Rows Of Tubercles Research Articles

A role for TRIANGULAR HULL1 in fine-tuning spikelet morphogenesis in rice.

The lemma and palea, which enclose the pistil, stamens, and lodicules, are the most conspicuous organs in the rice spikelet. We isolated a mutant line (ng6569) in which the lemma and palea were narrower than those of the wild type, and found that the mutant had a defect in TRIANGULAR HULL1 (TH1), which encodes a nuclear protein with an ALOG domain. Detailed morphological analysis indicated that the th1 mutation caused a reduction in the size of tubercles, which are convex structures on the surface of the lemma and palea. This reduction was more pronounced in the apical region of the lemma than in the basal region, resulting in the formation of a beak-like spikelet. By contrast, the number of tubercle rows and their spatial distribution on the lemma were not affected in the th1 mutant. Thus, the TH1 gene seems to be involved in fine-tuning the morphogenesis of the lemma and palea. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that TH1 was highly expressed in the primordia of the lemma and palea, but only weakly expressed in the primordia of the sterile lemma and rudimentary glume. We then examined the effect of th1 mutation on the lemma-like structure formed in the long sterile lemma/glume1 (g1) and extra glume1 (eg1) mutants. The result showed that the th1 mutation strongly affected the morphology of the extra lemma of eg1, but had no significant effect on the transformed lemma of g1.

Three new Peruvian species ofProtimesius(Opiliones: Laniatores: Stygnidae)

Three new species of the harvestmen genus Protimesius Roewer 1913 are described from the Amazonian region of Peru. Protimesius amigos n. sp. from Madre de Dios Department may be distinguished by the absence of an anterior prominence on the prosoma and the presence of five pairs of basal large setae on the penis. Protimesius machiguenga n. sp. and P. kakinte n. sp. are described from the Lower Urubamba region of Cusco Department; P. machiguenga n. sp. is similar to P. cirio Villarreal-Manzanilla & Pinto-da-Rocha 2006 and can be distinguished from it by the presence of a conspicuous dorsal prolateral row of tubercles on the male tibia IV; P. kakinte n. sp. is similar to P. amphichelis Roewer 1931 and P. boibumba Villarreal-Manzanilla & Pinto-da-Rocha 2006, but can be separated from these by the development of tubercles on the femur and tibia IV, and by the number of retrolateral tubercles on male femur IV. New records of P. albilineatus (Roewer 1957) from Loreto department in northern Peru are also reported.

A New Species ofGoniurosaurus(Squamata: Eublepharidae) from Libo, Guizhou Province, China

A new species of the genus Goniurosaurus is described from Libo County, Guizhou Province and Huanjiang County, Guangxi, China. Goniurosaurus liboensis sp. n. can be discriminated from other known congeners by its medium size, with adults measuring 103.2-110.3 mm snout-vent length; 23 precloacal pores in males; a posteriorly protracted nuchal loop six or seven scale rows in width; two or three internasals, eight or nine nasal scales surrounding nares; a greatly enlarged row of supraorbital tubercles; the granular scales of upper eyelids nearly equal in size as those on the top of head; deep axillary pockets; claws sheathed by four scales; chin, throat, thorax, and ventral surfaces of body and limbs white, immaculate; and three thin immaculate dorsal body bands between limb insertions. Natural history data and an expanded key to the genus Goniurosaurus are provided.

A New Andean Species of Leaf-toed Gecko (Phyllodactylidae:Phyllodactylus) from Ecuador

We describe a new species of Phyllodactylus from a xerophytic forest in the Andes of southern Ecuador. The new species differs from other mainland species of Phyllodactylus from South America by the combination of the following characters: preanal scales similar in size to other ventral scales, well-defined longitudinal rows of tubercles dorsally, a medial longitudinal row of enlarged caudal scales ventrally, tubercles on dorsal surface of tibia present, enlarged postanal scale absent, tubercles on dorsal surface of forearm absent, interorbital scales homogeneous in size, enlarged scales on proximal one-fourth of tail absent, gular scales granular, and maximum snout–vent length of 55 mm. Even though morphological similarity suggests a close relationship between the new species and Phyllodactylus reissii, phylogenetic analyses of 10 nuclear and mitochondrial genes contradict this hypothesis. We also report the first records of Phyllodactylus kofordi for Ecuador.

Two new species of Protimesius from northern Brazil (Opiliones: Laniatores: Stygnidae).

Two new species of Protimesius Roewer, 1913 (Stygnidae), are described from northern Brazil. Protimesius regalo sp. nov. is described from Lageado, state of Tocantins. This is a large species and can be easily distinguished from the already described species of Protimesius by the presence of four apical mesal acute tubercles on tibia IV and two dorsal rows of tubercles on male patella IV. Protimesius jirau sp. nov. is described from Porto Velho, state of Rond6nia. This species is similar to P. cirio in having a large, pointed, dorso-apical apophysis on the male trochanter IV. However, it can be distinguished from P. cirio by the absence of a ventral row of tubercles on the male femur IV, as well as the presence of a ventral row of tubercles and two postero-distal apophyses on the male tibia IV. A new cladistic analysis for the genus is presented, and a key is given for the 18 species of Protimesius for which males are known.

Scanning Electron Microscopy of Eggs ofSabethes cyaneus

Mosquitoes of the Neotropical genus Sabethes, some species of which are yellow fever vectors, most often develop through the immature stages in tree holes. Sabethes eggs have not been previously characterized using scanning electron microscopy. Eggs of Sabethes cyaneus (length: 349.6 +/- 2.7 microm; width: 172.6 +/- 1.14 microm; n = 10) are almost biconical when examined from the top. From a lateral perspective 2 surfaces can be seen. One surface is smooth and more convex, whereas the other is less convex and partially covered by a network from which many fungiform tubercles arise. The micropyle is situated on the smooth surface of the pointed anterior tip and is surrounded by an irregular row of tubercles, some of which are leaf shaped. No structures possibly involved in adhesion to surfaces are visible. When hatching, the egg splits dorsoventrally approximately two-thirds of the length from the anterior end. The tubercles appear to be water repellent, and the more convex/smoother surface is downturned, and this position on water was confirmed by direct observation. The eggs float free on the water surface.

Wood-boring limnoriids (Crustacea, Isopoda) including a new species from mangrove forests of the Tukang Besi Archipelago, Indonesia

In a survey of the fauna inhabiting fallen wood in Rhizophora-dominated forests of an archipelago of small islands to thesouth of Sulawesi, in Indonesia, four species of limnoriid (Limnoria insulae, L. pfefferi, L. sellifera new species and L.unicornis) were found feeding on the wood. L. sellifera is characterised by a saddle-shaped pleotelson that is smaller thanpleonite 5, transverse rows of teeth-like tubercles dorsomedially on pleonites 2–4 and a uropod with relatively small ex-opod, two rows of pointed tubercles on the peduncle, and one row on the endopod. L. sellifera is the second species ofLimnoria to be found exclusively on mangrove wood. The cephalon and pereon of the four species of limnoriids are anatomically similar, but they differ markedly in features of pleonite 5, the pleotelson and the uropods.

A new endemic species of Cyrtodactylus Gray (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Tho Chu Island, southwestern Vietnam

A new endemic species, Cyrtodactylus thochuensis sp. nov. from Tho Chu Island in Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve off the southern coast of Vietnam, is differentiated from all other species of Cyrtodactylus by the following combination of characters: maximum SVL 86.3 mm (n=6); no precloacal groove; 3-5 precloacal pores arranged in an angular series; a series of enlarged femoral scales contacting a wide patch of enlarged precloacal scales; 3-6 intersuparanasals in contact with rostral; 20-26 strongly keeled, longitudinal rows of tubercles at midbody; and 30-40 transverse rows of ventral scales between the ventrolateral folds. This species most closely resembles C. condorensis Smith and C. paradoxus (Darevsky & Szczerbak).

Una nueva especie de Pristimantis (Anura: Craugastoridae) del corredor ecológico Llangantes-Sangay, Andes de Ecuador

Describimos una nueva especie de Pristimantis conocida del bosque nublado de las estribaciones orientales de los Andes centrales de Ecuador. La nueva especie se caracteriza por tener un distintivo patrón de manchas irregulares blancas sobre el vientre negro, dorso verde, tubérculos cónicos en el párpado, tubérculo interorbital, e hilera de tubérculos ulnares y tarsales. Esfuerzos por conservar esta especie se han cristalizado en dos áreas protegidas dentro del corredor Llanganates Sangay, un punto caliente de diversidad que resguarda poblaciones de ranas endémicas y todavía desconocidas.

Early ontogeny of Middle Jurassic hiatellids from a wood-fall association: implications for phylogeny and palaeoecology of Hiatellidae

We provide a detailed description of exceptionally well-preserved specimens of Hiatella (Pseudosaxicava) phaseolus (Eudes-Deslongchamps) from Middle Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) clays of the CzA™stochowa Ore-bearing Clay Formation at Gnaszyn (southern Poland). The juvenile shell is illustrated for the first time, allowing detailed interpretation of the ontogenetic history of these bivalves. The specimens settled on sunken driftwood that served as an attachment surface and thus acted as a ‘benthic island’ on the otherwise muddy seafloor. A review of the Mesozoic record of the bivalve family Hiatellidae shows that the group appeared in the earliest Jurassic, shortly after the end-Triassic extinction event. The Jurassic species of Hiatella (Pseudosaxicava) do not significantly differ from the Recent species of Hiatella (Hiatella) with regard to major shell characters. However, the absence of hinge teeth and the presence of multiple rows of tiny tubercles on the juvenile dissoconch of Pseudosaxicava clearly distinguish the two subgenera. Although highly variable with regard to morphology and behaviour (boring, nestling or byssal attachment), the Hiatellidae are a conservative group that have not changed significantly since the Mesozoic.

A New Species of Gecko of the Genus Hemidactylus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from Andhra Pradesh, India

A new species of Hemidactylus herein is described from a small population in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is compared with all Indian congeneric species from which it differs by the following combination of characters; SVL 59.1 – 70.2 mm, 15 – 16 transverse rows of tubercles at midbody, 6 transverse rows of tubercles on the first segment of the tail, 6 – 7 lamellae on digit I of pes, 9 lamellae on digit IV of pes, 14 precloacal-femoral pores in males, 11 – 12 superlabials, 10 infralabials and three enlarged postcloacal spurs, posterior most spur approximately three times the size of each of the anterior pair which are of equal size to each other.

Gekko canaensis sp. nov. (Squamata: Gekkonidae), a new gecko from Southern Vietnam

A new species of Gekko Laurenti 1768 is described from southern Vietnam. The species is distinguished from its congeners by its moderate size: SVL to maximum 108.5 mm, dorsal pattern of five to seven white vertebral blotches between nape and sacrum and six to seven pairs of short white bars on flanks between limb insertions, 1–4 internasals, 30–32 ventral scale rows between weak ventrolateral folds, 14–18 precloacal pores in males, 10–14 longitudinal rows of smooth dorsal tubercles, 14–16 broad lamellae beneath digit I of pes, 17–19 broad lamellae beneath digit IV of pes, and a single transverse row of enlarged tubercles along the posterior portion of dorsum of each tail segment.

On the evolution of raptorial legs - an insect example (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Phymatinae).

The presence of chelate and subchelate fore legs in Phymatinae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), or ambush bugs, provides a unique opportunity to study the evolution of different types of raptorial legs in a closely related group of arthropods. Themonocorini have simple, possibly raptorial legs, Phymatini and Macrocephalini distinct subchelate fore legs, and the charismatic Carcinocorini are the only insects with a chelate fore leg apart from female dryinid Chysidoidea (Hymenoptera). Relationships between the four phymatine tribes are here analyzed in a cladistic framework thus permitting testable hypotheses on the evolution of raptorial legs. The presented analysis of phymatine tribal level relationships is based on a dataset comprising 11 species of Phymatinae and 54 non-phymatine Reduviidae and Heteroptera. The molecular data set consists of ∼3500 MAFFT aligned bases of 16S, 28S D2-D3, and 18S ribosomal genes. Parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses resulted in identical topologies for the ingroup with the relationships Themonocorini + (Phymatini + (Carcinocorini + Macrocephalini)) receiving high support values. Eleven morphological characters, eight of them derived from fore leg morphology, were optimized on the parsimony analysis. These optimizations indicate that the ancestral ambush bug had a simple raptorial leg; that size reduction of the tarsus, enlargement of the femur, curvature of the fore tibia, armature of tibia and femur with rows of tiny tubercles that allow for gripping of a prey insect, and the large process on the ventral surface of the femur arose in the common ancestor of Carcinocorini + Macrocephalini + Phymatini. The chelate leg in Carcinocorini is likely derived from a subchelate precursor similar to the one seen in recent Macrocephalini and may have evolved through elongation of the ventral, proximal portion of the fore femur and modification of the median process to form part of the digitus fixus. © The Willi Hennig Society 2010.

First Report of Stilt Crab Crossotonotus spinipes (Decapoda: Palicoidea: Crossotonotidae) from Korea

A stilt crab Crossotonotus spinipes (De Man, 1888) is newly reported from Korean waters as a result of continuous taxonomic studies on crabs. The present specimen has a row of tubercles and a longitudinal lobe with denticles on the dorsal border of the propodus of the chelipeds, and a shorter Pereopod 5. The description and illustration of this species are provided.

Gekko lauhachindai sp. nov., a new cave-dwelling gecko (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from central Thailand

A new species, Gekko lauhachindai sp. nov. is described from Saraburi Province in central Thailand. It is a member of the mid-sized Gekko petricolus group and within this group it is probably most closely related to G. grossmanni Günther, 1994, G. scientiadventura Rösler et al., 2005, G. russelltraini Ngo et al., 2009, and G. takouensis Ngo & Gamble, 2010 with which it shares a similar dorsal pattern. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by its moderate size (SVL at least to 98 mm) and slender body, rostral participation in the nostril border, precloacal pores 12–14, femoral pores absent, dorsal tubercle rows 14, snout less than 1.5 times eye diameter, presence of “I” shaped rostral groove, interorbital scale rows 36–40, digit I and IV of pes with 13 and 13–15 enlarged subdigital scansors, respectively, and dorsal pattern of large bright spots dorsally that may be expanded to 5–6 whitish narrow cross bars intersected by a bright mid-dorsal dotted line from nape to sacrum. The new species is one of many recently described Southeast Asian geckos that appear to be restricted to limestone caves. It is the seventh species of Gekko known from Thailand and the third Gekko occurring in sympatry in the karst forests of Chalermphrakiat District, Saraburi Province, central Thailand.

A new species of Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) in Phu Quoc National Park, Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve, Southwestern Vietnam

A new crevice dwelling species, Cyrtodactylus phuquocensis sp. nov. from Phu Quoc National Park on Phu Quoc Island in Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve in southwestern Vietnam is differentiated from all other species by the following combination of characteristics: SVL 62.2–85.8 mm; no precloacal groove; 7–9 precloacal pores arranged in an angular series; a series of enlarged femoral scales contacting a wide patch of enlarged precloacal scales; 2–5 intersuparanasals in contact with rostrum; 16–18 weakly keeled, longitudinal rows of tubercles on body; 38–43 transverse rows of ventral scales between ventrolateral folds; and dorsal caudal tubercles extending 57.8–75% down length of tail. This species most closely resembles C. intermedius Smith, 1917 to which it was previously referred. The description of this species has elevated the number of endemic species of gekkonids of this region to eight within the last three years.

Review of the Halieutichthys aculeatus species complex (Lophiiformes: Ogcocephalidae), with descriptions of two new species

The Halieutichthys aculeatus species complex is reviewed. Members of this clade are distinguished by the presence of tubercles on the tail and a reticulate dorsal pigmentation pattern. Three species are recognized, including two species new to science. A neotype is chosen for H. aculeatus. Halieutichthys bispinosus n. sp. is characterized by having relatively strong tubercles on the dorsal surface, a row of tubercles almost always present dorsal to the orbit, both sphenotic tubercles well developed and sharp, trifid principal tubercles on the disk margin with anterior spinelet enlarged, dense arrangement of tubercles on the tail and a comparatively large adult body size. Halieutichthys intermedius n. sp. can be distinguished from congeners by having both sphenotic tubercles strongly reduced, the tubercles almost always absent dorsal to the orbit, principal tubercles on the disk margin uniformly short and blunt tubercles, with all spinelets generally reduced.

Cyrtodactylus dumnuii (Squamata: Gekkonidae), a new cave-dwelling gecko from Chiang Mai Province, Thailand

A new cave-dwelling species of Cyrtodactylus is described from Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand. Cyrtodactylus dumnuii sp. nov. may be distinguished from all other congeners by the possession of a series of enlarged femoral scales, disjunct precloacal and femoral pores in males (minute precloacal pores variably present in females), a relatively high number (18–22) of closely spaced, regularly arranged dorsal tubercle rows, well-defined non-denticulate ventrolateral folds, transversely enlarged subcaudal plates, and a color pattern of approximately six pairs of alternating light and dark transverse bands on the trunk. It is the nineteenth member of the genus recorded from Thailand and the eighth Thai Cyrtodactylus known to be a facultative troglophile.

Trigonotarbid arachnids from the Lower Devonian (Lower Emsian) of Alken an der Mosel (Rhineland-Palatinate, SW Germany)

New material of the trigonotarbids Alkenia and Archaeomartus from the Lower Devonian type locality Alken an der Mosel/Germany is described. Stormer’s original description of Alkenia is essentially confirmed and supplemented. The genus is placed in Aphantomartidae. In contrast to earlier accounts, we show that Archaeomartus has an anterior diplotergite and a longitudinally three-divided posteriormost (ninth) tergite. The new family Archaeomartidae is proposed. Whether a marginal row of larger tubercles on the opisthosoma can be recognized is strongly influenced by the taphonomic history of the fossil, and sexual dimorphism may also be involved. Thus, we propose that Archaeomartus levis and A. tuberculatus, which can be discriminated solely by the presence or absence of this feature, are synonyms. Furthermore, morphological similarity suggests the possibility that archaeomartids, with their opisthosomal tergites divided into three plates, gave rise to the later (Carboniferous) anthracomartids, specifically through the division of the lateral plates and the ninth tergite. Finally, our reassessment of Archaeomartus shows that ‘A.’ roessleri Dunlop and Brauckmann, 2006 can no longer be adequately maintained in this genus. This younger species from the early Upper Carboniferous of Hagen-Vorhalle, Germany, is reassigned to Namurotarbus n. gen. as Namurotarbus roessleri n. comb.

The Pupa of the Bee Protoxaea gloriosa (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae: Oxaeinae)

To date, the sole pupal description of an oxaeine has been Roberts' (1973) account of the pupa of Oxaea flavescens Klug (McGinley, 1989). We here describe the pupa of Protoxaea gloriosa Fox and compare it with that of O. flavescens, an act made possible not only because of Roberts' description but also because he kindly deposited his specimens in the collection of the American Museum of Natural History. We also compare the oxaeine pupae with those of other Andrenidae. DIAGNOSIS! The pupal Protoxaea gloriosa and Oxaea flavescens strongly resemble one another, as was anticipated by Roberts (1973), but differ in several aspects. The glossa of P. gloriosa does not extend to the metasoma in lateral view (Figs. 1, 2), while that of O. flavescens reaches to at least the first metasomal segment (ibid.: Figs. 7, 8). Although both have subapical rows of tergal tubercles, many of these tubercles of P. gloriosa are apically pigmented and sharply pointed, while those of O. flavescens are blunt and unpigmented. Because oxaeine pupae lack mesoscutal and mesoscutellar tubercles (Figs. 1, 2), they differ from most other andrenid pupae, which, to the extent known, tend to have paired tubercles on their mesoscuta, on their mesoscutella, or both (Yager and Rozen, 1966). Oxaeines have no tegular tubercles and hence can be distinguished from the pupae of Andrena, Melitturga, and some Calliopsis, which do have tegular tubercles. Oxaeines lack a terminal spine, whereas all others do, except for Melitturga, in which the spine is short and thus obscure (Yager and Rozen: Fig. 15). Roberts (1973) misidentified a genitalic structure of O. flavescens as a terminal spine. Protoxaea and Oxaea, as well as Perdita and Melitturga, are also distinguished from other andrenid bees by the lack of tubercles on the hind tibia; other Andrenidae bear a small tubercle near the base of the hind tibia (Yager and Rozen, 1966).