The second North American fossil horntail wood-wasp (Hymenoptera: Siricidae), from the early Eocene Green River Formation

Eoteredon lacoi gen. et sp. nov., is described from the early Eocene Green River Formation in Wyoming, the second fossil siricid genus and species described from North America. We propose Eoteredon as sister to the genus Teredon, whose sole species is one of the rarest of extant Siricidae. The majority of siricids today inhabit temperate Northern Hemisphere forests; Teredon cubensis, however, is one of its few species that live in megathermal tropical lowlands. The Eocene forest that Eoteredon inhabited had a mesothermal to megathermal climate. We place Eoteredon in the context of broad Cenozoic climate change.

About the specific status of Baiomys musculus and B. brunneus

The southern pygmy mouse, Baiomys musculus, is distributed in arid and semiarid lowlands, from southern Nayarit and central Veracruz in México to northwestern Nicaragua, excluding the Yucatán Peninsula and the Caribbean tropical lowlands. Previous reports suggest that B. musculus includes two clades that may be eligible for specific status, although this remains uncertain. We used mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome b) and morphometric data to test whether two lineages exist within the species. Molecular data support the existence of two monophyletic groups with genetic distances of 6.69 % between them: clade I, a western clade found in Colima, Jalisco, and Michoacán; and clade II, an eastern clade found in Guerrero, Morelos, Oaxaca, and Veracruz. Morphologically, clade I individuals are larger than clade II. Moreover, these clades seem to be allopatric, and their geographic boundaries are located in the complex topography of western México. Examination of previous reviews in addition to the data from this study suggest that it may be appropriate to recognize each clade as a species: clade I as B. musculus (Merriam, 1892) and clade II as B. brunneus (Allen and Chapman, 1897). Future studies with nuclear or genomic data, including Central American populations, would verify this taxonomic hypothesis.

Manilkara zapota (sapodilla).

M. zapota is an evergreen tree with a round dense crown, it is generally 5-20 m in height, although it may reach up to 40 m. It was originally distributed in Central America, Mexico and the West Indies, but is now widely cultivated to a greater or lesser extent in tropical lowlands world-wide.

Global tree-ring analysis reveals rapid decrease in tropical tree longevity with temperature

Forests are the largest terrestrial biomass pool, with over half of this biomass stored in the highly productive tropical lowland forests. The future evolution of forest biomass depends critically on the response of tree longevity and growth rates to future climate. We present an analysis of the variation in tree longevity and growth rate using tree-ring data of 3,343 populations and 438 tree species and assess how climate controls growth and tree longevity across world biomes. Tropical trees grow, on average, two times faster compared to trees from temperate and boreal biomes and live significantly shorter, on average (186 ± 138 y compared to 322 ± 201 y outside the tropics). At the global scale, growth rates and longevity covary strongly with temperature. Within the warm tropical lowlands, where broadleaf species dominate the vegetation, we find consistent decreases in tree longevity with increasing aridity, as well as a pronounced reduction in longevity above mean annual temperatures of 25.4 °C. These independent effects of temperature and water availability on tree longevity in the tropics are consistent with theoretical predictions of increases in evaporative demands at the leaf level under a warmer and drier climate and could explain observed increases in tree mortality in tropical forests, including the Amazon, and shifts in forest composition in western Africa. Our results suggest that conditions supporting only lower tree longevity in the tropical lowlands are likely to expand under future drier and especially warmer climates.

Spatial Distribution of Pollinating Butterflies in Yunnan Province, Southwest China with Resource Conservation Implications

Pollinating butterflies are an important asset to agriculture, which still depends on wild resources. Yunnan Province in Southwest China is a region with typical montane agriculture, but this resource is poorly investigated. From literature reference and specimen examination, the present study identified 554 species of pollinating butterflies (50.8% of the total butterflies) from Yunnan, with family Nymphalidae possessing the least number of pollinators (80 species, 16.0%), while the remaining four families are pollinator-rich (>73%). Tropical lowlands and mountain-valley areas possess higher species richness than those with plain terrains. The species richness of pollinating butterflies in Yunnan does not simply decline with the increase of latitude, nor is significantly different between West and East Yunnan. Zonation of pollinating butterflies using the parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE) identified nine distribution zones and ten subzones. Most areas of endemism (AOE) are found in lowlands or mountain-valley areas, complexity of terrains, climates, and vegetation types are believed to be the main causes of such endemicity. The potential pollinating service of these butterflies could be great to montane agriculture with expanding areas of cash crops and fruit horticulture. Conservation strategies for pollinating butterflies may consist of preserving habitats and establishing butterfly-friendly agriculture based on local traditions.

Two new species of Artocarpus (Moraceae) from Thailand and Vietnam

Recent taxonomic work on Artoarpus has revealed two undescribed species from Thailand and Vietnam. Artocarpus rubrosoccatus, endemic to peninsular Thailand, resembles A. lacucha but is distinguished by its deep red clavate staminate inflorescences. Artocarpus montanus is found in the montane regions of southern and central Vietnam, and perhaps also in Thailand. This species resembles the vegetative parts of A. lowii and A. excelsus, but A. montanus differs in its longer syncarp processes and its geographic distribution. The vast majority of Artocarpus species are found in tropical lowlands, and A. montanus, along with A. excelsus, represent the only known members of the genus that are restricted to montane habitats. The provisional conservation assessment of both new species is Near Threatened, because although their known areas of occupancy are restricted, both occur in protected areas.

Genome Resource of Two Potato Strains of Ralstonia solanacearum Biovar 2 (Phylotype IIB Sequevar 1) and Biovar 2T (Phylotype IIB Sequevar 25) Isolated from Lowlands in Iran

Ralstonia solanacearum, the causal agent of bacterial wilt and brown rot disease, is one of the major pathogens of solanaceous crops, including potato, around the globe. Biovar 2T (phylotype II/sequevar 25) of R. solanacearum is adapted to tropical lowlands and is only reported in South America and Iran. Thus far, no genome resource of the biovar 2T of the pathogen has been available. Here, we present the near-complete genome sequences of the biovar 2T strain CFBP 8697 as well as strain CFBP 8695 belonging to biovar 2 race 3, both isolated from potato in Iran. The genomic data of biovar 2T will extend our understanding of the virulence features of R. solanacearum and pave the way for research on biovar 2T functional and interaction genetics.

A checklist of the amphibians and reptiles of Sinaloa, Mexico with a conservation status summary and comparisons with neighboring states

Sinaloa possesses a rich biota with unique characteristics due to its proximity to the northern deserts, the tropical lowlands of the south, and the temperate environments of the western slopes of the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico. However, threats to its environment makes understanding the biological diversity of Sinaloa crucial. A checklist of the amphibians and reptiles has been generated, and the conservation status of Sinaloa’s herpetofauna summarized with the aim of understanding the potential conservation or management needs. Sinaloa has 159 species of amphibians and reptiles, including 39 species of amphibians and 120 species of reptiles. The herpetofauna of Sinaloa has relatively few species of conservation concern at a global and national scale (IUCN and SEMARNAT lists), but Environmental Vulnerability Scores suggest that there might be greater conservation concerns for the Sinaloa herpetofauna. Families of particular conservation concern include Craugastoridae, Eleutherodactylidae, Ambystomatidae, Crocodylidae, Dactyloidae, Eublepharidae, Helodermatidae, Iguanidae, Phrynosomatidae, Phyllodactylidae, Colubridae, Natricidae, Viperidae, Cheloniidae, and Dermochelyidae.