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A global synonymical checklist of the species and higher taxa of the insect order Megaloptera is provided. The checklist includes both extant and extinct taxa, and recognizes 2 families, 4 subfamilies, 48 genera, 425 species, and 6 subspecies. Both families (Corydalidae and Sialidae), and three of the four subfamilies (Corydalinae, Chauliodinae, and Sialinae) are known from both extant and extinct species; the Sharasialinae (Sialidae) is entirely extinct. Country-level geographic distribution data are provided for all species and subspecies. Synoptic type data are provided for taxa in the family and genus groups. Summary data are given for the numbers of megalopteran species currently known to occur in each of the major biogeographical regions of the world, and for the world fauna. Increase of knowledge about the diversity of the world Megaloptera fauna is summarized in counts of valid species described per decade and in a global taxonomic description curve. An updated set of keys to the world families, subfamilies, and genera of the Megaloptera is also provided.
It is common knowledge that plants have been the world-wide most important source of medicines and that they still play this role in developing countries. However, up to now, complete lists of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) exist for comparatively few countries. A review of all lists know to the authors reveals the following results: A total of 20.7 % of the plant species analyzed by either publications or own research are or were used as MAP. However, regarding single countries, the differences are considerably high. Absolutely leading the list are China (36.2 %), Burkina Faso (35.2 %) and the Korean Republic (34.5 %). Also ahead of other countries or regions are the North of Benin (32.8 %) and the entire Pakistan (30.3 %). Still above average rank Great Britain (26.7 %) and Nepal (23.3 %), while the figures for Bul¬garia (21.0 %), Germany (20.2 %) and France (19.4 %) almost represent the average. Jordan (17.3 %), Vietnam (17.1 %), Sri Lanka (16.6 %), India (16.1 %) and Thailand (15.5 %) rank slightly beneath. Clearly below the average are the percentages of MAP for Hungary (12.2 %) and the USA (11.8 %). The average numbers of MAP in the Philippines (9.5 %) and Malaysia (7.7 %) fall far behind. Calculated on a worldwide scale, every fifth plant can be regarded as MAP. This number matches that from Bulgaria, France and Germany. In northern Benin, Burkina Faso, Korea, China and Pakistan, however, every third plant is or was used as MAP, whereas in Hungary and the USA only every eighth plant can be regarded as MAP. This number drops even further for the Philippines ore Malaysia where only every tenth or thirteenth plant can be attributed to medicinal or aromatic use. These differences might be due to various factors. A geographical component of the results is obvious: in most cases geographically close countries show similar percentages. A correlation between the total number of species and the fraction of those used as MAP cannot be confirmed. The countries with percentage of MAP > 30 % in common show that they belong either entirely (Burkina Faso, Benin) or at least in their rural areas to the poorest countries of the world so that it is (was) impossible for the majority of the people to buy "modern" MAP. In those countries the number of traditional healers outnumbers largely the number of modern doctors. Therefore, the tradition of folk medicine was maintained until today. Additionally, China, Korea and partially Pakistan have a very old and well documented tradition of folk medicine. Due to this documentation even in areas where today "modern MAP" are used, the knowledge was not lost. In neighboring countries or regions, which differ with respect to a more arid or a more humid climate, for the arid country (region) more MAPs are reported than for the humid one. The potential reasons for this phenomenon are discussed in the paper. For many countries the percentage given for MAP in literature is too low. But even these low values represent a striking argument for the importance of a world-wide conservation of biodiversity.
The study of the Portuguese marine ichthyofauna has a long historical tradition, rooted back in the 18th Century. Here we present an annotated checklist of the marine fishes from Portuguese waters, including the area encompassed by the proposed extension of the Portuguese continental shelf and the Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ). The list is based on historical literature records and taxon occurrence data obtained from natural history collections, together with new revisions and occurrences. It comprises a total of 1191 species, distributed among 3 superclasses, 4 classes, 42 orders, 212 families and 617 genera. If considering only the EEZ and present territorial waters, this list represents an increase of 230 species (27.8%) and of 238 species (29.0%), when compared to the information available in FishBase (2012) and in the last checklist of marine and estuarine fishes of Portugal (1993), respectively. The order Perciformes shows the highest diversity, with 54 families, 162 genera and 299 species. Stomiidae (80 species), Myctophidae (71 species) and Macrouridae (37 species) are the richest families. From the listed species, 734 are present off mainland Portugal, 857 off the Azores and 766 off Madeira. Within the limits of the examined area, three species are reported for the first time in mainland Portugal and twenty-nine records are identified as doubtful. A total of 133 species have been recorded from the extended Portuguese continental shelf (2 off mainland Portugal, 117 off the Azores and 14 off Madeira), two of which are common to the Azores and Madeira extensions. Biogeographically, the Atlantic group is the most important (548 species – 46.01%), followed by the Lusitanian group (256 species – 21.49%), the African group (71 species – 5.96%), the Boreal group (34 species – 2.85%), the Mediterranean group (31 species – 2.60%), the Macaronesian group (21 species – 1.76%), the Atlantic/African group (19 species – 1.60%) and the Mediterranean/African and the Arctic groups, each with only 1 species (0.08%). Regarding the preferences for vertical habitat, the demersal fishes are the most important group (305 species – 25.61%), followed by the mesopelagic group (228 species – 19.14%), the bathypelagic group (164 species – 13.77%), the benthopelagic group (147 species – 12.34%), the bathydemersal group (115 species – 9.66%), the reef-associated group (88 species – 7.39%), the pelagic group (74 species – 6.21%), the epipelagic group (58 species – 4.87%) and 1 species (0.08%) of the benthic group. The oceanic habitat is the best represented group comprising 446 species (37.45%), followed by the shelf group (199 species – 16.71%), the slope group (164 species – 13.77%), the inner shelf group (89 species – 7.47%), the coastal group (70 species – 5.88%), the outer shelf group (29 species – 2.43%) and the oceanic/shelf group (7 species – 0.59%).
The present study aims to fulfill the gap of taxonomic knowledge on Triphoridae from Brazil. We describe five new species (Isotriphora uncia sp. nov., Isotriphora leo sp. nov., Monophorus verecundus sp. nov., Sagenotriphora albocaput sp. nov., Similiphora lucida sp. nov.), report five species previously known only from the Caribbean and related areas (Cheirodonta dupliniana (Olsson, 1916), Eutriphora auffenbergi Rolán & Lee, 2008, Isotriphora tricingulata Rolán & Fernández-Garcés, 2015, Marshallora ostenta Rolán & Fernández-Garcés, 2008, Monophorus caracca (Dall, 1927) comb. nov.) and describe six morphotypes at the generic level (Isotriphora sp. 1, Marshallora sp. 1, Nanaphora sp. 1, Sagenotriphora sp. 1, Sagenotriphora sp. 2, Similiphora sp. 1). Remarks are made to some species previously recorded from Brazil, including the invalidation of records, problems of generic allocation and geographical range extensions. Maps of the geographical distribution are provided for the 65 currently recognized species of Triphoridae from Brazil. Of these, 31 species are endemic to Brazil and 58 inhabit the continental shelf vs only seven from the continental slope. A distinct geographical zone occurs in southeastern Brazil. A few species occur exclusively near the mouth of the Amazon River, whereas others inhabit a local biogenic reef, possibly serving as a biogeographical corridor that connects western Atlantic populations. Species of Isotriphora from Brazil are particularly common around oceanic islands, probably due to adopting intracapsular metamorphosis, which may have evolved in more than one evolutionary event.
Sea pens (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Pennatulacea) constitute a distinctive group of colonial marine invertebrates. They inhabit the world`s oceans, from shallow to deep waters. Studies about this group in Argentina are scarce, and no species have been described in the area in over a decade. Based on samples collected in Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon at about 3000 m deep we describe a new species of sea pen, Umbellula pomona Risaro, Williams & Lauretta sp. nov. This is a spiculate Umbellula that differs from other species of Umbellula with sclerites, by the number, development and distribution of the autozooids in its terminal cluster, as well as the shape of its axis. Molecular data also distinguishes it from other known species. Of the forty-three described species approximately ten are considered valid for the genus Umbellula, four of them are registered for the South Atlantic Ocean and only three are described for the Antarctic region. Since sampling efforts in this area have been scarce, the number of species of sea pens from the region is likely to increase substantially in the coming years.
Two new species of hangingflies, Terrobittacus rostratus sp. nov. and Terrobittacus angustus sp. nov., are described and illustrated from Yunnan, southwestern China, increasing the species number of Terrobittacus Tan & Hua, 2009 to six. Terrobittacus rostratus sp. nov. differs from its congeners by wings devoid of markings and epandrial appendages slightly longer than half the length of the gonocoxites. Terrobittacus angustus sp. nov. can be recognized by wing markings along R5 distally. A key to species of the genus is updated to include the two new species.
Two new species of Strandesia Stuhlmann, 1888 are described from the northeastern part of Thailand: S. karanovicae sp. nov. and S. amnatcharoenensis sp. nov. Strandesia karanovicae is characterized by a tumid carapace in dorsal view, a small anterior overlap, the absence of a dorso-subapical seta on the first segment of the antennule (A1), a large aesthetasc Y on the antenna, an α seta shape with a needle-like tip and a large β seta on the mandibular palp (Md-palp), serrated bristles on the maxilla, a long h1 seta on the second thoracopod (T2) and a slender caudal ramus (CR). Strandesia amnatcharoenensis has a small compressed posterior part of the right valves (RV) which makes it closely related to S. pholpunthini Savatenalinton, 2015. The new species can be distinguished primarily by a considerably small anterior overlap of the left valve over the right valve (RV), a postero-ventral flange of the RV, a remarkably large claw Ga of the CR and the chaetotaxy of the limbs, especially A1, Md-palp and T2. In addition, in the present study, the sexual population of S. martensi Savatenalinton, 2015 is recorded for the first time, and thus the first description of the male is provided here. Moreover, the morphological examination of both males and females revealed differences between asexual and sexual females and also points to the fact that S. martensi is a mixed reproduction species. This is the first record of the mixed reproductive mode in the genus Strandesia or even in the Cypricercinae.
Nemoura Latreille, 1796 and Amphinemura Ris, 1902 are the two largest genera of Nemouridae in China. In this paper, two new species are described and illustrated from China: Nemoura lixiana sp. nov. from Sichuan Province and Amphinemura jiaoheensis sp. nov. from Jilin Province. The two new species are diagnostic from congeners by the genitalic structures in males and females.