Genus Oscillatoria Vaucher (Cyanoprokaryota) in Maldah District, West Bengal, India

Genus Oscillatoria Vaucher is the ubiquitous Cyanoprokaryote, growing in almost all habitats in fresh-water ecosystem like bils, dighis, lakes, ponds, wetlands, and marine water system like - salt marshes and pans, estuaries, brackish waters and ocean. It also occurs on inter-tidal rocks, snow and even in cold lakes underneath 5 m of ice pack as well as in thermal springs. During systematic investigations recorded altogether 25 species, 4 variety and 2 forms from Maldah District viz. Oscillatoria acuta Bürhl and Biswas, Oscillatoria agardhii Gomont, Oscillatoria amoena (Kütz.) Gomont, Oscillatoria amphibia C.Agardh ex Gomont, Oscillatoria amphigranulata Goor, Oscillatoria angusta Koppe, Oscillatoria chalybea G.Mertens ex Gomont, Oscillatoria formosa Bory ex Gomont, Oscillatoria formosa f. loktakensis Brühl and Biswas, Oscillatoria geitleriana Elenkin, Oscillatoria geminata Menegh. ex. Gomont, Oscillatoria limnetica Lemmerm., Oscillatoria limosa C.Agardh ex Gomont, Oscillatoria minnesotensis Tilden, Oscillatoria okenii C.Agardh ex Gomont, Oscillatoria ornata var. crassa C.B.Rao, Oscillatoria perornata f. attenuata Skuja, Oscillatoria princeps Vaucher ex Gomont, Oscillatoria prolifica Gomont, Oscillatoria proteus Skuja, Oscillatoria pseudogeminata var. unigranulata Biswas, Oscillatoria quadripunctulata Brühl and Biswas, Oscillatoria raoi DeToni, Oscillatoria redekei Goor, Oscillatoria rubescens DC. ex Gomont, Oscillatoria splendida Grev. ex Gomont, Oscillatoria subbrevis Schmidle, Oscillatoria tenuis C.Agardh ex Gomont, Oscillatoria tenuis var. natans Gomont, Oscillatoria tenuis var. tergestina Rabenh. ex Gomont and Oscillatoria willei N.L.Gardner. However, Oscillatoria subbrevis Schmidle, Oscillatoria tenuis C.Agardh ex Gomont are the most common species followed by Oscillatoria amphigranulata Goor, Oscillatoria acuta Bürhl and Biswas, Oscillatoria amphibia C.Agardh ex Gomont, Oscillatoria amphigranulata Goor in water bodies of Malda District. Oscillatoria redekei Goor is reported new from India.

Crustacean zooplankton assemblages in inland waters of southern Patagonia (Alacalufes National Reserve), Chile (49-51°S)

The inland water crustacean communities in southern Chilean Patagonia (46-55°S) are characterized by their marked low species number, and many recurrent species among a wide ecological and geographical gradient, that is due to oligotrophy of lakes and lagoons and the fluvial parameters (i.e., high flow velocities) in rivers. The aim of the present study was to describe the zooplankton communities in lakes and respective outflow river estuaries in Alacalufes National Reserve on islands of Chilean southern Patagonia (49-51°S). Species abundance and presence/absence were considered. The results obtained revealed the presence of a low number of species and also multiple sites in which zooplankton was not recorded at all. This is probably due the low zooplankton diversity of cold lakes at these high latitudes and the often turbulent flow of the outflow rivers studied.

Description of the larva of Protanypus sp. A (Diptera, Chironomidae) from the Italian Alps

We describe the larva of <em>Protanypus</em> sp. A from the Italian Alps. All the larval characteristics fit the diagnosis of the genus, but it is impossible to assign the specimens examined to one of the known species. The low number of labral scales (12-14) and the serrated median lamellae of the medioventral appendix of the prementum exclude the identity of the species with <em>P. morio</em> or with the East Palaearctic <em>P. pseudomorio</em>. The antennal ratio (2.3) excludes the identity with <em>P. caudatus</em> or <em>P. forcipatus</em>, which are the other two <em>Protanypus</em> species known from the Alpine region. In S&aelig;ther&rsquo;s key (1975) the larva fits with the Nearctic <em>P. ramosus</em>, but identification of the species needs to be supported by pupal and adult material. In the Southern Alps, the genus is restricted to cold lakes at high altitude and is confirmed as an indicator of oligotrophic lakes.