Revision of the genera Cyphonethes Verhoeff, 1926 and Titanethes Schioedte, 1849 (Isopoda: Oniscoidea: Trichoniscidae) with a description of a new genus and three new taxa.

A taxonomic study of two troglobite genera resulted in remarkable changes to their composition and our perception of their relationship. The genus Titanethes is treated as monotypic, with one newly described taxon, Titanethes albus matovici n. ssp. One species is transferred from Titanethes to the genus Cyphonethes, Cyphonethes biseriatus (Verhoeff, 1900) comb. nov. A species and a genus are synonymized, Microtitanethes licodrensis syn. nov. The diagnosis of the genus Cyphonethes is amended and revised using comparative morphology of adult males. A new species, Cyphonethes tajanus n. sp, is described. A close relationship between the genera Titanethes and Spelaeonethes is established. Cetinjella monasetrii n. g., n. sp, is described as a new genus and species close to the genus Cyphonethes. It is assumed to be a higropetric cave inhabitant, based on its pereopode structure, with elongated fused dactylus and unguis, and partly by its slightly modified mouthparts. Unique water uptake (for the water conducting system) by the dorsal surface of the frontal pereionite is also assumed for the species, based on the presence, distribution and orientation of specific small scales. The presence and structure of male tergal glands in the genus Tithanethes are treated as taxonomically irrelevant.

In vitro antibiofilm activity of the freshwater bryozoan Hyalinella punctata: a case study of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1.

The antibiofilm and possible antiquorum sensing effects against the strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 of five crude extracts of the freshwater bryozoan Hyalinella punctata (Hancock, 1850) were evaluated in vitro for the first time. H. punctata ethyl acetate extract (HpEtAc) exhibited the highest antibiofilm activity reducing the biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa PAO1 in the range of 80.63-88.13%. While all tested extracts reduced the twitching motility of the aforementioned bacterial strain, HpEtAc showed to be the most effective. Finally, at a concentration of 0.5 MIC, the same extract mostly inhibited the production of pyocyanin by P. aeruginosa PAO1 (71.53%). In comparison both with the positive controls used (streptomycin and ampicillin, 67.13 and 69.77%, respectively), HpEtAc was found to inhibit pyocyanin in a higher extent. An extensive chemical characterisation of this particular extract may result in isolation and identification of novel lead compounds targeting P. aeruginosa, an opportunistic human pathogen.

Chemosystematics in the Opiliones (Arachnida): a comment on the evolutionary history of alkylphenols and benzoquinones in the scent gland secretions of Laniatores.

Large prosomal scent glands constitute a major synapomorphic character of the arachnid order Opiliones. These glands produce a variety of chemicals very specific to opilionid taxa of different taxonomic levels, and thus represent a model system to investigate the evolutionary traits in exocrine secretion chemistry across a phylogenetically old group of animals. The chemically best-studied opilionid group is certainly Laniatores, and currently available chemical data allow first hypotheses linking the phylogeny of this group to the evolution of major chemical classes of secretion chemistry. Such hypotheses are essential to decide upon a best-fitting explanation of the distribution of scent-gland secretion compounds across extant laniatorean taxa, and hence represent a key toward a well-founded opilionid chemosystematics.

A bryozoan species may offer novel antioxidants with anti-carbon-dioxide anion radical activity.

The antiradical activity of the freshwater bryozoan Hyalinella punctata water extracts (two samples, seasonal collection) was evaluated by using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy against hydroxyl (√OH), superoxide anion (√O2(- )), methoxy (√CH2OH), carbon-dioxide anion (√CO2(- )), nitric-oxide (√NO) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (√DPPH) radicals. The extracts reduced the production of all tested radicals but to a varying degree. The better activity was observed against √CO2(- ) and √CH2OH radicals (54 ± 5% and 44 ± 4%, and 58 ± 6% and 22 ± 2%, respectively) than towards √DPPH, √NO, √OH and √O2(- ) radicals (59 ± 6% and 1.0 ± 0.1%, 46 ± 5% and 14 ± 1%, 7.0 ± 0.5% and 34 ± 3%, and 33 ± 3% and 0%, respectively). FTIR spectra of the both extracts indicate the presence of cyclic peptides and polypeptides which might be responsible for the observed activity. According to the experimental data obtained, H. punctata water extract may be considered as a novel promising resource of natural products with anti √CO2(- ) radical activity.

On the enigmatic scent glands of dyspnoan harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones): first evidence for the production of volatile secretions.

While considerable knowledge on the chemistry of the scent gland secretions from the opilionid suborders Laniatores and Cyphophthalmi has been compiled, it is the Palpatores (Eupnoi and Dyspnoi) where chemical data are scarce. In particular, the Dyspnoi have remained nearly unstudied, mainly due to their reported general reluctance to release secretions as well as to the phenomenon of production of insoluble-and inaccessible-solid secretion. We here show that at least certain nemastomatid Dyspnoi, namely all three species of genus Carinostoma, indeed produce a volatile secretion, comprising octan-3-one, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one and acetophenone in species-specific combinations. In all Carinostoma spp., these volatiles are embedded in a semi-volatile, naphthoquinone matrix (mainly 1,4-naphthoquinone and 6-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone). In detail, acetophenone and traces of naphthoquinones characterize the secretions of Carinostoma carinatum. A mixture of octan-3-one, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one and large amounts of naphthoquinones were found in C. elegans, and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one together with small amounts of naphthoquinones in the secretions of C. ornatum. So far, exclusively naphthoquinones had been reported from a single dyspnoan hitherto studied, Paranemastoma quadripunctatum.

Nemaspela ladae sp. n., a new troglobitic nemastomatid (Opiliones, Dyspnoi, Nemastomatidae) from a Dinaric cave.

A new troglobitic Nemastomatidae from Mt. Romanija in Bosnia, is described and provisionally placed in the otherwise Caucasian genus Nemaspela Silhavý, 1966 for sharing morphological similarities. Nemaspela ladae sp. n. seems not closely related to the second troglobitic Balkan genus Hadzinia Silhavý, 1966, which shows closer relationship with Nemaspela femorecurvata Martens, 2006. New male specific characters shared by Hadzinia karamani (Hadzi, 1940) and several similar, still undescribed species, indicate Hadzinia as an independent lineage. The unusual distribution of the Hadzinia-Nemaspela complex might indicate its relictual status as elements of the paleo-European mainland fauna, which survived adverse climatic changes during the Pleistocene in southern refuges. Possible relation of this complex with the fossils Mitostoma gruberi Dunlop and Mitov, 2009 from Bitterfeld and Baltic ambers is discussed. Further studies of the entire Hadzinia-Nemaspela complex and relatives are necessary to solve their phyletic and unusual zoogeographic connections.

High conservatism in the composition of scent gland secretions in cyphophthalmid harvestmen: evidence from pettalidae.

The scent gland secretion of Austropurcellia forsteri was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, providing the first description of the secretion chemistry in the cyphophthalmid family Pettalidae. The secretion contained a total of 21 compounds: About 60% of the whole secretion consisted of a series of saturated, mono-unsaturated and doubly unsaturated methylketones, from C11 to C15, with a cluster of saturated and mono-unsaturated C13-methylketones dominating. A second fraction included several naphthoquinones such as 1,4-naphthoquinone (ca. 20% of secretion), 6-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (ca. 17%), and minor amounts of chloronaphthoquinones (ca. 2%). When compared with scent gland compositions of other representatives of cyphophthalmids (e.g. from families Sironidae and Stylocellidae), a highly conservative chemistry of cyphophthalmid secretions is apparent, based on a restricted number of methylketones and naphthoquinones.

Nitrogen-containing compounds in the scent gland secretions of European cladonychiid harvestmen (Opiliones, Laniatores, Travunioidea).

The exocrine secretions from prominently developed prosomal scent glands in four species of the European laniatorean harvestman genus Holoscotolemon (Laniatores, Travunioidea, Cladonychiidae) were analyzed by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry. Two major alkaloidal compounds were detected: Nicotine accounted for more than 97% of the secretion in Holoscotolemon jaqueti and H. oreophilum, whereas the chemically related nicotinoid alkaloid anabaseine was the major compound in H. lessiniense. In addition, a series of minor nitrogen-containing components was found, namely 3-(1-methyl-2-piperidinyl)-pyridine and anabasine, in H. jaqueti and H. oreophilum, and anabasine together with 2,3'-bipyridyl in H. lessiniense. By contrast, extracts of adult H. unicolor did not show any components. In one juvenile specimen of H. unicolor, however, low amounts of alkyl pyrazines (dimethyl-isobutyl- and dimethyl-isopentylpyrazines) were detected. Nitrogen-containing components previously were found in Sclerobunus robustus (an American travunioid harvestman), so scent gland-derived alkaloids may be widespread or even common in the Travunioidea. Alkaloids have not been reported for other opilionid scent gland secretions outside the Travunioidea, and we hypothesize that they may be the phylogenetically ancestral allomones in the Laniatores, having been reduced and replaced by a phenol- and benzoquinone-rich chemistry in the more derived grassatorean taxa.

The genus Cyphophthalmus (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) in Europe: a phylogenetic approach to Balkan Peninsula biogeography.

In this study, we present phylogenetic data to characterize the relationships among sironids centered in the Balkan region, and use these results to discuss biogeographical aspects of sironid evolution. Analysis of ca. 4.5 kb of sequence data from three nuclear and two mitochondrial genes reveals monophyly of a Balkan clade for which we resurrect the name Cyphophthalmus, considered a junior synonym of Siro for over a century. This clade diversified into several groups, and at least three of them--the duricorius group, the serbicus group, and the minutus group--are well corroborated by the data as monophyletic lineages. The members of the different groups, mostly living in troglobitic environments, have diversified in overlapping geographic regions, with evidence of an eastern origin for the group. Our data also suggest that mitochondrial and nuclear genes are all contributing towards the final resolution of the combined analysis of the data.