Morphological characterization of Apis cerana in the Yunnan Province of China

Morphological features of Apis cerana Fabr. in Yunnan Province of China were studied using morphometrical methods. Samples of A. cerana were collected from feral colonies in 14 locations of Yunnan Province, covering the main ecological regions. 38 standard morphometric characters recommended by Ruttner et al. (Apidologie 9, 363-381, 1978) were measured. The data were statistically analysed by factor analysis, discriminant analysis, and cluster analysis and compared to samples from the Oberursel data bank from Beijing, Japan, Korea, Thailand, India, Burma, Vietnam, and Nepal. The results showed a high degree of variation, which correlated to geographical parameters. Bees from the northern high-altitude areas were clearly larger and darker, and showed similarity to data bank samples from Beijing, Nepal, or northern India, whereas bees from lower, southern areas clustered with bees from Thailand and Vietnam

Phylogenetic Relationships of Five Asian Schilbid Genera Including Clupisoma (Siluriformes: Schilbeidae).

The phylogenetic relationships of Asian schilbid catfishes of the genera Clupisoma, Ailia, Horabagrus, Laides and Pseudeutropius are poorly understood, especially those of Clupisoma. Herein, we reconstruct the phylogeny of 38 species of catfishes belonging to 28 genera and 14 families using the concatenated mitochondrial genes COI, cytb, and 16S rRNA, as well as the nuclear genes RAG1 and RAG2. The resulting phylogenetic trees consistently place Clupisoma as the sister taxon of Laides, and the five representative Asian schilbid genera form two monophyletic groups with the relationships (Ailia (Laides, Clupisoma)) and (Horabagrus, Pseudeutropius). The so-called "Big Asia" lineage relates distantly to African schilbids. Independent analyses of the mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data yield differing trees for the two Asian schilbid groups. Analyses of the mitochondrial gene data support a sister-group relationship for (Ailia (Laides, Clupisoma)) and the Sisoroidea and a sister-taxon association of (Horabagrus, Pseudeutropius) and the Bagridae. In contrast, analyses of the combined nuclear data indicate (Ailia (Laides, Clupisoma)) to be the sister group to (Horabagrus, Pseudeutropius). Our results indicate that the Horabagridae, recognized by some authors as consisting of Horabagrus, Pseudeutropius and Clupisoma does not include the latter genus. We formally erect a new family, Ailiidae fam. nov. for a monophyletic Asian group comprised of the genera Ailia, Laides and Clupisoma

The matrilineal genealogy of the Chinese <i>Clupisoma</i> (as <i>Platytropius</i>) (Schilbeidae) and <i>Pseudeutropius</i> (Pangasiidae) in the Siluriformes derived from the combined mtDNA datasets using ML, MP and BI methods.

<p>Nodal support values are indicated on the branches. The names Sisoroidea and “Big Asia” are after Sullivan <i>et al</i>. (2006) [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0145675#pone.0145675.ref008" target="_blank">8</a>].</p

Phylogeny of catfishes based on a dataset expanded from Sullivan <i>et al</i> (2006) [8] with nodal support values for BI, ML, and MP, respectively.

<p>The 12 lineages marked by thick branches correspond with those revealed by Sullivan <i>et al</i>. (2006) [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0145675#pone.0145675.ref008" target="_blank">8</a>]. <b>(A) Part one of phylogeny of catfishes.</b> The first two clades marked by A, B and ladder-like branch lines are newly resolved herein. <b>(B) Part two of phylogeny of catfishes.</b> Nodal support values are indicated on the branches. The last two clades marked by C, D and ladder-like branches are newly resolved herein.</p

Phylogenetic relationships of the Siluriformes based on a Bayesian inference analysis of concatenated mtDNA genes and partitioned nuclear genes.

<p>Nodal support values are Bayesian posterior probabilities. The names Sisoroidea and “Big Asia” are after Sullivan <i>et al</i>. (2006) [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0145675#pone.0145675.ref008" target="_blank">8</a>].</p