Damp Litter Research Articles

Two new species of Amboroppia (Quintanoppia) (Acari, Oribatida, Oppiidae) from Guatemala

Two new species of oppiid mites of the subgenus Amboroppia (Quintanoppia) (Oribatida, Oppiidae) —A. (Q.) guatemalaensis n. sp. and A. (Q.) zacapaensis n. sp.— are described, based on materials collected from damp litter in cloud forest in Guatemala. An identification key to the known species of Amboroppia (Quintanoppia) is provided.

Contribution to knowledge of the oribatid mite genus Protozetes (Acari, Oribatida, Microzetidae), with description of a new species from Guatemala

The genus Protozetes (Oribatida, Microzetidae) is recorded in Guatemala for the first time. A new species—Protozetes janosbaloghi sp. nov.—is described from damp litter in an alpine cloud forest in Guatemala. It differs from all known species of the genus in the number of the interlamellar apophyses, the morphology of the head of the bothridial seta, the ornamentation of the pteromorph, and the length of the interlamellar and notogastral setae. A revised generic diagnosis is presented. An identification key and data on distribution and habitat of the known species of Protozetes are provided.

Microhabitat preferences of Oribatida and Mesostigmata (Acari) inhabiting lowland beech forest in Poland and the trophic interactions between these mites

Five common microhabitats were selected on the forest floor (beech litter, moss on beech litter, moss on beech stumps, rotting beech wood and damp litter) and two microhabitats on beech trunks (moss collected 0.5 m and 2 m above the litter). The Oribatida had the greatest abundance in all microhabitats, with a mean density 4.2–91.2 fold higher than that of the Mesostigmata, while the species diversity of the Oribatida was similar, or at most, 2.8 fold greater, than that of the Mesostigmata. UPGMA quantitative analysis separated all moss microhabitats from the beech litter and rotting wood. Qualitative and quantitative analysis revealed similar habitat separation patterns, except for that moss on beech litter was clustered together with beech litter and rotting wood. In both analyses, the mite community of the damp litter was dissimilar from other mite communities. The maximal density of Oribatida occurred in moss on the lower part of beech trunks whereas minimum density was in damp litter, but the CCA analysis placed the Oribatida between moss on beech litter and moss on beech trunks. The maximum density of Mesostigmata occurred in beech litter and was at a minimum in rotting wood. But the CCA analysis placed the Mesostigmata between beech litter and damp litter. Significant correlations between the families of Mesostigmata and Oribatida were observed, more often evident in the juveniles than in the adults of Oribatida. These relationships are employed to explain the possible trophic interactions within the mite communities.

A new humicolous Parhydraena d'Orchymont, 1937 from South Africa (Coleoptera, Hydraenidae).

Parhydraena d'Orchymont, 1937 currently includes 19 species, 17 of which are endemic to South Africa (Perkins 2009; Bilton 2014). Most species of the genus are fully aquatic, but a few, together with members of other genera of Parhydraenini, occupy moist habitats rich in organic debris (Perkins 2009). These so-called humicolous habitats (Perkins Balfour-Browne 1994) occur both beside water and elsewhere, and have been colonised a number of times by primarily aquatic hydraenid lineages, particularly in Africa and Australasia (e.g. Perkins Balfour-Browne 1994; Perkins 2004a, 2004b; Perkins 2009; Hernando Ribera 2017). Within Parhydraena the toro group (sensu Perkins 2009) comprises four (sub)humicolous species which share a broad habitus, a marked constriction between the pronotum and elytral shoulders, and short legs and maxillary palpi. Whilst phylogenetic relationships within Parhydraena remain unclear in the absence of molecular data, the toro group as currently defined may not be monophyletic, given the differences in aedeagal anatomy observed amongst its members (see Perkins 2009). The most morphologically divergent species described to date is P. toro Perkins, 2009, whose simplified aedeagal anatomy differs considerably from all other known members of the genus. P. toro appears to be narrowly endemic to the inselberg of Table Mountain and surroundings, occurring in damp litter in Afromontane forests and beside seepages and streams (Perkins 2009; DTB pers. obs.). Here I describe a new species from a cool, high-altitude gully in the western end of Hex River Mountains, which closely resembles P. toro in external and aedeagal morphology and shares its humicolous microhabitat.

Synonymy of Katianna coeruleocephala Handschin, 1920 (Collembola: Katiannidae) with Bourletiella viridescens (Bourletiellidae).

Katianna coeruleocephala was described by Handschin in 1920 from Poespo, Java. It was collected in December, 1896 by Dr. Zehntner with the collecting details given as rotten "Louv" (leaves?) from live orchard. Handschin (1920) labelled his figures of the species (p. 146) as Katianna coerulescephala but the first spelling of the species name (p. 145) has priority. Katianna coeruleocephala has never been recollected. The only mention of the species in the literature since 1920 has been by Suhardjono (1989) in a check list for Indonesia and Suhardjono (2012) who listed it as present on Java and provided the main characteristics of the genus Katianna Börner, 1923. She stated it was a "new" (translate as endemic?) species in Java with a preferred habitat in cold and damp litter but no comment was made on the taxonomic status of the Indonesian species.

Mycotic keratoconjunctivitis in 12-day-old red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa)

KERATITIS and conjunctivitis have been recorded in association with avian poxvirus infection in red-legged partridges ( Alectoris rufa ) (Gortazar and others 2002), Pasteurella species infection in chickens (Ojo and...

Decomposition of Phragmites australis litter in seasonally flooded and exposed areas of a managed reedbed

Most studies on the decomposition of Phragmites australis have concentrated on permanently submerged or standing litter. The present study examines the dynamics of leaf and stem litter breakdown in seasonally flooded and permanently exposed areas in a managed reedbed. Seasonal flooding and summer drawdown are employed as part of the management to prevent litter accumulation. Fine mesh (0.25 mm) and modified design, coarse mesh (5-mm) bags were used. In the permanently exposed area, leaf and stem material lost 42% of their dry weight after 18 months and 47% after 30 months. In the seasonally flooded area, depending on mesh size, leaf material lost 74–79% and stem material 60–79% of its dry weight over the same time periods. Examination of individual breakdown rates demonstrated that fastest weight losses occurred following summer drawdown, with well-oxygenated, warm, damp litter. Drying of the litter and re-flooding of the reedbed led to slowing or complete cessation of breakdown. Maintenance of damp conditions throughout the summer exposure period would maximize breakdown rates.

Nutritive Value of Triticale as a Feed Ingredient for Broiler Chickens

Five experiments involving 10,080 chickens were used to evaluate the effects of feeding diets containing 0, 15, 30 and 45% triticale. Diets were calculated to be isoenergic and isonitrogenous. The effect of using supplementary lysine in diets with escalating levels of triticale was included in these studies. Mortality rates were significantly different (P>.05) among dietary treatments. Dietary effects on feed conversion were inconsistent, with two experiments providing evidence of a significant depression in feed efficiency associated with feeding triticale up to 21 days of age, but results from the other three experiments showing no detrimental effects. Body weights tended to be depressed at the higher dietary levels of triticale; this was particularly evident at 21 days of age. Supplementing starter diets with lysine did not correct this problem. Evidence indicates that growth inhibition associated with triticale limits its practical use to not more than 15% in broiler chicken diets; furthermore, damp litter conditions were also associated with the 30 and 45% dietary levels of triticale.