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Long-term stability of harvest mouse population /
No full textThe Eurasian harvest mouse (Micromys minutus) is a tiny rodent of the Palearctic and Indomalayan regions, with a distinct regional species status in Europe and irregularly varying local numbers. We analysed the population of M. minutus in Lithuania (Northern Europe) based on trapping data from 1975 to 2022 and owl pellet data from 1986 to 2009. Based on both datasets, the proportion of this species in the small mammal community was similar, 1.13% and 0.62%, respectively. The proportions have remained stable across all decades. Relative abundance was 1.19 ± 0.19 individuals per 1000 trap days, stable over the long term and across the country. Irregular fluctuations in abundance were observed in some of the sites surveyed. The highest average RA was recorded in open sedge habitats, meadows and marshes. The absolute highest RA was 88 individuals per 1000 trap days in floodplain meadows after a major flood. Although the negative impact of habitat anthropogenisation has been confirmed, M. minutus does not require special conservation measures in Lithuania
Occurrence of Hepatozoon in some reptiles from Brazilian biomes with molecular and morphological characterization of Hepatozoon caimani /
No full textAmphibians and reptiles represent a considerable proportion of the vertebrate fauna in Brazil. Different blood parasitic infections have been reported in these groups, such as Haemogregarina, Hepatozoon, Trypanosoma and microfilariae. However, insufficient research on interactions between these parasites and their hosts has been carried out in some regions of the country. Samples were collected from populations of wild herpetofauna in different microhabitats throughout Brazil, totaling 111 samples of reptiles from the states of Mato Grosso and Pernambuco. We used an integrative approach, with classical microscopy, morphometry and molecular analysis, in order to identify hemoparasites present in the analyzed fauna. Genomic DNA was extracted for the PCR protocol based on the 18S ribosomal RNA gene for Hepatozoon spp. A total of 53 positives were obtained with molecular screening (47.7%), all confirmed as Hepatozoon spp. using DNA sequencing. Among positive samples, 23 slides were examined, confirming the presence of Hepatozoon spp. in 91.3% of the smears. The phylogenetic analysis performed with sequences from 43 samples resulted in a tree containing several distinct clades. Sequences were generally grouped according to the taxonomic order of the host. Co-infections with microfilariae and Trypanosoma spp. were also found in microscopy analyses. This study describes the presence of Hepatozoon caimani in a new host species (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) that can be a paratenic host in the natural environment. The existence of parasitic co-infections in alligator species underscores the significance of recognizing the impact of infections by various parasitic taxa on the host populations
Amino acid profiling in wild Chamaenerion angustifolium populations applying chemometric analysis /
No full textEvaluation of the amino acid composition of plants is a determining parameter in assessing their potential effect as food supplements. Chamaenerion angustifolium (Onagraceae), commonly known as “fireweed,” is a traditional food and medicinal plant in Europe. Current research has focused on comparative analysis of the aerial part of 15 fireweed samples collected in Ukraine and Lithuania using Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. The overall amino acid composition in samples of C. angustifolium was similar. Sulfur-containing amino acids (cysteine and methionine) were absent in all samples. The alanine content in the samples was the highest, and in the samples from Kharkiv (Ukraine), Ivano-Frankivsk (Ukraine), and Plungė district (Lithuania), it ranked first among others (its content in samples was 2.350, 6.090, and 2.44 mg/g, respectively). The high amount of free amino acids was recorded in the sample from Ivano-Frankivsk (Ukraine). The results of chemometric analysis indicated L-alanine and L-phenylalanine could be used as potential quality markers for the evaluation of the plant quality. The results indicate the potential for further pharmacological studies of fireweed raw material. Considering the content of amino acids in the aerial parts of C. angustifolium, its raw material could be used for development of medicines and dietary supplements
A new subspecies of Apamea ingloria (A. Bang-Haas, 1912) from northern Tien Shan Mountains (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Noctuinae: Xylenini: Apameina) /
No full textA new subspecies of Apamea ingloria (A. Bang-Haas, 1912), Apamea ingloria postnikovi ssp. n. is described from the high mountain habitats of the Ketmen Ridge in the Northern Tien Shan Massif. The diagnostic comparison is made with the nominate subspecies and A. kaszabi Varga, 1982. Adults, male genitalia and basal abdominal sternites are illustrated
Two new species for Gonotrichidia from West and East Africa (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae, Lasiocampinae) /
No full textTaxonomic and diagnostic notes on the Catopta kendevanensis Daniel, 1937 species group (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) in the Middle East /
No full textWe describe for the first time the male genitalia of four little studied taxa of carpenter moths of the genus Catopta in the Middle East, namely C.kendevanensis Daniel, 1937, C.anjumanica Daniel, 1964, C. rocharva Sheljuzhko, 1943 and C. eberti Daniel, 1964, as well as the female genitalia of C.kendevanensis. Catopta anjumanicastat. n.is upgraded from subspecies of C.kendevanensis to the species level. The wing pattern of holotypes C.kendevanensis, C. anjumanica and C. eberti are illustrated. A distribu-tion map is provided for all species
A new genus and two new species of short-palped crane flies (Diptera: Limoniidae) from Central Asia /
No full textA new genus of Limoniidae crane flies, Tauroconopa gen. nov., is described from specimens of two new species from north-central and western Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Descriptions and illustrations of the distinguishing morphological features, including wing venation, male and female genitalia, and larval and pupal stages are provided. A discussion is presented of the possible classification of Tauroconopa gen. nov., and three species of western North American Symplecta (Psiloconopa) are transferred to Tauroconopa gen. nov. based primarily on their aedeagal structure. Certain deficiencies are outlined in the current identification keys for Holarctic Chioneinae crane flies, and this new genus does not key satisfactorily in the present generic keys. The use of molecular sequences (DNA “barcoding”) allowed for initial identification of the larval stages of Tauroconopa gen. nov. from unreared but associated specimens. A phylogenetic analysis of Tauroconopa gen. nov. is presented based on DNA barcoding evidence and confirms the isolated position of this new genus from other Chioneinae. Habitat information for each species is presented
Exo-erythrocytic development of two Haemoproteus species (Haemosporida, Haemoproteidae), with description of Haemoproteus dumbbellus, a new blood parasite of bunting birds (Emberizidae) /
No full textAvian haemosporidians are widespread parasites categorized into four families of the order Haemosporida (Apicomplexa). Species of the subgenus Parahaemoproteus (genus Haemoproteus) belong to the Haemoproteidae and are transmitted by Culicoides biting midges. Reports of death due to tissue damage during haemoproteosis in non-adapted birds have raised concerns about these pathogens, espe-cially as their exo-erythrocytic development is known for only a few Haemoproteus spp. More research is needed to better understand the patterns of the parasites' development in tissues and their impact on avian hosts. Yellowhammers Emberiza citrinella (Emberizidae) and common house martins Delichon ur-bicum (Hirundinidae) were screened for Haemoproteus parasites by microscopic examination of blood films and PCR-based testing. Individuals with single infection were selected for histological investigation-s. H & E-stained sections were screened for detection and characterization of the exo-erythrocytic stages, while chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) and phylogenetic analysis were performed to confirm the Haemoproteus origin and their phylogenetic relationships. Haemoproteus dumbbellus n. sp. was discovered in Emberiza citrinella single -infected with the lineage hEMCIR01. Meronts of H. dumbbellus n. sp. devel-oped in various organs of five of six tested individuals, a pattern which was reported in other Haemoproteus species clustering in the same clade, suggesting this could be a phylogenetic trait. By con-trast, in Delichon urbicum infected with the Haemoproteus lineage hDELURB2, which was linked to the more distantly related parasite Haemoproteus hirundinis, only megalomeronts were found in the pectoral muscles of two of six infected individuals. All exo-erythrocytic stages were confirmed to be Haemoproteus parasites by CISH using a Haemoproteus genus-specific probe. While the development of meronts seems to be typical for species of the clade containing H. dumbbellus, further investigations and data from more species are needed to explore whether a phylogenetic pattern occurs in meront or megalomeront formation
