A new Chilean species of the bee genus Anthophora Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

The distribution of the anthidiine bee identified as Anthidium undulatum Dours, 1873 extends from the French Mediterranean coastal region across the Adriatic coast and the eastern Mediterranean to the Caucasus and Iran. Examination of the DNA sequence of the mitochondrial COI gene (“barcoding unit”) of 25 specimens from throughout the distributional range revealed the existence of three distinct clades, which are clearly separated with bootstrap values of 99% and 100% in a Maximum Likelihood Analysis. The genetic distance between these groups ranged from 2.6 to 5.0%, while the intra-group distance did not exceed 0.42%. Two of these clades were found to occur in the same habitat in Lebanon. These three clades also differ in some phenotypic color traits, which, however, are not always fully diagnostic. Despite this, a morphometric analysis of six parameters of the head and wings of the males showed that the three genetic clades also form distinct clusters in a Discriminant Function Analysis. The consistent results of the genetic and morphometric analyses, together with the co-existence of two of the three groups, support the recognition of these groups as distinct species. The three taxa recognized at the species level are: A. undulatum Dours, 1873, which has a wide distribution in the Mediterranean and extends eastwards to Iran; A. wahrmani Mavromoustakis, 1948 stat. nov., which is found in the southern Levant; and A. libanicum Kasparek sp. nov., which is known only from Lebanon, and where it seems to be endemic. The results confirm the high diversity of anthidiine bees in the eastern Mediterranean and indicate that the species richness may be much higher than currently known. The sympatric occurrence of genetically and morphometrically distinct forms within the same habitat is considered strong evidence that these are distinct cryptic species, rather than variations arising from local geographic or environmental adaptations.

Monodelphis (short-tailed opossums) is the most diverse genus in the family Didelphidae, including at least 20 recognized species. This paper describes a new species of short-tailed opossum from the lowland forests of Loreto, northeastern Peru. The new species is intermediate in size and coloration between M. ronaldi, a species recently described on the basis of 1 specimen from southeastern Peru, and M. adusta, a more common species distributed across western Amazonia. However, the new species is sympatric only with M. emiliae. Diagnostic characters include overall large size, conspicuously wide buffy stripe on the venter, wide rostrum, narrow postorbital constriction, rounded posterior border of the infraorbital foramen, small and well-separated tympanic processes of alisphenoid, conspicuous posttympanic processes, enlarged canines, small 1st upper premolars, and enlarged cingula on premolars and molars. Whereas morphologically the new species closely resembles M. ronaldi and M. adusta, a phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences (which did not include M. ronaldi) indicates M. osgoodi as its sister taxon. Examination of molecular data also indicates that M. adusta is paraphyletic relative to M. osgoodi and the new species, and that populations currently referred to M. a. adusta and to M. a. peruviana each represent 2 distantly related and clearly distinct species.

Platyrrhinus, comprising 10 species of broad-nosed bats, is one of the most diverse genera in the Neotropical family Phyllostomidae. To evaluate the content and limits of this genus, the phylogenetic relationships among these species and other closely related taxa were examined using a data set of 60 morphological characters including external, cranial, dental, and post-cranial characters. Four species (Carollia subrufa, Sturnira erythromos, Uroderma magnirostrum, and Vampyrodes caraccioli) of the family Phyllostomidae were used as outgroups to test the monophyly of Platyrrhinus and to resolve intrageneric relationships. Parsimony analysis resulted in two most parsimonious trees. The results support Platyrrhinus monophyly with a bootstrap value of 84% and a Bremer support of 3. Three synapomorphies are recognized for the genus. The results also support the recognition of P. umbratus as a junior synonym of P. dorsalis, the division of P. dorsalis into three distinct species, and the discovery of two new species previously considered part of P. helleri and P. vittatus. Taxonomic diagnoses of all the species of Platyrrhinus based on character optimizations as well as descriptions of four new species are presented. This revision brings the total number of species of Platyrrhinus to 14, making it the most speciose genus in the family Phyllostomidae.

The genus Pristimantis has the highest species diversity among all terrestrial vertebrates, with most species observed in the Andean region and the Guiana Shield. Even with the recent description of a new species, only P. latro, P. dundeei and P. zimmermanae occur in the south of the Amazon River. The lack of taxonomists specialized in the field leads to the propagation of dubious terminologies (e.g. Pristimantis sp1, Pristimantis sp2, P. aff. Fenestratus and P. gr. conspicillatus) or even misidentification of species, resulting in erroneous species distributions. In this study, we applied the Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) algorithm for the delimitation of candidate species and values of genetic distances using the mitochondrial marker Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit I (COI), proposed in the barcode methodology, where values greater than 10% are considered as indicative of different species. We found large genetic distances between P. latro and Pristimantis sp1 Unconfirmed Candidate Species – UCS1 (21%), and between P. altamazonicus and Pristimantis sp2 UCS2 (14%). The ABGD method recognized UCS1 and UCS2 as distinct species. Pristimantis sp. UCS1 and UCS2 in the east of the Brazilian Amazon are indicated as candidate species. We suggest greater sampling of Pristimantis sp. UCS1 and UCS2, integrating morphology and bioacoustics to solve the taxonomic status in the east of the Brazilian Amazon.

Betula, the birch, is an important and diverse deciduous tree genus belonging to the family Betulaceae. It is widely distributed in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere in the form of almost 40 species that vary in size from small shrubs to some of the largest deciduous forest trees. Distinct species can be found in North America, Europe and Asia (Table 1) and some of these (B. papyrifera, B. pendula, and B. platyphylla) appear to fill similar ecological niches on the separate continents and have many superficially similar characteristics.

The plant long called Senecio newcombei Greene is a distinctive endemic of the Queen Charlotte Islands, B.C., Canada. Microcharacters, cytology, and gross morphology indicate its affinities with the tussilaginoid group of the Senecioneae and with the East Asian genus Sinosenecio. The new nomenclatural combination is made: Sinosenecio newcombei (Greene) J. P. Janovec & T. M. Barkley. Work on generic treatments for the Flora of North America North of Mexico project has drawn our attention to the problematic Senecio newcombei Greene. The entity was described from a collection made by C. F. Newcombe in 1897 at the site of a Norwegian fishing camp just north of Kaisun on the west coast of Moresby Island, Queen Charlotte Islands, B.C., Canada, and was named in honor of the collector (Greene, 1897). Subsequent studies have agreed that the entity is restricted to the Queen Charlotte Islands, where it occurs on open, rocky, and boggy sites throughout the western coastlands and on the heathy rock-talus slopes of the Takakia Lake alpine region (Barkley, 1962, 1978, 1988; Calder & Taylor, 1968; Douglas, 1982). Greene (1897) treated the entity as a Senecio because of its evident gross morphology, and Barkley (1962) included it within the Aurei speciesgroup as a matter of convenience. Calder and Taylor (1968) recognized that S. newcombei did not fit comfortably among the Aurei but suggested that it might be related to the aureoid S. porteri Greene, a distinctive monocephalous alpine species of the Colorado Rocky Mountains and apparently the Wallowa Mountains of northeastern Oregon. In 1988, Barkley excluded S. newcombei from the aureoid complex and suggested that it might have Asiatic affinities. Since then, generic concepts within the Senecioneae have undergone revision. As recently as 1985, Barkley could argue for maintaining Senecio as a single, diverse genus, and this notion reflected American floristic traditions (Barkley, 1985a, b). Detailed studies, however, have made a compelling case for treating the various segregates as genera; many of them have been long-recognized as sections or other infrageneric groups within Senecio s.1. New data derived from morphological analyses and from biochemical/genetic investigations, plus the rigor of modern phylogenetic theory, combine to favor narrower generic concepts. Recognition of smaller, segregate genera was promoted in the 1970s by Robinson, often in collaboration with Brettell, in a series of papers centered upon the plants of southern North America and eastern Asia (see Barkley, 1985b, and Bremer, 1994, for citations). Nordenstam (1977, 1978) accepted a series of segregate genera in a world-wide catalog presented in connection with the symposium on the Biology and Chemistry of the Compositae, at the University of Reading, U.K., in the summer of 1975. Jeffrey treated the traditional Senecio, s.l., as a series of segregate genera in several papers, culminating in his generic catalog of Senecioneae (Jeffrey, 1992). Bremer also treated Senecio, s.l., as numerous segregates in his monumental review of the Asteraceae of the world (Bremer, 1994). He provided cladograms, based on morphological characters, of the evolutionary lineages within the Senecioneae, as he saw them, and he stressed the morphological distinctions between the subtribes Senecioninae and Tussilagininae, i.e., the senecionoid and tussilaginoid lineages. (The tussilaginoids were called cacalioids and tephroseroids in the older literature.) Barkley et al. (in press) summarized the distinctions among the segregates in these two lineages in Mexico and Central America and offered a justification for regarding them as genera. The senecionoid lineage is characterized by having style branches with separate stigmatic lines, upper stamen filaments with swollen collars (balusterform), anthers often with thickenings in the lateral walls of the endothecial cells, and chromosome numbers based on x = 10 or 20 or numbers derived therefrom. In the tussilaginoid lineage, the stigmatic surface is entire or nearly so across the inner face of the style branch, the upper stamen filaments are cylindrical, the anthers often have thickenings in the transverse walls of the endothecial cells, and the chromosome numbers are NovoN 6: 265-267. 1996. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.104 on Sun, 19 Jun 2016 06:25:56 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms

Two new species of halictine bees are described. A distinctive new species from high altitude in Ecuador is described on the basis of a single male. It appears to fall within the genus Caenohalictus as presently understood, although this diverse genus is badly in need of revision and may not be monophyletic. The concept of Mexalictus is expanded to include a new subgenus, Georgealictus, which appears to be an epiponine wasp mimic with a petiolate abdomen and elongate propodeum. This new subgenus is the sister-group to the nominate subgenus of Mexalictus. Mexalictus (Georgealictus) polybioides is described on the basis of one male and two females, all from high altitude in the state of Chiapas, Mexico.

Comparative genomics and phylogenomics of Campylobacter unveil potential novel species and provide insights into niche segregation

This article summarises the current literature on rabies and the aetiological agents responsible for this disease, which includes all members of the Lyssavirus genus, of which rabies virus ( RABV ) is the prototype species. Members of the orders Chiroptera and Carnivora serve as maintenance reservoirs for all recognised lyssavirus species and knowledge of the diversity, evolution and geographical range of these viruses is continually improving. Many mammalian species, including humans, are susceptible to spill‐over infections from the maintenance hosts. Despite the availability of efficacious prophylactics, once clinical signs develop, the disease is almost invariably fatal. Effective rabies control requires elimination of the disease from animal reservoirs. In developed countries, parenteral dog vaccination and oral vaccination of wildlife have effectively controlled rabies in many regions but socioeconomic factors limit the application of similar measures in many developing countries where the vast majority of human cases are reported. Better understanding of disease pathogenesis and host immune responses is sought in efforts to develop effective therapeutic interventions. Key Concepts Rabies is a neurological disease that can affect almost all mammals and is almost invariably fatal once clinical signs develop. Rabies is caused by all members of the Lyssavirus genus, bullet‐shaped neurotropic viruses with small RNA genomes, which are normally transmitted in virus‐laden saliva through bites. The vast majority of human rabies cases are the result of exposure to rabid animals. Prevention of human disease is undertaken by a regimen of timely post‐exposure prophylaxis. Distinct Lyssavirus species and variants thereof are maintained in dogs in many developing countries and by several wildlife species including foxes, skunks, raccoons, raccoon dogs, mongooses, jackals and many species of bats throughout much of the world. Through a series of viral–host interactions, rabies virus (RABV) has evolved mechanisms that maintain the neural network required for its propagation and spread within the infected host while avoiding clearance by the host's immune system. Knowledge of the diversity of the Lyssavirus genus is steadily expanding with increased surveillance and development of molecular tools to enable rapid characterisation of new isolates. Current vaccines and biologicals are ineffective against the more diverse members of the genus, thereby indicating that novel reagents with broader efficacy may be required for future disease control. Ultimately, control and eradication of rabies will require elimination of the disease from animal reservoirs through the application of efficacious and cost‐effective methods of animal vaccination.

BackgroundAkkermansia muciniphila is a human gut microbe with a key role in the physiology of the intestinal mucus layer and reported associations with decreased body mass and increased gut barrier function and health. Despite its biomedical relevance, the genomic diversity of A. muciniphila remains understudied and that of closely related species, except for A. glycaniphila, unexplored.ResultsWe present a large-scale population genomics analysis of the Akkermansia genus using 188 isolate genomes and 2226 genomes assembled from 18,600 metagenomes from humans and other animals. While we do not detect A. glycaniphila, the Akkermansia strains in the human gut can be grouped into five distinct candidate species, including A. muciniphila, that show remarkable whole-genome divergence despite surprisingly similar 16S rRNA gene sequences. These candidate species are likely human-specific, as they are detected in mice and non-human primates almost exclusively when kept in captivity. In humans, Akkermansia candidate species display ecological co-exclusion, diversified functional capabilities, and distinct patterns of associations with host body mass. Analysis of CRISPR-Cas loci reveals new variants and spacers targeting newly discovered putative bacteriophages. Remarkably, we observe an increased relative abundance of Akkermansia when cognate predicted bacteriophages are present, suggesting ecological interactions. A. muciniphila further exhibits subspecies-level genetic stratification with associated functional differences such as a putative exo/lipopolysaccharide operon.ConclusionsWe uncover a large phylogenetic and functional diversity of the Akkermansia genus in humans. This variability should be considered in the ongoing experimental and metagenomic efforts to characterize the health-associated properties of A. muciniphila and related bacteria.

The bee genus Pasites is recorded from Japan for the first time. Pasites esakii, which has been treated as one of the subspecies of P. maculatus Jurine, is raised to the species rank. Pasites esakii is thought to be parasitic on Pseudapis mandschurica (Hedicke), formerly included in the genus Nomia.

The genus Magnolia, encompassing hundreds of globally distributed species, has a long-standing history in traditional medicine for treating diverse ailments. These species are particularly renowned for their rich array of bioactive compounds, notably alkaloids. This study provides a comprehensive summary of novel alkaloid compounds identified in various Magnolia species within recent years. Through a targeted literature review utilizing Google Scholar and PubMed (2002–2024), we pinpointed nine novel alkaloids and one nitrogen-based compound isolated from four distinct Magnolia species. These newly discovered compounds exhibited promising bioactivities, including significant antiplatelet and anti-acetylcholinesterase effects. Structurally, the majority of these compounds belong to the aporphine and benzylisoquinoline classes, although some display unique configurations, such as glycosidic or N-oxide alkaloids. This review aims to bridge a critical gap in the existing scientific literature regarding the comprehensive documentation of novel alkaloid secondary metabolites found across the diverse Magnolia genus.

The evolutionary history of the old, diverse freshwater shrimp genus Caridina is still poorly understood, despite its vast distribution – from Africa to Polynesia. Here, we used nuclear and mitochondrial DNA to infer the phylogeographic and evolutionary history of C. typus, which is one of only four species distributed across the entire range of the genus. Despite this species’ potential for high levels of gene flow, questions have been raised regarding its phylogeographic structure and taxonomic status. We identified three distinct lineages that likely diverged in the Miocene. Molecular dating and ancestral range reconstructions are congruent with C. typus’ early dispersal to Africa, possibly mediated by the Miocene Indian Ocean Equatorial Jet, followed by back dispersal to Australasia after the Jet’s closure. Furthermore, several different species delimitation methods indicate each lineage represents a distinct (cryptic) species, contradicting current morphospecies delimitation of a single C. typus taxon. The evolutionary history of C. typus lineages is complex, in which ancient oceanic current systems and (currently unrecognised) speciation events preceded secondary sympatry of these cryptic species.

Species phylogeny and diversification process of Northeast Asian Pungitius revealed by AFLP and mtDNA markers

Vibrio is a diverse genus of Gammaproteobacteria autochthonous to marine environments worldwide. Vibrio diabolicus and V. antiquarius were originally isolated from deep-sea hydrothermal fields in the East Pacific Rise. These species are closely related to members of the Harveyi clade (e.g., V. alginolyticus and V. parahaemolyticus) that are commonly isolated from coastal systems. This study reports the discovery and draft genome sequence of a novel isolate (Vibrio sp. 939) cultured from Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas). Questions surrounding the identity of Vibrio sp. 939 motivated a genome-scale taxonomic analysis of the Harveyi clade. A 49-genome phylogeny based on 1,109 conserved coding sequences and a comparison of average nucleotide identity (ANI) values revealed a clear case of synonymy between Vibrio sp. 939, V. diabolicus Art-Gut C1 and CNCM I-1629, V. antiquarius EX25 and four V. alginolyticus strains (E0666, FF273, TS13, and V2). This discovery expands the V. diabolicus species and makes available six additional genomes for comparative genomic analyses. The distribution of the expanded species is thought to be global given the range of isolation sources (horse mackerel, seawater, sediment, dentex, oyster, artemia and polycheate) and origins (China, India, Greece, United States, East Pacific Rise, and Chile). A subsequent comparative genomic analysis of this new eight-genome subclade revealed a high degree of individual genome plasticity and a large repertoire of genes related to virulence and defense. These findings represent a significant revision to the understanding of V. diabolicus and V. antiquarius as both have long been regarded as distinct species. This first look at the expanded V. diabolicus subclade suggests that the distribution and diversity of this species mirrors that of other Harveyi clade species, which are notable for their ubiquity and diversity.