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Simulium (Simulium) phraense sp. nov. (Diptera: Simuliidae) is described from females, males, pupae, and larvae from Thailand. This new species is placed in the Simulium striatum species group and is most similar to Simulium (Simulium) nakhonenseTakaoka & Suzuki (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Thailand among species of the same species group but is barely distinguished from the latter species by lacking annular ridges on the surface of the pupal gill filaments.The fast-evolving nuclear big zinc finger (BZF) gene has successfully differentiated this new species from its allies, S. (S.) nakhonense and Simulium (Simulium) chiangmaiense Takaoka & Suzuki (Diptera: Simuliidae) of the S. striatum species group.The BZF gene sequences show that this new species is more closely related to S. (S.) nakhonense than to S. (S.) chiangmaiense, further supporting its morphological classification.

Trichospores of Harpella melusinae in larval black flies from four streams in northwestern South Carolina were measured. The longest fresh trichospore was 242 μm, 38% longer than the reported maximum length of trichospores for this species. After staining with lactophenol cotton blue, trichospore length was significantly reduced by up to 24.4% in fresh larvae and up to 4.9% in fixed larvae. Mean trichospore length differed significantly between seasons and between sampling sites but did not differ significantly between middle and final instars. Trichospore length correlated significantly with host size. We suggest that taxonomic descriptions of trichomycetes should include measurements of fresh, fixed and stained trichospores.

The occurrence of three new species of Harpellales in the Iberian Peninsula is reported. Capniomyces celatus was found in Nemouridae (Plecoptera) nymphs, Stipella latispora in Simuliidae (Diptera) larvae and Legeriomyces dolabrae with Baetidae (Ephemeroptera) nymphs. These species are differentiated from others by thalli and/or reproductive structures. Geographic range extensions for other species of Harpellales also are reported; these are Graminella bulbosa, Pennella angustispora, Spartiella barbata, Stachylina euthena, St. grandispora, St. pedifer, St. penetralis, St. prolifica, St. robusta and Stipella vigilans. All are compared with related taxa and are illustrated with photographs. Finally a summary of the known Harpellales occurring in the Iberian territory is provided with data on their distribution and ecology.The occurrence of three new species of Harpellales in the Iberian Peninsula is reported. Capniomyces celatus was found in Nemouridae (Plecoptera) nymphs, Stipella latispora in Simuliidae (Diptera) larvae and Legeriomyces dolabrae with Baetidae (Ephemeroptera) nymphs. These species are differentiated from others by thalli and/or reproductive structures. Geographic range extensions for other species of Harpellales also are reported; these are Graminella bulbosa, Pennella angustispora, Spartiella barbata, Stachylina euthena, St. grandispora, St. pedifer, St. penetralis, St. prolifica, St. robusta and Stipella vigilans. All are compared with related taxa and are illustrated with photographs. Finally a summary of the known Harpellales occurring in the Iberian territory is provided with data on their distribution and ecology.

Trichospores of Harpella melusinae in larval black flies from four streams in northwestern South Carolina were measured. The longest fresh trichospore was 242 microm, 38% longer than the reported maximum length of trichospores for this species. After staining with lactophenol cotton blue, trichospore length was significantly reduced by up to 24.4% in fresh larvae and up to 4.9% in fixed larvae. Mean trichospore length differed significantly between seasons and between sampling sites but did not differ significantly between middle and final instars. Trichospore length correlated significantly with host size. We suggest that taxonomic descriptions of trichomycetes should include measurements of fresh, fixed and stained trichospores.Trichospores of Harpella melusinae in larval black flies from four streams in northwestern South Carolina were measured. The longest fresh trichospore was 242 microm, 38% longer than the reported maximum length of trichospores for this species. After staining with lactophenol cotton blue, trichospore length was significantly reduced by up to 24.4% in fresh larvae and up to 4.9% in fixed larvae. Mean trichospore length differed significantly between seasons and between sampling sites but did not differ significantly between middle and final instars. Trichospore length correlated significantly with host size. We suggest that taxonomic descriptions of trichomycetes should include measurements of fresh, fixed and stained trichospores.

Fourteen species of Trichomycetes living in the guts of aquatic insects are reported from two provinces of Argentina, Misiones and Tierra del Fuego. Twelve of the species belong to the Harpellales and two are Amoebidiales. Five harpellid species are reported from Misiones in the extreme northeast of the country (Genistellospora homothallica, Harpella tica, Smittium culisetae, Smittium sp., Stachylina sp.) and seven are from Tierra del Fuego, the southern tip of South America (H. meridianalis, Glotzia sp., S. culicis, S. cellaspora, S. imitatum, Stachylina minima, Penella simulii). Insect hosts all were immature stages of Culicidae, Simuliidae, Chironomidae, Ceratopogonidae (Insecta: Diptera), and Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera. The lower diversity of Trichomycetes found at Misiones, which has a subtropical climate and rainforest vegetation, was due possibly to the warmer temperatures of the water (15-24 C), compared to the colder streams of Tierra del Fuego (9-15 C), with forests and steppes as typical vegetation.

To develop a chaetotaxy for heads of larval Simuliidae (Diptera: Culicomorpha), position of head sensilla relative to other structures, plus sensillar innervation, were used to establish homologies with head sensilla of larval mosquitoes (Culicidae). Cleared whole mounts of first- and later-instar larval simuliids were examined using light microscopy. Histological sections were used to determine innervation, as was in vivo methylene blue staining. First-instar larval simuliids have 18 primary sensillar pairs that allow homologies with sensilla of later-instar larval culicids to be established. These homologies can be tracked in later-instar larval simuliids even though numerous secondary sensilla are present and positions of primary sensilla change. Homologies could not be determined for antennal sensilla of larval simuliids. Innervation of cephalic sensilla from the brain is in agreement with embryological origin of the various head regions. Innervation patterns of cephalic sensilla appear conserved in culicomorphs and it is proposed that, when possible, sensillar innervation be used to establish chaetotaxies.

Injection trials with compatible and non-compatible Onchocerca species into S. damnosum s.l., the vector of human and bovine onchocerciasis, demonstrated that the rapid killing of microfilariae within the blackfly's haemocoel is species specific. In the presence of the peptide RGDS as a blocking agent for integrin-like receptors of haemocytes, the survival of O. ochengi microfilariae in its natural intermediate host was significantly increased. This increased survival 24 h p.i. correlated with a significant decrease of apoptosis levels in the microfilariae following a 2 h exposure to the haemolymph in vivo. These findings suggest that haemocytes are directly involved in the killing of Onchocerca microfilariae in the blackfly.

Fourteen species of Trichomycetes living in the guts of aquatic insects are reported from two provinces of Argentina, Misiones and Tierra del Fuego. Twelve of the species belong to the Harpellales and two are Amoebidiales. Five harpellid species are reported from Misiones in the extreme northeast of the country (Genistellospora homothallica, Harpella tica, Smittium culisetae, Smittium sp., Stachylina sp.) and seven are from Tierra del Fuego, the southern tip of South America (H. meridianalis, Glotzia sp., S. culicis, S. cellaspora, S. imitatum, Stachylina minima, Penella simulii). Insect hosts all were immature stages of Culicidae, Simuliidae, Chironomidae, Ceratopogonidae (Insecta: Diptera), and Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera. The lower diversity of Trichomycetes found at Misiones, which has a subtropical climate and rainforest vegetation, was due possibly to the warmer temperatures of the water (15-24 C), compared to the colder streams of Tierra del Fuego (9-15 C), with forests and steppes as typical vegetation.Fourteen species of Trichomycetes living in the guts of aquatic insects are reported from two provinces of Argentina, Misiones and Tierra del Fuego. Twelve of the species belong to the Harpellales and two are Amoebidiales. Five harpellid species are reported from Misiones in the extreme northeast of the country (Genistellospora homothallica, Harpella tica, Smittium culisetae, Smittium sp., Stachylina sp.) and seven are from Tierra del Fuego, the southern tip of South America (H. meridianalis, Glotzia sp., S. culicis, S. cellaspora, S. imitatum, Stachylina minima, Penella simulii). Insect hosts all were immature stages of Culicidae, Simuliidae, Chironomidae, Ceratopogonidae (Insecta: Diptera), and Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera. The lower diversity of Trichomycetes found at Misiones, which has a subtropical climate and rainforest vegetation, was due possibly to the warmer temperatures of the water (15-24 C), compared to the colder streams of Tierra del Fuego (9-15 C), with forests and steppes as typical vegetation.

The polytene chromosome banding pattern of Simulium exasperans (Craig, 1987) is described for the first time. Three populations of S. exasperans from Moorea and Tahiti were examined cytologically. Interspecific comparisons revealed that S. exasperans is homosequential in chromosomal banding pattern to Simulium cataractarum (Craig, 1987), but contains three species-characteristic floating inversions: IL-1 ex .2 ex , IIL-1 ex ,2 ex , and IIIL-1 ex . No sex-linked inversions were identified; males and females had undifferentiated sex chromosomes. The IIL-1 ex ,2 ex inversion was in Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium in two of the three populations. From this preliminary data, two cytotypes may exist: cytotype A (Belvedre Cascade population) and cytotype B (1st Afareaitu Cascade and Jardin Public Vaipahi populations). Contrary to phylogenetic and biogeographic data, it is hypothesized that the Belvedre Cascade population (cytotype A) is ancestral to the populations containing cytotype B. Furthermore, a heterozygote advantage may exist in cytotype B.

Polytene chromosomes from the salivary glands of Simulium cataractarum larvae from the islands of Moorea and Tahiti were examined. Intraspecific comparisons revealed a polymorphism in the short arm of chromosome I, termed the IS-1 ca inversion. This inversion sequence was significantly heterozygous in the Tahitian populations (s/i), while the Moorean populations were all homozygous for the standard sequence (s/s). These two island populations seem to be reproductively isolated from one another. Thus, two cytotypes are recognized. Based on biogeographical relationships between the islands, we argue that the Moorean cytotype is likely to be ancestral to the Tahitian cytotype. Furthermore, a heterozygote advantage may exist in the Tahitian cytotype. Chromosomal maps for S. cataractarum are presented.