Intracellular rickettsia-like structures were found in the tissues of a glossiphoniid leech, Torix tagoi, by transmission electron microscopy. Diagnostic PCR analysis using specific primers suggested that of the nine glossiphoniid species examined, two species, T. tagoi and Hemicrepsis marginata, harbored bacteria of the genus Rickettsia. A 1.5-kb eubacterial 16S rRNA gene segment obtained from each of these species was amplified by PCR, cloned, and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene demonstrated that the Rickettsia species found in the leeches constituted a novel clade that is distinct from the clade of arthropod-associated Rickettsia species. In natural populations, 97.7% (43 of 44) of T. tagoi leeches and 100% (9 of 9) of H. marginata leeches carried Rickettsia, suggesting that infection with Rickettsia is prevalent in these leeches. This is the first report of Rickettsia found in annelids.
The only previous comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the 22 species of the genus Vespa was based on just 11 morphological characters and resulted in only limited resolution. In order to improve the phylogenetic inference, we carried out a simultaneous analysis with 45 morphological characters and data from four mitochondrial and two nuclear genes. The results support a number of the previously found relationships. The monophyly of the genus Vespa and the existence of a main clade excluding V. basalis and V. binghami are confirmed. The tropica group is supported. The affinis group is not supported; molecular data relate the previously unresolved V. orientalis to V. affinis + V. mocsaryana
The taxonomy of the Vietnamese species of the social wasp subfamily Vespinae is revised. Vespa auraria Smith, 1852, is synonymized under V. velutina Lepeletier, 1836. Vespula koreensis (Radoszkowski, 1887) is recorded as new for Viet Nam, and its color characters are described. A key to vespine species of Viet Nam based on morphological characters is provided.
Nineteen species of the paper wasp genus Ropalidia are recorded from Vietnam, of which three are new records for Vietnam. A key to all of the species, distribution records and taxonomic remarks are given. New synonymies proposed are: Ropalidia bicolorata parvula , under R. bicolorata van der Vecht, 1962 R. hongkongensis juncta van der Vecht, 1941, under R. hongkongensis (de Saussure, 1854; Icaria jucunda Cameron, 1898, and R. marginata sundaica van der Vecht, 1941, under R. marginata (Lepeletier, 1836; R. rufocollaris atrata van der Vecht, 1941, under R. rufocollaris (Cameron, 1900; and R. stigma rufa van der Vecht, 1941 and R. stigma nigrolineata , under R. stigma (Smith, 1858.
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