Two new species of Naticidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda) from the coast of China

Two new species of Naticidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda) collected from the coast of China are described: Cryptonaitca huanghaiensis sp. nov. and Sinum. vittatum sp. nov. The morphological characteristics between the new species were described and the related information was provided. The similarities and differenees between the new species and related species were also compared and discussed. The new species Cryptonaitea huanghaiensis differed from Cryptonaitca hirasei and Cryptonaitca andoi in outer shape, operculum and radula. The new species Sinum, vittatum is similar to Sinum, japonicum (Lischke, 1869), but the shell of the former is flat-elliptical in shape, spire very small, slightly convex. While the latter is flat-globular in shape, apex light brown in color, without a brown band on the body whorl. The comparison results revealed that Cryptonaitca huanghaiensis and Sinum vittatum were two new species from the coast of China. Specimens studied were obtained from collections in the Marine Biological Museum, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

On two species of euxanthine crabs from the South China Sea, including a description of a new species of Crosnierius (Crustacea : Decapoda : Brachyura : Xanthidae)

A new species of the previously monotypic xanthid genus Crosnierius Serene & Vadon, 1981 is described from the South China Sea. The species differs from Crosnierius carinatus Serene & Vadon, 1981 in the structure of the anterolateral teeth, ambulatory leg proportions and form of the male first pleopod. Paramedaeus planifrons (Sakai, 1965) is also reported from the South China Sea, the first record of the species outside its type locality of Japan.

On two species of spider crabs of the genus Doclea (Crustacea : Decapoda : Brachyura : Majidae : Pisinae) from China, one of which is new

A new species of spider crab, Doclea unidentata, is described from the South China Sea. Allied to D. brachyrhynchos Bleeker, 1856, and D. macracanthus Bleeker, 1856, it can easily be distinguished by its very short, unidentate rostrum. The identity of Doclea canalifera Stimpson, 1857, is resolved with the selection of a neotype, and it is here regarded as a senior subjective synonym of D. japonica Ortmann, 1893. The taxonomy of this species as well as the allied D. ovis (Fabricius, 1787) is also discussed.

On a new genus and new species of xanthid crab (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura, Xanthinae) from the South China Sea, with notes on the genus Liagore De Haan, 1833

A new genus and new species of xanthid crab, Ovatis simplex, is described from the South China Sea. The genus is closest to Liagore but can be distinguished by a suite of carapace and male gonopod characters. The systematic position of Liagore is also considered, and both genera, Liagore and Ovatis, are here referred to the subfamily Xanthinae. Comparisons with the allied genera, Paratergatis and Pulcratis, are also provided.

Determination of chemical species of iodine in some seaweeds .1.

The chemical species of iodine in seven marine algae Codium fragile, Ulva pertusa, Monostroma nitidum, Gracilaria confervoides, Sargassum Kjellmanianum, Dictyopteris divaricata and Laminaria japonica were studied using neutron activation analysis combined with chemical separation. The contents of total iodine, water-soluble iodine, soluble organic iodine, I- and IO3- were determined. The results indicate that the chemical species and contents of iodine in various algae are remarkably different. The highest iodine content of 734 mg/kg (wet basis) was found in Laminaria japonica, with 99.2% of the total iodine being water soluble. The iodine contents of the other six algae are lower and soluble iodine makes up 16-41% of the total. In the aqueous leachate, iodine is mainly I-, which amounts to 61-93% of total water-soluble iodine; the percentages of organic iodine making up 5.5-37.4%, while the contents of IO3- are the lowest, 1.4-4.5%. This result suggests that the mechanism of iodine enrichment is different for various algae and that its bioavailability varies as well. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.

A new species of the genus Rhopalotettix Hancock (Orthoptera, Tetrigoidea, Metrodoridae) from Taiwan (in English)

This paper describes a new species of Metrodoridae, Rhopalotettix taipeieiisis sp. nov. , collected from (lie (arm of Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan, and provides a key to the 6 species of the genus Rhopnloteltix Hancock, 1910. Type specimens are deposited in the Department ol Entomology, Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.

A new species of Ptilagrostis Griseb. (Poaceae) from Xizang, China

Ptilagrostis macrospicula L.B.Cai, sp.nov. Fig.1

Phylogeography of Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. (Pinaceae), a dominant species of coniferous forest in northern China

How coniferous trees in northern China changed their distribution ranges in response to Quaternary climatic oscillations remains largely unknown. Here we report a study of the phylogeography of Pinus tabulaeformis, an endemic and dominant species of coniferous forest in northern China. We examined sequence variation of maternally inherited, seed-dispersed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) (nad5 intron 1 and nad4/3-4) and paternally inherited, pollen- and seed-dispersed chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) (rpl16 and trnS-trnG) within and among 30 natural populations across the entire range of the species. Six mitotypes and five chlorotypes were recovered among 291 trees surveyed. Population divergence was high for mtDNA variation (G(ST) = 0.738, N-ST = 0.771) indicating low levels of seed-based gene flow and significant phylogeographical structure (N-ST > G(ST), P < 0.05). The spatial distribution of mitotypes suggests that five distinct population groups exist in the species: one in the west comprising seven populations, a second with a north-central distribution comprising 15 populations, a third with a southern and easterly distribution comprising five populations, a fourth comprising one central and one western population, and a fifth comprising a single population located in the north-central part of the species' range. Each group apart from the fourth group is characterized by a distinct mitotype, with other mitotypes, if present, occurring at low frequency. It is suggested, therefore, that most members of each group apart from Group 4 are derived from ancestors that occupied different isolated refugia in a previous period of range fragmentation of the species, possibly at the time of the Last Glacial Maximum. Possible locations for these refugia are suggested. A comparison of mitotype diversity between northern and southern subgroups within the north-central group of populations (Group 2) showed much greater uniformity in the northern part of the range both within and between populations. This could indicate a northward migration of the species from a southern refugium in this region during the postglacial period, although alternative explanations cannot be ruled out. Two chlorotypes were distributed across the geographical range of the species, resulting in lower levels of among-population chlorotype variation. The geographical pattern of variation for all five chlorotypes provided some indication of the species surviving past glaciations in more than one refugium, although differentiation was much less marked, presumably due to the greater dispersal of cpDNA via pollen.

A new species of Orinus (Poaceae) from Qinghai, China

A new species of Orinus Hitchcock, O. alticulmus L. B. Cai & Tong Lin Zhang, is described and illustrated. This species is endemic to Qinghai province, China, occurring at altitudes of 2450-2600 m on sandy soils. It resembles O. kokonorica (K. S. Hao) Tzvelev, but differs from that species by its slightly effuse panicles, longer spikelets usually with five or six florets, purple-yellow anthers, shorter caryopses, and the paleas usually longer than the lemmas. A key to the five species of the genus is provided.

Summer diet of two sympatric species of raptors Upland Buzzard (Buteo hemilasius) and Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) in alpine meadow: problem of coexistence

Summer diets of two sympatric raptors Upland Buzzards (Buteo hemilasius Temminck et Schlegel) and Eurasian Eagle Owls (Bubo bubo L. subsp. Hemachalana Hume) were studied in an alpine meadow (3250 m a.s.l.) on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. Root voles Microtus oeconomus Pallas, plateau pikas Ochotona curzoniae Hodgson, Gansu pikas O. cansus Lyon and plateau zokors Myospalax baileyi Thomas were the main diet components of Upland Buzzards as identified through the pellets analysis with the frequency of 57, 20, 19 and 4%, respectively. The four rodent species also were the main diet components of Eurasian Eagle Owls basing on the pellets and prey leftovers analysis with the frequency of 53, 26, 13 and 5%, respectively. The food niche breadth indexes of Upland Buzzards and Eurasian Eagle Owls were 1.60 and 1.77 respectively (higher value of the index means the food niche of the raptor is broader), and the diet overlap index of the two raptors was larger (C-ue = 0.90) (the index range from 0 - no overlap - to I - complete overlap). It means that the diets of Upland Buzzards and Eurasian Eagle Owls were similar (Two Related Samples Test, Z = -0.752, P = 0.452). The classical resource partitioning theory can not explain the coexistence of Upland Buzzards and Eurasian Eagle Owls in alpine meadows of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. However, differences in body size, predation mode and activity rhythm between Upland Buzzards and Eurasian Eagle Owls may explain the coexistence of these two sympatric raptors.

A new species and key to known species of genus Oxya Serville (Orthoptera : Acrididae : Catantopinae) from China

During routine identification of the grasshoppers of the Dasa river, Guizhou Province of China in 2004, a new species [ Oxya guizhouensis sp, nov.] of the genus Oxya Serville ( Orthoptera, Acrididae, Catantopinae) was discovered. It is described here. A key to all known species of the genus from China is given. The type specimens are deposited in the Museum of Hebei University (MHU), Baoding, Hebei, China.

Two new species of Saxifraga (Saxifragaceae) from Southwestern China

Two new species, Saxifraga xiaozhongdianensis J. T. Pan and S. ludingensis J. T. Pan, from the Saxifragaceae in China are described and illustrated. Of these, S. xiaozhongdianensis is endemic to Zhongdian, Yunnan, and is related to S. brachyphylla Franchet. It differs from S. brachyphylla in the sepals adaxially dark brown glandular-villose and the petals basally subauriculate. Saxifraga ludingensis occurs in Luding, Sichuan, and is very similar to S. egregioides J. T. Pan and S. stellariifolia Franchet. It differs from S. egregioides in the stems brown glandular-villose, the cauline leaves adaxially brown glandular-villose, the sepals spreading in anthesis and abaxially brown glandular-villose, and the petals 5-veined. It differs from S. stellariifolia in the leaves cordate and abaxially glabrous, the sepals abaxially brown glandular-villose, and the petals 4-callose and 5-veined. Saxifraga xiaozhongdianensis and S. ludingeasis are apparently endemic to western China and belong to Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae Haworth, emend. J. T. Pan.

A new species and a key to known species of the genus Atractomorpha (Orthoptera, Acridoidea, Pyrgomorphidae) from China

A new species, Atractomorpha taiwanensis sp. n. from Taiwan, China, is described in this paper. The new species is similar to A. micropenna Zheng, 1992, but it differs from the latter by the following: lateral lobe of pronotum without membranous area near posterior margin; the tegmina strongly shortened, not reaching ( in male) the midpoint of hind femur; and wings very small, not reaching the midpoint of tegmina. A key to all known species of the genus Atractomorpha from China is given. The type specimens are deposited in the Museum of Hebei University, China.

Patterns of genetic variation in Swertia przewalskii, an endangered endemic species of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Swertia przewalskii Pissjauk. (Gentianaceae) is a critically endangered and endemic plant of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. RAPD and ISSR analyses were carried out on a total of 63 individuals to assess the extent of genetic variation in the remaining three populations. Percentage of polymorphic bands was 94% (156 bands) for RAPD and 96% (222 bands) for ISSR. A pairwise distance measure calculated from the RAPD and ISSR data was used as input for analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA). AMOVA indicated that a high proportion of the total genetic variation (52% for RAPD and 56% for ISSR) was found among populations; pairwise Phi(ST) comparisons showed that the three populations examined were significantly different (p < 0.001). Significant genetic differentiation was found based on different measures (AMOVA and Hickory theta(B)) in S. przewalskii (0.52 on RAPD and 0.56 on ISSR; 0.46 on RAPD and 0.45 on ISSR). The differentiation of the populations corresponded to low average gene flow (0.28 based on RAPD and 0.31 based on ISSR), whereas genetic distance-based clustering and coalescent-based assignment analyses revealed significant genetic isolation among populations. Our results indicate that genetic diversity is independent of population size. We conclude that although sexual reproduction and gene flow between populations of S. przewalskii are very limited, they have preserved high levels of genetic diversity. The main factors responsible for the high level of difference among populations are the isolation and recent fragmentation under human disturbance.