Taxonomic revision of the peculiar genus Xylopodia (Loasaceae) with a new species from Argentina and Bolivia demonstrating an atypical trans-Andean disjunction.

Loasaceae subfam. Loasoideae are a nearly exclusively American plant group with a center of diversity in Peru. Numerous new taxa have been described over the past decades; one of the most striking discoveries was that of the narrowly endemic Xylopodia with the single species Xylopodiaklaprothioides in Peru, Dpto. Cajamarca in 1997. Surprisingly, field studies in the past years have resulted in the discovery of material clearly belonging to the same genus in both Bolivia and northern Argentina, approximately 1500 km SE of the next known population of Xylopodia in Contumazá, Peru. A closer examination shows that Argentinian and Bolivian material belongs to a single species, clearly different from Xylopodiaklaprothioides. We here describe Xylopodialaurensis and the entire genus is revised. Both species are illustrated, all aspects of their biology and ecology are portrayed and their threat status is discussed.

First observation on the predation of a non-arthropod species by a dung beetle species: The case of Canthon chalybaeus and the snail Bulimulus apodemetes.

We described, for the first time, a case of predation of a non-arthropod species by a dung beetle species. Canthon chalybaeus Blanchard, 1843 kills healthy individuals of the terrestrial snail Bulimulus apodemetes (D'Orbigny, 1835) showing an evident pattern of physical aggressiveness in the attacks using the dentate clypeus and the anterior tibiae. The description of this predatory behaviour was complemented with the analysis of the chemical secretions of the pygidial glands of C. chalybaeus, highlighting those main chemical compounds that, due to their potential toxicity, could contribute to death of the snail. We observed a high frequency of predatory interactions reinforcing the idea that predation in dung beetles is not accidental and although it is opportunistic it involves a series of behavioural sophistications that suggest an evolutionary pattern within Deltochilini that should not only be better studied from a behavioural point of view but also phylogenetically.

Avaliação morfológica e morfométrica da articulação umerorradioulnar em cães através de exames radiográficos e por tomografia computadorizada / Radiographic and tomographic study of the elbow joint in dogs

Este estudo teve como objetivo apresentar de forma detalhada dados morfológicos e morfométricos da articulação umerorradioulnar de cães de raça definida avaliados por meio de exames físicos, radiográficos e tomográficos. A amostra dessa pesquisa constituiu-se de 44 cotovelos de cães com idades variadas. Para análise de informações obtidas, o coeficiente kappa e de correlação interclasse e associação foram realizados. Constatou-se que o desempenho individual de cada projeção radiográfica teve pobre concordância com o exame tomográfico; não houve concordância entre os observadores para as mensurações do ângulo da incisura ulnar ao exame radiográfico e tomográfico. Porém houve boa/moderada concordância para mensuração da incongruência radioulnar no plano sagital entre os observadores. Concluiu-se que nenhuma das cinco incidências radiográficas foi superior para análise radiográfica, uma vez que cada projeção apresentou melhor identificação de um compartimento do cotovelo. Medidas ao exame tomográfico para incongruência radioulnar não apresentaram reprodutibilidade no plano de reconstrução frontal, entretanto no corte sagital apresentaram boa e moderada concordância entre os observadores e que a mensuração do ângulo da incisura ulnar não apresentou repetibilidade ao exame radiográfico e nem reprodutibilidade ao exame tomográfico. Esses resultados contribuem para melhor utilização de cada exame de acordo com a região a ser avaliada bem como ressaltam a necessidade da somatória de múltiplos exames de imagem para a correta avaliação desta afecção.(AU)

Elbow dysplasia disease includes an united anconeal process, fragmented medial coronoid process, osteochondrosis of humeral trochlea, articular incongruity and degenerative joint disease. The aim of this study was to present detailed morphologic and morphometric aspects of the elbow joint in dog in clinical and correlate with radiographic and tomographic (CT) exam. Inter-observer variation for articular incongruity measurements by CT, comparative analysis in the radiographic exam, angle in ulnar notch and its comparative analysis between radiographic and tomographic agreement examination in 44 elbow of dogs with different ages were evaluated. The statistics analyses included the kappa coefficient and interclass correlation and Fischer's test and McNemar's test. It was evidenced that individual performance of each radiographic incidence had poor agreement with the tomographic exam, suggesting that the accomplishment of more than two radiograph views are needed. There was no agreement between the three evaluators in the ulnar notch angle at radiographic and tomographic exams. However, there was good/moderate agreement for articular incongruity measurement in the sagittal plane between evaluators. It was possible to conclude that none of the five radiographic incidences was better than the others for radiographic analysis because each incidence had a better identification of a particular elbow compartment; measurements at the tomographic exam to evaluate radioulnar incongruity had no reproductiveness in the frontal plane, but in sagittal plan had a good/moderate agreement between observers and the angle in ulnar notch presented no repeatability at radiographic exam and no reproductiveness at tomographic exam.(AU)

Liolaemus lizards (Squamata: Liolaemidae) as hosts for the nymph of Amblyomma parvitarsum (Acari: Ixodidae), with notes on Rickettsia infection.

Adults of Amblyomma parvitarsum are common ectoparasites of South American camelids of the genera Lama and Vicugna, occuring in highlands of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru and also in Argentinean Patagonia. Whereas larval stages of this tick are known to feed on small lizards, host records for the nymphal instar have remained unreported. Supported by morphological and molecular analyses, herein we report A. parvitarsum nymphs parasitizing two Liolaemus species (Reptilia: Squamata) in the Andean Plateau of Argentina and Chile. Additionally, by a PCR screening targetting gltA and ompA genes, DNA of Rickettsia was detected in one of the collected nymphs. Obtained sequences of this agent were identical to a recent Rickettsia sp. described infecting adults of this tick species in Chile and Argentina.