Crickets of the subfamily Itarinae Shiraki, 1930 (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) from China with description of a new species and distribution and critical notes on other species

The Itarinae includes two genera and 60 species world-wide. Ten species are recorded from China. All Chinese species were reviewed in this study. Females of the most species were described and illustrated. Keys based on characters of male and female for Chinese species were provided respectively. As well as, a new species and revised species distribution of Itara Walker, 1869 were reported. Two types of coloration (dark and light colors) of Parapentacentrus fuscus Gorochov, 1988 were discovered and taxonomic problem of the genus Parapentacentrus Shiraki, 1930 were discussed.

Conceptualizing Computer Simulations in Philosophy of Science

In the modern Russian philosophy, discussions about the phenomenon of computer simulations in the scientific research practice of conducting experiments are just beginning to pass the stage of initiation in small interdisciplinary groups studying this new direction for the philosophy of science. At the same time, in Western philosophy by the current moment there have been formed entire directions for the study of computer simulations. Different groups of researchers in different ways form ideas about the basic characteristics of simulations: from skeptical views on their nature, which are of no philosophical interest, to extremely revolutionary attitudes that assign simulations to the main role in the next expected turn of philosophy, comparable in its power to the linguistic turn in early XX century. One of the main controversial issues in Western philosophical thought was the search for relevant criteria and signs of simulations that could create a solid basis for formulating a rigorous definition of this phenomenon. Thus, through the definition, researchers first of all try, on the one hand, to solve the taxonomic problem of the correlation and interconnection of simulations with other types of experiment: natural, laboratory, mental, mathematical. On the other hand, to reveal for philosophy ontological and epistemological foundations of simulations, which carry the potential of new philosophical knowledge. This article is devoted to a brief review of the existing concepts of representatives of Western schools of thought on the phenomenon of computer simulations in the context of the philosophy of science. The structure of the review is built on three basic conceptual directions: 1) definition of the term "computer simulation"; 2) computer simulations as an experiment; 3) the epistemic value of simulations. Such a review can become the subject of discussion for Russian researchers interested in the impact of computer simulations on science and philosophy.

First Phylogenetic Treatment of Apple Cucumber (Family Cucurbitaceae) from Indonesia Utilizing DNA Variation of Internal Transcibed Spacer Region

Cucurbitaceae is one of the largest family in Angiosperm in which the most member of this family is important fruit crops in Indonesia such as Cucumber, Melon, Watermelon, and Apple Cucumber. In particular, Apple Cucumber, currently attracts attention to many researchers due to its phylogeneticand taxonomic problem. In term of its appearance, the fruit looks like an apple but the taste is melon. The purpose of this study was to elucidatephylogenetic relationship between Apple Cucumber and other species of Cucurbitaceae based on variation of DNA sequences derived from internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. As many as six individuals of Apple Cucumber collected from Karawang, Jember, and Aceh were examined. The ITS sequences of some species of family Cucurbitaceae were retrieved from GenBank, and put them in the analysis. Phylogenetic analysis based on parsimony method with using Begoniaas outgroup reveals that Apple Cucumber are nested in the same clade as Melon (Cucumis melo) with high bootstrap value (100%), suggesting that Apple Cucumber is under the same species as Melon. However, on the basis of morphological characters of fruit, apple cucumber is different with that of Melon. This considerably first phylogenetics treatment provides fundamental knowledge for establishing a subspecies of Melon.

Merger of Betula tatewakiana (Betulaceae) from northern Japan with northeast Asian B. ovalifolia based on ploidy level

It has been controversial whether Betula tatewakiana, a dwarf birch distributed in Hokkaido of northern Japan, is an endemic species or a synonym of B. ovalifolia broadly distributed in northeast Asia. The endemic hypothesis is based on the idea that B. tatewakiana is diploid while B. ovalifolia is tetraploid and that they are separated based on the ploidy level; however, no chromosome data have actually been published before. Resolving the taxonomic problem is crucial also in judging the conservation priority of B. tatewakiana in a global perspective. Our chromosome observation revealed that B. tatewakiana is tetraploid as well as B. ovalifolia. We also conducted morphological observations and clarified that B. tatewakiana is morphologically identical to B. ovalifolia in white hairs and dense resinous glands respectively on adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces, in which they differ from closely related species in the same section Fruticosae. We conclude that the hypothesis that B. tatewakiana is a Hokkaido endemic based on the ploidy level is not supported and that B. tatewakiana should be merged with B. ovalifolia.

Advertisement call of two threatened red-bellied-toads, Melanophryniscus cambaraensis and M. macrogranulosus (Anura: Bufonidae), from the Atlantic Rainforest, southern Brazil

In anuran amphibians, acoustic signals are fundamental mechanisms of mate recognition and mate choice, which makes frog calls a fundamental tool for anuran taxonomy. In this work, we describe the advertisement call of two species for the genus Melanophryniscus, M. cambaraensis and M. macrogranulosus and use the descriptions to try to solve a taxonomic problem between them. We collected data after heavy rains in three different sample sites in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, between 2012 and 2013. The advertisement call of both species is composed of two segments. It always begins with part A (about 0.44–6 seconds) composed of single modulated pulses separated by long time intervals. It is followed by part B, a long train of unmodulated pulses with short time intervals, lasting from 9 to 32.2 seconds. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicated some variation between temporal parameters of the two species, but Multivariate Analysis of Variance showed no significant differences. Within-individual Coefficient of Variation (CV) showed only two static parameters: pulse rate and peak frequency, both in the part B of the call. Despite intra-male variation in some acoustic parameters, it is not possible to differentiate between M. cambaraensis and M. macrogranulosus species only using bioacoustics.

Two new species of the Southeast Asian Dwarf tarantula genus Phlogiellus Pocock, 1887 (Theraphosidae, Selenocosmiinae) and a discussion on the taxonomic problem of the genus: Addendum

Sivayyapram et al. (2020) omitted to note the full type deposition of Phlogiellus daweiensis and Phlogiellus raveni; that is corrected herein

Two new species of the Southeast Asian Dwarf tarantula genus Phlogiellus Pocock, 1887 (Theraphosidae, Selenocosmiinae) and a discussion on the taxonomic problem of the genus

Phlogiellus is one of the least studied theraphosid genera; there is only one recent revision on the genus. However, the “revision” only provided several taxonomic problems in the genus by giving unclear diagnostic characters of the genus and its species, using third party information in their descriptions and many of their examined specimens of are inaccessible. Here, we discuss the taxonomic problems of the genus, and provide a new genus description and diagnostic characters of Phlogiellus by combining information from previous studies with our examinations. Variation within species of previously diagnostic characters renders them of little value. In addition, two new Phlogiellus species from Myanmar and the Philippines are described and diagnosed here.

Observations on the Isturgia limbaria (Fabricius, 1775) / roraria (Fabricius, 1776) complex (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Ennominae)

The Isturgia limbaria (Fabricius, 1775)/roraria (Fabricius, 1776) complex is analyzed, taking into consideration the external morphology of the adults (coloration and pattern of upperside and underside of wings), the morphology of the female genitalia (signum and lamella postvaginalis), of the tympanal organs and of the preimaginal stages, as well as molecular data. Based on the molecular data and morphology of signum and tympanic organs, the populations of this complex can be divided into two groups, one more western (with the taxa limbaria s. str. and delimbaria), distributed east to north-western Italy and part of Germany, and one more eastern (with the taxa roraria s. str., rablensis and anzascaria), distributed west to northern and eastern Piedmont (Italy) and north-eastern and south-eastern Germany. However, there are no consistent differences between the two groups in the diagnostic characters used until now to identify the two taxa (pattern of the wing upperside and underside). Although there is a considerable genetic distance between these two groups, the correlation between molecular differences and morphological characters (size of the signum and presence ̶ or absence ̶ of a roundish lobe in the bullae tympani) is not completely constant and the two groups of populations are not completely separated from each other: some populations of the northern Apennines (taxon delimbaria) cannot be clearly attributed to one or the other group. In the absence of constant morphological characters associated with the molecular differences and in the presence of Italian populations with intermediate characters, we suggest that the different taxa of this complex be considered as subspecies of the same species, as already proposed by Povolný and Moucha (1957, 1959). However, the data available do not allow definitive clarification of the taxonomic problem and further research is necessary.

To the Issue of Differentiation between Metaphorical and Mental Images Verbalized in Emotive Prose (Based on the Texts of Small Emotive Prose by Ye.I. Zamyatin)

Nowadays achievements in metaphor studying make it possible to state that the nature of metaphor comprises mental and figurative features. Trying to fix the ideal, metaphor like any mental image may be expressed by means of natural language instruments. The mediate demonstration of the ideal nature makes metaphor verbalization and the one of the mental image nondescript that is aggravated by their core similarity and absence of special figures of mental images expressionand taking into consideration their all principal possibilities to be verbalized. The author of the article has faced the taxonomic problem of characterization of Ye.I. Zamyatin’scertain emotive prose texts according to the type of their imagery. The literal material of Zamyatin’semotive prose discourse analyzed in the article shows practical difficulty of interpreting mental images in accordance with their nature. The study has made a parametric succession of constituents included in metaphorical and mental images notions due to the methods of contextual analysis of the natural language text, as well as self-observation as an empiric analysis of the language material, and theoretical synthesis of speech experience with further schematization. The succession is applied to the analysis of Zamyatin’s texts. The research data may be used for the interpretation and analysis of any emotive prose text since mental images are often intentionally verbalized as an expressive means and metaphorical ones.