Assessment of Benthic Ecological Quality Status Using Multi-Biotic Indices Based on Macrofaunal Assemblages in a Semi-Enclosed Bay

Semi-enclosed bays have physical and chemical characteristics influenced by both land and sea systems and the quality of the benthic environment is always of great concern. Macrofauna are considered good indicators for evaluating the benthic ecological quality status owing to their biological characteristics. In this study, six biotic indices, namely the Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H′), Abundance-Biomass Comparison (ABC) curve, AZTI’s Marine Biotic Index (AMBI), multivariate-AMBI (M-AMBI), BOPA index, and BENTIX index, were used to evaluate the adaptability of different biological indices in the bioassessment of the benthic environment in a semi-enclosed bay. In the annual environmental assessment of the study area, the average values of the six indices (H′, ABC curve, AMBI, M-AMBI, BOPA, and BENTIX) were 4.494, 0.182, 2.433, 0.791, 0.033, and 3.813, respectively; accordingly, H′, M-AMBI, and BOPA met the high standards whereas the other indices met the good standards, indicating that the whole study bay was slightly disturbed and had good ecological quality. From the perspective of spatial variation, the benthic environment in the middle of the bay was better than that in the north; the environmental problems in the northeast were particularly noteworthy. In terms of temporal patterns, the benthic environment in winter and summer was significantly better than that in spring and autumn, with obvious seasonal differences. The present results indicate that the H′ and ABC curve based on benthic abundance and biomass should be avoided for environmental assessment in mariculture areas. AMBI and M-AMBI should be used with caution when the percentage of unassigned species is high, in which case H′ is the appropriate choice. When there are few unassigned species, M-AMBI is more conducive for accurate evaluation of the benthic environment than AMBI and H′.

The Pupal Pigmentation Pattern and Pupal Development in the Species of Aphytis Howard (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae)

Species identification of Aphytis on the basis of adult morphology is extremely difficult, especially in the A. lingnanensis group, with several cryptic species. Pupal pigmentation could be used as one of the taxonomic characters for Aphytis species, and in some instances, pupal pigmentation actually provided the first clue to the distinctness of cryptic Aphytis species. The present study investigated the full-grown larvae or younger pupae of Aphytis species, and pupal pigmentation and pupal development were observed and photographed. Four characteristic pigmentation patterns of Aphytis pupae were summarized including: entirely yellow, partly dark brown, entirely or predominantly black, and partly black. The species in the chilensis and mytilaspidis groups, and some unassigned species, generally have entirely, or predominantly and or partly black pupae. The species in the chrysomphali, funicularis, and proclia groups generally have the pupae entirely yellow. The species of the lingnanensis group have the pupae both entirely yellow, e.g., A. fisheri, and partly dark brown pupae, e.g., A. lingnanensis, A. holoxanthus and A. melinus. The pupae of Aphytis species in this study had a developmental duration of about 5–8 days at 27 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 5% RH and a photoperiod of 10L: 14D. It was found that the pupal skin was always melanized at the beginning stage, generally in the first day, among the pigmented pupae of Aphytis species. As development continued, the pigmentation became darker and the eye colour changed from pale red/brown to green. No significant intra-specific variation in pupal colour pattern was detected despite relatively high numbers of specimens examined, many from multiple, and different, origins. Overall, our study indicates that pupal pigmentation could be more helpful in species identification of Aphytis.

Modern Benthic Foraminiferal Diversity: An Initial Insight into the Total Foraminiferal Diversity along the Kuwait Coastal Water

Kuwait territorial water hosts an important part of national biodiversity (i.e., zooplankton and phytoplankton), but very limited information exists on the overall diversity of benthic foraminifera. On the basis of the integration of publications, reports and theses with new available data from the Kuwait Bay and the northern islands, this study infers the total benthic foraminiferal diversity within Kuwait territorial water. This new literature survey documents the presence of 451 species belonging to 156 genera, 64 families, 31 superfamilies and 9 orders. These values are relatively high in consideration of the limited extension and the shallow depth of the Kuwait territorial water. Kuwait waters offer a variety of different environments and sub-environments (low salinity/muddy areas in the northern part, embayment, rocky tidal flats, coral reef systems, islands and shelf slope) that all together host largely diversified benthic foraminiferal communities. These figures are herein considered as underestimated because of the grouping of unassigned species due to the lack of reference collections and materials, as well as the neglection of the soft-shell monothalamids (‘allogromiids’).

A New World begomovirus infecting Grapevine

Grapevine (Vitis L.), a deciduous woody vine, is a highly valuable agricultural crop. Grapevine, as other crops, is vulnerable to infectious pathogens. Several of them, including viruses, are a major threat to viticulture. Geminiviruses (family Geminiviridae) are insect transmitted, small non-enveloped viruses, with circular single-stranded DNA genomes, which are encapsidated in quasi-icosahedral geminated virions. There are only four geminiviruses associated to grapevine: two members of genus Grablovirus and two unassigned species. Here we present evidence of a novel begomovirus (genus Begomovirus) infecting grapevines from Argentina. Two circular ssDNA virus sequences were assembled from high-throughput sequencing data from Vitis vinifera cv Torrontes from Mendoza province, Argentina. Structural and functional annotation indicated that the virus sequences corresponded to complete DNA components A and B of a novel New World bipartite begomovirus. Genetic distance and evolutionary analyses support that the detected sequences correspond to a new virus, the first begomovirus reported to infect grapevine, a tentative prototype member of a novel species which we propose the name “grapevine begomovirus A” (GBVA).

On the unassigned species of the subfamily Coelidiinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

Five species treated incertae sedis and one overlooked species in Coelidiinae are each assigned to the following respectivegenus and tribe: Jassus maldivensis Distant to Thagria Melichar, comb. nov (Thagriiini); Jassus atkinsoni Distant to OlidianaMcKamey, comb. nov. (Coelidinii); Coelidia costalis Walker to Paracarinolidia Nielson, comb. nov. (Teruliini); Coelidia dis-integrans Walker to Paracarinolidia Nielson, comb. nov. (Teruliini), Bythoscopus guttatus Walker to Docalidia Nielson,comb. nov. (Teruliini) and Coelidia semiflava Lethierry to Pilosana Nielson, comb. nov (Youngolidiini). All of the species areredescribed with photos of the general habitus. The generic placement Coelidia perineti Evans, previously assigned to thegenus Limentinus Distant (Coelidiini) and recognized as a junior synonym of Limentinus aldabranus Distant, is confirmed. Eight species in the subfamily remain problematical.