A new species of sucking louse (Psocodea: Phthiraptera: Anoplura: Hoplopleuridae) from the pale field rat, Rattus tunneyi (Rodentia: Muridae), in Australia

We describe and illustrate a new species of sucking louse, Hoplopleura tunneya new species, from the Australian pale field rat, Rattus tunneyi Thomas (Rodentia: Muridae). Currently, 22 species of the genus Hoplopleura Enderlein, 1904 (Phthiraptera: Anoplura: Hoplopleuridae) are known from Australian endemic rodents. Among the seven “new endemic” rodent species of the genus Rattus in Australia, R. tunneyi is one of five hosts to Hoplopleura lice. In addition, we give a list of all the species of Hoplopleura known from Australian endemic rodents. Including the introduced species Polyplax spinulosa, the total number of sucking louse species known from Australian endemic rodents is now 24.

Diversity of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the University of Kerala Campus, Thiruvananthapuram, India

Survey conducted on the ant diversity in the Kerala University Campus revealed a total 64 species under six subfamilies. Species belonging to the Myrmicinae dominated (51.5%) followed by Formicinae (20.6%), Ponerinae (13.2%), Dolichoderinae (4.4%), Pseudomyrmicinae (4.4%) and Dorylinae (1.5%). Endemic species Camponotus invidus Forel, 1892 , Cardiocondyla parvinoda Forel, 1902, Carebara spinata Bharti & Kumar, 2013 and Tetramorium rossi (Bolton, 1976) were recorded in the campus. Anoplolepis gracilipes (Smith, 1857), Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille, 1802), Monomorium carbonarium Smith 1858, Solenopsis geminate (Fabricius, 1804), Strumigenys membranifera Emery, 1869, Tetramorium bicarinatum (Nylander, 1846) and Hypoponera ragusai (Emery, 1894) (introduced species) were found in the campus. The results showed that the campus is rich in ant diversity. The sites with human interference showed less diversity. A potential new species in the genus Lepisiota was recorded. Trichomyrmex abberans, Carebara spinata, Crematogaster anthracina, Crematogaster biroi and Nylanderia indica are new records.

LIST OF LAND SNAILS IN JAVA AND SEVERAL ADJACENT ISLANDS

The malacofauna of Java has been most studied among the Indonesian islands, but the list of land snails in the area remains outdated. This study presents an updated check list of land snails in Java and its adjacent islands. This list is a compilation data from field work in Java conducted in 2013-2016, records from various museums in Europe and Indonesia, collections from private collectors, data from citizen sciences, and literatures. In total, 263 land snail species were recorded in Java and its adjacent islands. The number comprises of 36 families i.e. Subclass Neritimorpha (2 families), Caenogastropoda (6 families), and Heterobranchia (28 families). About 40% are species endemic to Java and among them have restricted distribution to certain areas. In addition, 5% or 13 introduced species were recorded in Java.

Environmental DNA biomonitoring revealed species diversity of Cnidarian and Poriferan across Jakarta Bay and Seribu Islands National Park

Indonesia, as a country having a unique sea lane known as the Indonesian Archipelagic Sea Lanes (ASLs), has become one of the busiest countries in the world with varied shipping activities. These actions have the ability to facilitate the transmission of species (bio-invasion). Until recently, the number of global introduced species has increased, with negative consequences for environment and the economy. Environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches for detecting the presence of invasive species are currently receiving a lot of interest as a broad approach method in ecological research. As a result, the study used the eDNA technique to compare the quantity and variety of introduced species from the Cnidaria and Porifera Phyla, as well as to characterize their invasiveness status and possible presence in the waters of Jakarta Bay. Based on data from the inside Zone of National Park (ZI) and Outside Zone of National Park (ZO), the biological community composition, richness, and diversity were assessed (ZO). The mBrave workflow generated a total of 14,275 reads from high-throughput sequencing of amplicons from two zones, with 8,917 reads in ZI and 5,358 reads in ZO. Blackfordia virginica , Cordylophora caspia , and Ectopleura crocea were among the imported species included in the invasive category, with E. crocea having the highest abundance and being detected in both zones, with a total of 1300 reads, consisting of 1253 reads in ZI and 47 reads in ZO. Based on the findings, the eDNA methodology can be used as a biomonitoring and conservation method for invasive species.

Cornu aspersum (Gastropoda: Helicidae) in Western Ukraine with an overview of introduced species of land molluscs from this area

The first findings of Cornu aspersum in the Lviv region are described, including the shell size and shell colouration variability. A review of the known records of C. aspersum in different regions of Ukraine, from the second half of the 19th century to the present day, is also presented. The most probable ways of penetration and the possibility of further acclimatization of this species in Western Ukraine are discussed. The chronology of the records of introduced species of land molluscs in Western Ukraine is described in tabular form, which, to a large extent, should reflect the chronology of their penetration into this area. It is noted that the majority of alien species began to be found in Western Ukraine only at the end of the 20th or the beginning of the 21st century. Simultaneously several species appeared here, previously known only for the south of the country.

Realised Niche Shifts, Rapid Evolution and Phenotypic Plasticity in Introduced Plants

<p>Recent biological invasions provide a unique opportunity to examine how species may adapt to novel conditions over relatively short time frames. Introduced species may respond to novel environmental conditions in the new range via rapid evolution, phenotypic plasticity, or the rapid evolution of phenotypic plasticity. However, the prevalence of these different mechanisms in introduced species remains unclear. In this thesis, I explore how introduced plant species may adjust their phenotype when introduced to a new range. First, I tested for evidence of phenotypic change through time in key morphological traits (plant height, leaf area, leaf shape, and leaf mass per unit area), using historic herbarium records for 34 plants introduced to Australia and New Zealand. Thirty-two out of 94 trait-species combinations showed evidence for change through time. The rate and direction of trait change was variable across species and the local climate. One possibility is that species introduced to a new range exhibit different trait responses depending on the relative difference in environment between the native and introduced range. To investigate this, I quantified climatic niche shifts in introduced species relative to their native range. I then predicted trait change through time from the magnitude and direction of climate niche shift in a meta-regression. This is the first study to simultaneously assess trait change in multiple introduced species in relation to a shift in their realised niche. Overall, climate niche shifts did not predict trait change through time, suggesting that climate may not be the predominant driver of trait change in plants introduced to Australia and New Zealand. Alternatively, the combined uncertainty and the mismatch in spatial scales that may arise when combining these two methods could mask any underlying patterns in plant trait responses to the new environment. It has been hypothesised that introduced species may respond to a sudden change in environment, by rapidly selecting for an increase in phenotypic plasticity. I tested for a difference in phenotypic plasticity between the native and introduced ranges of a beach daisy, Arctotheca populifolia. Contrary to my expectations, A. populifolia has shown a loss of phenotypic plasticity in as little as 80 years since its introduction to Australia. When using a meta-analysis to test for an overall difference in plasticity across multiple traits, I found that the current practice of calculating an effect size of an effect size (Hedges’ d) can lead to misleading results. I demonstrate how this issue arises when calculating a difference in Hedges’ d between two populations with different standard deviations. I propose an alternative way to calculate Hedges’ d to give a more accurate reflection of the difference in plasticity between ranges. Finally, I combine different lines of evidence from the previous chapters in a case study to explore how A. populifolia has changed since its introduction to Australia, and examine any discrepancies between the results. A glasshouse experiment revealed distinct trait differences between native and introduced populations of A. populifolia, which were not reflected in trait change through time inferred from herbarium specimens. Additionally, measured trait differences between ranges in the glasshouse experiment better reflected a niche shift into wetter climate, than the predicted trait change through time from herbarium specimens. This suggests that trait differences determined in glasshouse or common garden experiments, may be a more suitable approach to assess trait change in relation to a realised niche shift than using herbarium specimens.</p>

Realised Niche Shifts, Rapid Evolution and Phenotypic Plasticity in Introduced Plants

<p>Recent biological invasions provide a unique opportunity to examine how species may adapt to novel conditions over relatively short time frames. Introduced species may respond to novel environmental conditions in the new range via rapid evolution, phenotypic plasticity, or the rapid evolution of phenotypic plasticity. However, the prevalence of these different mechanisms in introduced species remains unclear. In this thesis, I explore how introduced plant species may adjust their phenotype when introduced to a new range. First, I tested for evidence of phenotypic change through time in key morphological traits (plant height, leaf area, leaf shape, and leaf mass per unit area), using historic herbarium records for 34 plants introduced to Australia and New Zealand. Thirty-two out of 94 trait-species combinations showed evidence for change through time. The rate and direction of trait change was variable across species and the local climate. One possibility is that species introduced to a new range exhibit different trait responses depending on the relative difference in environment between the native and introduced range. To investigate this, I quantified climatic niche shifts in introduced species relative to their native range. I then predicted trait change through time from the magnitude and direction of climate niche shift in a meta-regression. This is the first study to simultaneously assess trait change in multiple introduced species in relation to a shift in their realised niche. Overall, climate niche shifts did not predict trait change through time, suggesting that climate may not be the predominant driver of trait change in plants introduced to Australia and New Zealand. Alternatively, the combined uncertainty and the mismatch in spatial scales that may arise when combining these two methods could mask any underlying patterns in plant trait responses to the new environment. It has been hypothesised that introduced species may respond to a sudden change in environment, by rapidly selecting for an increase in phenotypic plasticity. I tested for a difference in phenotypic plasticity between the native and introduced ranges of a beach daisy, Arctotheca populifolia. Contrary to my expectations, A. populifolia has shown a loss of phenotypic plasticity in as little as 80 years since its introduction to Australia. When using a meta-analysis to test for an overall difference in plasticity across multiple traits, I found that the current practice of calculating an effect size of an effect size (Hedges’ d) can lead to misleading results. I demonstrate how this issue arises when calculating a difference in Hedges’ d between two populations with different standard deviations. I propose an alternative way to calculate Hedges’ d to give a more accurate reflection of the difference in plasticity between ranges. Finally, I combine different lines of evidence from the previous chapters in a case study to explore how A. populifolia has changed since its introduction to Australia, and examine any discrepancies between the results. A glasshouse experiment revealed distinct trait differences between native and introduced populations of A. populifolia, which were not reflected in trait change through time inferred from herbarium specimens. Additionally, measured trait differences between ranges in the glasshouse experiment better reflected a niche shift into wetter climate, than the predicted trait change through time from herbarium specimens. This suggests that trait differences determined in glasshouse or common garden experiments, may be a more suitable approach to assess trait change in relation to a realised niche shift than using herbarium specimens.</p>

Population dynamics and pathogens of the invasive yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) in Arnhem Land, Australia

<p>Though many populations of introduced species have been observed to collapse, the reasons behind these declines are seldom investigated. Anoplolepis gracilipes is considered among one of the top six most economically and ecologically damaging invasive ant species in the world. However, introduced populations of A. gracilipes have been observed to decline. My overall aims in this thesis were to document A. gracilipes population declines, to investigate the possibility that pathogens were playing a role in the observed population declines, and to identify putative pathogens infecting A. gracilipes as potential candidates for biocontrol agents. I documented the observed A. gracilipes population declines that were the driving force for this project. I detailed large-scale reductions in the spatial extent of four populations with before and after survey data. I also presented data on three populations that were recorded as present, but disappeared before they could be spatially delimited. I speculated on the possible reasons for these declines and explained why I do not think other explanations are likely. I then investigated the hypothesis that a pathogen or parasite is affecting A. gracilipes queens in declining Arnhem Land populations. I did this in three ways: 1) based on preliminary findings, I looked at the effect of an artificial fungal infection on A. gracilipes reproduction. I compared reproductive output between control colonies and those treated with either a fungal entomopathogen (Metarhizium anisopliae) or fungicidal antibiotics. There was no correlation between either treatment and the number of eggs, larvae, pupae or males a colony produced after 70 days. I found queen number had no effect on colony reproductive output, suggesting that queens are able to adjust their egg-laying rate in the presence of other queens. I found no evidence that M. anisopliae affected reproductive output at the tested concentrations; 2) I explored the hypothesis that a pathogen that kills or affects the reproductive output of A. gracilipes queens is the mechanism or reason behind the population declines. I measured queen number per nest, egg-laying rate, fecundity and fat content and compared them between sites in different stages of decline or expansion (population types, consisting of low, medium and high-density populations). I discovered that 23% of queens had melanized nodules, a cellular immune response in insects, in their ovaries or fat bodies. The presence of nodules was correlated with a 22% decrease in the number of oocytes per ovary; however, nodule presence was not associated with population type, suggesting that though there are clearly pathogens or parasites capable of penetrating the cuticle of A. gracilipes, they are unlikely to be responsible for the observed population declines; 3) I compared microbial communities (bacteria and viruses) between queens from different population types. I found viral sequences that match to the Dicistroviridae family of viruses in low and medium-density populations. I found no differences in bacterial community structure between population types. The presence of sequences similar to the entomopathogens Rhabdochlamydia and Serratia marcescens, as well as the reproductive parasite Cardinium in A. gracilipes, deserves further investigation. Though introduced species’ populations have been observed to decline, this is one of the first studies to quantitatively examine, document, and investigate a mechanism behind such a decline. Understanding the mechanisms by which an invader declines may have important implications for invasive ant management worldwide.</p>