Butterfly assemblages were monitored by the transect count method at two urban parks of Musashino area in Tokyo Metropolis from April to October in 2001. Seven families, 35 species and 1489 individuals were observed in the Nogawa Park which conserved the native environment as a biotope, and 7 families, 25 species and 942 individuals were observed in the Koganei Park mainly composed of grass land and flower garden. Pseudozizeeria maha and Pieris melete were major species of the butterfly assemblage in both the Nogawa Park and the Koganei Park. Individual numbers of Nymphalidae, Satyridae and Hesperiidae species were more in the Nogawa Park and inversely, those of Pieridae species were more in the Koganei Park. Existence ratio of environmental stage (ER) indicates that the Nogawa Park is afforested stage and the Koganei Park is urban stage. Comparison between the present survey and the previous survey in urban parks in Osaka Prefecture indicated that a similarity in ER pattern did not always associate with a high value of a quantitative index for degree of overlap (PIANKA's α-index) and Pieris melete was a major species in Musashino area specifically.

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Marsh water was chemically analyzed in four habitats of Nannophya pygmaea Rambur in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. Somewhat acidic water (pH 5.7-6.4) was observed in one marsh, while the others often showed a higher value of pH (6.0-10.4). This result implies that suitable pH range for a habitat of the species is fairly wide including such a higher category, rather than recognized so far. Enrichment of mineral constituents such as Ca²⁺ compared to rainwater suggested that the marsh water was mainly supplied with ground water.

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The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHc) converts pyruvate produced during glycolysis of glucose to acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA). The activated acetyl unit is oxidized completely to CO₂ by the enzymes of the TCA cycle; reportedly the PDHc is not active in termites. Rather, termites utilize acetate that is produced from the pyruvate by microorganisms in the hindgut and then transferred into the body of the termite through the hindgut epithelium. Acetate is converted to acetyl-CoA in the cytosol of termite cells and the acetyl unit is transported into the mitochondria to be oxidized to CO₂ via the TCA cycle.
In this study, the activities of the PDHc were determined in extracts from tissues of Coptotermes formosanus by measuring directly the [¹⁴C]-acetyl-CoA produced in reactions between [2-¹⁴C]-pyruvate, CoA, and NAD⁺ catalyzed by the enzyme complex. It was found that an inhibitor cocktail containing 0.1 mM fluphenazine and 0.1 mM dichloroacetophenone effectively inhibited activation and deactivation of the PDHc in termite tissue mitochondria and allowed the determination of the range of PDHc activity. PDHc activity was maintained at about 50-60% of its maximal value in both Nasutitermes walkeri and C. formosanus. Oxygen consumption by mitochondria isolated both from N. walkeri and from C. formosanus was then measured with oxygen electrodes. Pyruvate and acetyl groups (transported into mitochondria as acetylcarnitine or acetyl-CoA + carnitine) were the major respiratory substrates in mitochondria from both N. walkeri and C. formosanus. Sufficient PDHc activity and the high rate of pyruvate oxidation in mitochondria from N. walkeri suggest that pyruvate is rapidly metabolized, whereas the low mitochondrial PDHc activity of C. formosanus suggests that in this species more pyruvate is produced than can be oxidized in termite tissues.

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Recently evaluation of biodiversity has become more important, because it is necessary for environment assessment, impact assessment and priority assessment for conservation planning. Species diversity is one of the main measures of biodiversity, and has been expressed in various ways such as diversity indices. These indices have been, however, sometimes used inadequately: some authors occasionally ignored, or forgot, the premise of application of such diversity indices. Even when the indices are properly used, we must be careful in interpreting them Many diversity indices are double-faced: species richness and equitability. In recent studies, species richness estimates are often used as more direct measures of species diversity, instead of diversity indices. Such estimates are generally evaluated by nonparametric methods. Both the diversity index and the species richness estimates seem to be influenced by the species-abundance relationship. Diversity evaluation by both methods sometimes shows discrepancies. This paper, reviews the complicated expression and application of species diversity.

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