Chromatic leucism in the flap shell turtle, Lissemys punctata from Bangladesh

The spotted flap shell turtle, Lissemys punctata (Bonnaterre, 1789) has a distribution in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. In Bangladesh, this species is widely distributed throughout the freshwater wetlands and the low-lying floodplains, coastal islands, and hill districts. This species is listed in CITES (Appendix II) and protected by Bangladesh Wildlife Conservation & Security Act 2012 (Schedule II), where commercial trade is strictly prohibited. Lissemys punctata has an oval and domed carapace with olive-green colour spotted by dark yellow blotches. The head is also olive green often with yellow blotches, whereas the plastron is whitish or pale yellow. The colour of this species may vary depending on its habitat and defence strategy. Colour aberration in animals may occur due to a lack of melanin. Golden yellow colour aberration (chromatic leucism) is rare in animals, especially in turtles. This might be because of the absence of melanin in the outer dermis. The presence of high xanthophores and yellow pteridine pigments in the skin are also responsible for the golden yellow colour aberration.

A synopsis of the genus Arthothelium (Arthoniales) in Tasmania

The genus Arthothelium A. Massal. in Tasmania comprises ten species. Five of these are described as new: A. bacidinum Kantvilas, a saxicolous, littoral species with subglobose apothecia, non-macrocephalic ascospores, 25−40 × 11−19 μm, and containing the pigment Endoaurantiacum-gold which yields a K+ red reaction; A. insolitum Kantvilas, lichenicolous in rainforest and characterized by subglobose apothecia, very large, non-macrocephalic ascospores, 50−80 × 22−40 μm, and containing the pigment Interveniens-brown which reacts K+ olive green; A. macounioides Kantvilas, corticolous in wet forest and characterized by sessile, convex apothecia, macrocephalic ascospores, 29−42 × 11−18 μm, and containing the pigment Endoaurantiacum-gold; A. magenteum Kantvilas, a common wet forest epiphyte with applanate apothecia, non-macrocephalic ascospores, 25−55 × 11−22 μm, and containing a unique maroon-red, K+ pink pigment; and A. subtectum Kantvilas, a saxicolous species with convex apothecia, macrocephalic ascospores, 22−36 × 9−14 μm, and containing Endoaurantiacum-gold. The New Zealand species A. endoaurantiacum Makhija & Patw. and A. suffusum (C. Knight) Müll. Arg., and the Australian A. velatium Müll. Arg. are recorded for Tasmania for the first time. The names A. obtusulum (Nyl.) Müll. Arg., A. pellucidum (C. Knight) Müll. Arg. and A. polycarpum Müll. Arg. are considered synonyms of the widespread A. ampliatum (C. Knight & Mitten) Müll. Arg. Arthothelium ferax Müll. Arg. is a synonym of A. interveniens (Nyl.) Zahlbr. and A. subspectabile Vĕzda & Kantvilas is a synonym of A. suffusum. The sole record of A. macrothecum (Fée) A. Massal. from Tasmania is found to be based on a misidentification. A key to the species is provided. The importance of apothecial pigments, apothecial morphology and ascospore septation is discussed, and three pigments are characterized by their appearance in water and other standard media.

A New Lichenicolous Fungus from Garhwal Himalayan Region of Uttarakhand, India

Sphinctrina pertusa Falswal A. is described as a new species of lichenicolous fungus from India. It is characterised by eight non-septate, broadly ellipsoidal, uniseriate, ascospores with olive green tint and irregular ridge like ornamentations. This fungus is growing on known lichen host Pertusaria but differs from five closely related species i.e., S. anglica, S. leucopoda, S. tubaeformis, S. turbinata, S. paramerae with different taxonomic characters. A detailed comparative analysis with non-septate closely related species is provided.

First report of Diplodia seriata, D. mutila, and Dothiorella omnivora associated with apple cankers and dieback in Rio Negro, Argentina

Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is an important fruit crop in Río Negro, Argentina. In recent years, the frequency of canker and dieback symptoms have increased affecting different apple cultivars. In September 2014, a higher occurrence of cankers (29%) and dieback (9%) was observed in a commercial orchard of 10-year-old apple trees (n=210) cv ʻItal Redʼ in General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina (39°2'36.73"S – 67°32'44.55"W). Symptoms initially appeared as necrotic bark lesions on tree trunks and branches often associated with pruning wounds. Superficially, papyrus detachment of the bark and cracked bark were observed on the affected area. When the bark was removed, the diseased wood showed dark brown color. Cross sections of diseased branches revealed necrotic lesions that progress to branch death. Samples were collected from different symptomatic trees (n=30) and were superficially disinfected with 70% ethanol. Internal tissues (0.5 cm2) were excised from the advance margin of the necrotic lesions, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 22°C. Pycnidia were induced on sterilised pine needles overlaid on 2% water agar under near-UV light. Optimum temperature of culture growth on PDA was studied. According to their morpho-cultural characteristics, three different morphotypes were identified. The first, showed optimum growth at 30°C, had moderately dense white aerial mycelia and turned dark gray after 7 d. Conidia were ovoid, mostly aseptate, 20.8-25.6 × 8-11.4 µm (n=50) and hyaline to brown. The second, exhibited optimum growth from 25 to 30°C, was white to gray, with sparse to moderate aerial mycelium that turned dark olive green. Conidia were ovoid, 1-septate, 17.6-22.4 × 8.1-11.2 µm (n=50) and brown. Finally, the third showed optimum growth at 25°C, mycelium was grey to dark olive green. Conidia were oblong to ovoid with both ends rounded, aseptate and 1-septate at maturity, 20.8-24 × 11.2-14.4 µm (n=50), hyaline turned brown. Genomic DNA was extracted from one representative isolate of each morphotype and the ITS and EF1-α loci were amplified with the primer sets ITS1/ITS4 (White et al., 1990) and EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Carbone and Kohn, 1999), respectively. The nucleotide sequences indicated ≥99% identity to D. seriata (CBS 114796 and CBS 112555), D. mutila (CBS 302.36 and CBS 112553), and D. juglandis (CBS 188.87), reclassified as Dothiorella omnivora (Linaldeddu et al., 2016), for both DNA regions. The sequences were deposited in the GenBank database (MW596418, MW598375; MH665432, MK955889; MH665413, MK937229). To confirm pathogenicity, healthy 1-year-old twigs of adult apple trees were pruned and wounds of attached twigs immediately inoculated with 20 μL of conidial suspension (103 conidia.mL-1, n=9 per isolate) or sterile distilled water (control, n=9), and wrapped with Parafilm. The experimental design was randomized, and the experiment was repeated once. After 90 d, the area of lesion on all twigs inoculated was determined. D. mutila and Do. omnivora produced mean canker areas (65 and 73 mm2, respectively) significantly larger (p < 0.005) than D. seriata (48 mm2). No lesion occurred in the negative controls. Fulfilling Koch’s postulates, fungi were reisolated from all inoculated twigs and no fungus was recovered from controls. To our knowledge, this is the first report of D. seriata, D. mutila, and Do. omnivora associated with apple canker and dieback in Argentina, which shows the need of study the role of these fungi in orchard health.

Production of Colored Phosphate Coatings on Steel

Phosphating has long been successfully used as a method of protecting metal products and structures from corrosion. The possibility of obtaining non-ferrous phosphate coatings on steel by cold method was investigated. Compositions of cold phosphating solutions for the deposition of colored phosphate coatings of green and blue colors are proposed. To obtain green phosphate films, chromium salts and procyon olive green dye were introduced into the compositions of cold phosphating solutions. To obtain phosphate films of orange color, cobalt salts were introduced into the compositions of cold phosphating solutions. To obtain blue phosphate films, methylene blue and Prussian blue were introduced into the compositions of cold phosphating solutions. It was found that colored phosphate films are worse at preventing metal corrosion. Colored phosphate coatings have a higher porosity and are less uniform compared to modified phosphate films.

Two new species of Astrothelium (Trypetheliaceae) with amyloid ascospores inhabiting the canopy of Quercus humboldtii trees in Colombia

Subandine and high Andean forests are often dominated by oak trees and these are recognized as suitable phorophytes for diverse epiphyte communities. Among the latter, lichens in the upper strata appear to be understudied. Here, we report the discovery of two new species of Astrothelium (Trypetheliaceae), a diverse genus of tropical crustose lichens, both with the unusual feature of muriform, amyloid ascospores. Astrothelium mordonialensis is characterized by an olive-green thallus with solitary ascomata producing muriform and amyloid ascospores with tightened center and A. rogitamae by a light brownish to greenish grey thallus with yellow pigmented solitary ascomata, producing muriform and amyloid ascospores.

The effect of water extract from bentonite on embryonic and larval development of the green toad (bufoviridis) with different phenotypes

Ontogenesis is a complex process of morphophysiological transformations. Embryonic and postembryonic development is continuously affected by both endogenous and environmental factors, which lead to variability in morphometric parameters. The research was conducted in the laboratory of ecological embryology of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education of the North Osetian Federal University (Vladikavkaz). The results showed that under the influence of bentonite extract, the morphological parameters of green toad larvae with a brown phenotype are more variable than in larvae with an olive green phenotype in both the control and experimental groups. Thus, the embryos and larvae of the green toad with the olive green phenotype are more stable than the larvae that had the brown phenotype, both in natural circumstances and under the influence of bentonite clay extracts.

An unusually coloured individual of the common spadefoot toad Pelobates fuscus (Laurenti, 1768)

The background colouration of the spadefoot toad Pelobates fuscus, an anuran species found in Europe is typically light grey/yellow grey/light olive-green. However, an atypical specimen, whose background was brightly coloured yellowish green (light green/lime/yellow coloured), with darker small spots distributed through dorsal parts and four main spots slightly shaped was observed in Poland (Great Poland, Mościejewo village), near to two ponds. The ecological effects of green coloured individual can be adaptively important, through its similarity to the vegetation (predator avoidance).