Sphaerularia vespae sp. nov. (Nematoda, Tylenchomorpha, Sphaerularioidea), an Endoparasite of a Common Japanese Hornet, Vespa simillima Smith (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Vespidae)

Sphaerularia vespae sp. nov., an endoparasite of a common Japanese hornet, Vespa simillima is described from Hokkaido, Japan, and its molecular sequence profiles are given. This newly discovered nematode appears to belong to the genus Sphaerularia, judging from its characteristic parasitic form, the uterium, which looks like a sausage with many verrucae on its surface. Sphaerularia vespae sp. nov. is distinguished from S. bombi, the only other nominal species of the genus, by the morphology of the male bursa, female tail, and anterior end of parasitic juveniles. SSU, ITS, and D2D3 (LSU) DNA sequences were determined for S. vespae sp. nov. and compared with those from related nematodes obtained from the GenBank database. The sequences from S. vespae sp. nov. were close to those of S. bombi and several another tylenchid entomoparasitic nematodes. Sphaerularia vespae sp. nov. parasitizes overwintering gynes of the hornet and practically sterilizes them, as S. bombi does for bumblebee gynes

北方針広混交林における択伐後の小面積樹冠下地はぎがオサムシ類（コウチュウ目：オサムシ科）に及ぼす影響

Small-scale soil scarification under canopies has been proposed to remove regeneration inhibitor plants that often dominate the understory in natural forests after selection logging. We studied the impacts of the small-scale soil scarification on carabid beetle assemblages in conifer hardwood mixed forests in northern Japan. We sampled carabid beetles using pitfall traps in scarified sites and adjacent unscarified sites two and four years after scarification. Forest species made up 98% of the total catch with only a few individuals of non-forest species occurring in scarified sites. Species richness of forest species did not differ significantly between scarified and unscarified sites, whereas species richness of non-forest species was higher in scarified sites than in unscarified sites. Carabid species composition differed between scarified and unscarified sites in each of the two study years. Dissimilarity measures between scarified and adjacent unscarified sites were smaller after four years than after two years, indicating that differences in species composition associated with scarification declined during the study period. Some forest species were more abundant in scarified sites, whereas other forest species were more abundant in unscarified sites. Our results suggest that small-scale scarification may have a limited impact on carabid beetle diversity

Co-occurrence of ecologically equivalent cryptic species of spider wasps

Many cryptic species have been discovered in various taxonomic groups based on molecular phylogenetic analyses and mating experiments. Some sympatric cryptic species share equivalent resources, which contradicts the competitive exclusion principle. Two major theories have been proposed to explain the apparent lack of competitive exclusion, i.e. niche-based coexistence and neutral model, but a conclusive explanation is lacking. Here, we report the co-occurrence of cryptic spider wasp species appearing to be ecologically equivalent. Molecular phylogenetic analyses and mating experiments revealed that three phylogenetically closely related species are found sympatrically in Japan. These species share the same resources for larval food, and two of the species have the same niche for nesting sites, indicating a lack of competitive exclusion. This evidence may suggest that ecologically equivalent species can co-occur stably if their shared resources are sufficiently abundant that they cannot be over-exploited.Electronic supplementary material is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160119 or via http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org

Complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the paper wasp Polistes riparius (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

The paper wasp Polistes riparius is distributed in cold regions of northern East Asia to Russia. P. riparius are characterized by having longer cells than those of the closely related P. chinensis, which has a similar life history, as an adaptation to cold regions. The phylogenetic relationships of paper wasps have recently been studied; however, the genetic diversity and population structure of P. riparius has not been determined. The present study is the first to analyze the complete mitochondrial genome using next generation sequencing of P. riparius collected from Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. The genome consisted of a closed loop that was 16,383 bp-long and included 13 protein coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and one AT-rich control region. The average AT content was 84.54%. The heavy (H)-strand was predicted to have 12 PCGs and 14 tRNA genes, while the light (L)-strand was predicted to contain one PCGs, eight tRNA genes, and two rRNA genes. All PCGs started with ATG. Stop codons were of two types: TAA for 11 genes (ND1, ND2, ND3, ND4L, ND5, ND6, COXI, COXII, COXIII, COB, ATP6 and ATP8) and TAG for two genes (ND3 and ND4). The molecular phylogenetic relationship based on the maximum likelihood method using 13 PCGs was consistent with some previous studies in which a closely relationship between P. riparius and P. jokahamae

Tuberous sclerosis diagnosed by incidental computed tomography findings of multifocal micronodular pneumocyte hyperplasia: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The majority of multifocal micronodular pneumocyte hyperplasia associated with tuberous sclerosis complex is diagnosed with the classical clinical triad of seizures, mental retardation, and skin lesions. We report a rare case of tuberous sclerosis complex with no classical clinical findings, which was diagnosed through incidental computed tomography findings of multiple nodular lesions of multifocal micronodular pneumocyte hyperplasia.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A chest computed tomography scan of a 51-year-old Japanese woman showed multiple nodular ground-glass opacities that were not seen on chest X-ray. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was performed. A histological examination demonstrated type II pneumocyte hyperplasia with thickened fibrotic alveolar septa, which was consistent with multifocal micronodular pneumocyte hyperplasia. Brain magnetic resonance imaging displayed multiple cortical tubers, and abdominal computed tomography showed bilateral renal angiomyolipoma. Our patient was finally diagnosed as having tuberous sclerosis complex with multifocal micronodular pneumocyte hyperplasia, although she had no episodes of epilepsy, no skin lesions, and no family history.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Multifocal micronodular pneumocyte hyperplasia with latent tuberous sclerosis complex should be considered in the differential diagnosis of multiple ground-glass opacities.</p