Morphological characteristics of Kellicottia bostoniensis (Rousselet, 1908) (Rotifera: Brachionidae) in water bodies of the Middle Volga basin

The morphological characteristics of the North American invasive species Kellicottia bostoniensis Rousselet, 1908 were studied in 29 various types of water bodies and watercourses of the Middle Volga basin. The water bodies, which are the habitats of K. bostoniensis, are located on several territories that differ significantly in a set of characteristics, such as their geological structure, relief, climate, anthropogenic impact, hydrochemical and hydrophysical indicators, etc. The sizes of K. bostoniensis individuals in most of the studied water bodies and watercourses were measured and analyzed for the first time. A high positive correlation was found between the total body length and the posterior spine length (R2 = 0.79, p < 0.01), as well as the anterior spine length (R2 = 0.75, p < 0.01). A relationship was revealed between the lengths of the anterior and posterior spines (R2 = 0.58, p < 0.01). K. bostoniensis individuals in the studied water bodies and watercourses are characterized by large sizes, the median values of the total body length being 236–440 μm. These sizes are similar to those of individuals in the native habitats of North America and some biotopes of Europe and European Russia. Among the previously studied water bodies of Russia and other countries (Belarus, Sweden, Finland, Brazil, and Argentina), where researches of the morphological variability of K. bostoniensis were carried out, the largest body sizes were characteristic for the invader species of the Sura River. Larger K. bostoniensis specimens live in deep mesotrophic water bodies with high transparency, compared with representatives of this species in shallow eutrophic water bodies with less transparency in the Middle Volga basin. Our data on the morphological characteristics of the invading species of water bodies in the Middle Volga basin significantly expand the existing information on the morphological variability of K. bostoniensis individuals and their dependence on environmental factors.

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Pigmy moths (Lepidoptera, Nepticulidae) from the Middle Volga Basin

Entomological Review ◽

10.1134/s0013873813050072 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 93 (5) ◽

pp. 590-594

Author(s):

A. V. Mishchenko

Keyword(s):

Volga Basin ◽

Middle Volga Basin ◽

Middle Volga

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The parasitoid complex (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) of leafminer flies (Diptera, Agromyzidae) in the middle Volga Basin

Entomological Review ◽

10.1134/s0013873813070087 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 93 (7) ◽

pp. 865-873 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

I. S. Strakhova ◽

Z. A. Yefremova ◽

M. von Tschirnhaus ◽

E. N. Yegorenkova

Keyword(s):

Volga Basin ◽

Parasitoid Complex ◽

Middle Volga Basin ◽

Middle Volga

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Thelastoma gueyei sp. n. (Nematoda: Thelastomatidae) from the Senegal diplopod Archispirostreptus tumuliporus (Diplopoda: Spirostreptidae)

Nematology ◽

10.1163/156854106778877910 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 8 (5) ◽

pp. 739-747 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Božena Koubková ◽

Vlastimil Baruš ◽

Iveta Matějusová ◽

Iveta Hodová ◽

Petr Koubek

Keyword(s):

Ribosomal Rna ◽

Morphological Characteristics ◽

Total Body Length ◽

Small Subunit ◽

Species Group ◽

The Body ◽

Pharyngeal Bulb ◽

Genital Cone ◽

Tail Spike ◽

Total Body

Abstract Thelastoma gueyei sp. n., a nematode belonging to the long-tailed species group of the genusThelastoma, is described from the diplopodArchispirostreptus tumuliporus (Spirostreptidae) collected in Niokolo Koba National Park (Senegal, West Africa).Thelastoma gueyei sp. n. is morphologically most similar toT. gipetiti. Females are characterised by: the vulva being situated in the posterior half of the body and near to the anus (V′ = 75-86) with the anterior vulval lip developed into a prominent flap; excretory pore located at the level of the anterior end of the pharyngeal bulb; b′ = 28-38 and tail, expressed as a proportion of L′, = 1.7-2.7. Males have narrow cuticular alae extending from about the middle of the pharynx to the level of the anteriormost pair of copulatory papillae; four pairs of copulatory papillae, two large, subventral, pairs being located adcloacally on the genital cone, a third, much smaller pair on the posterior margin of the genital cone and the last pair being situated at the mid-point of the tail spike; and a tail occupying 10.8-13.2% of the total body length. The distal tip of the spicule is drop-shaped. Morphological characteristics were studied using scanning electron microscopy and a comparison of the long-tailed group of thelastomatids is provided. Nucleic acid sequence of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene was obtained for purposes of DNA barcoding.

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Ontogenetic structure and types of cenopopulation of Hedysarum grandiflorum Pall. in the Middle Volga basin

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Biological Series ◽

10.29235/1029-8940-2019-64-3-302-310 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 64 (3) ◽

pp. 302-310

Author(s):

V. N. Ilyina

Keyword(s):

Growth Conditions ◽

Volga Basin ◽

Limiting Factors ◽

Life Strategy ◽

Aging Index ◽

Current State ◽

Main Indicator ◽

Middle Volga Basin ◽

Ontogenetic Structure ◽

Middle Volga

. The need to study the current state of cenotic populations of rare plant species in nature is not in doubt for the conservation of floristic and phytocenotic diversity at the regional and world levels. The purpose of our study is to study the current state of the cenotic populations of Rare in the Middle Volga basin Hedysarum grandiflorum Pall. To characterize the ontogenetic structure of the cenopopulations, generally accepted demographic indicators were used: the recovery index (the ratio of growth to the generative fraction is calculated), the replacement index (the ratio of growth and the sum of generative and post-regenerative fractions), and the aging index (post-generative to the adult part of the cenotic populations). The population estimation was carried out by the criterion “delta-omega”.A relatively narrow range of ecological and phytocoenotic growth conditions is characteristic of the species, for the most part a patient type of life strategy. Among the limiting factors for the development of populations of environmental factors are their location at the border of the area, uncontrolled grazing in areas, excessive recreation of territories and steppe fires (natural origin and pala) in phytocenoses with the participation of a penny, career development of limestone and Cretaceous slopes, and construction debris, the appearance of dirt roads and the construction of various objects in the points of growth of the model species.The main ways of ontogenesis of the species are identified – normal, accelerated and delayed, breaks in the development of individuals, their rejuvenation and the manifestation of quasisenity were noted. The majority of H. grandiflorum develop at a normal and accelerated rate. The main indicator for determining the current state of populations and their loci is the ontogenetic structure. As an example, information on the ontogenetic composition of some cenopopulations of H. grandiflorum at the Chubovskaya Krasnaya Gorka (High Samara Zavolzhye, Russia) is given. Populations are characterized by the predominance of generative individuals. Of the registered cenopopulations, 11 is characterized as mature, 9 – transitional, 2 – ripening, 1 – young. Aggregation is characteristic of the spatial structure of H. grandiflorum.

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Lophyra flexuosa (Fabricius, 1787) (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) in desert countries: morphological variability in geographic aspect as potential beginning of speciation?

ARPHA Conference Abstracts ◽

10.3897/aca.2.e46569 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

Author(s):

Radomir Jaskuła ◽

Axel Schwerk ◽

Mateusz Płóciennik

Keyword(s):

Sexual Dimorphism ◽

Western Europe ◽

Morphological Variability ◽

Total Body Length ◽

Head Width ◽

Morphometric Traits ◽

Altitudinal Distribution ◽

Separate Species ◽

Body Sizes ◽

Total Body

Lophyra flexuosa is one of only several eurytopic tiger beetles species known from Palearctic realm. Its geographical distribution shows several populations that are spread from the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco, across some regions of south-western Europe and northern Africa to Israel and Syria. The species is characterized by long phenological activity, wide altitudinal distribution, and occurs in the highest number of habitats among all Cicindelidae known from Maghreb region. In the present study the geographical variation in morphology and sexual dimorphism in north African populations of L. flexuosa was studied. In total 52 samples with over 700 specimens were collected including 20 samples in Morocco and 32 in Tunisia. To test the variation in morphometric traits measurements of eight body parameters were taken from all males (383) and females (352) including right mandible length, length of head, width of head, length of pronotum, maximum pronotum width, length of elytra, maximum elytra width, and total body length. We discovered significant sexual dimorphism expressed by larger body size of females and longer mandibles in males, what can be explained by different roles of particular sexes in courtship. Moreover, we recorded significant differences in body sizes between western and eastern Maghreb populations which can suggest genetic isolation between these populations. As the species is related to habitats placed close to water reservoirs, which in the desert countries are under significant human pressure (including climate change), we expect an reduction of habitats occupied by this taxon. Therefore, the geographic morphological variability that we observe today in the tiger beetle Lophyra flexuosa may lead to speciation and creation of separate species in the future.

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