324,121 research outputs found
First assessment of total organic carbon/macrofauna relation in Sicilian coastal lagoons
No full textCyana signa
No full textCyana signa (Walker, 1854) (Figs 133–135, 225, 280) Bizone signa Walker, 1854, List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum 2: 550 (Type locality: [E Bangladesh or NE India, S Meghalaya] “Silhet”). = Bizone fasciculata Walker, 1856, List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum 7: 1684 (Type locality: “Hindostan”). Type material examined. Lectotype of Bizone signa (designated herein) (Fig. 133): ♂, handwritten label “Silhet 47-58” / printed label “5. BIZONE SIGNA.” / printed round label with a green circle “Type” / printed label with a unique identifier “NHMUK010597924” (Coll. NHMUK); lectotype of Bizone fasciculata (designated herein): ♂ without abdomen, handwritten label “Ind.” / handwritten label “ Bizone fasciculata Walk ” / handwritten label “ fasciculata n.” / printed label “Type” / handwritten label “84” / printed label “511” / handwritten label “A Walker’s type ♂ Bizone fasciculata 7-1684” / “TYPE (printed) LEP.: No. 423 Bizone fasciculata Walker (handwritten) HOPE DEPT. OXFORD (printed)” (Coll. OUMNH). Other material examined. UTTARAKHAND: 18 ♂, 21 ♀, India, Kumaon-Himalaya, Distr. NainiTal, Bhim- Tal, 1500 m, leg. de Freina, Himalaya Expedition, 10.V.–30.VI.1971, slides MWM 33884 (♀), MWM 35725 (♂) Volynkin (Coll. MWM / ZSM); 27 ♂, 16 ♀, India sept., Kumaon-Himalaya, Distr. NainiTal, BhimTal, 1500 m, leg. F. Smetacek, 29.IV.–IX.1978, slide MWM 35726 (♀) Volynkin (Coll. MWM / ZSM); 1 ♂, India, U.P., Nainital, 2100m, 14–20.VI.1975, leg. W. Thomas, slide MWM 33504 (♂) Volynkin (Coll. MWM / ZSM); 1 ♂, India, Ut- tarakhand, Mussoorie, 12.VI.1994, leg. APS Kaleka (Coll. NZCZSI); 1 ♂, Uttarakhand, Kempty Fall, 13.VI.1994, leg. APS Kaleka (Coll. NZCZSI); SIKKIM: 1 ♂, Sikkim, Lachen, 13.V.2009, leg. Rahul Joshi (Coll. NZCZSI); 1 ♂, Sikkim, Golitar, 30.IV.2014, leg. Rahul Joshi (Coll. NZCZSI); MEGHALAYA: 2 ♂, Assam, Khasis (Coll. NHMUK). Remarks. 1. Hampson (1900) cited specimens from Khasis as “Type”, while Bizone signa was described from Sylhet. 2. In the original descriptions of Bizone signa and Bizone fasciculata, Walker (1854; 1856) did not mention a number of specimens, therefore the existence of syntypes is probable. To avoid any confusion with the similar C. adita, here we designate the specimens of both taxa deposited in the NHMUK collection and labeled as “Type”s as lectotype. Diagnosis. Forewing length is 17–19 mm in males and 20–21 mm in females. Cyana signa differs externally from C. adita by its distal discal spots merged into a dash, and oblique antemedial line. The male genitalia of C. signa differ from those of C. adita by their slightly broader uncus, smaller lateral lobes of vinculum, slightly shorter ampulla, shorter distal lobe of subbasal diverticulum, slightly longer ventral lobe of subbasal diverticulum, and smaller spinules of the distal cluster. The female genitalia of C. signa differ from those of C. adita by the broader ostium bursae, the longer sclerotized area in the posterior section of corpus bursae, and the broader appendix bursae. Distribution. North and North East India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur) (Hampson 1900; Singh et al. 2014), Nepal (Kishida 1995; 1998), North Bangladesh (Walker 1854), North Myanmar (Kachin State) (Hampson 1900), China (Tibet, Yunnan) (Fang 2000) and North Thailand (Chiang Mai Prov.) (Černý & Pinratana 2009, part). The specimens illustrated by Černý & Pinratana (2009) as C. signa belong to C. khasiana, but we found specimens of the true C. signa in the CKC collection. The record for Guangdong (Dubatolov et al. 2012) belongs to female of C. adita.Published as part of Singh, Navneet, Volynkin, Anton V., Kirti, Jagbir Singh, Datta, Harvinder Singh & Ivanova, Maria S., 2020, A review of the genus Cyana Walker, 1854 from India, with descriptions of five new species and three new subspecies (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), pp. 1-93 in Zootaxa 4738 (1) on pages 50-52, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4738.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/367243
Seabird influence on ecological processes in coastal marine ecosystems: An overlooked role? A critical review
No full textSeabirds are vital, but overlooked, components of coastal marine ecosystems and may connect the marine and terrestrial environment at a global scale, significantly contributing to inter-habitat connectivity and the provision of multiple ecosystem services. Although the ecological and functional role of birds in terrestrial areas, islands in particular, has been deeply studied since the last century, the same does not hold true for coastal marine areas. Given the importance of coastal areas for seabirds worldwide and, at the same time, the high vulnerability of both, looking into the role of seabirds in influencing the ecosystem functioning in coastal areas is needed nowadays. Here, we review the current knowledge regarding the role of seabirds on coastal ecological processes giving particular emphasis on the linkage between the seabird functions that are crucial in influencing the ecological processes and the provision of ecosystem services, and disservices, for the human well-being. Seabirds can contribute to shaping coastal ecological processes and services in a multitude of ways, among which directly influencing trophic status, environmental contamination, biodiversity and food webs through trophic (bottom-up or top-down) and non-trophic processes. We identified areas for future research to further clarify this linkage and promote seabird conservation
Development of the wing buds in Megoura viciae: a morphological study
No full textThis study describes the initial phases of wing morphogenesis of Megoura viciae. We evaluated the development of wing buds in males (winged) and parthenogenetic females (presumed to become wingless) of M. viciae from birth to IV instar. Wing bud epithelium in males is initially simple, becoming bistratified and then progressing to stratify. Mitotic activity is more intense in the proximal region of bud, and its behaviour seems to be synchronous. In parthenogenetic females, from birth to I instar, the buds resemble those of males at the same stages, but subsequently the epithelium returns to the simple state, and from the III instar stage, it cannot be distinguished from the adjacent epithelium.This study moreover defines distinctive wing bud features that can be used to identify these buds during development in other aphid species
RNA/DNA ratios as estimate of metabolic and functional traits in diatom species from the northwestern Adriatic Sea
No full textDifferent phytoplankton biomass estimations can provide information about abundance variation, but they are not able to describe the metabolic activity of species or groups within assemblages. Conversely, molecular traits are key for the metabolic dynamics in pelagic ecosystems. To investigate if the RNA/DNA and taxon-specific 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA)/ribosomal DNA (rDNA) ratios could be used to assess and be indicators of metabolic activity in marine phytoplankton species, two Adriatic diatom species, Chaetoceros socialis and Skeletonema marinoi, were studied. Significant correlations between abundance, chlorophyll a, carbon content and proteins were found in individual and co-cultured growth experiments (from r(s) = 0.570 to r(s) = 0.986, P < 0.001). The biomass trend followed a logistic curve without providing additional information regarding diatom metabolic activity. In both experiments, the RNA/DNA and taxon-specific 18S rRNA/rDNA ratios of C. socialis and S. marinoi showed maximum values at the beginning of the growth phase, i.e as 23.2 +/- 1.5 and 15.3 +/- 0.8, and 16.2 +/- 1.6 and 30.1 +/- 5.4 after 2 and 6 days, respectively, in individual cultures, with a subsequent significant decrease in these values for both species in individual and co-culture experiments. Our results showed that these molecular rRNA/rDNA ratios expressed an activation of metabolism before the abundance increases, even in the presence of interspecific interaction between C. socialis and S. marinoi
Seabird influence on ecological processes in coastal marine ecosystems: an overlooked role?
No full textCoastal marine ecosystems and especially transitional environments host a large variety of birds, functioning as nesting sites for resident species and corridors for migratory ones. Seabirds activity may trigger movement of nutrients and organic matter between coastal boundaries, affecting their availability and processing. Consequently seabirds are often labelled as biotic vectors. While attention has been focused on the study of biodiversity level and migratory patterns of avifauna, there is little information on the effects of seabirds on ecological features (i.e. trophic status, biodiversity level, food web patterns, transfer of contaminants) in coastal marine ecosystems.
To address these knowledge gaps, in this presentation we will firstly review the available information on the role of seabird derived-subsidies (i.e. nutrients) in coastal marine ecosystems and then we will present a case study from a Mediterranean transitional environment (Marinello ponds, Sicily, Italy). This area may be considered a field laboratory where to study the ecological role of seabirds due to the presence of several small (1-2 ha) and adjoining ponds that differ strongly in the amount of subsidies they receive from seabird guano. We will summarize data on trophic condition, benthic biodiversity, isotopically constructed-food webs and trace element contamination and biomagnification. The results provide evidence of the important ecological role of seabirds in driving ecosystem structure and functioning; indeed the pond affected by gull guano showed a higher trophic status and trace element contamination, lower biodiversity of benthic communities and simpler food webs. This overall picture highlights that avifauna may exert a noteworthy, though so far neglected, ecological role in coastal marine ecosystems, and especially in transitional environments, deserving more attention
Effects of a small seagull colony on trophic status and primary production in a Mediterranean coastal system (Marinello ponds, Italy)
No full textAquaculture of emerging species in North-Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea: a systematic review on sea cucumber farming and potential development
No full textSea cucumbers are considered a traditional food delicacy in Asian countries. In last decades high market demand, uncontrolled exploitation and inadequate management have led to stock overexploitation, driving commercial interest in new target species and new areas. In recent years, Mediterranean and North-East Atlantic sea cucumbers have become fishing targets, and, due to overfishing, a significant decline of wild populations have been observed, with detrimental effects on benthic communities and ecosystems. Indeed, in addition to being an important economic resource, sea cucumbers play a key ecological role in benthic dynamics where they are involved as ecosystem engineers in the processing of organic matter in the detrital food web pathway. In this context, aquaculture can play a crucial role in supporting the conservation of natural stocks by reducing harvesting pressure on wild populations and enabling restoration programmes for depleted stocks. Commercial sea cucumber farming is already an established reality in the Indo-Pacific region, where it has become one of the most profitable sectors of aquaculture production. In Europe, on the other hand, sea cucumber aquaculture is still an emerging sector, whose development is hampered by poor and fragmented information on the farming requirements of native species. In this context, this systematic review was carried out with the aim of providing a comprehensive summary of the state of the art of farming practices of the European sea cucumbers considered as a target of commercial fisheries. A total of 34 original articles were included in this review, after title, abstract and full-text screening. The results highlighted a sharp increase in the number of studies over the last six years. Portugal, Turkey and Italy are the countries where most research has been carried out. Among the selected species, Holothuria tubulosa was the most studied, while only one article was found on Parastichopus regalis. The main aims of this review were i) to gather all available literature on the farming practices of North-East Atlantic and Mediterranean sea cucumber species, ii) to outline the most common farming practices, iii) to identify gaps and future directions in this emerging aquaculture sector
Guano-Derived Nutrient Subsidies Drive Food Web Structure in Coastal Ponds.
No full textA stable isotope study was carried out seasonally in three coastal ponds (Marinello system, Italy) affected by different gull guano input to investigate the effect of nutrient subsidies on food web structure and dynamics. A marked 15N enrichment occurred in the pond receiving the highest guano input, indicating that gull-derived fertilization (guanotrophication) had a strong localised effect and flowed across trophic levels. The main food web response to guanotrophication was an overall erosion of the benthic pathway in favour of the planktonic. Subsidized primary consumers, mostly deposit feeders, switched their diet according to organic matter source availability. Secondary consumers and, in particular, fish from the guanotrophic pond, acted as couplers of planktonic and benthic pathways and showed an omnivorous trophic behaviour. Food web structure showed substantial variability among ponds and a marked seasonality in the subsidized one: an overall simplification was evident only in summer when guano input maximises its trophic effects, while higher trophic diversity and complexity resulted when guano input was low to moderate
Small-scale variability in geomorphological settings influences mangrove-derived organic matter export in a tropical bay
No full textOrganic matter (OM) exchanges between adjacent habitats affect the dynamics
and functioning of coastal systems, as well as the role of the different
primary producers as energy and nutrient sources in food webs. Elemental (C,
N, C : N) and isotope (δ13C) signatures and fatty acid (FA)
profiles were used to assess the influence of geomorphological setting in
two climatic seasons on the export and fate of mangrove OM across a tidally
influenced tropical area, Gazi Bay (Kenya). The main results indicate that
tidal transport, along with riverine runoff, plays a significant role in the
distribution of mangrove organic matter. In particular, a marked spatial
variability in the export of organic matter from mangroves to adjacent
habitats was due to the different settings of the creeks flowing into the
bay. Kinondo Creek acted as a mangrove retention site, where export of
mangrove material was limited to the contiguous intertidal area, while
Kidogoweni Creek acted as a flow-through system, from which mangrove
material spreads into the bay, especially in the rainy season. This pattern
was evident from the isotopic signature of primary producers, which were
more 13C-depleted in the Kinondo Creek and nearby, due to the lower
dilution of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) pool, typically depleted as
an effect of intense mangrove mineralisation. Despite the trapping
efficiency of the seagrass canopy, suspended particulate OM showed the
important contribution of mangroves across the whole bay, up to the coral
reef, as an effect of the strong ebb tide. Overall, mixing model outcomes
indicated a widespread mixed contribution of both allochthonous and
autochthonous OM sources across Gazi Bay. Moreover, FAs indicated a notable
contribution of brown macroalgae and bacteria in both sediment and suspended
pools. These results suggest that ecological connectivity in Gazi Bay is
strongly influenced by geomorphological setting, which may have far-reaching
consequences for the functioning of the whole ecosystem and the local food
webs
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