Rhapsody in emerald: phylogenetic framework for Lestidae with reference to the systematic position of Chalcolestes Kennedy

We reconstruct a phylogenetic framework for the zygopteran family Lestidae based on a molecular dataset comprised of sequence data from the genes COI, 16S, 18S, 28S, and ITS1+2 from 41 ingroup taxa and 8 outgroup taxa with emphasis on the systematic position of the genus Chalcolestes Kennedy. We recover Lestidae as monophyletic with good statistical support. The family falls into two subequal clades. One, comprising the genus Sympecma Burmeister and Lestes Leach sensu lato (including the genus Archi­lestes Selys) is poorly to moderately supported. While the other, comprising the genera Austrolestes Tillyard, Indolestes Fraser, Orolestes McLachlan, and Chalcolestes is strongly supported. Chalcolestes is recovered as sister to the Oriental genus Orolestes with strong support. Our results thus support that Chalcolestes is a valid genus not closely related to Lestes. Monophyly of Lestes requires inclusion of the New World genus Archilestes, and our results support the need for a thorough revision of Lestes.

A new Critically Endangered species of stone breaker (Phyllanthus, Phyllanthaceae) from Central Brazil, with notes on its leaf and stem anatomy

A new species from the state of Goiás, Brazil, Phyllanthus pterocaulis, is described and illustrated, with comments on its geographic distribution and environmental preferences, phenology, morphological relationships, and systematic position. It is morphologically allied with Phyllanthus avicularis, P. heliotropus, and P. hyssopifolioides, but differs from all of them by a set of characters related to cymules sex, presence and types of trichomes on leaves and stems, leaf consistency, numbers of sepals in flower of both sexes, integrity of stamens, capsules and seeds. Additionally, we provide images of the new species in the field, conservation status, mapped distribution, the anatomical description of its stem and leaves, and a key to differentiate it from the other similar species belonging to Phyllanthus sect. Loxopodium occurring in Brazil. The new species is one of the few in the genus that occurs in shaded environments in seasonal dry forests within the Cerrado biome.

Extant Genus in the Mesozoic: Paleoplatyura Meunier (Diptera: Keroplatidae) Found in the Cretaceous Amber of Myanmar

Three new species of Paleoplatyura Meunier, 1899, i.e., Paleoplatyura agnieszkae sp. nov., P. miae sp. nov., and P. magnifica sp. nov., are described and figured. The concept of the genus is briefly discussed, and its systematic position is clarified. A key to fossil species is provided. The genus Paleoplatyura is described from the Eocene Baltic amber. It is concluded that, in Baltic amber, this group is represented only by the type species, and the identity of the other two species is problematic. No additional specimens have been found so far in this amber. Therefore, the presence of as many as three new species in Burmese amber, certainly belonging to Paleoplatyura, is a confirmation of its occurrence already in the Mesozoic.

A new naidid oligochaete species (Annelida, Clitellata, Naididae) from Vietnam with asexual reproduction by fragmentation

A new oligochaete of the family Naididae, subfamily Naidinae, Bratislavia gusevi sp. n., was found in a forest stream in Vietnam. The worm is characterized by small size, asexual reproduction by fragmentation, and dorsal bundles of chaetae beginning from segment II. Each dorsal bundle bears one to two hairs and one to two simple-pointed or bifid, rarely trifid, needle chaetae. An additional distinctive feature of the worm is the presence of one to two enlarged simple-pointed needle chaetae in the bundles of segment IV. These chaetae are somewhat longer and markedly wider than the needles in the rest of the segments. The present paper provides an illustrated description of the discovered individuals and discusses the species’ systematic position, asexual reproduction and regeneration.

Epixylic component of bryoflora of the Polesye Region

The article gives a detailed description of the epixylic component of bryoflora of the Polesye Region on the terri-tory of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. According to the results of a long-term comprehensive study of the Polesye bryocomponent, 468 species of bryophytes from three divisions have been recorded to date: Anthocerotophyta, Bryophyta, Marchantiophyta. On rotting and decaying wood, 159 species were identified, including 52 species belonging to the division Marchantiophyta, 107 – Bryophyta. The most representative in terms of species diver-sity are the family of liverworts Scapaniaceae, Cephaloziaceae, Calypogeaceae, Aneuraceae and Lophocoleace-ae, mosses – Brachytheciaceae, Amblystegiaceae, Dicranaceae, Hypnaceae and Mniaceae. The distribution of bryophyte species depending on the degree of decomposition of wood is shown, the forms of growth of bryophytes are considered, and hydromorphs are analyzed. An annotated list of bryoepixyls of the Polesye Region has been compiled. The systematic position, main synonyms, growing conditions, distribution in regions, ecological features, and occurrence are indicated for each species.

Comparative Wood Anatomy in Pinaceae with Reference to Its Systematic Position

The wood anatomy of 132 species of the genera Abies, Cathaya, Cedrus, Keteleeria, Larix, Nothotsuga, Picea, Pinus, Pseudolarix, Pseudotsuga and Tsuga was studied to determine the elements that characterise the xylem of each genus and discuss possible groupings by wood anatomy for comparison with clades established by molecular phylogeny. The presence of resin canals and ray tracheids supports the family Pinaceae, although the absence of ray tracheids in Keteleeria and their occasional presence in Abies and Pseudolarix weakens it. Based on wood structure, Pinaceae clearly supports division into two groups, coinciding with molecular phylogeny: Pinoideae (Cathaya-Larix-Picea-Pinus-Pseudotsuga) and Abietoideae (Abies-Cedrus-Keteleeria-Nothotsuga-Pseudolarix-Tsuga). Although differences between genera are slight in Pinoideae, the Abietoideae group presents problems such as the presence of only axial resin canals in Keteleeria and Nothotsuga, absence of ray tracheids in Keteleeria and presence of traumatic radial resin canals in Cedrus. However, other features such as pitted horizontal walls and nodular end walls of ray parenchyma cells, indentures, scarce marginal axial parenchyma and presence of crystals in ray parenchyma strengthen the Abietoideae group.

New data on the flora of Centrophyceae (Bacillariophyta) in the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland (Russia)

This scanning electron microscopy study of phytoplankton from the Neva Bay and analysis of valve images from S.I. Genkal’s iconotheka have provided new data on centric diatoms of the Neva Bay. Representatives of the genera Aulacoseira scalaris and Stephanodiscus lacustris, new to the flora of the Bay, have been identified. The systematic position and distribution of 14 species and varieties of Centrophyceae from the genera Aulacoseira, Conticribra, Cyclostephanos, Ellerbeckia, Handmannia, Pantocsekiella, Stephanodiscus, Thalassiosira have been refined and specified. The species composition of the class Centrophyceae of the Neva Bay has been expanded. Now it includes 42 species and varieties from 17 genera.

The Study of Cicadas in the Conditions of the Fergana Valley of Uzbekistan

The article presents materials on the study of the cicadas Laodelphax striatellus Fall. and Muirodelphax aubei Perr.in the Fergana Valley, their morphological and biological characteristics, systematic position, distribution, harmfulness, food connections and peculiarities of their diagnosis. As I.D. Mityaev points out [1], the useful value of cicadas for humans is very insignificant. There is evidence that some peoples eat large singing cicadas, considering them medicinal, or keep cicadas in cages for the sake of their peculiar singing. It is proved that some species of cicadas, in places of their mass reproduction, play a significant role in the permeability of moisture and aeration of the soil, the underground work of their larvae. Larvae and imago of cicadas are a source of food for many animals and they play a certain role in biocenoses. Some species, due to their low abundance and low harmfulness, are not of great practical importance for humans. Most of the cicadas are pests of various agricultural plants [2, pp. 146-150]. As noted by D.A. Azimov, without deep knowledge of the fauna and development of the taxonomy of insects, as well as other groups of fauna and vegetation, it is impossible to solve further problems of protection and rational use of useful forms, as well as organization of plant protection [3, pp. 54-55]. Therefore, the study of cicadas and their diagnosis is not only theoretical, but also practical.

An overview of helminths of the European fire-bellied toad Bombina bombina (Amphi-bia, Anura) in the Volga River Basin

The helminthofauna of Bombina bombina (Linnaeus, 1761) has been studied to an unequal degree in different parts of the habitat. Thus, it has been studied in more detail in the west of its range (in the countries of central and eastern Europe) and in less detail in the center (in Belarus and Ukraine). There were few data on helminths of this host in the east of its range (in Russia). For the first time, an inventory of the helminthofauna in B. bombina was carried out for populations in the Volga River Basin. The results of our own research are presented and supplemented with information from other authors. We summarized scattered data on helminths from 390 specimens of amphibians collected over more than 40 years in the territory of five regions: Kaluga and Samara regions, the Republics of Mordovia, Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. The helminthofauna includes 21 species from three classes: Trematoda (15), Chromadorea (5) and Clitellata (1). For each species, we give the systematic position, localization, places of detection, geographical distribution and characteristics of the life cycle. The leech Helobdella stagnalis (Linnaeus, 1758) was first recorded in the European fire-bellied toad in Europe. Four species of trematodes are new to this amphibian species in Russia: Haematoloechus abbreviatus (Bychowsky, 1932), Paralepoderma cloacicola (Luhe, 1909), larvae, Tylodelphys excavata (Rudolphi, 1803), larvae and Astiotrema monticelli (Stossich, 1904), larvae. Another species of trematode – Strigea strigis (Schrank, 1788), larvae – was first recorded in this host within the boundaries of the Volga Basin. A specific parasite is the trematode Haematoloechus abbreviatus (Bychowsky, 1932). The number and composition of the species of helminths of the European fire-bellied toad vary in different regions; the structure of the helminth fauna is generally stable and includes three groups of species: adult and larval stages of trematodes, adult nematodes-geohelminths. The results of the study create a database for further population studies and contribute to the development of ideas about the distribution and formation of the amphibian helminth fauna in Europe, Russia and the Volga Basin.

SYSTEMATIC POSITION AND VULNERABILITY OF SABANEJEWIA BALCANICA IN THE BALKAN AREA

UDK: 597.551.2(497) Sabanejewia balcanica is a fish species that belongs to Cobitidae family and it is the endemic of the Balkan Peninsula. It is present in the tributaries of the Danube and Aegean waters. Systematics of this species has experienced certain changes that are related to the systemic instability of the entire Cobitidae family, so there has been a change in the name of the genus of this species. The genus Sabanejewia was separated from the genus Cobitis in the last century, but this name was generally used much later. According to data of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, this species is still not endangered, but is assigned a status of least concern (LC). Sabanejewia balcanica is in the Annex II of the Habitats Directive and Annex III of the Bern Convention which basically require the protection of this species and its habitats. In the proposal to create a red list of fauna of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has been concluded that there is not enough information on the population characteristics of this species. The aim of this article is to present data on exploration of Sabanejewia balcanica in the Balkan area as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, thereby contributing to the determination of its status of vulnerability and protection of its natural habitats.