The first fossil cyphophthalmid harvestman from Baltic amber

The first fossil cyphophthalmid harvestman (Opiliones: Cyphophthalmi) from Palaeogene (Eocene) Baltic amber is described. This is only the third fossil example of this basal harvestman lineage; the others being from the probably slightly younger Bitterfeld amber and the much older, early Cretaceous, Myanmar (Burmese) amber. Although incomplete and lacking most of the appendages, the new Baltic amber fossil can be identified as a female. The somatic characters preserved, especially spiracle morphology and the coxo-genital region, allow it to be assigned with some confidence to the extant genus Siro Latreille, 1796 (Sironidae). This fossil is formally described here as Siro balticus sp. nov. It resembles modern North American Siro species more than modern European ones, and can be distinguished principally on its relatively large size and the outline form of the body

Parasironidae fam. nov., a Cimmerian lineage of Mediterranean Cyphophthalmi (Opiliones), with the description of three new genera and four new species

A new family of Cyphophthalmi with disjunct Mediterranean distribution, Parasironidae fam. nov., is proposed. The new family comprises four genera and seven species. Cimmerosiro gen. nov., Tirrenosiro gen. nov. and Ebrosiro gen. nov. are described as new genera, and Tirrenosiro axeli gen. et sp. nov., Cimmerosiro krivolutskyi gen. et sp. nov., C. juberthiei gen. et sp. nov. and C. rhodiensis gen. et sp. nov. as new species. Parasironidae stands out by a set of characteristics that we recognize as predominantly plesiomorphic. These characteristics and the present distribution indicate the great age of the family, probably early Mesosoic. We attribute its origin to the western part of the Cimmerian terrane, and its current distribution and diversification of the major clades to geotectonic events during the Mesozoic. Additionally, a new sensory organ (sensilla) has been discovered in Cyphophthalmi. This organ is located on the pedipalp coxae and is believed to have a potential hygroreceptive function

Nematode parasitism of harvestmen (Opiliones: Arachnida)

Summary- New records of nematode parasitism of harvestmen (Opiliones: Arachnida) are reported and a list of all published records of nematode parasitism of these arachnids is presented. Nomenclatorial problems of early mermithid citations are discussed and the possible type of life cycle (indirect) is considered in light of what appears to be a type of behavioural 'immunity ' of this host group to many invertebrate parasitic nematodes. Resum6- Parasifisme des faucheurs (Opiliones: Arachnida) par les nirnaiodes- Sont reporties de nouvelles observations du parasitisme des faucheurs (Opiliones: Arachnida) par les nimatodes et une liste de toutes les observations publiies concernant les n6matodes parasites de ces arachnides est donnie. Les probltmes nomenclatoriaux concernant les citations des premiers mermithidcs sont discutis et le type Cventuel de cycle biologique (indirect) est considCr6 j. la lumitre de ce qui apparait Etre un type "d'immuniti" comportementale dc ce groupe d'h6tes pour de nombreux nimatodes parasites d'invertibris

Chemical Ecology of Cave-Dwelling Millipedes: Defensive Secretions of the Typhloiulini (Diplopoda, Julida, Julidae)

Cave animals live under highly constant ecological conditions and in permanent darkness, and many evolutionary adaptations of cave-dwellers have been triggered by their specific environment. A similar "cave effect" leading to pronounced chemical interactions under such conditions may be assumed, but the chemoecology of troglobionts is mostly unknown. We investigated the defensive chemistry of a largely cave-dwelling julid group, the controversial tribe "Typhloiulini", and we included some cave-dwelling and some endogean representatives. While chemical defense in juliform diplopods is known to be highly uniform, and mainly based on methyl- and methoxy-substituted benzoquinones, the defensive secretions of typhloiulines contained ethyl-benzoquinones and related compounds. Interestingly, ethyl-benzoquinones were found in some, but not all cave-dwelling typhloiulines, and some non-cave dwellers also contained these compounds. On the other hand, ethyl-benzoquinones were not detected in troglobiont nor in endogean typhloiuline outgroups. In order to explain the taxonomic pattern of ethyl-benzoquinone occurrence, and to unravel whether a cave-effect triggered ethyl-benzoquinone evolution, we classed the "Typhloiulini" investigated here within a phylogenetic framework of julid taxa, and traced the evolutionary history of ethyl-benzoquinones in typhloiulines in relation to cave-dwelling. The results indicated a cave-independent evolution of ethyl-substituted benzoquinones, indicating the absence of a "cave effect" on the secretions of troglobiont Typhloiulini. Ethyl-benzoquinones probably evolved early in an epi- or endogean ancestor of a clade including several, but not all Typhloiulus (basically comprising a taxonomic entity known as "Typhloiulus sensu stricto") and Serboiulus. Ethyl-benzoquinones are proposed as novel and valuable chemical characters for julid systematics.Supplementary material: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3085

Supplementary data for article: Makarov, S. E.; Bodner, M.; Reineke, D.; Vujisić, L. V.; Todosijević, M. M.; Antić, D. Ž.; Vagalinski, B.; Lučić, L. R.; Mitić, B. M.; Mitov, P.; et al. Chemical Ecology of Cave-Dwelling Millipedes: Defensive Secretions of the Typhloiulini (Diplopoda, Julida, Julidae). Journal of Chemical Ecology 2017, 43 (4), 317–326. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-017-0832-1

Supplementary material for: [https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-017-0832-1]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/2450

Enhancement of microbial fuel cell performance by introducing a nano-composite cathode catalyst

© 2018 The Authors Iron aminoantipyrine (Fe-AAPyr), graphene nanosheets (GNSs) derived catalysts and their physical mixture Fe-AAPyr-GNS were synthesized and investigated as cathode catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) with the activated carbon (AC) as a baseline. Fe-AAPyr catalyst was prepared by Sacrificial Support Method (SSM) with silica as a template and aminoantipyrine (AAPyr) as the organic precursor. 3D-GNS was prepared using modified Hummers method technique. The Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) activity of these catalysts at different loadings was investigated by using rotating ring disk (RRDE) electrode setup in the neutral electrolyte. The performance of the catalysts integrated into air-breathing cathode was also investigated. The co-presence of GNS (2 mg cm−2) and Fe-AAPyr (2 mg cm−2) catalyst within the air-breathing cathode resulted in the higher power generation recorded in MFC of 235 ± 1 μW cm−2. Fe-AAPyr catalyst itself showed high performance (217 ± 1 μW cm−2), higher compared to GNS (150 ± 5 μW cm−2) while AC generated power of roughly 104 μW cm−2

Vorl\ue4ufige Beobachtungen zur Tag- und Nacht-Bewegungsaktivit\ue4t der epig\ue4ischen Weberknechte (Opiliones, Arachnida) aus verschiedenartigen Habitaten im Vitoscha-Gebirge (Nordteil), SW-Bulgarien

Volume: 2Start Page: 479End Page: 48

Eine neue Nelima Roewer aus Bulgarien (Arachnida, Opiliones, Phalangiidae)

Volume: 20Start Page: 97End Page: 10

Fossil harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones) from Bitterfeld amber

Fossil harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones: Dyspnoi and Eupnoi) are described from Bitterfeld amber, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany deposited in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. The exact age of this amber has been in dispute, but recent work suggests it is youngest Palaeogene (Oligocene: Chattian). Histricostoma tuberculatum (Koch & Berendt, 1854), Caddo dentipalpus (Koch & Berendt, 1854), Dicranopalpus ramiger (Koch & Berendt, 1854) and Leiobunum longipes Menge, 1854 – all of which are also known from Eocene Baltic amber – are reported from Bitterfeld amber for the first time. They support the idea that both ambers sampled a similar terrestrial arthropod fauna: irrespective of any difference in age. Mitostoma gruberi sp. n. and Amilenus deltshevi sp. n. are described as new. One fossil is, in our opinion, morphologically indistinguishable from the extant species Lacinius erinaceus Staręga, 1966 from the Caucuses, and is tentatively assigned to this taxon. The Bitterfeld material thus includes the first fossil record of the extant genera Amilenus Martens, 1969 and Lacinius Thorell, 1876 respectively

Fossil harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones) from Bitterfeld amber

Fossil harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones: Dyspnoi and Eupnoi) are described from Bitterfeld amber, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany deposited in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. The exact age of this amber has been in dispute, but recent work suggests it is youngest Palaeogene (Oligocene: Chattian). Histricostoma tuberculatum (Koch & Berendt, 1854), Caddo dentipalpus (Koch & Berendt, 1854), Dicranopalpus ramiger (Koch & Berendt, 1854) and Leiobunum longipes Menge, 1854 – all of which are also known from Eocene Baltic amber – are reported from Bitterfeld amber for the first time. They support the idea that both ambers sampled a similar terrestrial arthropod fauna: irrespective of any difference in age. Mitostoma gruberi sp. n. and Amilenus deltshevi sp. n. are described as new. One fossil is, in our opinion, morphologically indistinguishable from the extant species Lacinius erinaceus Staręga, 1966 from the Caucuses, and is tentatively assigned to this taxon. The Bitterfeld material thus includes the first fossil record of the extant genera Amilenus Martens, 1969 and Lacinius Thorell, 1876 respectively