Two new species of the genus Odochilus Harold, 1877 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Odochilini) from the Oriental Region are described as follows: O. shavrini Rakovič Anichtchenko, new species from the Philippines (Mindanao) and O. borneensis Rakovič Anichtchenko, new species from Malaysia (Sarawak). Photographs of their habitus are presented. Differential diagnoses are mentioned.
An overview of the Oriental species of the nominate subgenus of Camptopteroides Viggiani (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) is given. Two new species, C. (Camptopteroides) formosa Manickavasagam Sankararaman sp. n. from India and C. (Camptopteroides) reducta Triapitsyn sp. n. from Thailand and Malaysia, are described, and C. formosa additionally compared to two unnamed species. The holotype male of the type species of this genus, C. armata Viggiani from Sri Lanka, is diagnosed and illustrated. A key to Old World species of Camptopteroides is provided.
Cheleionwatanabeisp. n. is described from Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia and represents the third species of the genus Cheleion Vårdal & Forshage, 2010 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Aphodiinae, Stereomerini). A description of the previously unknown male of C.jendeki Král & Hájek, 2015, and a key to the species of the genus Cheleion are also provided.
A study on abundance and diversity of Hymenoptera was conducted in Gunung Datuk, Rembau. Samplings were conducted from November 2014 to February 2015 using six Malaise traps. Three traps were placed at Site 1 at 700m height for high elevation and the remaining traps were placed at Site 2 at 200m height for low elevation. A total number of 221 Hymenopteran were collected which consist of nine families namely Ichneumonidae, Formicidae, Braconidae, Bethylidae, Evaniidae, Tiphiidae, Vespidae, Pompilidae and Apidae. In this study, 93 individuals were obtained from Site 1, comprising nine families and 43 morphospecies while 127 individuals were obtained from Site 2 with nine families and 45 morphospecies. Formicidae was the most dominant family collected from both sites with a total of 104 individuals while the least family recorded was Apidae with only one individual. Shannon’s Weiner Diversity Index (H’) showed Site 1 had the higher diversity value with H’ = 3.17 compared to Site 2 with value H’ = 3.12. For Evenness Index, Site 1 had higher value compared to Site 2 with E’ = 0.84 and E’ =0.82 respectively. Moreover, for Margalef Richness Index, Site 1 recorded R’ = 9.24 while site two recorded R’ = 9.08 which concluded that Site 1 had higher species richness compared to Site 2. Paired t-test showed that both sites had no significant difference with p>0.05. Overall study showed that the diversity and abundance of Hymenoptera in Gunung Datuk were low since the value of H’ is less than 3.50.
Spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae causes a number of diseases in humans worldwide, which can range from mild to highly lethal. Since the clinical presentations of rickettsioses caused by SFG rickettsiae are variable and may be similar to the diseases caused by other rickettsiae, such as Orientia tsutsugamushi (agent for scrub typhus), Coxiella burnetii (agent for Q fever) and the typhus group rickettsiae (agents for epidemic and murine typhus), the accurate diagnosis of infections caused by SFG Rickettsia remains challenging especially in resource-poor settings in developing countries. This review summarizes the various diagnostic and detection tools that are currently available for the confirmation of infections by SFG rickettsiae. The advantages and challenges pertaining to the different serological and molecular detections methods, as well as new assays in development, are discussed. The utility of the detection tools contributing to the surveillance of SFG rickettsiae in arthropods and animals are reviewed.
The taxonomic status of the Southeast Asian spotted barb, Barbodes binotatus (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), has puzzled researchers because of large but inconsistent geographic variation of its body melanin marking pattern. In this study, the authors appraise the differentiation of B. binotatus and two closely related species, Barbodes rhombeus and saddle barb, Barbodes banksi, in Peninsular Malaysia using mitochondrial and nuclear markers. The results of this study reveal that the Peninsular Malaysia populations of each of the three species form largely reciprocal monophyletic lineages that differ from each other by a minimum of 2.3% p-genetic distance using COI gene. Nonetheless, specimens of B. binotatus in Peninsular Malaysia are only distantly related to specimens of B. binotatus in Java (type locality). The monophyly of B. banksi is not refuted although specimens of Peninsular Malaysia are genetically distinct from those of Sarawak (type locality). The authors discuss alternative hypotheses whether each of these three valid species is a single species or each of the main five genetic lineages revealed in this study represents a distinct species. Preliminary investigations reveal a mito-nuclear discordance at one locality in Peninsular Malaysia where B. binotatus and B. banksi co-occur. Further studies should inform on the extent of reproductive porousness between these two lineages and others.