Female Body Length Research Articles

Performance of parasitoid Bracon hebetor (Say.) (Hymenoptera

Harbobracon hebetor say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a gregarious larval ectoparasitoid of several species of Lepidoptera that are associated with stored products. The present study addresses the effect of photoperiod of H.Hebetor reared on the host C. cephalonica. The results revealed that the effect of photoperiod of H. hebetor reared host in C. cepholonica was not significantly varied. The highest percentage of parasitism (98.553%) was recorded in 08L:16D followed by 91.110% in 24L:00D photoperiod. 86.667% in 00L:24D respectively. However the photoperiod 12L:12D showed the lowest percentage 82.223% of parasitism. The highest percent of pupae formed and adult emergence of parasitoid H. hebetor was achieved (98.045%) for 00L: 24D and (98.923%) for 08L:16D photoperiod when reared on C.cephalonica. The highest number of larval production (86.33) was recorded for 00L:24 photoperiod and lowest was 20.67 for 12L:12D photoperiod. The result showed the highest adult male and female body, head width and wing span length in 08L:16D photoperiod when reared on the host C. cepholonica.

Diurnal and Sex Ratio Flight Activity of Rare Cavity-Dweller Eucnemis capucina Ahrens, 1812 (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) in Lowland Deciduous Forest: Case Study from Czech Republic

The cavity-dwelling saproxylic beetles are very poorly studied because of their hidden way of life, and they are threatened by forest management. Eucnemis capucina is a rare and sporadic species in all of its distribution area. This species is associated with old hollow trees, which may be why it is on the red lists of many European countries; however, this association could be an indicator of diverse forest structure. We monitored diurnal and seasonal flight activity with intercept flight traps installed on massive ash trees during three seasons. The observed peak of seasonal activity was in May and June. Contrasting most eucnemids, E. capucina is clearly a daytime species, with flight activity between 8:00 and 20:00 and peaking at 14:20. The peak of flight activity is the same for both sexes, but males are more active at the beginning and end of the flight period compared to females. An unequal sex ratio 1.91:1 (F:M) of captured individuals was recorded. The increasing body size of females affected the number of eggs in the body of adult females. The average potential fecundity of a female was 54 eggs, 10 eggs per 1 mm of female body length. The eggs themselves were oval in shape and only the length of the eggs correlated to the body size of the females; the width did not change with body size and did not correlate with egg length, either. We also confirmed that even a single hollow tree can host high numbers or whole populations of rare species and, thus, have a high conservation value. Our study may help better understand the biology of cavity-dwelling beetles and their active life.

Description of two new Cryptaphelenchus species from China and Japan

Summary The study aims to provide the morphological and molecular characterisation of two newly discovered Cryptaphelenchus species, namely: C. curvatum n. sp. and C. tumidus n. sp. Morphologically both species are minute nematodes, possess medium-sized stylets with basal knobs laterally directed, and short post-uterine sacs (PUS). Cryptaphelenchus curvatum n. sp. was detected from the local Pinus branch samples and is characterised by having an equal proportion of adult males and females, medium-sized body lengths of females 353 (320-388) μm and males 277 (256-293) μm, lateral fields with four lateral lines, 8-10 μm long stylet, PUS about one vulva body width long and conical posterior body end with a blunt pointed tip. Cryptaphelenchus tumidus n. sp. was detected in a packaging wood sample from Japan and is characterised by having rare male, short body lengths of females 236 (217-270) μm and males 180 μm, obscure lateral fields, stylet 6.8 (6.0-7.5) μm, PUS about half vulva body width long and a slim conical posterior body end with a finely rounded tip. The phylogenetic trees were also constructed based on rRNA gene sequences (D2-D3 segments of the 28S, ITS and 18S) and discussed in detail. Since Cryptaphelenchus species offer multitrophic relationships among their insect vectors and associated microbiota, species recognition and molecular studies of recovered populations will facilitate researchers to determine whether these species might play any ecological roles in insect bionomics or the residing host tree.

Detection and identification of Devibursaphelenchus minor sp. n. isolated in the bark from the USA

Summary Bark in an empty container from the USA was inspected in Ningbo port, China, and a Devibursaphelenchus population was detected. It was processed and identified as Devibursaphelenchus minor sp. n. The new species is characterised by the lateral field with three incisures, female stylet tripartite, 13.9 (12.7-14.6) μm long without basal thickenings, secretory-excretory pore at the same level as nerve ring or slightly posterior, vagina not sclerotised, vulval lips slightly protruding and vulval flap absent. Post-vulval uterine sac (PUS) not well developed, very short and obscure, extending for half vulval body diam. long, anus and rectum indistinct or absent. Posterior body region conical elongated, gradually narrowing, slightly ventrally curved, ending with a bluntly pointed terminus. Male rare, the spicules are arcuate, separate, 8.2 μm along the chord line, with well-developed condylus, triangular rostrum with finely rounded tip, cucullus or apophysis absent. Tail conical, dorsally convex, ventrally slightly concave with bluntly pointed terminus, ventral bursa not confirmed. Two pairs of genital papillae present. It differs from all other species in this genus by extremely short body length of females and males. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based upon rRNA D2-D3 sequences confirmed it as a new species.

Redescription of Serratospiculum tendo (Nietzsch, 1819) (Nematoda: Diplotriaenidae) from the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus Tunstall, 1771) from Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The redescription of Serratospiculum tendo is based on specimens taken from 4 female and 6 male peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus Tunstall). This redescription was necessary since previous morphological characterizations were only based on single nematodes, and important details such as the position of the excretory pore in males and females, description of the female reproductive system, and the size of the posterior caudal disc of males were not given. Serratospiculum tendo differs from its 2 congeners (Serratospiculum seurati and Serratospiculum guttatum) by a longer body length of males and females (113–166 and 293–340 mm, respectively) and longer right and left spicules (452–531 and 1,104–1,341 µm, respectively). In comparison, the body length of male and female specimens of S. seurati is 30–79 mm and 165–220 mm, respectively, and the spicules of the males measured 312–415 and 674–887 µm, respectively. The absence of cuticular bosses in S. tendo and S. seurati is a criterion to differentiate these species from S. guttatum.

Description of Aphelenchoides persicus sp. n. (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) from Iran

Abstract During a survey on the soil nematodes, a population of the genus Aphelenchoides was collected around the rhizosphere of persimmon in Guilan Province, Iran. The morphological and molecular characters confirmed the new species, namely A. persicus sp. n. The new species is characterized by a female body length (699–1068 μm), lip region offset from the rest of the body by a slight constriction, lateral fields with six incisures, stylet 12–13.5 μm long, with a clear basal swelling, excretory pore ca 1.5 metacorpal length posterior to base of the metacorpus, post uterine sac elongate, about 4–7 times than the vulval body diameter; conical female tail with a single centrally located mucron with tiny projection close to the tail tip, male body length (663–908 μm), and spicule well developed with rounded condylus, blunt conical rostrum, and a hook-like tip of dorsal limb. The new species belongs to the Group 2 category of Aphelenchoides species and was similar to seven known species with six lateral field incisures, including A. allius, A. chinensis, A. meghalayensis, A. nechaleos, A. paranechaleos, A. parasexlineatus, and A. sexlineatus. The molecular phylogeny based on 28S rDNA revealed that the new species stands close to A. hamospiculatus (MN931591; MN931592) and two unidentified Aphelenchoides (KY769057; LC583315). The measurements, line illustrations, LM photographs, and phylogenetic analysis are given for the new species.

Description of Anaplectus deconincki n. sp. from South Africa.

During a survey of soil nematodes in Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town, a population of plectid nematodes belonging to the genus Anaplectus was recovered and proved to be a species new to science. Anaplectus deconincki n. sp. is characterized by female body length (612-932 μm), b = 4.6-5.2, c = 12.8-18.0, c' = 2.6-3.1, V = 51-54, and tail length (43-63 μm). Males are characterized by body length (779-956 μm), b = 4.8-5.6, c = 13.9-16.7, c' = 2.2-2.5, spicule length 33-39 μm, gubernaculum length 10-12 μm, and tail length (56-65 μm). Discriminant analysis clearly separated A. deconincki n. sp. from the other related species of Aanaplectus. The phylogenetic analysis placed Anaplectus deconincki n. sp. in a clade with 1.00 posterior probability values with other Anaplectus. Partial sequences of the 18S and 28S regions of the ribosomal DNA gene were amplified for Anaplectus deconincki n. sp., and 18S rDNA showed 99% similarity with an unidentified Anaplectus (AJ966473) and A. porosus (MF622934) from Belgium. In addition, 28S rDNA showed a 93% similarity with A. porosus from Belgium (MF622938) and a 98% similarity with A. granulosus from Germany (MF325171). Measurements, illustrations, and light microscopy pictures for Anaplectus deconincki n. sp. are given.

A high level of extra-pair paternity in the Chestnut Thrush (Turdus rubrocanus)

Extra-pair copulation (EPC) can potentially maximize individual reproductive fitness, and this process may involve sexual selection of male and female traits that reflect individual quality. Previous studies have implied that adult characteristics are associated with the probability of extra-pair paternity (EPP), but it differs between species. Moreover, there are relatively few examples of the adaptive rationale for females’ engagement in EPCs based on an examination of these more traditionally recorded traits, in combination with female flight-mediated traits such as wing length. We investigated whether EPP existed in the wild Chestnut Thrush (Turdus rubrocanus) population during three breeding seasons (2019–2021), and whether paternity was related to morphological traits of males and females. Eight highly variable microsatellite loci were used to identify paternity, and generalized linear mixed models were used to analyze the relationship between paternity and morphological traits. We found that EPP existed in the Chestnut Thrush. 53.3% (N ​= ​41/77) of the broods contained at least one extra-pair offspring (EPO), and 34.6% (N ​= ​72/208) of the nestlings were EPO. We also found that male wing length was negatively associated with the probability of EPP and the proportion of EPO. Female body length was positively related to the probability of EPP. Both female body condition and mass were negatively associated with the proportion of EPO. While other traits of male and female did not relate to the probability of EPP or the proportion of EPO. Extra-pair males had better body condition compared to the males they cuckolded. EPO did not differ from their half-siblings in terms of body size or body condition. The results suggest that body size and body condition were associated with EPP in the Chestnut Thrush. This study provides fundamental information for further studies on the evolution and maintenance of EPP in the Chestnut Thrush, and it is also useful for the comparison of EPP among Turdus species.

Embryonic Development and Eclosion Season of New Species <i>Berastagia</i> (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) from Taiwan

This paper describes a new species of the snout moth Berastagia tainanica sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) from Taiwan. From 2009 to 2016, a biology study was conducted on population dynamics and embryonic development. Spring season is the peak of the eclosion of overwintering larvae or pupae. The average longevity of adult was 14.8 ± 6.2 days (N = 174), the average number of eggs laid was 259 ± 3 eggs/moth (N = 2), the hatching rate of eggs was 95.4% (N = 262), and the average hatching time of eggs was 99.6 ± 18.6 hours (N = 68). The average body length of males was 5.64 mm ± 0.91 mm (N = 30), and the average body length of females was 6.28 mm ± 0.84 mm (N = 30). This finding indicates that female snout moths are larger than males (Global R = 0.058, P = 0.012). The snout moth eclosion rate was 16.9 moths/100 pods in the first year (2010/2011, N = 2,224 pods) and 10.9 moths/100 pods in the second year (2014/2015, N = 6,382 pods). The pod borer rate was 31.8% (N = 707) and the seed borer rate was 41.2% (N = 3,628) in the first year, whereas the pod borer rate was 76.2% (N = 6,382) in the second year.

Performance of Chouioia cunea reared from a coleopteran alternative host as a biocontrol agent against the invasive lepidopteran pest, Hyphantria cunea.

Chouioia cunea is a generalist pupal endoparasitoid. Native to Eurasia, the parasitoid has been mass-reared on an alternative lepidopteran host (Antheraea pernyi) to successfully control the exotic invasive lepidopteran pest Hyphantria cunea in China. To solicit more accessible hosts, this study evaluated the potential of an easily cultured coleopteran beetle (Tenebrio molitor) as a substitute for rearing C. cunea through comparing the relative performance of the parasitoids reared from both alternative hosts on H. cunea. Compared with those reared from A. pernyi, the parasitoids reared from T. molitor (i.e., T. molitor vs. A. pernyi groups) performed equally well in terms of parasitism rate (94.4 vs. 88.9%), number of offspring produced per parasitized host (278 vs. 286), and female body length (1.334 vs. 1.351 mm), hind-tibia length (0.322 vs. 0.324 mm) and number of mature oocytes in the ovarioles (171 vs. 187), or even better based on offspring pre-emergence time (16.0 vs 16.9 days) and percentages of emerged offspring (99.8 vs. 99.1%) and female offspring (97.1 vs. 91.3%). Flight performance testing indicated that young C. cunea adults emerged from T. molitor had a similar percentage of actively flying wasps (76.9 vs. 72.9%) and a lower percentage of inactive wasps (2.3 vs. 10.6%) when compared to those reared from A. pernyi. Given the remarkable adaptability of C. cunea and the vast availability of T. molitor as a common resource insect worldwide, this indigenous parasitoid could be mass-reared on T. molitor to improve the prospect of biological control of H. cunea in its invaded regions. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of nanopolystyrene nanoplastic exposure on the development and neurotoxicity of fetal rats during gestation

Objective: To investigate the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) exposure during gestation on the growth and neurotoxicity of fetal rats. Methods: Twenty-seven SD pregnant rats were randomly divided into 9 groups with three rats in each group. The experimental group of PS-NPs was given 0.5, 2.5, 10 and 50 mg/kg of PS-NPs suspension with different particle sizes (25 and 50 nm) by gavage, wihe the control group was given ultrapure water by gavage. The time of gavage is from the 1st to the 18th day of pregnancy. The morphological changes of the placenta were observed; compare the number of male and female fetuses, live/dead/absorbed fetuses, body weight, body length, placental weight, and organ coefficients of kidney, liver, brain and intestine of fetal rats; the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum of the fetal rats were taken to measure related biochemical indicators. Results: Compared with the control group, the placenta of the PS-NPs exposed group was found to have structural damage, which increased in a dose-dependent manner. The area ratio of trophoblast was significantly increased (P＜0.05), and the area ratio of labyrinth was significantly decreased (P＜0.05); In the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum of fetal rats, the levels of IL-1β, IL -6 and TNF-α were significantly increased in the 10 and 50 mg/kg PS-NPs exposed group (P＜0.05), and more significantly elevated in the 25 nm group than those in the 50 nm group at 10 mg/kg exposure (P＜0.05) the CAT activity was significantly decreased in 2.5, 10 and 50 mg/kg PS-NPs exposure groups (P＜0.05), while the SOD and GSH-Px activities were significantly decreased in 25 nm exposure groups and 2.5, 10 and 50 mg/kg 50 nm PS-NPs exposure groups (P＜0.05), the MDA content was significantly increased in 10, 50 mg/kg 25 nm PS-NPs exposure groups and 50 mg/kg 50 nm PS-NPs exposure groups (P＜0.05). Conclusion: Maternal PS-NPs exposure during gestation may affect the growth and development of fetal rats by damaging the placental barrier and produce neurotoxicity in fetal rats, causing oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in various brain regions, and smaller particle sizes and higher doses of polystyrene nanoplastic exposure have more significant neurotoxic effects on the offspring.

A New Species of Parahadronchus Mulvey, 1978 from Mizoram, India

Background: Order mononchida represents predatory nematodes feeding on phytophagous nematodes and bacteria. The present study is aimed to know the diversity of mononchid nematodes in Mizoram. Methods: Various soil samples were collected from various parts of Mizoram. The samples were processed by sieving and decanting method followed by funnelling technique. Specimens were fixed and dehydrated using glycerine method. Result: Analysis of the soil samples revealed the diversity of mononchid nematodes in Mizoram. A new species of the genus Parahadronchus Mulvey, 1978 was identified after thorough analysis of the samples. Parahadronchus divendentus sp.n. could be distinguished from P. siroii and P. marami with its smaller body (female body length= 2.19-2.48 mm), two ridges of ventral buccal wall with two ventral denticles, group caudal glands with subterminal spinneret. Tail is long, filiform and about 10-12 anal body width. Male have a body length of 2.19 mm, spicule length= 68.02 µm, supplements= 11, lateral guiding piece= 12.35 µm in the new species.

Multivariate analysis of morphometric traits to differentiate the indigenous chicken reared under different Agro-ecologies of Ethiopia

This is to differentiate indigenous chickens at different agro-ecologies based on morphometric traits using multivariate analysis. Morphometric data were collected from a total of 520 (130 male and 390 female) adult indigenous chickens. Traits scored were body weight, body length, breast circumference, wingspan, shank length, shank circumference, comb length, wattle length, earlobe length and beak length. Ten quantitative traits for both sexes were subjected to the stepwise discriminant analysis, of which four (wingspan, live body weight, shank circumference, and body length) in females and two of them (shank length, and wingspan) in males were identified as the best discriminating variables. CAN1 and CAN2 were extracted with 61.5% and 38.6% of the total variation in females, respectively and CAN1 (89.3%) and CAN2 (10.7%) of the total variation in parameters of male chicken populations. The higher classification rates were obtained in highland agroecology for female (64.7%) and midland for male (89.8%) chickens. Cross-validation with split–sample indicated that 62.7% (highland), 39% (lowland) and 59.3% (midland) success rate. The longest pairwise Mahalanobis distance was observed between midland and highland in male chickens and between lowland and highland in females, whereas the shortest distance was observed between lowland and highland in male and female chicken populations. The variations obtained in chickens of different agro-ecologies and sexes considered as opportunities for genetic improvement of indigenous chicken genetic resources, because significantly related parameters could be used as selection criterion for improving body weight of Ethiopian indigenous chickens under small scale farmers.

Morfometri parasitoid nyamuk ganjur alang-alang asal Kabupaten Cianjur, Jawa Barat

Alang-alang (Imperata cylindrica) merupakan spesies rumput yang menyebabkan kerugian ekonomi. Salah satu serangga yang dilaporkan memiliki potensi sebagai agens pengendali hayati alang-alang adalah nyamuk ganjur alang-alang Orseolia javanica Kieffer & van Leeuwen-Reinjnvaan (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Perkembangan nyamuk ganjur alang-alang dipengaruhi oleh musuh alami, namun informasi terkait musuh alami parasitoid nyamuk ganjur alang-alang belum banyak diketahui. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi, mendeskripsikan karakter morfologi dan morfometri parasitoid nyamuk ganjur alang-alang. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan dari bulan Juli 2018 sampai Juni 2019. Ganjur alang-alang diambil dari pematang sawah di Kabupaten Cianjur, Jawa Barat. Pemeliharaan ganjur alang-alang dan pengukuran morfometri dilakukan di Laboratorium Biosistematika Serangga, Departemen Proteksi Tanaman, Fakultas Pertanian, Institut Pertanian Bogor. Tiga spesies parasitoid ditemukan pada ganjur tumbuhan alang-alang yang terparasit, yaitu Platygaster orseoliae Buhl (Hymenoptera: Platygasteridae), Aprostocetus sp. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), dan Propicroscytus mirificus (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). Hasil Pengukuran morfometri parasitoid ganjur alang-alang menunjukkan ukuran panjang tubuh betina P. orseoliae sebesar 0,65–0,98 mm, dan panjang tubuh jantan adalah 0,69–1,07 mm. Panjang tubuh betina Aprostocetus sp. sebesar 1,51–2,02 mm dan panjang tubuh jantan adalah 1,13–1,29 mm. Panjang tubuh betina P. mirificus adalah 4,14–4,46 mm. Analisis komponen utama (principal component analysis) menunjukkan parasitoid P. orseoliae tidak memiliki perbedaan antara jantan dan betina, Aprotocetus sp. betina memiliki ukuran tubuh lebih besar dibandingkan dengan jantan, dan P. mirificus memiliki ukuran tubuh paling besar dibandingkan dengan parasitoid lainnya.

Morphological and morphometric features of indigenous chicken in Southwest Ethiopia

Morphological and morphometric characterization of indigenous chicken ecotypes were carried out in West-Omo zone of Southwest Ethiopia. Nine qualitative and fifteen quantitative traits were observed/ measured from 660 matured chickens of both sexes. The data was analysed using SPSS version 21 and SAS version 9.1. Majority of the qualitative and quantitative traits were significantly influenced by sex and agro-ecological zones. The predominant plumage color, feather distribution, shank color, skin color, ear-lobe color, eye color, head shape, comb type, and feather morphology were red (38.4%), normal (96.2%), yellow (45%), white (48.8%), red (42.1%), red (28.6%), flat plain (94.4%), single (64.7%) and normal (100%). The body weight of matured male chickens in highland, mid-altitude and lowland agro-ecologies was 2.1±0.02 kg, 2.2±0.05 kg, and 2.0±0.03 kg, respectively, while females weighed 1.4±0.01 kg, 1.5±0.00 kg, and 1.4±0.01 kg in highland, mid-altitude, and lowland agro-ecologies, respectively. Males were also superior to females in terms of body length (BL) values of 42.0 ± 0.19cm and 37.7 ± 0.06cm, respectively. The prediction of body weight could be based on regression equation y = -1.02 + 0.10 CC (chest circumference) for male and y= -1.26 + 0.07BL of hen in highland altitude, y = -1.06+ 0.11 CC of male and y= -0.78+ 0.05 BL of hen in mid-altitude and similarly y = -0.90 +0.10 CC in lowland male and y= -1.33 + 0.07 BL of lowland hen. Therefore, chest circumference for males and body length for females were the best variables to predict the body weight of chickens than other variables. The current finding shows there was heterogeneity in a population of indigenous chickens in the studied agro-ecology. This gives an opportunity for genetic improvement of indigenous chickens within a population.

Application of sexual dimorphism-derived variation in morphometrics and intraspecific interaction likelihood in Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) to increase species encounter rates

Abstract. Novriyanti N, Takandjandji M. 2022. Application of sexual dimorphism-derived variation in morphometrics and intraspecific interaction likelihood in Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) to increase species encounter rates. Biodiversitas 23: 2753-2759. Effectively encounters opportunities of Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) in natural habitats is still necessary to have more research. A diversity of pangolins' physical and biological characteristics has been disclosed to facilitate the identification process in natural habitats. However, pangolins are animals that tend to be solitary; they have fast movement, so the area coverage is extensive; this condition complicates the data collection process. It is unknown yet, whether pangolins of different sexes usually exist in the same space and time, either in terms of foraging or other interactions, known as intra-specific interactions. Thus, this study aimed to predict intraspecific interactions of M. javanica to increase the encountering of pangolins chance in natural habitats. As many as 29 individual pangolins (14 males and 15 females) be measured its morphometric data. To convincingly justify that morphometric variation can be used as encounter rate opportunities in natural habitats, a series of analyses, i.e., univariate test, correlation analysis, and multiple regression, were applied to this research. Other estimations from feeding activity data were also carried out to detect pangolins' niche width and its overlap according to sexual dimorphism. Univariate analysis shows that overall, the total body length (head to tail) of both males and females does not differ significantly. But, the correlation coefficient indicates the physical character of female and male body length is related to each other (value 0.769**). The resulting regression model indicates that the presence of pangolins in their sex similarity in a particular place tends to be avoided, while there is a 1:1 probability of sexual dimorphism. This also means that males and females can be used as the same individual in ecological observations.

EPPO Datasheet: Naupactus xanthographus

EPPO Datasheet: <i>Naupactus xanthographus</i>

Biological parameters in a declining population of narwhals (Monodon monoceros) in Scoresby Sound, Southeast Greenland

A decreasing trend in narwhal (Monodon monoceros Linnaeus, 1758) abundance has been identified in a small population in Scoresby Sound, Southeast Greenland. We hypothesize that excessive hunting has affected life history and population dynamics of this population. Biological information and samples collected from the Inuit hunt, from satellite-tagged narwhals and from official hunters’ reports, were used to estimate age, growth, and reproduction. During 2007 through 2019, a decreasing proportion of young and increasing proportion of older whales were harvested. Male and female body length and male tusk length increased significantly, while body mass of both sexes showed a nonsignificant increase. The probability of catching a female decreased significantly, while a nonsignificant decline of catching a pregnant female was observed in both biological samples and hunters’ reports. Narwhal swimming speeds correlated with fluke widths indicated that larger whales attain greater speeds. The decline in juveniles and females is probably due to an opportunistic hunting practice targeting the easiest-to-catch whales, where bigger whales are faster and more difficult to catch. The cumulative effect of overharvest with a declining proportion of females, an overrepresentation of large males, and a lack of calves and juveniles has detrimental implications for this small narwhal population.

Occurrence of the Lance Nematode Hoplolaimus stephanus Infecting Bentgrass Agrostis stolonifera in Georgia, U.S.A.

A high population of lance nematodes, Hoplolaimus spp., were found associated with creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) in May 2019 in Georgia, United States. The nematode was pathogenic to bentgrass as its population increased by over threefold 180 days after inoculation under greenhouse conditions. Morphological measurements of body and stylet lengths of both mature females and males were similar to a grass population of Hoplolaimus stephanus from South Carolina. DNA sequence analyses of the D1-D3 expansion segments of the 28s gene identified the nematode as H. stephanus. The DNA sequence of the nematode was 99.7% identical to a H. stephanus isolate from South Carolina. Also, the PCR method using a species-specific primer set confirmed the identity of H. stephanus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of H. stephanus Sher, 1963 infecting creeping bentgrass in Georgia.

Description of Oscheius cyrus n. sp. (Nematoda: Rhabditidae) as new entomopathogenic nematode from Iran.

A new species of the genus Oscheius, Oscheius cyrus n. sp., collected in the moist soils taken from forest heights in the north of Iran, is recorded. A comprehensive description, comprising molecular (internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 18S, and 28S rDNA genes) information, morphometrics data, light microscope and scanning electron microscope images, is supplied. The species resembles Oscheius myriophilus. However, the highest ranges for female body length, female tail, infective juvenile tail length, median bulb, absence of epiptygma and lateral field incisures number vary. The new species was distinguished from Oscheius insectivorus by the general lip region. The male was not found. Molecular analysis showed that the new species has the most similarity to O. myriophilus both in the ITS and 18S regions. Morphological and molecular data confirmed its belonging to the Insectivora-group. Furthermore, the species of Ochrobactrum pseudogrignonense was reported as a dominant associated bacterium of the new Oscheius species. Finally, the mortality of the host after seven days varied from 20% to 82.5%, depending on nematodes' concentration.