Characterization of Seiridium spp. Associated with Cypress Canker Based on ß-Tubulin and Histone Sequences

Cypress canker is a serious disease that has devastated Cupressus spp. in many parts of the world. In Mediterranean Europe it has caused the deaths of millions of trees. Three species of Seiridium, S. cardinale, S. cupressi, and S. unicorne, are associated with cypress canker. Considerable debate surrounds the taxonomic status of these fungi. They have been viewed as a single morphologically variable species, three distinct taxa; or two species based on the presence or absence of conidial appendages. Studies based on ribosomal DNA (ITS1, ITS2, and 5.8S gene) sequence failed to separate the cypress canker fungi. In an attempt to distinguish between the species associated with cypress canker we used histone and partial ß-tubulin sequences of fourteen isolates of Seiridium spp. from cypress. Analysis of sequence data showed Seiridium isolates from Cupressus spp., residing in two major clades. One clade accommodated S. unicorne isolates from Portugal and South Africa. The other major clade consisted of two subclades containing non-appendaged S. cardinale isolates. We believe the larger second clade, represents the cypress canker pathogens while the other clade contains the less pathogenic S. unicorne, which has a host range beyond Cupressus. This study thus provides strong evidence to support previous morphological data suggesting three distinct species are associated with cypress canker.

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Emended description and resurrection of Sciaphila tosaensis and S. megastyla (Triuridaceae)

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.413.3.4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 413 (3) ◽

pp. 231-243 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

KENJI SUETSUGU ◽

AKIHIKO KINOSHITA ◽

TIAN-CHUAN HSU

Keyword(s):

Genetic Divergence ◽

Taxonomic Status ◽

Distinct Species ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Genetic Distances ◽

The Other ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Flowering Stage ◽

Emended Description ◽

Morphological Differences

This paper presents a re-evaluation of the taxonomic status of Sciaphila tosaensis and S. megastyla (Triuridaceae) distributed in Japan and Taiwan. Based on the detailed morphological data, we concluded that these two species should both be treated as distinct species rather than synonyms of S. secundiflora. Sciaphila tosaensis differs from S. secundiflora and S. megastyla in having very narrow male perianth segments and female perianth segments distinctly shorter than male perianth segments. Sciaphila megastyla differs from the other two species in having very conspicuous style and stigma that is ca. 1.5 times as long as ovary in the flowering stage. Furthermore, a lectotype is designated of S. megastyla because its holotype has been lost. Molecular data also showed that there is considerable genetic divergence between S. tosaensis and S. megastyla, supporting that the morphological differences are mirrored by their genetic distances.

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Taxonomic status of Protankyra ramiurna and Protankyra benedeni (Holothuroidea: Apodida: Synaptidae)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4324.3.6 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4324 (3) ◽

pp. 518 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

JÉSSICA PRATA ◽

MICHELA BORGES ◽

CYNTHIA L. C. MANSO ◽

MARTIN LINDSEY CHRISTOFFERSEN

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

Taxonomic Status ◽

Distinct Species ◽

First Record ◽

Brazilian Coast ◽

Single Variable ◽

Variable Species

This study presents a review of the species Protankyra ramiurna Heding, 1928 and Protankyra benedeni (Ludwig, 1881) from the Brazilian coast. Some authors consider that these two taxa represent a single variable species. Our comparative analysis of external characters, anatomy and ossicle morphology indicates that they represent distinct species. This is the first record of Protankyra ramiurna from Brazil.

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Two new species of the Phimochirus holthuisi complex from the Gulf of Mexico, supported by morphology, color, and genetics (Crustacea: Anomura: Paguridae)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4683.4.4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4683 (4) ◽

pp. 531-551

Author(s):

DARRYL L. FELDER ◽

RAFAEL LEMAITRE ◽

CATHERINE CRAIG

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Continental Shelf ◽

Gene Sequence ◽

Sequence Data ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

The Other ◽

Two New Species ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic ◽

Gene Sequence Data

Coloration, gene-sequence data (H3, 12s, 16s), and subtle features in morphology support the description of two new species, both formerly regarded to represent accepted variants of Phimochirus holthuisi s.l. While color in life consistently separates these species from P. holthuisi s.s. and from each other, morphological distinctions are subtle and less than absolute in small specimens, being based on ventral spine counts of walking leg dactyls and relative development of the superior crest on the major chela. Molecular phylogenetic analyses clearly support the separation of sister clades, representing two new species, from P. holthuisi s.s. as well as other congeners available for analysis. Both of the new species are presently known to occur widely throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico, though one occurs more commonly in the northeastern and southeastern Gulf, and may range as far south as Suriname. The other has been taken primarily in the northwestern Gulf, and is not known from outside Gulf waters. While both of the new species appear restricted to relatively deep subtidal waters of the continental shelf, Phimochirus holthuisi s.s. is instead more commonly found in shallow nearshore tropical waters on or near coral reefs. Previous literature reports of P. holthuisi usually represent, at least in part, one or both of these two new species.

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A revision of the Pyura stolonifera species complex (Tunicata, Ascidiacea), with a description of a new species from Australia

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.2754.1.2 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2754 (1) ◽

pp. 27 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

MARC RIUS ◽

PETER R. TESKE

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Species Complex ◽

Taxonomic Status ◽

Single Species ◽

Distinct Species ◽

The Other ◽

Solitary Ascidian ◽

Different Populations ◽

A New Species ◽

Dorsal Tubercle

Pyura stolonifera is a large solitary ascidian found in Africa, Australasia and South America. The taxonomic status of different populations of this species is disputed, especially since there is evidence for several distinct morphological and genetic units that point towards the existence of multiple cryptic species. While some researchers still recognize P. stolonifera as a single species, others treat the different populations as distinct species. Here, we present a revision of the P. stolonifera species complex based on the examination of samples from all regions where there are reliable reports of this taxon. We recognize four species that are both morphologically and genetically distinct, one of which is new to science and is formally described here. This species is morphologically distinct from the other three members of the species complex in terms of the colour and texture of the tunic, the arrangement of the gonads within the gut and the shape of the dorsal tubercle, among other characters. We name the new species Pyura dalbyi after Dr. J.E. Dalby Jr., whose research on its ecology and distribution provided the incentive for examining this species more closely.

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When forms meet genes: revision of the scleractinian genera Micromussa and Homophyllia (Lobophylliidae) with a description of two new species and one new genus

Contributions to Zoology ◽

10.1163/18759866-08504002 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 85 (4) ◽

pp. 387-422 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Roberto Arrigoni ◽

Francesca Benzoni ◽

Danwei Huang ◽

Hironobu Fukami ◽

Chaolun Allen Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Genus ◽

Nuclear Dna ◽

New Caledonia ◽

Sequence Data ◽

Intergenic Spacer ◽

Taxonomic Revision ◽

Its Region ◽

Distinct Species ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Eastern Australia

The scleractinian family Lobophylliidae is undergoing a major taxonomic revision thanks to the combination of molecular and morphological data. In this study, we investigate the evolutionary relationships and the macro- and micromorphology of six nominal coral species belonging to two of the nine molecular clades of the Lobophylliidae, clades A and B, and of Symphyllia wilsoni, a lobophylliid species analyzed from a molecular point of view for the first time. Sequence data from mitochondrial DNA (COI and the intergenic spacer between COI and l-rRNA), and nuclear DNA (histone H3 and ITS region) are used to generate robust molecular phylogenies and a median-joining haplotype network. Molecular results are strongly in agreement with detailed observations of gross- and fine-scale morphology of skeletons, leading to the formal revision of the genera Micromussa and Homophyllia and the description of two newly discovered zooxanthellate shallow-water species, Micromussa pacifica sp. nov. Benzoni & Arrigoni and Micromussa indiana sp. nov. Benzoni & Arrigoni, and a new genus, Australophyllia gen. nov. Benzoni & Arrigoni. In particular, Acanthastrea lordhowensis and Montastraea multipunctata are moved into Micromussa, A. hillae is synonymized with A. bowerbanki and is transferred to Homophyllia, and a revised diagnosis for both genera is provided. Micromussa pacifica sp. nov. is described from the Gambier Islands with its distribution spanning New Caledonia and eastern Australia. Despite a superficial resemblance with Homophyllia australis, it has distinctive macroand micromorphological septal features. Micromussa indiana sp. nov., previously identified as M. amakusensis, is here described from the Gulf of Aden and the southern Red Sea as a distinct species that is genetically separated from M. amakusensis and is morphologically distinct from the latter due to its smaller corallite size and lower number of septa. Finally, molecular trees show that S. wilsoni is closely related, but molecularly separated from clades A and B, and, also based on a unique combination of corallite and sub-corallite characters, the species is moved into Australophyllia gen. nov. These findings confirm the need for using both genetic and morphological datasets for the ongoing taxonomic revision of scleractinian corals.

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Contribution to the phylogeny of Caucasian Nonea (Boraginaceae) inferred from nrDNA ITS and trnL-F data

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.418.3.2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 418 (3) ◽

pp. 258-272

Author(s):

MURAT ERDEM GÜZEL ◽

VUGAR KARIMOV ◽

SERDAR MAKBUL ◽

KAMİL COŞKUNÇELEBİ

Keyword(s):

Sequence Data ◽

Corolla Tube ◽

Distinct Species ◽

The Other ◽

Nrdna Its ◽

Close Attention ◽

Phylogenetic Structure ◽

Generic Delimitation ◽

Taxonomic Studies ◽

Good Support

Nonea (Boraginaceae) with nearly 35 species was divided into four sections based on the shape of mericarpids and the position of the anthers in the corolla tube. Although several comprehensive taxonomic studies have been performed on Turkish and European Nonea taxa, Caucasian ones have not been studied well. Therefore Caucasian Nonea need close attention with regard to molecular systematics. In this study, 15 Caucasian Nonea including N. cyanocalyx and N. bakuensis were evaluated with nrDNA ITS and cpDNA trnL-F sequence data using Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian Inference to reconstruct phylogeny. All examined members of Nonea were grouped at three main clades with weak to good support values based on nrITS and at two main clades with moderate to good support values based on trnL-F. Both trees did not coincide with the traditional sub-generic delimitation of Nonea, but nrITS tree supported monophyly of Nonea. On the other hand, Pulmonaria is deeply nested in Nonea in the trnL-F tree. Moreover, present findings support treating N. cyanocalyx and N. bakuensis as distinct species rather than subspecies and revealed a preliminary phylogenetic structure of little known Caucasian Nonea.

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Molecular characterization of a Toxocara variant from cats in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s0031182098002856 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 117 (2) ◽

pp. 155-164 ◽

Cited By ~ 60

Author(s):

X. Q. ZHU ◽

D. E. JACOBS ◽

N. B. CHILTON ◽

R. A. SANI ◽

N. A. B. Y. CHENG ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Internal Transcribed Spacer ◽

Sequence Data ◽

Distinct Species ◽

Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism ◽

Toxocara Canis ◽

Nuclear Ribosomal Dna ◽

Kuala Lumpur ◽

Second Internal Transcribed Spacer ◽

Conformation Polymorphism

The ascaridoid nematode of cats from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, previously identified morphologically as Toxocara canis, was characterized using a molecular approach. The nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) region spanning the first internal transcribed spacer (ITS-1), the 5·8S gene and the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) was amplified and sequenced. The sequences for the parasite from Malaysian cats were compared with those for T. canis and T. cati. The sequence data showed that this taxon was genetically more similar to T. cati than to T. canis in the ITS-1, 5·8S and ITS-2. Differences in the ITS-1 and ITS-2 sequences between the taxa (9·4–26·1%) were markedly higher than variation between samples within T. canis and T. cati (0–2·9%). The sequence data demonstrate that the parasite from Malaysian cats is neither T. canis nor T. cati and indicate that it is a distinct species. Based on these data, PCR-linked restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) methods were employed for the unequivocal differentiation of the Toxocara variant from T. canis and T. cati. These methods should provide valuable tools for studying the life-cycle, transmission pattern(s) and zoonotic potential of this parasite.

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The systematics of the south-east Asian genus Fangensis Rambla (Opiliones:Cyphophthalmi:Stylocellidae)

Invertebrate Systematics ◽

10.1071/is05023 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 297 ◽

Cited By ~ 82

Author(s):

Peter J. Schwendinger ◽

Gonzalo Giribet

Keyword(s):

East Asian ◽

Original Description ◽

Distinct Species ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Ribosomal Genes ◽

The Other ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Southern Thailand ◽

New Material ◽

Three New Species

The hitherto monotypic opilionid genus Fangensis Rambla, 1994 is re-evaluated from new material collected in northern, western and southern Thailand. The original description of F. leclerci Rambla (type material not traceable) was based on specimens belonging to at least three distinct species. Fangensis leclerci is thus redefined and the binomen restricted to specimens from a cave in northern Thailand only. Three new species are described, F. spelaeus, sp. nov. and F. cavernarus, sp. nov. from two caves in western Thailand and F. insulanus, sp. nov. from forests on two islands in southern Thailand. Taxonomic characters are discussed and relationships among Fangensis species and between Fangensis and other cyphophthalmids are evaluated using morphological data and ~4 Kb of molecular data from three loci, two nuclear ribosomal genes and a mitochondrial coding gene. Overall, data indicate monophyly of Stylocellidae and morphological and ribosomal data suggest monophyly of Fangensis, which is in turn divided into two clades, one composed of the three species from northern and western Thailand and the other represented by the species from southern Thailand. Observations on mating in F. leclerci are provided.

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First records of the fanged frogs Limnonectes bannaensis Ye, Fei & Jiang, 2007 and L. utara Matsui, Belabut & Ahmad, 2014 (Amphibia: Anura: Dicroglossidae) in Thailand

Biodiversity Data Journal ◽

10.3897/bdj.9.e67253 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Chatmongkon Suwannapoom ◽

Ke Jiang ◽

Yun-He Wu ◽

Parinya Pawangkhanant ◽

Sengvilay Lorphengsy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cryptic Species ◽

Species Complex ◽

Sequence Data ◽

Taxonomic Status ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

Species Identity ◽

Dna Sequence Data ◽

Species Complexes ◽

Cryptic Species Complex

The taxonomic status of the Thai populations belonging to the Limnonectes kuhlii species complex is controversial, due to phenotypic similarity in the cryptic species complex. Recently, some studies on this group in Thailand have discovered four new species: L. taylori, L. megastomias, L. jarujini and L. isanensis. Even so, the diversity of this group is still incomplete. Based on an integrative approach encompassing genetic and morphological analyses, we conclude that the Limnonectes populations from Nan Province (northern) and Yala Province (southern) of Thailand are conspecific with L. bannaensis Ye, Fei & Jiang, 2007 and L. utara Matsui, Belabut & Ahmad, 2014, respectively. These are the first records of these species in Thailand. Our study highlights the importance of using DNA sequence data in combination with morphological data to accurately document species identity and diversity. This is especially important for morphologically cryptic species complexes and sympatrically occurring congeners.

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SUBORDERS ACOTYLEA AND COTYLEA (POLYCLADIDA): STUDY ON MORPHOLOGICAL, ECOLOGICAL AND REPRODUCTIVE FEATURES OF SOME REPRESENTATIVE SPECIES FROM TUNISIAN COASTS (MEDİTERRANEAN)

Ecologica Montenegrina ◽

10.37828/em.2017.10.9 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. 58-70

Author(s):

Mehrez Gammoudi ◽

Saïda Tekaya

Keyword(s):

Parental Care ◽

The Other ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Associated Fauna ◽

Other Hand ◽

Representative Species ◽

First Time ◽

Made In

The aim of this work is to provide some important morphological, ecological and reproductive features of 8 polyclad species from Tunisian waters belonging to Acotylea: Echinoplana celerrima Haswell, 1907, Leptoplana mediterranea (Bock, 1913), Discocelis tigrina (Blanchard, 1847) and Imogine mediterranea (Galleni, 1976) and Cotylea: Thysanozoon brocchii (Risso, 1818), Prosthiostomum siphunculus (Delle Chiaje, 1822), Yungia aurantiaca (Delle Chiaje, 1822) and Prostheceraeus moseleyi (Lang, 1884). New data on distribution of some species are added. Moreover, morphological data are provided for the first time in living specimens of D. tigrina. Based on our specimens, we confirm characterization of the two sub-orders Acotylea and Cotylea that have been already made in previous studies. Function of attachment organs in polyclads is discussed. On the other hand, data dealing with associated fauna are offered for all species. The two acotyleans E. celerrima and I. mediterranea were seen to cover their egg plates practicing thereby a parental care. This work could be a baseline for future taxonomic and behavioural investigations.

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