• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.375-382
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• 2018

Members of the genus Mortierella (Mortierellales) are filamentous fungi, which are found on nearly all substrates, but more frequently in soil. Till date, 7 species of Mortierella have been reported in Korea, but being a ubiquitous group with high species diversity in temperate zones, this number is still low. During a survey of fungal biodiversity in Korea, we collected many isolates of Mortierella, and through morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses, identified them to be 3 previously unrecorded species, namely, M. chienii, M. epicladia, and M. gamsii. A total of 10 Mortierella species in Korea, including the 3 species reported in the present study, are widely distributed in 5 out of 7 phylogenetic groups of this genus. This indicates that the diversity of Mortierella was so far underestimated in Korea. Multi-locus sequence analysis is required to provide a more reliable backbone for some uncertain phylogenetic groupings and to more clearly define a species of Mortierella, which would encourage deeper research in the diversity and ecological roles of Mortierella and allied genera.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.289-300
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• 2018

Coreanomecon is a monotypic and endemic genus in Korea, distributed mainly in the southern regions. Coreanomecon is morphologically similar to Hylomecon by producing red latex, easily distinguished from Chelidonium, which produces yellow latex. Coreanomecon were merged into Hylomecon or Chelidonium depending on the authors. To understand the phylogenetic relationship of Coreanomecon, DNA sequences of chloroplast rbcL and matK and nuclear Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) regions were determined from the species of Papaveroideae (Papaveraceae) in Korea and analyzed with the Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian methods. Phylogenetic analyses of Papaveroideae suggest that Coreanomecon is sister to the clade of Chelidonium and Stylophorum in the ITS data and that it is sister to Hylomecon in the chloroplast (cpDNA) data. A constraining analysis using the Shimodaira-Hasegawa test (S-H test) suggested that the ITS data do not reject the sister relationship of Coreanomecon and Hylomecon. The S-H test also suggested that the cpDNA data is compatible with the placement of Coreanomecon as a sister to the clade of Chelidonium and Stylophorum. Although the conflicting phylogenetic results may stem from insufficient phylogenetic signals, they may also be associated with hybridization between Hylomecon and an ancestor of Stylophorum and Chelidonium. The results of this study suggest that Coreanomecon is a distinct lineage as an endemic genus, supporting the morphological data.

• Entomological Research
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.559-566
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• 2018

In Korea, the centipede called "Wang-ji-ne" or "O-gong" is used as an important medicinal resource. This centipede has been known as Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans Koch 1878. Recent studies have assessed its taxonomic treatment in several geographical populations from China, Japan and Taiwan, but not Korea. We therefore attempted to assess exact species status for the Korean population of this subspecies using both morphological and DNA barcode methods. The result inferred from DNA barcoding showed that the Korean population is S. mutilans explicitly separated from S. subspinipes. Within S. mutilans, the Korean population is morphologically identical and genetically closer to the Chinese population rather than island populations of Japan and Taiwan. Particularly, the mainland populations from Korea and China share six haplotypes from 17 despite being far apart geographically.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.78-85
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• 2021

Heterorhabdus papilliger (Claus, 1863) is newly reported from the Tsushima Warm Current realm of the southern Korean waters. Its morphological diagnostic characteristics generally agreed well with the original description and the previous records of H. papilliger. The female of H. papilliger can be recognized by the genital somite, which in lateral view has a more or less rounded genital prominence and an uninflated posterior ventral margin; the second exopodal segment of male right leg 5 with the medial projection with a large, rounded, plumose proximal lobe, and a poorly developed distal lobe. The genetic difference for the partial mtCOI gene between Korean specimens and H. papilliger from Spain and Japan of the same clade is 0.4%, while the difference between Korean specimens is 0.5%. However, the interspecific difference for the mtCOI gene between H. papilliger from the Korean waters and the other Heterorhabdus species is in the range of 14.7-20.8%, suggesting that the former is a valid species.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.382-386
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• 2020

In this study, Prionospio depauperata Imajima, 1990 is newly reported in Korean fauna. Prionospio depauperata can be distinguished from other relatives by the four pairs of branchiae which are pinnate on chaetigers 2 and 5, and apinnate on chaetigers 3 and 4; caruncle extending to the end of chaetiger 2; and moderate dorsal crest present on chaetigers 7-13. The morphological diagnosis of P. depauperata are provided with the photographs of four Prionospio species. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1), 16S ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA), and the nuclear 18S ribosomal DNA (18S rDNA) sequences of four Prionospio species from Korean waters, P. depauperata Imajima, 1990, P. japonica Okuda, 1935, P. krusadensis Fauvel, 1929, and P. membranacea Imajima, 1990, were determined for the first time. The inter-specific genetic distances among the congeners of four Prionospio species were 22.3-29.6% in CO1, 10.5-25.0% in 16S rDNA, and 0.3-3.6% in 18S rDNA.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.205-213
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• 2021

Two specimens of Hemitrygon izuensis (395.8-471.5 mm in disc width), belonging to the family Dasyatidae (Myliobatiformes), were collected from the waters off north-eastern Jeju-do Island in June 2016 and Pohang in August 2019. This species was characterized by having no spots on dorsal side of disc, white ventral tail fold and short preorbital snout length (15.6-18.3% of disc width). This species is similar to H. akajei and H. sinensis reported in Korea, but differs in small denticles on mid-line of dorsal surface of disc (absent in H. izuensis vs. present in H. akajei and H. sinensis), the length of ventral tail fold (28.1-31.0% in H. izuensis vs. 48.0-48.6% in H. akajei vs. 45.0% in H. sinensis), color of ventral tail fold (white in H. izuensis vs. black in H. akajei and H. sinensis) and small tubercles on the posterior part of tail (absent in H. izuensis vs. present in H. akajei and H. sinensis). We suggest a Korean name for H. izuensis as "I-ju-gal-saeg-ga-o-li" following Kim et al. (2019).

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.214-221
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• 2022

Six species in five families of Lepidoptera were newly recorded from Korea. The adult specimens of these six species were obtained during the rearing caterpillars collected across Korea. Agonopterix omelkoi Lvovsky (Depresariidae) can be distinguished by the ochreous forewing with a dark brown slanted line, a dark brown triangular spot, and a blackish discal dot, and the whitish hindwing. Dichomeris ferruginosa Meyrick (Gelechiidae) can be diagnosed by the light brown forewing with two relatively large blackish dots and suffusion of dark brown along the dorsum and subtermen, and the grayish hindwing. Pseudohedya satoi Kawabe (Tortricidae) can be diagnosed by the dark ochreous forewing with several medially curved dark ochreous medial lines, and the large light grayish tornal marking, and the dark grayish hindwing. Rhodoneura hyphaema (West) (Thyrididae) can be diagnosed by the reddish forewing with a relatively thick postmedial band, and the reddish hindwing with a narrow dark reddish straight medial band. Comibaena subprocumbaria (Oberthür) (Geometridae) can be diagnosed by the greenish forewing with a whitish apical marking that bordered with a brownish or dark reddish line that connected to the termen, and the distal abdominal segments with whitish and dark reddish dots. Perixera absconditaria (Walker) (Geometridae) can be diagnosed by the light brownish forewing with a relatively thick, slanted, dentate brownish postmedial line, and the light brownish hindwing with a small white discal spot. We provide the diagnosis and figures of adults and larvae, and DNA barcoding data.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.161-177
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• 2022

Microalgae can attach to the surface of ships and then spread to various areas by means of ship transport. The introduction of invasive species through ships is recognized as a marine problem worldwide. Identification of attached microalgae is necessary to investigate such movement between countries through ships. In the present study, through analytical methods we reviewed research data to identify the taxa of domestic attached microalgae and assess the ecological impacts of such microalgae. A total of 87 genera and 153 species (143 species of diatoms, 10 species of cyanobacteria, and 4 genera of dinoflagellates) were identified as native attached microalgae in Korea, and diatoms accounted for 93% of the total. Most of these attached microalgae were identified through research on natural substrates such as seaweeds and bedrock, and some were also identified through experiments using artificial adherent plates. To date, there is no information on microalgae attached to international ships and introduced into Korea. Molecular genetic analysis and systematic management through on-site sampling of international ships, microscopic analysis, and meta-barcoding are necessary to assess the inflow and spread path of hull-attached marine alien species and evaluate the risk they pose to the domestic ecosystem.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.478-483
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• 2022

A single specimen (522.0 mm in total length) of the family Muraenidae, collected from the waters off south-western Jeju-do Island in November 2021, was identified as Echidna nebulosa on the basis of morphological and molecular methods (DNA barcoding). This species is characterized by several morphological traits as follows: 10 rounded molar, median intermaxillary, and vomerine teeth; 4 predorsal vertebrae, 50 preanal vertebrae and 123 total vertebrae; and a pale background color with two rows of 17-20 blackish brown starry blotches along the head and body. As this is the first record of E. nebulosa in Korea, we propose the new Korean names, "Dung-Geun-Ni-Gom-Chi-Sog" for the genus Echidna, and "Beol-Kkok-Gom-Chi" for E. nebulosa.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.126-135
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• 2022

Background: Pollinators are important ecological elements due to their role in the maintenance of ecosystem health, wild plant reproduction, crop production and food security. The pollinator-plant interaction supports the preservation of plant and animal populations and it also improves the yield in pollination dependent crops. Having knowledge about the plant-pollinator interaction is necessary for development of pesticide risk assessment of pollinators and conservation of endangering species. Results: Traditional methods to discover the relatedness of insects and plants are based on tracing the visiting pollinators by field observations as well as palynology. These methods are time-consuming and needs expert taxonomists to identify different groups of pollinators such as insects or identify flowering plants through palynology. With pace of technology, using molecular methods become popular in identification and classification of organisms. DNA metabarcoding, which is the combination of DNA barcoding and high throughput sequencing, can be applied as an alternative method in identification of mixed origin environmental samples such as pollen loads attached to the body of insects and has been used in DNA-based discovery of plant-pollinator relationship. Conclusions: DNA metabarcoding is practical for plant-pollinator studies, however, lack of reference sequence in online databases, taxonomic resolution, universality of primers are the most crucial limitations. Using multiple molecular markers is preferable due to the limitations of developed universal primers, which improves taxa richness and taxonomic resolution of the studied community.