Revision of the scolopendrid centipede digitipes Attems, 1930, from India (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha): reconciling molecular and morphological estimates of species diversity

Recent work on molecular phylogenetics of Scolopendridae from the Western Ghats, Peninsular India, has suggested the presence of six cryptic species of the otostigmine Digitipes Attems, 1930, together with three species described in previous taxonomic work by Jangi and Dass (1984). Digitipes is the correct generic attribution for a monophyletic group of Indian species, these being united with three species from tropical Africa (including the type) that share a distomedial process on the ultimate leg femur of males that is otherwise unknown in Otostigminae. Second maxillary characters previously used in the diagnosis of Digitipes are dismissed because Indian species do not possess the putatively diagnostic character states. Two new species from the Western Ghats that correspond to groupings identified based on monophyly, sequence divergence and coalescent analysis using molecular data are diagnosed based on distinct morphological characters. They are D. jangii and D. periyarensis n. spp. Three species named by Jangi and Dass (Digitipes barnabasi, D. coonoorensis and D. indicus) are revised based on new collections; D. indicus is a junior subjective synonym of Arthrorhabdus jonesii Verhoeff, 1938, the combination becoming Digitipes jonesii (Verhoeff, 1938) n. comb. The presence of Arthrorhabdus in India is accordingly refuted. Three putative species delimited by molecular and ecological data remain cryptic from the perspective of diagnostic morphological characters and are presently retained in D. barnabasi, D. jangii and D. jonesii. A molecularly-delimited species that resolved as sister group to a well-supported clade of Indian Digitipes is identified as Otostigmus ruficeps Pocock, 1890, originally described from a single specimen and revised herein. One Indian species originally assigned to Digitipes, D. gravelyi, deviates from confidently-assigned Digitipes with respect to several characters and is reassigned to Otostigmus, as O. gravelyi (Jangi and Dass, 1984) n. comb.

Tropical dermatology: Venomous arthropods and human skin Part II. Diplopoda, Chilopoda, and Arachnida

Members of arthropod classes Chilopoda (centipedes), Diplopoda (millipedes), and Arachnida (spiders and scorpions) cause tissue injury via bites, stings, and/or a release of toxins. A few members of the Acari subclass of Arachnida (mites and ticks) can transmit a variety of infectious diseases, but this review will cover the noninfectious manifestations of these vectors. Dermatologists should be familiar with the injuries caused by these arthropods in order to initiate proper treatment and recommend effective preventative measures. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2012;67:347.e1-9.)

An annotated list of the centipedes (Chilopoda) in the National Collection of Arachnids, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

The National Collection of Arachnids, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (México City) houses 476 chilopod samples, of which 197 are determined to genus and/or species. These are documented here and represent several new state records. Topotypes of eight species of centipedes described by R. V. Chamberlin also documented. Resumen. La Colección Nacional de Arácnidos, del Instituto de Biología de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Ciudad de México), resguarda 476 muestras de quilópodos, de los que 197 están determinadas a nivel de género y/o especie. Algunas de estas muestras corresponden a nuevos registros estatales. Se documentan los topotipos de ocho especies de ciempiés descritos por R. V. Chamberlin.

Can arable field margins be managed to enhance their biodiversity, conservation and functional value for soil macrofauna?

1. The establishment of grassy strips at the margins of arable fields is an agri-environment scheme that aims to provide resources for native flora and fauna and thus increase farmland biodiversity. These margins can be managed to target certain groups, such as farmland birds and pollinators, but the impact of such management on the soil fauna has been poorly studied. This study assessed the effect of seed mix and management on the biodiversity, conservation and functional value of field margins for soil macrofauna. 2. Experimental margin plots were established in 2001 in a winter wheat field in Cambridgeshire, UK, using a factorial design of three seed mixes and three management practices [spring cut, herbicide application and soil disturbance (scarification)]. In spring and autumn 2005, soil cores taken from the margin plots and the crop were hand-sorted for soil macrofauna. The Lumbricidae, Isopoda, Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Carabidae and Staphylinidae were identified to species and classified according to feeding type. 3. Diversity in the field margins was generally higher than in the crop, with the Lumbricidae, Isopoda and Coleoptera having significantly more species and/or higher abundances in the margins. Within the margins, management had a significant effect on the soil macrofauna, with scarified plots containing lower abundances and fewer species of Isopods. The species composition of the scarified plots was similar to that of the crop. 4. Scarification also reduced soil- and litter-feeder abundances and predator species densities, although populations appeared to recover by the autumn, probably as a result of dispersal from neighbouring plots and boundary features. The implications of the responses of these feeding groups for ecosystem services are discussed. 5. Synthesis and applications. This study shows that the management of agri-environment schemes can significantly influence their value for soil macrofauna. In order to encourage the litter-dwelling invertebrates that tend to be missing from arable systems, agri-environment schemes should aim to minimize soil cultivation and develop a substantial surface litter layer. However, this may conflict with other aims of these schemes, such as enhancing floristic and pollinator diversity.

Feeding habits and habitat use in Bothrops pubescens (Viperidae, Crotalinae) from southern Brazil

Bothrops pubescens is a member of the neuwiedi complex that occurs in southern Brazil and Uruguay. We studied the ecology of B. pubescens from a field site (at Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil) and based on preserved specimens from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. In Santa Maria, individuals were collected during visual encounter surveys (VES), in pitfall traps with drift fences and during incidental encounters. Most snakes found in the field were on the ground, mainly on leaf litter, in mosaics of light and shadow or in completely shaded areas. In disturbed areas, snakes were usually associated with country houses and agricultural fields. Snakes were found much more frequently in forests and forest edges than in open habitats. The diet of B. pubescens comprised small mammals (56.2% of individual prey found), anurans (21.2%), lizards (7.5%), snakes (7.5%), birds (5.0%), and centipedes (2.5%). Prey predator mass ratios ranged from 0.002-0.627, and larger snakes tended to consume larger prey. Bothrops pubescens seems to be able to survive in disturbed areas, mainly those close to forests, and this ability may be facilitated by its generalized feeding habits. Copyright 2005 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.

Acidentes por centopéia notificados pelo "Centro de Informações Toxicológicas de Belém", num período de dois anos

Centopéias são animais invertebrados do filo dos artrópodes e da classe Chilopoda . Este trabalho objetiva estudar o perfil dos acidentes por centopéias notificados pelo "Centro de Informações Toxicológicas de Belém" (CIT-Belém). Foram estudados 76 protocolos registrados no período de março de 1998 a março de 2000. Corresponderam a 16,7% dos acidentes por animais peçonhentos, superados apenas pelo ofidismo (44,4%) e escorpionismo (20,5%). O local do acidente foi a residência em 86,8% dos casos. A faixa etária 20 - 49 anos foi a mais acometida (64,4 %) e 61,8 % dos casos registrados pertenciam ao sexo feminino. Membros superiores foram a parte do corpo mais acidentada (47,4%). Dor local ocorreu em 95,8 % dos pacientes e edema local leve em 52,1%. O tratamento foi predominantemente sintomático; 94,7% evoluíram para a cura e ignora-se a evolução nos outros 5,3 %. Sugere-se que o acidente por centopéia é benigno e doméstico e que tratamentos analgésicos são suficientes.

Die molekulare Evolution der Hämocyaninsuperfamilie der Arthropoden

In vielen Arthropoden wird Sauerstoff mittels des Kupferproteins Hämocyanin transportiert. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde das Hämocyanin einiger Vertreter der Arthropoden molekularbiologisch untersucht. Bei den Crustaceen (Homarus americanus und Palinurus elephas) konnten vier Untereinheiten isoliert werden, bei denen es sich um Hämocyanine des a-Typs handelt. Bei den Myriapoden (Chilopoda, Scutigera coleoptrata und Diplopoda, Spirostreptus spec.) konnten drei unterschiedliche Hämocyaninuntereinheiten gefunden werden. Erst seit einiger Zeit ist das Hämocyanin bei Myriapoden biochemisch charakterisiert und bei diesen Hämocyaninsequenzen handelt es sich um die ersten von Myriapoden. Bei den Onychophoren (Epiperipatus spec.) konnte ebenfalls erstmals ein Hämocyanin isoliert und sequenziert werden. Hierbei handelt es sich um den ersten Hinweis, dass Onychophoren über ein respiratorisches Protein verfügen. In einer phylogenetischen Analyse der Hämocyaninsequenzen konnte ein Stammbaum der Hämocyaninsuperfamilie erstellt werden. Innerhalb der Crustacea ordnen sich die verschiedenen Hämocyaninuntereinheiten in distinkten Ästen an. Die Hämocyanine der Myriapoda sind monophyletisch, wobei die Auftrennung in distinkte Untereinheiten bereits vor der Trennung der Chilopoden und Diplopoden erfolgte; die phylogenetische Stellung der Myriapoda kann anhand der Hämocyaninsequenzen nicht zuverlässig aufgelöst werden. Eine gemeinsame Anordnung mit den Hexapoda ('Tracheata'-Hypothese) kann jedoch mit hoher Sicherheit ausgeschlossen werden. Die Onychophora stehen im Arthropodenstammbaum an basaler Position und können somit als Proarthropoda angesprochen werden. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Hämocyaninevolution der Arthropodenevolution entspricht.

Arthropoda abundance along an elevation gradient on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Species diversity is the most common variable reported in recent ecological research articles. Ecological processes, however, are driven by individuals. High abundances make arthropods, despite their small body sizes, important actors in food webs. We sampled arthropod assemblages in disturbed and undisturbed vegetation types along an elevation gradient of from 800 to 4550 m a.s.l. on the southern slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. In our analysis, we focused on 13 different lineages of arthropods that represented three major functional groups: predators, herbivores and decomposers. The samples were collected with pitfall traps on 59 (of 60) study sites within the framework of the KiLi-project (https://www.kilimanjaro.biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de/). In each of twelve vegetation types five sampling sites of 50 m x 50 m were established with a minimum distance of 300 m between the individual sites. On each of the 59 sites, ten pitfall traps were evenly spaced along two 50 m transects, with a distance of 10 m between individual traps and 20 m between the parallel transects. Pitfall traps were filled with 100-200 ml of a mixture of ethylenglycol and water (1:1) with a drop of liquid soap to break surface tension. Traps were exposed at 2 to 5 sampling events for seven days in both the dry and wet seasons between May 2011 and October 2012. The reported abundances per lineage were averaged twice: first over all samples per site for each sampling event (3-10 analyzed samples per site and sampling event), and then averaged over all sampling events for each site.