Ethno-medical Profiling of Myrianthus arboreus P.Beauv:A Phyto-resource Food of Chimpanzees(Pan troglodytes Blumenbach,1799)in the Ubangi Eco-region of Democratic Republic of the Congo

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ethnomedical knowledge of the population of South Ubangi on Myrianthus arboreus,a plant consumed by chimpanzees,with the assumption that this bio-resource is also used by the population in Af­rican Traditional Medicine to treat common diseases.The results revealed that M.arboreus treats 23 diseases in the province of South Ubangi in Democratic Republic of the Congo.Of these diseases,six(anaemia,bronchitis,tooth decay,gastritis,hypertension,and spleen)are the most cited.Anaemia and spleen are treated by all socio-cultural groups.The leaf is the most used organ(48%)followed by sap,roots,stems,bark,flowers,and seeds.Expression(61.5%)is the most used method of preparation followed by decoction,maceration,and mastication.Oral(94.5%)is the most used method of administration fol­lowed by body bath,massage,anal and auricular route.M.arboreus is a vulnerable species(Iv≥2.5)in the study area.The diseases treated are influenced by the level of education and the profession of the respondents(p<0.05).While the mode of preparation of recipes is influenced by the family situation,also the composition of recipes is influenced by gender,age and occupation(p<0.05).The search for new sources of bio-inspired drugs through zoopharmacognosy may thus allow the development of effective phytomedicines for the health care of humans or non-human primates ex situ.Thus the need for advanced phytochemical and pharmacological studies and the domestication of M.arboreus for its multiple food and phar­macological uses is necessary.

Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Two Rhacophorus Species Endemic to Mainland Japan

We conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses of Japanese Rhacophorus species, especially of R. schlegelii and R. arboreus from the mainland, based on samples encompassing their known distribution ranges, and discussed about evolutionary history of Rhacophorus species within Japan. The common ancestor of Japanese Rhacophorus, except for R. owstoni from southern Ryukyus, was estimated to have diverged from a lineage occurring mainly in China about 7 MYBP. Both R. schlegelii and R. arboreus are genetically largely divergent between regions of eastern and western Japan, and this seems to have been promoted mainly by retreat to refugia. Retreats of the two species to different refugia sometimes in the past seem to have led restricted distribution of R. schlegelii in eastern and R. arboreus in western Japan, and brought their intraspecific variation patterns in morphology and breeding habit.

Tiny insects against the weather flight and foraging patterns of Frankliniella schultzei (Thripidae) not altered by onset of rainfall

To survive in nature,organisms may need to take direct action to mitigate specific dangers from their environmental surroundings.Tiny flying insects are thought to be at particular risk from rainfall that would be of negligible concern to larger animals.The study species Frankliniella schultzei is a thrips that inhabits flowers and feeds mostly on petal tissue and pollen.While found to respond in the laboratory to decreases in atmospheric pressure associated with cyclonic conditions (rather than merely heavy rainfall),their responses to conditions preceding rainfall have not been tested in the field.Initial field sampling investigated the relationship between floral development and sites at which male,female,and larval thrips were generally present on sunny days.We then designed a sampling strategy to test if these thrips can anticipate imminent rainfall or storms and so seek shelter deep within flowers,by sampling host flowers (in sections)on multiple days with different weather conditions.Sticky traps were used to intercept thrips in flight,thus providing a measure of flight behavior across different days.The initial sampling found adult thrips primarily at the petal apex of anthesis-stage flowers where pollen is distributed. We subsequently found that rainfall,atmospheric pressure change,temperature,humidity and wind had no effect on flight behavior of E schultzei,or on their positions within flowers.These findings suggest rainfall is not a serious hazard for them.Perhaps thrips can survive raindrop collisions during flight,as impacts with water droplets are not expected to break the surface tension.