Contribution to the knowledge of Chinese Gryllacrididae (Orthoptera) IV: New additions of Chinese Furcilarnaca Gorochov, 2004

Based on the specimens from Guangxi and Yunnan deposited in the Guangxi Normal University, the paper is firstly reported the female sex of two known species from China, viz. Furcilarnaca armata (Bey-Bienko, 1957) and Furcilarnaca forceps (Bey-Bienko, 1962). The female of Furcilarnaca armata (Bey-Bienko, 1957) is very similar to Furcilarnaca chiangdao in seventh abdominal tergite and subgenital plate, and they may belong to the same species. After examining the female subgenital plate of Furcilarnaca chirurga (Bey-Bienko, 1962), we treat Furcilarnaca hirta as a valid species. Mitochondrial genomes of six specimens of three Furcilarnaca species were sequenced and annotated in this study. The organization and gene content of new sequenced mitogenomes were conserved, except for significant variation of the control region. All the PCGs started with the typical ATN codons and most ended with complete TAA or TAG codons. Combined with five mitogenomes in NCBI, a total of twelve specimens (including one outgroup) were used in phylogenetic analysis based on 13 PCGs. The result revealed that Furcilarnaca was a monophyletic group. These data will provide more meaningful genetic information and validate the phylogenetic relationships within the Gryllacrididae.

Authentication and identification markers for medicinal plants: I Aristolochia bracteolata

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Aristolochiaceae is a unique plant family that contains aristolochic acids (AAs), with around 600 species.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> The entire chloroplast genome of <em>Aristolochia bracteolata</em> was sequenced in this work, and fourteen chloroplast (cp) genomes were retrieved from the NCBI database. </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> We also analyzed six types of microsatellite markers among these species and found some different markers for each species. A molecular phylogeny based on 7 barcode regions i.e. <em>matK,</em> <em>atpF</em> to <em>atpH</em>, <em>psbK</em> to <em>psbI</em>, <em>rbcL, rpoB, rpoC2</em> and <em>rpoC1</em> is proposed for <em>Aristolochia </em>and 16 species from Piperales, <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em> is taken as an outgroup. Phylogenetic relationships using concatenated protein-coding genes from Chloroplast genomes of Piperales using the maximum likelihood method is also discussed.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> In the present study we are providing some unique markers<strong> </strong>and phylogenetic relationships among Piperales members which will help in identification, authentication, to prevent adulteration and further investigation of these medicinal plants.</p>

Rediscovery of Laura’s glassfrog Nymphargus laurae (Anura: Centrolenidae) with new data on its morphology, colouration, phylogenetic position and conservation in Ecuador

We report the rediscovery of Laura’s Glassfrog, Nymphargus laurae Cisneros-Heredia & McDiarmid, 2007, based on two specimens collected at the Colonso-Chalupas Biological Reserve, province of Napo, Ecuador. The species was described and known from a single male specimen collected in 1955 at Loreto, north-eastern Andean foothills of Ecuador. Limited information was available about the colouration, systematics, ecology, and biogeography of N. laurae. We provide new data on the external morphology, colouration, distribution and comment on its conservation status and extinction risk. We discuss the phylogenetic relationships of N. laurae, which forms a clade together with N. siren and N. humboldti. The importance of research in unexplored areas must be a national priority to document the biodiversity associated, especially in protected areas.

New records and range extensions to the Costa Rican freshwater fish fauna, with an updated checklist

The knowledge of the Costa Rican freshwater fish fauna continues to grow given the discovery of new taxa, the recognition of taxa resurrected from synonymy and the corroboration of new country records and new range extensions. Moreover, recent advances in the understanding of the phylogenetic relationships and status of many supraspecific groups have led to numerous taxonomic and nomenclatural changes. Given this, the purpose of this paper is to update the known composition, distribution and clasification of the Costa Rican freshwater fish fauna taking as reference the most recent list for the country published by Angulo et al. (2013). A total of 23 new country records (i.e., species; distributed in 17 families and 21 genera), 33 new range extensions (distributed in 20 families and 30 genera) and several nomenclatural changes are reported, illustrated and discussed here. An updated and annotated checklist of the freshwater fishes of the country (including data for a total of 283 species, 13 of which are exotic, distributed in two classes, 27 orders, 55 families and 136 genera) is also provided.