Pachycondyla nigrita and related species in Southeast

ABSTRACT Pachycondyla nigrita and related species in Southeast Asia are revised. Four new species are described: P. batak from N. Sumatra, P. flavipes from Myanmar, P. pilidorsalis from Borneo and Malay Peninsula, and P. wallacea from Sulawesi, Lombok and Bali. Keys to species are presented, though males and queens are not available for all the species

Multiple Factors Maintaining High Species-Specificity in Macaranga-Crematogaster (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Myrmecophytism: Higher Mortality in Mismatched Ant-Seedling Pairs

Myrmecophytism, a type of mutualistic symbiosis, occurs between certain species of Macaranga trees and Crematogaster ants in the tropics of Southeast Asia. Several recent studies have revealed that myrmecophytism in Macaranga-Crematogaster involves a highly species-specific partnership, but there is less specificity at the beginning of the symbiosis when ant foundress queens settle into host seedlings. However, how 'mis-matched' species combinations of ants and plants are selected against in the field has not yet been investigated. We therefore experimentally swapped foundress queens among three sympatric species of myrmecophytic Macaranga and subsequently examined growth and survival of the ants and recipient plants. Our results suggest that severe mortality occurs among ants and seedlings of unmatched pairs throughout multiple processes, such as initial worker production, early colony growth after initial worker appearance, and defense by ants against herbivores. This contributes to the maintenance of high species-specificity in Macaranga-Crematogaster myrmecophytism.ArticleSOCIOBIOLOGY. 55(3):883-898 (2010)journal articl

Ants in Tropical Urban Habitats: The Myrmecofauna in a Densely Populated Area of Bogor, West Java, Indonesia

Ants are the most abundant animals in tropical habitats and have been widely studied in natural and semi-natural tropical systems. However, species in urban tropical habitats remain poorly studied, despite their abundance and potentially important roles in urban ecosystems and pest dynamics. We investigated the ant fauna of Bogor and its surroundings to contribute to the characterization of the myrmecofauna of one of Southeast Asia’s most densely populated regions. Ants were collected both by hand collection and from honey baits in the most common habitats: garbage dumps, households, and home gardens. In total, 94 species were recorded, over two thirds of which occurred in home gardens, which underlines the importance of vegetated habitats for urban planning to support complex ant assemblages. Twelve sampled species are well-known as tramp species that occur primarily in human-dominated landscapes. The two tramp species Anoplolepis gracilipes and Paratrechina longicornis dominated ant assemblages in all locations and most habitat types. The assemblages of tramp species were affected by habitat type, whereas that of non tramp species were not. Forty-five species were also recorded in the Bogor Botanical Garden and five species are also known to be common in cacao agroforests. Hence, research in urban tropical habitats can increase our knowledge of the occurrence of ant species, allowing us to better assess the biodiversity and conservation potential of semi-natural habitats

Remarkable diversity in a little red dot: a comprehensive checklist of known ant species in Singapore (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with notes on ecology and taxonomy

Despite a legacy of extensive deforestation, the 720 km2 city state of Singapore still harbours impressively diverse flora and fauna. Given increasing evidence of global insect declines, we urgently need to better document and protect local insect diversity. Numerous species of ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) have been recorded or described from Singapore since its founding in 1819. However, it has been over a century since Hugo Viehmeyer (1916) documented a total of 159 species found in the country. Here, we present an updated comprehensive checklist of all named species and subspecies of ants found in Singapore, with specimen collection data, and notes on taxonomy and ecology in the local context. We compiled the list based on museum collections material (the Zoological Reference Collection), primary literature sources, and verified records from known overseas repositories. We documented a total of 409 nominal species and subspecies, also a few notable morphospecies, from 10 subfamilies and 100 genera. These include new records for 121 species and 10 genera. Another 96 species and subspecies have types designated from Singapore; of these, 34 are currently considered as endemic. We also raised nine subspecies to species and synonymized two species, providing reasons justifying each status change: 1) Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) carinifer stat. n., 2) Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) tinctus nom rev., 3) Paraparatrechina malaccana stat. n., 4) Aphaenogaster simulans Forel, 1915 stat. n., 5) Myrmicaria adpressipilosa stat. n., 6) Vollenhovia minuta stat. n., 7) Vollenhovia brevicornis (Emery, 1893) = V. fridae Forel, 1913 syn. n., 8) Hypoponera javana stat. n., 9) Hypoponera singaporensis stat. n., 10) Mesoponera javana stat. n. Most species are considered native to Indomalaya, including 13 cosmopolitan tramps. Only 10 other species are presumed exotic to the region. At the time of writing, Singapore can be deemed the city with the highest recorded ant diversity in the world. Despite the sheer numbers, this list remains incomplete, with more species awaiting discovery or taxonomic resolution in future. The immense diversity of ants in Singapore is mainly threatened by continued decimation of remnant forest habitats and encroaching urban developments

Ants, Wasps and Bees of Kuro-shima, Northern Ryukyus, Japan (Hymenoptera, Aculeata)

Faunal surveys of ants, wasps and bees were conducted on Kuro-shima, Mi-shima group, Northern Ryukyus, Japan, in 2006-2007. In total 52 species belonging to 35 genera were collected. Among them 20 ant, 2 wasp and 18 bee species are new to this island. A revised list of Aculeata from Kuro-shima is presented. Some biological and biogeographical notes are given for the Aculeate fauna of the Mi-shima group

New records of ant species from Yunnan, China

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Ants, Wasps and Bees of Take-shima, Northern Ryukyus, Japan (Hymenoptera, Aculeata)

Faunal survey of ants, wasps and bees was conducted on Take-shima, Mi-shima group, Northern Ryukyus, Japan, in 2007. In total 36 species belonging to 26 genera were collected. Among them 14 ant, 3 wasp and 12 bee species are new to this island. Additional data for the aculeate fauna of Iwo-jima was presented based on the 2007 survey. A revised list of Aculeata from Take-shima, and a comprehensive list of Aculeata for the three Mi-shima islands are presented. Some biological and bio-geographical notes are given for the aculeate fauna of the Mi-shima group

Ants, Wasps and Bees of Iwo jima, Northern Ryukyus, Japan (Hymenoptera, Aculeata)

A faunal survey of ants, wasps and bees was conducted on Iwo-jima, the Northern Ryukyus, Japan, in 2005. In total 35 species belonging to 28 genera were collected. Among them 17 species of ant, 1 of wasp and 6 of bee are new to this island. Some biological and biogeographical notes are given for the collected species, with a revised list of species of the Aculeata on Iwo-jima

Continuous in-vIvo measurement of the brain tissue and the ischemic muscle gas tension using MEDSPECT, MS-8

I MEDSPECT is a medical mass spectrometer for continuous in-vivo measurement of tissue, blood and respiratory gases. Interfacing catheter for tissue in measurement has Teflon membrane. The permeability and perfusion rate for various gases through its membrane varied with temperature. The temperature coefficient of Teflon catheter in the range of 15℃-40℃ is approximately constant with -2% of correction per degree for oxygen and carbon dioxide. Linear correlation was confirmed experimentally. II The brain tissue gas tensions were measured in ten dogs with intra-venous anesthesia at normothermia and deep hypothermia using perfusion cooling, including circulatory arrest for 30 minutes at 20°C of cerebral temperature. On average, the brain tissue P(O2) was 15mmHg in normothermia when the arterial P(O2) showed 95mmHg and the brain tissue P(CO2) was 49mmHg when the arterial PC02 showed 30mmHg. The brain tissue carbon dioxide tension gradually decreased by cooling and increased during circulatory arrest for 30 minutes; from 45mmHg to 72mmHg. The brain tissue oxygen tension increased during cooling from 15mmHg to 41mmHg and decreased in the circulatory arrest; from 41mmHg to 36mmHg. III The ischemic muscle gas tension was measured in a 22-year-old man, who was suffered from thromboangiitis obliterans bilaterally, and had the popliteal autovein bypass surgery 3 months ago. Control oxygen tensions in the both anterior tibial muscles showed about the same; 35mmHg and 36mmHg respectivelly, and the P(O2) of the non-operated side showed remarkable low level of 18mmHg as compared with the side of arterial reconstruction surgery after 5-minutes ankle exercise

An oxyl/oxo mechanism for dioxygen bond formation in PSII revealed by X-ray free electron lasers

Photosynthetic water oxidation is catalyzed by the Mn4CaO5 cluster of photosystem II (PSII) with linear progression through five S-state intermediates (S0 to S4). To reveal the mechanism of water oxidation, we analyzed structures of PSII in the S1, S2, and S3 states by x-ray free-electron laser serial crystallography. No insertion of water was found in S2, but flipping of D1 Glu189 upon transition to S3 leads to the opening of a water channel and provides a space for incorporation of an additional oxygen ligand, resulting in an open cubane Mn4CaO6 cluster with an oxyl/oxo bridge. Structural changes of PSII between the different S states reveal cooperative action of substrate water access, proton release, and dioxygen formation in photosynthetic water oxidation