Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity最新文献

Two new records of the genus Botanophila, B. dissecta (Meigen, 1826) and B. kitayamae (Suwa, 1974), were recorded in Korea for the first time. Their morphological information was provided with photographs, and a key to the Korean species of the genus Botanophila was presented.

Two individuals of wavy jaw slopefish, Cymatognathus aureolateralis, were collected from a fish landing area in the coastal municipality of Governor Generoso in Davao Gulf, Philippines. This extends the species’ known geographic distribution northward, approximately 579 kilometers from Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, where it was first described. The specimens collected from Davao Gulf have similar overall appearance, including the elevated tooth patch that is distinct for this genus. Morphological and meristic characters were also comparable with the measurements and counts provided for the specimen from Indonesia. Although interconnectivity of C. aureolateralis between southern Mindanao and North Sulawesi is possible given the similar bathymetric contour along the stretch of the Sangihe arc, larval transport remains unclear due to the prevailing oceanographic currents. The new records of marine fishes reported recently in Davao Gulf emphasizes the importance of strengthened management measures through an ecosystem-based approach to sustain biodiversity amid various anthropogenic threats.

Here, we successfully assembled the complete chloroplast genome of Rorippa apetala Y.Y. Kim & B.U. Oh, a species endemic to the Korean Peninsula. The chloroplast genome was 154,818 bp long and exhibited a typical quadripartite structure comprising large single-copy (83,847 bp) and small single-copy (18,023 bp) regions, and a pair of inverted repeats (26,474 bp each). A total of 129 genes were encoded, including 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated sequences of 78 protein-coding genes from 25 species revealed a close relationship between R. apetala and Rorippa indica (L.) Hiern, supported by full bootstrap value (100). Future studies employing more informative markers and a broader range of taxa will provide valuable insights into the biogeographical distribution of the genus Rorippa and offer a deeper understanding of the speciation process in R. apetala.

This study aimed to establish a systematic plan for an integrated inventory of insects based on long-term faunistic research of Korean islands. Preparing the plan involved the following processes: 1) examination of 6,117 species belonging to 402 families and 29 orders occurring on 541 islands, based on a survey of the status of insect species on Korean islands; 2) identification of 498 species belonging to 110 families and 14 orders, based on preliminary faunistic surveys of 10 human-inhabited islands in 2021 for efficient research of island insects; and 3) a list of species, voucher specimen, habitat information, and image data for each species, in addition to the generation of 135 Cytochrome c Oxidase subunit I sequences of 70 species for DNA barcode analysis to resolve the identity of taxa that are challenging to identify morphologically. The results of this study may be used for establishing a long-term systematic plan for faunistic research and acquisition of comprehensive biological information on the insects native to Korean islands, while the results may also contribute to the establishment of criteria for the sustainable utilization of bioresources and the conservation of species.

Betula davurica and deciduous Quercus forests are among the principal forest types in Northeast Asia. They are found throughout continental Northeast Asia and in some mountainous regions of Central Honshu and eastern Hokkaido in the Japanese Archipelago. B. davurica–Quercus crispula forests in Japan are significant for understanding the phytogeography of Japan and Northeast Asia. However, their relationships with B. davurica–Quercus mongolica forests in continental Northeast Asia remain poorly understood. We compared the species composition of B. davurica–Q. crispula forests of Japan, with those of Q. crispula dominant forests and B. davurica–Q. mongolica forests using phytosociological methods. The results suggested that B. davurica–Q. crispula forests of Japan had a significant number of species common to the order Lespedezo bicoloris–Quercetalia mongolicae and the class Querco mongolicae–Betuletea davuricae in continental Northeast Asia than in other associations in Japan. Furthermore, our results showed that associations between B. davurica and Q. crispula forests in Central Honshu and Hokkaido are related to different orders in continental Northeast Asia. The relations of the associations between Japan and the continent are considered to have been caused by the environmental similarities, the histories of taxa, and the changes in vegetation distribution.

Given the challenges posed by climate change, ecological restoration is crucial for conserving biodiversity and improving environmental resilience. Ecological restoration aims to maintain and restore plant populations with high evolutionary capacity and facilitate beneficial genotype dispersion to adapt to environmental pressures. However, genetic diversity has been overlooked in restoration research. This study evaluated the genetic diversity of Lespedeza cuneata G. Don, a species targeted for restoration on the Korean Peninsula. Lespedeza cuneata is widely distributed in the Korean Peninsula and East Asia. However, this study confirmed that the heterozygosity of L. cuneata was relatively lower than that in studies of congeneric species. Analysis of the genetic structures on the peninsula revealed four clusters distinguished between several locations, and principal component analysis also identified clustering among four groups. Analysis of molecular variance results revealed that there was greater variation among (38.09%) than within (23.75%) populations, which is potentially due to the independent genotypes found in several of the populations. This study contributes to the understanding of genetic diversity within species targeted for restoration and provides valuable insights into the formulation of effective restoration plans integrating genetic aspects.

The present study recorded 18 species including four new records of the genus viz. Phaeophyscia hirtuosa (Kremp.) Essl., P. laciniata Essl., P. nashii Essl., and P. rubropulchra (Degel.) Essl., for Indian lichen biota. Out of 18 species of Phaeophyscia reported from India, the northern region of the country showed rich diversity of Phaeophyscia species represented by 15 species followed by eastern and southern region with 9 and 6 species, respectively. Phaeophyscia hispidula is the dominant species.

This study was conducted to determine if molecular genetics would confirm the various subspecies within the species Coreocarabus fraterculus in Korea. In the Korean peninsula, a total of eight subspecies of C. fraterculus have been recognized based on external morphology, and they are morphologically very similar and difficult to identify. In this study, we examined the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (ND5) gene of four subspecies inhabiting Korea, including Palgong-san, Deogyu-san, Jiri-san, and 10 other locations. Based on the ND5 sequences, the phylogenetic history of the collected individuals was reconstructed using Neighbor-Joining, Maximum Likelihood, and Maximum Parsimony trees. All the three phylogenetic trees confirmed the occurrence of four groups in Korea corresponding to four subspecies.

Purple longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) is a new longan cultivar that arose in Soc Trang province, Vietnam. Although the economic value of purple longan has been revealed, genomic data have not been explored. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of purple longan was sequenced and characterized, which was 160,763 bp in length. The genome had a quadripartite structure, including a large single copy (85,628 bp), a small single copy (18,247 bp), and two inverted repeat (28,444 bp) regions. This genome contained 79 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNAs, and four ribosomal RNAs, of which, 16 genes were duplicated in inverted repeat regions. Comparative genomic analysis revealed 11 highly variable regions (including matK-trnK_UUU, psbK-trnG_UCC, atpH-atpI, psbZ-rps14, pafI-trnL_UAA, psbJ-petG, clpP, rpl36-rpl14, rpl32-ccsA, rps15-ycf1, and ycf1). Additionally, 100 insertion and deletion sites were identified in the purple longan chloroplast genome. This study provided the first report on the complete chloroplast genome of purple longan, which is useful for further studies on cultivar identification, germplasm conservation, and plant breeding in the Dimocarpus genus and Sapindaceae family.

We surveyed the pygmy grasshoppers (Tetrigidae) of Nee Soon Swamp Forest (NSSF), the last substantial freshwater swamp habitat in Singapore, and found nine species from seven genera, including new locality records for Potua coronata Bolívar, 1887 and Thoradonta nodulosa (Stål, 1861). Overall, four subfamilies were represented: Cladonotinae, Metrodorinae, Tetriginae, and Scelimeninae. Here, we document the diversity and describe the intra-specific variation in Loxilobus insidiosus (Bolívar, 1887), Thoradonta nodulosa (Stål, 1861), and Coptotettix spp. as well as report natural history observations of these species related to their behavior in the semi-aquatic environment). We also provide a key to the species of Tetrigidae from NSSF.