Zoogeographical Origin Research Articles

Pseudoscorpions of Israel: Annotated Checklist and Key, with New Records of Two Families (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones)

The location of Israel at the junction of three continents leads to a unique fauna of both Palearctic and Afrotropical zoogeographic origins. Following systematic revisions over the past sixty years and the discovery of new species, the only available key to the pseudoscorpions of Israel has become outdated. We provide here an up-to-date checklist of the pseudoscorpion species of Israel including distribution maps, and the first illustrated identification key of the Israeli fauna based on morphological characters. Prior to our study, this fauna comprised twelve families, 26 genera and 52 morphospecies, including several “subspecies”. We increase this number and list 61 pseudoscorpion morphospecies that belong to 28 genera and fourteen families. Most species are Palearctic and Mediterranean, and only a few are Afrotropical. Two families new to Israel are reported here for the first time: Syarinidae and Cheiridiidae. Both families are cosmopolitan and have representatives in the Mediterranean region. The putative new species are presented here at a genus level and will be described separately elsewhere.

Knowledge status of predators of the freshwater prawn Cryphiops caementarius (Decapoda: Palaemonidae) in river systems along the North Western Andean region from Perú and Chile

Introduction: Cryphiops caementarius, is an endemic prawn from river ecosystems in Southern Perú and Northern Chile. In these watersheds, natural populations are threatened by multiple anthropic interventions such as mining activities and fishing pressure, but also, by increasing impacts of invasive exotic predators. Information related with predation on C. caementarius is scarce representing a major knowledge gap to ensure suitable management and conservation practices. Accordingly, the further deepening in relevant aspects such as the estimation of populations losses due to predators has been indicated as critical by relevant agencies as FAO. Objective: To conduct a complete registry and classification of C. caementarius predators, updating the knowledge for the Andean region. Methods: A thorough bibliographic review on existing information on C. caementarius' predators from Perú and Chile was carried out calculating percentage of occurrence, relative frequency of species, zoogeographic origin, trophic structure, phenotypic attributes, river zone that inhabits and life stage of incidence. The registry was complemented using semi-structured interviews from prawn´s fishers in central-Northern Chile. Results: C. caementarius is predated along the entire fluvial network (estuary, potamon and rhithron) by 21 species of opportunists, carnivores, omnivores and herbivores, mostly aquatic vertebrates. In turn, these belong to 15 families and six guilds of native, exotic and cosmopolitan species. Approximately 86 % predate on adult prawns, whilst, 71 % on juveniles and 24 % on larvae. More than 40 % of the predation pressure seems to be exerted by native waterfowls and 24 % by exotic fish. Conclusions: The results emphasize the relevance for conservation of native species of predators in the Andean region and the need of control measures on exotic species in a latitudinal basis. Accordingly, this review may serve as an initial decision-making tool for future conservation efforts both on prawns and native biota, but also supporting restocking actions, fisheries management plans and risk assessment for C. caementariuspopulations across the Andean region.

Zoogeography of the Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Southeastern Iberian Peninsula

The work submitted in this paper presents the first checklist of the ant species of the Segura River Basin based on a review of specific literature and biological material collected during field work conducted from 2012 to 2017. Our findings recorded 110 species belonging to 30 genera of ants and twenty two of these species were recorded for the first time in this area. The zoogeographical composition is dominated by the species of the Mediterranean zone (75.2%), followed by the mixed and deciduous forest zone (19.1%). The most important zoogeographic elements are: Iberian (20%), Holomediterranean (17.1%) and West-Mediterranean (13.3%). There are only six cosmopolitan species (5.71%). There is a greater proportion of species from the mixed and deciduous forest zone in the high-mid altitudes in the Segura River Basin, where the climate is cooler, and more humid. The Euro-Caucasian and Euro-West Siberian elements seems to be more associated to the more humid forest, whilst the Euro-Caucasian elements seem to be more associated to ecosystems more similar to the forest-steppe zone. The existence of these different zoogeographic origins in this area is probably linked with: the position between Africa and Europe; the complex geotectonic, paleogeographic, and paleoclimatic history during the last 7 My; the complex geomorphology; and the high climate and habitat diversity. Based on ant studies and other taxa, possible explanations of the zoogeographic origin of these ant chorotypes are proposed.

Out of the South? The first Afrotropical record of Prochyliza Walker (Diptera: Piophilidae), with description of a new species.

The genus Prochyliza Walker is recorded for the first time from the Afrotropical Region. A new species, Prochyliza ignifera sp. nov., is described from the Indian Ocean islands of Aldabra and La Réunion. The status of this species as possibly the most primitive in the genus Prochyliza is hypothesised and discussed, raising some questions about the taxonomy and the zoogeographical origin of the group. The holotype of Piophila viridicollis Macquart from La Réunion was studied and it is instated as a subjective junior synonym of Piophila casei (Linnaeus), syn. nov.

CONSIDERACIONES ZOOGEOGRAFIAS SOBRE LOS TIBURONES DEL PACIFICO COLOMBIANO

The zoogeographical origin is determined and analized, and the distributional patterns in the eastern tropical Paciic are recognized for 22 shark species (Pleurotremata) recorded from the Colombian Pacific, including Triaenodon obesus, Ginglymostoma cirratum and Rhiniodon typus, recorded for the first time. The distributional patterns are discussed as a response to the historical and ecological factors which affect the species according to their zoogeographical origin; finally, a biogeographical characterization of the Gorgona Island is made based on the species that inhabit its surrounding waters.

More than a pest management tool — 45 years of practical experience with insect pheromones in stored-product and material protection

The application of pheromone-baited traps to control pest insects in stored food or materials has become well established over the past decades. The main pheromone components of all major stored-product and material pests have been identified. Pest monitoring with pheromone traps is a key factor in integrated pest management to estimate population density build-ups and they may be used to define economic threshold levels. Male-attracting sex pheromones, e.g. for stored-product pyralids, the clothes moths, and some anobiid beetles, are especially effective in this aspect. Monitoring pest population can facilitate optimal spatial and temporal control strategies, including efficacy evaluation of the implemented control measures. In addition to the sex pheromones, some beetles, such as grain and flour beetles, utilize aggregation pheromones, which attract both sexes. Implementation of these pheromones for mass trapping, which works well for the control of bark beetles in the forest environment, has been less successful for stored-product protection for various reasons and is thus not an established means of control. When the monitoring tools are used in landscape areas, scrublands, forests, and away from anthropogenic influenced environments, natural reservoirs of a pest species and sources of new infestations can be identified. In addition to an economically driven adoption of pheromone traps, they may also provide information of a pest’s general biology. Because stored-product and material pests must be considered neozoons in most parts of the world, their occurrence in natural habitats indicates a species’ autecological capability to successfully compete with native species and to become fau-nistically established in non-synanthropic environments outside their zoogeographic origin. This review focuses on the use of pheromone traps for monitoring in outdoor situations.

Diversity, distribution and spatial structure of the cold-water coral fauna of the Azores (NE Atlantic)

Abstract. Cold-water corals are widely considered as important structural components of benthic habitats, potentially enhancing local abundance in a variety of fish and invertebrate species. Yet, current knowledge of the taxonomic diversity and distribution patterns of these vulnerable, slow-growing organisms is scarce and fragmented, limiting the effectiveness of spatial management and conservation measures. We have conducted an exhaustive compilation of records of alcyonaceans, antipatharians, scleractinians and stylasterids available through present day to assess the diversity, distribution and spatial structure of coral assemblages in the Azores exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The resulting database comprises 2501 entries concerning historical oceanographic expeditions and other published sources, as well as unpublished data from bottom longline by-catch. Our taxonomic inventory appears to be fairly complete for the explored habitats, accounting for 164 species (79 alcyonaceans, 58 scleractinians, 18 antipatharians and 9 stylasterids), nine of which were documented for the first time. The Azores EEZ harbours a mixed coral fauna with several zoogeographic origins, showing the closest affinity with the Lusitanian–Mediterranean region. Very few apparent endemics were found (14%), and only in part supported by consistent sampling. Coral diversity is particularly high between 300 and 900 m depths, in areas recognized as traditional fishing grounds or exploitable fish habitat within the 100-mile limit of the EEZ. The composition of coral assemblages shows significant geographical structure among longitudinal sections of the study area at comparable depths (100–1500 m). There is no evidence of a possible role of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge or latitudinal effects underlying this pattern, which suggests that it may instead reflect assemblage variability among features. Stronger changes in species composition were found along the bathymetric gradient. Notwithstanding the mix of partially overlapping steno- and eurybathic species that characterize the vertical distribution of corals, there is a distinct transition from shallow (100–600 m) to intermediate (600–1000 m) depths. The analysis presented here constitutes a valuable contribution for efficient conservation policies of coral-associated vulnerable marine ecosystems and their sustainable use as fishing areas.

Book review: Avian history is written by the winners

news and update book review Avian history is written by the winners Avian survivors: The history and biogeography of Palearctic birds, by Clive Finlayson, 2011, T & AD Poyser Ltd., 304 pp. £50 (Hardback) ISBN: 9780713688658; http://www.acblack.com/naturalhistory/ This is a difficult book to review fairly, because it is not a book to read through, nor is its intention easily discerned. It is a profound and deeply detailed compilation, assessing the climatic, historical and biogeographical attributes of the bird fauna of the Western Palaearctic. Its intention is to understand how this particular constellation of species survived through the climatic vicissitudes of the Tertiary Period, and especially the last 2 million years of the Pleistocene climatic fluctuations, to be combined as the extant fauna. Finlayson was inspired by the remarkably diverse faunas that appear in the caves of Gibraltar, at the extreme southern tip of the Western Palaearctic. At different times these included northern species such as Great Auk and Velvet Scoter, at others southern species such as Lammergeier and Crag Martin. Those that still occur in the Palaearctic are the survivors of his title. He starts with a short outline of the climatic, geographical and ecological changes that affected the region during the Tertiary, as Africa and India shifted north to collide with Europe and Asia, so closing the Mediterranean, and causing the uplift of the mountain ranges across central Europe and Asia that changed the climate, especially the strength and direction of rain-bearing winds. Grasses evolved in this period, and grasslands, replacing tropical forests, became more widespread. His analysis of the times of origin of bird genera that, at present, include migratory species, especially Trans-Saharan migrants, suggests that many of them evolved in the Miocene, as the grasslands appeared. Popular, perhaps superficial, opinion has assumed that the glacial-interglacial cycles of the Pleistocene prompted the evolution of the migratory habit, but this analysis strongly suggests that it was already well established. The majority of the book is a detailed examination of each family, genus and species that is currently represented in the Palaearctic. It assesses their climatic limits, habitat requirements and likely history. Much modern work on genetic phylogeny is used to assess the zoogeographic origins of such taxa, when they migrated into the Palaearctic, and how their climatic requirements have persisted, along with the taxa themselves. Each is assigned to its climatic and latitudinal tolerance ranges, and to its migratory group (sedentary, partial migrant, Trans-Saharan migrant). For instance, Finlayson interprets the history of the Corvidae as probably evolving in Australia, and migrating into the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, where a great diversity of basal genera still occur; but one, the Choughs (Pyrrhocorax) migrated out along the great mountain chain right across Asia and Europe in the Miocene, as mountain uplift created their drier upland habitat. However, most corvids remained essentially forest species, and migrated west along the forest belts south (mostly deciduous) or north (mostly coniferous) of the mountains. Corvids reside mostly in more humid climatic zones, and few show much migratory behaviour. Fossil corvids are represented in Europe by Middle Miocene times; two modern genera are present by the Early Pliocene (Pyrrhocorax, Pica, two more by Middle Pliocene (Garrulus, Nucifraga) and all by Early Pleistocene. Sometimes the detailed evidence on which such histories are based is clearly indicated. The fossil record is largely quoting the compilation by Mlikovský (2002), and the phylogenetic references are well cited. However, much of the story is informed speculation, of probable histories and probable spreads, based upon known climatic and geographical changes, and the known broad ecological requirements of the taxa. Given the number of taxa involved, this amounts to quite a lot of speculation accumulated over the book as a whole. This is not to suggest that it is wrong, nor does it deny its value. A lot of diverse information frontiers of biogeography 4.1, 2012 — © 2012 the authors; journal compilation © 2012 The International Biogeography Society

Profundal oligochaete assemblages in Palaearctic lakes

The profundal oligochaete fauna is mostly formed of species present also in shallower waters. Endemic taxa have developed only in ancient rift lakes like Lake Baikal. "Common" lakes, mostly of glacial or volcanic origin, are too ephemeral for speciation. In the profundal of larger European oligotrophic lakes, there can occur about 10 tubificid and lumbriculid species. With a decline in dissolved oxygen in water, only 1-2 of them will remain, Tubifex tubifex often being the last survivor. In eutrophic lakes, Potamothrix hammoniensis is the climax species. In the Far East, the profundal is also inhabited by a small assortment of oligochaetes from surrounding waters. In the eutrophic lakes of Honshu (Japan), the widely distributed species Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri and T. tubifex dominate, while more species occur in the northern oligotrophic lakes. In the eutrophic lakes in China, L. hoffmeisteri or Branchiura sowerbyi dominates. The zoogeographical origin of the commonest profundal oligochaetes is discussed.

Comparing food-web impacts of a native invertebrate and an invasive fish as predators in small floodplain wetlands

Gambusia holbrooki is an invasive predatory poeciliid fish in wetlands of south-eastern Australia, where it coexists with the native waterbug Anisops thienemanni (Notonectidae). Gambusia has been shown to produce trophic cascades, leading to increased algal biomass following invasion, whereas these effects relative to the often-dominant invertebrate predator Anisops are unknown. Given its flexible diet, we predicted that Gambusia would feed more broadly than Anisops, thereby reducing the abundance of zooplankton grazers, and increasing chlorophyll a. We tested this hypothesis in experimental 110-L wetland mesocosms, using Gambusia and Anisops alone and in combination, in addition to no-predator treatments. We ran two experiments lasting 91 and 35 days, respectively. Both fish and macroinvertebrates generated weak trophic cascades, resulting in minor increases in chlorophyll a above concentrations in control treatments. Gambusia, in lowering total zooplankton abundances, triggered a larger, although still relatively small, algal response relative to Anisops. Impacts of both predators on dominant invertebrate grazers (e.g. Simocephalus spp., copepod nauplii) were similar, although Anisops was associated with an increase in ostracod (Newnhamia sp.) numbers. The similar trophic role of the two predators on algae was unexpected, given their different effects on planktonic communities and their very different taxonomic positions and zoogeographic origins.

Lentic Basommatophora molluscs and hygrophilous land snails as indicators of habitat and climate in the Early-Middle Pleistocene (0.78 Ma) at the site of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov (GBY), Israel

The lentic Basommatophora molluscs and hygrophilous land snails of the Early-Middle Pleistocene site of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov (GBY), 0.78 Ma, crossed by the Matuyama–Brunhes chron boundary [MBB] were studied in order to reconstruct their specific habitats and possible reactions to climate change along the site sequence. Samples of equal sizes from 27 of the 46 layers along the 100 k.yr. time-span of the site were examined. About 2000 specimens of 21 lentic and hygrophilous species belonging to five families: Planorbidae (11), Lymnaeidae (6), Acroloxidae (2), Carychiidae (1) and Succineidae (1) were identified. The family with the largest biodiversity is the Planorbidae and of these, the most abundant species include Gyraulus piscinarum (937), Planorbarius corneus (210) and Radix labiata (160). The recent known zoogeographic origin of 81% of the species is Palaearctic and Holarctic. The MBB coincides with remarkable environmental changes reflected in molluscs, other faunal and floral elements and stable isotopes. The Planorbidae and Lymnaeidae reach greater abundance (90% and 80% of their assemblages, respectively) pre-MBB, while Acroloxidae, Succineidae and Carychiidae are more abundant (74%, 64% and 90%) post-MBB. Our data indicate that GBY molluscs show a two-phase pattern (shallow and deep lake) in each of the five defined cycles. Their numbers increase during the shallow water phases, thus the site climate changes from cold and humid in the oldest layers, to dry and cold up to the MBB and few succeeding layers. Between cycles 2 and 3, post-MBB, we see a short period of warm and humid climate that enables the influx of African and Asian elements. At the same time, cold climate species of Euro-Siberian and Palaearctic origin disappear. The succeeding layers indicate a cooler and humid climate. Finally, the sequence indicates deep water in the oldest layers and desiccation towards MBB and deeper water post-MBB.

New records of mites (Arachnida: Acari) from Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

AbstractThe first investigations of the mite fauna of Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, are reported. Fourteen species have been found.Uropoda orbicularis(Müller) (Uropodidae) andScarabaspis inexpectatus(Oudemans) (Eviphididae) are newly recorded for North America,Macrocheles nemerdariusKrantz and Whitaker (Macrochelidae) is newly recorded for Canada, andTrichoribates striatusHammer (Ceratozetidae) is recorded for the first time south of the subarctic zone. Colonization, dispersal, and the zoogeographic origins of the fauna are discussed in the context of the biological, geological, and human history of the island.

Diversity and conservation status of the Ichthyofauna of the Río Lacantún basin in the Biosphere Reserve Montes Azules, Chiapas, México

The Biosphere Reserve Montes Azules (RBMA), located in the Mexican southeastern state of Chiapas, is the most important floral and faunal reserve in México and Mesoamerica, The reserve contains the largest and best preserved forests in the region, as well as the few remaining pristine rivers. The primary objective of this paper is to update the fish diversity along the southern part of this important reserve, based on material collected during eight expeditions carried out from 2004 to 2006. Fish samples were obtained from 20 localities, of which seven were inside the protected natural area. A total of 8, 977 specimens were collected, representing 55 species (including one unidentified and three aliens) in 41 genera and 23 families. This paper adds 9 more species to the regional fish fauna, one of them are exotic. According to their zoogeographic origin, three are Nearctic, 32 are Neotropical, and 17 are in other groups; ecologically, nine species are of primary derivation, 26 are Secondary, and 17 are Peripheral or Vicarious, according to Myers’ (1938) classification based on historical salinity tolerance. The most diverse fish families were the Cichlidae and Poeciliidae, with 15 and eight species, respectively. Compared to other Mexican hydrological regions, the study area contains a fish fauna that is still well preserved in terms of diversity, but ecological damage is due to humans living adjacent to the reserve. If this situation continues unchecked, it could threaten the survival of some species.

Zoobenthic diversity-gradients in the Baltic Sea: Continuous post-glacial succession in a stressed ecosystem

The Baltic Sea, formed after the latest glaciation, is an enclosed, low-saline, non-tidal ecosystem and has steep latitudinal and vertical gradients from sub-arctic conditions in the north to temperate in the south. The sea has undergone rapid changes since the glaciation, and the “ecological age” of the present ecosystem is only about 8000 years. Primary successional processes are still ongoing, and numerous ecological niches (e.g. large-bodied sediment bioturbators) remain available for immigration. The system is species-poor and vulnerable to the threat of exotic invasive species, and to date about 50 zoobenthic species have established populations in the Baltic Sea. The present biota is a mixture of species of different ecological and zoogeographical origin (marine to limnic; northern Arctic marine and limnic, to North Sea and Atlantic marine). The current distribution patterns of zoobenthos are illustrated, using marine, limnic and non-indigenous examples of structure and ecosystem functions. The species richness decreases from over 1600 marine benthic species in the open Skagerrak to about 500 in the western parts of the Baltic Sea, approximately 80 in the southern regions, to less than 20 in the northern regions. On the other hand, limnic species increase diversity in the inner reaches of the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia. Polychaetes, molluscs and echinoderms are dramatically reduced in numbers from the south to the north.

The allochthonous component in the fauna of peninsular Italy

Biogeographia vol. XX VII - 2006 (Pubblicato il 30 dicembre 2006) Biogeografia del/’Appennino centrale e sertentrionale.‘ trent’anni dopo The allochthonous component in the fauna of peninsular Italy MARZIO ZAPPAROLI Dzpzzrriivzenro di Prarezimze zlelle Pizlnte, Um'z2er5z'tz‘z degli Stzzdi della 72155222, Via 5471 C. De Lellis s.7z.c., 01100 Viterbo (Italy); e—mzzz'/.' zzzppmqo[@zmz'tzz5. it Key words: Italy, introduced species, biological invasions SUMMARY A broad picture of the animal species, both terrestrial and inland water, that have recently been introduced in the Apennine region of Italy (from Tuscany to Calabria) is presented in this paper. Information was gathered from a) the latest studies on the consistency and distribution of the Italian fauna (e.g., “Checklist delle specie” and “Clemap” projects), b) syntheses on particular taxonomic groups and/or fields of research, and c) other information from scientific literature or from taxonomists. Extinct allochthonous species, species whose status of acclimatizationl naturalization is unknown, and patautochthonous species (introduced before 1500 A.D.), were excluded from this analysis. 397 allochthonous species have been documented as introduced in this area, of which 320 (80.6%) have naturalized (represented by self- sustaining populations) and 77 (19.4%) have acclimatized (with populations in the wild, but not yet self sustaining). The naturalized species constitute 1.2°/o of the fauna in the study area (26,200 total species). The majority of introduced species are Arthropoda, in particular lnsecta (68% of the naturalized species, especially Homoptera Sternorrhyncha and Coleoptera), followed by Vertebrata (16% of the naturalized species, especially Osteichthyes). Annelida Oligochaeta, Mollusca Gastropoda and Bivalvia, Platyhelminthes and Nematoda are also present, but are much less numerous. According to the presence/ absence regional data of 189 introduced species (both acclimatized and naturalized), Lazio, Tuscany and Campania are the surveyed administrative regions in which the highest number of species have been recorded. This result could be due to a greater effort of research having been realized in these areas or to the presence of factors that “predispose‘’ the entry of allochthonous species, such as the high number of city centers, economic activities, and anthropic disturbance. Witli regard to the causes of introduction, the unintentionally introduced species represent 75% (304 species), while the intentional introductions represent only 25% (93 species) of the total; in both categories the naturalized species constitute 75-80%. Intentional introductions were carried out for biological control (34%), professional and sport fishing (27%), collection/ornamental (18%), hunting/alimentary (12%), industrial (fur and other) (4%) and scientific (3%) purposes. The unintentional introductions occurred largely through the importation of plants and/or vegetable products (58%), human movements (17%), importation of stored products (11.5%), fish spawning/aquaculture (5.5%), and importation of infected animals (2%) or other (4%). According to the zoogeographic origin of 298 introduced species, 44% are of Palaearctic (16% E-Palaeatctic, 28% W-Palaearctic), 21% Neoarctic, 11% Afrotropical, 10% Neotropical, 9% Oriental, 6% Australoasiatic origin. A preliminary assessment based on the presence and distribution in selected macrohabitats of potentially or efl-ectively invasive (impacting on biodiversity) species suggest that natural inland water habitats are at greater risk of invasion in comparison with natural/semi—natural terrestrial ones. However differing amounts of knowledge are available for the two main type of habitats, greater for the inland water, smaller for the terrestrial ones. In the latter, the effects produced by allochthonous mammals and birds are especially known, meanwhile information about the impact of introduced invertebrates is highly laclting, in particular of insects, which While represented in great numbers of species are at present largely confined to artificial habitats (urban areas and/ or agroecosystems).

Amphicticeps and Amphicynodon (Arctoidea, Carnivora) from Hsanda Gol Formation, Central Mongolia and Phylogeny of Basal Arctoids with Comments on Zoogeography

Amphicticeps shackelfordi and Amphicynodon teilhardi are two small carnivorans from the early Oligocene Hsanda Gol Formation of central Mongolia, and as basal arctoids (infraorder Arctoidea) in Asia, feature unique combinations of morphologies that offer insights into early diversification and zoogeography of the arctoids. Lack of adequate study of Amphicticeps and incomplete knowledge about Amphicynodon, however, prevented them from being figured in the discussions of arctoid relationships. New associated dental and cranial materials collected during recent expeditions in the 1990s substantially enrich our knowledge of the two genera and their stratigraphic positions, and serve as an impetus for a study of their phylogenetic relationships in the broad perspective of basal Arctoidea.Hsanda Gol arctoids are represented by six small- to medium-sized species: Amphicticeps shackelfordi Matthew and Granger 1924, A. dorog, n.sp., A. makhchinus, n.sp., Amphicynodon teilhardi Matthew and Granger 1924,? Cephalogale sp., and Pyctis inamatus Babbitt, 1999. The three species of Amphicticeps apparently form an endemic clade confined to central Asia, whose zoogeographic origin is currently unknown. Amphicynodon has a much higher diversity in Europe than in Asia, and phylogenetically the Asian A. teilhardi seems to be nested within the European congeneric species, indicating an eastward dispersal for this group, linking the European “Grande Coupure” and the Asian “Mongolian Reconstruction” events.To avoid excessive homoplasies in crown groups, we attempted a phylogenetic reconstruction based mostly on stem arctoids. Twenty genera of primitive arctoids occupying basal positions of nearly all major clades are selected for the analysis. The resulting tree, based on 39 characters, approximates the initial divergence of the arctoids. The traditionally dichotomous Arctoidea, formed by sister clades Ursida and Mustelida, is recovered in our analysis. Mustelida is also largely dichotomous with mustelid-like forms on one side and procyonid-like forms on the other. Despite its rather hypercarnivorous dentition, Amphicticeps is found on the Ursida side of the arctoids, although support for such a topology is relatively weak. Amphicynodon is a stem taxon of the Ursida and is a sister to an ursid–pinniped clade.

New records of Ascaridia platyceri (Nematoda) in parrots (Psittaciformes)

The aim of the study was to determine the range of species of ascarids in parrots in the CzechRepublic. Ascarids were found during post-mortem parasitological examination of 38 psittaciform birds belonging to 15 different species. All ascarids found were determined as Ascaridia platyceri. Nine bird species were determined as new hosts of this parasite. A. platyceri is a typical ascarid for parrots of Australian origin. The fact that this parasite was found in bird species of African origin demonstrated a possibility of spread of A. platyceri to hosts of different zoogeographical origin. A. platyceri was described in detail from the host Melopsittacus undulatus and differentiated from other ascarids on the basis of morphological and quantitative traits. The most important differentiating traits included the presence of interlabia in both sexes. In males, the traits important for species identification included the number and location of caudal papillae (a total of 9 to 10 pairs), relatively short spicula and absence of cuticular alae on the spicula, while females featured a conical shape of the tail.

Identification key to Central European species of Trachytes (Acari: Uropodina) with redescriptions, ecology and distribution of Slovak species

A total of 23 uropodine species of the genus Trachytes (Acari, Mesostigmata) are reliably recorded to occur in Central Europe and included in identification keys for adults (23 spp.) and deutonymphal stages (9 spp.), respectively. For the first time, the diagnostic characters of deutonymphs of the species T. baloghi, T. minima, T. minimasimilis, T. mystacinus and T. splendida are figured. Ten species found in Slovakia are redescribed (T. aegrota, T. baloghi, T. hirschmanni, T. irenae, T. lamda, T. minima, T. minimasimilis, T. mystacinus, T. pauperior and T. splendida) and characterised by their external morphology, geographic distribution and ecological requirements in terms of habitat preference, affinity to merocoenoses and vertical distribution. The zoogeographic origin of Trachytes is analysed. Most species are found only in woodlands and have not been recorded in the distribution area of the Pannonian flora in Central Europe (except for T. aegrota and T. baloghi). Short taxonomic remarks are given for the species of dubious taxonomic status or whose occurrence is not reliably known.

Biogeography of Sulawesian Shrews: Testing for their Origin with a Parametric Bootstrap on Molecular Data

In order to identify the zoogeographic origin of shrews (genusCrocidura) living on the oceanic island of Sulawesi, 15 taxa from Southeast Asia and 1 from Europe were examined for sequence variation in a segment (617 bp) of the mitochondrial cytochromebgene. The null hypothesis of a monophyletic origin of all Sulawesian shrews was investigated by a phylogenetic reconstruction using maximum parsimony. According to a parametric bootstrap which simulated sequence evolution for these taxa, the null hypothesis could be rejected as highly unlikely (P<0.01). Therefore, the molecular phylogeny strongly suggests that overwater colonization of Sulawesi by shrews succeeded on at least two occasions. The first, relatively ancient wave of colonizers radiated and gave rise to a surprizingly diverse assemblage of at least five species which now coexist in perfect sympatry on Sulawesi. The second wave, of more recent origin, gave rise toCrocidura nigripes,a species which retained close genetic affinities with other Malay shrews.

Intertidal zone of Svalbard

Twenty-two stations in the intertidal and shallow sublittoral of Bjornoya (74 °N, 19 °E) were studied in August 1994 revealing a large and diverse standing crop of macro-algae (16 species) and littoral macrofauna (at least 17 species). In most places the biomass of littoral macroorganisms exceeded 100 g ww/m2. In the shallow sublittoral, between 2 and 20 m, 45 animal taxa and 23 algae species were collected. Littoral coarse sand meiofauna was dominated by Turbellaria, while, on algae, Halacaridae and Harpacticoida predominated. Meiofauna densities ranged from 0 to 169 ind./10 cm2 and biomass from 0 to 0.4 g dw/m2. The abundance of littoral species and their zoogeographic origin resemble that of Spitsbergen more than that of the northern Scandinavian coast, although both are of equal distance from Bjornoya. The first record of the boreal bivalve Mytilus edulis from the island is presented. Another striking feature was the presence of the arctic amphipod Gammarus setosus and the absence of its boreal sibling species G.oceanicus.