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Biodiversity Journal 2013, 4 (1): 1-260

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 001-002
    Sitthi Kulabtong & Ekkapan Ubonrach
    Biodiversity of Snakeheads genus Channa Scopoli 1777 in Thailand
  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 003-104 - MONOGRAPH

    Paolo Pantini, Antonio Sassu & Giuseppe Serra
    Catalogue of the spiders (Arachnida Araneae) of Sardinia

    ABSTRACT
    This catalogue summarizes and critically reviews araneological knowledge about Sardinian fauna. 140 publications from 1868 to 2012 were considered and about 4800 specimens belonging to 254 species were directly examined. The list report 495 species belonging to 229 genera divided into 43 families. For each species, literature, chorotype, regional distribution, and, where possible, habitats are indicated. Among the listed species Philodromus bosmansi Muster et Thaler, 2004 (Philodromidae) is new for Europe and the family of Prodidomidae with the species Zimirina brevipes Pérez et Blasco, 1986 is new for Italy. Also Setaphis parvula (Lucas, 1846) (Gnaphosidae), Centromerus succinus (Simon, 1884) and Hybocoptus corrugis (O. P.-Cambridge, 1875) (Linyphiidae) are new records for the Italian fauna and further 37 species are new for Sardinia. The genitalia of Phrurolithus corsicus (Simon, 1878), Zimirina brevipes, Drassodes luteomicans (Simon, 1878) and Zelotes dentatidens Simon, 1914 are illustrated.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 105-110

    Cosman Domettila, Thankappan Sarasabai Shynin Brintha, Selvamony Sukumaran & Solomon Jeeva
    Diversity and distribution of seaweeds in the Muttom coastal waters, south-west coast of India

    ABSTRACT
    Seaweeds are found in the coastal region between high and low tide, and in the sub-tidal region up to a depth where 0.01% photosynthetic light is available. Plant pigments, light, exposure, depth, temperature, tides and the characteristics of the shore combine to create different environments that determine the distribution and variety of seaweeds. The present study was conducted at Muttom, formed of different inter-tidal rock shores with rich algal vegetation. During the study period (January to December 2011), a total of 38 species of seaweeds were recorded. Among them, Ulva fasciata and U. lactuca (green algae); Sargassum wightii, S. duplicata and Padina tetrastomatica (brown algae); Gracilaria corticata and G. pygmaea (red algae), were present throughout the study period.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 111-116

    Laila Almulla, Narayana Bhat, Binson Thomas, Lekha Rajesh, Sasni Ali & Preetha George
    Assessment of existing mangrove plantation along Kuwait coastline

    ABSTRACT
    A survey was conducted to study the quantitative and qualitative assessment of the existing mangrove plantations of Kuwait and their chances of settlement and development in this area. The study suggests that the Kuwait coastline has many good potential sites for mangroves, however the fast developmental activities and human interference pose a threat to their existence. These sites should be properly protected and designed to better assess the growth and development of mangrove plantations.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 117-124

    Salah Telailia, Menouar Saheb, Lamia Boutabia, Mourad-Abdelkrim Bensouilah & Moussa Houhamdi
    Breeding biology of Eleonora’s Falcon, Falco eleonorae Gené, 1839 (Accipitriformes Falconidae), in Northeast Algeria at Sérigina Island

    ABSTRACT
    The Eleonora’s Falcon, Falco eleonorae Gené, 1839 (Accipitriformes Falconidae), is a long migrant and a seabird of conservation concern. After discovering the Sérigina colony in Northeast Algeria, data on laying period, reproductive success, and nestling growth were collected. A total of 18 nests were located and surveyed during the breeding season of 2006. The species started to lay eggs in late July and the majority of nests contained 3 eggs. There was no variation in the mean eggs volume and weight between different clutches. The mean clutch size was 2.39 ± 0.78 eggs and the hatching success was 53.5%. Productivity per nest was 0.39 ± 0.40 chick, lower than previous published works. Inclement weather and avian predation was thought to be the main sources of chicks’ mortality. Nestling growth for both body mass and wing span fitted a linear fashion during the first 25 days in nestling life. The accelerated chick growth suggested food availability and high parental provisioning. Finally, we think that Algerian’s coast could support other large colonies that should be discovered, surveyed, and conserved.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 125-128

    Erwin Domínguez & Nelson Bahamonde
    Gavilea araucana (Phil.) M.N. Correa: first record of an orchid for Chile on Sphagnum peatland in Magallanes

    ABSTRACT
    We report the first historical record of the orchid Gavilea araucana (Phil.) M.N., for a Sphagnum peatland in Chile, close to Torres del Paine National Park. Moreover, a brief description of the peatland and information about associated flora are provided.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 129-134

    Sitthi Kulabtong, Sawika Kunlapapuk & Suvijak Sottiyothin
    A new species of false spider crab of the genus Elamena H. Milne Edwards, 1837 from Upper Gulf of Thailand (Decapoda Hymenosomatidae)

    ABSTRACT
    A new species of false spider crab (Decapoda Hymenosomatidae), Elamena soonthronkitti n. sp. from Upper Gulf of Thailand, is described. This species is distinguished from other species of the genus Elamena H. Milne Edwards, 1837 by the combination of the following characters: carapace longer than broad; dorsal surface smooth with deep gastrocardiac, cervical and thoracic grooves; rostrum truncated; no ventral rostral keel; abdomen octagonal with the tip rounded; chelipeds palm plump; both fingers equal or slightly shorter than palm with small setae; dactylus of the third ambulatory legs with no subterminal teeth. Biological features and current distribution of the new species and comparative notes are also reported.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 135-178 - MONOGRAPH

    Silvia Alfinito & Horst Lange-Bertalot
    Contribution to the knowledge of the freshwater algae of Sierra Leone (Tropical West Africa): diatoms from Loma Mountains and Bumbuna Falls, the Northern Province

    ABSTRACT
    The freshwater flora of Sierra Leone, in particular the northern province, is still poorly investigated. We describe here the diatoms found in small pools in two locations of the northern province: Peak Bintimani (Loma Mountains) and Bumbuna Falls. Altogether 65 taxa, belonging to 31 genera are described. About 32 dubious Holarctic taxa, suspected to be new to science, are noted as “cf. ”, expecting a differential diagnosis later on after further SEM observations. This is the case of very interesting taxa belonging to the genera Eunotia, Luticola, Frustulia and Brachysira.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 179-182

    Roberto A. Pantaleoni, Davide Badano, Ulrike Aspöck & Horst Aspöck
    Ascalaphus festivus (Rambur, 1842) in Sardinia, a new genus of Ascalaphidae for Europe (Neuroptera)

    ABSTRACT
    Ascalaphus festivus (Rambur, 1842), a widespread polytypic species in Africa and Middle East, was collected for the first time in southern Sardinia in the 1990s in two independent occasions. Subsequent specific surveys proved the existence of a stable breeding population in at least one coastal locality of Sardinia, thus allowing to fully consider this genus a member of the European fauna.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 183-208

    Mauro M. Brunetti & Maurizio Forli
    The genus Aporrhais Da Costa, 1778 (Gastropoda Aporrhaidae) in the Italian Plio-Pleistocene

    ABSTRACT
    The species of the genus Aporrhais Da Costa, 1778 (Gastropoda, Aporrhaidae) of the italian Plio-Pleistocene are described and illustrated. To the three species known, A. pespelecani pespelecani (Linnaeus, 1758), A. uttingeriana (Risso, 1826) and A. peralata (Sacco, 1893), the new species A. etrusca n. sp., reported only for the Zanclean period of Tuscany (central Italy) and A. pliorara (Sacco, 1893), distributed from the Piacenzian to the Lower Pleistocene (Calabrian), elevated to species, are added; moreover, A. pespelecani var. crenatulina (Sacco, 1893), the most common in the italian lower-middle Pliocene, widespread from the Tortonian to the Piacenzian, is elevated to subspecies. A. serresiana (Michaud, 1827) is considered to have occurred in the Mediterranean basin only in very recent times. The examined species were compared either with extant taxa of Mediterranean (A. pespelecani pespelecani, A. serresiana) and Afro-Atlantic origin (A. pesgallinae Barnard, 1963 A. senegalensis Gray, 1838) or with species of the European Neogene: A. burdigalensis (d'Orbigny, 1852), A. meridionalis (Basterot, 1825), A. alata (Von Eichwald, 1830), A. dingdenensis Marquet, Grigis et Landau, 2002, A. scaldensis Van Regteren Altena, 1954 and A. thersites Brives, 1897.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 209-218

    Zhang Xueping, Ivan Rapuzzi, Gao Meixiang, Li Jingke, Vongkhampha Manola, Lin Lin & Huang Lirong
    The Carabini from different altitudes of Changbai mountain, Jilin Province, North-Eastern China (Coleoptera Carabidae Carabinae)

    ABSTRACT
    In the present paper the Carabini fauna of different altitudes and habitats of Changbai Shan Mountains, Jilin Province, North-eastern China was investigated. After examination of the collected specimens we describe one new Carabus taxon: Carabus (Carabus) szeli changbaicus Rapuzzi et Li n. ssp.; C. (Aulonocarabus) rufinus Beheim et Breuning, 1943 was elevated to the specific status. Six Carabus taxa were recorded for the first time for the Chinese fauna: C. (Carabus) manifestus pyonganicola Deuve et Li, 1998; C. (Morphocarabus) venustus cf. kaesongensis Imura, 1993; C. (Diocarabus) caustomarginatus Imura et Mizusawa, 1994; C. (Scambocarabus) kruberi cf. chaos Imura, 1993; C. (Acoptolabrus) schrencki minpongsanensis Deuve et Li, 2003 and C. (Fulgenticarabus) flutschi coreus Deuve, 2006. C. (Acoptolabrus) constricticollis jilinicus Deuve, 1992 was treated as a valid subspecies.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 219-228

    Jorge M. González, Pawel Domagala & Adam Larysz
    The Giant Butterfly-Moths (Lepidoptera Castniidae) of the Upper Silesian Museum (Muzeum Górnośląskie) in Bytom, Poland, with notes on the history of the Museum

    ABSTRACT
    The Upper Silesian Museum was founded in 1910, and besides the struggles and restrictions suffered during World War II it still remains as a relevant showcase for culture and science of Silesia, its surrounding regions, the country and even the world. Its Natural History collections are recognized as one of the largest and most important in the country. In an effort to revise and curate the Lepidoptera collection, we found an interesting and well maintained group of giant butterfly moths (Castniidae). Besides providing historical information on the Museum and its origins, we also include a list with notes about the Castniidae under their care.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 229-234

    Fouzia Yousfi, Kheira Senouci, Ilyes Medjoual, Hanene Djellil & Touria Hadj Slimane
    Gastrointestinal helminths in the local chicken Gallus gallus domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) in traditional breeding of North-Western Algeria

    ABSTRACT
    This study was aimed to identify the gastrointestinal helminths of local chicken, Gallus gallus domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758), in traditional breeding of North-Western Algeria and to determine their prevalence and average abundance. For this purpose, 114 local chickens were examined between November 2010 and May 2012. The results show an overall prevalence of 100%, with a mean intensity of infection of 124 parasites per chicken. The birds were infected whatever the sex, weight and season. The parasitic fauna was composed of four taxonomic groups with prevalence significantly different (P<0.05): cestodes (95.61%), nematodes (93.86%), trematodes (18.42%) and acanthocephalan (1.75%). The most prevalent cestode species encountered were: Raillietina echinobothrida (85.09%), R. cesticillus (30.70%) and Hymenolepis carioca (28.95%). The predominant nematode species were Heterakis gallinarum (78.07%), Subulura brumpti (62.28%), Ascaridia galli (39.47%) and Capillaria caudinflata (35.96%). The trematode species recorded were Postharmostomum gallinum (18.42%) and Brachylaema sp. (2.63%). Finally, only one acanthocephalan, Prosthorhynchus sp. (1.75%), was found. Among these helminths, the highest average abundance occurred with Heterakis gallinarum (39.04) and Subulura brumpti (35.88). This study revealed the importance of helminthic parasitism in traditional breeding of NW Algeria, and the need to use preventive and therapeutic measures for a better profitability of poultry algerian production.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 235-242

    Abdar Mohan Ramchandra
    Diversity and richness of bird species in newly formed habitats of Chandoli National Park in Western Ghats, Maharashtra State, India

    ABSTRACT
    The study of bird species diversity and richness in newly formed habitats of Chandoli National Park in Western Ghats (now declared as international heritage), Maharashtra State, India was carried out in early wet and dry seasons. Since richness and diversity of bird species are good indicators of the ecosystem quality, this paper focused on providing some information on the abundance, diversity and activities of various bird species occurring in Chandoli National Park. To this aim, line transect survey was used to generate data for ecological analysis. Birds observed incuded resident, migratory and palearctic species. A total of 151 species representing 15 orders and 45 families were recorded from September 2009 to August 2011, and a high value calculated for the Simpson’s Index of Diversity (0.8291) indicated a marked richness and diversity of bird species in the area under examination.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 243-252

    Seyed Arman Hosseini, Ezzat Karami & Reza Talebi
    Molecular variation of Iranian local and exotic strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) varieties using SSR markers

    ABSTRACT
    In this study, we report the genetic diversity in a collection of 17 local strawberry cultivars collected from ‘Kurdistan’ province north-west of Iran with 13 exotic cultivars, using 20 SSR markers. The 20 SSR loci analysed produced 118 alleles with an average 5.9 alleles per marker. The number of alleles ranged from 3 to 16, whereas the maximum was observed in UAFv7648. The effective allelic number (ne) was 3.03 on average of and ranged from 1.22 to 6.98. The genetic diversity (GD) and PIC values ranged from 0.22 to 0.88 and 0.19 to 0.87, with an average of 0.63 and 0.60, respectively. Cluster analysis grouped genotypes in four clusters. Local cultivars grouped in two distinct clusters and other exotic cultivars grouped in other two clusters. Results of cluster analysis suggested that the local cultivars may originated from Queen, Missionary, Ventana and Fresho or may share a same pedigree sources with these cultivars. This is first information on commercially grown local and exotic strawberry cultivars from different origins in Iran using SSR markers.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 253-259

    Sitthi Kulabtong, Sawika Kunlapapuk, Parinya Pawangkanant, Chayajit Deekrachang, Thiti Ruangsuwan, Domes Limpivadhana, Supapong Patarapongpan & Chaiyapat Pramoolpol
    Fields survey of freshwater fishes in Upper Moei River, Salween Basin, frontier of Thailand and Myanmar

    ABSTRACT
    The present paper reports on a field survey in Upper Moei River, at Phop Phra District, Tak Province, Northwest Thailand, carried out in January and June 2010. Specimens encountered belong to 5 orders, 8 families and 20 species of freshwater fishes. In particular, Schistura waltoni, S. vinciguerrae, Lepidocephalichthys micropogon, Neonoemacheilus labeosus and Gagata dolichonema are new records for Moei River; two species remain not fully identified and, at the moment are reported as Devario sp. and Channa cf. gachua. The Thai local names and distribution data of freshwater fishes are provided.