A review of the Phycitinae of the Galápagos Islands (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

1997 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 493-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.H. Neunzig ◽  
Bernard Landry

AbstractBased on the examination of more than 800 specimens of Phycitinae (Pyralidae) from the Galápagos Archipelago, 12 species are recognized. The new genus Shafferiessa is described to accommodate the two species: S. galapagoensis sp. n. and S. pumila sp. n. Macrorrhinia pinta sp. n. is also added to the number of endemic phycitines. New food plant records are provided for two species. Fundella agapella Schaus, 1923, is treated as a junior synonym of Fundella argentina Dyar, 1919.

Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 3096 (1) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
PATRICK C. REYGEL ◽  
WIM R. WILLEMS ◽  
TOM J. ARTOIS

Seven species of eukalyptorhynch flatworms from the Galapagos Islands are reported. Six of them belong to the taxon Koinocystididae Meixner, 1924, three of which are new to science. Two of these new species can be attributed to the genus Itaipusa Marcus, 1949 based on the construction of the prostate vesicle and the general structure of the female system. Itaipusa biglandula n. sp. is characterised by a very short, muscular, unarmed penis papilla, whereas I. renei n. sp. is characterised by the presence of a cirrus armed with minute scales, and two large, blunt hooks in the male atrium. The third new species cannot be placed in any existing taxon and therefore a new genus is erected: Galapagetula annikae n. gen. n. sp.. It is characterised by a straight and rather long cirrus, armed with small spines, and a clearly bipartite bursa in the female system. Additional morphological information is given for the three known species of Koinocystididae: I. divae Marcus, 1949; I. variodentata (Karling, Mack-Fira & Dörjes, 1972) Karling, 1978 and Utelga heinckei (Attems, 1897) Karling, 1954. For I. divae a new locality from Curaçao is also mentioned. The seventh species is a species of Gnathorhynchidae: Prognathorhynchus eurytuba Ax & Armonies, 1987, for which new morphological information on the organisation of the genital system is given.


Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4244 (1) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
TOBIAS PFINGSTL ◽  
HEINRICH SCHATZ

Two species of Fortuyniidae, found on the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador) are described and illustrated based on the adult and juvenile instars. Alismobates galapagoensis sp. nov. was found on six islands of the archipelago, in littoral and supralittoral habitats. It is morphologically similar to A. inexpectatus Pfingstl & Schuster, 2012 from Bermuda, but differs from that species and all other known congeners by a prominent cuticular ridge on epimeron III among other unique character combinations. Litoribates caelestis gen. and sp. nov. was found on the islands Santa Cruz and Bartolomé in the littoral zone under Maytenus and mangroves. Notes on distribution and ecological preferences of both species are included. 


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Urquía ◽  
Bernardo Gutiérrez ◽  
Gabriela Pozo ◽  
María José Pozo ◽  
Analía Espín ◽  
...  

AbstractThe threat of invasive plant species in island populations prompts the need to better understand their population genetics and dynamics. In the Galapagos islands, this is exemplified by the introduced guava (Psidium guajava), considered one of the greatest threats to the local biodiversity due to its effective spread in the archipelago and its ability to outcompete endemic species. To better understand its history and genetics, we analyzed individuals from three inhabited islands in the Galapagos archipelago with 11 SSR markers. Our results reveal similar genetic diversity between islands, suggestive of gene flow between them. Populations appear to be distinct between the islands of San Cristobal and Isabela, with the population of Santa Cruz being composed as a mixture from both. Additional evidence for genetic bottlenecks and the inference of introduction events suggests an original introduction of the species in San Cristobal, from where it was later introduced to Isabela, and finally into Santa Cruz. Alternatively, an independent introduction event for Isabela is also possible. These results are contrasted with the historical record, providing a first overview of the history of P. guajava in the Galapagos islands and its current population dynamics.


Author(s):  
Diego Urquia ◽  
Bernardo Gutierrez ◽  
Gabriela Pozo ◽  
Maria Pozo ◽  
Maria Torres

Guava (Psidium guajava) is one of the most aggressive invasive plants in the Galapagos Islands. Determining its provenance and genetic diversity could provide valuable information for its control. With this purpose, we analyzed 11 SSR markers in guava individuals collected from Isabela, Santa Cruz, San Cristobal and Floreana islands in the Galapagos, as well as from mainland Ecuador. The mainland guava population appeared genetically differentiated from the Galapagos populations, with higher genetic diversity levels found in the former. By using different approaches for data analysis, we consistently found that the Central Highlands region of mainland Ecuador is one of the most likely origins of the Galapagos populations. Moreover, the guavas from Isabela and Floreana show a potential genetic input from southern mainland Ecuador, while the population from San Cristobal would be linked to the coastal mainland regions. Interestingly, the proposed origins for the Galapagos guava coincide with the first human settlings of the archipelago. By employing Approximate Bayesian Computation, we propose a model where San Cristobal was the first island to be colonized by guava from the mainland, from which it would have spread to Floreana and finally to Santa Cruz; Isabela would have been seeded from Floreana. An independent trajectory could also have contributed in the invasion of Floreana and Isabela. The pathway shown in our model agrees with the human colonization history of the different islands in the Galapagos. Our model, in conjunction with the clustering patterns of the guava individuals (based on genetic distances), suggests that guava introduction history in the Galapagos archipelago was driven predominantly by a single event (or events in rapid succession) instead of several independent introductions. We thus show that genetic analyses supported by historical sources can be used to answer questions on the variability and history of guava in the Galapagos Islands.


2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 1091-1095 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlie Henry ◽  
Ed Levine

ABSTRACT During the night of 16 January 2001, the 260-foot tanker, Jessica, grounded on a reef at the entrance to Wreak Bay on the island of San Cristobal. Ironically, the site of the grounding was very near where Darwin first stepped ashore in 1835. Ecuador, realizing the threat posed by spilling more than 240,000 gallons of diesel and intermediate fuel oil, declared a state of emergency and made a request for assistance. NOAA immediately sent spill response and environmental experts as part of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) response effort to the remote islands. The Galapagos Islands are composed of shorelines not atypical of those NOAA has responded to in the past, but the unique wildlife, including many species found only in the Galapagos Islands, made this response different. This paper documents the USCG-NOAA mission, provides and overview of the incident response, an estimated oil mass balance, and the NOAA HAZMAT AWAY Team - HOME Team concept.


1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (11) ◽  
pp. 2260-2274 ◽  
Author(s):  
William A. Shear ◽  
Stewart B. Peck

Thirteen centiped species and one symphylan are reported from the Galápagos Islands. Hanseniella caldaria (Hansen) is the first symphylan reported from the Galápagos Islands. Among the centipeds, Hemiscolopendra galapagosa Chamberlin is a new synonym of Scolopendra galapagoensis Bollman and should be deleted from the Galápagos list. Cormocephalus andinus Kraepelin, its probable junior synonym C. carolus Chamberlin, and Nannopodellus purpurascens Chamberlin, previously reported from the Galápagos Islands, were not in any collections made from 1974 to the present and may be extinct on the islands. Lamyctes coeculus (Brölemann), Lamyctes fulvicornis Meinert, and Newportia monticola Pocock are new records, and first appear in collections made in 1974. Two new species, Pectiniunguis krausi and Pachymerium perdrai, are described. The former had been misidentified previously as Pectiniunguis albermarlensis Chamberlin. While Pectiniunguis albemarlensis and Scolopendra galapagoensis may be Galápagos endemics, lack of knowledge about the centiped fauna of source areas precludes definitive statements.


1989 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Kenchington

The Galapágos Archipelago is an area of very special significance to ecologists. Its unique flora and fauna, rugged scenery, and historical connections with Charles Darwin, make it a place of environmental pilgrimage. Between 1970 and 1985, visiting tourist numbers, comprised largely of foreign naturalists, grew from negligible levels to about 15,000 per annum. In 1987, visitor arrivals to the Galápagos grew to 32,500 following the opening of a second airport in 1986.Management of tourism has involved a policy which requires most visitors to be accommodated on boats, places strict controls on the sites which can be visited, and requires tourists to be accompanied by highly-trained Naturalist Guides. The policy precludes development of any substantial island-based tourist infrastructure. Recently this approach has become increasingly inadequate in the face of rapid small-scale, little coordinated, tourist development.


2021 ◽  
pp. 6-11
Author(s):  
LUIS ORTIZ-CATEDRAL

Cannibalism is a common behaviour among snakes, but it has not yet been verified for any of the nine species of Galápagos racer (Pseudalsophis spp.), a group endemic to the Galápagos archipelago, Ecuador. Galápagos racers are opportunistic generalists feeding on a variety of vertebrate prey. There are a few anecdotal and suspected attempts of cannibalism among Galápagos racers, but it is unclear whether this behaviour occurs and if so, how frequent it is. We analysed 61 faecal samples from western Galápagos racers (Pseudalsophis occidentalis). In addition to the remains of well known prey items such as lizards, we found snake teeth and skin fragments in 11 samples. Combined with previous observations of attempted cannibalism between western Galápagos racers, our results represent evidence that this species consumes other racers as prey. Our study contributes to a growing knowledge of the natural history of Galápagos racers and highlights the role of these reptiles in complex trophic interactions in the Galápagos islands.


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