A new species of Choleoeimeria (apicomplexa: eimeriidae) from oustalet's chameleon, Furcifer oustaleti (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae)

One of three (33%) captive specimens of Oustalet's chameleon, Furcifer oustaleti (Mocquard) originally from Madagascar and housed at the Oklahoma City Zoological Park Herpetarium, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA, was found to be passing an undescribed species of Choleoeimeria in its faeces. Oocysts of Choleoeimeria fischeri sp. n. were cylindroidal, 30.3 x 16.8 (28-34 x 15-18) microm, with a smooth, bilayered wall and a length/width ratio (L/W) of 1.8. A micropyle and oocyst residuum was absent but a fragmented polar granule was often present. Sporocysts were ovoidal, 9.6 x 8.0 (9-10 x 7-9) jm, with an L/W of 1.2. Stieda, sub-Stieda, and para-Stieda bodies were absent. The sporocyst residuum consists of large globules dispersed between sporozoites. Sporozoites were elongate, 8.6 x 2.9 (8-10 x 2-3) microm, with an elongate posterior refractile body. The new species represents the second coccidian described from this lizard.     

Two new species of isospora (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from geckoes of the genus Rhacodactylus (Sauria: Gekkonidae) endemic to New Caledonia

Coprological examination of New Caledonian geckoes of the genus Rhacodactylus Fitzinger, 1843 revealed two new species of coccidia. Isospora leachiani sp. n. from R. leachianus (Cuvier, 1829) has oval, colourless oocysts, measuring 21-26 x 16-18.5 microm. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal, 11-12.5 x 6.5-8 microm, with distinct Stieda and substieda bodies. Oocysts of Isospora sykorai sp. n. from R. ciliatus (Guichenot, 1866) are elongately oval to cylindrical, 20-23.5 x 11-14 microm; sporocysts of this species are ellipsoidal, 10-11.5 x 7-8 microm, with a slightly pointed end and Stieda and substieda bodies. Infected geckoes did not exhibit any alteration of their health status.     

Description of Spinicauda dugesii sp. n. (Nematoda: Heterakidae) of Podarcis dugesii (Reptilia: Lacertidae) from Madeira Island

Spinicauda dugesii sp. n. (Heterakoidea, Heterakidae), parasite of the gut of the lizard Podarcis dugesii Milne-Edwards, 1829 (Reptilia, Lacertidae) from Madeira Island is described. Males of the new species are characterized by their narrow lateral alae, and curved and very chitinized spicules of the same length: females by their thick-shelled, almost round and embryonated eggs. At the external wall of the host's gut, parasitic cysts of this nematode with immature stages inside were also observed.     

Host-parasite relationships in tobacco plants infected with a root-knot nematode (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Meloidogyne incognita</Emphasis>) population from the Azores

During a nematode survey, severe infections of tobacco feeder roots and heavy soil infestations byMeloidogyne incognita race 1 were found in S. Miguel (Azores islands, Portugal). This is the first record ofM. incognita infection of tobacco in Azores. Morphology of various life stages, analysis of the esterase electrophoretic pattern and differential host tests were used for nematode characterization and identification. Nematode-induced mature galls were spherical and/or ellipsoidal and usually contained more than one female, males and egg masses with eggs. Feeding sites were characterized by the development of giant cells that contained granular cytoplasm and many hypertrophied nuclei. Giant cell cytoplasm was aggregated along a thickened cell wall. Vascular tissues within galls appeared disorganized. The relationship between the initial nematode population density and growth of tobacco plants was tested in a glasshouse experiment in which inoculum levels varied from 0 to 512 eggs and juveniles (J₂) cm⁻³ of soil. Seinhorst’s model was fitted to height and top fresh weight data of the inoculated and control plants. Tolerance limits with respect to plant height and fresh top weight of tobacco cv. ‘Erzegovina’ plants toM. incognita race 1 were estimated as 1.25 eggs and J₂ cm⁻³ of soil. The maximum nematode reproduction rate was 404.7 at an initial population density of 4 eggs and J₂ cm⁻³ of soil. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting March 2, 2004.     

First record of the genus Bursaphelenchus in Tenerife (Spain)

Bursaphelenchus leoni is reported for the first time on Pinus canariensis in the island of Tenerife (Islas Canarias, Spain).     

New records of mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) from Spain

Five mealybug (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) species were identified as new records for Spain: Phenacoccus madeirensis (Green), Phenacoccus solani Ferris, Dysmicoccus boninsis (Kuwana), Hypogeococcus pungens Granara de Willink and Ferrisia malvastra (McDaniel).     

New species of Choleoeimeria (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the veiled chameleon, Chamaeleo calyptratus (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae), with taxonomic revision of eimerian coccidia from chameleons

Coprological examination of 71 samples from a breeding colony of veiled chameleons, Chamaeleo calyptratus Duméril et Duméril, 1851, revealed a presence of two species of coccidia. In 100% of the samples examined, oocysts of Isospora jaracimrmani Modry et Koudela, 1995 were detected. A new coccidian species, Choleoeimeria hirbayah sp. n., was discovered in 32.4% of samples from the colony. Its oocysts are tetrasporocystic, cylindrical, 28.3 (25-30) x 14.8 (13.5-17.5) microm, with smooth, bilayered, -1 microm thick wall. Sporocysts are dizoic, ovoidal to ellipsoidal, 10.1 (9-11) x 6.9 (6-7.5) microm, sporocyst wall is composed of two plates joined by a meridional suture. Endogenous development is confined to the epithelium of the gall bladder, with infected cells being typically displaced from the epithelium layer towards lumen. A taxonomic revision of tetrasporocystic coccidia in the Chamaeleonidae is provided.     

Viruses infecting almond trees in the region of Valencia (Spain) 1

In the last 10 years, more than a thousand almond trees have been analysed by the DAS-ELISA method in the Valencia region. The most frequent virus infecting unselected almond trees was prune dwarf ilarvirus (PDV) (62%), followed by prunus necrotic ringspot ilarvirus (PNRSV) (36%), apple mosaic ilarvirus (ApMV) (14%) and apple chlorotic leafspot trichovirus (ACLSV) (2%). Infection levels of selected trees were 26% for PDV, 15% for PRSV, 0% for ApMV and 5% for ACLSV.     

Insecticide resistance in field populations of Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) in Murcia (south-east Spain)

Thirty-nine field populations of Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) were collected from different crops (sweet pepper, tomato, lettuce, artichoke, melon, cucumber, carnation, broad bean, peach and plum) in Murcia (south-east Spain). All populations were reared separately in the laboratory to obtain enough individuals for bioassays. Female thrips were bioassayed, using a standard topical application method, against methiocarb, methamidophos, acrinathrin, endosulfan, deltamethrin and formetanate. Methiocarb was the only insecticide that showed a high efficacy against F occidentalis at field dose rates. Acrinathrin and methamidophos were moderately effective, while endosulfan and deltamethrin were ineffective. Only moderate levels of resistance (Resistance Ratios at LC50 of 10-30) were detected for the selective insecticides methiocarb, formetanate and acrinathrin used against F occidentalis in crops where these insecticides are used intensively. This generalized and low level of resistance to these insecticides, coupled with a lack of efficacy for the three broad-spectrum insecticides, was observed even in intensively managed vegetable crops. Implementation of IPM strategies in Murcia has contributed to more successful insecticide anti-resistance management.     

Weed flora of dryland crops in the Córdoba region (Spain)

In a study of the weed flora of dryland crops in the Córdoba region (southern Spain) in 1983 and 1984, a total of 256 species from 41 families was identified in the 201 fields surveyed. The families with the highest numbers of species were Compositae, Gramineae, Leguminosae and Cruciferae. Therophytes represented 79% of the biological spectrum, with hemicryptophytes and geophytes more especially in the spring-sown crops. At the early and late crop growth stages about 4% and 8%, respectively, of the fields had severe or very severe infestations. The seasonality of the crop had a marked influence on the weed flora, mainly due to the relationship of its phenological cycle with well defined climatic periods and to soil management practices. Cluster analysis clearly differentiated typically autumn-spring and spring-summer floras as well as a set of common species.     

Multivariate structure-property relationships (MSPR) of pesticides

Vapour pressures, aqueous solubilities, n-octanol/water partition coefficients, molecular weights, and Henry's law constants for 64 pesticides were obtained from the literature and analysed by means of Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Classical PCA displays underline structure-property relationships. However, interpretation of PCA requires reference to the original data matrix and comparisons made between every point. To overcome this problem, a novel graphical approach, based on collections of maps encoding the chemical and structural information included in the original data set, was used to interpret the results. Multivariate analyses coupled to graphical tools were useful for interpreting physicochemical properties of pesticides in terms of multivariate structure-property relationships (MSPR).     

Redescription of Andrya cuniculi (Blanchard, 1891) (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae), a parasite of Oryctolagus cuniculus (Lagomorpha) in Spain

Andrya cuniculi (Blanchard, 1891) (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) is redescribed from Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.) from Spain. Large ranges of variability in body length and width, testes number and position of the cirrus sac were observed. An external seminal vesicle covered with small glandular cells is present. The pattern of development of the uterus is similar to that of Andrya rhopalocephala (Riehm, 1881). The only reliable differential characters to distinguish A. cunliculi from A. rhopalocephala are the position of the uterus in gravid segments and the position of the testes in mature segments. The uterus of A. cuniculi occupies the median field and parts of the lateral fields but is restricted to the median field in A. rhopalocephala. Testes are distributed more symmetrically lateral to the female organs in A. cuniculi but are mostly antiporal in A. rhopalocephala.     

The acarinia and nycteribidia zones of Miniopterus schreibersi Kuhl (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in the northeast of Spain

Acarinia and nycteribidia zones of the bat species Miniopterus schreibersi Kuhl are studied in an area of northeast of Spain, where captures over a period of five years have been carried out. The species that characterize the mite-tick spectrum are Ixodes (Pomerantzevella) simplex, Macronyssus longimanus, Macronyssus granulosus and Spinturnix psi; nycteribidium is determined mainly by the presence of Nycteribia schmidlii. The life cycle, prevalence, curves of parasitation, and other notes on these most abundant ectoparasites are provided, as well as observations on other ticks, mites, and nycteribiid species found on this bat.     

Biological diversity of citrus tristeza virus (CTV) isolates in Spain

A survey of citrus tristeza virus (CTV) isolates was carried out in most citrus-growing areas in Spain. Twenty-two isolates were selected by geographical origin, cultivar of source tree, and symptoms observed on the host or in preliminary tests, and were biologically characterized.
A wide range of variation in transmissibility by aphids and symptom intensity on nine different indicator species or scion-rootstock combinations was observed among CTV isolates. Mexican lime. Citrus macrophylla , and to a lesser extent citron were the most useful hosts for characterizing these isolates, and leaf symptoms and stem pitting were the most discriminating traits. Positive correlation was observed between symptoms induced on Mexican lime and C. macrophylla , but not between the symptoms induced on these indicators under greenhouse conditions and the homologous symptoms on plants grown in the screenhouse. Some of the traits studied enabled us to establish relatively well-defined groups of isolates, but in most cases a continuous range of variation was obtained and no clear group could be defined.     

Analysis of interspecific relationships in mesostigmatid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) in the nests of the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus (Schreber, 1780))

An analysis is presented of a community of mesostigmatid mites from the nests of Clethrionomys glareolus found in the forest biotopes of Vsetínské Beskydy Mts. (North Moravia) throughout all seasons of the year. Main attention was paid to the structure of the nest community, relationships of mites to their host and interspecific relationships in the mites themselves. Primarily cluster and factor analyses based on correlation matrix were used for mathematical assessment. The particular elements of correlation matrix were Spearman's non-parametric correlation coefficients computed from frequencies of species in the nests studied.     

First record of Thrips hawaiiensis (Morgan, 1913) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), an Asian pest thrips in Spain

Several permanent populations of Thrips hawaiiensis (Morgan, 1913) were discovered outdoors for the first time in Spain in 2010. Captures were made mainly on Rosa flowers, Nerium oleander and Gerbera sp.