Utility of the DNA barcoding gene fragment for parasitic wasp phylogeny (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea): data release and new measure of taxonomic congruence.

The enormous cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequence database being assembled from the various DNA barcoding projects as well as from independent phylogenetic studies constitutes an almost unprecedented amount of data for molecular systematics, in addition to its role in species identification and discovery. As part of a study of the potential of this gene fragment to improve the accuracy of phylogenetic reconstructions, and in particular, exploring the effects of dense taxon sampling, we have assembled a data set for the hyperdiverse, cosmopolitan parasitic wasp superfamily Ichneumonoidea, including the release of 1793 unpublished sequences. Of approximately 84 currently recognized Ichneumonoidea subfamilies, 2500 genera and 41,000 described species, barcoding 5'-COI data were assembled for 4168 putative species-level terminals (many undescribed), representing 671 genera and all but ten of the currently recognized subfamilies.

Integration of DNA barcoding into an ongoing inventory of complex tropical biodiversity.

Inventory of the caterpillars, their food plants and parasitoids began in 1978 for today's Area de Conservacion Guanacaste (ACG), in northwestern Costa Rica. This complex mosaic of 120 000 ha of conserved and regenerating dry, cloud and rain forest over 0-2000 m elevation contains at least 10 000 species of non-leaf-mining caterpillars used by more than 5000 species of parasitoids. Several hundred thousand specimens of ACG-reared adult Lepidoptera and parasitoids have been intensively and extensively studied morphologically by many taxonomists, including most of the co-authors.

Morphological and functional characterization of large antral follicles in three breeds of sheep with different ovulation rates.

Morphological and functional features of large ovarian follicles from three breeds of sheep, with different ovulation rates (Finnish Landrace N = 12, Finnish Landrace X Scottish Blackface N = 16, Merino X Scottish Blackface N = 16) were compared by integrating three techniques; ink labelling, in-vitro oestradiol production and morphological classification. The follicles were removed at two stages of the follicular phase, 1 (PG + 1) or 2 (PG + 2) days after PGF-2 alpha treatment and compared after monitoring their rates of growth with the use of ink labelling. After ovariectomy all follicles greater than or equal to 1 mm in diameter were dissected, and the 8 largest were incubated individually for 2 h to assess their ability to secrete oestradiol and testosterone.

Variations in patterns of follicle development in prolific breeds of sheep.

Prolific breeds of sheep (Romanov, Finn and Booroola Romanov crosses heterozygous for the Booroola gene (F+) were compared with breeds of lower prolificacy (Ile-de-France, Finn X Scottish Blackface, Merino X Blackface and Booroola X Romanov not carrying a copy of Booroola gene (++] by in-vivo monitoring of follicular kinetics by ink labelling during the late luteal phase and follicular phase of the oestrous cycle followed by histological examination of the ovaries or follicle dissection. At each of 3 successive laparotomies, the 3 largest follicles of each ovary were measured and ink labelled. At the final laparotomy, around the beginning of oestrus, all ewes were ovariectomized.

Fertility of sheep given antisera to steroids during anoestrus.

The incidence of oestrus (6/46) and ovulation (14/46) in ewes given antisera to androstenedione, oestrone, oestradiol and testosterone either separately or as a mixture of these sera at the time of treatment with progestagen sponges alone or progestagen sponges followed by LH-RH was similar to that of control ewes (2/13 and 6/13 respectively). The number of corpora lutea (CL) recorded for those ewes that did ovulate was, however, greater in the antiserum-treated ewes (22 CL/14 ewes) than in the controls (6 CL/6 ewes) at the first ovulation after sponge withdrawal. This superiority persisted to the second ovulation (53 CL/42 treated ewes compared to 13 CL/13 controls).