Peculiar Species Research Articles

Anthrenus sarnicus Mroczkowski (Coleoptera: Dermestidae: Megatominae): a peculiar species indeed

In several respects, Anthrenus (Anthrenodes) sarnicus Mroczkowski, 1962, is a 'peculiar species', a term used by Mroczkowski (1962) to describe the structure of the male genitalia. Here we review what is known about the species' distribution, carry out a morphological examination, and present images of the male and female genitalia.

Integrative taxonomy of Teucriogethes pollen beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Meligethinae), with implications on the systematics of the genus Teucrium (Lamiaceae).

In highly specialised phytophagous insects, important insights on phylogeny of the involved insect group can be often inferred from the evolutionary history of their host plants, and vice-versa, as in the case for a new, peculiar species of pollen beetles, recently discovered in Central China (Hubei Province). This new species is described herein as Teucriogethes huangae Liu & Audisio, sp. nov., and information on its ecology and systematic position is provided. The new species, associated as larvae with a strongly isolated member of the genus Teucrium L. (Lamiaceae), T. ornatum Hemsl., exhibiting a problematic taxonomic position, represents in turn an isolated and morphologically rather aberrant taxon in its lineage, probably the largest in size (2.2-2.8mm), and the first endemic representative of its genus in the whole Eastern Palaearctic. An updating of the taxonomic assessment of members of Teucriogethes and on possible evolutionary relationships with their larval host plants, based on an integrative taxonomy approach, is finally presented. A key to identification of all known species is also introduced. ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E349044B-29A5-416C-85CA-56143C7A29BE.

SEASONAL CHANGES IN THE CONCENTRATION AND RATIOS OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC PIGMENTS IN THE THREE SPHAGNUM SPECIES

Background. There is reason suppose that the concentration of photosynthetic pigments in sphagnum mosses, as in vascular plants, changes throughout the year and varies from species to species. Moreover, hollow sphagnum species have a higher growth and photosynthesis rate than ridge sphagnum species, which suggests the presence of differences in the pigment complex of species from different habitats. Purpose. Evaluation of quantitative changes in the pigment complex of the sphagnum mosses growing in different microclimatic conditions within oligotrophic bogs during the growing season at high latitudes. Materials and methods. The content of photosynthetic pigments in the three Sphagnum species growing in oligotrophic conditions was determined using the photometric method in an acetone extract once a month from May to October. The study was carried out for S. fuscum and S. lindbergii in 2021-2022, and for S. angustifolium only in 2022. Statistical data processing was carried out in Microsoft Excel 2010 and SPSS Statistics 11. Results. Seasonal and interannual variability in the content of chlorophylls, carotenoids, and their ratios was revealed for the studied sphagnum species. The pigment complex of S. lindbergii and S. angustifolium during the growing season is influenced by the bog water level and air temperature. Changes in the pigment complex of S. fuscum are associated with the amount of precipitation. Conclusion. Apparently, the seasonal and interannual dynamics of the pigment complex of sphagnum mosses is species-specific, but to further verify this statement it is necessary to study other species of sphagnum mosses from the same habitats, since the dynamics may be associated not so much with a peculiar species, but with the ecological conditions of the habitat.

A new species of Thinophilus Wahlberg (Diptera: Dolichopodidae: Hydrophorinae) from coastal India with re-description of Thinophilus tesselatus Becker (Diptera: Dolichopodidae: Hydrophorinae).

A new peculiar species of marine dolichopodid fly from West Bengal, India is described: Thinophilus maritimus Mukherjee & Pramanik sp. nov. COI barcodes of the new species were compared to other available Thinophilus sequences. Despite the lack of lateral setae on its hind coxa, this species clusters within the Thinophilus group. Males of Thinophilus tesselatus Becker, 1922 were also obtained from the same area, and a detailed redescription of the species is presented here. A checklist of 70 Oriental Thinophilus species is also provided.

MYCOBACTERIUM CANETTII TUBERCULOSIS LYMPHADENOPATHY IN A 3-YEAR-OLD CHILD.

A 3-year-old male originating from Djibouti presented with a cervical mass evolving for 2 months. Tuberculous lymphadenopathy was suspected based on biopsy results, and he improved quickly on standard antituberculous quadritherapy. Subsequently some features of the mycobacterium that grew in culture were unusual. The isolate was eventually identified as Mycobacterium canettii, a peculiar species of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.

Medically significant monotypic species Martynia annua L.: A review on ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology

Martynia annua commonly known as Thael kodukkai belonging to the Martyniaceae family is an herbaceous plant with many medicinal properties. It is a weedy peculiar species native to tropical and subtropical regions of Mexico. The entire herb is found to exhibit potential pharmacological activities. The various parts of this plant have been reported to show many therapeutic indications like anticancer, antibacterial, anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, analgesic, antipyretic activity, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-nociceptive, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, anti-hemolytic, anti-thrombotic, anti-arthritic, anti-haemorrhoidal, anti-alopecia, anti-muscular, anti-helminthic, gastroprotective and anti-fertility activities. This review aims to provide the compilation of existing knowledge on the phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of M. annua from the reported studies. The phytochemical screening results of various extracts of stem, root, leaves and fruits of M. annua were discussed in this review. A greater number of phytoconstituents were reported to be present in leaves. This review suggests that this plant contains various phytoconstituents like anthraquinones, terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins and phenolic compounds that are responsible for various pharmacological activities. In the future, this plant provides an immense scope for pharmacological investigations.

Cyanobacteria of Ukraine: Actual Diversity, Trends of Taxonomic Changes, Features of Zonal and Ectopic Distribution

Presenting the results of a critical taxonomic revision of the list of cyanobacteria of Ukraine and the analysis of their zonal, ecological and typological distribution. The list includes 766 species from 150 genera. They belong to the class <i>Cyanophyceae</i> Schaftner, four subclasses, 7 orders and 46 families. The subclass <i>Oscillatoriophycideae</i> (4 orders, 21 families, 65 genera, 333 species) is characterized by the greatest species and taxonomic diversity. The leading orders are <i>Synechococcales</i> (34.1%), <i>Nostocales</i> (26.8%) and <i>Oscillatoriales</i> (25.5%). Genera <i>Phormidium</i> Kütz. ex Gomont (7.3% of species), <i>Leptolyngbya</i> Anagn. et Komárek (5.4%), <i>Calothrix</i> C. Agardh ex Bornet et Flahault (3.8%) and <i>Oscillatoria</i> Vaucher ex Gomont (3.7%) lead in species richness. The obtained results are significantly different from the generalized data on the species and taxonomic diversity of cyanobacteria of Ukraine as of 2005. The growth of generic and species diversity is partly related to nomenclature and taxonomic changes; 7 genera and 50 species are new floristic records, revealed using molecular methods. The distribution of cyanobacteria on the territory of Ukraine has specific features. The highest diversity and uniqueness of species composition is characteristic of the Steppe zone of Ukraine: 539 species from 124 genera of <i>Cyanophyceae.</i> Of these, 101 species and 11 genera were recorded only within this zone. The ecological spectrum of Ukrainian cyanoflora consists of freshwater (66.3%), marine (14.5%), and terrestrial (9.5%) species, as well as species with a wide ecological range (7.3%), brackish water (4.1%) and eurytopic (1.4%) species. The representation of species in different habitat types varies widely. Most species were found in rivers (56.5% of the total list), lakes (38.0%), ponds (34.6%) and reservoirs (29.4%). Among continental water bodies, swamps have the most peculiar species composition (9.8% of species are found only here). Floodplain water bodies have the least specific species composition (0.5%). Among non-aquatic habitats, the largest number of species was found in soils (excluding saline): 179 species from 55 genera, 15.6% of species occur only in this type of habitats. In the Ukrainian sectors of the Black and Azov seas, 228 species from 80 genera of cyanobacteria were found, of which 41 species (17.9%) were not registered in other types of habitats. 43 species are widely distributed in water bodies and soils of Ukraine. They include the water bloom agents<i> Dolichospermum spiroides</i> (Kleb.) Wacklin et al., <i>Microcystis flosaquae</i> (Wittrock) Kirchn. and <i>M. viridis</i> (A.Braun in Rabenh.) which most often occur in reservoirs of the plain part of Ukraine.

Ціанобактерії України: актуальне різноманіття, тенденції таксономічних змін, особливості зонального та ектопічного поширення

The paper presents the results of a critical taxonomic revision of the list of cyanobacteria of Ukraine and the analyzis of their zonal, ecological and typological distribution. The list includes 766 species from 150 genera. They belong to the class Cyanophyceae Schaftner, four subclasses, 7 orders and 46 families. The subclass Oscillatoriophycideae (4 orders, 21 families, 65 genera, 333 species) is characterized by the greatest species and taxonomic diversity. The leading orders are Synechococcales (34.1%), Nostocales (26.8%) and Oscillatoriales (25.5%). Genera Phormidium Kütz. ex Gomont (7.3% of species), Leptolyngbya Anagn. et Komárek (5.4%), Calothrix C.Agardh ex Bornet et Flahault (3.8%) and Oscillatoria Vaucher ex Gomont (3.7%) lead in species richness. The obtained results are significantly different from the generalized data on the species and taxonomic diversity of cyanobacteria of Ukraine as of 2005. The growth of generic and species diversity is partly related to nomenclature and taxonomic changes; 7 genera and 50 species are new floristic records, revealed including using molecular methods. The distribution of cyanobacteria on the territory of Ukraine has specific features. The highest diversity and uniqueness of the species composition is characteristic of the Steppe zone of Ukraine: 539 species from 124 genera of Cyanophyceae. Of these, 101 species and 11 genera were recorded only within this zone. The ecological spectrum of Ukrainian cyanoflora consists of freshwater (66.3%), marine (14.5%), terrestrial (9.5%) species, as well as species with a wide ecological amplitude (7.3%), brackish water (4.1%) and eurytopic (1.4%) species. The representation of species in different habitat types varies widely. Most species were found in rivers (56.5% of the total list), lakes (38.0%), ponds (34.6%) and reservoirs (29.4%). Among continental water bodies, swamps have the most peculiar species composition (9.8% of species are found only here). Floodplain water bodies have the least specific species composition (0.5%). Among non-aquatic habitats, the largest number of species was found in soils (excluding saline): 179 species from 55 genera, 15.6% of species occur only in this type of habitats. In the Ukrainian sectors of the Black and Azov seas, 228 species from 80 genera of cyanobacteria were found, of which 41 species (17.9%) were not registered in other types of habitats. 43 species are widespread in Ukraine. They include the water bloom agents Dolichospermum spiroides (Kleb.) Wacklin et al., Microcystis flosaquae (Wittrock) Kirchn. and M. viridis (A.Braun in Rabenh.) which most often occur in reservoirs of the plain part of Ukraine.

Low-Field Feshbach Resonances and Three-Body Losses in a Fermionic Quantum Gas of 161Dy

We report on the high-resolution Feshbach spectroscopy on a degenerate, spin-polarized Fermi gas of 161Dy atoms, measuring three-body recombination losses at a low magnetic field. For field strengths up to 1 G, we identify as much as 44 resonance features and observe the plateaus of very low losses. For four selected typical resonances, we study the dependence of the threebody recombination rate coefficient on the magnetic resonance detuning and on the temperature. We observe a strong suppression of losses with decreasing temperature already for small detunings from the resonance. The characterization of complex behavior of the three-body losses of fermionic 161Dy is important for future applications of this peculiar species in research on atomic quantum gases.

Microporous activated carbon from the fruits of the invasive species Hovenia dulcis to remove the herbicide atrazine from waters

The species Hovenia dulcis has become a major issue for the Brazilian biome due to its high adaptation and accelerated propagation, putting the local biodiversity at risk. In this sense, this study sought to generate a new purpose for the fruits of this peculiar species. They were carbonized with ZnCl2 to produce porous activated carbon, which was used to remove the herbicide atrazine from aqueous solutions. The Hovenia dulcis activated carbon (Hd-AC) presented a surface area of 898.4 m2/g, with narrow pores with an average diameter of 1.24 nm and a pore volume of 0.296 cm3 g−1. Hd-AC for atrazine adsorption was efficient at a pH of 6.0 for an adsorbent dosage of 0.5 g/L, where the adsorption capacity was 58 mg g−1 at 328 K. The isothermal curves showed a good adjustment to the Freundlich isotherm. The thermodynamic results indicated that herbicide adsorption was spontaneous, favorable, and endothermic (ΔH° = 8.21 kJ mol−1). Besides, the linear driving force model (LDF) was used satisfactorily to describe the kinetic behavior of atrazine. Also, in treating a sample of river water contaminated with atrazine, Hd-AC showed high performance, reaching the removal of 70 % of the emerging pollutant. Therefore, using the residual fruits of the Hovenia dulcis as biomass to prepare a highly porous adsorbent reveals a promising alternative.

A peculiar species of mole cricket (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar

A patchy fossil record and limited information is available for understanding the early evolution of Gryllotalpidae, which is a specialized orthopteran family with fossorial habits. Herein, a new mole cricket species, Tresdigitus gracilis sp. nov., is described and attributed to the genus Tresdigitus mainly based on its quadrate pronotum equal to the head in width, protibia with three setose movable dactyls, mesotibia with four apical spurs, and metatibia with denticle-like spines distributed on the distal 2/3rds of its length and six spurs apically. It is mainly distinguished from Tresdigitus rectanguli Xu et al., 2020 in the head not being hidden under the pronotum, head with a distinct ‘Y-shaped’ ecdysial suture, the pronotum is nearly equal to the head in length, and the metatibia with fifteen denticle-like spines interspersed on upper margin. Mouthpart of the new species is well-preserved, and its blunt lacinia probably indicates that Tresdigitus gracilis sp. nov. was graminivorous. Additionally, keys to genera and species of fossil gryllotalpids in Cretaceous Kachin (northern Myanmar) and France amber is provided.

THE FIRST FINDING OF THE TREMATODE COLLYRICLUM FABA (BREMSER IN SCHMALZ, 1831) IN PASSERINE BIRDS OF UZBEKISTAN

The study of the peculiar species Collyriclum faba (Bremser in Schmalz, 1831) has a long history. Trematodes of this species have been recorded in many passerine species and rarely in other groups of birds. Subcutaneous cysts in infested birds are localized in various parts of the body: at the base of the lower jaw, chin or throat, around the cloaca, abdomen and chest. Regardless of the site of parasitism, trematodes Collyriclum faba, surrounded by a cyst, pose a serious threat to the health of wild and domestic birds. Mature forms of Collyriclum faba were found in subcutaneous cysts of the Hume's whitethroat Sylvia althaea Hume, 1878 (Passeriformes: Sylviidae) in the zone of the Surkhan state reserve of the Surkhandarya Region of Uzbekistan, on June 18, 2017. In total, for the period of June 10–18, 2017, 29 individuals of adult birds were examined, and skin trematodes were found in one individual of the Hume's whitethroat, which we identified as C. faba. This is the first find in Uzbekistan. Trematodes from cysts were identified in the laboratory of General Parasitology. A total of 80 specimens of trematodes were studied. When diagnosing species of trematodes, traditional methods of helminthological research were used. The Hume's whitethroat is registered as a new host of this trematode.

Печеночники (Marchantiophyta) термальных источников вулкана Баранского (остров Итуруп, Курильские острова, Россия)

For the first time, a complete list of liverworts from the thermal habitats of Baransky Volcano of Iturup Island, South Kurils is compiled and analyzed. Based on investigation of four collecting sites, 37 species of liverworts were found in direct zone of source of exposure. The presented list of species includes distribution of liverworts on thermal springs and their substrata confinement. In addition, the ecology of recorded species in the southern Kuril Islands is discussed. The size of hydrothermal field, diversity of habitats and competition with mosses and vascular plants impact on species diversity of different thermal habitats. The common species in the studied hydrothermal springs are Calypogeia pseudointegristipula, Cephalozia bicuspidata, Marsupella tubulosa, Nardia assamica, N. subclavata and Solenostoma vulcanicola. The originality of the hepatic flora of thermal springs of Baransky Vulcano is in its richness, unique species composition for each partial flora, presence of rare (Asperifolia arguta, Diplophyllum sibiricum, Nardia compressa) and peculiar (Nardia subclavata, Solenostoma vulcanicola) species.

DNA Barcoding and Renewed Taxonomy of South American Clouded Sulphurs (Lepidoptera: Pieridae: Colias)

The genetic relationships of the clouded sulphurs, Colias Fabricius complex of South America, assessed through a study of the COI mitochondrial part of the DNA genome (‘barcoding’) are reported. Barcoding tests used the Barcoding of Life Database platform over a set comprised of 181 specimens of South-American Colias and four outgroup specimens of two geographically closest Neotropical Colias (C. philodice guatemalena Röber and C. eurytheme eurytheme Boisduval inhabiting southern North America). According to the data obtained, all South-American clouded sulphurs constitute a natural concise group (monophyletic clade), characterized by large interspecific and moderate intraspecific mutational divergences in the mitochondrial part of the genome and peculiar structure of the haplotypes/haplogroups. This clade is largely, and with high bootstrap support, detached from the clade of ‘true’ Colias occurring in Eurasia, North America, and Africa, that stems from a joint analysis over the sequences received for the two groups of Colias butterflies. Hence, the clade encompassing all species of South-American clouded sulphurs requires designating a separate genus, Scalidoneura stat. nov. (gen. rest. per historical priority), which is sister to the clade encompassing all Colias species occurring in the rest of the world, for which the genus name Colias is used. Furthermore, among South-American clouded sulphurs (Scalidoneura) are three phenotypically distinctive species – S. dimera Doubleday and Hewitson, S. vauthierii Guérin-Méneville, and S. alticola Godman and Salvin (with the latter, ex-subspecies of C. euxanthe Felder and Felder, being re-raised to full-species rank: stat. nov., viz. sp. rest.) – which are very divergent genetically. On the contrary, the rest of four South-American Scalidoneura species (quite different in habitus, too) – S. euxanthe, S. lesbia Fabricius, S. misti Kir’yanov, and S. flaveola Blanchard – are almost indistinguishable in their DNA barcodes. In addition, for peculiar species S. alticola, separate on the phylogenetic trees among other South-American clouded sulphurs, it is worthwhile to erect Altocolias subgen. nov. within the genus Scalidoneura. The new systematic approach used in the present study, which is basically grounded on DNA barcoding and revisiting the subgenera concept for worldwide clouded sulphurs, deletes internal inconsistencies and controversies that hindered previous attempts to propose a stable system for this peculiar block of pierid butterflies.

Discovering insect species based on photographs only: The case of a nameless species of the genus Scaria (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae)

A heated debate on whether a new species should be described without a physical specimen, i.e., by designating a photographed specimen to serve as a holotype, has been ongoing for a long time. Herewith, without nomenclatural actions, a new species of the Batrachidein pygmy grasshoppers belonging to the genus Scaria Bolívar, 1887 is identified from the Andean rainforest in Peru. This species is clearly different from all its congeners by morphology and coloration. Two individuals of this peculiar species are known only from the photographs found on iNaturalist. The species has not been observed since 2008 when the photographs were taken. A short historical overview of the topic is given, illustrating the pros and cons of photograph-based species description. The concepts of names, holotypes, research effort, and conservation are discussed and related to the problem at hand. The current state of the taxonomic community’s beliefs regarding this issue is reflected by the authors’ three unsuccessful attempts to name this new species.

Essentials for Combined Experimental and Computational 77Se NMR of Organoselenium Catalysts and Bioinspired Antioxidants

The importance of selenium in biology, in organic catalysis, and green chemistry is well established. Selenoproteins, among which are ubiquitous Glutathione Peroxidases (GPx), play a key role in mitigating oxidative stress by reducing H2O2 and hydroperoxides using glutathione as a cofactor. Organoselenides, particularly diphenyl diselenide, in the presence of H2O2, are efficient and often green oxygen transfer agents in important organic reactions, such as Baeyer-Villiger oxidations of ketones/aldehydes, the conversion of alkenes into epoxides, and the oxidations of alcohols and nitrogen- containing compounds. NMR spectroscopy can facilitate the investigation of the properties of this element in a biological environment and the characterization of the peculiar species of its chemistry. In this short review, a brief overview of the experimental and computational 77Se NMR-based techniques is outlined, with a particular focus on their applications to the study of biologically relevant organoselenium compounds and bio-mimetic systems. Experimental protocols, together with computational methods used in different contexts, are presented and their potential as efficient investigation tools is critically discussed. It emerges that while the 77Se NMR measurement is a consolidated technique, no standard computational protocol is available to compute the shielding constant of the chalcogen nucleus with accuracy and the optimal approach combines molecular dynamics in solution and quantum chemistry calculations to take into account the conformational freedom.

A New Species of Terellia (Diptera, Tephritidae) from Morocco

Terellia ptilostemi sp. n., a previously unknown peculiar species of the genus Terellia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 is described based on the holotype and a large series of paratypes reared from Ptilostemon rhiphaeus (Pau & Font Quer) Greuter (Asteraceae, Cardueae) in Tetouan and Chefchaouen Provinces of Western Morocco. The new species has the phallus glans typical for species of the Terellia serratulae group, but has an extremely uncommon wing pattern of four black crossbands, whereas the other species of the group have entirely hyaline or slightly infuscated wings.

Studies of Raspy Crickets: Magnumtergalis n. gen. a new gryllacrid genus with elongate male terminalia (Orthoptera: Gryllacrididae) from Colombia.

Magnumtergalis n. gen. a new genus from the Inter-Andean Valleys and midlands of the Colombian Andes' central cordillera is described. Two very peculiar species are placed within this genus, M. aldarioarenasi n. sp. (type species) and M. albonigra n. comb. An unusual terminalia to the family Gryllacrididae characterizes this genus, in which the ninth tergite is noticeably prolonged, covering the other structures of the male terminalia. This is the first genus of leaf-rolling crickets described from the Neotropics in the last 80 years.

Serendipita restingae sp. nov. (Sebacinales): an orchid mycorrhizal agaricomycete with wide host range.

The Serendipitaceae family was erected in 2016 to accommodate the Sebacinales 'group B' clade, which contains peculiar species of cultivable root-associated fungi involved in symbiotic associations with a wide range of plant species. Here we report the isolation of a new Serendipita species which was obtained from protocorms of the terrestrial orchid Epidendrum fulgens cultivated in a greenhouse. This species is described based on phylogenetic analysis and on its microscopic and ultrastructural features in pure culture and in association with the host's protocorms. Its genome size was estimated using flow cytometry, and its capacity to promote the germination of E. fulgens seeds and to associate with roots of Arabidopsis thaliana was also investigated. Serendipita restingae sp. nov. is closely related to Serendipita sp. MAFF305841, isolated from Microtis rara (Orchidaceae), from which it differs by 14.2% in the ITS region and by 6.5% in the LSU region. It produces microsclerotia formed of non-monilioid hyphae, a feature that was not reported for the Sebacinales hitherto. Serendipita restingae promoted the germination of E. fulgens seeds, forming typical mycorrhizal pelotons within protocorm cells. It was also able to colonize the roots of Arabidopsis thaliana under in vitro conditions. Arabidopsis plants grown in association with S. restingae increased their biomass more than fourfold. Serendipita restingae is the first Serendipitaceae species described for the Americas.

Activity Patterns and Age-dependent Changes in Behavior in the Clonal Ant Platythyrea punctata

Age-based polyethism, wherein young individuals perform tasks within the nest and later transition to outside activities, is common among many social insects. This division of labor ensures the safety of workers with longer residual lifespans, such as brood caring nurses, and exposes only old individuals to increased extrinsic mortality risks. It appears however, that lifespan in workers is also shaped by intrinsic factors, such as senescence. The transition from nurse to forager is accompanied by various physiological and behavioral changes and seems to represent a crucial step in determining the subsequent life history of the individual. Here we investigate the daily activity pattern and detailed division of labor in colonies of the clonal ant Platythyrea punctata to better understand the dynamics of age polyethism in this peculiar species. We found that P. punctata colonies were mostly active during the day. At night, few workers were observed out of their nests. Workers showed a decrease in brood care and aggressive behavior over time. With increasing age individuals spent more time outside the nest and were more frequently observed walking. However, the transition to outside tasks did not follow a consistent time pattern in all colonies. Workers transitioning at a younger age seemed to die earlier than workers that began to forage later in life.