Sex ratios and life-history patterns of a solitary wasp,Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) politum (Hymenoptera : Sphecidae)

Summary Werren and Charnov (1978) and Seger (1983) proposed a model to explain a fairly common pattern of alternating sex ratio biases between generations in partially bivoltine insects. When first-generation males overlap and mate with females of the second generation, then females should bias sex ratios in favor of sons for the first generation and daughters for the second generation. In an intensive, 7-year study at four sites in northern Florida, pipe-organ mud-daubing wasps (Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) politum; Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) were found to have strongly male-biased sex ratios in the first or overwintering generation and 1:1 or female-biased sex ratios in the second or summer generation. These differences were not due to differences in mortality of the two sexes but rather resulted from changing female sex-allocation decisions. In some respects the mud dauber results fit Seger's model well: alternating sex ratios in partially bivoltine populations, first-generation males overlapping second-generation females and perhaps most convincingly, northern, univoltine populations do not have a male bias. Despite this qualitative fit, however, our data do not meet the quantitative predictions of the model. This could result from the fact that some assumptions of the model are not met by the life history of T. politum. Alternative explanations for alternating sex ratios include split sex ratios, seasonal differences in cost ratios, facultative maternal investment rules and facultative overwintering decisions by offspring. Despite the position that sex ratios have achieved in the modern study of evolution, it is clear that accurate, quantitative predictions on sex-allocation patterns demand the same detailed understanding of the biology of the organism that is required for the study of other adaptations.     

Planktonic bioluminescence in the pack ice and the marginal ice zone of the Beaufort Sea

An icebreaker cruise into the Beaufort Sea in the fall of 1986 provided a unique opportunity for studying planktonic bioluminescence in ice fields and in the marginal ice zone. Bathyphotometer casts (bioluminescence intensity, seawater temperature, beam attenuation coefficient, and salinity) and biological collections were made to a depth of 100 m. A light budget, which describes the planktonic species responsible for the measured bioluminescence, and a dinoflagellate species budget were constructed from the mean light output from luminescent plankton and plankton counts. The vertical distribution of bioluminescence among the ice stations was similar. The maximum intensities were 2 to 8×10⁶ photons s^-1 cm^-3 in the upper 50 m of the sea-ice interface. The marginal ice zone station (MIZ) exhibited a maximum intensity of 2 to 3×10⁸ photons s^-1 cm^-3 between 5 and 30 m depth. At Ice Station 2, Metridia longa and their nauplii contributed approximately 80% of stimulable bioluminescence in the upper 10 m but, overall, Protoperidinium spp. dinoflagellates contributed most of the light to a depth of 100 m. In the MIZ, Protoperidinium spp. dinoflagellates contributed 90% of the light within the upper 10 m, decreasing to 43% of the contributed light at a depth of 40 m. Below 40 m, dinoflagellate bioluminescence decreased to a few percent of the total to a depth of 90 m. Metridia spp. copepods contributed more than 50% of the light at depths from 40 to 90 m. Ostracods, larvaceans, and euphausiid furcilia contributed <1% of all bioluminescence at all depths sampled. Correlation analyses between measured bioluminescence (photons s^-1 cm^-3), the number of bioluminescent dinoflagellates and the light budget for the MIZ indicated highly significant associations: r=0.919, p=0.001, and r=0.912, p<0.001, respectively (Student's two-tailed t-tests). Bioluminescence was negatively correlated with seawater salinity at all stations (p=0.001). Maximum bioluminescence was measured in the less saline surface waters at all stations.     

Planktonic ciliates in Southampton Water: abundance,biomass, production,and role in pelagic carbon flow

The abundance and biomass of marine planktonic ciliates were determined at monthly intervals at two stations in Southampton Water between June 1986 and June 1987. The two stations, an outer one at Calshot and an inner one at N. W. Netley, were subject to differing marine and terrestrial influences. The potential ciliate production at cach station on each visit was estimated from these data. Enumeration of ciliates and measurements of biovolume were performed on Lugol's iodinepreserved samples and potential production was calculated using a predictive relationship based on temperature and cell volume. Heterotrophic ciliate abundance and biomass were greatest at both stations during spring and summer months, with respective maxima of 16x10³ organisms 1^-1 and 219 g Cl^-1 recorded at N. W. Netley. Estimates of the potential production of the ciliate community ranged from <1 to 18 g Cl^-1 d^-1 at Calshot and <1 to 141 g Cl^-1 at N. W. Netley, with annual values of 2 and 9 mg Cl^-1 yr^-1, respectively. Abundances, biomass and potential production estimates were generally greater at N. W. Netley than at Calshot. Carbon flow through the ciliate community was assessed using annual production values from both this study and the literature. The annual ciliate carbon requirement was equivalent to 9 and 11% of annual primary production at Calshot and N. W. Netley, and potential annual ciliate production was equivalent to 34% and >100% of the energy requirements of metazoan zooplankton at these locations, although comprising only 8 and 10% of their available food.     

High frequency of extra-pair paternity in Swedish pied flycatchers revealed by allozyme electrophoresis and DNA fingerprinting

Summary We used two genetic techniques to study multiple parentage in the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca). Allozyme electrophoresis of 131 nestlings from 22 clutches sampled in 1982 and 1987 showed that one nestling had a mismatched allele compared with its putative parents. In one additional nest the devitation from Mendelian inheritance of parental genotypes suggested extra-pair paternity. The calculated probability of detecting multiple paternity from the genetic variation at four loci was 0.115. The estimated population frequency of extra-pair fertilization (EPF) was 13%, based on two mismatches and the probability of detecting multiple paternity. The seven families (n = 38 nestlings) in the 1987 sample were also analyzed by DNA fingerprinting using the M13 and Jeffrey's 33.15 probes. Overall, 24% (n = 9) of the nestlings analyzed were genetically inconsistent with their putative father, with EPF occurring in three (43%) of the seven clutches. One nestling originated by intraspecific brood parasitism. Comparison of the two techniques using the same samples showed that allozyme electrophoresis has a resolution only 11% of that of DNA fingerprinting, close to the calculated probability of detecting multiple paternity (0.115). Both techniques suggest that extra-pair fertilization is relatively common in the Swedish populations investigated compared to the low frequency reported from a Norwegian population. Correspondence to: H.P. Gelter at the present address     

Biomass partitioning of benthic microbes in a Baltic inlet: relationships between bacteria, algae, heterotrophic flagellates and ciliates

 The structure of a benthic microbial food web and its seasonal changes were studied in the shallow brackish waters of the island of Hiddensee, northeastern Germany, at two sites in close proximity by monthly or bimonthly sampling from July 1995 to June 1996. Abundance and biomass of phototrophic and non-phototrophic bacteria, heterotrophic flagellates (HF) and ciliates as well as the biomass of microphytobenthos were determined in the upper 0.3 cm sediment layer. Abundance of organisms showed strong positive correlation with water temperature, with the exception of the bacteria. Non-phototrophic bacterial numbers ranged from 7 × 10⁸ to 6.7 × 10⁹ cells cm⁻³ and phototrophic bacterial abundance from 4 × 10⁷ to 2.7 × 10⁸. Heterotrophic protist abundance ranged from 8 × 10³ to 104 × 10³ ind cm⁻³ for HF and from 39 to 747 ind cm⁻³ for ciliates. The biomass partitioning demonstrated the primary importance of non-phototrophic bacteria (min. 0.83, max. 84.87 μg C cm⁻³), followed by the microphytobenthos (min. 1.32, max. 50.93 μg C cm⁻³). The heterotrophic protists contributed roughly the same fraction to the total microbial biomass, with the biomass of the HF being slightly higher (HF 0.23 to 1.76 μg C cm⁻³, ciliates 0.04 to 1.17 μg C cm⁻³). Taxonomic classification of the benthic HF revealed the euglenids to be the most important group in terms of abundance and biomass, followed by thaumatomastigids and kinetoplastids. Other important groups were apusomonads, cercomonads, pedinellids and cryptomonads. The structure of the HF assemblage showed strong seasonal changes with euglenids being the most abundant taxa in summer, while apusomonads and thaumatomastigids were predominant in winter. Similar to the pelagic microbial food web, benthic picophototrophic bacteria were occasionally abundant, and the feeding modes of heterotrophic protists exhibited a great variety (predominantly omnivores, bacterivores, herbivores or predators). Filter-feeding HF were of little importance. Contrary to the pelagic environment, a top-down control on total benthic bacterial numbers by HF seemed unlikely at the studied stations which were characterised by muddy sand. Received: 6 January 1999 / Accepted: 21 October 1999     

Sekundärrohstoffe aus Abfall-Lösungen

Every year about 40 000 m³ of waste solutions from photographic fixing and developing processes are produced in Germany. A new method of reclaiming some base chemicals (silver, fixing salt, gypsum and ammonia) from these solutions has been developed for black and white photographic processes. The remaining waste water has a low COD-value and low concentration of dissolved salts. This method is considered further to develop the state-of-the-art technique and is economically feasible.