Russian Journal of Biological Invasions

2012, issue № 4

CONTENTS

An invasive component of flora of Khabarovsky Krai - Antonova L.A. - The paper presents the results of the first studies of an invasive component of Khabarovsky Krai flora, including the data on its species composition and structure, patterns of distribution in the region. It is found out that most species have the invasive status in the southern region of the krai, beyond this area the degree of naturalization is reduced and currently poses no threat of invasion. The main factors, limiting the spread of phytoinvasions in the region are climatic specifics of the region. Two climatic barriers, limiting the spread of invasive species, were identified. It is revealed that in the southern part of Khabarovsk Krai the time period from the adventitious species introduction till its ranking into the category of "invasive species" is 10–20 years, and the distribution area at first increases gradually, and then it expands sharply. An invasive component of krai flora comprises 21 species, representing 5.3% of krai adventive flora and nine other species may eventually become invasive.

On a flowering patterns of alien species. 2. Robinia pseudoacacia, R. × ambigua, R. neomexicana - Vinogradova Yu.K., Tkacheva E.V., Brindza Jan, Mayorov S.R., Ostrowsky R. - Comparative study of flower's structure in three species of Robinia L. – R. pseudoacacia, R. × ambigua & R. neomexicana – was carried out. Invasive R. pseudoacacia, in comparison with other species, has the smallest size of flower organs at each stage of flower development. A number of essential taxonomic characters in Robinia L., related to flower development stages, was revealed and studied. The set of characters (both numeric and non-numeric) comprises microscopic morphological ones in flowers of the Robinia species. Flower development stages could be effectively used for defining the boundaries between the floral phases. Additional taxonomic characters (shape of anthers, size and shape of pollen grain, pollen fertility) were revealed and discussed.

Parasites of perch Perca fluviatilis (Perciformes: Percidae) – the alien species in Lake Kenon (basin of Amur River) - Dugarov Z.N., Pronin N.M. - The basin of Lake Baikal is the southern-eastern boundary of the native areal of perch Perca fluviatilis, widely distributed in Eurasia. Perch was introduced into Lake Kenon (the basin of the Amur River) from Lake Ivan (the basin of the Lena River) in 1920. Complete restructuring of the fauna of parasites of host in 90 years after perch invasion has been revealed. The restructuring is typical for introduced fishes: the disappearance of mother fauna of parasites and the acquisition of new species. Parasitological data show the separation of perch population of Lake Kenon into two groups: "western" and "eastern".

Morpho-phenetical analysis of American mink (Neovison vison) populations from Caspian-Baltic watershed - Korablev M.P., Korablev N.P., Korablev P.N. - A morphological variability of 367 American mink skulls from Tver, Pskov and Novgorod regions (Caspian-Baltic watershed) were investigated using metric and non-metric traits. Among six investigated samples five ones represent feral populations and one sample represents ranch minks.
It is shown that within relatively small area (about 250×350 km) there are significant morphological differences between feral populations of minks. Differences in phenotype are determined by different history of the populations and by affection of escaped ranch animals.
The modern habit of minks from north-east of Tver Region is closely related to feral type due to origination from introduced animals. The source of American mink settlements in south-west part of investigated area is descendants of the first introducents from Vyshnij Volochek district. The Central-Forest Reserve and adjacent territories in western part of Tver Region are mixing zone where animals with different habit may meet. On the one hand large minks from Pskov and Novgorod regions as well as hybrid animals from the western part of Tver Region may increase general sizes of local animals, and on the other hand, the minks with feral phenotype from north-east part of Tver Region may affect the others. The possible consequences of interactions between domestic and feral populations which may influence on phenotype are discussed. Morphological differences observed between feral populations are lower than theoretically expected taking considerable influence of domestic animals. Possible reasons of discovered morphological stability of feral populations of American mink are seemed to be naturalization of the sizes of ranch escapees under pressure of environmental conditions and elimination of the first generation of hybrids between feral and domestic minks due to outbreed depression.

Distribution of alien fish species in reservoirs of Omsk Region - Korzun А.S., Kassal B.Yu. - As a result of long-term researches of ichthyofauna of reservoirs and water currents the spatiotemporal characteristic of fish invasions within the Omsk Region is given. The data on invader species, introduction and expansion of alien species, and also the main invasive corridors of the region are provided.

Threshold cation concentrations in the water determining the range limits of invaded the Rybinsk reservoir gastropod mollusc Lithoglyphus naticoides (Gastropoda) - Martemyanov V.I. - Threshold concentration of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium in the water determining the limits of survival of the Lithoglyphus naticoides in fresh reservoirs constitute 0.0024–0.0047, 0.0014–0.0025, 0.025–0.038, 0.0023–0.0032 mmol/l, respectively. At such content of ions in water the molluscs are in motionless condition. Display of impellent activity of animals is observed at achievement of concentration of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium in water 0.013–0.015, 0.0037–0.0043, 0.13–0.15, 0.027–0.029 mmol/l, respectively. It is shown, that for L. naticoides according to the content of ions in the water, there are no restrictions for moving into various reservoirs of the Earth. The received results are in concordance with the point of view stated in the literature about palearctic origin of the L. naticoides.

Dynamics of the range of lily leaf beetle (Lilioceris lilii, Chrysomelidae, Coleoptera) indicates its invasion from Asia to Europe in XVI-XVII century - Orlova-Bienkowskaja M.Ja. - Lily leaf beetle Lilioceris lilii (Scopoli, 1763) is a pest of ornamental lilies and fritillaries. Dynamics of its area in Eurasia from the XVIIIth century up to date was studied. Maps of the area in different periods have been compiled. 415 points are indicated in the maps. Now the range occupies a continuous band from Portugal to Khabarovsk Province. But till the end of the XIXth century the area was disjunctive. It consisted of two big separate parts: European and Asiatic ones. There was a distance of 2000 km between them. The most eastern of known European localities was in Voronezh Region. The most western Asiatic locality was in the vicinity of Omsk. Host plants of this species as well as the genus Lilioceris itself has Asiatic origin. So probably L. lilii is an aboriginal species in Asia (Siberia, Far East, northern China) and an invasive species in Europe. The disjunctive range could not have a relict origin, because L. lilii is able to disperse quickly. For example, now it quickly disperses in the United Kingdom, Canada, and USA. Lily leaf beetle was firstly recorded in Europe in 1688. Siberian lilies were firstly introduced to Europe in 1596. Obviously, the pest was introduced to Europe with lily bulbs in the end of the XVIth or in the XVIIth century. In the middle of XXth century L. lilii dispersed to the Volga River Basin, the Ural Region and south of Western Siberia. Therefore, the range became almost continuous. In the end of the XXth century the species disperses to the north of European Russia. Now lily beetle inhabits even the territories, where its host plants occur only as cultivated or adventive.

Parasites of alien aquatic animals in the Upper Volga basin - Tyutin A.V., Verbitsky V.B., Verbitskaya T.I., Medyantseva E.N. - The climate warming has provided ideal conditions for the range expansion of many southern Ponto-Caspian fish and mollusks through the Caspian-Volga-Baltic "invasion corridor". Some parasites can be used as "biological tags" of migration activity and genetic similarity of new host populations in the Middle and Upper Volga. This study show a low biodiversity of parasites even in the most common estuarial invaders sampled from the northern reservoirs, such as the Ponto-Caspian kilka Clupeonella cultriventris (16 species), tubenose goby Proterorhinus semilunaris (19 species), round goby Neogobius (=Apollonia) melanostomus (14 species). During 2000–2010, only a few examples of increase in incidence (up to 80–100%) and abundance indices approximating to epizootic levels were registered for some non-specific parasites. Those included the following: three peritricha ciliates Epistilys lwoffi, Trichodina acuta and Ambiphrya ameiuri on the gills of tubenose goby; the nematode Contracoecum microcephalum and the acanthocephalan Pomphorhynchus laevis from the round goby; metacercariae of trematodes Bucephalus polymorphus and Apophallus muehlingi from the muscles of kilka. In some water bodies, a tendency to a decrease in incidence of Bucephalus polymorphus after partial replacement of zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha (unique first intermediate host) with other alien species D. bugensis (quagga mussel) has appeared. High incidence of parthenites of Apophallus muehlingi in Lithoglyphus naticoides (the first intermediate host) was observed: up to 70% in the Upper Volga versus 34% in the Middle Volga. The fires of fish with considerable degree of muscle affection by both trematode species may differ by lowered mobility and ought to be more vulnerable prey for birds and carnivorous fishes.