Biological Activity of Essential Oils of Four Juniper Species and Their Potential as Biopesticides

The objective of this study was to assess the biological activity of essential oils (EOs) of four Juniperus species obtained via two different distillation methods and their potential as biopesticides. The studied factors were juniper species (Juniperus communis L., J. oxyсedrus L., J. pygmaea C. Koch., and J. sibirica Burgsd), plant sex (male (M) and female (F)), and distillation method (hydrodistillation via a standard Clevenger apparatus (ClevA) and semi-commercial (SCom) steam distillation). The hypothesis was that the EO will have differential antioxidant, antimicrobial, and insecticidal activities as a function of plant species, plant sex, and distillation method. The two distillation methods resulted in similar EO composition within a given species. However, there were differences in the EO content (yield) due to the sex of the plant, and also differences in the proportions of some EO components. The concentration of α-pinene, β-caryophyllene, δ-cadinene and δ-cadinol was dissimilar between the EO of M and F plants within all four species. Additionally, M and F plants of J. pygmaea, and J. sibirica had significantly different concentrations of sabinene within the respective species. The EOs obtained via ClevA extraction showed higher antioxidant capacity within a species compared with those from SCom extraction. All of the tested EOs had significant repellent and insecticidal activity against the two aphid species Rhopalosiphum padi (bird cherry-oat aphid) and Sitobion avenae (English grain aphid) at concentrations of the EO in the solution of 1%, 2.5%, and 5%. The tested EOs demonstrated moderate activity against selected pathogens Fusarium spp., Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum spp., Rhizoctonia solani and Cylindrocarpon pauciseptatum. The results demonstrate that the standard ClevA would provide comparable EO content and composition in comparison with SCom steam distillation; however, even slight differences in the EO composition may translate into differential bioactivity.

Degenerated, Undifferentiated, Rearranged, Lost: High Variability of Sex Chromosomes in Geometridae (Lepidoptera) Identified by Sex Chromatin

Sex chromatin is a conspicuous body that occurs in polyploid nuclei of most lepidopteran females and consists of numerous copies of the W sex chromosome. It is also a cytogenetic tool used to rapidly assess the W chromosome presence in Lepidoptera. However, certain chromosomal features could disrupt the formation of sex chromatin and lead to the false conclusion that the W chromosome is absent in the respective species. Here we tested the sex chromatin presence in 50 species of Geometridae. In eight selected species with either missing, atypical, or normal sex chromatin patterns, we performed a detailed karyotype analysis by means of comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The results showed a high diversity of W chromosomes and clarified the reasons for atypical sex chromatin, including the absence or poor differentiation of W, rearrangements leading to the neo-W emergence, possible association with the nucleolus, and the existence of multiple W chromosomes. In two species, we detected intraspecific variability in the sex chromatin status and sex chromosome constitution. We show that the sex chromatin is not a sufficient marker of the W chromosome presence, but it may be an excellent tool to pinpoint species with atypical sex chromosomes.

EVOLUÇÃO DA ICTIOFAUNA DE RIACHOS SUL-AMERICANOS (CASTRO, 1999) REVISITADO APÓS MAIS DE DUAS DÉCADAS

A little more than 20 years after the first publication of Castro (1999), the knowledge of the South American freshwater ichthyofauna, especially that of Brazil, has increased dramatically. This increase occurred both in terms of knowledge of its taxonomic diversity - in 1999, based on various sources in the scientific literature, a total of 2,800 species of South American freshwater fish was estimated, and a total of near 3,500 species it is currently known from Brazil alone - as to the knowledge of its evolution and also ecology. Consequently, all the hypotheses originally proposed in that paper are reexamined and critically discussed here considering this new knowledge accumulated in the past nearly two decades. Although the original 1999 hypothesis that the small adult size of their respective species is a general evolutionary pattern shared by the South American stream ichthyofauna has been firmly corroborated by several studies carried out in many regions of Brazil, the different patterns associated with most of the species of stream fish originally proposed are discussed in this chapter in the light of the new accumulated knowledge about their biology and ecology. Likewise, the possible role of heterochrony in their respective evolution is critically analyzed in the context of the great advance that has occurred in understanding the phylogenetic relationships of component taxa of freshwater neotropical ichthyofauna, using mainly the family Characidae as a possible model. Finally, a recent intriguing idea of the role of respiratory physiology in determining both the maximum size of teleost fish and their patterns of environmental occupation is examined in relation to its possible effect in the evolution of South American stream ichthyofauna.

Interspecies Genomic Variation and Transcriptional Activeness of Secondary Metabolism-Related Genes in Aspergillus Section Fumigati

Filamentous fungi produce various bioactive compounds that are biosynthesized by sets of proteins encoded in biosynthesis gene clusters (BGCs). For an unknown reason, many BGCs are transcriptionally silent in laboratory conditions, which has hampered the discovery of novel fungal compounds. The transcriptional reactiveness of fungal secondary metabolism is not fully understood. To gain the comprehensive view, we conducted comparative genomic and transcriptomic analyses of nine closely-related species of Aspergillus section Fumigati (A. fumigatus, A. fumigatiaffinis, A. novofumigatus, A. thermomutatus, A. viridinutans, A. pseudoviridinutans, A. lentulus, A. udagawae, and Neosartorya fischeri). For expanding our knowledge, we newly sequenced genomes of A. viridinutans and A. pseudoviridinutans, and reassembled and reannotated the previously released genomes of A. lentulus and A. udagawae. Between 34 and 84 secondary metabolite (SM) backbone genes were identified in the genomes of these nine respective species, with 8.7–51.2% being unique to the species. A total of 247 SM backbone gene types were identified in the nine fungi. Ten BGCs are shared by all nine species. Transcriptomic analysis using A. fumigatus, A. lentulus, A. udagawae, A. viridinutans, and N. fischeri was conducted to compare expression levels of all SM backbone genes in four different culture conditions; 32–83% of SM backbone genes in these species were not expressed in the tested conditions, which reconfirmed that large part of fungal SM genes are hard to be expressed. The species-unique SM genes of the five species were expressed with lower frequency (18.8% in total) than the SM genes that are conserved in all five species (56%). These results suggest that the expression tendency of BGCs is correlated with their interspecies distribution pattern. Our findings increase understanding of the evolutionary processes associated with the regulation of fungal secondary metabolism.

Some new and known species of Bomolochidae (Copepoda, Cyclopoida) parasitic on Japanese actinopterygian fishes, 3

Orbitacolax bispinus sp. nov., Orbitacolax leptoscari (Yamaguti, 1953), Paraorbitacolax sphyraenae Izawa, 2021, and one male specimen of a Bomolochidae sp. are (re)described. The male and copepodid V female of O. leptoscari, and the male and copepodid V male of P. sphyraenae are described for the first time for the respective species. A description performed in Izawa (2020, 2021) that the maxilliped of the female bears a dorsal process in Orbitacolax and Paraorbitacolax spp., was wrong and is herein corrected.

Morphological and molecular characteristics of Bastiania sinensis sp. n., Tripyla aquatica Brzeski & Winiszewska-Ślipińska, 1993 and T. setifera Bütschli, 1873 (Nematoda: Triplonchida) from Shanxi Province, North China

Summary This paper describes a new species of Bastiania, presents a new record and redescribes a known species of Tripyla. These nematodes are all in the order Triplonchida and were collected from Shanxi Province, North China. Bastiania sinensis sp. n. is characterised by having the female with a relatively slender body 1049-1295 μm long, dorsally arcuate after heat relaxation, with outer labial setae and cephalic setae in a single circle, an oval amphid, 7-8 laterodorsal cervical setae scattered in the pharyngeal region, orthometamenes and pseudocoelomocytes present, tail conoid with a mucron 1-2 μm long, two pairs of caudal setae present, a = 58.1-75.5, b = 4.0-4.6, c = 12.7-19.7, c′ = 4.1-7.8 and V = 61.1-67.7. Males were not found. Tripyla aquatica is recorded for the first time from China, and is redescribed. Tripyla setifera has been reported from China but without a detailed description – now provided. In addition, phylogenetic relationships among the species were analysed using data from the near full length small subunit (SSU) and D2-D3 segments of large subunit (LSU) of rRNA genes. Bastiania sinensis sp. n. is monophyletic with the Bastiania sequences available in GenBank, but is on an independent branch supporting its status as a separate species; T. aquatica and T. setifera are monophyletically clustered with known Tripyla species and grouped together with sequences from their respective species.

The identity of Félix de Azara’s “Alondras” and implications for Neotropical pipit nomenclature (Aves, Motacillidae: Anthus)

Félix de Azara described five species of “Alondra” in his seminal work on birds of Paraguay in 1805. Two of these are pipits Anthus: No. 146 Alondra Chií and No. 147 Alondra Correndera. Vieillot (1818) then formally described the two based entirely on Azaraʼs descriptions, respectively Anthus chii and Anthus correndera. The former has long been considered unidentifiable, though it has also been used frequently as a valid name for the Yellowish Pipit Anthus lutescens. The latter of the two names has been in valid usage since its description for the Correndera Pipit A. correndera of southern and Andean South America. In this paper we confirm that the description of No. 146 Alondra Chií is clearly identifiable and Anthus chii is the valid name for the Yellowish Pipit under the Principle of Priority, and Anthus turdinus of Merrem is a junior synonym of it. The description No. 147 Alondra Correndera is shown to refer to Ochre-breasted Pipit A. nattereri and not A. correndera as currently understood. However, the two names have been in constant usage for their respective species since their description, and thus we designate a neotype of the Correndera Pipit for current A. correndera under Article 75.6 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature to conserve current usage and avoid unnecessary nomenclatural confusion.

New skull material of Pleistocene dwarf deer from Crete (Greece)

In the Pleistocene faunas of the island of Crete, Cervidae was one of the most abundant taxa. Respective species vary in body size, including dwarfs, and skeletal morphology; however, the number of species and the identity of the mainland ancestor(s) are still debated. In this paper, we morphologically and morpho­metrically describe and analyze eight skulls of Cretan deer from a so far little known fossil site near Gerani, Rethymnon, Greece. The recorded character suite allows for affiliation to dwarfed Candiacervus Kuss, 1975, Candiacervus ropalophorus de Vos, 1984 and C. reumeri van der Geer, 2018. It comprises previously unknown unique traits, some of them hinting to sexual dimorphism. Comparisons of the Candiacervus skulls presented here with those of cervids belonging to Megalocerotini Brooke, 1828, s.s. and s.l. stress certain similarities; yet more material is needed to reconstruct Candiacervus’ phylo­genetic position. The newly detected craniodental specifics allow for more insights into island adaptation of Candiacervus; at the same time, they blur the morphological heritage of their mainland ancestors.

Contributions to the study of the grasshopper (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Gomphocerinae) courtship songs from Kazakhstan and adjacent territories

Male courtship songs of 9 grasshopper species of Gomphocerinae from Kazakhstan and Orenburg region and Altai Republic of Russia were studied. We analyzed not only the sound, but also the stridulatory movements of the hind legs to more entirely describe the songs. We also analyze the frequency spectra of the songs and the whole visual display during courtship. The courtship songs of three species, Stenobothrus miramae, Chorthippus dubius and Ch. angulatus, were studied for the first time. In four species, Omocestus haemorrhoidalis, O. petraeus, Myrmeleotettix pallidus, Ch.karelini, we found certain differences in temporal pattern of the courtship songs in comparison with the previous data on the respective species from other regions. In five species, O. viridulus, S. miramae, M. pallidus, Ch. dubius and Ch. karelini, various parts of elaborate courtship songs differed in the carrier frequency. In four species, O. haemorrhoidalis, O. petraeus, M. pallidus and Ch. dubius, the dominant frequencies of the courtship song were shown to lie in the range higher than 20 kHz. The conspicuous movements of antennae and legs during courtship were studied in M. pallidus, S. miramae and Gomphocerus sibiricus.

Species composition and density of weeds in a grain maize crop depending of soil tillage

The study was carried out during 2014-2016 on slightly leached chernozem soil type. The species composition and density of weeds were studied in grain maize grown after previous crop wheat under the following main soil tillage types: ploughing at 24-26 cm, chisel plough at 24-26 cm and no-tillage (direct sowing). The additional tilths of the areas with ploughed and loosened soil included single disking in autumn and double pre-sowing harrowing in spring. A total herbicide was applied for control of the emerging weeds in the variant with direct sowing. The weed control was done according to the standard technology for growing of the crop in this region – treatment with herbicides at stage 3rd-5th leaf of the plants. Weed infestation was read in spring prior to the pre-sowing tillage, immediately before the vegetation treatment with herbicides, and after harvesting. The type of main soil tillage had a statistically significant effect on the species composition and the density of weeds in the grain maize crops grown after previous crop wheat. The use of ploughing, in parallel with the use of chemicals for weed control, decreased the weed infestation in the maize crops. The lower density of weeds under this main soil tillage type was related to changes in the composition and the relative percentage of the respective species in the total infestation. The use of tilths without turning the surface layer and no-tillage in the crop rotation, in spite of the application of herbicides, contributed to the increase of the amount of weeds. The reason for this was the higher variability of weed species typical for shallow tillage types.