Systematics: A new fossil genus of small-headed flies (Diptera: Acroceridae: Philopotinae) from Baltic amber

A new genus of philopotine Acroceridae in Baltic amber is described from both sexes. Archaeterphis hennigi gen. et sp. nov. is easily diagnosed from all other acrocerid genera by the deeply emarginate hind margin of the eye, short mouthparts, reduced wing venation, modified hind femora, and the large postpronotal lobes being proximate but not touching. The new genus is closely related to the extant genus Africaterphis Schlinger from southern Africa, which accords with a common biogeographic pattern in insects.

Bivalves for the remediation of prawn farm effluent: identification of some potentially useful species in Southern Queensland

Several species of oysters, clams and mussels are currently being used around the world to create extra profits and help remediate waste-waters from mariculture operations. To identify opportunities and potentially suitable species of bivalves for remediation of prawn farm effluent in Australia, recent literature dealing with bivalve filtration is reviewed, and species occurring naturally in a banana prawn, Penaeus (Fenneropenaeus) merguiensis, grow-out pond and effluent streams at the Bribie Island Aquaculture Research Centre (BIARC) were collected, identified and assessed in terms of their tolerance of high silt loadings over 3 months. Three bivalve species predominated in the BIARC case study. These were the mud ark, Anadara trapezia, the rock oyster, Dendostrea folium, and the pearl shell, Pinctada maculata. The mud ark demonstrated the highest tolerance of silt loading (99% survival), followed by pearl shells and rock oysters (88 and 63% survival respectively).

Do parasitic flies attack mites? Evidence in Baltic amber

We provide the first evidence of a small-headed fly planidium (first instar larva; Diptera: Acroceridae) associated with a whirligig mite (Acari: Acariformes: Prostigmata: Anystina: Anystidae) in Baltic amber. This fossil is surprising as parasitic nematodes are the only metazoans known to successfully attack acariform mites, and Acroceridae are believed to be host-restricted parasitoids of spiders. The fossil corroborates a previously published, but widely dismissed, paper that first reported parasitism of parasitengone mites by acrocerid planidia. The possible natural history implications of this find are discussed.

Toughening of Fibre Composite Resins through Modification of Plant Oils

Extract from the executive summary: A collaborative scoping research project to identify plant oil species with potential value in the production of fibre composite resins and assess their suitability to Queensland’s regions has been conducted by QDPI&F, USQ and Loc Composites Pty Ltd. The use of plant-oil based resins in the production of fibre composites will contribute to the Queensland economy through establishing sustainable high technology building products from renewable sources while decreasing the reliance of resin production on fossil fuels. The main objective of this project was to indentify a suite of plant oil species that show agronomic adaptability to the Australian environment (e.g. climate, soils) and economic viability of extracting plant oils for resin production within a highly competitive supply and demand production market.

Domestication for Conservation of an Endangered Species: The Case of the Wollemi Pine

A small population of tall slender conifers was discovered in 1994 in a deep rainforest canyon of the Wollemi National Park, New SouthWales, Australia. The living trees closely resembled fossils that were more than 65 million years old, and this ‘living fossil��� was recognised as a third extant genus in the Araucariaceae (Araucaria, Agathis and now Wollemia). The species was named the Wollemi pine (W. nobilis). Extensive searches uncovered very few populations, with the total number of adult trees being less than 100. Ex situ collections were quickly established in Sydney as part of the Wollemi Pine Recovery Plan. The majority of the ex situ population was later transferred to our custom-built facility in Queensland for commercial multiplication. Domestication has relied very heavily on the species’ amenability to vegetative propagation because seed collection from the natural populations is dangerous, expensive, and undesirable for conservation reasons. Early propagation success was poor, with only about 25% of cuttings producing roots. However, small increases in propagation success have a very large impact on a domestication program because plant production can be modelled on an exponential curve where each rooted cutting develops into a mother plant that, in turn, provides more rooted cuttings. An extensive research program elevated rooting percentages to greater than 80% and also provided in vitro methods for plant multiplication. These successes have enabled international release of the Wollemi pine as a new and attractive species for ornamental horticulture.

Testing the effectiveness of the SKIM foam fractionator to reduce nutrient levels in prawn farm effluent

To experimentally investigate the effect of the “SKIM” mechanical foam fractionator on suspended material and the nutrient levels in prawn farm effluent, a series of standardised short-term treatments were applied to various effluent types in a static 10,000-litre water body. Prawn pond effluents were characterised by watercolour and dominance of phytoplankton species. Three effluent types were tested, namely 1) particulate-rich effluent with little apparent phytoplankton, 2) green mircoalgal bloom predominately made up of single celled phytoplankton, and 3) brown microalgal bloom with higher prevalence of diatoms. The effluent types were similar (P>0.05) in non-volatile particulate material, and nitrate/nitrite but varied from each other in the following ways: 1) The particulate-rich effluents were lower (P<0.05) in volatile solids (compared to brown blooms), total Kjeldahl nitrogen, dissolved organic nitrogen, dissolved organic phosphorus and chlorophyll a (compared to both green and brown blooms). 2) The brown blooms were higher (P<0.05) in ammonia (compared to green blooms), total nitrogen and total phosphorus (compared to both green and particulate-rich effluent), but were lower (P<0.05) in inorganic phosphorus (compared to both green and particulate-rich effluent). 3) The green blooms were higher (P<0.05) in dissolved (both organic and inorganic) phosphorus (compared to both brown and particulate-rich effluents). Although the effluent types varied significantly in these aspects the effect of the Skim treatment was similar for all parameters measured except total phosphorus. Bloom type and Skim-treatment period significantly (P<0.05) affected total Kjeldahl phosphorus concentrations. For all effluent types there was a continuous significant reduction (P<0.05) in total Kjeldahl phosphorus during the initial 6-hour treatment period. Levels of total suspended solids and volatile suspended solids in all effluent types were significantly (P<0.05) reduced in the first 2 hours but not thereafter. Non-volatile suspended solids were also significantly (P<0.05) reduced in the first 2 hours (30 to 40 % reduction) and a further 40% reduction occurred in the particulate-rich effluent over the next 2 hours. Mean values for total ammonia, dissolved organic nitrogen, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total nitrogen, chlorophyll a and dissolved organic or inorganic phosphorus levels were not significantly (P>0.05) affected by the Skim unit in any bloom type during the initial 6 hours of testing. Nevertheless, non-significant nitrogen reductions did occur. Foam production by the Skim unit varied with different blooms, resulting in different concentrate volumes and different end points for separate experiments. Concentrate volumes were generally high for the particulate-rich and green blooms (175 – 370 litres) and low for the brown blooms (25 – 80 litres). This was due to the low tendency of the brown bloom to produce foam. This generated higher nutrient concentrations in the associated condensed foam, but may have limited the treatment efficiency. The results suggest that in this application, the Skim unit did not remove micro-algae as effectively as was anticipated. However, it was effective at removing other suspended solids. Considering these attributes and the other uses of this machinery documented by the manufactures, the unit’s oxygenation mixing capacities coupled with inorganic solids removal may provide a suitable mechanism for construction of a continuously mixed bioreactor that utilises the filtration and profit making abilities of bivalves.

Efficient eucalypt cell wall deconstruction and conversion for sustainable lignocellulosic biofuels

In order to meet the world’s growing energy demand and reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from fossil fuel combustion, renewable plant-based feedstocks for biofuel production must be considered. The first-generation biofuels, derived from starches of edible feedstocks, such as corn, create competition between food and fuel resources, both for the crop itself and the land on which it is grown. As such, biofuel synthesized from non-edible plant biomass (lignocellulose) generated on marginal agricultural land will help to alleviate this competition. Eucalypts, the broadly defined taxa encompassing over 900 species of Eucalyptus, Corymbia, and Angophora are the most widely planted hardwood tree in the world, harvested mainly for timber, pulp and paper, and biomaterial products. More recently, due to their exceptional growth rate and amenability to grow under a wide range of environmental conditions, eucalypts are a leading option for the development of a sustainable lignocellulosic biofuels. However, efficient conversion of woody biomass into fermentable monomeric sugars is largely dependent on pretreatment of the cell wall, whose formation and complexity lend itself toward natural recalcitrance against its efficient deconstruction. A greater understanding of this complexity within the context of various pretreatments will allow the design of new and effective deconstruction processes for bioenergy production. In this review, we present the various pretreatment options for eucalypts, including research into understanding structure and formation of the eucalypt cell wall.