bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biological-Control of Tetranychus-Urticae (Koch) (Acari, Tetranychidae) in Southern New-South-Wales Peach Orchards - the Role of Amblyseius-Victoriensis (Acarina, Phytoseiidae)
Authors: James DG
Published: June 2005

Populations of mite predators and Tetranychus urticae (Tetranychidae) occurring in peach orchards on two farms at Leeton, New South Wales, were monitored during 1987/88. In both orchards the key pest Cydia molesta (Busck) (Tortricidae) was controlled by a pheromonal mating disruption strategy which avoided the use of broad-spectrum insecticides. During both years substantial populations of a native predatory mite, Amblyseius victoriensis were associated with an absence or very low populations of T. urticae from mid-summer until leaf fall. During spring 1987 some control of T. urticae was provided by a suite of predatory insects. Late spring applications of fungicide delayed development of A. victoriensis populations and a mid-summer miticide spray delayed establishment of the predator. Typhlodromus occidentalis occurred only when A. victoriensis populations were low or eradicated by sprays. During autumn, 1987 A. victoriensis occurred on orchard weeds but populations declined to a low level during winter. Substantial overwintering populations of reproductive T. urticae occurred on weeds and invaded the trees at bud burst. The generalist feeding behaviour of A. victoriensis is considered to be the key to the success of this predator. Dependence on biological control for T. urticae management is considered to be a practical option for southern New South Wales peach orchardists.
Host Relations and Distribution of Species of Caeculisoma (Acarina, Erythraeidae) Parasitizing Grasshoppers in Australia, With Supplementary Information for the Genus Trombella (Trombellidae)
Authors: Key KHL
Published: June 2005

The geographical distribution and host relations of the two species of Caeculisoma whose larvae are known to parasitise adult grasshoppers (Caelifera) in Australia are described. Most of the data refer to C. darwiniense, with 207 specimens taken at 97 localities on 140 individual hosts belonging to 57 species. Its distribution probably extends over all but the south-eastern and south-western corners of mainland Australia. C. cooremani was recorded only from the central western coast of Western Australia.
Only Acrididae of the subfamilies Catantopinae, Cyrtacanthacridinae, and Acridinae appear to be attacked. In C. darwiniense there is little evidence of discrimination in parasitisation of different host species or between the sexes. Most host individuals are parasitised by only a single mite. Some 80% of the mites were attached to the tegmen or wing, especially the latter. In this respect C. darwiniense differs radically from Trornbella cucumifera.
Ultrastructural Studies on Kronborgia (Platyhelminthes, Fecampiidae) - the Differentiated Vitellocyte of Kronborgia-Isopodicola Blair and Williams
Authors: Williams JB
Published: June 2005

In the adult parasitic female form of K. isopodicola, the vitellocyte cytoplasm contains yolk platelets, lipid bodies, glycogen, myelin figures and mitochondria. The platelets consist of an outer granular zone and an opaque core. All platelets are surrounded by several membranes. Many are cloven into segments by fissures containing membranes. Frequently, small peripheral fragments of the granular zone are pared away, and the core undergoes fragmentation by the same process. Spherical dense bodies are found in the cytoplasm. During the cocoon phase, the platelets are often intricately fragmented, and many pieces are paracrystalline. In the newly deposited egg, many platelets comprise only core segments, which are typically paracrystalline, frequently polygonal, and enveloped by multiple membranes. Spherical dense bodies are not encountered at this stage.
The platelets are unlike the 'yolk globules' of Digenea, but are similar to vitelline platelets described for polyclads. In morphology and mode of utilisation they bear some resemblance to yolk granules of Amphibia. The membranes are interpreted as isolating membranes of cellular autophagy. Glycogen synthesis is related to autophagic events involved in yolk degradation. The spherical bodies probably represent eggshell granules; complex shell granules, characteristic of other platyhelminths, were not observed in K. isopodicola.
The Genetic Architecture of Cold Tolerance in Natural-Populations of Drosophila-Melanogaster and Drosophila-Simulans
Authors: Davidson JK
Published: June 2005

Genetic analysis of cold tolerance was applied to samples of recently collected isofemale strains of Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans from natural populations from diverse climates. The temperate zone locality of Melbourne was sampled twice for both species, once in 1986 and again in 1987. In 1987, D. melanogaster collections were also made in the humid tropics at Townsville and the wet/dry tropical locality of Darwin. D. simulans was also collected in Townsville in 1987 but it was not found in Darwin. Diallel analysis was performed for each population sample, so there were seven diallels, each with from 9 to 12 strains which were randomly chosen.
Diallel analyses showed that cold tolerance was mainly controlled by additive genetic effects. This pattern was consistent across time, across populations and across species. It is proposed that natural populations of both members of the sibling species have the genetic architecture necessary for adaptive phenotypic response to selection by intermittent periods of low temperature.
Fruit-Fly Outbreaks in Adelaide, Sa, From 1948-49 to 1986-87 .1. Demarcation, Frequency and Temporal Patterns of Outbreaks
Authors: Maelzer DA
Published: June 2005

South Australia, and particularly metropolitan Adelaide, can be invaded each summer by either of two pestilent species of fruit fly, namely Dacus tryoni, the Queensland fruit fly, and Ceratitis capitata, the Mediterranean fruit fly. Since 1946-47 a campaign has been conducted to eradicate outbreaks of either species whenever they occur. This paper is the first of a series which examines the efficacy of the eradication program up to 1986-87 by attempting to test the hypothesis that there is (or has been) an association between outbreaks in successive years. The data suggest that there was a change in the pattern of outbreaks of both species after 1970-71, outbreaks becoming more frequent and each species being more abundant each year. The change may have coincided with a change in eradication procedures. For both species of flies, the abundances in successive years were significantly correlated negatively. Two hypotheses are proposed to explain the negative correlations. One, called the carry-over hypothesis, postulates the presence of a low, persistent population some of whose local populations or patches take 2 years, on average, to increase to the level at which they are noticed and eradication procedure taken against them. The second, called the repeated introduction hypothesis, proposes that
the population is not persistent and that all outbreaks are due to new introductions and are eradicated
whenever they occur. These two hypotheses and the efficacy of the eradication campaign are briefly
discussed. The two hypotheses are discussed in detail in later papers.
Immunological Relationships and Generic Revision of the Australian Lizards Assigned to the Genus Leiolopisma (Scincidae, Lygosominae)
Authors: Hutchinson MN , Donnellan SC , Baverstock PR , Krieg M , Simms S , Burgin S
Published: June 2005

The phylogenetic relationships of the Australian scincid lizards currently assigned to the genus Leiolopisma have been examined by quantitative micro-complement fixation (MC'F) comparisons of serum albumin. The results of these comparisons do not support the monophyly implicit in these species' current congeneric status, but suggest instead that the Australian species of Leiolopisma belong to several distinct phyletic lineages within the Eugongylus group. These findings are supported by several sets of non-biochemical characters, including features of scalation, osteology and karyotype. None of the Australian species shares a close relationship with the type-species of Leiolopisrna (L. telfairii), and so a new taxonomic arrangement is proposed which distributes them among the following genera: Bartleia, gen. nov. (jigurru); Bassiana, gen. nov. (duperreyi, platynotum and trilineata); Cautula, gen. nov. (zia); Niveoscincus, gen. nov. (coventryi, greeni, metallicus, microlepidotus, ocellatus, orocryptus, palfreymani and pretiosus); and Pseudemoia Fuhn, 1967 (baudini, entrecasteauxii Group 1; entrecasteauxii Group 2, rawlinsoni and spenceri). Preliminary comparisons suggest that other Leiolopisma species, from New Caledonia, Lord Howe I. and New Zealand, belong to phyletic lineages which are distinct from any of the Australian 'Leiolopisma' and from the type-species.
Milk-Composition in the Common Ringtail Possum, Pseudocheirus-Peregrinus (Petauridae, Marsupialia)
Authors: Munks SA , Green B , Newgrain K , Messer M
Published: June 2005

Milk samples were collected from captive common ringtail possums, Pseudocheirus peregrinus, throughout lactation and from free-living animals during phase 3 of lactation (weeks 15-30 post partum). Both field and captive animals lactated for approximately 30 weeks. In comparison with the milks of other marsupial species, ringtail possum milk was relatively dilute and low in lipid. During phase 2 of lactation (up to week 14) solids represented around 16% (w/w), comprising mostly carbohydrate and protein, increasing to 25% (w/w) at the onset of pouch emergence. During the period of pouch vacation (weeks 15-18) the carbohydrate concentration declined and protein and lipid concentrations peaked. Sodium and potassium concentrations throughout lactation were around 25 mm and 22 mm respectively. Calcium and magnesium levels were around 1.8 g per L and 131 mg per L respectively. Milk carbohydrates consisted mainly of oligosaccharides during phase 2 of lactation and these were replaced by the disaccharide lactose during phase 3 of lactation. The pattern of change in the composition of ringtail possum milk during phase 2 was similar to that shown by those of other marsupials, but during phase 3 the milk had higher levels of carbohydrate and lower levels of lipid than that of other marsupials. Differences in the composition of milk from free-living and captive animals suggest that diet composition may affect the concentration of milk protein and milk fat within a species.
Breeding Systems of Spinifex Hopping Mice (Notomys-Alexis) and Plains Rats (Pseudomys-Australis) - a Test for Multiple Paternity Within the Laboratory
Authors: Breed WG , Adams M
Published: June 2005

This study was carried out as part of a broader investigation into the factors that determine interspecific variation in testis size amongst conilurine rodents. The hypothesis proposed is that the huge differences in absolute and relative testis size between the spinifex hopping mouse (Notomys alexis) and the plains rat (Pseudomys australis) relate to differences in breeding system. One aspect of a species' breeding system, the capacity for multiple paternity, was assessed under laboratory conditions for each species. Allozyme markers were used to set up appropriate trios consisting of one female cohabiting with two mates of different genotypes and to assess the paternity of the resultant pups that were born. Multiple paternity within a single litter was not recorded for hopping mice but was observed occasionally in plains rats, a result consistent with the hypothesis under test.
Infection and Multiplication of Ross River Virus in the Mosquito Vector Aedes-Vigilax (Skuse)
Authors: Vale TG , Dowling ML , Cloonan MJ
Published: June 2005

Aedes vigilax mosquitoes, collected from the south coast of New South Wales, were fed on a blood-meal containing the T48 strain of Ross River virus. Viral infection and multiplication in this major vector were studied, together with dissemination of the virus in organs and tissues as determined by immunofluorescence. Individuals of this field mosquito population were highly susceptible to infection (ID50 = 10(3.4) BHK-21 TCID50 per mosquito) and virus replicated rapidly, reaching a maximum level 5-6 days after feeding. Specific viral antigens were detected in sections of abdominal midgut, abdominal fat bodies, thoracic fat bodies, cerebral ganglia and head fat bodies 2-4 days after ingestion of the virus-containing bloodmeal. Antigens were also detected 5-7 days after feeding in abdominal ganglia, thoracic ganglia, salivary glands and foregut. Antigens were demonstrated in sections of eggs from the ovary of one mosquito, which provided further evidence of transovarial transmission of Ross River virus in Ae. vigilax.
Phylogeny of the Australian Rodents (Muridae) - a Molecular Approach Using Microcomplement Fixation of Albumin
Authors: Watts CHS , Baverstock PR , Birrell J , Krieg M
Published: June 2005

Microcomplement fixation was used to assess albumin evolution in the history of the rodents of Australia. The results confirmed a monophyletic grouping consisting of the genera Pseudomys, Mastacomys and Notomys, and showed that the genus Pseudomys is paraphyletic. The genera Conilurus, Leporillus and Mesembriomys also formed a monophyletic group. A significant finding was that Leggadina was distantly related to all Pseudomys species, and indeed may be the earliest offshoot of all Australian rodents other than Rattus. Albumin evolution in the Australian rodents has occurred in a manner far from clock-like. Mastacomys Thomas, 1882 is synonymised with Pseudomys Gray, 1832.
Canopy Ant Communities in the Semiarid Mallee Region of North-Western Victoria
Authors: Andersen AN , Yen AY
Published: June 2005

Ants were collected from the canopies of mallee eucalypts at Wyperfeld National Park in north-western Victoria by beating foliage on ten occasions from September 1979 to December 1980. The study was conducted at two adjacent sites: one that had been burnt by a wildfire during early 1977, and the other long unburnt. Both sites contained a mixture of three mallee eucalypt species: Eucalyptus dumosa, E. foecunda and E. incrassata. In contrast to the canopies of other eucalypt formations elsewhere in southern Australia, abundance and diversity of ants were very high. Ants represented 43-69% of all invertebrates, and a total of 44 ant species from 19 genera was collected. Iridomyrmex and Camponotus respectively contributed 10 and 11 species, and the most abundant ants were species of Iridomyrmex, Monomorium and Crematogaster. Ant composition was broadily similar at the two sites, and on different canopy species, although significant differences in abundance were apparent for some individual ant species. Except for tree-nesting Podomyrma adelaidae and Myrmecorhynchus sp. nr emeryi, the fauna was dominated by ground-nesting species, most of which appeared to forage on vegetation opportunistically. The unusually high abundance and diversity of the canopy ant fauna are attributed to the close proximity of the mallee canopy to the ground, coupled with an exceptionally rich ground ant fauna.
Seasonal Field Energetics of the Rufous Rat-Kangaroo (Aepyprymnus-Rufescens)
Authors: Wallis IR , Green B
Published: June 2005

Water flux and field metabolic rate (FMR) were measured by the doubly labelled water (DLW) method in free-living male and female rufous rat-kangaroos Aepyprymnus rufescens near Drake in northern New South Wales. The mean FMR of 499 kJ kg-1 day-1 was similar in winter and summer even though the difference in mean minimum temperatures between the two seasons was 20-degrees-C. Furthermore, we did not find any differences in FMR between males and females even though several females carried large pouch young or had young-at-foot. A poor understanding of the diet and the behavioural ecology of A. rufescens makes ft difficult to explain the similarities between sexes and seasons.
Phenotypic Variation in Australian Eurema Species
Authors: Jones RE
Published: June 2005

Australian butterflies in the tropical pierid genus Eurema (the grass yellows) exhibit seasonal phenotypic changes in both size and colour pattern. In four of the five species, smaller adults were present during the summer and autumn wet season than during the cooler winter-spring dry season. The fifth species, E. hecabe, showed the reverse pattern, being largest when it first appeared late in the wet season and becoming smaller as the dry season progressed. When reared in the laboratory, however, all five species produced larger adults when reared at lower temperatures, and at least two of the species also produced larger adults at shorter photoperiods. In the case of E. hecabe, juvenile overcrowding and resource limitation may prevent the potential size increase during the cooler dry season from occurring. All five species had darker markings during the cooler dry season, and in two of them, E. herla and E. laeta, there was also a change in the ground colour of the underwing from yellow to pink or brown. The darker markings may serve a thermoregulatory function, as in other pierids, but the change in colour probably functions to allow E. herla and E. laeta, which diapause as adults during the dry season, to be more cryptic as the grasslands they occupy dry off and change colour. In all species except E. herla, the range of variation in dark markings observed in the field could be reproduced in the laboratory by varying the temperatures and/or photoperiods at which the juvenile stages were reared (darker individuals were produced at lower temperatures and shorter photoperiods). The change in ground colour in E. herla and E. laeta, however, was not reproduced in laboratory rearings, either by changing photoperiod and temperatures, or by rearing animals at low humidities, suggesting that an additional cue may be needed to induce this shift in phenotype.
Observations on the Reproductive-Biology and Anatomy of Rhinolophus-Megaphyllus (Chiroptera, Rhinolophidae) in Eastern Australia
Authors: Krutzsch PH , Young RA , Crichton EG
Published: June 2005

The anatomy and chronology of reproductive events in male and female Rhinolophus megaphyllus from eastern Australia (27-32-degrees-S.) is discussed. Rhinolophus megaphyllus was monoestrous and monotocous. A delay of several months occurs between the delivery of spermatozoa to the caudae epididymides (late summer/early autumn) and copulation/ovulation/conception (winter), which occur towards the termination of the spermatogenic cycle. There is no storage of sperm in female tracts prior to ovulation but epididymal sperm storage persists beyond the time of birth (late spring). Male, but not female, readiness to initiate reproduction prior to the onset of winter, places this species in an 'intermediate' position with features of both temperate and tropical chiropteran reproductive cycle patterns. The presence of an extroverted corpus luteum in the female and of a complement of accessory sex organs in the male are normal glandular features for members of this chiropteran family. The role of the urethral gland is unknown; however, since there is no vaginal plug, its products apparently do not coagulate in the vagina in this species following insemination.
Ultrastructure of Sperm and Spermatogenesis of Artioposthia Sp (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Terricola)
Authors: Minmin L , Watson NA , Rohde K
Published: June 2005

This is the first reported study of the ultrastructure of sperm and spermatogenesis of a terrestrial triclad (Terricola). Processes from the cells of the testis wall envelop early germinal cells, and wall cells are ciliated in the transition zone to the sperm duct. Following meiosis of spermatocytes, spermatids develop by formation of a zone of differentiation containing peripheral microtubules, two centrioles facing in opposite directions, a prominent intercentriolar body and a semicircle of dense material around the centrioles. Centrioles become basal bodies giving rise to free flagella. Elongation of this zone, accompanied by rotation of the basal bodies around the shaft, results in flagella being carried to a distal and subterminal location, emerging on the one side of, and perpendicular to, the spermatid shaft. Nucleus and mitochondrion migrate into the shaft. Artioposthia is compared with other triclads and other turbellarian groups. The lack of dense bodies in sperm and of rootlets during spermiogenesis may be autapomorphies for the Tricladida. To our knowledge, the only report of splitting of flagellar tips into a number of separate threads, outside Tricladida, is from Syndisyrinx punicea (Rhabdocoela: Umagillidae) (Rohde and Watson 1988).
Electrophoretic and Morphological Analysis of the Systematics of the Phalanger-Orientalis (Marsupialia) Species Complex in Papua-New-Guinea and the Solomon-Islands
Authors: Colgan DJ , Flannery TF , Trimble J , Aplin KP
Published: June 2005

Three electrophoretically and morphologically distinct populations previously referred to Phalanger orientalis are recognised within Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands: Phalanger orientalis orientalis from northern Papua New Guinea and some nearby offshore islands, Phalanger orientalis breviceps from the Bismarck Archipelago and Solomon Islands, and Phalanger intercastellanus from eastern and southern Papua New Guinea and the islands of Milne Bay. P. o. orientalis is genetically and geographically relatively uniform. P. o. breviceps may have been introduced by humans over most of its range, and it is extremely variable, even within island populations. P. intercastellanus shows considerable intraspecific geographic variation, and is genetically divergent from P. o. orientalis (Nei's unbiased distance of 0.216) and P. o. breviceps (Nei's unbiased distance of 0.171). Indeed, this divergence is so marked that the previously recognised taxa Phalanger carmelitae and Phalanger vestitus are apparently genetically closer to P. orientalis than to P. intercastellanus.
Affinities of the Aberrant Australo-Papuan Honeyeaters, Toxorhamphus, Oedistoma, Timeliopsis and Epthianura - Protein Evidence
Authors: Christidis L , Schodde R , Robinson NA
Published: June 2005

Allozyme variation at 18 presumptive loci among 15 species of Australo-Papuan passerines was used to clarify the affinities of the aberrant genera Toxorhamphus, Oedistoma, Timeliopsis and Epthianura, all conventionally associated with honeyeaters (Meliphagidae). Both distance-based and discrete-state phylogenetic analyses were performed on the data. The analyses corroborated results from DNA-DNA hybridisation studies that Toxorhamphus and Oedistoma are not honeyeaters, but in fact are related to the berrypeckers and flowerpeckers Melanocharis and Dicaeum. Oedistoma iliolophus was found to be more closely allied to Melanocharis than to Toxorhamphus. This result is consistent with generic separation of O. iliolophus from Toxorhamphus, contrary to groupings interpreted from DNA-DNA hybridisation data. Timeliopsis was identified as a typical honeyeater despite the atypical form of its tongue. Epthianura was also aligned with the honeyeaters but, contrary to analysis by DNA-DNA hybridisation, only as a sister-group of the core honeyeater assemblage.
Locomotion in Macropodoid Marsupials - Gaits, Energetics and Heat-Balance
Authors: Baudinette RV
Published: June 2005

This review examines gaits used by marsupials and their coupling with respiratory and cardiac cycles. It also examines the energy requirements and heat balance in exercising marsupials. Marsupials have mass-specific metabolic rates that lie at the lower end of the mammalian range but this is not reflected in locomotory energetics as quadrupedal marsupials fit the Predictive model derived from placentals. The group that does not conform to the model contains the larger hopping macropods in which an independence between metabolic rate and hopping speed is achieved on treadmills at most speeds by the storage of elastic strain energy in tendons. This yields a saving of up to 50% of the energy that would be otherwise used for locomotion. The carriage of pouch young appears to reduce the maximum running speed in quadrupedal marsupials but may be cost-neutral in hopping species. Respiration is entrained to the step cycle in wallabies by means of a visceral piston, but no entrainment of the cardiac cycle has been observed. The consequences of these phenomena are discussed. Marsupials appear to exploit their low body temperatures as a means of storing heat generated during running. Paradoxically, this does not lessen their dependence on evaporative heat loss.
Host Relations and Distribution of the Australian Species of Eutrombidium (Acarina, Microtrombidiidae), a Parasite of Grasshoppers
Authors: Key KHL
Published: June 2005

The geographical distribution of parasitism of Australian grasshoppers by the microtrombidiid mite Eutrombidium australiense is delineated. It appears to extend over almost the whole of mainland Australia. At least 248 species are attacked, in the subfamilies Morabinae, Pyrgomorphinae, Oxyinae, Catantopinae (including Cyrtacanthacridini), and Acridinae. The dominant sites of attachment are the insertion of leg III and the prosternum, between them accounting for 80% of cases, with the first the more frequent. Most of the host individuals were attacked by only one mite, but more than 20 were occasionally recorded.
Cilicoides Brevitarsis Kieffer (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) in Different Farm Habitats
Authors: Bishop AL , Mckenzie HJ , Spohr LJ , Barchia IM
Published: June 2005

In a study of Culicoides brevitarsis in different farm habitats it was found that adults rested on vegetation in 'open' conditions but were more abundant in areas of higher humidity (dam margins). Numbers caught in light traps were highest in open and wooded pasture while levels of oviposition were highest in open pasture and along dam margins. The distributions and behaviours of C. brevitarsis and its cattle hosts in different habitats maintained contact between the two species, although the resting and oviposition phases of the insect did not require cattle to be constantly close by. Differences due to habitat should be considered when designing sampling/monitoring procedures and in the interpretation of survey, research and predictive data.
The Role of Predation in Shaping the Behavior, Morphology and Community Organization of Desert Rodents
Authors: Kotler BP , Brown JS , Mitchell WA
Published: June 2005

Predation greatly influences many aspects of the ecology of desert rodents, from foraging behaviour to mechanisms of species coexistence to the evolution of specialised morphologies. Using a foraging-theory approach, we examine consequences of predation for assemblages of desert rodents from North America and the Middle East. In particular, we review experimental evidence that examines the influence of predation on foraging costs and foraging behaviour, explore how predation can act to structure communities, and discuss the role that predation may have played in the evolution of bipedal locomotion. Finally, we compare the importance of predation for the evolution of anti-predator behaviours and morphology, for population dynamics, and for community processes, with its magnitude and heterogeneity. In regard to foraging behaviour, desert rodents treat the risk of predation as a cost of foraging. They combine assessments of food and safety to arrive at foraging decisions, exploiting resource patches less intensively in response to increased predatory risk. The cost of predation can be up to 91% of the foraging costs of desert rodents, but the proportion is greater for Middle Eastern rodents than for North American rodents. In regard to community structure, predation can provide the niche axis as well as the necessary tradeoff for species coexistence. Despite the importance of predation in shaping the foraging behaviour of desert rodents, predation may not always influence species coexistence. Predation contributes to species coexistence at sites in the Sonoran and Great Basin deserts. But in the Negev Desert, where predation costs are the greatest, predation does not provide a mechanism of species coexistence. In regard to bipedal locomotion, predation most likely confers superior ability to avoid predators by improving sprint speed and ability to take evasive action, but at the expense of foraging ability in safe microhabitats. The evolution of bipedality will be favoured by situations where the risk of predation is great: the open microhabitat is riskier than the bush, the richest patches are found in the riskiest places, and rich patches are far apart. The magnitude of predatory risk will affect the evolution of anti-predator behaviour and morphologies. However, the importance of predation in community processes is not determined by its magnitude, but by its heterogeneity in time and space relative to the abilities of potentially coexisting species.
Comparison of Niche-Packing and Community Organization in Desert Rodents in Asia and North-America
Authors: Shenbrot GI , Rogovin KA , Heske EJ
Published: June 2005

We compared patterns of species diversity, locomotory morphology, feeding modes, and spatial organisation for rodent communities in four Asian deserts (Kyzylkum, Gobi, ?Thar, Negev) and one North American (Chihuahuan) desert. Deserts were similar in gamma and alpha diversity. A positive relationship between regional species diversity (and biomass) and mean annual precipitation was found. The Asian deserts showed a greater degree of divergence and specialisation between bipedal and quadrupedal forms. The range of feeding modes was similar in deserts on both continents, but the Negev was the only Asian desert in which granivory was as important as in the Chihuahuan. Temperate Asian desert rodents were organised into spatial guilds, separated primarily by characteristics of the soil and perennial vegetation. North American desert rodent species overlapped more extensively in habitat use. The similarities and differences between these deserts can be explained by their biogeographic histories.
Nutritional-Value of Hypogeal Fungal Sporocarps for the Long-Nosed Potoroo (Potorous-Tridactylus), a Forest-Dwelling Mycophagous Marsupial
Authors: Claridge AW , Cork SJ
Published: June 2005

Although mycophagy (fungus-feeding) is widespread among small ground-dwelling mammals, there has been little evaluation of the nutritional benefits of this feeding habit. In Australia, some members of the Potoroidae (or rat-kangaroo family) consume large amounts of hypogeal fungi throughout the year. Hypogeal fungi appear to be of marginal nutritional quality for small mammals with simple stomachs but potoroos have an enlarged forestomach in which microbial fermentation takes place, and this may allow more effective utilisation of protected nitrogenous components and structural carbohydrates of fungi. In a feeding experiment, we evaluated the nutritional value of sporocarps of the hypogeal fungi Mesophellia glauca (Mg) and Rhizopogon luteolus (R1), for the long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridacytlus). Although the concentration of nitrogen was high in both fungi, much of that nitrogen was in non-protein form or associated with cell walls and may be either of low nutritional value or protected from digestive enzymes. The concentration of cell-wall constituents (fibre) was high in both fungi, suggesting low availability of digestible energy. Despite these features, the digestibilities of dry matter (Mg 86%, Rl 80%), ingested nitrogen (Mg 72%, Rl 72%) and energy (kJ kg-1) (Mg 93%, Rl 76%) of both fungi were high. Consequently, P. tridactylus maintained positive nitrogen balance and high intakes of digestible and metabolisable energy. We conclude that the sporocarps of hypogeal fungi represent a nutritionally valuable food for rat-kangaroos and suggest that lack of a foregut-fermentation strategy in other similar-sized ground-dwelling mammals in the forests of south-eastern Australia explains why they use the hypogeal fungal resource to a lesser extent than do rat-kangaroos.
Digestive-Tract Function and Energy-Requirements of the Rufous Hare-Wallaby, Lagorchestes-Hirsutus
Authors: Bridie A , Hume ID , Hill DM
Published: June 2005

Digestive performance and rate of passage of fluid and particulate markers through the gastrointestinal tract were measured in captive rufous hare-wallabies (Lagorchestes hirsutus) maintained on a commercial pelleted diet. This diminutive (0.8-2.1 kg) marcropodid marsupial was found to have a large, basically tubiform forestomach (tubiform forestomach 71-74% of total stomach capacity), similar to that of the large grazing kangaroos and markedly different from those of small browsing wallabies and similar-sized rat-kangaroos. This 'kangaroo-like' gastric morphology, together with a low maintenance energy requirement (326 kJ digestible energy kg-0.75 day-1) and thus low food intakes (33 g dry matter kg-0.75 day-1) and long mean retention times of digesta in the gut (23 h for a fluid marker, 38 h for a particle marker), were considered to be major factors in the ability of this small arid-zone herbivore to digest fibre (50% of the neutral-detergent fibre and 31% of the acid-detergent fibre of the pelleted diet) and thus to utilise plant material that is often of low quality in the Tanami Desert.
Seasonal-Changes in Relative Abundance and Spatial-Distribution of Australian Lowland Tropical Satyrine Butterflies
Authors: Braby MF
Published: June 2005

Seven species of grass-feeding satyrine butterflies (Lepidoptera : Nymphalidae) coexist in lowland regions of the wet tropical zone of north-eastern Queensland, Australia. Their seasonal changes in relative abundance, spatial distribution and diurnal activities were monitored at Cardwell (18 degrees 16'S) during 1989-92, with particular emphasis placed on three species of Mycalesis. The climate at Cardwell is monsoonal, being characterised by high summer rainfall and an annual winter dry season that lasts about seven months on average (although usually some rain falls during this period). Rainfall is quite variable in terms of both the timing and magnitude of the wet season. In general, relative abundance of adult Mycalesis species, increased during the early dry season, peaked during the dry winter months, decreased in the late dry season and then reached very low levels with the first significant wet-season rainfall. The pattern of seasonal abundance was broadly synchronous with seasonal changes in grass moisture content, which in turn was linked with rainfall regime. Ypthima arctous, Hypocysta irius and H. adiante showed seasonal fluctuations similar to those of Mycalesis but numbers of Melanitis leda peaked at the end of the dry season before the first significant rainfall. The seven satyrines also showed pronounced spatial and temporal differentiation in habitat distribution and timing of peak flight activity in the late dry season. Mycalesis terminus predominated in rainforest edge and adults were most active from late morning to early afternoon, whereas My. perseus and My. sirius occurred in the more open areas, favouring open eucalypt forest and paperbark woodland (Melaleuca swampland), respectively. Peak activity of My. perseus and My. sirius was confined largely to early morning and late afternoon, while Me. leda was strictly crepuscular. Peak activity of Y. arctous coincided with that of My. terminus but, unlike H. irius, which occurred only in rainforest edge, Y. arctous favoured the less shaded habitat of paperbark woodland. It is likely that adults of all species move seasonally and contract to moist refugia in the late dry season. The patterns of seasonality in Mycalesis may be influenced by variation in rainfall, and hence larval food quality, but other factors likely to influence fluctuation in abundance are briefly discussed.
The Early Embryonic-Development of the Mnesarchaeid Moth, Mnesarchaea-Fusilella Walker (Lepidoptera, Mnesarchaeidae), and Its Phylogenetic Significance
Authors: Kobayashi Y , Gibbs GW
Published: June 2005

Formative processes of the blastoderm, germ disk, germ rudiment and embryonic membranes in the mnesarchaeid moth, Mnesarchaea fusilella, are described, and their phylogenetic significance is discussed. The egg is ovoid, about 0.32 mm by 0.48 mm in size. Below the thin chorion lies a very thick vitelline membrane. In the newly laid eggs, this membrane is colourless, but it becomes blackly pigmented about 30 hours after oviposition. Soon after the completion of the blastoderm, the germ disk or embryonic area forms in the posteroventral region of the egg. It then invaginates into the yolk, and becomes a sac-shaped germ rudiment. After closure of its opening, the germ rudiment separates from the rudimentary serosal or extra-embryonic area Its inner region later develops into the embryo, and its outer one into the amnion. The serosa is thick and each of its cells has two nuclei. The formative process of the germ rudiment and embryonic membranes in M. fusilella is primitive and very similar to that of the hepialid moths, Endoclita excrescens and E. sinensis. From the embryological standpoint, Mnesarchaea clearly belong to the Exoporia because of the following two synapomorphic characters: (1) formation of the thick, blackly pigmented vitelline membrane: and (2) presence of thick, bi-nucleated serosal cells.
Ecophysiology of a Wild-Living Population of the Velvet-Furred Rat, Rattus Lutreolus Velutinus (Rodentia: Muridae), in Tasmania
Authors: Monamy V
Published: June 2005

Plasma corticosterone (B) concentrations and certain haematological and morphological parameters were measured in an age cohort of velvet-furred rats, Rattus lutreolus velutinus, in Tasmanian wet sclerophyll forest. Individuals were trapped repeatedly and sampled sequentially for 14 months, offering an opportunity to derive morpho-physiological profiles for free-living individuals. Throughout the study, 130 blood samples were obtained from 29 individuals from the cohort. Gender differences were detected, with total plasma B concentration in females exceeding that in males significantly during the breeding season. By partitioning the total B concentration into biologically active and inactive fractions, it is demonstrated that whilst female rats had higher B levels in the breeding season, most of it was protein bound and inactive. In males, mean total B declined at the onset of breeding but the proportion of biologically active steroid actually increased. These data confirm the breeding season as a stressful period for males. Gender differences also were detected for mean white blood cell counts, being higher in males at all times. No gender-linked differences were detected for plasma protein concentration, red blood cell counts, haematocrif haemoglobin concentration or derived parameters. Physiological data are related to a body condition index and combined with observations made throughout the study of tail wounding and excessive ectoparasite burdens to present a morpho-physiological profile for R.l. velutinus active in wet sclerophyll forest.
Social Organisation in the Rufous Bettong, Aepyprymnus Rufescens
Authors: Frederick H , Johnson CN
Published: June 2005

This study examined association patterns and reproductive behaviour in a sexually monomorphic potoroid marsupial, the rufous bettong, Aepyprymnus rufescens. A total of 29 individuals was marked, and 22 of these were observed regularly over a six-month period; these 22 individuals accounted for almost all the animals using the study area. Rufous bettongs at this site were predominantly solitary (71% of sightings were of single animals) and groups, when they formed, were generally small (maximum of six individuals). Most groups of two were male-female pairs, and unisex groups occurred significantly less often than expected. These male-female groups formed as a result of sexual investigations of females by males, and were shore-lived. Analysis of the frequency with which particular males and females were seen together (excluding occasions when females were in oestrus) showed that most males did not persistently associate with any particular female. Instead, they appeared to maintain transitory contact with as many females as possible. However, three pairs were regularly seen together, suggesting that some males may maintain especially close contact with particular females. Females as they approached oestrus were followed continually by several males, with one male following very closely and preventing others from approaching. In two well-studied cases, the male who defended priority of access to the female was the same individual who had most often associated with that female when not in oestrus. These males demonstrated intimate knowledge of the nesting locations of the females and were able to join them very early each evening, and defended them against other males with little overt aggression. The mating system in this population appears to be promiscuous, but with a hint of monogamy arising from the tendency of some males to persistently investigate and ultimately to guard sexual access to certain individual females.
Postero-Lateral Glands of Temnocephala Minor Haswell, 1888 (Platyhelminthes: Temnocephalida)
Authors: Cannon LRG , Warson NA
Published: June 2005

Temnocephala minor Haswell, 1888 lives ectosymbiotically on the surface of the freshwater crayfish Cherax destructor in the Murray-Darling drainages of Australia. Some glands open on the postero-lateral margin and, being moderately refractory to many stains, can be overlooked in whole mounts and sections, and were, in fact, missed by Haswell. Observations were made on living worms with intra vitam dyes, and on whole mounts, wax sections and ultrathin sections using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to characterise the secretion from these glands and ascertain its mode of manufacture. The function of the glands remains unknown although it appears non-adhesive.
The Rainforest Ant Fauna of Australia's Northern Territory
Authors: Reichel H , Andersen AN
Published: June 2005

An ant survey of Northern Territory (NT) rainforests, which occur as numerous small and isolated patches within a predominantly savanna landscape, yielded 173 species from 46 genera. The richest genera were Polyrhachis (22 species), Pheidole (21 species), Rhytidoponera (12 species) and Monomorium (12 species). Seven genera represented new records for the NT: Discothyrea, Prionopelta, Machomyrma, Strumigenys, Bothriomyrmex, Turneria and Pseudolasius. The most common ants were Generalised myrmicines, particularly species of Pheidole and Monomorium, and Opportunists such as species of Paratrechina, Tetramorium, Odontomachus and Rhytidoponera. This is also the case in rainforests of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Of NT rainforest species, 59% have Torresian (tropical) affinities, which is only slightly higher than in Kimberley rainforests (48%). However, the NT harbours a far higher proportion of specialist rainforest species (27 v. 9%), including many more with arboreal nests (13 v. 5% of total species). Many of the rainforest specialists are of considerable biogeographic interest, with a substantial number having disjunct distributions in the NT and Queensland (and often also New Guinea) A small number represent the only known Australian records of south-east Asian species. Interestingly, very few species appear to be endemic to NT rainforests, with a previously unrecorded species of Aphaenogaster being a probable exception. The NT rainforest fauna also includes several introduced species, with at least one (Pheidole megacephala) posing a serious conservation threat.
Development of the Skeleton of the Stripe-Faced Dunnart, Sminthopsis Macroura (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae)
Authors: Frigo L , Woolley PA
Published: June 2005

Development of the skeleton of the stripe-faced dunnart, Sminthopsis macroura (Gould), a small carnivorous marsupial, was examined in captive-bred pouch young of known age. Skeletal tissue was differentially stained with the dyes alcian blue and alizarin red to demonstrate the presence of cartilage and bone, respectively. The skeleton of the neonate is cartilaginous and ossification centres are first apparent in the skull by Day 5 post partum. The skeleton of S. macroura is well invested with bone by Day 40 of the lactation period, when the young can relinquish the nipple. The sequence of ossification is similar to that reported for other marsupials. Comparisons are made with the eutherian pattern of ossification. This study is the first published work on the ossification of a dasyurid marsupial as shown by whole-mount staining.
Telomerase can act as a template- and RNA-independent terminal transferase
Authors: Lue Neal F. , Bosoy Dimitry , Moriarty Tara J. , Autexier Chantal , Altman Brian , Leng Siyang
Published: July 2005

Telomerase is a special reverse transcriptase that extends one strand of the telomere repeat by using a template embedded in an RNA subunit. Like other polymerases, telomerase is believed to use a pair of divalent metal ions (coordinated by a triad of aspartic acid residues) for catalyzing nucleotide addition. Here we show that, in the presence of manganese, both yeast and human telomerase can switch to a template- and RNA-independent mode of DNA synthesis, acting in effect as a terminal transferase. Even as a terminal transferase, yeast telomerase retains a species-dependent preference for GT-rich, telomere-like DNA on the 5′ end of the substrate. The terminal transferase activity of telomerase may account for some of the hitherto unexplained effects of telomerase overexpression on cell physiology.
Soluble epoxide hydrolase is a therapeutic target for acute inflammation
Authors: Schmelzer Kara R. , Kubala Lukas , Newman John W. , Kim In-Hae , Eiserich Jason P. , Hammock Bruce D.
Published: July 2005

As of 2004, >73 million people were prescribed antiinflammatory medication. Despite the extensive number of current products, many people still suffer from their diseases or the pharmacological properties (side effects) of the medications. Therefore, developing therapeutic strategies to treat inflammation remains an important endeavor. Here, we demonstrate that the soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is a key pharmacologic target for treating acute systemic inflammation. Lipopolysaccharide-induced mortality, systemic hypotension, and histologically evaluated tissue injury were substantially diminished by administration of urea-based, small-molecule inhibitors of sEH to C57BL/6 mice. Moreover, sEH inhibitors decreased plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide metabolites while promoting the formation of lipoxins, thus supporting inflammatory resolution. These data suggest that sEH inhibitors have therapeutic efficacy in the treatment and management of acute inflammatory diseases.
The ErbB3-binding protein Ebp1 suppresses androgen receptor-mediated gene transcription and tumorigenesis of prostate cancer cells
Authors: Zhang Yuexing , Wang Xin-Wei , Jelovac Danijela , Nakanishi Takeo , Yu Myoung-hee , Akinmade Damilola , Goloubeva Olga , Ross Douglas D. , Brodie Angela , Hamburger Anne W.
Published: July 2005

Down-regulation of the androgen receptor (AR) is being evaluated as an effective therapy for the advanced stages of prostate cancer. We report that Ebp1, a protein identified by its interactions with the ErbB3 receptor, down-regulates expression of AR and AR-regulated genes in the LNCaP prostate cancer cell line. Using microarray analysis, we identified six endogenous AR target genes, including the AR itself, that are down-regulated by
ebp1
overexpression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that Ebp1 was recruited to the prostate-specific antigen gene promoter in response to the androgen antagonist bicalutamide, suggesting that Ebp1 directly affected the expression of AR-regulated genes in response to androgen antagonists. Ebp1 expression was reduced in cells that had become androgen-independent. Androgens failed to stimulate either the growth of
ebp1
transfectants or transcription of AR-regulated reporter genes in these cells. The agonist activity of the antiandrogen cyproterone acetate was abolished in
ebp1
transfectants. In severe combined immunodeficient mice, Ebp1 overexpression resulted in a reduced incidence of LNCaP tumors and slower tumor growth. These findings suggest that Ebp1 is a previously unrecognized therapeutic target for treatment of hormone refractory prostate cancer.