RESUMO
Alien plant species are colonizing high-elevation areas along roadsides. In this study, we evaluated whether the distributions of alien plants in the central Chilean mountains have reached climatic equilibrium (i.e., upper distribution limits consistent with their climatic requirements). First, we evaluated whether the upper elevational limits of alien plants changed between 2008 and 2018 based on the Mountain Invasion Research Network (MIREN) database. Second, we compared the observed upper elevational limits with the upper limits predicted by each species' global climatic niche. On average across species, the upper elevation limit did not change between 2008 and 2018. However, most species maintained the same limit or shifted downward, while only 23% of the species shifted upwards. This lack of change does not mean that the species' distributions are in equilibrium with the climate, because the observed upper limit was lower than the limit predicted by the global niche model for 87% of species. Our results suggest that alien species in this study region may not only be climate-limited, but could also be limited by other local-scale factors, such as seed dispersal, intermittent disturbance rates, soil type and biotic interactions.
RESUMO
Pimpla Fabricius is one of the largest genera within the subfamily Pimplinae, whose species are idiobiont endoparasitoids of Lepidoptera pupae and prepupae. A total of 13 species are known from Colombia, but they are difficult to identify because of their morphological complexity. Herein we record for the first time in Colombia the following species: P. albomarginata Cameron, P. caerulea Brullé and P. sumichrasti Cresson. Furthermore, we present the first identification key to female and male of the Colombian species, along with diagnoses, biological notes and images in vivo.
Assuntos
Himenópteros , Lepidópteros , Vespas , Animais , Colômbia , Feminino , Masculino , PupaRESUMO
Avian communities from South America harbor an extraordinary diversity of Leucocytozoon species (Haemosporida, Leucocytozoidae). Here, of 890 birds sampled, 10 (1.2%) were infected with Leucocytozoon parasites. Among them, two new species were discovered and described. Leucocytozoon grallariae sp. nov. and Leucocytozoon neotropicalis sp. nov. were found in non-migratory highland passeriforms belonging to the Grallaridae and Cotingidae, respectively. They both possess gametocytes in fusiform host cells. However, due to combining microscopic examination and molecular detection, it was revealed that these parasites were present in co-infections with other Leucocytozoon species, which gametocytes develop in roundish host cells, therefore exhibiting two highly distant parasite lineages isolated from the same samples. Remarkably, the lineages obtained by cloning the mtDNA genomes were not captured by the classic nested PCR, which amplifies a short fragment of cytochrome b gene. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the lineages obtained by the classic nested PCR clustered with parasites possessing gametocytes in roundish host cells, while the lineages obtained by the mtDNA genome PCR protocol were closely related to Leucocytozoon parasites possessing gametocytes in fusiform host cells. These findings suggest problems with the sensitivity of the molecular protocols commonly used to detect Leucocytozoon species. A detailed analysis of the primers used in the classic nested PCR revealed a match with DNA sequences from those parasites that possess gametocytes in roundish host cells (i.e., Leucocytozoon fringillinarum), while they differ with the orthologous regions in the mtDNA genomes isolated from the samples containing the two new species. Since these are mixed infections, none of the lineages detected in this study can be assigned accurately to the new Leucocytozoon morphospecies that develops in fusiform host cells. However, phylogenetic analyses allowed us to hypothesize their most probable associations. This study highlights the need for developing detection methods to assess the diversity of Leucocytozoon parasites accurately.
RESUMO
We sequenced mitochondrial COI and COII genes (1,377 base pairs) of 166 woolly monkeys (Lagothrix) to determine the phylogenetic relationships of tschudii in reference to the other taxa within the genus Lagothrix, to provide the first genetic diversity level estimates for tschudii, and to reconstruct the historical demographic evolution of this taxon. The sample set included, for the first time, 10 individuals of the elusive tschudii taxon sensu Groves from southern Peru and northern Bolivia. Our phylogenetic analyses showed that these 10 exemplars formed a statistically significant and differentiated (molecularly and morphologically) monophyletic clade relative to other traditional subspecies of Lagothrix lagothricha. Therefore, tschudii should be recognized as a fifth subspecies: Lagothrix lagothricha tschudii. The temporal divergence of the ancestors of tschudii and L. l. cana was estimated to have occurred around 1.8 million years ago (MYA). Additionally, mitochondrial diversification within tschudii started no later than 0.96 MYA (Bayesian Inference) or 0.88 MYA (Median Joining -Network), respectively. In contrast to the phylogenetic trees, the FSTstatistic and the gene flow estimates showed L. l. lugens to be the least differentiated taxon of L. lagothricha from L. l. tschudii. Based on genetic distances, L. l. tschudii had the smallest average genetic distance from the other subspecies of L. lagothricha.It was also the taxon within L. lagothricha that had the smallest genetic distance from L. flavicauda. It should be related to L. l. tschudii as the first original taxon in L. lagothricha. Furthermore, the Andean mountains were extremely important in the original diversification of the Lagothrix genus and in the original diversification of L. lagothricha. Although L. l. tschudii has the smallest geographical range of all the taxa of L. lagothricha, its genetic diversity is even higher than in other taxa with wider geographical ranges, such as L. l. lagothricha and L. l. cana. L. l. tschudii showed a very slight demographic increase during the Pleistocene with a decrease of females in the last 10,000 Y, similar to that found for L. l. lugens in a previous study.