Survey of Leafminers on American Chestnut and other Castanea spp. (Fagales: Fagaceae) on Long Island, NY.

The effect of the 20th-century functional extinction of the American Chestnut (Fagaceae: Castanea dentata (Marshall) Borkh) on associated herbivorous insects is unknown. These insects include leafminers that spend at least part of their larval phase feeding between the epidermises of leaves. We surveyed leafminers on C. dentata, nonnative Castanea spp., and hybrids on Long Island, NY. We found 10 leafminer species feeding on Castanea spp. A first New York State record was documented for Stigmella castaneaefoliella (Chambers) (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae). New host records are established for 6 lepidopterans, including a new host genus for Phyllonorycter basistrigella (Clemens) (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae). We found no significant differences in the mean intensity of S. castaneaefoliella leaf mines on native and nonnative Castanea spp.; however, our sample size was small. Thus, we guardedly conclude that nonnative Castanea spp. can serve as refugia for C. dentata leafminers native to North America while acknowledging that the extent to which nonnative species are utilized requires further investigation.

Complete Genome Sequences of Cluster F1 Mycobacteriophages Akhila and MilanaBonita.

Akhila and MilanaBonita are mycobacteriophages that were isolated from soil in New York using Mycobacterium smegmatis. Both phages have genomes that are 56,251 bp long and contain 99 genes; the genomes differ by only 1 nucleotide. Based on gene content similarity to phages in the Actinobacteriophage Database, both phages are assigned to cluster F1.

Complete Genome Sequences of Actinobacteriophages Anaysia and Caviar.

Anaysia and Caviar are temperate siphoviruses isolated from soil using Gordonia terrae 3612 and Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155, respectively. Anaysia's 52,861-bp genome carries 102 genes, while Caviar's 47,074-bp genome carries 79 genes. Based on gene content similarity, Anaysia and Caviar are assigned to phage clusters A15 and A3, respectively.

Complete Genome Sequences of Mycobacteriophages HarryOW and Peeb.

HarryOW and Peeb are Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2 155 Siphoviridae temperate phages with 52,935 and 41,876 base pairs in genome length, respectively. HarryOW belongs to the A1 subcluster and Peeb to the G1 subcluster. They were isolated and annotated by students from the SUNY Old Westbury Science and Technology Entry Program.

Complete Genome Sequence of Rahel, a C1 Cluster Mycobacteriophage.

Rahel is a lytic Myoviridae bacteriophage that infects Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155. It has 1,555,955 bp and 64.7% G+C content. Rahel has a circularly permuted genome with 270 genes, 53 of them of known function, 33 tRNAs, and 1 transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA). Only five genes are coded on the reverse strand.