Australasian Region Research Articles

Development of Hydrotaea spinigera (Diptera: Muscidae) at Constant Temperatures and Its Significance for Estimating Postmortem Interval.

Hydrotaea spinigera Stein is a necrophagous species, widely distributed in Oriental and Australasian regions. Considering that the postfeeding larvae or puparia of this species can still be found in abundance at the advanced decomposition stage or even the skeleton stage of remains, it can serve as a good supplementary indicator for estimating the minimum postmortem interval (PMImin). This could also extend the range of PMImin when the primary colonizers are no longer associated with the corpse or have emerged as adults. This study investigated the development duration, accumulated degree hours, and larval body length changes of H. spinigera at seven constant temperatures ranging from 16 to 34°C, and established three development models for estimating PMImin, including isomorphen diagram, isomegalen diagram, and thermal summation model. At 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, and 34°C, the development durations of H. spinigera from egg to adult stage were 1,412.6 ± 62.9, 867.4 ± 14.9, 657.1 ± 22.9, 532.3 ± 10.1, 418.8 ± 21.3, 379.8 ± 16.6, and 340.0 ± 20.3 h, respectively. The lower developmental threshold L0 was estimated as 10.50 ± 0.20°C, and the thermal summation constant K was 7,648.83 ± 146.74 degree hours. Using regression analysis, equations were obtained modeling the change of larval body length with time after hatching at different temperatures. This study provided basic data based on the growth and development of H. spinigera for the estimation of PMImin in forensic science.

Norway Comes to New Zealand: Edward Kidson, Jørgen Holmboe, and the Modernization of Australasian Meteorology

AbstractEdward Kidson, Director of the Meteorological Service of New Zealand from 1927 until his death in 1939, was an instrumental figure in modernizing Australasian meteorology. Throughout the 1920s, Kidson promoted the methods of synoptic analysis emanating from the Bergen School of Meteorology. However, it was not until the 1930s that he began in earnest to apply these methods to weather charts for the Australasian region. This development was aided by two visits he made to Bergen and by a personal correspondence he maintained with Jacob Bjerknes during the 1930s. In 1932, Kidson presented the first Norwegian-style analysis conducted for a Southern Hemisphere region, promptly following this with a more extensive study. However, these analyses were not of a sufficient standard at that stage to be adopted in forecasting practice. It was the fortuitous visit to New Zealand of Norwegian meteorologist Jørgen Holmboe, in 1934, that finally facilitated the transition. Holmboe was attached to the Lincoln Ellsworth Antarctic Expedition, but damage to their aircraft caused them to spend the winter of 1934 in New Zealand. Holmboe was engaged at the Meteorological Service in Wellington during this period, working with Kidson to apply Norwegian methods to the region. Kidson had hoped to further embed this practice by employing Tor Bergeron in New Zealand during 1938. Bergeron had accepted an offer from Kidson but canceled at the last minute after contracting rheumatic fever. Nevertheless, shortly after Holmboe’s visit, daily analyses were being conducted along Norwegian lines, bringing Australasian meteorology into the twentieth century.

Reevaluation of species richness in Winnertzia (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae, Winnertziinae), with descriptions of 37 new species from Sweden, Peru and Australia

Tentative studies of Malaise trap samples from different geographic regions and habitats indicate unanimously that Winnertzia, a genus of mycophagous gall midges (Cecidomyiidae), is exceptionally speciose, but hard data in proof of that were previously unavailable. A taxonomic inventory of mycophagous cecidomyiids in Sweden has now revealed that, of 751 species found in total, 93 are Winnertzia. A preliminary census in 2013 had identified only 26 different Winnertzia in Sweden. Two factors are responsible for this increment: the inclusion of large amounts of fresh material to study and the application of a narrower species concept. The latter results from the reevaluation of male morphological characters in the light of COI sequence (DNA barcoding) data. With the inclusion of 37 new Winnertzia described here, the genus now contains 136 extant species. New Winnertzia discovered in Sweden are described here under the following names: W. acutistylus sp. nov., W. angustistylus sp. nov., W. arctostylus sp. nov., W. bicolor sp. nov., W. brachytarsus sp. nov., W. dentata sp. nov., W. egregia sp. nov., W. ekdalensis sp. nov., W. fraxinophila sp. nov., W. grytsjoenensis sp. nov., W. hamatula sp. nov., W. hemisphaerica sp. nov., W. imbecilla sp. nov., W. incisa sp. nov., W. inornata sp. nov., W. lapponica sp. nov., W. lobata sp. nov., W. longicoxa sp. nov., W. normalis sp. nov., W. oelandica sp. nov., W. ombergensis sp. nov., W. parvidens sp. nov., W. pilosistylus sp. nov., W. pratensis sp. nov., W. pustulatula sp. nov., W. quercinophila sp. nov., W. rickebasta sp. nov., W. ruliki sp. nov., W. serri sp. nov., W. setosa sp. nov., W. silvestris sp. nov., W. smalandensis sp. nov., W. sundini sp. nov., W. tumidoides sp. nov., and W. upplandensis sp. nov. Additionally, W. panguana sp. nov. is the first Winnertzia described from the Neotropical region (Peru), and W. warraensis sp. nov. is the first member of the genus described from the Australasian region (Tasmania). Parwinnertzia Felt, 1920 syn. nov. is revealed to be a junior synonym of Winnertzia Rondani, 1860, implying the recombinations of Winnertzia notmani (Felt) comb. nov. and Winnertzia italiana (Mamaev Zaitzev) comb. nov. The intrageneric classification of Winnertzia is reviewed and developed further, with the W. setosa group introduced for species whose gonostylar claw is conspicuously long and exposed, and whose gonocoxal emargination is bordered by dense, large setae. Winnertzia feralis Mamaev, revived here from synonymy with W. tridens Panelius, and W. fusca Kieffer are new faunistic records in Sweden. Swedish records published in the past of W. brachypalpa Mamaev and W. pravdini Mamaeva Mamaev rest on misidentifications, and both species are deleted from the Swedish checklist.

Filtering the good from the bad: A focus on kidney development and disease to celebrate John Bertram's long‐standing career in anatomy and renal research

Filtering the good from the bad: A focus on kidney development and disease to celebrate John Bertram's long‐standing career in anatomy and renal research

Synsphyronus platnicki sp. nov.: first Synsphyronus (Pseudoscorpiones: Garypidae) from New Caledonia

The pseudoscorpion genus Synsphyronus is widely distributed in the Australasian region, with 30 species described from Australia and two from New Zealand. This paper describes the first species to be recorded from New Caledonia: S. platnickisp. nov. Two of the three nymphal stages, tritonymph and protonymph, are described, as well as the adults.

A new species of Dugesia (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Dugesiidae) from China, with an account on the histochemical structure of its major nervous system

By means of an integrated approach, including molecular, morphological, anatomical and histological data, we describe a new species of freshwater flatworm of the genus Dugesia from southwest China, representing the third species recorded for the country. Morphologically, the new species, Dugesia umbonata Song & Wang, sp. nov., is particularly characterised by the presence of a muscularised hump immediately antero-dorsally to a knee-shaped bend in its bursal canal and by an ejaculatory duct that opens subterminally through the dorsal side of the penis papilla. Four molecular datasets (18S rDNA; ITS-1; 28S rDNA; COI) facilitated determination of the phylogenetic position of the new species, which belongs to a clade comprising other species from the Australasian and Oriental regions. We also analysed the structure of its major nervous system by means of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) histochemical method and compared these results with data available for three other species of Dugesia.

Synopsis of the parasitoid wasp genus Cotesia Cameron, 1891 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae) in Australia, with the description of seven new species

The genus Cotesia Cameron, 1891 is one of the most diverse of the Microgastrinae, a subfamily of wasps that are exclusively endoparasitic on lepidopteran larvae. Species of Cotesia are widely utilised as biological control agents across the world. In Australia, there are currently 10 confirmed native species as well as four species introduced for the management of lepidopteran pests. The genus is morphologically conserved and has not been studied in the Australasian region for many decades. In this study, we use both comparative morphology and sequence data from the COI gene to delineate species, and in so doing describe seven new species from Australia: C. lasallei sp. nov., C. medusae sp. nov., C. ocellata sp. nov., C. reidarum sp. nov., C. scripta sp. nov., C. tjapekki sp. nov. and C. wonboynensis sp. nov., raising the number of species of Cotesia formally recorded in Australia to 21. We also provide updated descriptions of the previously described native species, diagnoses for the introduced species and a key to all currently described species found on the continent and from Papua New Guinea. This study treats only a fraction of the likely diversity of Cotesia, but provides a solid framework for future work.

Tenth Scientific Biennial Meeting of the Australasian Virology Society-AVS10 2019.

The Australasian Virology Society (AVS) aims to promote, support and advocate for the discipline of virology in the Australasian region. The society was incorporated in 2011 after 10 years operating as the Australian Virology Group (AVG) founded in 2001, coinciding with the inaugural biennial scientific meeting. AVS conferences aim to provide a forum for the dissemination of all aspects of virology, foster collaboration, and encourage participation by students and post-doctoral researchers. The tenth Australasian Virology Society (AVS10) scientific meeting was held on 2–5 December 2019 in Queenstown, New Zealand. This report highlights the latest research presented at the meeting, which included cutting-edge virology presented by our international plenary speakers Ana Fernandez-Sesma and Benjamin tenOever, and keynote Richard Kuhn. AVS10 honoured female pioneers in Australian virology, Lorena Brown and Barbara Coulson. We report outcomes from the AVS10 career development session on “Successfully transitioning from post-doc to lab head”, winners of best presentation awards, and the AVS gender equity policy, initiated in 2013. Plans for the 2021 meeting are underway which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of AVS where it all began, in Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia.

Ability of an Australian reanalysis dataset to characterise sub-daily precipitation

Abstract. The high spatio-temporal variability of precipitation is often difficult to characterise due to limited measurements. The available low-resolution global reanalysis datasets inadequately represent the spatio-temporal variability of precipitation relevant to catchment hydrology. The Bureau of Meteorology Atmospheric high-resolution Regional Reanalysis for Australia (BARRA) provides a high-resolution atmospheric reanalysis dataset across the Australasian region. For hydrometeorological applications, however, it is essential to properly evaluate the sub-daily precipitation from this reanalysis. In this regard, this paper evaluates the sub-daily precipitation from BARRA for a period of 6 years (2010–2015) over Australia against point observations and blended radar products. We utilise a range of existing and bespoke metrics for evaluation at point and spatial scales. We examine bias in quantile estimates and spatial displacement of sub-daily rainfall at a point scale. At a spatial scale, we use the fractions skill score as a spatial evaluation metric. The results show that the performance of BARRA precipitation depends on spatial location, with poorer performance in tropical relative to temperate regions. A possible spatial displacement during large rainfall is also found at point locations. This displacement, evaluated by comparing the distribution of rainfall within a day, could be quantified by considering the neighbourhood grids. On spatial evaluation, hourly precipitation from BARRA is found to be skilful at a spatial scale of less than 100 km (150 km) for a threshold of 75th percentile (90th percentile) at most of the locations. The performance across all the metrics improves significantly at time resolutions higher than 3 h. Our evaluations illustrate that the BARRA precipitation, despite discernible spatial displacements, serves as a useful dataset for Australia, especially at sub-daily resolutions. Users of BARRA are recommended to properly account for possible spatio-temporal displacement errors, especially for applications where the spatial and temporal characteristics of rainfall are deemed very important.

Re-examination of Australian and Oriental species of Minagenia Banks, 1934 (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), with a new record for the genus in Australia and a new species description.

The genus Minagenia Banks, 1934 is reported for the first time from Australia. A new species, M. lasallei Decker, Rodriguez Pitts, sp. nov. (Australia: from Queensland to Tasmania), is described and illustrated. A key to the four species from the Australasian and Oriental regions is given. Three species are removed from Asian Minagenia: granulosa Tsuneki, 1989, comb. nov., to the genus Priocnemis Schiødte, 1837; pempuchiensis Tsuneki, 1989, comb. nov., to the genus Nipponodipogon Ishikawa, 1965; and assimilis Smith, 1861, comb. nov., to the genus Dichragenia Haupt, 1950. Minagenia alticola Tsuneki, 1989 is a member of an undescribed genus. Placement of this species is maintained in Minagenia until the new genus can be described in a future work. Minagenia brevicornis (Banks, 1934) is redescribed.

Macronychia (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) goes cosmopolitan: description and molecular delineation of the first Australasian species

AbstractMacronychia (Moschusa) rubesca sp. nov. is described from Australia and represents the first record of this genus from the Australasian region. An updated key to the world species of Macronychia is provided. In addition, molecular markers are analysed to place Macronychia Rondani within the most recent phylogeny of the subfamily Miltogramminae. The genus is resolved as a monophyletic clade and placed within the ‘higher’ miltogrammines as sister to Oebalia Robineau‐Desvoidy.

COVID-19: Infection prevention and control guidance for all ultrasound practitioners.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2), an enveloped virus, is the causative agent of the disease known as COVID‐19 (coronavirus disease‐2019). Proper infection prevention and control measures and good hygiene practices are essential to prevent spread of COVID‐19 and protect both patients and the healthcare worker. These guidelines are relevant to all ultrasound practitioners and provides guidance on cleaning and disinfection of ultrasound equipment, the environment and PPE (protective personal equipment) during the COVID‐19 outbreak in the Australasian region.

Effect of Austropuccinia psidii inoculum concentration on myrtle rust disease incidence and severity

Austropuccinia psidii (myrtle rust) is one of the most significant threats to plant industries and biodiversity in the Australasian region. Susceptibility phenotypes of Australian native Myrtaceae to A. psidii have varied significantly since the pathogen was first detected in Australia in 2010, with some species appearing to increase in susceptibility over time. We hypothesise that increased inoculum concentrations in natural ecosystems may be contributing to observed changes in susceptibility phenotypes. A study was undertaken to determine the effect of A. psidii inoculum concentration on myrtle rust disease incidence and severity on five native (Rhodamnia rubescens, Syzygium hemilamprum, S. leuhmanii, S. moorei and S. oleosum) and one exotic (S. jambos) species of Myrtaceae under controlled conditions. Disease incidence and severity were found to increase across all species as inoculum concentration increased, with notable increases for species considered to be tolerant or of lower susceptibility to A. psidii. This improved understanding of the influence of increasing inoculum A. psidii concentrations on susceptibility phenotypes can now be integrated with current management and research plans, to predict and mitigate the impact of A. psidii on Australian native biota and ecosystems.

Mandatory adoption of IFRS and its effect on international stock listings in Canada

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate if non-US/non-Canada (international) equity listings in the Canadian stock exchanges increased with the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Canada. A question of interest is whether the adoption of common global accounting standards (IFRS) was beneficial in attracting international firms to the Canadian exchanges.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use difference-in-difference ordinary least square methodology to conduct inter-country (between Canada and the USA) and intra-country (between the Toronto Stock Exchange [TSX] and the TSX Venture Exchange [TSXV]) tests to investigate whether there is increased listings of international firms on Canada’s exchanges associated with mandatory adoption of IFRS in Canada compared to such listings in the American exchanges.FindingsThe authors did not find evidence of a relative increase in listings by international firms on the TSX and the TSXV after Canadian adoption of IFRS, but they did find that listings by international firms on the TSX, Canada’s primary exchange, increased when the authors include the year before mandatory Canadian adoption as part of the IFRS adoption period. The authors also find that international listings from outside the North American, European and Australasian regions increased on the TSXV, consistent with IFRS adoption making the smaller Canadian exchange more attractive to listers from these regions.Originality/valueWith the increasing use of IFRS throughout the world, US regulators, the US Congress and other capital market participants seek to understand the costs and benefits of potential IFRS adoption in the USA. The authors contribute to this debate by examining the effect of Canada’s adoption of IFRS on growth in international stock listings in the Canadian stock exchanges.

Phylogeny and classification of Leptophlebiidae (Ephemeroptera) with an emphasis on Neotropical fauna

AbstractMayflies from the family Leptophlebiidae are cosmopolitan and highly diverse morphologically; they are also the largest family in numbers of genera and the second in number of species in the order Ephemeroptera. In spite of their broad diversity and the efforts employed to understand the evolution of this group, the internal classification of Leptophlebiidae remains controversial at all levels. More recently, important changes have been incorporated into the systematics of the family, increasing the number of subfamilies (from two to six) and recognizing several tribes. We present a phylogeny of the family based on 153 taxa (53 genera) and two molecular markers, representing 1655 bp, and verify the taxonomic status of the subfamilies, tribes and complexes. Based on these results, the number of subfamilies has been increased from six to eight and one new tribes and two new subtribes have been added. In addition, new ranks are proposed and the concept of Atalophlebiinae revised, including genera with distributions in the Australasian and Neotropical regions.

The call of the squeak beetle: bioacoustics of Hygrobia hermanni (Fabricius, 1775) revisited (Coleoptera: Hygrobiidae)

Hygrobiidae, or squeak beetles, originated in the Triassic-Jurassic and exhibit a relictual distribution in the Palaearctic, Oriental and Australasian regions. Hygrobiids are well known for their sound-producing abilities, although studies of their bioacoustics remain limited. Here we describe sound producing organs and bioacoustics of the Palaearctic Hygrobia hermanni (Fabricius, 1775). Plectra and pars stridens were examined in both sexes, and sound characteristics analysed. Despite small differences between male and female last abdominal ventrites, plectra were identical. Pars stridens, however, differed subtly, tooth ridges being wider in females. Calls of both sexes were harmonic, with peak frequency at 6.1 kHz, and secondary peak at 10.9 kHz; males exhibiting longer inter-chirp intervals. Calls changed with time in the laboratory, this possibly condition-related effect being more apparent in males. The differences found between sexes suggest that sound production in squeak beetles may function in intraspecific communication, in addition to being an antipredator device.

First discovery of a long-tailed wasp from the Indian subcontinent (Hymenoptera: Megalyroidea: Megalyridae)

The genus Megalyra Westwood, commonly referred to as “long-tailed wasps,” is represented by 27 extant species. Regarded as a parasitoid of xylophagous beetles, Megalyra species are mostly native to the Australasian region; however, one species occurs naturally in Malaysia and Sumatra, and another has been reported as accidentally introduced into South Africa from Australia. Here we report on the first discovery of the wasp family Megalyridae from the Indian Subcontinent and provide a description, diagnosis, and illustrations of variations in Megalyra fasciipennis Westwood collected from Kerala, India. This incidence is thought to be an accidental introduction of the species, most likely from Australia sometime during the British Colonial Period.

New Oriental and Australasian taxa of Colobathristidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) in the collection of the State Natural History Museum Stuttgart

Abstract The Colobathristidae are a poorly studied family of Lygaeoidea distributed in the tropics and subtropics of Australasian, Neotropical, and Oriental biogeographic regions. Phaenacantha Horváth, 1904 is the largest genus of the family, with 33 described species. Here, two new species of Phaenacantha are described from Borneo (P. grimmae sp. nov. and P. nigrispina sp. nov.) and one from New Caledonia (P. paveli sp. nov.), all of which represent the first record of the genus from these islands. Also, a specimen of genus Symphylax Horváth, 1904 from Borneo is described that has strong similarities to S. handschini Kormilev, 1953 from the same island, but differs from it in some minor features and is considered a new subspecies, S. handschini kinabaluensis subsp. nov.

Universos lúdico-conceituais como uma intervenção pedagógica: dando suporte à aprendizagem e ao desenvolvimento da criança pré-escolar em contextos lúdicos

Existe um interesse crescente em encontrar melhores maneiras de apoiar o aprendizado de conceitos em programas educativos voltados à primeira infância baseados na brincadeira. A introdução de termos como 'eduplay' em Hong Kong, 'Brincadeira intencionada' em Cingapura e 'ensino intencional' em programas baseados em brincadeiras na Austrália sugerem que os educadores estão trabalhando de diferentes maneiras para construir novas práticas que tragam brincadeira e aprendizado em unidade para dar suporte ao desenvolvimento das crianças. Este artigo contribui para esse cenário de pesquisa ao introduzir uma intervenção pedagógica chamada Universos lúdico-conceituais (Conceptual playworlds). Esse modelo de prática é teorizado usando os conceitos vygotskianos de imaginação e brincadeira, e o modelo hedegaardiano de valores sociais, práticas institucionais e configurações de atividades como base para o estudo da aprendizagem de conceitos em contextos baseados em brincadeiras. O conteúdo deste artigo está situado no contexto curricular em mudança da primeira infância da região australiana, onde valores sociais para melhores resultados estão moldando práticas institucionais que criam novas demandas e condições diferentes para o desenvolvimento das crianças.

Taxonomic revision of Australian Copelatus Erichson, 1832 (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, Copelatinae).

The genus Copelatus in Australia is revised and nine species are recognised. One new species, Copelatus martinbaehrisp. nov., is described from Papua New Guinea (Central Province) and Cape York Peninsula (Iron Range NP and Mt Tozer). Copelatus divisus Watts, 1978, syn. nov., is considered a junior synonym of C. portior Guignot, 1956, described from New Guinea. Species delimitation is based on the morphological characters and Cox1 data. All species are (re)described, and their important species characters (median lobes, parameres, habitus and colour patterns) are illustrated. A key to all nine species is provided. The known distribution and habitat preferences of each species are outlined briefly. In Australia, all nine species are distributed in the northern half of the continent. Four species are also reported from New Guinea: in addition to C. martinbaehrisp. nov., we record C. clarki Sharp, 1882 for the first time from southern New Guinea, and consider literature records of C. irregularis W.J. Macleay, 1871 and C. marginatus Sharp, 1882 from New Guinea as doubtful. Copelatus portior is widely distributed in Australasia, while C. tenebrosus is widely distributed in the Indomalayan and Australasian realms. All Australian Copelatus are confirmed to be lentic, found in a large variety of stagnant water, mainly in lowland areas up to 250 m.