Zoodiversity

Land Snail Sphyradium doliolum (Stylommatophora Orculidae) in Ukraine and Moldova: Distribution, Habitats, Variability and Origin

I. Balashov, T. Levenets, A. Markova, A. Kramarenko, S. Kramarenko — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

All existing data and most of the available materials on Sphyradium doliolum from Ukraine and Moldova are reviewed. The species is reported from 38 localities (some including several sites) on uplands east of the Carpathians, the Dnipro Upland and in the Crimean Mountains. It mostly inhabits the broadleaved forests, but in one locality was found in a forestless rocky meadow steppe at an altitude of ca. 1400 m in the Crimea. Statistical analysis of the morphometric shell characters shows a significant geographical variability between the populations of S. doliolum from the different parts of Ukraine and Moldova. The most prominent morphometric differences were found between the populations from the Crimean Mountains and from all other East European populations combined. An origin of S. doliolum in Eastern Europe is discussed. The results of the morphometric analyses support the hypothesis of the two different origins during the two separate periods for the populations of S. doliolum in the Crimean Mountains and in the East European Plain. These two groups of populations could be representing the two different lineages that perhaps could be of the two different subspecies, but their status requires additional studies involving molecular genetic methods and material from a wider area.

Added Morphological Characteristics of Muscle Scars, Maxillula and Mandible of Two Ostracod Genera Loxoconcha (Loxoconchidae) and Xestoleberis (Xestoleberididae)

D. D. Le — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Total 23 species of the genus Loxoconcha and 21 species of the genus Xestoleberis were presented in this study. The results show that most species of the genus Loxoconcha consist of four adductor scars to arrange in a curved sub-vertical row and concave anteriorly, except L. pulchra carrying five, in which the top one is divided into two. The frontal scars with C-shape, opening anteriorly are presented in most of Loxoconcha species, however, the frontal scar with bean-shape or oval-shape is discovered in five species of L. japonica group. Most of L. kosugii bear the frontal scar with C-shape, but the frontal scar with Y-shape is found in several individuals. This phenemenon shows the close phylogeny between the genus Loxoconcha and Palmoconcha. About the genus Xestoleberis, chaetotaxy of setae on most appendages is a typical character of this genus, except for setae of exopodite on the maxillula. The published fossil records and the tendencies of change in the number of setae on the maxillula and mandible among three phylogenetic groups suggest that Group A or B is an ancestor of the genus Xestoleberis, and Group C is a derived group.

Synonymisation of Myotis aurascens with M. davidii (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) is Premature

I. Dzeverin — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Based on morphological and molecular data Benda et al. (2012) suggested that East European and West and East Asian steppe whiskered bat, Myotis aurascens Kusjakin, 1935, is conspecific to M. davidii (Peters, 1869) described from China. This hypothesis found considerable support and eventually it may even turn out to be true, but at present it still needs more testing. It is only clear so far that the steppe whiskered bats from the western Eurasia and steppe whiskered bats from southern China are different, phylogenetically quite distant species. The study of variation and between-group differences of the steppe whiskered bats in morphological characters and molecular markers throughout the species geographic range is needed, and especially the comparison of their molecular genetic traits with those of M. davidii from the type locality (Beijing). Until such an analysis is done, taxonomic statements on the synonymy of the names M. aurascens and M. davidii are premature.

Icosiella neglecta (Nematoda, Onchocercidae) in Ukraine: Occurrence, Hosts, Morphological and Molecular Characterisation

Yu. Kuzmin, I. Dmytriieva, R. Svitin — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Icosiella neglecta (Diesing, 1851) is a filarial nematode infecting anuran amphibians in the western Palaearctic. In the present survey, we found I. neglecta in 27 out of 28 localities in eight regions of Ukraine. In those localities, 56.5 % of sampled green frogs (Pelophylax esculentus complex) were infected. The infection prevalence was similar in the two parental species, P. ridibundus (Pallas) and P. lessonae (Camerano), and their hybrid form, P. esculentus (Linnaeus), while the infection intensity was comparatively higher in P. ridibundus, as well as in the samples including both P. ridibundus and P. esculentus. Morphological examination of 40 females and 80 males of I. neglecta confirmed the consistency of main qualitative characters, whereas most metrical characters appeared to be rather variable and related to body length. Muscular oesophagus dimensions and spicule length in males were found to be the least variable. In the studied sample of males, 54 % had a longer spicule on the left side and a shorter one on the right side; the other 46 % had a longer spicule on the right side. Our molecular study using mitochondrial COI gene sequences confirmed the strong genetic similarity of I. neglecta populations in Ukraine and most other parts of its distribution area. A single nuclear 18S sequence generated was identical to one previously deposited in GenBank, originating from Ukraine.

The Importance of Artificial Wetlands in the Conservation of Wetland Birds and the Impact of Land Use Attributes Around the Wetlands: a Study from the Ajara Conservation Reserve, Western Ghats, India

S. Patil, K. Choudaj — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Artificial wetlands are built to meet the rising human population's water needs, with little attention paid to their ecological significance. The current study was carried out to assess the importance of artificial wetlands in biodiversity conservation. Habitat quality of wetlands was assessed using the birds as an ecological indicator. Bird surveys were carried out at the five artificial wetlands located in the Ajara conservation reserve, northern Western Ghats, India. Bird surveys were conducted for five years (2011–2015). During the study, 165 bird species were recorded, including 34 wetland birds and 131 wetland-associated birds. Wetlands in forested areas have a higher richness of wetland birds. Wetlands surrounded by exotic plantations, agriculture, and human settlements exhibit lower wetland bird richness than wetlands in forested areas. Land use attributes around the wetlands affect wetland bird diversity. The current study gives a glimpse that these artificial wetlands could serve as a possible habitat for wetland birds.