Spread of the introduced species Laurencia caduciramulosa (Rhodomelaceae, Rhodophyta) to the northwest Atlantic: A morphological and molecular analysis

Introduction of species is a common problem in marine environments; marine macroalgae in particular have been reported to be introduced in all oceans, mainly through transport in ballast water, ship fouling and aquarium trade. The majority of the reported alien seaweeds belong to the Rhodophyta. Recently several species of the Laurencia complex have been reported, contributing to an increase of the number of red algae being successfully introduced. Since its description as a new species from Vietnam in 1997, Laurencia caduciramulosa has been spreading steadily with disjunct reports consistently finding specimens close to harbors or major ports. Biscayne Bay, Florida, home to one of the largest ports in USA, and surrounded by the Miami metropolis, is prone to receiving introduced species. This study reports the first introduction of L. caduciramulosa in Biscayne Bay, and its spread to the NW Atlantic. Morphological analysis demonstrated that the specimens collected in Crandon Park, Biscayne Bay, are similar to other specimens of the same species described for Vietnam (original description), Brazil, the Canary Islands and Cuba. Furthermore, molecular analysis using chloroplast-encoded rbcL DNA sequences corroborated the morphological identification. The phylogenetic results suggested that populations in Brazil, Canary Islands and Cuba are recent introductions, while the position of the Florida clade can be interpreted as a distinct and earlier introduction. Due to the level of expertise and knowledge of the Laurencia complex available, we suggest that in the future this group can be used as a model to conduct population genetics analysis of all described introductions in relation to native populations in order to describe patterns of expansion and provide an insight of marine invasions processes.

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Morphological and molecular identification of specimens in the genus Euseius (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from the Republic of Congo

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4768.4.2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4768 (4) ◽

pp. 479-498

Author(s):

MIREILLE BELLE MBOU OKASSA ◽

DOLLON MBAMA NTABI ◽

ARSENE LENGA

Keyword(s):

Molecular Analysis ◽

Dna Sequences ◽

Principal Component ◽

Taxonomic Status ◽

Original Description ◽

Integrative Taxonomy ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

12S Rrna ◽

Dna Fragments ◽

The Republic

The purpose of this study was to identify the taxonomic status of several individuals belonging to the genus Euseius, collected from three host plants (cassava, okra, and chilli) in the Republic of the Congo, using morphometric and molecular analysis. For this, hierarchical ascending classification on principal component analysis was performed using morphological measurements from 21 and 22 individuals of E. fustis and Euseius sp., respectively, with the original description of Euseius neodossei considered. For molecular analysis, two DNA fragments were amplified and sequenced: the mitochondrial 12S rRNA and the nuclear ribosomal region ITSS. This integrative approach found that (1) morphological differences existed between the Euseius sp. and both E. neodossei and E. fustis, and (2) both mitochondrial DNA fragments showed a clear delineation between Euseius sp. and E. fustis. The results obtained highlight the value of using integrative taxonomy to improve the identification of species in under-sampled areas and the need to increase the number of DNA sequences deposited in GenBank database from this region. This is the first time that DNA sequences of mites from the Congo (Brazzaville) have been deposited in this database.

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Redescription and molecular analysis of Pallisentis (Pallisentis) nandai Sarkar, 1953 (Acanthocephala: Quadrigyridae) in India

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/s0022149x20001005 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 95 ◽

Author(s):

O.M. Amin ◽

R.A. Heckmann ◽

A. Chaudhary ◽

N.Y. Rubtsova ◽

H.S. Singh

Keyword(s):

Molecular Analysis ◽

Dna Sequences ◽

Indian Subcontinent ◽

Original Description ◽

Ganga River ◽

Phylogenetic Position ◽

Molecular Evidence ◽

Line Drawings ◽

Variable Level ◽

First Time

Abstract Pallisentis (Pallisentis) nandai Sarkar, 1953 is a freshwater fish parasite restricted to the Indian subcontinent in the Ganga River and its tributaries. It was described from the leaffish, Nandus nandus (Hamilton) from the Ganga River delta at Calcutta. We recovered variant specimens from the same host species from the Ganga near its headwaters at Bijnor about 1500 km away. Our specimens were clearly identifiable as P. nandai but varied considerably from those in the original description, especially in the size of proboscis hooks, receptacle and lemnisci. The original description was incomplete (missing line drawings of female trunk and reproductive system, male trunk, complete proboscis, hooks and hook roots) and inaccurate (proboscis, hooks, receptacle wall), and some measurements were lumped together for both sexes. We provide a complete description and include new morphological information including the first description of para-receptacle structure in the genus Pallisentis Van Cleave, 1928, scanning electron microscopy and microscope images, molecular analysis, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) of hooks and spines of our specimens for the first time. Additional details of proboscis hook roots, trunk spines, micropores and micropore distribution are described. The unique metal composition of hooks (EDXA) demonstrated a considerably high but variable level of sulphur and negligible level of calcium in collar and trunk spines and hook tips, but a higher level of sulphur and calcium at the hook basal arch than at the hook tip and edge. A comparison with the EDXA pattern of another species of Pallisentis, P. İndica Mital & Lal, 1976, were considerably different. The phylogenetic position of P. nandai within Eoacanthocephala was generated to assess the molecular characterization based on 18S and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 ribosomal DNA sequences. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses placed P. nandai in a clade with other Pallisentis species under the family Quadrigyridae. This is the first report based on molecular evidence for P. nandai.

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Molecular and morphological identification of pistachio armored scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), with description of a new species

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4200.4.5 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4200 (4) ◽

pp. 523 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

FATEMEH HOSSEININAVEH ◽

JAMASB NOZARI ◽

MEHMET BORA KAYDAN ◽

VAHID HOSSEININAVEH

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Molecular Analysis ◽

Phylogenetic Trees ◽

Parenchyma Cell ◽

Scale Insects ◽

Morphological Identification ◽

New Taxon ◽

Molecular Features ◽

Morphological Differences ◽

A New Species

Members of the family Diaspididae (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) can be devastating pests that suck parenchyma cell contents from crops and cause severe damage to pistachio trees (Pistacia vera L.). The current research collected and characterized diaspidid species from pistachio orchards in Kerman province, Iran, according to their morphological and molecular features. Lepidosaphes pistaciae Archangelskaya, Suturaspis davatchi (Balachowsky & Kaussari) and Melanaspis inopinata (Leonardi) are redescribed and a new species, Melanaspis pistaciae Hosseininaveh & Kaydan sp. n., is described. Phylogenetic trees based on molecular analysis of COI and 28S rDNA fragments placed all the species in separated clades and confirmed M. pistaciae as a new taxon which is concluded by morphological differences. Molecular analysis suggests non-monophyly of the populations of each species. Melanaspis pistaciae sp. n. has spread to most cultivated pistachio areas in Iran and has probably been misidentified as M. inopinata in the past. Further investigation of the biology of this species may lead to development of more effective approaches for controlling this pest.

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New Records of Dactylobiotus parthenogeneticus Bertolani, 1982 Provide Insight into Its Genetic Variability and Geographic Distribution

Folia Biologica ◽

10.3409/fb_68-2.08 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 68 (2) ◽

pp. 57-72 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Justyna Pogwizd ◽

Daniel Stec

Keyword(s):

Dna Sequences ◽

18S Rrna ◽

Haplotype Diversity ◽

Original Description ◽

Integrative Taxonomy ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Morphological Identification ◽

28S Rrna ◽

Mitochondrial Coi ◽

Insight Into

In sediment samples collected from three distinct European locations (United Kingdom, France, Poland), populations of Dactylobiotus parthenogeneticus were found. The original description of this species was based solely on the morphology observed with light microscopy and later supplemented by some additional SEM data of the buccal apparatus and DNA sequences of 18S rRNA and COI. Here we provide an updated description of the species by means of integrative taxonomy. The description comprises a comprehensive set of morphometric and morphological data from light and scanning microscopy as well as nucleotide sequences of three nuclear (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, ITS-2) and one mitochondrial (COI) fragments. Our analysis of haplotype diversity confirmed our morphological identification and showed that D. parthenogeneticus is widely distributed in Europe.

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Ramalina sekika (Ramalinaceae), a new species for the lichen flora of Russia from the Far East

Novosti sistematiki nizshikh rastenii ◽

10.31111/nsnr/2014.48.256 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 48 ◽

pp. 256-263 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

O. A. Kataeva

Keyword(s):

Far East ◽

Original Description ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Northeastern China ◽

Anatomical Structure ◽

The Far East ◽

First Time ◽

A New Species ◽

Independent Species ◽

Lichen Flora

Ramalina sekika Asahina is reported for the first time from Russia from Sakhalin. It refers to the number of rare and poorly investigated species of the genus. Until now it was considered to be endemic to northeastern China. The original description and the location in the Far East are given, as well as the data on anatomical and morphological study of the Russian specimen. The differences in the anatomical structure of its thallus are discussed. A comparison of anatomical and morphological characters of R. sekika, R. pollinaria (Westr.) Ach. (European material), R. yasudae Räsänen has been made; the author considers them as independent species.

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Discovery of New Genera Challenges the Subtribal Classification of Tok-Tok Beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Sepidiini)

Insect Systematics and Diversity ◽

10.1093/isd/ixab006 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Olivia M Gearner ◽

Marcin J Kamiński ◽

Kojun Kanda ◽

Kali Swichtenberg ◽

Aaron D Smith

Keyword(s):

Dna Sequences ◽

Species Group ◽

Phylogenetic Placement ◽

Darkling Beetles ◽

Species Groups ◽

Taxonomic Groups ◽

Inference Methods ◽

A New Species ◽

Coleoptera Tenebrionidae

Abstract Sepidiini is a speciose tribe of desert-inhabiting darkling beetles, which contains a number of poorly defined taxonomic groups and is in need of revision at all taxonomic levels. In this study, two previously unrecognized lineages were discovered, based on morphological traits, among the extremely speciose genera Psammodes Kirby, 1819 (164 species and subspecies) and Ocnodes Fåhraeus, 1870 (144 species and subspecies), namely the Psammodes spinosus species-group and Ocnodes humeralis species-group. In order to test their phylogenetic placement, a phylogeny of the tribe was reconstructed based on analyses of DNA sequences from six nonoverlapping genetic loci (CAD, wg, COI JP, COI BC, COII, and 28S) using Bayesian and maximum likelihood inference methods. The aforementioned, morphologically defined, species-groups were recovered as distinct and well-supported lineages within Molurina + Phanerotomeina and are interpreted as independent genera, respectively, Tibiocnodes Gearner & Kamiński gen. nov. and Tuberocnodes Gearner & Kamiński gen. nov. A new species, Tuberocnodes synhimboides Gearner & Kamiński sp. nov., is also described. Furthermore, as the recovered phylogenetic placement of Tibiocnodes and Tuberocnodes undermines the monophyly of Molurina and Phanerotomeina, an analysis of the available diagnostic characters for those subtribes is also performed. As a consequence, Phanerotomeina is considered as a synonym of the newly redefined Molurina sens. nov. Finally, spectrograms of vibrations produced by substrate tapping of two Molurina species, Toktokkus vialis (Burchell, 1822) and T. synhimboides, are presented.

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Patiriella pseudoexigua (Asteroidea: Asterinidae): a cryptic species complex revealed by molecular and embryological analyses

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s002531540300835xh ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 83 (5) ◽

pp. 1109-1116 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Michael W. Hart ◽

Maria Byrne ◽

Sheri L. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Dna Sequences ◽

Original Description ◽

Sensu Stricto ◽

Genetic Distances ◽

New Combination ◽

Sea Stars ◽

Planktonic Larva ◽

Closely Related Species ◽

Planktonic Larvae ◽

Cryptic Species Complex

Cryptic lineages were identified within a morphologically uniform group of sea stars distributed from Australia to Japan. Among eight populations, all of which have been referred to Patiriella pseudoexigua, we found seven unique mitochondrial DNA sequences clustered into four distinct lineages. These four lineages formed a monophyletic group in which sister clades were separated by small genetic distances but could be differentiated from each other on the basis of reproductive differences. The four lineages thus appear to be separate but very closely related species. Examination of reproduction in several Queensland populations revealed that one population (Statue Bay) consisted of hermaphroditic intragonadal brooders with live-born offspring while other populations (Townsville, Bowen, Airlie Beach) consisted of dioecious free-spawners with a planktonic larva. The brooded larvae from central Queensland populations closely resembled brooded embryos and larvae of a Japanese lineage, while the planktonic larvae from northern Queensland were similar to the original description of planktonic larvae from a Taiwan population. However, each of the viviparous lineages was more closely related to a lineage with planktonic larval development than the viviparous lineages were to each other. Patiriella pseudoexigua thus comprises at least four species with different reproductive phenotypes in which viviparous brooding appears to have evolved in parallel. Based on previous taxonomic work we propose the following names for these four lineages: the dioecious free-spawner from northern Queensland (including the P. pseudoexigua type locality) is P. pseudoexiguasensu stricto; the viviparous brooder from central Queensland is undescribed and here referred to as Patiriella sp. nov; the dioecious free-spawner from Taiwan is temporarily referred to as Patiriella sp. (a senior name for this species may be P. pentagonus); and the hermaphrodite brooder from Japan should be raised to specific status and referred to by the new combination P. pacifica.

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The Leptobrachium (Anura: Megophryidae) of the Langbian Plateau, southern Vietnam, with description of a new species

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.2804.1.3 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2804 (1) ◽

pp. 25 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

BRYAN L. STUART ◽

JODI J. L. ROWLEY ◽

DAO THI ANH TRAN ◽

DUONG THI THUY LE ◽

HUY DUC HOANG

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Dna ◽

New Species ◽

Small Body ◽

Original Description ◽

The Other ◽

Sexually Active ◽

Small Body Size ◽

Upper Lip ◽

Southern Vietnam ◽

A New Species

We sampled two forms of Leptobrachium in syntopy at the type locality of L. pullum at upper elevations on the Langbian Plateau, southern Vietnam. The two forms differed in morphology (primarily in coloration), mitochondrial DNA, and male advertisement calls. One form closely agrees with the type series of L. pullum (but not to its original description due to error), and the other is described as new. Leptobrachium leucops sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by having small body size (males with SVL 38.8–45.2), the upper one-third to one-half of iris white, a blue scleral arc, a dark venter, and sexually active males without spines on the upper lip. Leptobrachium pullum and L. mouhoti, a recently described species from low-elevation slopes of the Langbian Plateau in eastern Cambodia, are morphologically divergent but genetically similar, warranting further investigation into geographic variation in the red-eyed Leptobrachium of southern Indochina.

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