Species In Different Locations Research Articles

Molecular characterization of Convolvulus arvensis species in different locations of Türkiye and determination of dose-response to 2,4-D herbicide

Molecular characterization of Convolvulus arvensis species in different locations of Türkiye and determination of dose-response to 2,4-D herbicide

Constructing a database of alien plants in the Himalaya to test patterns structuring diversity.

Differences in the number of alien plant species in different locations may reflect climatic and other controls that similarly affect native species and/or propagule pressure accompanied with delayed spread from the point of introduction. We set out to examine these alternatives for Himalayan plants, in a phylogenetic framework. We build a database of alien plant distributions for the Himalaya. Focusing on the well-documented regions of Jammu & Kashmir (west) and Bhutan (east) we compare alien and native species for (1) richness patterns, (2) degree of phylogenetic clustering, (3) the extent to which species-poor regions are subsets of species-rich regions and (4) continental and climatic affinities/source. We document 1470 alien species (at least 600 naturalised), which comprise ~14% of the vascular plants known from the Himalaya. Alien plant species with tropical affinities decline in richness with elevation and species at high elevations form a subset of those at lower elevations, supporting location of introduction as an important driver of alien plant richness patterns. Separately, elevations which are especially rich in native plant species are also rich in alien plant species, suggesting an important role for climate (high productivity) in determining both native and alien richness. We find no support for the proposition that variance in human disturbance or numbers of native species correlate with alien distributions. Results imply an ongoing expansion of alien species from low elevation sources, some of which are highly invasive.

First record of the bull shark Carcharhinus leucas (Valenciennes, 1839) from the Maldivian archipelago, central Indian Ocean.

Verified records of the bull shark Carcharhinus leucas are lacking in the Maldives. This study provides the first confirmed evidence of 23 sightings observed from 2013 to 2023 in the central and southern atolls of this archipelago. Most of the sightings occurred in close proximity to inhabited areas, where food waste is often discarded into the water, or in several dive sites, suggesting the presence of this species in different locations around central and southern atolls. Although further research is required to fully investigate the C. leucas population in the Maldives, this report documents and confirms its presence in this region.

Farklı Meyve Türlerinde ve Lokasyonlarda Grapholita molesta (Busck 1916) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) ‘nın Ergin Popülasyon Gelişmesi

Oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta Busck (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is an important fruit pest with a wide range of host in many fruit producing countries. This study was conducted with the purpose of determining the adult population development of G. molesta on different fruit species in different locations in Çanakkale province of Turkey. With this purpose pheromone traps were placed in peach, cherry and apricot orchards in Central, Biga, Lapseki and Bayramiç districts of Çanakkale province. The traps were checked weekly and the number of adult G. molesta in traps were recorded. At the end of the study, the pest is confirmed to exist in all fruit producing areas of Çanakkale province. First adult emergence was at early May with the adult population continuing until October. The pest has 2-3 generations throughout production season, which may change with relation to fruit species and location. According to the statistical analysis of the data, both location and fruit species have significant effects on adult population development of the pest with the highest population occuring in peach as the fruit species and Lapseki disrict as the location. It is thought that, the differences in adult population density and development between orchards with the same fruit species is caused by different fruit cultivars used in orchards, different treatments by farmers and climate differences.

Improving the accessibility and transferability of machine learning algorithms for identification of animals in camera trap images: MLWIC2.

Motion‐activated wildlife cameras (or “camera traps”) are frequently used to remotely and noninvasively observe animals. The vast number of images collected from camera trap projects has prompted some biologists to employ machine learning algorithms to automatically recognize species in these images, or at least filter‐out images that do not contain animals. These approaches are often limited by model transferability, as a model trained to recognize species from one location might not work as well for the same species in different locations. Furthermore, these methods often require advanced computational skills, making them inaccessible to many biologists. We used 3 million camera trap images from 18 studies in 10 states across the United States of America to train two deep neural networks, one that recognizes 58 species, the “species model,” and one that determines if an image is empty or if it contains an animal, the “empty‐animal model.” Our species model and empty‐animal model had accuracies of 96.8% and 97.3%, respectively. Furthermore, the models performed well on some out‐of‐sample datasets, as the species model had 91% accuracy on species from Canada (accuracy range 36%–91% across all out‐of‐sample datasets) and the empty‐animal model achieved an accuracy of 91%–94% on out‐of‐sample datasets from different continents. Our software addresses some of the limitations of using machine learning to classify images from camera traps. By including many species from several locations, our species model is potentially applicable to many camera trap studies in North America. We also found that our empty‐animal model can facilitate removal of images without animals globally. We provide the trained models in an R package (MLWIC2: Machine Learning for Wildlife Image Classification in R), which contains Shiny Applications that allow scientists with minimal programming experience to use trained models and train new models in six neural network architectures with varying depths.

Chorological data regarding the presence of Corylus colurna species in Romania

The Turkish hazel or Turkish filbert (Corylus colurna) is a less widespread tree species in Romania. Data on the presence of C. colurna species in the Romanian flora are quite rare. The article’s aim is to analyse the scientific information and those of the main herbariums regarding the presence of C. colurna species on the Romanian territory. The presence of the species on the Romanian territory was signalled about 122 years ago in the paper “Conspectus of Romanian Flora”. Subsequent scientific information identifies the species in different locations, especially in the southwest of Romania, in dendrological and natural parks. Scientific importance of the species lies in its rarity, the species has an area limit on Romanian territory and in the value, it gives to natural ecosystems in which it grows. The practical value is given by its edible fruits, valuable from a food or medicinal point of view and by its agronomic characteristics. As a result, the biodiversity conservation strategy should include forest protected areas as important objectives.

Bats and belief: A sequential qualitative study in Thailand

Bats are wildlife and distribute globally. In Thailand, there are hundreds of bat species in different locations within four regions. However, few motivations and influences for having contact with bats have been documented. This sequential qualitative study was conducted in ten provinces representing the four regions of Thailand from September 2016 to June 2017. The study was designed to obtain information on villagers' attitudes, perceptions, beliefs and cultural contexts in relation to bats. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with 305 respondents. Of these respondents, 142 (46.6%) reported coming into contact with bats through various activities, such as hunting, eating, cooking, collecting bat guano, cleaning bat feces, and finding carcasses in houses and communities. Villagers called bats by different names in different regions. They reported having been in contact with bats in different ways based on occupations, bat species, bat habitats, attitudes, perceptions, beliefs toward bats, and cultural contexts. Villagers in the northern and northeastern regions reported having regularly eaten bats. In contrast, the respondents in the central region did not eat bats due to local norms, religious beliefs, and regulations. By ethnicity, the Blu and Thai Dum groups reported coming into contact with and eating bats more often than the Thais. Our results provide evidence-based information on the human-bat interface in different regions in Thailand. The results of this qualitative study could be useful for strategic planning of proper education and interventions for bat conservation, bat contact behavior, and risk of bat-borne diseases among villagers in the future.

Ichthyodiversity in the Anzali Wetland and its related rivers in the southern Caspian Sea basin, Iran

The Anzali Wetland is one of the most important water bodies in Iran, due to the Caspian migratory fish spawning, located in the southern Caspian Sea basin, Iran. During a long-term monitoring program, between 1994 to 2019, identification and distribution of fish species were surveyed in five different locations inside the Anzali Wetland and eleven related rivers in its catchment area. In this study 72 fish species were recognized belonging to 19 orders, 21 families and 53 genera, including 66 species in the wetland and 53 species in the rivers. Among the 72 identified species, 34 species were resident in freshwater, 9 species were anadromous, 9 species live in estuarine and the others exist in different habitats. These species include 4 endemic species, 50 native species and 18 exotic species to Iranian waters. The number of species in different locations inside the Anzali Wetland was comparatively similar while it had high variation in different rivers. Twenty fish species are new records for the Anzali Wetland basin, including 10 estuarine, 5 ornamental, 2 riverine, one anadromous, one euryhaline and a small exotic fish.

Incorporating the Plant Phenological Trajectory into Mangrove Species Mapping with Dense Time Series Sentinel-2 Imagery and the Google Earth Engine Platform

Information on mangrove species composition and distribution is key to studying functions of mangrove ecosystems and securing sustainable mangrove conservation. Even though remote sensing technology is developing rapidly currently, mapping mangrove forests at the species level based on freely accessible images is still a great challenge. This study built a Sentinel-2 normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series (from 2017-01-01 to 2018-12-31) to represent phenological trajectories of mangrove species and then demonstrated the feasibility of phenology-based mangrove species classification using the random forest algorithm in the Google Earth Engine platform. It was found that (i) in Zhangjiang estuary, the phenological trajectories (NDVI time series) of different mangrove species have great differences; (ii) the overall accuracy and Kappa confidence of the classification map is 84% and 0.84, respectively; and (iii) Months in late winter and early spring play critical roles in mangrove species mapping. This is the first study to use phonological signatures in discriminating mangrove species. The methodology presented can be used as a practical guideline for the mapping of mangrove or other vegetation species in other regions. However, future work should pay attention to various phenological trajectories of mangrove species in different locations.

Comparison of the phytochemical profiles of five native plant species in two different forest formations.

The expression of chemical compounds by individual plants of the same species in different locations may be affected by abiotic factors resulting in differences in the production of allelopathic compounds. The objective of this study was to compare the phytochemical profiles of plant species from two different forest formations in the state of Paraná, Brazil. The forest formations were Seasonal Semideciduous Forest (SSF) and Lowland Ombrophilous Dense Forest (LODF), and the five study species were Jacaranda micrantha, Cecropia pachystachya, Mimosa bimucronata, Schinus terebinthifolius and Cedrela fissilis. Secondary metabolites were extracted by exhaustive extraction with methanol, and the crude extract was fractionated using column chromatography. The fractions were used to calculate the retention factor of the main compounds using thin layer chromatography and phytochemical tests. The classes of compounds identified were practically the same among the analyzed species, however, at different levels of concentration. The type of tannins found in S. terebinthifolius differed between the two forest formations.

Predator driven niches vary spatially among co-occurring damselfly species

Determining how niche differences contribute to local species coexistence is a vexing problem. Previous work has shown that the ecological and evolutionary processes shaping niche differentiation can vary among populations, suggesting that the strength of niche differences among species should likewise vary geographically. Most tests of this idea compare different species in different locations, not the same species in different locations. Thus, it is unclear whether niche differences vary spatially because of variation in community composition or because populations of the same species experience differences in the strength of niche effects. To test this latter hypothesis, we used field experiments to manipulate the relative abundances of the same pair of Enallagma damselfly species at two lakes. Manipulating relative abundances allowed us to quantify the demographic signature of niche differences that could stabilize coexistence, because if species are niche differentiated, they should experience lower mortality in response to their shared fish predator, and higher growth in the face of resource competition, when rare. We found that both species experienced lower mortality when rare in one location but not the other. No differences in growth were detected, indicating that competition for prey resources may not be a key factor affecting coexistence. These results suggest the species are ecologically differentiated among populations in ways shaping survivorship in response to a shared predator, which should promote their coexistence. We discuss several factors that could contribute to the differences we observed, focusing on the ideas that either (1) niche differentiation between species evolves locally, or that (2) spatial variation in environmental factors affects the manifestation of species niche differences. We therefore argue that the problem of ‘species coexistence’ is not a problem of species, but rather is one of understanding if species’ populations coexist. Such results imply a role for microevolutionary processes in structuring communities.

Value chain analysis and small-scale fisheries management

A value chain analysis is conducted to identify upgrading, that is, improvements in quality and product design that enable producers to gain enhanced value or through diversification in the product lines served. However, a range of data and information of use to managing small-scale fisheries can be also be produced. Eight value chain studies, carried out for specific fish species in different locations around the Philippines, are examined. Policy and management lessons learned and interventions resulting from the value chain analysis for small-scale fisheries management are discussed. Recommendations for using value chain analysis in small-scale fisheries management include stricter regulation on size limits of harvest, monitoring schemes, certification processes, post-harvest facilities, seasonal closures, social enterprises, credit facilities, and habitat protection.

Fish Names Variability Traces the Geo-Historical Dynamics of Moroccan Fishermen Communities

INTRODUCTIONThe knowledge related to fish names is an integral part of being a fisherman and considered as a proof of competence within fishermen communities. This local knowledge is designated as folk taxonomy, and is in some ways predictably similar to the scientific (Linnaean) naming system (Berkes et al. 2001; Berlin 1992; Jernudd and Thuan 1984). Such knowledge is local in scope and thus highly variable by geographic region, language, and ethnic group depending on local culture, biodiversity patterns, and fishing practices. It is also assumed to vary in time. Due to widespread anthropogenic pressure causing the collapse of fishing stocks and local extinctions of species, young fishermen will have had little probability to meet as many species and in such numbers as have their predecessors. This folk taxonomy knowledge in its different dimensions is intimately associated with Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK), and its description is often a prerequisite to gather local biological and ecological knowledge (Berkes et al. 2001; Eugene Hunn 2011; Freire and Pauly 2003; Haggan et al. 2007). The relevance of ecological information is likely to be anecdotal if the accuracy of taxonomic identification is not guaranteed (Albuquerque et al. 2014). Local ecological knowledge has become an essential source of information for conservation ecology (Ruddle and Davis 2013), especially in data-poor ecosystems.Morocco presents an interesting case for examining variability in fish naming due to great diversity of species, as well as long and varied sociolinguistic traditions. Bordered by both Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines of Northwestern Africa, Morocco is the center of the transition zone between temperate and tropical waters, populated with diverse species communities (Masski and Tai 2014; Tai et al. 2013). For bony fish alone, FishBase (Froese and Pauly 2011) lists more than 766 species for Morocco. Fishing activity is widespread along the Moroccan coast, involving culturally diverse populations. Cultural diversity, an additional variable to consider, has its origin in the geopolitical situation of the country, which has always put indigenous people in close interaction with the people of Europe, Africa, and Arabia.What is considered by one as a diversity of local knowledge is seen by others as a variability in seafood labelling and represents a central issue in trade control and regulation, and in fisheries science and conservation (Fraser 2012; Leunda Urretabizkaia et al. 2009). In developing countries, where the adoption of a standard for naming fish is uncommon, vernacular (folk) and common names are also used in national fisheries statistics systems (Previero et al. 2013). Due to the high variability in folk taxonomy, the same fish species can be named differently in different regions, and one name can be attributed to different fish species (Berlin 1973, 1992). Furthermore, the use of fishery statistics databases for scientific purposes is therefore restricted to well-identified species, which impedes fisheries management procedures (Kifani et al. 2008). The usual answer to such a situation is the adoption of a standard, which is the goal of the Moroccan fisheries management agencies.The success of the targeted standardization is, in our opinion, dependent on the strength of reflection and research previously conducted. Thus, and far from wanting to carry out a comprehensive inventory of vernacular names, the present study aims to 1) build correspondence lists between folk and scientific names for a set of species in different locations along the Moroccan coast and, on this basis, 2) to analyze the structure and variability of the Moroccan folk taxonomic system. We hope that the results from our study will help to improve the use of folk taxonomy in formal management procedures, facilitate local ecological knowledge gatherings, and clarify the view for the ways to achieve a standardization process. …

Impact of Climate Change on Faunal and Floral Diversity in Different Geographical Regions of Punjab

The present study was carried in different geographical regions of Punjab with the aim to evaluate the impact of climate change on the faunal and floral diversity. A multistage random sampling design was followed to select the study area. Species richness, evenness, Simpson index, Shannon-Wiener index, Index of dominance, Similarity and dissimilarity index were calculated. Comparative performance of different species in different locations was studied in term of present and past status. The number of forest tree species in Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana and Bathinda did not show any change in forest tree species and remain same without any change in bio-diversity index. The number of fruit tree species has been increased comparatively in all three localities. The number of bird’s species has been decreased comparatively in all three localities due to change in climatic condition, whereas, incremental changes were recorded in number of individuals of animals, however number of species is remained unchanged. The number of wild species has been decreased comparatively in all three localities. Ecological indices revealed that diversity index, species richness and evenness index were increased in all three localities; however, Index of Dominance was reduced.

Testing Convergence Versus History: Convergence Dominates Phenotypic Evolution for over 150 Million Years in Frogs.

Striking evolutionary convergence can lead to similar sets of species in different locations, such as in cichlid fishes and Anolis lizards, and suggests that evolution can be repeatable and predictable across clades. Yet, most examples of convergence involve relatively small temporal and/or spatial scales. Some authors have speculated that at larger scales (e.g., across continents), differing evolutionary histories will prevent convergence. However, few studies have compared the contrasting roles of convergence and history, and none have done so at large scales. Here we develop a two-part approach to test the scale over which convergence can occur, comparing the relative importance of convergence and history in macroevolution using phylogenetic models of adaptive evolution. We apply this approach to data from morphology, ecology, and phylogeny from 167 species of anuran amphibians (frogs) from 10 local sites across the world, spanning ~160 myr of evolution. Mapping ecology on the phylogeny revealed that similar microhabitat specialists (e.g., aquatic, arboreal) have evolved repeatedly across clades and regions, producing many evolutionary replicates for testing for morphological convergence. By comparing morphological optima for clades and microhabitat types (our first test), we find that convergence associated with microhabitat use dominates frog morphological evolution, producing recurrent ecomorphs that together encompass all sampled species in each community in each region. However, our second test, which examines whether and how much species differ from their inferred optima, shows that convergence is incomplete: that is, phenotypes of most species are still somewhat distant from the estimated optimum for each microhabitat, seemingly because of insufficient time for more complete adaptation (an effect of history). Yet, these effects of history are related to past ecologies, and not clade membership. Overall, our study elucidates the dominant drivers of morphological evolution across a major vertebrate clade and shows that evolution can be repeatable at much greater temporal and spatial scales than commonly thought. It also provides an analytical framework for testing other potential examples of large-scale convergence.

Environmental effects on the reproduction and fecundity of the introduced calcareous sponge Paraleucilla magna in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

AbstractThe calcareous sponge Paraleucilla magna (Porifera, Calcarea) has been the subject of several studies in the last decade. It was first described along the Brazilian coast, where it is considered cryptogenic, and was subsequently found in the Mediterranean, where it is considered invasive. The wide artificial distribution of this species allows us to compare different aspects of the biology of an introduced species in different locations. Here, we analysed the effects of selected environmental parameters on the reproductive dynamics of P. magna in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) over 18 months and compared our results with those obtained for the same species in the Mediterranean Sea. Specimens were collected monthly and analysed through histological methods. The density of reproductive elements in each month was calculated, and the effects of environmental parameters (photoperiod, precipitation, temperature, phytoplankton and bacterioplankton) were analysed using a regression tree analysis. Paraleucilla magna was reproductive throughout the study period. The densities of the reproductive elements (oocytes, embryos and larvae) showed no seasonality, and this species presented one of the highest reproductive efforts documented to date in the phylum Porifera (99.0 oocytes · mm−3; 89.0 embryos · mm−3; 319.0 larvae · mm−3). The main environmental parameters related to the reproduction of P. magna were temperature, photoperiod and bacterioplankton. Temperature was the main driver associated with the densities of oocytes and embryos, while bacterioplankton was the main driver of larvae (positive relationships). In Rio de Janeiro, larvae were present and continuously released. This strategy is different from that observed in the Mediterranean, where a larger larval output was observed but only during the summer months. Our results show that P. magna is a species with a strong invasive potential, considering its high and continuous reproductive effort. This high fecundity stimulated by high temperatures may be a key factor contributing to the growth of P. magna populations and its invasion of new areas.

Life-History Traits of the Invasive Population of Prussian Carp, <I>Carassius Gibelio</I> (Actinopterigi: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae), from Gelingüllü Reservoir, Yozgat, Turkey

Background. Prussian carp, Carassius gibelio (Bloch, 1782), is one of the successful invaders of freshwater systems of Turkey. Although, Prussian carp has rapidly expanded its area of distribution in Anatolia during the last two decades, there is limited information about its biological features in new environments. In order to determine the impact of invasive species on ecosystem, the life history characteristics of an exotic fish species in different locations should be monitored. The presently reported study provides information about the growth and reproduction of Prussian carp introduced into a reservoir in Central Anatolia. Materials and methods. Age, growth, and reproduction of Prussian carp were studied during a 3-year period in Gelingüllü Reservoir, Kızılırmak River Basin. A total of 344 specimens were caught by gill nets. Age was determined from scales. Length–weight relation, von Bertalanffy equation, and specific growth rate were used to evaluate the fish growth. In order to assess growth and reproduction patterns, fecundity, GSI, and variations in oocyte size were determined. Results. Both males and females reached a maximum age of 5+ years. Fork length was 6–27 cm in males and 5.6–26.8 cm in females. Both sexes matured during their second year of life (1+ year). In the Gelingüllü Reservoir population the males were predominant¾the overall sex ratio was 1.39 : 1 (193 males to 139 females) and differed significantly from unity. The von Bertalanffy growth equation was Lt = 32.17 (1 – e–0.232(t – 0.094)) cm for males and Lt = 36.03 (1 – e–0.212(t – 0.205)) cm for females. Growth in length was approximately 70% in males and 85% in females during the first year of life. The somatic condition of the fish increased markedly during late spring and summer. A prolonged spawning period was observed from April to August. Maximum egg diameter was 1.51 mm and maximum absolute fecundity was 174 000 oocytes. Conclusion. Compared to previously published data, the studied Prussian carp population was characterized by more rapid growth during the first year of life, earlier maturity, higher fecundity, and a shorter life span. These life history characteristics are typical of invasive species.

BlaNDM-1-carrying Acinetobacter johnsonii detected in hospital sewage

This study screened hospital sewage for the presence of blaNDM. Colonies grown from plates containing meropenem streaked with hospital sewage were screened for blaNDM by PCR. Species identification was performed by sequencing 16S rRNA genes. Clonal relatedness of isolates was determined by Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequence-PCR, sequencing recA and PFGE. Mating was attempted to obtain self-transmissible plasmids carrying blaNDM. The genetic context of blaNDM was investigated by PCR mapping using pNDM-BJ01, a blaNDM-1-carrying plasmid from Acinetobacter lwoffii as the reference. Two Acinetobacter johnsonii isolates, designated XBB1 and XBC1, from sewage were found carrying blaNDM-1, but were of different clonal origins. In both cases, blaNDM-1 was carried by a self-transmissible plasmid. PCR mapping and sequencing revealed that the blaNDM-1-carrying plasmid of XBB1, pXBB1, was the same as pNDM-BJ01, whereas that of XBC1, pXBC1, was a variant of pNDM-BJ01. A large region downstream of blaNDM-1, including groES/groEL, ISCR27 and ISAba125, was absent from pXBC1. On pXBB1, blaNDM-1 was carried by Tn125, an ISAba125-formed composite transposon, which was inserted into a sequence downstream of aphA6. Sewage of a hospital in China was found to contain blaNDM-1, suggesting that hospital sewage is an important but often overlooked reservoir of antimicrobial resistance determinants. A variety of Acinetobacter species in different locations have been found to harbour blaNDM-1, so the introduction of blaNDM-1 into Acinetobacter is unlikely to be a single event. The identification of blaNDM-1-carrying plasmid pNDM-BJ01/pXBB1 and its variants suggests that a common plasmid has been transferred among different host species at different locations.

Two butterfly species of rare and specious genus Teinopalpus Hope, 1843 in Vietnam

In the world, the genus Teinopalpus has two species: T. aureus and T. imperialis. Both of them occur in Vietnam. They are high important conservation butterfly species of Vietnam. Some studies on the genus indicated that each species have two subspecies. However, the differences between subspecies have not been indicated. The differences in morphology of species in different locations of Vietnam are checked through specimens. Specimens were collected in the North: Vinh Phuc, Lao Cai, and Ha Giang provinces; in Central highland: Kon Tum, Lam Dong and Dak Nong provinces. The result received by checking specimens shows that of T. aureus in North (Vinh Phuc) differs from those from Central high land (Lam Dong and Dak Nong) by cell of hind wings and outer margin of forewings. Two subspecies are T. aureus shinkai in North Vietnam and T. aureus eminens in center from Ha Tinh, Khanh Hoa to the Central highland (Lam Dong, Dak Nong). The specimens of Teinopalpus imperialis do not differ among different locations of Vietnam. The subspecies in Vietnam is T. imperialis imperatrix. The species T. imperialis distributes higher altitude than T. aureus and further to the South Vietnam than the species T. imperialis. Both species in Vietnam are rare with scattered small populations in moderate and high forest altitudes of Vietnam where natural forests have been disturbed. Their distribution areas on mountain natural forests are scattered and isolated in Vietnam and it is very rare to see these species on mountains of their distribution areas. Due to high commercial value, they have been collected for sell. Both natural forest destruction of and over-collecting can threaten these butterfly species. To preserve these species, the natural forests in mountains of their distribution areas must be protected or the buttflies can be bred for conservation. Key to the species and subspecies of the genus Teinopalpus 1(4). The postdiscal yellow patch on the hindwing of the male covers about ½ of the cell; the discal line on the hindwing of both sexes curves inward at the basal area. 2(3). The line near the wing base lies inside of the point of wing vein 6 and cell (the yellow patch of this subspecies is bigger than this of subspecies T. a. eminens).................................T. aureus shinkai (Fig. 1) 3. The line near the wing base lies adjacent to the point of wing vein 6 and cell (the yellow patch of this subspecies is smaller than this of subspecies T. a. sinkai)..................................T. aureus eminens (Fig. 2) 4. The postdiscal yellow patch on the hindwing of the male enters only a small distal area of cell; the discal line on the hindwing of both sexes is more or less straight or slightly wavy...T. imperialis imperatrix (Figs. 3)

Species richness and true diversity of cynipid galling-wasps community in oak forests of West-Azerbaijan Province (Iran)

In this survey, the oak gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini) were collected from oak forests of West-Azerbaijan Province in six sites, from April to October. Species richness, heterogeneity, evenness and true diversity were measured. Based on the result of this study, 37 of oak gall wasps species on oak trees (Quercus infectoria Oliv. and Quercus brantii Lindl.) were identified in WestAzerbaijan Province in 2009 and 2010. Most galls occurred on Q. infectoria. All the collected oak gall wasps belonged to seven genera: Andricus, Cynips, Neuroterus, Chilaspis, Pseudoneuroterus, Biorhiza and Aphelonyx. The expected number of oak gall wasps species on Q. infectoria and Q. brantii was estimated to be 27 and 10, respectively. The highest amount of gal wasps’ species richness with rarefaction method was recorded in Pardanan, with 28 oak gall wasps species. Furthermore, the highest amount of Gini-Simpson and Shannon entropy index were recorded in Sardasht, while the highest evenness was recorded in Shalmash. Differences in the local distribution of oak species, especially their oak subspecies, and the climate of the locations should be considered as one main factor in species diversity and the distribution of oak gall wasps species in different locations.