Description of a new flower fly species of the Copestylum vagum group (Diptera: Syrphidae) from pristine Amazonian rainforests of Colombia and Suriname

The adult stage of a new flower fly species, Copestylum enriquei sp. nov. (Diptera: Syrphidae) is described based on a single male collected in pristine rainforest in the Amazonian region of Colombia (type-locality: Florencia, Caquetá) and two females from a conserved forest in Suriname (Para and Brokopondo). Copestylum enriquei sp. nov. belongs to the C. vagum species group and is similar in appearance to Copestylum vagum (Wiedemann), C. musicanum (Curran), C. tenorium Ricarte & Rotheray, and C. chapadensis (Curran) from which it differs by the gena and face separated by a very broad brown vitta; scutum orange except for the wide medial vitta, which is dark and metallic, ending before the prescutellar region, with the apical margin M-shaped; tibiae dark-brown, except yellow on basal 1/4. The male genitalia of C. enriquei sp. nov. are unique and striking among the C. vagum species group, characterized by the epandrium and cercus black, contrasting with the colour of hypandrium and surstylus, which are orange; epandrium with a dorsal extension, a novel character among this species group, in addition to the L-shaped surstylus, with two pairs of rounded ridges in the dorsal edge, similar to a small deer antler in velvet. Images of type material, including photographs of male genitalia are provided. A comparison of the diagnostic characters is provided as well as modifications to the previous keys to distinguish C. enriquei sp. nov. from the other species of the C. vagum group. The species Copestylum araceorum Ricarte & Rotheray and C. tenorium Ricarte & Rotheray are recorded for the first time in the Amazonian rainforest in Colombia.

Benzimidazole and Aminoalcohol Derivatives Show in Vitro Anthelmintic Activity Against Trichuris Muris and Heligmosomoides Polygyrus

Background: Infections by gastrointestinal nematodes cause significant economic losses and disease in both human and animals worldwide. The discovery of novel anthelmintic drugs is a crucial point in maintaining control of these parasitic infections.Methods: For this purpose, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential anthelmintic activity of three series of compounds against the gastrointestinal nematodes Trichuris muris and Heligmosomoides polygyrusin vitro. The compounds tested are derivatives of benzimidazole, lipidic aminoalcohols and diamines. A primary screening was performed to select those compounds with an ability to inhibit T. muris L1 motility by more than 90% at a single concentration of 100 µM, and then, their respective IC50s were calculated. Those compounds with IC50 lower than 10 µM were also tested against the adult stage of T. muris and H. polygyrus at a single concentration of 10µM.Results: Of the 41 initial compounds screened, only compounds AO14, BZ6 and BZ12 had IC50s lower than 10 µM on T. muris L1 assay, showing IC50 values of 3.30, 8.89 and 4.17 µM, respectively. However, only two of them displayed activity against the adult stage of the parasites: BZ12 killed 81% of adults of T. muris (IC50 of 8.1 µM) and 53% of H. polygyrus while BZ6 killed 100% of H. polygyrus adults (IC50 of 5.3 µM) but only 17% of T. muris. Conclusions: BZ6 and BZ12 could be considered as potential candidates for further in vivo efficacy testing.

Valorisation of the Effects of Bioactive Compounds of the Ethanolic Extract of Ramalina Farinacea (Ramalinaceae) on the Development, Eating and Pupation Behavior of Drosophila Melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Plants are rich in bioactive chemical secondary metabolites and have proven insecticidal activity by killing or repelling insects. In this work, we aim to evaluate the direct and delayed effects of ethanolic plant extracts on the vinegar fly (Drosophila melanogaster). The treatment was performed by ingestion on second instar larvae (L2) to evaluate the impact of the ethanolic extract on development for 15 days and subsequently on the feeding behavior of the larvae. The results of this study indicate a slowing down of pupal growth until the adult stage, at the three concentrations (0.25 µg/ml, 0.5 µg/ml, 1.5 µg/ml, 2 µg/ml) used. The results also showed that after three days of treatment, third instar D. melanogster larvae lost the ability to detect the odors of their nutrient environments. Other numbers of larvae (34 %) do not make a choice in the different tests performed. This study indicates that the ethanolic extract of Ramalina farinacea has a neurotoxic property our results confirmed the presence of toxic secondary metabolites which have bioinsecticidal activities in this extract.

Helminth fauna of Scomberomorus sierra (Actinopterygii: Scombridae) in southeastern Gulf of California, Mexico

Summary From January to May 2015, a sample of 50 individuals of the Pacific sierra Scomberomorus sierra Jordan and Starks, 1895 captured off Mazatlán (southeastern Gulf of California, Mexico) were reviewed for helminths. A total of 6, 255 parasitic worms belonging to 11 species (9 in adult stage and 2 larvae) were obtained. Trematoda was the best represented group with 6 species of Didymozoidae Monticelli, 1888 and 1 of Bucephalidae Poche, 1907. In addition, 2 monogenean species and 2 of Nematoda were collected. In this study, the first molecular sequences for didymozoid species in Mexico were generated, and for Glomeritrema sp. at worldwide level. The most prevalent species were Didymocylindrus sp. (92 %) and Didymocystis scomberomori (MacCallum & MacCallum, 1916) (88 %), whereas the monogenean Thoracocotyle crocea MacCallum, 1913 reached the highest value of mean intensity (75.2). The coincidence between the helminthological composition established in our study and that reported for the same scombrid in 4 localities from the Mexican South Pacific (sharing 10 species) suggests that this group of species persistently parasitize S. sierra throughout its distribution along the Mexican Pacific coast; furthermore, due to the richness of didymozoids and the affinity of Thoracocotylidae species for S. sierra, both groups can be considered typical parasites of this fi sh.

Bionomy of Mosquitoes in Bamboo Internodes in an Atlantic Forest Remnant of the State of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

ABSTRACT Living bamboo stalks are one of the most specialized habitats for mosquito oviposition and immature development. Most of the mosquito species that breed in these habitats are sylvatic, and some are of importance for public health as possible vectors of pathogens. Perforated internodes are a very specialized environment due to the difficulty of access. Furthermore, due to their relatively simple fauna, they represent a valuable model for ecological studies that may be applicable to more complex environments. This study aims to assess the mosquito bionomics of species raised in bamboo internodes. Therefore, the diversity of mosquito species and the influence of abiotic variables (pH and temperature) on the distribution of mosquitoes that breed in this habitat were analyzed. The study area is a fragment of Atlantic Forest within the Association of da Armada (ATA) in Nova Iguaçu, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Immature mosquitoes were sampled with suction tubes (mouth aspirators) between August 2017 and July 2018. A total of 3,170 larvae were collected in 5 bamboo plants, each with 8 stalks perforated. Of these, 688 larvae reached the adult stage, representing 10 genera and 19 species. The most common species were Culex neglectus (43%), Trichoprosopon digitatum (22%), Culex iridescens (8%), Sabethes identicus (7%), and Orthopodomyia albicosta (7%). The richness of the immatures collected in the ATA was 19 species, with a diversity of 1.10 and Shannon evenness of 0.57. A diverse composition of Culicidae in bamboo stalks was found, although dominance was low.

Predation Pressure of Invasive Marsh Frogs: A Threat to Native Amphibians?

Anurans have been introduced in many parts of the world and have often become invasive over large geographic areas. Although predation is involved in the declines of invaded amphibian populations, there is a lack of quantitative assessments evaluating the potential risk posed to native species. This is particularly true for Pelophylax water frogs, which have invaded large parts of western Europe, but no studies to date have examined their predation on other amphibians in their invaded range. Predation of native amphibians by marsh frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus) was assessed by stomach flushing once a month over four months in 21 ponds in southern France. Nine percent of stomachs contained amphibians. Seasonality was a major determinant of amphibian consumption. This effect was mediated by body size, with the largest invaders ingesting bigger natives, such as tree frogs. These results show that invasive marsh frogs represent a threat through their ability to forage on natives, particularly at the adult stage. The results also indicate that large numbers of native amphibians are predated. More broadly, the fact that predation was site- and time-specific highlights the need for repeated samplings across habitats and key periods for a clear understanding of the impact of invaders.

Hox genes regulate asexual reproductive behavior and tissue segmentation in adult animals

Hox genes are highly conserved transcription factors renowned for their roles in the segmental patterning of the embryonic anterior-posterior (A/P) axis. We report functions for Hox genes in A/P tissue segmentation and transverse fission behavior underlying asexual reproduction in adult planarian flatworms, Schmidtea mediterranea. Silencing of each of the Hox family members identifies 5 Hox genes required for asexual reproduction. Among these, silencing of hox3 genes results in supernumerary fission segments, while silencing of post2b eliminates segmentation altogether. The opposing roles of hox3 and post2b in segmentation are paralleled in their respective regulation of fission behavior. Silencing of hox3 increases the frequency of fission behavior initiation while silencing of post2b eliminates fission behavior entirely. Furthermore, we identify a network of downstream effector genes mediating Hox gene functions, providing insight into their respective mechanisms of action. In particular, we resolve roles for post2b and effector genes in the functions of the marginal adhesive organ in fission behavior regulation. Collectively, our study establishes adult stage roles for Hox genes in the regulation of tissue segmentation and behavior associated with asexual reproduction.

Proteomic Analysis of Glutathione Transferases from Lucilia Cuprina

<p>The glutathione transferases are a family of multifunctional enzymes involved in detoxification of xenobiotic and endogenous electrophilic compounds. Interest in insect GSTs has primarily focused on their role in insecticide resistance. The sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina is a major economic problem for the sheep meat and wool industries in Australasia and hence this thesis has attempted the study of the Lucilia cuprina GST family, using proteomics, with a view to eventually determining their role in insecticide resistance. Combinations of different affinity matrices (glutathione-Sepharose matrix (GSH) followed by dinitrophenyl-glutathione-Sepharose matrix (DNP-GSH)) and two-dimensional electrophoresis has successfully isolated members from major four insect GST classes: Sigma, Delta, Epsilon and Omega. Drosophila melanogaster has been used as a model insect throughout as a basis for comparison. To characterise Lucilia GSTs, the whole metazoan fragmentation database was used for sequence alignment with Lucilia peptides. This approach is broad and speculative but predicts a possible classification of the GSTs based on % similarity and % identity. This method of characterisation yielded match scores that provided a basis for classification, which must at present be regarded as tentative and in need of confirmation. In D. melanogaster and L. cuprina, GSH affinity-purified extracts showed the presence of only Sigma and Delta GSTs. In D. melanogaster, the DNP-GSH affinity-purified GSTs showed mostly the presence of Epsilon and Omega GSTs whereas in L. cuprina no Omega GSTs were detected. In both species, the migration pattern of Delta GST on 2D PAGE gel indicated possible post-translational modification. The results from analysis of LC-MS/MS data by the software PEAKS suggested deamidation at asparagine and glutamine residues in a limited number of the matched peptides of Delta GST. GST activity was present in all developmental stages of L. cuprina. The number of isoenzymes and their extent of expression vary as the insect develops. Delta GSTs were present in all developmental stages. The Sigma GST started expressing from the larval stage and was abundantly present in adult stage. The DNP-GSH affinity matrix purified GSTs which have been tentatively classified as Mu-like GSTs were present in egg, larvae and pupae but totally absent in adult stage. The GST families were characterised by proteomics in the main body sections of L. cuprina. Higher GST activity towards 1-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) was found in the thorax (65.2 %) followed by the abdomen (19.6%) and the head (15.2%). The cytosolic GSTs of a resistant strain (PY81) of L. cuprina had significantly higher (2.26- and 2.6- fold) activity than the susceptible strains (NSW and CSIRO) towards CDNB and 2, 3-dichloro, 4-nitrobenzene (DCNB) respectively. The proteomic analysis of DNP-GSH purified extract from susceptible and resistant strains showed quantitatively higher expression of GSTs on 2D PAGE gel of the PY81 strain. The in vitro interaction of purified GSTs and model insecticides studied by high performance liquid chromatography revealed that Delta and DNP-GSH affinity-purified GSTs catalyse the conjugation of the insecticides to reduced glutathione but Sigma GST had almost no activity.</p>