Identification of African swine fever virus genomic DNAs in wild boar habitats within outbreak regions in South Korea.

An African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in wild boars was first reported on October 2, 2019, in South Korea. Since then, additional cases were reported in South Korea's border areas. We here report the identification of ASF virus (ASFV) DNAs from two out of eight environmental abiotic matter samples collected from areas where ASF-positive wild boar carcasses were found. Comparative genomic investigations suggested that the contaminating ASFV DNAs originated from the wild boar whose carcass had been found near the positive sample sites. This is the first report on the identification of ASF viral material in wild boar habitats.

Rapid emergence of African swine fever virus variants with different numbers of a tandem repeat sequence in South Korea.

African swine fever virus variants with different numbers of a 10-bp tandem repeat were isolated in South Korea soon after being identified in wild boar. The short emergence periods and sympatric distributions within a narrow geographical region suggest that the variants were sporadically generated in the pre-existing viral population.

A new blind groundwater-dwelling genus of the Cladocera (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) from the Korean Peninsula.

Groundwater-dwelling Cladocera are to date known only from the caves and hyporheic zones of the rivers in Europe (Belgium, England, France, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Slovenia, Spain), Turkey (European part) and Arabian Peninsula (Yemen). All these animals belong to the subfamily Aloninae Dybowski & Grochowski of the family Chydoridae Dybowski & Grochowski (Cladocera: Anomopoda). Examination of some samples collected by our colleagues - experts in Copepoda, Bathynellidae and Amphipoda-in South Korea led us to discovery of a new stygobiotic alonine genus, which is also the first record of a groundwater-dwelling cladoceran in Asia. Aims of this paper are: (1) to describe Korealona gen. nov., represented by two species, Korealona karanovici gen. nov., sp. nov. found in three different localities, and K. choi sp. nov., also found in three different localities; and (2) to discuss its differences from other genera of this subfamily and possible phylogenetic position of this genus among the aloninse. Distribution ranges of two species of Korealona gen. nov. are not unequivocally associated with present-day main river basins in Korea, but more sampling efforts are needed for final conclusions on their distribution ranges in Korea and closest countries and understanding of the genus evolutionary history.

Comparison of taxon-based and trophi-based response patterns of rotifer community to water quality: applicability of the rotifer functional group as an indicator of water quality.

Rotifer community is often used as a taxon-based bioindicator for water quality. However, studies of the planktonic community from the viewpoint of functional groups in freshwater ecosystems have been limited, particularly for rotifers. Because rotifers have various trophi types determining their feeding strategies, thereby representing an ecological niche, their functional feeding groups can act as biological and ecological indicators in lakes and reservoirs where planktonic communities are dominant. We analyzed the patterns of spatial distribution of the rotifer community in various reservoirs and then its relationship with water quality through redundancy and regression analyses. Compared with taxon-based composition, the response of trophi-based composition appears simplistic and showed clearer tendency in relation with water-quality variables. Each trophi responded differently by the degree of eutrophication indicating that each trophi group is possibly affected by environments such as the combinations of water-quality variables in different ways.

A new species of the genus Pleuroxus Baird (Cladocera: Anomopoda: Chydoridae) from Jeju Island, South Korea.

A new species of the genus Pleuroxus Baird (Cladocera: Anomopoda: Chydoridae) is described from Jeju Island, South Korea. P. jejuensis sp. nov. is the closest relative of the aduncus-like species from southern hemisphere instead of P. aduncus s. str. It shares with P. wittsteini Studer, 1878 in: (1) brown colour; (2) absence of denticles on postero-ventral portion of valve; (3) unusually short postpore distance; (4) grouped postanal teeth. P. jejuensis sp. nov. differs from P. wittsteini in: (1) smaller postpore distance; (2) submarginal setules on inner side of the posterior valve margin; (3) prominent postero-dorsal angle of the postabdomen; (4) only two postanal teeth in each group; (5) longer proximalmost basal spine of the postabdominal claw; (6) very short accessory seta on limb I. The wittsteini-like chydorines seem to be remnants of an old, pan-continental species group.