform over depth. Moreover, the proportion of bioluminescent and non-bioluminescent animals within taxonomic groups changes with depth for Ctenophora, Scyphozoa, Chaetognatha, and Crustacea. Given these results, bioluminescence has to be considered an important ecological trait from the surface to the deep-sea.

  17. Invasion and morphological variation of the non-indigenous barnacle Chthamalus challengeri (Hoek, 1883) in Yangshan Port and its surrounding areas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Yan; Xue, Junzeng; Lin, Junda; Wu, Huixian

    2015-06-01

    Invasive species generally possess unique characteristics that allow them to survive the invasion process in order to establish and spread in new habitats. Successful invaders must resist both physical and physiological stresses associated with the changing environment. A common littoral barnacle, Chthamalus challengeri Hoek, 1883 (Crustacea, Cirripedia), which is native to Japan, South Korea and northern China, has become established in the high-littoral zone adjacent to Yangshan Port, Shanghai, China. A comparison of the morphology of Chthamlus species from Zhoushan archipelago with previous description indicates the occurrence of C. challengeri. The new immigrant becomes a dominant species in certain high-intertidal habitats of the adjacent area to of Yangshan Port. C. challengeri was found in part of sampling sites in Zhoushan in 2010; however, it dispersed to all the eleven sampling sites in 2012. Densities of C.challengeri had increased over 10 times in the last 2 years, with the highest mean value reaching 39533 ± 6243 ind. m-2 in the new habitat. The specific ratios of both operculum area ( Sa) to base area ( SA) and average height of parietal plates ( H) to length of base ( L) revealed that C. challengeri displays morphological changes to resist stronger currents in the new habitats for invasion.

  18. Calcium homeostasis in crustacea: the evolving role of branchial, renal, digestive and hypodermal epithelia.

    PubMed

    Wheatly, M G

    1999-06-01

    Crustaceans serve as an ideal model for the study of calcium homeostasis due to their natural molting cycle. Demineralization and remineralization of the calcified cuticle is accompanied by bidirectional Ca transfer across the primary Ca transporting epithelia: gills, antennal gland (kidney), digestive system, and cuticular hypodermis. The review will demonstrate how a continuum of crustaceans can be used as a paradigm for the evolution of Ca transport mechanisms. Generally speaking, aquatic crustaceans rely primarily on branchial Ca uptake and accordingly are affected by water Ca content; terrestrial crustaceans rely on intake of dietary Ca across the digestive epithelium. Synchrony of mineralization at the cuticle vs. storage sites will be presented Physiological and behavioral adaptations have evolved to optimize Ca balance during the molting cycle in different Ca environments. Intracellular Ca regulation reveals common mechanisms of apical and basolateral membrane transport as well as intracellular sequestration. Regulation of cell Ca concentration will be discussed in intermolt and during periods of the molting cycle when transepithelial Ca flux is significantly elevated. Molecular characterization of the sarco-/endoplasmic reticular Ca pump in aquatic species reveals the presence of two isoforms that originate from a single gene. This gene is differentially expressed during the molting cycle. Gene expression may be regulated by a suite of hormones including ecdysone, calcitonin, and vitamin D. Perspectives for future research are presented.

  19. Calcium translocations during the moulting cycle of the semiterrestrial isopod Ligia hawaiiensis (Oniscidea, Crustacea).

    PubMed

    Ziegler, Andreas; Hagedorn, Monica; Ahearn, Gregory A; Carefoot, Thomas H

    2007-01-01

    Terrestrial isopods moult first the posterior and then the anterior half of the body. During the moulting cycle they retain a significant fraction of cuticular calcium partly by storing it in sternal CaCO(3) deposits. We analysed the calcium content in whole Ligia hawaiiensis and the calcium distribution between the posterior, the anterior ventral, and the anterior dorsal cuticle during four stages of the moulting cycle. The results indicate that: (1) overall, about 80% of the calcium is retained and 20% is lost with the exuviae, (2) in premoult 68% of the calcium in the posterior cuticle is resorbed (23% moved to the anterior ventral cuticle, 17% to the anterior dorsal cuticle, and the remaining 28% to internal tissues), (3) after the posterior moult 83% of the calcium in the anterior cuticle is shifted to the posterior cuticle and possibly to internal storage sites, (4) following the anterior moult up to 54% of the calcium in the posterior cuticle is resorbed and used to mineralise the new anterior cuticle. (45)Ca-uptake experiments suggest that up to 80% of calcium lost with the anterior exuviae may be regained after its ingestion. Whole body calcium of Ligia hawaiiensis is only 0.7 times that of the fully terrestrial isopods. These terrestrial species can retain only 48% of whole body calcium, suggesting that the amount of calcium that can be retained by shifting it between the anterior and posterior integument is limited. We propose that fully terrestrial Oniscidea rely to a larger degree on other calcium sources like internal stores and uptake from the ingested exuviae.

  20. Formation of the hindgut cuticular lining during embryonic development of Porcellio scaber (Crustacea, Isopoda)

    PubMed Central

    Mrak, Polona; Bogataj, Urban; Štrus, Jasna; Žnidaršič, Nada

    2015-01-01

    Abstract The hindgut and foregut in terrestrial isopod crustaceans are ectodermal parts of the digestive system and are lined by cuticle, an apical extracellular matrix secreted by epithelial cells. Morphogenesis of the digestive system was reported in previous studies, but differentiation of the gut cuticle was not followed in detail. This study is focused on ultrastructural analyses of hindgut apical matrices and cuticle in selected intramarsupial developmental stages of the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber in comparison to adult animals to obtain data on the hindgut cuticular lining differentiation. Our results show that in late embryos of stages 16 and 18 the apical matrix in the hindgut consists of loose material overlaid by a thin intensely ruffled electron dense lamina facing the lumen. The ultrastructural resemblance to the embryonic epidermal matrices described in several arthropods suggests a common principle in chitinous matrix differentiation. The hindgut matrix in the prehatching embryo of stage 19 shows characteristics of the hindgut cuticle, specifically alignment to the apical epithelial surface and a prominent electron dense layer of epicuticle. In the preceding embryonic stage – stage 18 – an electron dense lamina, closely apposed to the apical cell membrane, is evident and is considered as the first epicuticle formation. In marsupial mancae the advanced features of the hindgut cuticle and epithelium are evident: a more prominent epicuticular layer, formation of cuticular spines and an extensive apical labyrinth. In comparison to the hindgut cuticle of adults, the hindgut cuticle of marsupial manca and in particular the electron dense epicuticular layer are much thinner and the difference between cuticle architecture in the anterior chamber and in the papillate region is not yet distinguishable. Differences from the hindgut cuticle in adults imply not fully developed structure and function of the hindgut cuticle in marsupial manca, possibly related also to different environments, as mancae develop in marsupial fluid. Bacteria, evenly distributed within the homogenous electron dense material in the hindgut lumen, were observed only in one specimen of early marsupial manca. The morphological features of gut cuticle renewal are evident in the late marsupial mancae, and are similar to those observed in the exoskeleton. PMID:26261443

  1. Light-mediated host searching strategies in a fish ectoparasite, Argulus foliaceus L. (crustacea: branchiura).

    PubMed

    Mikheev, V N; Mikheev, A V; Pasternak, A F; Valtonen, E T

    2000-04-01

    Argulus foliaceus, an obligate fish ectoparasite, can search for its hosts in both light and dark conditions and uses vision in the light. We have examined what searching mode is used at night, when the infection rate was at its highest, and which stimuli produced by the fish are most important. A change of illumination produced a clear difference in the searching behaviour of adult Argulus females. The mean swimming speed and the area explored were 3-4 times higher in the dark, when the parasite employed a cruising search strategy. This changed to an ambush (hover-and-wait) strategy in the light. The swimming activity is accompanied by changes in metabolic costs; the activity of the electron transport system being approximately 25 % lower in the light. The most pronounced light-induced differences in host-searching behaviour took place in moderately hungry parasites (starved for 24-96 h). Less motivated (just having left a fish) or exhausted animals did not exhibit any clear differences in swimming speed. Among the external signals tested, fish smell, from both perch (Perca fluviatilis) and roach (Rutilus rutilus), induced an elevated swimming speed of the parasite. Periodic water movements caused similar but weaker effects. The effects of these stimuli were observed under both light and dark conditions. We conclude that host-searching behaviour of A. foliaceus is under internal (state of hunger) and external (illumination and host-induced signals) control and involves all its sensory equipment (vision, olfaction and mechano-reception). Perch (but not roach) reduced their swimming speed in the dark, which make them more susceptible to cruising Argulus. Thus the behavioural interplay between hosts and parasites can also influence the infection rate of A. foliaceus found on perch and roach in Finnish lakes.

  2. Zoogeography of epigean freshwater Amphipoda (Crustacea) in Romania: fragmented distributions and wide altitudinal variability.

    PubMed

    Copilaș-Ciocianu, Denis; Grabowski, Michał; Pârvulescu, Lucian; Petrusek, Adam

    2014-12-08

    Inland epigean freshwater amphipods of Romania are diverse and abundant for this region has a favourable geographical position between the Balkans and the Black Sea. Excluding Ponto-Caspian species originating in brackish waters and freshwater subterranean taxa, there are 11 formally recognized epigean freshwater species recorded from this country. They belong to 3 genera, each representing a different family: Gammarus (Gammaridae, 8 species or species complexes), Niphargus (Niphargidae, 2 epigean species) and Synurella (Crangonyctidae, one species). Their large-scale distribution patterns nevertheless remain obscure due to insufficient data, consequently limiting biogeographical interpretations. We provide extensive new data with high resolution distribution maps, thus improving the knowledge of the ranges of these taxa. Gammarus species display substantial altitudinal variability and patchy, fragmented distribution patterns. They occur abundantly, particularly in springs and streams, from lowlands to sub-mountainous and mountainous regions. In the light of recent molecular research, we hypothesize that the complex geomorphological dynamics of the Carpathian region during the Late Tertiary probably contributed to their allopatric distribution pattern. Contrasting with Gammarus, the genera Niphargus and Synurella exhibit low altitudinal variability, broad ecological valences and overlapping distributions, being widespread throughout the lowlands. The current distribution of N. hrabei and N. valachicus seems to be linked to the extent of the Paratethys during the Early Pliocene or Pleistocene. We further discuss the taxonomic validity of two synonymized and one apparently undescribed taxon, and provide an updated pictorial identification key that includes all taxa and forms discussed in our study. The mosaic distribution of epigean freshwater amphipod species in Romania shows that this region is particularly suitable for phylo- and biogeographical analyses of this group.

  3. Active and passive migration in boring isopods Limnoria spp. (Crustacea, Peracarida) from kelp holdfasts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miranda, Leonardo; Thiel, Martin

    2008-10-01

    Many boring isopods inhabit positively buoyant substrata (wood and algae), which float after detachment, permitting passive migration of inhabitants. Based on observations from previous studies, it was hypothesized that juvenile, subadult and male isopods migrate actively, and will rapidly abandon substrata after detachment. In contrast, reproductive females and small offspring were predicted to remain in floating substrata and thus have a high probability to disperse passively via rafting. In order to test this hypothesis, a colonization and an emigration experiment were conducted with giant kelp ( Macrocystis integrifolia), the holdfasts of which are inhabited by boring isopods from the genus Limnoria. A survey of benthic substrata in the kelp forest confirmed that limnoriids inhabited the holdfasts and did not occur in holdfast-free samples. Results of the colonization experiment showed that all life history stages of the boring isopods immigrated into young, largely uncolonized holdfasts, and after 16 weeks all holdfasts were densely colonized. In the emigration experiment, all life history stages of the isopods rapidly abandoned the detached holdfasts — already 5 min after detachment only few individuals remained in the floating holdfasts. After this initial rapid emigration of isopods, little changes in isopod abundance occurred during the following 24 h, and at the end of the experiment some individuals of all life history stages still remained in the holdfasts. These results indicate that all life history stages of Limnoria participate in both active migration and passive dispersal. It is discussed that storm-related dynamics within kelp forests may contribute to intense mixing of local populations of these burrow-dwelling isopods, and that most immigrants to young holdfasts probably are individuals emigrating from old holdfasts detached during storm events. The fact that some individuals of all life history stages and both sexes remain in floating holdfasts suggests that limnoriids could successfully reproduce during rafting journeys in floating kelp, facilitating long-distance dispersal. We propose that the coexistence of different modes of dispersal (short distance local migrations and long-distance regional dispersal) within these kelp-dwelling isopods might be advantageous in an environment where unpredictable El Niño events can cause extinction of local kelp forests.

  4. Description of two new species of Neotanais Beddard, 1886 (Crustacea, Tanaidacea) from KODOS area.

    PubMed

    Wi, Jin Hee; Suh, Hae Lip; Yu, Ok Hwan

    2015-03-05

    Two new species of Neotanais Beddard, 1886 are described from the Korea Deep Ocean Study (KODOS) area in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, based on the collections performed on board R/V Onnuri from a depth of 5180 m. Neotanais triqueturus n. sp. is similar to the 'pfaffi group' characterized by pereonites with a swollen distolateral margin, pleonites with mid-ventral spurs and tapered lateral margins but can be differentiated by a longer cephalothorax (length: width 1.6: 1), a cheliped with a large protrusion on the mid-dorsal margin of the fixed finger, and the presence of a ventral process on the cheliped carpus. Neotanais brevis n. sp. has the characteristics of the 'micromopher' group, with pleonites narrower than pereon, a cheliped carpus without a ventral process, and a uropod endopod with nine articles but can be differentiated by a combination of the pleonites without mid-ventral spurs, a relatively longer pleotelson (length: width 1: 1.5 vs. 1: 2), a uropod basis with one seta on each of the ventral and dorsal margins, and the cheliped fixed finger with proximal denticles. In this study, in order to prove N. triqueturus and N. brevis were new species, full descriptions and a comparison with the closely related species are given. In addition, comprehensive comparisons with the species of Neotanais from the east-central Pacific are tabulated and discussed.

  5. First record of Ianiropsis cf. serricaudis in Maryland Coastal Bays, USA (Crustacea, Peracarida, Janiridae)

    PubMed Central

    Morales-Núñez, Andrés G; Chigbu, Paulinus

    2018-01-01

    Abstract During monthly sampling of benthic invertebrates at 13 stations in the Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs) from March to December 2012, a total of 29 individuals of Ianiropsis cf. serricaudis were collected. This species is being reported for the first time in MCBs. A detailed illustration and description of an adult male of I. cf. serricaudis from MCBs is presented. An illustrated key of males of Ianiropsis species belonging to the palpalis-group is also presented. The size of the largest male was 3.0 mm and that of the largest female was 2.5 mm. It is possible that I. cf. serricaudis was present in the MCBs, but overlooked during previous surveys of marine benthic invertebrates in the area because of its small body size and lack of taxonomic expertise. PMID:29674907

  6. Molecular phylogeny of Pasiphaeidae (Crustacea, Decapoda, Caridea) reveals systematic incongruence of the current classification.

    PubMed

    Liao, Yunshi; De Grave, Sammy; Ho, Tsz Wai; Ip, Brian H Y; Tsang, Ling Ming; Chan, Tin-Yam; Chu, Ka Hou

    2017-10-01

    Caridean shrimps constitute one of the most diverse groups of decapod crustaceans, notwithstanding their poorly resolved infraordinal relationships. One of the systematically controversial families in Caridea is the predominantly pelagic Pasiphaeidae, comprises 101 species in seven genera. Pasiphaeidae species exhibit high morphological disparity, as well as ecological niche width, inhabiting shallow to very deep waters (>4000m). The present work presents the first molecular phylogeny of the family, based on a combined dataset of six mitochondrial and nuclear gene markers (12S rDNA, 16S rDNA, histone 3, sodium-potassium ATPase α-subunit, enolase and ATP synthase β-subunit) from 33 species belonged to six genera of Pasiphaeidae with 19 species from 12 other caridean families as outgroup taxa. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses conducted on the concatenated dataset of 2265bp suggest the family Pasiphaeidae is not monophyletic, with Psathyrocaris more closely related to other carideans than to the other five pasiphaeid genera included in this analysis. Leptochela occupies a sister position to the remaining genera and is genetically quite distant from them. At the generic level, the analysis supports the monophyly of Pasiphaea, Leptochela and Psathyrocaris, while Eupasiphae is shown to be paraphyletic, closely related to Parapasiphae and Glyphus. The present molecular result strongly implies that certain morphological characters used in the present systematic delineation within Pasiphaeidae may not be synapomorphies and the classification within the family needs to be urgently revised. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Acute and chronic effects of heavy metals and cyanide on Mysidopsis bahia (crustacea:mysidacea)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lussier, S.M.; Gentile, J.H.; Walker, J.

    1985-01-01

    Acute and whole life-cycle toxicity tests were conducted with the estuarine mysid shrimp, Mysidopsis bahia, exposed to cyanide and selected heavy metals. Acute toxicity values (96h LC50) ranged from 3.5 micrograms/1 for mercury to 3130 micrograms/1 for lead, and were ranked in order of toxicity: (greatest)Hg, Cd, Cu, Cn, Ag, Sn, Ni, As, Cr, and Pb(least). The chronic toxicity values ranged from 1.2 micrograms/1 for mercury to 893 micrograms/1 for arsenic. Chronic values were calculated from either survival, time to first reproduction, or number of young produced. When acute toxicity data for the same chemical are compared, M. bahia ismore » consistently among the more sensitive marine species. Lack of comparable data precludes a similar observation with chronic tests. Examination of the relative sensitivity of the chronic responses indicates that only for cadmium was survival more sensitive than reproduction.« less

  8. Five Sarsiellidae ostracods (Crustacea: Myodocopida) from the South Coast of Korea (East China Sea).

    PubMed

    Karanovic, Ivana; Soh, Ho-Young

    2015-04-17

    The East China Sea is part of the Warm Temperate Northwest Pacific zoogeographic province and, as such, has a high biodiversity and many tropical and subtropical biotic elements. Nevertheless, many invertebrate groups from this area remain poorly studied. Ostracods are one of them, especially those belonging to the subclass Myodocopa. In this paper we provide the first data on a diverse myodocopid family, Sarsiellidae, not only for the East China Sea, but also for Korea. Five species are reported in this paper from three Korean islands (Jeju, Chuja, and Maemul), and they are only a part of the ostracods collected during this study, indicating a high diversity of the group in this region. Three new species, Eurypylus koreanus sp. nov., Eusarsiella hanguk sp. nov., and Sarsiella nereis sp. nov., clearly stand apart from their respective congeners, mostly by prominent shell characters but also by details of the soft part morphology. Their affinity though clearly indicates a close connection of the region with the more southern zoogeographical realms, especially Central Indo Pacific and partly Temperate Australasia. Two species previously known from Japan (north part of the Sea of Japan and southeastern part of the Pacific Coast of Japan), Sarsiella japonica Hiruta, 1977 and S. misakiensis Kajiyama, 1912, are redescribed. Based on 11 newly obtained COI sequences we construct a preliminary phylogenetic tree, which supports previous hypotheses based on the morphological data, that Eusarsiella Cohen & Kornicker, 1975 is a polyphyletic taxon. With the maps of species distribution provided for each of the three genera, we give an overview of their current zoogeography, and clearly indicate areas that have no data, mostly due to the lack of investigation.

  9. Is acetylcholinesterase a biomarker of susceptibility in Daphnia magna (Crustacea, Cladocera) after deltamethrin exposure?

    PubMed

    Toumi, Héla; Boumaiza, Moncef; Millet, Maurice; Radetski, Claudemir Marcos; Felten, Vincent; Férard, Jean François

    2015-02-01

    In the present study, we explored the possibility of using the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) as a biomarker after deltamethrin (pyrethroid insecticide) exposure with three strains of the cladoceran Daphnia magna. Four calculated time-weighted deltamethrin concentrations (20.1, 40.3, 80.6 and 161.3 ng L(-1)) were compared against control acetylcholinesterase activity. Our results showed that after 48 h of deltamethrin exposure, all treatments induced a significant decrease of AChE activities whatever the three considered strains. However, diverse responses were registered in terms of lowest observed effect concentrations (LOEC: 80.6 ng L(-1) for strain 1 and 20.1 ng L(-1) for strains 2 and 3) revealing differences in sensitivity among the three tested strains of D. magna. Our results suggest that after deltamethrin exposure, the AChE activity responses can be also used as a biomarker of susceptibility (i.e., variation of strain specific response). Moreover, our results show that strain 1 is the less sensitive in terms of IC50-48 h of AChE, whereas it became the most sensitive when considering the EC50-48 h estimated in the standard ecotoxicity test. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Haplotype Frequency Distribution in Northeastern European Saduria entomon (Crustacea: Isopoda) Populations. A Phylogeographic Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sell, Jerzy

    2003-11-01

    The distribution pattern of mtDNA haplotypes in distinct populations of the glacial relict crustacean Saduria entomon was examined to assess phylogeographic relationships among them. Populations from the Baltic, the White Sea and the Barents Sea were screened for mtDNA variation using PCR-based RFLP analysis of a 1150 bp fragment containing part of the CO I and CO II genes. Five mtDNA haplotypes were recorded. An analysis of geographical heterogeneity in haplotype frequency distributions revealed significant differences among populations. The isolated populations of S. entomon have diverged since the retreat of the last glaciation. The geographical pattern of variation is most likely the result of stochastic (founder effect, genetic drift) mechanisms and suggests that the haplotype differentiation observed is probably older than the isolation of the Baltic and Arctic seas.

  11. Additional slipper lobsters of the subfamily Scyllarinae Latreille, 1825 (Crustacea, Achelata, Scyllaridae) from Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Yang, Chien-Hui; Lin, Chia-Wei; Chan, Tin-Yam

    2014-08-15

    Five scyllarine lobsters are recorded from Taiwan for the first time. They are Bathyarctus rubens (Alcock & Anderson, 1894), Biarctus sordidus (Stimpson, 1860), Chelarctus aureus (Holthuis, 1963), Crenarctus bicuspidatus (De Man, 1905) and Petrarctus veliger Holthuis, 2002. The distributions of B. rubens, C. aureus and P. veliger are extended northwards to Taiwan. Distinguishing characters of these five species are illustrated and color photographs of all but B. sordidus are provided. Altogether, nine genera and 17 species of scyllarine lobsters are now known from Taiwan. 

  12. Phylogenetic relationships, character evolution, and taxonomic implications within the slipper lobsters (Crustacea: Decapoda: Scyllaridae).

    PubMed

    Yang, Chien-Hui; Bracken-Grissom, Heather; Kim, Dohyup; Crandall, Keith A; Chan, Tin-Yam

    2012-01-01

    The slipper lobsters belong to the family Scyllaridae which contains a total of 20 genera and 89 species distributed across four subfamilies (Arctidinae, Ibacinae, Scyllarinae, and Theninae). We have collected nucleotide sequence data from regions of five different genes (16S, 18S, COI, 28S, H3) to estimate phylogenetic relationships among 54 species from the Scyllaridae with a focus on the species rich subfamily Scyllarinae. We have included in our analyses at least one representative from all 20 genera in the Scyllaridae and 35 of the 52 species within the Scyllarinae. Our resulting phylogenetic estimate shows the subfamilies are monophyletic, except for Ibacinae, which has paraphyletic relationships among genera. Many of the genera within the Scyllarinae form non-monophyletic groups, while the genera from all other subfamilies form well supported clades. We discuss the implications of this history on the evolution of morphological characters and ecological transitions (nearshore vs. offshore) within the slipper lobsters. Finally, we identify, through ancestral state character reconstructions, key morphological features diagnostic of the major clades of diversity within the Scyllaridae and relate this character evolution to current taxonomy and classification. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Differential chemosensory feeding behaviour by three co-occurring mysids (Crustacea, Mysidacea) from southeastern Tasmania.

    PubMed

    Metillo, Ephrime B; Ritz, David A

    2003-02-01

    Three mysid species showed differences in chemosensory feeding as judged from stereotyped food capturing responses to dissolved mixtures of feeding stimulant (either betaine-HCl or glycine) and suppressant (ammonium). The strongest responses were to 50:50 mixtures of both betaine-ammonium and glycine-ammonium solutions. In general, the response curve to the different mixtures tested was bell-shaped. Anisomysis mixta australis only showed the normal curve in response to the glycine-ammonium mixture. The platykurtic curve for Tenagomysis tasmaniae suggests a less optimal response to the betaine-HCl-ammonium solution. Paramesopodopsis rufa reacted more strongly to the betaine-ammonium than to the glycine-ammonium solutions, and more individuals of this species responded to both solutions than the other two species. It is suggested that these contrasting chemosensitivities of the three coexisting mysid species serve as a means of partitioning the feeding niche.

  14. Siphonoecetini Just, 1983 (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Ischyroceridae) 11: Cephaloecetes schioettei sp. nov. from The Philippines.

    PubMed

    Just, Jean

    2017-05-29

    The new species described below, Cephaloecetes schioettei, is the second siphonoecetine to be recorded from the archipelago region of Indonesia, The Philippines and Papua New Guinea. The previous reports were of Borneoecetes wongi Barnard & Thomas, 1984 from Borneo and from Papua New Guinea by Myers (1995).

  15. Sperm ultrastructure of shrimps from the family Penaeidae (Crustacea: Dendrobranchiata) in a phylogenetic context.

    PubMed

    Camargo, Tavani Rocha; Rossi, Natalia; Castilho, Antonio L; Costa, Rogério C; Mantelatto, Fernando L; Zara, Fernando José

    2017-07-01

    We describe the sperm ultrastructure of six penaeid species, including at least one member of each tribe (Penaeini, Parapenaeini and Trachypenaeini). Fragments of the vas deferens of the Penaeidae Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis, Farfantepenaeus paulensis, Litopenaeus schmitti, Parapenaeus americanus, Rimapenaeus constrictus and Xiphopenaeus kroyeri were fixed and processed according to the routine for transmission electron microscopy. The morphological results were contextualized in an evolutionary perspective using molecular markers for the phylogenetic reconstruction of this group. A phylogram was proposed by Bayesian inference based on 1007 bp of 33 sequences of the combined genes (16S rDNA and COI mtDNA) from 27 dendrobranchiate specimens. Our findings show that morphological differences in the sperm ultrastructures of members among the tribes of Penaeidae can be used as a baseline to understand their evolutionary relationships. Individuals from the Penaeini tribe show plesiomorphic characteristics in the sperm ultrastructure compared to the Trachypenaeini tribe from which they were derived, such as shrimp from family Sicyoniidae. The morphological complexity of the sperm of the different penaeid members corroborated with the genetic phylogeny, which showed different clades for each tribe and the close relationship with Sicyoniidae. The sperm features of the selected species studied here reflected their evolutionary history. These features confirm the previous phylogenetic hypothesis and question the monophyly of Penaeidae, which should be verified in the future with a more complete set of representative members of each tribe. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Checklist of copepods (Crustacea: Calanoida, Cyclopoida,Harpacticoida) from Wyoming, USA, with new state records

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Presentation of a comprehensive checklist of the copepod fauna of Wyoming, USA with 41 species of copepods; based on museum specimens, literature reviews, and active surveillance. Of these species 19 were previously unknown from the state. This checklist includes species in the families Centropagida...

  17. Phylogenomic analysis of Copepoda (Arthropoda, Crustacea) reveals unexpected similarities with earlier proposed morphological phylogenies.

    PubMed

    Eyun, Seong-Il

    2017-01-19

    Copepods play a critical role in marine ecosystems but have been poorly investigated in phylogenetic studies. Morphological evidence supports the monophyly of copepods, whereas interordinal relationships continue to be debated. In particular, the phylogenetic position of the order Harpacticoida is still ambiguous and inconsistent among studies. Until now, a small number of molecular studies have been done using only a limited number or even partial genes and thus there is so far no consensus at the order-level. This study attempted to resolve phylogenetic relationships among and within four major copepod orders including Harpacticoida and the phylogenetic position of Copepoda among five other crustacean groups (Anostraca, Cladocera, Sessilia, Amphipoda, and Decapoda) using 24 nuclear protein-coding genes. Phylogenomics has confirmed the monophyly of Copepoda and Podoplea. However, this study reveals surprising differences with the majority of the copepod phylogenies and unexpected similarities with postembryonic characters and earlier proposed morphological phylogenies; More precisely, Cyclopoida is more closely related to Siphonostomatoida than to Harpacticoida which is likely the most basally-branching group of Podoplea. Divergence time estimation suggests that the origin of Harpacticoida can be traced back to the Devonian, corresponding well with recently discovered fossil evidence. Copepoda has a close affinity to the clade of Malacostraca and Thecostraca but not to Branchiopoda. This result supports the hypothesis of the newly proposed clades, Communostraca, Multicrustacea, and Allotriocarida but further challenges the validity of Hexanauplia and Vericrustacea. The first phylogenomic study of Copepoda provides new insights into taxonomic relationships and represents a valuable resource that improves our understanding of copepod evolution and their wide range of ecological adaptations.

  18. Evolutionary history of true crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) and the origin of freshwater crabs.

    PubMed

    Tsang, Ling Ming; Schubart, Christoph D; Ahyong, Shane T; Lai, Joelle C Y; Au, Eugene Y C; Chan, Tin-Yam; Ng, Peter K L; Chu, Ka Hou

    2014-05-01

    Crabs of the infra-order Brachyura are one of the most diverse groups of crustaceans with approximately 7,000 described species in 98 families, occurring in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats. The relationships among the brachyuran families are poorly understood due to the high morphological complexity of the group. Here, we reconstruct the most comprehensive phylogeny of Brachyura to date using sequence data of six nuclear protein-coding genes and two mitochondrial rRNA genes from more than 140 species belonging to 58 families. The gene tree confirms that the "Podotremata," are paraphyletic. Within the monophyletic Eubrachyura, the reciprocal monophyly of the two subsections, Heterotremata and Thoracotremata, is supported. Monophyly of many superfamilies, however, is not recovered, indicating the prevalence of morphological convergence and the need for further taxonomic studies. Freshwater crabs were derived early in the evolution of Eubrachyura and are shown to have at least two independent origins. Bayesian relaxed molecular methods estimate that freshwater crabs separated from their closest marine sister taxa ~135 Ma, that is, after the break up of Pangaea (∼200 Ma) and that a Gondwanan origin of these freshwater representatives is untenable. Most extant families and superfamilies arose during the late Cretaceous and early Tertiary.

  19. Evolution through cold and deep waters: the molecular phylogeny of the Lithodidae (Crustacea: Decapoda).

    PubMed

    Hall, Sally; Thatje, Sven

    2018-02-27

    The objectives of this work are to use gene sequence data to assess the hypothesis that the Lithodinae arose from ancestors with uncalcified abdomens in shallow waters of the North-East Pacific, investigate the monophyly and interrelationships of genera within the Lithodinae and to estimate the scale and minimum number of biogeographic transitions from the shallow environment to the deep sea and vice versa. To do this, phylogenetic analysis from three mitochondrial and three nuclear markers was conducted using minimum evolution, maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods. The Lithodinae as defined to include North Pacific genus Cryptolithodes may be paraphyletic, with the Hapalogastrinae and Cryptolithodes as sister taxa. This implies that the soft-bodied abdomen of the Hapalogastrinae might not be plesiomorphic for the Lithodidae. Paralomis, Lopholithodes, Phyllolithodes, Lithodes and Neolithodes share a common ancestor, from which the North Pacific Hapalogastrinae did not descend. Lithodid ancestors are likely to have had a north Pacific, shallow water distribution and to have had planktotrophic larvae. North Pacific genus Paralithodes is paraphyletic; P. brevipes is the most basal member of the genus (as sampled) while P. camtschaticus and P. platypus are more closely related to the genera Lithodes and Neolithodes. Genera Lithodes, Neolithodes and Paralomis (as sampled) are monophyletic if Glyptolithodes is included within Paralomis. Lopholithodes is closely related to, but not included within, the Paralomis genus. Paralomis is divided into at least two major lineages: one containing South Atlantic, West African, and Indian Ocean species, and the other containing Pacific and South American species. Several species of Paralomis do not resolve consistently with any other groups sampled, implying a complex and possibly rapid global evolution early in the history of the genus. Relationships within the Lithodes genus vary between analytical methods, suggesting that conclusions may not be stable. Consistently, however, Indian Ocean and Pacific forms-L. murrayi, L. longispina and L. nintokuae form a group separated from Atlantic species such as L. santolla, L. confundens, L. maja and L. ferox.

  20. A new species of seagrass-boring Limnoria (Limnoriidae, Isopoda, Crustacea) from Japan.

    PubMed

    Yoshino, Hiroki; Watabe, Hikari; Ohsawa, Takeshi A

    2017-02-15

    The marine seagrass-boring isopod, Limnoria rhombipunctata sp. nov. (Limnoriidae) is described from the rhizome of Phyllospadix iwatensis seagrass, in shallow coastal waters off Chiba Prefecture, Japan. L. rhombipunctata sp. nov. is distinguished from other Limnoria species by the unique carinae of pleonite 5 and pleotelson, two branched lacinia mobilis of the right mandible, 3 flagellar articles of antenna 1, and triangular epipod of the maxilliped. Specimens of L. magadanensis, a species similar to L. rhombipunctata sp. nov., are re-examined and compared with L. rhombipunctata sp. nov.

  1. Thermal biology of the sub-polar-temperate estuarine crab Hemigrapsus crenulatus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Varunidae).

    PubMed

    Cumillaf, Juan P; Blanc, Johnny; Paschke, Kurt; Gebauer, Paulina; Díaz, Fernando; Re, Denisse; Chimal, María E; Vásquez, Jorge; Rosas, Carlos

    2016-02-15

    Optimum temperatures can be measured through aerobic scope, preferred temperatures or growth. A complete thermal window, including optimum, transition (Pejus) and critical temperatures (CT), can be described if preferred temperatures and CT are defined. The crustacean Hemigrapsus crenulatus was used as a model species to evaluate the effect of acclimation temperature on: (i) thermal preference and width of thermal window, (ii) respiratory metabolism, and (iii) haemolymph proteins. Dependant on acclimation temperature, preferred temperature was between 11.8°C and 25.2°C while CT was found between a minimum of 2.7°C (CTmin) and a maximum of 35.9°C (CTmax). These data and data from tropical and temperate crustaceans were compared to examine the association between environmental temperature and thermal tolerance. Temperate species have a CTmax limit around 35°C that corresponded with the low CTmax limit of tropical species (34-36°C). Tropical species showed a CTmin limit around 9°C similar to the maximum CTmin of temperate species (5-6°C). The maximum CTmin of deep sea species that occur in cold environments (2.5°C) matched the low CTmin values (3.2°C) of temperate species. Results also indicate that the energy required to activate the enzyme complex (Ei) involved in respiratory metabolism of ectotherms changes along the latitudinal gradient of temperature. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  2. Thermal biology of the sub-polar–temperate estuarine crab Hemigrapsus crenulatus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Varunidae)

    PubMed Central

    Cumillaf, Juan P.; Blanc, Johnny; Paschke, Kurt; Gebauer, Paulina; Díaz, Fernando; Re, Denisse; Chimal, María E.; Vásquez, Jorge; Rosas, Carlos

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Optimum temperatures can be measured through aerobic scope, preferred temperatures or growth. A complete thermal window, including optimum, transition (Pejus) and critical temperatures (CT), can be described if preferred temperatures and CT are defined. The crustacean Hemigrapsus crenulatus was used as a model species to evaluate the effect of acclimation temperature on: (i) thermal preference and width of thermal window, (ii) respiratory metabolism, and (iii) haemolymph proteins. Dependant on acclimation temperature, preferred temperature was between 11.8°C and 25.2°C while CT was found between a minimum of 2.7°C (CTmin) and a maximum of 35.9°C (CTmax). These data and data from tropical and temperate crustaceans were compared to examine the association between environmental temperature and thermal tolerance. Temperate species have a CTmax limit around 35°C that corresponded with the low CTmax limit of tropical species (34–36°C). Tropical species showed a CTmin limit around 9°C similar to the maximum CTmin of temperate species (5–6°C). The maximum CTmin of deep sea species that occur in cold environments (2.5°C) matched the low CTmin values (3.2°C) of temperate species. Results also indicate that the energy required to activate the enzyme complex (Ei) involved in respiratory metabolism of ectotherms changes along the latitudinal gradient of temperature. PMID:26879464

  3. A new species of Hyalella from the High Andes of Ecuador (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Hyalellidae).

    PubMed

    Alonso, Miguel; Jaume, Damià

    2017-01-01

    Hyalella cajasi sp. n. is described from high altitude shallow water lakes in southern Ecuador. This is the second representative of the genus recorded in the country after H. meinerti . The new species shares with nine South American species of the genus the display of a smooth, non-processiferous body, a male first uropod with a modified curved robust seta on the endopod, and six pairs of sternal gills. The new taxon can be distinguished from these species based on the presence/absence of eyes; relative length of antenna 1 with respect to antenna 2; presence/absence of short pointed robust seta distally on palp of maxilla 1; number of pappose setae proximally on medial margin of inner lobe of maxilla 2; elongation and curvature of the modified robust seta of endopod of male uropod 1; relative length of ramus of uropod 3 with respect to protopod; and armature and outline of telson, among other features. It seems to be a high-altitude endemic to the Cajas Massif in Azuay Province, being replaced in the same area at lower altitudes by H. meinerti .

  4. A new species of Hyalella from the High Andes of Ecuador (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Hyalellidae)

    PubMed Central

    Alonso, Miguel; Jaume, Damià

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Hyalella cajasi sp. n. is described from high altitude shallow water lakes in southern Ecuador. This is the second representative of the genus recorded in the country after H. meinerti. The new species shares with nine South American species of the genus the display of a smooth, non-processiferous body, a male first uropod with a modified curved robust seta on the endopod, and six pairs of sternal gills. The new taxon can be distinguished from these species based on the presence/absence of eyes; relative length of antenna 1 with respect to antenna 2; presence/absence of short pointed robust seta distally on palp of maxilla 1; number of pappose setae proximally on medial margin of inner lobe of maxilla 2; elongation and curvature of the modified robust seta of endopod of male uropod 1; relative length of ramus of uropod 3 with respect to protopod; and armature and outline of telson, among other features. It seems to be a high-altitude endemic to the Cajas Massif in Azuay Province, being replaced in the same area at lower altitudes by H. meinerti. PMID:29200914

  5. Evolution through cold and deep waters: the molecular phylogeny of the Lithodidae (Crustacea: Decapoda)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hall, Sally; Thatje, Sven

    2018-04-01

    The objectives of this work are to use gene sequence data to assess the hypothesis that the Lithodinae arose from ancestors with uncalcified abdomens in shallow waters of the North-East Pacific, investigate the monophyly and interrelationships of genera within the Lithodinae and to estimate the scale and minimum number of biogeographic transitions from the shallow environment to the deep sea and vice versa. To do this, phylogenetic analysis from three mitochondrial and three nuclear markers was conducted using minimum evolution, maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods. The Lithodinae as defined to include North Pacific genus Cryptolithodes may be paraphyletic, with the Hapalogastrinae and Cryptolithodes as sister taxa. This implies that the soft-bodied abdomen of the Hapalogastrinae might not be plesiomorphic for the Lithodidae. Paralomis, Lopholithodes, Phyllolithodes, Lithodes and Neolithodes share a common ancestor, from which the North Pacific Hapalogastrinae did not descend. Lithodid ancestors are likely to have had a north Pacific, shallow water distribution and to have had planktotrophic larvae. North Pacific genus Paralithodes is paraphyletic; P. brevipes is the most basal member of the genus (as sampled) while P. camtschaticus and P. platypus are more closely related to the genera Lithodes and Neolithodes. Genera Lithodes, Neolithodes and Paralomis (as sampled) are monophyletic if Glyptolithodes is included within Paralomis. Lopholithodes is closely related to, but not included within, the Paralomis genus. Paralomis is divided into at least two major lineages: one containing South Atlantic, West African, and Indian Ocean species, and the other containing Pacific and South American species. Several species of Paralomis do not resolve consistently with any other groups sampled, implying a complex and possibly rapid global evolution early in the history of the genus. Relationships within the Lithodes genus vary between analytical methods, suggesting that conclusions may not be stable. Consistently, however, Indian Ocean and Pacific forms— L. murrayi, L. longispina and L. nintokuae form a group separated from Atlantic species such as L. santolla, L. confundens, L. maja and L. ferox.

  6. A new species of Hyalella from the Andes in Perú (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyalellidae).

    PubMed

    González, Exequiel R; Watling, Les

    2002-06-01

    Hyalella pauperocavae n. sp. from Huancayo, Perú, is described. Five other epigean freshwater amphipods have been described from Peru (excluding Lake Titicaca), but the lack of type material and poor descriptions do not allow the assignment of the species described here to any of the names known for the area.

  7. Fluorescence microscopy study on the cytoskeletal displacements during sperm differentiation in the bush-cricket Tylopsis liliifolia (Fabricius) (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae).

    PubMed

    Viscuso, Renata; Federico, Concetta; Saccone, Salvatore; Bonaccorsi, Bianca; Vitale, Danilo G M

    2016-02-01

    A study by fluorescence microscopy has been carried out on male gametes from testicular follicles, seminal vesicles, spermatophores, and seminal receptacles of the bush-cricket Tylopsis liliifolia, focusing the attention on localization and movements of F-actin and α-tubulin during sperm differentiation, since data in this respect are lacking in the Orthoptera. F-actin and α-tubulin positivity was detected in the testicular follicles, in particular at the bridges connecting spermatids of a same clone and around their nucleus, during the first differentiation stages. During the following differentiation stages in the testes, F-actin was found at one of the spermatid poles and then, during nucleus elongation, at the whole acrosomal region. A peculiar F-actin-positivity was found at the flagellum, more markedly immediately posterior to the nucleus, at the basal body region of the gametes from the testicular follicles and from the other examined districts. Other interesting data from our investigations concerns the α-tubulin displacements during the differentiation stages of the spermatid and a constant absence of α-tubulin-positivity where the centrioles are located. No positivity was also found for both α-tubulin and nuclear markers at the anterior region of the gamete, where the acrosomal wings are localized. Our results, compared with what is so far known in literature for the insects, lead us to assert that microfilaments and microtubules undergo gradual displacements, markedly in the testicular follicles, during the morphogenesis of the male gamete of T. liliifolia aimed to its organization and motility and probably also to its interaction with the female gamete. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Sublethal effects of imidacloprid on the fecundity, longevity, and enzyme activity of Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) and Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus).

    PubMed

    Lu, Y-H; Zheng, X-S; Gao, X-W

    2016-08-01

    The aphid species Sitobion avenae and Rhopalosiphum padi are the most important pests in wheat growing regions of many countries. In this study, we investigated the sublethal effects of imidacloprid on fecundity, longevity, and enzyme activity in both aphid species by comparing 3-h exposure for one or three generations. Our results indicated that 3-h exposure to sublethal doses of imidacloprid for one generation had no discernible effect on the survival, fecundity, longevity, or enzyme activity levels of aphids. However, when pulse exposures to imidacloprid were sustained over three generations, both fecundity and longevity were significantly decreased in both S. avenae and R. padi. Interestingly, the fecundity of R. padi had almost recovered by the F5 generation, but its longevity was still deleteriously affected. These results indicated that R. padi laid eggs in shorter time lags and has a more fast resilience. The change in reproduction behavior may be a phenomenon of R. padi to compensate its early death. If this is stable for the next generation, it means that the next generation is more competitive than unexposed populations, which could be the reason underlying population outbreaks that occur after longer-term exposure to an insecticide. This laboratory-based study highlights the sublethal effects of imidacloprid on the longevity and fecundity of descendants and provides an empirical basis from which to consider management decisions for chemical control in the field.

  9. Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) accumulating Bacillus spp. improve the survival, growth and robustness of Penaeus monodon (Fabricius, 1798) postlarvae.

    PubMed

    Laranja, Joseph Leopoldo Q; Ludevese-Pascual, Gladys L; Amar, Edgar C; Sorgeloos, Patrick; Bossier, Peter; De Schryver, Peter

    2014-10-10

    Low larval survival resulting from suboptimal culture conditions and luminous vibriosis poses a major problem for the larviculture of penaeid shrimp. In this study, a poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) accumulating mixed bacterial culture (mBC; 48.5% PHB on cell dry weight) and two PHB accumulating bacterial isolates, Bacillus sp. JL47 (54.7% PHB on cell dry weight) and Bacillus sp. JL1 (45.5% PHB on cell dry weight), were obtained from a Philippine shrimp culture pond and investigated for their capacity to improve growth, survival and robustness of Penaeus monodon postlarvae (PL). Shrimp PL1 and shrimp PL30 were provided with the PHB containing bacterial cultures in the feed for 30 days followed by, respectively, a challenge with pathogenic Vibrio campbellii and exposure to a lethal dose of ammonia. Prior to the pathogenic challenge or ammonia stress, growth and survival were higher for shrimp receiving the PHB accumulating bacteria as compared to shrimp receiving diets without bacterial additions. After exposure to the pathogenic challenge the shrimp fed PHB accumulating bacteria showed a higher survival as compared to non-treated shrimp, suggesting an increase in robustness for the shrimp. Similar effects were observed when shrimp PL30 were provided with the PHB accumulating bacterial cultures during a challenge with pathogenic V. campbellii through the water. The survival of shrimp exposed to lethal ammonia stress showed no significant difference between PHB accumulating bacteria-fed shrimp and non-PHB treated shrimp. The data illustrate that bacilli capable of accumulating PHB can provide beneficial effects to P. monodon post-larvae during culture in terms of growth performance, survival and resistance against pathogenic infection and ammonia stress. Further investigations are required to verify the PHB effect of the bacterial cultures on the shrimp. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. The Biology and Control of the Greater Wax Moth, Galleria mellonella.

    PubMed

    Kwadha, Charles A; Ong'amo, George O; Ndegwa, Paul N; Raina, Suresh K; Fombong, Ayuka T

    2017-06-09

    The greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella Linnaeus , is a ubiquitous pest of the honeybee, Apis mellifera Linnaeus, and Apis cerana Fabricius . The greater wax moth larvae burrow into the edge of unsealed cells with pollen, bee brood, and honey through to the midrib of honeybee comb. Burrowing larvae leave behind masses of webs which causes galleriasis and later absconding of colonies. The damage caused by G. mellonella larvae is severe in tropical and sub-tropical regions, and is believed to be one of the contributing factors to the decline in both feral and wild honeybee populations. Previously, the pest was considered a nuisance in honeybee colonies, therefore, most studies have focused on the pest as a model for in vivo studies of toxicology and pathogenicity. It is currently widespread, especially in Africa, and the potential of transmitting honeybee viruses has raised legitimate concern, thus, there is need for more studies to find sustainable integrated management strategies. However, our knowledge of this pest is limited. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge on the biology, distribution, economic damage, and management options. In addition, we provide prospects that need consideration for better understanding and management of the pest.

  11. True bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera) as psyllid predators (Hemiptera, Psylloidea)

    PubMed Central

    Jerinić-Prodanović, Dušanka; Protić, Ljiljana

    2013-01-01

    Abstract Data on natural enemies of psyllids are rare and can usually be found in papers about economically significant species. During an investigation of psyllid fauna in Serbia, natural enemies were investigated, too. True bugs were the most numerous among them. From 28 psyllid species, 21 species of true bugs from families Anthocoridae and Miridae were reared. Seven species of Anthocoridae were identified: Anthocoris amplicollis (Horváth, 1839), Anthocoris confusus Reuter, 1884, Anthocoris nemoralis (Fabricius, 1794), Anthocoris nemorum (Linnaeus, 1761), Orius majusculus Reuter, 1884, Orius minutus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Orius niger Wolff, 1811. The following 14 species of Miridae were identified: Atractotomus mali Meyer-Dür, 1843, Campylomma verbasci (Meyer-Dür, 1843), Deraeocoris flavilinea (A. Costa, 1862), Deraeocoris ruber (Linnaeus, 1758), Deraeocoris lutescens (Schilling, 1836), Heterocordylus genistae (Scopoli, 1763), Hypseloecus visci (Puton, 1888), Malacocoris chlorizans Panzer, 1794, Miris striatus (Linnaeus, 1758), Orthotylus marginalis Reuter, 1884, Psallus assimilis Stichel, 1956, Psallus quercus Kirschbaum, 1856, Psallus flavellus Stichel, 1933 and Pseudoloxops coccinea (Meyer-Dür, 1843). The aim of the research was to provide list of true bugs recorded as predators of psyllids in order to preserve their diversity and significance, especially on cultivated plants. PMID:24003311

  12. A comparison of infectivity between polyhedra of the Spodoptera litura multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus before and after passage through the gut of the stink bug, Eocanthecona furcellata

    PubMed Central

    Gupta, R. K.; Gani, Mudasir; Jasrotia, P.; Srivastava, K.; Kaul, V.

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Infectivity of polyhedra of Spodoptera litura multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus before and after passage through the gut of the predatory stink bug, Eocanthecona furcellata Wolff (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) was compared through field bioassay studies. Three sets of E. furcellata were used for bioassays and these were allowed to feed on a single meal of five third instar Oriental leaf worm, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), that were infected with polyhedra before passage, after passage, and healthy (control) larvae 1 day prior to the trial. The predators were subsequently released on cabbage plants that were infested with 100 healthy S. litura larvae. The median lethal dose (LD 50 ) and survival time (ST 50 ) values before and after passage through the gut were not significantly different. Additional mortality due to virus infection increased 13– 17% before and after treatments but within these treatments the mortality did not vary significantly. It was concluded that E. furcellata disseminated the virus through their feces into the ecosystem and infectivity of the SpltMNPV was not altered after passage through the gut of the predator. Abbreviations: NPV , nucleopolyhedrovirus; SpltMNPV , Spodoptera litura multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus; PIBs , polyhedral inclusion PMID:25368052

  13. Oceanographic Currents and Local Ecological Knowledge Indicate, and Genetics Does Not Refute, a Contemporary Pattern of Larval Dispersal for The Ornate Spiny Lobster, Panulirus ornatus in the South-East Asian Archipelago

    PubMed Central

    Dao, Hoc Tan; Smith-Keune, Carolyn; Wolanski, Eric; Jones, Clive M.; Jerry, Dean R.

    2015-01-01

    Here we utilize a combination of genetic data, oceanographic data, and local ecological knowledge to assess connectivity patterns of the ornate spiny lobster Panulirus ornatus (Fabricius, 1798) in the South-East Asian archipelago from Vietnam to Australia. Partial mitochondrial DNA control region and 10 polymorphic microsatellites did not detect genetic structure of 216 wild P. ornatus samples from Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Analyses show no evidence for genetic differentiation among populations (mtDNA control region sequences ΦST = -0.008; microsatellite loci FST = 0.003). A lack of evidence for regional or localized mtDNA haplotype clusters, or geographic clusters of microsatellite genotypes, reveals a pattern of high gene flow in P. ornatus throughout the South-East Asian Archipelago. This lack of genetic structure may be due to the oceanography-driven connectivity of the pelagic lobster larvae between spawning grounds in Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and, possibly, Indonesia. The connectivity cycle necessitates three generations. The lack of genetic structure of P. ornatus population in the South-East Asian archipelago has important implications for the sustainable management of this lobster in that the species within the region needs to be managed as one genetic stock. PMID:25951344

  14. Taxonomy of the subgenus Pseudocypus Mulsant & Rey (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylinini) and eight new species from China.

    PubMed

    He, Liang; Zhou, Hong-Zhang

    2017-10-26

    Eight new species of the subgenus Pseudocypus Mulsant & Rey, 1876 of the genus Ocypus Leach, 1819 (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylinini) are described from China: O. (Pseudocypus) pileaticulminis sp. nov., O. (Pseudocypus) denticulminis sp. nov., O. (Pseudocypus) anguliculminis sp. nov., O. (Pseudocypus) digiticulminis sp. nov., O. (Pseudocypus) alticulminis sp. nov., O. (Pseudocypus) fusciculminis sp. nov., O. (Pseudocypus) nigriculminis sp. nov. and O. (Pseudocypus) recticulminis sp. nov. Line drawings and color illustrations of adult structures and genitalia are given for all new species and the following species recorded in China: O. (Pseudocypus) aenescens Eppelsheim, 1889, O. (Pseudocypus) ballio Smetana, 2007, O. (Pseudocypus) calamis Smetana, 2007, O. (Pseudocypus) densissimus (Bernhauer, 1933), O. (Pseudocypus) dolon Smetana, 2007, O. (Pseudocypus) graeseri Eppelsheim, 1887, O. (Pseudocypus) hecato Smetana, 2007, O. (Pseudocypus) inexspectatus Eppelsheim, 1887 (new record in China), O. (Pseudocypus) menander Smetana, 2007, O. (Pseudocypus) neocles Smetana, 2007, O. (Pseudocypus) orodes Smetana, 2007, O. (Pseudocypus) pelias Smetana, 2007, O. (Pseudocypus) puer (Smetana, 2005a), O. (Pseudocypus) picipennis (Fabricius, 1793), O. (Pseudocypus) rhinton Smetana, 2007, and O. (Pseudocypus) semenowi Reitter, 1887. A key to Chinese species of the subgenus Pseudocypus Mulsant & Rey, 1876 is also provided in the text.

  15. Oceanographic Currents and Local Ecological Knowledge Indicate, and Genetics Does Not Refute, a Contemporary Pattern of Larval Dispersal for The Ornate Spiny Lobster, Panulirus ornatus in the South-East Asian Archipelago.

    PubMed

    Dao, Hoc Tan; Smith-Keune, Carolyn; Wolanski, Eric; Jones, Clive M; Jerry, Dean R

    2015-01-01

    Here we utilize a combination of genetic data, oceanographic data, and local ecological knowledge to assess connectivity patterns of the ornate spiny lobster Panulirus ornatus (Fabricius, 1798) in the South-East Asian archipelago from Vietnam to Australia. Partial mitochondrial DNA control region and 10 polymorphic microsatellites did not detect genetic structure of 216 wild P. ornatus samples from Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Analyses show no evidence for genetic differentiation among populations (mtDNA control region sequences ΦST = -0.008; microsatellite loci FST = 0.003). A lack of evidence for regional or localized mtDNA haplotype clusters, or geographic clusters of microsatellite genotypes, reveals a pattern of high gene flow in P. ornatus throughout the South-East Asian Archipelago. This lack of genetic structure may be due to the oceanography-driven connectivity of the pelagic lobster larvae between spawning grounds in Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and, possibly, Indonesia. The connectivity cycle necessitates three generations. The lack of genetic structure of P. ornatus population in the South-East Asian archipelago has important implications for the sustainable management of this lobster in that the species within the region needs to be managed as one genetic stock.

  16. Further contributions to the Coleoptera fauna of New Brunswick with an addition to the fauna of Nova Scotia, Canada

    PubMed Central

    Webster, Reginald P.; Webster, Vincent L.; Alderson, Chantelle A.; Hughes, Cory C.; Sweeney, Jon D.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract This paper treats 134 new records of Coleoptera for the province of New Brunswick, Canada from the following 41 families: Gyrinidae, Carabidae, Dytiscidae, Histeridae, Leiodidae, Scarabaeidae, Scirtidae, Buprestidae, Elmidae, Limnichidae, Heteroceridae, Ptilodactylidae, Eucnemidae, Throscidae, Elateridae, Lampyridae, Cantharidae, Dermestidae, Bostrichidae, Ptinidae, Cleridae, Melyridae, Monotomidae, Cryptophagidae, Silvanidae, Laemophloeidae, Nitidulidae, Endomychidae, Coccinellidae, Corylophidae, Latridiidae, Tetratomidae, Melandryidae, Mordellidae, Tenebrionidae, Mycteridae, Pyrochroidae, Aderidae, Scraptiidae, Megalopodidae, and Chrysomelidae. Among these, the following four species are newly recorded from Canada: Dirrhagofarsus ernae Otto, Muona & McClarin (Eucnemidae), Athous equestris (LeConte) (Elateridae), Ernobius opicus Fall (Ptinidae), and Stelidota coenosa Erichson (Nitidulidae). The Family Limnichidae is newly reported for New Brunswick, and one species is added to the fauna of Nova Scotia. Stephostethus productus Rosenhauer (Latridiidae), Tetratoma (Abstrulia) variegata Casey (Tetratomidae), and Chauliognathus marginatus (Fabricius) (Cantharidae) are removed from the faunal list of New Brunswick, and additional records of Lacconotus punctatus LeConte (Mycteridae) are presented and discussed. Lindgren funnel traps provided specimens for 104 (78%) of the species and were the sole source of specimens for 89 (66%) of the species reported here, suggesting they are a very useful tool for sampling Coleoptera fauna in the forests of New Brunswick. PMID:27110171

  17. In vivo evaluation of toxicity and antiviral activity of polyrhodanine nanoparticles by using the chicken embryo model.

    PubMed

    Nazaktabar, Ahmad; Lashkenari, Mohammad Soleimani; Araghi, Atefeh; Ghorbani, Mohsen; Golshahi, Hannaneh

    2017-10-01

    Evaluation of the potential cytotoxicity of polyrhodanine nanoparticles is an important factor for its biological applications. In current study, for the first time histopathological and biochemical analysis of polyrhodanine besides of its antiviral activity against Newcastle disease virus (NDV) were examined on chicken embryo model. Polyrhodanine was synthesized by the chemical oxidative polymerization method. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). Different doses of polyrhodanine nanoparticles were injected into the albumen in 4-day-old embryonic eggs for groups: (0.1ppm, 1ppm, 10ppm and 100ppm), while the Control group received only normal saline. The gross examination of chicks revealed no abnormality. No pathological changes were detected in microscopical examination of the liver, kidney, spleen, heart, bursa of Fabricius and central nervous system tissues. Blood serum biochemical indices showed no significant differences between control and treatment groups. Interestingly, polyrhodanine nanoparticles showed strong antiviral activity against NDV in ovo. These preliminary findings suggest that polyrhodanine nanoparticles without any toxicity effect could be utilized in controlling Newcastle disease in chickens. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Assessment of gamma ray-induced DNA damage in Lasioderma serricorne using the comet assay

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kameya, Hiromi; Miyanoshita, Akihiro; Imamura, Taro; Todoriki, Setsuko

    2012-03-01

    We attempted a DNA comet assay under alkaline conditions to verify the irradiation treatment of pests. Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius) were chosen as test insects and irradiated with gamma rays from a 60Co source at 1 kGy. We conducted the comet assay immediately after irradiation and over time for 7 day. Severe DNA fragmentation in L. serricorne cells was observed just after irradiation and the damage was repaired during the post-irradiation period in a time-dependent manner. The parameters of the comet image analysis were calculated, and the degree of DNA damage and repair were evaluated. Values for the Ratio (a percentage determined by fluorescence in the damaged area to overall luminance, including intact DNA and the damaged area of a comet image) of individual cells showed that no cells in the irradiated group were included in the Ratio<0.1 category, the lowest grade. This finding was observed consistently throughout the 7-day post-irradiation period. We suggest that the Ratio values of individual cells can be used as an index of irradiation history and conclude that the DNA comet assay under alkaline conditions, combined with comet image analysis, can be used to identify irradiation history.

  19. Insects Associated With Jatropha curcas Linn. (Euphorbiaceae) in West Niger

    PubMed Central

    Habou, Zakari Abdoul; Adam, Toudou; Haubruge, Eric; Mergeai, Guy; Verheggen, François J.

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Jatropha curcas has been introduced into Niger since 2004 by International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). This plant is cultivated for its oil, which can be used as a Biofuel. Through direct and indirect insect collection methods, an inventory of the insect associated with J. curcas has been conducted in Western Niger during two rainy seasons (from June to October) in 2010 and 2011. We have identified insects belonging to the following families: Acrididae ( Oedaleus senegalensis Krauss , Oedaleus nigeriensis Uvarov, Heteracris leani Uvarov, Catantops stramineus Walker, Parga cyanoptera Uvarov, and Acanthacris ruficornis citrina Audinet-Serville), Pyrgomorphidae ( Poekilocerus bufonius hieroglyphicus Klug), Cetoniidae ( Pachnoda interrupta Olivier, Pachnoda marginata aurantia Herbst, Pachnoda sinuata Heinrich and McClain, and Rhabdotis sobrina Gory and Percheron), Meloidae ( Decapotoma lunata Pallas), Pentatomidae ( Agonoscelis versicoloratus Dallas, Nezara viridula Linn, and Antestia sp. Kirkaldy), Coreidae ( Leptoglossus membranaceus Fabricius and Cletus trigonus Thunberg), and Scutelleridae ( Calidea panaethiopica Kirkaldy). Origin and potential impact on J. curcas of all these insect species are presented and discussed. The lower insect’s diversity indexes are observed in 2010 and 2011 for Niamey, Saga, and Gaya because of semi-arid character of the Sahelian area. PMID:25528746

  20. Carrion Beetles Visiting Pig Carcasses during Early Spring in Urban, Forest and Agricultural Biotopes of Western Europe

    PubMed Central

    Dekeirsschieter, Jessica; Verheggen, François J.; Haubruge, Eric; Brostaux, Yves

    2011-01-01

    Carrion beetles are important in terrestrial ecosystems, consuming dead mammals and promoting the recycling of organic matter into ecosystems. Most forensic studies are focused on succession of Diptera while neglecting Coleoptera. So far, little information is available on carrion beetles postmortem colonization and decomposition process in temperate biogeoclimatic countries. These beetles are however part of the entomofaunal colonization of a dead body. Forensic entomologists need databases concerning the distribution, ecology and phenology of necrophagous insects, including silphids. Forensic entomology uses pig carcasses to surrogate human decomposition and to investigate entomofaunal succession. However, few studies have been conducted in Europe on large carcasses. The work reported here monitored the presence of the carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) on decaying pig carcasses in three selected biotopes (forest, crop field, urban site) at the beginning of spring. Seven species of Silphidae were recorded: Nicrophorus humator (Gleditsch), Nicrophorus vespillo (L.), Nicrophorus vespilloides (Herbst), Necrodes littoralis L., Oiceoptoma thoracica L., Thanatophilus sinuatus (Fabricius), Thanatophilus rugosus (L.). All of these species were caught in the forest biotope, and all but O. thoracica were caught in the agricultural biotope. No silphids were caught in the urban site. PMID:21867439