" The description of the female of Ceratoxanthis rakosyella Wieser & Huemer, 2000 (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae), with notes on the genus Ceratoxanthis Razowski, 1960"

Stigmella tatrica sp. n. is described from moths taken in the alpine zone of the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia. The new species is similar to several other montane species of Stigmella Schrank, 1802 in the S. aurella (Fabricius, 1775) group in external characters and male genitalia; its closest relative is S. dryadella (O. Hofmann, 1868). It is indistinguishable from S. tormentillella (Herrich-Schaffer, 1860) by the colour and pattern elements of the forewing; however, it differs in the male genitalia in the shape and number of cornuti, in the female genitalia by long apophyses with protruding ovipositor, and by COI barcodes. Immature stages are unknown, but Dryas octopetala L. (Rosaceae) is the possible hostplant. The long ovipositor suggests an unusual, possibly hidden place for oviposition. The male and female adults and genitalia of both sexes are figured and photographs of the habitat are provided.

<i>Tecia solanivora</i>

Leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) constitute one of the most species-rich insect families, and live exclusively on leaves or other plant parts. Early histological works described the presence of symbiotic bacteria in gut-associated symbiotic organs of some chrysomelid species, but their microbiological nature has been poorly characterized except for those associated with reed beetles of the subfamily Donaciinae. Here we investigated symbiotic bacteria of the leaf beetle Bromius obscurus (L.) belonging to the subfamily Eumolpinae. Specific bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA and gyrB gene sequences were consistently obtained from the symbiotic organs, which radially surround the foregut-midgut junction, of all adult males and females examined. In adult females, the same sequences were also obtained from a pair of genital accessory organs, which are presumably for vertical symbiont transmission. Whole mount in situ hybridization specifically detected the symbiont in the gut symbiotic organs endocellularly and also in the female genital accessory organs extracellularly. In the gut symbiotic organs, the endocellular symbiont cells were small and rosette-like or aggregated and granule-like, whereas in the female genital organs the extracellular symbiont cells were of a condensed form. Molecular phylogenetic analysis showed that the symbiont of B. obscurus constitutes a distinct lineage in the Gammaproteobacteria. Molecular evolutionary analysis has identified significantly accelerated molecular evolution and a highly adenine–thymine-biased nucleotide composition of the symbiont genes, presumably reflecting reductive evolution of the symbiont genome. These results suggest an intimate and stable host-symbiont association in B. obscurus, in which the symbiont may play some important, though hitherto unknown, biological roles in its herbivorous insect host.

PM 7/53 (2) <i>Liriomyza</i> spp.

Objective To collect preliminary data of normal Chinese female genital appearance, to compare the parameters of Han and Uygur nationality, and to present the preliminary data for normal female external genitalia database. Methods This study design recruited healthy females referred to the out-patient clinic for physical examination from October 2014 to March 2015 in Xinjiang Petroleum Geological Survey Department Staff Hospital. The recruitment was based on rigid inclusion and exclusion criteria. Demographic data consists of nationality, age, height, weight, marital status, gravidity, parity, vaginal delivery, and intercourse frequency. Anthropometric measurements were taken in 234 females of Han group whereas 278 females of Uygur group. For each individual 16 parameters were measured. The external genitalia appearance in Han and Uygur nationality was compared. The significance of variations in age, height, weight, BMI, gravidity, parity, vaginal delivery and intercourse frequency were analyzed. Results Primary measurements of Han and Uygur nationality are presented as mean (95% confidence interval). There are many differences in female genital appearance between Han and Uygur nationality. Several parameters were statistically associated with age, BMI, gravidity, parity, vaginal delivery and intercourse frequency. The females with complete labial asymmetry account for 5.6%(13/234) and 5.8%(16/278) in Han and Uygur normal adults, respectively. Conclusions This study presented the external genitalia measurements of normal Chinese female adults in Xinjiang, thus providing the preliminary data for normal female external genitalia database. Females of Han and Uygur nationality have multiple differences in external genitalia appearances. The parameters are associated with age, BMI, gravidity, parity, vaginal delivery, and intercourse frequency. The labial asymmetry is a universal phenomenon. Key words: Vulva; Anthropo-measurement; Aesthetic surgery

BackgroundMating generally occurs after individuals reach adulthood. In many arthropods including spiders, the adult stage is marked by a final moult after which the genitalia are fully developed and functional. In several widow spider species (genus Latrodectus), however, immature females may mate a few days before they moult to adulthood, i.e. in their late-subadult stage. While the “adult” mating typically results in cannibalism, males survive the “immature” mating. During both “immature” and “adult” matings, males leave parts of their paired copulatory organs within female genitalia, which may act as mating plugs. To study potential costs and benefits of the two mating tactics, we investigated female genital morphology of the brown widow spider, L. geometricus. Light microscopy, histology and micro-computed tomography of early-subadult, late-subadult and adult females were conducted to determine the overall pattern of genital maturation. We compared genitalia of mated late-subadult and adult females to reveal potential differences in the genitalic details that might indicate differential success in sperm transfer and different environments for sperm storage and sperm competition.ResultsWe found that the paired sperm storage organs (spermathecae) and copulatory ducts are developed already in late-subadult females and host sperm after immature mating. However, the thickness of the spermathecal cuticle and the staining of the secretions inside differ significantly between the late-subadult and adult females. In late-subadult females mating plugs were found with higher probability in both spermathecae compared to adult females.ConclusionsSperm transfer in matings with late-subadult females follows the same route as in matings with adult females. The observed differences in the secretions inside the spermathecae of adult and late-subadult females likely reflect different storage conditions for the transferred sperm which may lead to a disadvantage under sperm competition if the subadult female later re-mates with another male. However, since males mating with late-subadult females typically transfer sperm to both spermathecae they might benefit from numerical sperm competition as well as from monopolizing access to the female sperm storage organs. The assessment of re-mating probability and relative paternity will clarify the costs and benefits of the two mating tactics in light of these findings.

The Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) albitarsis complex includes six species: An. albitarsis, Anopheles oryzalimnetes Wilkerson and Motoki, n. sp., Anopheles marajoara, Anopheles deaneorum, Anopheles janconnae Wilkerson and Sallum, n. sp. and An. albitarsis F. Except for An. deaneorum, species of the complex are indistinguishable when only using morphology. The problematic distinction among species of the complex has made study of malaria transmission and ecology of An. albitarsis s.l. difficult. Consequently, involvement of species of the An. albitarsis complex in human Plasmodium transmission is not clear throughout its distribution range. With the aim of clarifying the taxonomy of the above species, with the exception of An. albitarsis F, we present comparative morphological and morphometric analyses, morphological redescriptions of three species and description of two new species using individuals from populations in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Venezuela. The study included characters from adult females, males, fourth-instar larvae, pupae and male genitalia of An. albitarsis, An. marajoara, An. deaneorum and An. oryzalimnetes n. sp. For An. janconnae n. sp. only characters of the female, male and male genitalia were analyzed. Fourth-instar larvae, pupae and male genitalia characteristics of all five species are illustrated. Bionomics and distribution data are given based on published literature records.

Sabethes (Sabethoides) glaucodaemon was described for the first time by Dyar Shannon (1925) based on the adult female. Later, descriptions of the male genitalia and parts of the fourth-instar larva and pupa were published by other authors. No one has described the female genitalia or made a complete description of the larva and pupa. The aim of this study was to redescribe Sa. glaucodaemon in the adult stage, including the male and female genitalia, and the pupa and fourth-instar larva. All stages are illustrated. Distinctions from Sa. (Sbo.) tridentatus are discussed.

The Spix’s yellow toothed (SYT) cavy is a species of rodent that lives in Caatinga vegetation of northeast Brazil. The SYT is utilised as a protein source by inhabitants of that region and has zootechnic potential. SYT cavies have been bred in captivity for studies related to reproductive biology. The presence of a penile clitoris trespassed by the urethra was described in the adult female. The aim of this research is describe sexual differentiation events in the male and female conceptus and relate molecular mechanisms of androgen and oestrogen metabolism of the placenta with the differentiation of external genitalia. Conceptuses after 15, 22, 30, 40, &gt;50 (full term) days of gestation (DG; n = 9 males and 9 females at each gestational period) from 30 pregnant females, which were paired with 10 males, were used. After detection of copulation, the above described DG were awaited prior to the day of euthanasia. We performed anatomical description and light and scanning electron microscopy on the genital organs in the conceptus; concentration of testosterone (T) and oestradiol (E) by radioimmunoassay in the pregnant females; and described the immunoreactivity (by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry) of enzymes: cytochrome P450 aromatase, cytochrome P450c17, 17-β-HSD, and 3-β-HSD in placentas of male and female conceptus. The genital organs emerge from a pair of undifferentiated gonads and a genital tubercle at 15 DG. These gonads differentiate into a pair of testicles or a pair of ovaries at 22 DG. The other internal genital organs arise from the urogenital sinus and Müllerian ducts in females or Wolffian ducts in males after 22 DG. The undifferentiated genital tubercle forms the penis in males with the urethra channeling at 30 DG. In females, the urethra channeling is complete after 40 DG with the closure of the urethral groove, and at &gt;50 DG the clitoris has characteristics of a pseudo-penis. Those that are pregnant undergo an increase of E (from 5.456 ± 1.599 pg mL–1 at 22 DG to 107.186 ± 15.966 pg mL–1 at &gt;50 DG) and T (from 122.444 ± 15.799 pg mL–1 at 22 DG to 718.555 ± 67.407 pg mL–1 at &gt;50 DG) concentrations during the gestational period. The concentration of T was a minimum 5-fold higher than the E concentration at the moment of external sexual differentiation. The placentas from the male and female conceptus are immunoreactive for the enzyme 3-β-HSD producing progesterone throughout pregnancy, but these placentas are not immunoreactive for the oestrogen-producing enzyme cytochrome P450 aromatase throughout pregnancy. Conversely, the cytochrome P450c17 and 17-β-HSD enzymes are immunoreactive in the placentas of the male and female conceptus throughout pregnancy, producing androgen hormones. The absence of enzymes that produce oestrogen hormones in the placenta of SYT cavies indicate that testosterone from pregnant reaches the fetal circulation, and associated with the presence of enzymes that produce androgens, may act to increase androgen hormone concentration in the pregnant, which may act in the virilization process of the female external genitalia.

First evidence for the existence of Simkania negevensis in the genitalia of human females

First evidence for the existence of Simkania negevensis in the genitalia of human females

Simple SummaryThe genus Heterogynis, with its wingless females and males with uniformly dull-coloured wings that show the same translucent grey–black colour, is certainly not the most exciting group of lepidopterans. However, this genus is interesting due to its relatively high divergence of DNA barcode. This high molecular divergence indicated that there might be an overlooked morphological diversity beyond the taxonomic characters usually analysed for species identification and delimitation. A new species, Heterogynis serbica sp. n. (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea, Heterogynidae) has been described from the Republic of Serbia, Balkan Peninsula, by applying an integrative taxonomic approach using morpho-anatomical characteristics, linear wing morphometry and DNA barcoding. Male genitalia, SEM analysis of adult male head anatomy, abdominal tergites/sternites, cocoons and habitats of closely related species H. serbica sp. n. and H. zikici are discussed and illustrated. Integrative taxonomy has shown its strength in species delimitation. Here, by integrating the results obtained using comparative SEM analysis, morphometry and COI-based DNA barcoding, it was determined that the individuals found on Mt. Kopaonik belong to a new species for science.The Heterogynidae are a small family of moths consisting of a single genus Heterogynis and sixteen described species distributed in the Mediterranean region. A species new to science, Heterogynis serbica sp. nov., is described from the locality of Srebrenac, Mt. Kopaonik, Republic of Serbia, Balkan Peninsula, by applying an integrative taxonomic approach using morpho-anatomical characteristics, wing morphometics and DNA barcoding. Male genitalia, scanning electron micrographs of adult male head anatomy, abdominal tergites/sternites, cocoons and habitats of the closely related species H. serbica sp. nov. and H. zikici are discussed and illustrated. Photographs of adult males and females, cocoons, plants in which the cocoons were found and habitats are shown. Importantly, marked differences in genital structure and other morphological characters were noted. These differences were confirmed with forewing morphometrics and COI-based DNA barcoding results. Additionally, DNA barcodes for H. serbica sp. nov. and H. zikici were compared against previously available data for the genus to evaluate the phylogenetic relationships. We conclude that deep, previously unknown and unexpected intrageneric morphological diversity exists in the genus Heterogynis.

The 55 known Culicoides species of Kenya, including the adult females of 52 species and the adult males of 46 species, are described. New taxa described for Kenya include C. isechnoensis n. sp. (subgenus Meijerehelea), C. karenensis n. sp. (similis group), and C. nairobiensis n. sp. (inornatipennis group). Three new species of the C. schultzei group are left unnamed. The Kenyan fauna is arranged in five recognized subgenera (10 species), eight species groups (36 species), and nine unplaced species. Comprehensive taxonomic keys are included for adult females and males; and sections in the treatments of each species are devoted to synonymy, type material, diagnosis, descriptions of the adult female and male, subgeneric or group status, larval habitats, adult seasonal and ecological distribution, host preferences and biting habits, medical importance (if appropriate), geographic distribution, and material examined. Line drawing illustrations of females of 52 species and males of 45 species are presented; they include the head, antenna, maxillary palpus, mandible, legs, wing, and spermathecae of females, and the genitalia of males.

Ovary-containing inguinal hernia is a rare condition in women of reproductive age. It is occasionally found in young females, with sonography used to make the diagnosis1, 2. We report a case in which high-frequency ultrasonography was used to diagnose an inguinal hernia containing the left ovary in an adult female. A 28-year-old woman, who was otherwise healthy, presented with a palpable painless mass in her left groin. The mass had been present for 20 years but had recently dramatically increased in size. On physical examination a 5 × 3-cm non-reducible mass was noted in her left groin. Sonographic examination using a linear probe (7.5 MHz) showed a heterogeneous mass with multiple small sonolucent cysts (Figure 1), indicating that it was one of the ovaries. In addition, a hyperechoic portion of the mass surrounded by an arterial flow with a low resistance index of 0.45 (Figure 2) was observed on color Doppler ultrasonography, consistent with the presence of a corpus luteum. Further transabdominal sonographic scans (transvesical view) of the pelvis revealed the absence of the left ovary in the left lower pelvis, with a normal uterus and right ovary in their normal anatomic locations. It was concluded that the left ovary was located in the left inguinal canal, a diagnosis that was confirmed by surgical exploration. Gray-scale ultrasound image showing a heterogeneous mass—the left ovary—in the left inguinal region. The hyperechoic structure (arrows) is a corpus luteum. (a) Color Doppler ultrasound image demonstrating blood flow inside the ovary located in the inguinal hernia. (b) Pulsed wave Doppler ultrasound image showing a flow velocity waveform from the corpus luteum, with a low resistance index of 0.45. The presence of an inguinal hernia containing genital organs in females is usually due to an incomplete closure of the processus vaginalis of the peritoneum during embryogenesis2, when the processus vaginalis along with the round ligament of the uterus pass through the inguinal canal towards the labia majora. The contents of this type of hernia can include unilateral or bilateral ovaries, Fallopian tubes and even the uterus3, 4. There is evidence that the presence of this condition in female infants or teenagers might warrant subsequent surgical management. However, it is seldom reported in adult females. The morphological characteristics of the ovary in the hernia sac in our case, as assessed on sonographic examination, are exceptional because of the formation of a corpus luteum after ovulation according to the menstrual cycle of the patient, which provided ovarian functional information that could not be obtained in the young females described in previous reports. Clinically, different types of masses in the inguinal area have various characteristics5, 6. Therefore, the differential diagnosis of masses in the inguinal region is broad. Physical examination alone will not always provide a definitive diagnosis, and sonography can add valuable information to clinical diagnosis7, 8. In adult females cystic masses in the groin area are sometimes misdiagnosed owing to similarities in the morphological characteristics of the cystic portions of lesions. Mesothelial cyst of the round ligament, endometriosis and ovary-containing hernia are rare conditions in the inguinal area, and should be included in the differential diagnosis. Using color Doppler imaging in our case we detected vascular characteristics indicating herniation of the ovary, which can be differentiated from a round ligament cyst that shows minimal vascularity in the cyst wall or septa9. In addition, a history of groin pain during menstruation10 might be helpful in identifying inguinal endometriosis rather than herniated ovary or round ligament cyst. In summary, although ovary-containing inguinal hernia is seldom encountered by sonographers in adult females, in this case high-frequency color Doppler ultrasonography coupled with clinical information allowed a definitive diagnosis of this unusual condition. L. Yao*, Y. Mou*, H.-X. Wang*, * Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, #79, Qingchun Road, Hangzhou 310003, People's Republic of China

4 Abstract: Spotted buffalo is an exotic animal in Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Population of this animal is predicted to decline due to high rate of male to be slaughtered at traditional ceremonies as well as female reproductive characteristic. The aim of the study was to observe ovarian function of this animal through fecal estradiol and progesterone measurements. Fecal samples from four adult females were collected every two days for 60 days, then were analyzed using ELISA for estradiol and progesterone. Vulval swelling and sexual behavior were also observed. The results showed fluctuations in both estradiol and progesterone profiles in all females and represented ovarian cyclicity particularly in two females with the length of follicular phase 9-11 days and luteal phase 11-13 days. Estradiol concentrations were ranging from 51.94 ng/g DW to 224.03 ng/g DW during follicular phase and the minimal concentration of progesterone was 0.6 ng/g DW and reach the peak at 11.7 ng/g DW during luteal phase. In other two females, in the contrary, fluctuation of the profile did not seem to be clear and the concentration of both estradiol and progesterone were too low compared to the others. No genital swelling and sexual behavior could be observed.