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A new species of Liolaemus is described from southwest of the town of Añelo, Neuquén Province, Argentina. Integrative evidence methodology of external morphological characters and molecular phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA (cyt-b) is used to place the new species to the species group of Liolaemus boulengeri. The new species is phenotypically close to L. mapuche. The new Liolaemus is medium to large in size (males 77.64–83.98 mm, females 72.88–78.58 mm), with evident sexual dichromatism. Genetic distances of the mtDNA (cyt-b) between the new species and its closest relative species are greater than 3% (L. cuyanus 7.48–12.02%; L. josei 7.56–9.60%; L. puelche 8.23–9.93%; L. mapuche 8.51–9.79%). Molecular and morphological phylogenetic results show L. mapuche as the sister species of the new one. The new species is larger than L. mapuche. Dorsal and ventral scales are more numerous in the new species than in L. mapuche, precloacal pores in females are present in L. mapuche and absent in the new species. It has strict psammophilic habits, using sand mounds and sheltering, under Alpataco (Neltuma alpataco) bushes. The L. boulengeri group now contains 75 species distributed in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.
Cyclocephala kuijteni (Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini), a new species from Suriname
(2023)
Cyclocephala kuijteni, new species (Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini), is described from Suriname. It is illustrated together with its aedeagus, and the characteristics differentiating it from the most similar species C. castanea (Olivier), C. hardyi Endrödi and C. pygidialis Joly are briefly discussed.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8F673BD6-7061-4B9E-9445-F8A5C21D5892
Entoloma (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) is a species-rich genus with approximately 2000 species known worldwide. In Central America, however, information about the species of this genus is sparse, despite the generally high biodiversity in this region. Recently, 124 specimens of Entoloma were collected in Panama, Chiriquí Province. In the present publication, the morphology of 20 species represented by more than one specimen is described and depicted with photographs, line drawings, and scanning electron micrographs. Molecular phylograms based on ITS or concatenated ITS and partial nc LSU rDNA sequences are provided. The taxonomic status of these species is evaluated and 17 species of Entoloma are described as new to science. Only one species could be assigned to an already known species, viz. Entoloma belouvense. Nolanea albertinae, described from Brazil, appeared similar and is combined in E. belouvense on varietal level. The identifications of two further species are uncertain. At least 30 other species, including potentially new species, cannot formally be described due to insufficient material. A preliminary key to the species of the genus Entoloma in Panama is provided. The spatial shape of the polyhedroid basidiospores of Entoloma spp. is discussed based on literature and the micrographs generated for the present study. Our re-evaluations indicate that the type of polyhedroid basidiospore and the structure of its base are not reliable as diagnostic characters for the delimitation of subgenera in Entoloma.
Four new species of the spider genus Physocyclus Simon, 1893 are described from Mexico. Two species are described based on male and female adult specimens: Physocyclus mariachi sp. nov. and P. sikuapu sp. nov. Two species are described only with female adult specimens: P. lyncis sp. nov. and P. pocamadre sp. nov. The biogeographical province with the highest diversity of species is the Balsas Depression, located in the Mexican Neotropic, with 12 species. Physocyclus lyncis sp. nov. belongs to the dugesi species group, whereas the other three new species belong to the globosus species group. The total number of species of Physocyclus is increased to 37, distributed in North America (mainly Mexico) and Central America, with one cosmopolitan species: P. globosus. Updated taxonomic identification keys for males and females are provided.
The genera Aneflomorpha Casey, 1912 and Neaneflus Linsley, 1957 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) are revised for the species occurring in the United States. Examination of all primary types has necessitated redefinition of several species that were defined originally and subsequently on erroneous character descriptions. Two new species of Aneflomorpha are described from Arizona: Aneflomorpha crypta Lingafelter, new species and A. paralinearis Lingafelter new species. One subspecies, Aneflomorpha rectilinea yumae Giesbert and Hovore, 1976 is elevated to species, new status. Six species are synonymized: Aneflomorpha citrana Chemsak, 1960 is a new synonym of A. rectilinea Casey, 1924; Aneflomorpha parowana Casey, 1924 is a new synonym of Aneflomorpha linearis (LeConte 1859), along with its synonyms A. testacea Casey, 1924, A. elongata Linsley, 1936, and A. californica Linsley, 1936; Aneflomorpha arizonica Linsley, 1936 is a new synonym of Aneflomorpha unispinosa Casey, 1912; Aneflomorpha parkeri Knull, 1934 is a new synonym of Aneflomorpha gilana Casey, 1924; Aneflomorpha texana Linsley 1936 is removed from synonymy with A. seminuda Casey, 1912 and found to be conspecific with A. werneri Chemsak, 1962, new synonym. Aneflomorpha opacicornis Linsley, 1957 is transferred to Neaneflus as N. opacicornis (Linsley), new combination, and Neaneflus brevispinus Chemsak, 1962 is a new synonym. With this revision, there are eighteen species of Aneflomorpha and two species of Neaneflus recognized for the United States. All species are presented with new diagnoses, illustrated characters, updated distributional and host information, and an illustrated identification key.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:08BF4EE0-E69C-4E09-BECA-26481D49BFDE
Kálmán Vánky (15th of June 1930–18th of October 2021) was arguably the most prolific researcher of smut fungi so far. He published more than 1000 taxonomic novelties, and crowned his outstanding oeuvre with the most comprehensive monograph of the smut fungi (Smut Fungi of the World) written to date.
We raise some critical points against a naïve interpretation of “green finance” products and strategies. These critical insights are the background against which we take a closer look at instruments and policies that might allow green finance to become more impactful. In particular, we focus on the role of a taxonomy and investor activism. We also describe the interaction of government policies with green finance practice – an aspect, which has been mostly neglected in policy debates but needs to be taken into account. Finally, the special case of green government bonds is discussed.
We raise some critical points against a naïve interpretation of “green finance” products and strategies. These critical insights are the background against which we take a closer look at instruments and policies that might allow green finance to become more impactful. In particular, we focus on the role of a taxonomy and investor activism. We also describe the interaction of government policies with green finance practice – an aspect, which has been mostly neglected in policy debates but needs to be taken into account. Finally, the special case of green government bonds is discussed.
An interesting new taxon of scarabaeoid beetle is described from western Texas, USA. The remarkably small chafer, Ardella magnaemirabilis new genus, new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Ardellini) is described and compared to other diminutive scarabaeoid genera from drier habitats of the southwestern USA. The tribe Ardellini, new tribe, is erected to accommodate the unusual genus.
A new genus, Cicatrisphaerion Lingafelter, Morris, Skillman, and Santos-Silva (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), and three new species of the same authorship, C. wappesi from Quintana Roo, Mexico, C. rileyi from Chiapas, Mexico, and Eupogonius wappesi from Quintana Roo, Mexico, are described. New records and clarification on the distribution of Psyrassaforma janzeni Chemsak, 1991 and P. nitida Chemsak, 1991 are provided. Ameriphoderes amoena (Chemsak and Linsley, 1979) is redescribed based on four male specimens and a new country record from Guatemala is documented. New distributional records are provided for Estola flavobasalis Breuning, 1940 (including a new country record for Bolivia) and Estola vittulata Bates, 1874. A redescription and new distributional record are provided for Eupogonius flavovittatus Breuning, 1940 based on a female specimen.
Ishtarella Martens new genus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) and I. thailandica Martens new species are described and illustrated from Doi Phu Kha National Park, Nan Province, Thailand. The genus is assigned to the tribe Aphidiini, subtribe Trioxina. Based on morphology, Ishtarella appears most closely related to Binodoxys Mackauer. An updated checklist of the aphidiine fauna of Thailand, based on published records, is presented.
A new genus and six new species of the family Gomphodesmidae from the Udzungwa Mts are described, including Pogoro alopias Rosenmejer & Enghoff sp. nov., Pogoro siren Rosenmejer & Enghoff sp. nov., Pogoropsis prolixopes Rosenmejer & Enghoff gen. et sp. nov., Emphysemastix frampt Olsen & Enghoff sp. nov., Agrophogonus hamulus Olsen & Enghoff sp. nov., and Agrophogonus pusillokiellandi Olsen & Enghoff sp. nov. Emphysemastix dracarys Olsen & Enghoff sp. nov. from Iringa city is described. Descriptive notes are given for Pogoro scharffi Hoffman, 2005, and Agrophogonus mwanihana Hoffmann, 2005. General gomphodesmid gonopod morphology is described and illustrated. A key to Udzungwa gomphodesmids is presented, as well as revised keys to all species of Emphysemastix and Agrophogonus. All gomphodesmid species from the Udzungwa Mts are mapped.
The authors collected caddisflies in the Dabie Mountains in 2014 and 2015. Three species of Psilotreta Banks, 1899 were found: Psilotreta daidalos Malicky, 2000, P. furcata sp. nov., and
P. brevispinosa sp. nov. The species were collected by light sheet traps or hand nets near streams in mountainous forests. All the species are described and illustrated, and the species groups to which they belong are discussed. Some variation within P. daidalos is described and the species is newly recorded from the Anhui and Hubei Provinces.
The aquatic biodiversity of springs and groundwater systems of North Africa remains largely unexplored. In an earlier field survey of Tunisian springs, a new gastropod genus, Bullaregia, was discovered as a phylogenetically independent lineage of uncertain position within the family Hydrobiidae. Here, we provide taxonomic and phylogenetic assignments for three newly collected populations of hydrobiids from springs in northern Tunisia based on morphological, anatomical and genetic (mtCOI and 18S) data. Among these and specimens of Bullaregia, major differences were observed in male and female genitalia as well as in mtCOI sequences (divergence 8.0–9.1%). Based on these findings, we describe two new genera and three new species: Belgrandiellopsis chorfensis gen. et sp. nov., Belgrandiellopsis secunda gen. et sp. nov. and Biserta putealis gen. et sp. nov. In all our phylogenetic analyses, these three new species were well resolved as a monophyletic group together with Bullaregia tunisiensis. Unexpectedly, this clade emerged as sister to the European valvatiform genera Corbellaria and Kerkia and not to the recently discovered clade of groundwater, conchologically similar, species living in Bulgaria (Balkan Peninsula). These Tunisian species are each locally endemic and form part of a newly discovered clade which in future systematic studies could eventually be identified as a distinct hydrobiid subfamily.
Plants, fungi and algae are important components of global biodiversity and are fundamental to all ecosystems. They are the basis for human well-being, providing food, materials and medicines. Specimens of all three groups of organisms are accommodated in herbaria, where they are commonly referred to as botanical specimens.The large number of specimens in herbaria provides an ample, permanent and continuously improving knowledge base on these organisms and an indispensable source for the analysis of the distribution of species in space and time critical for current and future research relating to global biodiversity. In order to make full use of this resource, a research infrastructure has to be built that grants comprehensive and free access to the information in herbaria and botanical collections in general. This can be achieved through digitization of the botanical objects and associated data.The botanical research community can count on a long-standing tradition of collaboration among institutions and individuals. It agreed on data standards and standard services even before the advent of computerization and information networking, an example being the Index Herbariorum as a global registry of herbaria helping towards the unique identification of specimens cited in the literature.In the spirit of this collaborative history, 51 representatives from 30 institutions advocate to start the digitization of botanical collections with the overall wall-to-wall digitization of the flat objects stored in German herbaria. Germany has 70 herbaria holding almost 23 million specimens according to a national survey carried out in 2019. 87% of these specimens are not yet digitized. Experiences from other countries like France, the Netherlands, Finland, the US and Australia show that herbaria can be comprehensively and cost-efficiently digitized in a relatively short time due to established workflows and protocols for the high-throughput digitization of flat objects.Most of the herbaria are part of a university (34), fewer belong to municipal museums (10) or state museums (8), six herbaria belong to institutions also supported by federal funds such as Leibniz institutes, and four belong to non-governmental organizations. A common data infrastructure must therefore integrate different kinds of institutions.Making full use of the data gained by digitization requires the set-up of a digital infrastructure for storage, archiving, content indexing and networking as well as standardized access for the scientific use of digital objects. A standards-based portfolio of technical components has already been developed and successfully tested by the Biodiversity Informatics Community over the last two decades, comprising among others access protocols, collection databases, portals, tools for semantic enrichment and annotation, international networking, storage and archiving in accordance with international standards. This was achieved through the funding by national and international programs and initiatives, which also paved the road for the German contribution to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).Herbaria constitute a large part of the German botanical collections that also comprise living collections in botanical gardens and seed banks, DNA- and tissue samples, specimens preserved in fluids or on microscope slides and more. Once the herbaria are digitized, these resources can be integrated, adding to the value of the overall research infrastructure. The community has agreed on tasks that are shared between the herbaria, as the German GBIF model already successfully demonstrates.We have compiled nine scientific use cases of immediate societal relevance for an integrated infrastructure of botanical collections. They address accelerated biodiversity discovery and research, biomonitoring and conservation planning, biodiversity modelling, the generation of trait information, automated image recognition by artificial intelligence, automated pathogen detection, contextualization by interlinking objects, enabling provenance research, as well as education, outreach and citizen science.We propose to start this initiative now in order to valorize German botanical collections as a vital part of a worldwide biodiversity data pool.
Nothochodaeus marsupialis Paulsen, new species (Coleoptera: Ochodaeidae), is described from Aceh Province, Indonesia, on the island of Sumatra. The species possesses deep abdominal cavities behind a shield-like central process, as well as rows of conical tubercles laterally on the second and third ventrites. These structures have not been found in any other members of the genus or family.
Psyllids are an economically important group of insects. Several species are serious emerging pests with regulatory significance. About 20 adventive species have been discovered in Florida in the past 20 years, including several pests. Additionally, five species new to science have been found. We provide an annotated checklist of Florida species with taxonomic information and identification tools, including keys to Florida genera and known species. Seventy species of Psylloidea currently are reported from Florida. Forty-one are native to Florida, with 12 endemic to the state. Twenty are adventive, the majority being from the Neotropics. One was introduced deliberately for biological control, seven represent temporary populations (eradicated, reared in quarantine), and one is a dubious record. Craspedolepta euthamiae Burckhardt and Halbert, new species, Katacephala wineriterae Burckhardt and Halbert, new species, Pseudophacopteron gumbolimbo Burckhardt and Halbert, new species, Nothotrioza longipedis Burckhardt and Halbert, new species, and Trioza myresae Burckhardt and Halbert, new species are described from Florida and are native endemic species. Aphalara persicaria Caldwell is redescribed and separated from similar species. Aphalara persicaria var. cubana Caldwell is confirmed as a junior synonym of Aphalara persicaria. The Florida records of Craspedolepta spp. are revisited and revised, including Craspedolepta euthamiae Burckhardt and Halbert, new species. Bactericera nigrilla (Crawford), new combination, revived status is recognized from Florida, redescribed, and distinguished from similar species. Rhinopsylla caldwelli Tuthill is transferred to Kuwayama Crawford and becomes Kuwayama caldwelli (Tuthill), new combination.Trioza maritima Tuthill is transferred to Leuronota Crawford and becomes Leuronota maritima (Tuthill), new combination. Species of Bactericera Puton on Salix L. (Salicaceae) in North America are reviewed. Bactericera flori (Crawford), new combination, new status. is determined to be the correct name for Trioza assimilis Crawford nec Flor (= Trioza flori Crawford, replacement name, = Trioza pomonae Aulmann, replacement name), and Trioza dubia Patch, new synonym. Lectotypes are designated for Trioza marginata Crawford, Trioza minuta Crawford, Trioza minuta similis Crawford, and Trioza nigra Crawford.
Dyslexia Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez, new genus (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae: Erotylini), is described and illustrated. The genus is comprised of four new species, all described by Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez: D. belamyi, D. dathomirria, D. pulcricolor, and D. tomasi. The unique broad head structures of this genus are characterized and compared with other genera. Problems associated with the taxonomy of Erotylini are discussed.
Revised definitions are given for the genus Mysidium Dana, 1852, and its eight previously known species, based on material from Curaçao, Bonaire and SE-Brazil, along with the evaluation of published data. Type material of Diamysis columbiae Zimmer, 1915, M. cubanense Băcescu & Ortiz, 1984 and M. rubroculatum Băcescu & Ortiz, 1984 is examined. A lectotype is designated for D. columbiae Zimmer, 1915, a senior synonym of Mysidium columbiae (Zimmer, 1915). Two new species are described, M. triangulare Wittmann sp. nov. from Curaçao and M. antillarum Wittmann sp. nov. from Curaçao and Bonaire. Known ranges are extended by first records of M. cubanense from Curaçao and Bonaire and of M. integrum W.M. Tattersall, 1951 from SE Brazil. Three morphologically different groups are established at the subgeneric level: (1) the nominotypical subgenus Mysidium Dana, 1852 with M. gracile (Dana, 1852), M. integrum, M. cubanense, M. rubroculatum and M. triangulare sp. nov. from the West Atlantic plus M. rickettsi Harrison & Bowman, 1987 from the East Pacific; (2) Occimysidium Wittmann subgen. nov. represented only by M. pumae Ortiz, Hendrickx & Winfield, 2017 from the Pacific coast of Mexico; and finally (3) Orientomysidium Wittmann subgen. nov. comprising M. columbiae and M. antillarum sp. nov. from the West Atlantic. The poorly known M. iliffei Băcescu, 1991 is not assigned to any subgenus. A key to the resulting three subgenera and ten nominal species of the genus Mysidium is given.
Jeekelosoma Mauriès, 1985, is upgraded from subgenus status under Eviulisoma Silvestri, 1910 to full genus status. The type species, Jeekelosoma abadi (Mauriès, 1985) is redescribed based on topotypical material from a cave in Morocco. Jeekelosoma heptarachne sp. nov. and J. viginti sp. nov. are described from two further Moroccan caves.
Five new species in four new genera from Western Australia are described. All species have valve characters that are reminiscent of the genus Heterocypris Claus, 1892 and also have similar valve outlines, with highly arched valves. However, all species have a hemipenis morphology that is totally different from the typical form in Heterocypris. In Patcypris gen. nov. (with type species P. outback gen. et sp. nov.), the lateral lobe is large and shaped as a pickaxe, while the medial lobe is divided into two distal lobes. Trilocypris gen. nov. (with type species T. horwitzi gen. et sp. nov.) is characterised by a hemipenis that has three, instead of two, distal lobes. In Bilocypris gen. nov. (with type species B. fortescuensis gen. et sp. nov. and a second species, B. mandoraensis gen. et sp. nov.), the lateral lobe of the hemipenis is spatulate, rather than boot-shaped, and the medial lobe is bilobed. Billcypris gen. nov. (with type species B. davisae gen. et sp. nov.) has a large and sub-rectangular lateral lobe and a pointed medial lobe. We discuss the taxonomic value of the traditional and new morphological characters and speculate that the diversity of this cluster of genera and species may be greater than currently known.
The alpha-taxonomy of triphorids is still largely based on the study of the shell, and the scarcity of studies dealing with their anatomy is a result of the difficulty of sampling live animals and their very small size. Whereas radula and operculum are important structures in the taxonomy at the generic level, the jaw of triphorids has never been properly studied, being regarded as presenting a morphological homogeneity. The present research explored the basic anatomy (especially internal hard structures: operculum, jaw and radula) of 12 species from Brazil, distributed in 11 genera: Cheirodonta Marshall, 1983 (with a new generic allocation, Cheirodonta dupliniana (Olsson, 1916) comb. nov.), Cosmotriphora Olsson & Harbison, 1953, Iniforis Jousseaume, 1884, Latitriphora Marshall, 1983, Metaxia Monterosato, 1884, Monophorus Grillo, 1877, Nanaphora Laseron, 1958, Nototriphora Marshall, 1983, Sagenotriphora Marshall, 1983, Similiphora Bouchet, 1985 and Strobiligera Dall, 1924; in addition, the basic anatomy of the Caribbean species "Inella" harryleei Rolán & Fernández-Garcés, 2008 was analysed. Radular examination showed that the majority of species studied is properly allocated in their genera after comparisons in the literature with respective type species, albeit a few species are clearly in need of a new generic allocation. The jaw of triphorids is remarkably heterogeneous, displaying different patterns of scales and micro-pores between outer and inner sides.
Ampharete oculicirrata sp. nov. (Annelida: Ampharetidae) is described from samples collected by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Marine Scotland Science, in the West Shetland Shelf NCMPA in the NE Atlantic. This species is characterised by a very small body size, thin and slender paleae, twelve thoracic and eleven abdominal uncinigers, presence of eyes both in the prostomium and the pygidium, the latter provided with a pair of long lateral cirri. The external micro-morphology of the new taxon was studied using scanning electron microscopy and compared with species described or reported from the North Atlantic. Two complementary keys to all species of Ampharete in the area are also provided.
Adults of three known species of Ochodaeus Dejean (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae) in Madagascar have a strongly granulate pronotum. Three new species are described herein that have a smooth or weakly granulate pronotum: Ochodaeus modopunctatus, O. polypollicatus, and O. meandrus. A key to the species of Ochodaeus from Madagascar is provided.
Three new species of Ochodaeus Dejean (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae) from Madagascar are described that have a strongly granulate pronotum and, unlike all previously described species from the country, possess a clypeal tubercle or minute horn: O. meridialis, O. umbonulus, and O. iniquipes. An update to the key to the species of Ochodaeus from Madagascar is provided.
The status of the taxon Ceratochodaeus Huchet, 2017 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), initially described as a subgenus of Nothochodaeus Nikolajev, 2005, is reconsidered and raised to generic level. New information on the distribution of Ceratochodaeus eliotti (Huchet, 2014), new combination, in the Philippine archipelago is provided. Ceratochodaeus darlingi Huchet, a new species from Negros island, Central Visayas (region VII), is described and illustrated.
Video and image data are regularly used in the field of benthic ecology to document biodiversity. However, their use is subject to a number of challenges, principally the identification of taxa within the images without associated physical specimens. The challenge of applying traditional taxonomic keys to the identification of fauna from images has led to the development of personal, group, or institution level reference image catalogues of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) or morphospecies. Lack of standardisation among these reference catalogues has led to problems with observer bias and the inability to combine datasets across studies. In addition, lack of a common reference standard is stifling efforts in the application of artificial intelligence to taxon identification. Using the North Atlantic deep sea as a case study, we propose a database structure to facilitate standardisation of morphospecies image catalogues between research groups and support future use in multiple front-end applications. We also propose a framework for coordination of international efforts to develop reference guides for the identification of marine species from images. The proposed structure maps to the Darwin Core standard to allow integration with existing databases. We suggest a management framework where high-level taxonomic groups are curated by a regional team, consisting of both end users and taxonomic experts. We identify a mechanism by which overall quality of data within a common reference guide could be raised over the next decade. Finally, we discuss the role of a common reference standard in advancing marine ecology and supporting sustainable use of this ecosystem.
A new species of leaf insect, Phyllium (Phyllium) letiranti Cumming and Teemsma, new species (Phasmida: Phylliidae), is described from a series of males, females, and eggs from Peleng Island, Indonesia. This new species is the first record of the family Phylliidae on the island and is here differentiated from congeners. Keys to males, females, and eggs of the Phyllium species of Sulawesi and Peleng islands are included within.
Empiric antibiotics are often used in combination with mechanical debridement to treat patients suffering from periodontitis and to eliminate disease-associated pathogens. Until now, only a few next generation sequencing 16S rDNA amplicon based publications with rather small sample sizes studied the effect of those interventions on the subgingival microbiome. Therefore, we studied subgingival samples of 89 patients with chronic periodontitis (solely non-smokers) before and two months after therapy. Forty-seven patients received mechanical periodontal therapy only, whereas 42 patients additionally received oral administered amoxicillin plus metronidazole (500 and 400 mg, respectively; 3x/day for 7 days). Samples were sequenced with Illumina MiSeq 300 base pairs paired end technology (V3 and V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rDNA). Inter-group differences before and after therapy of clinical variables (percentage of sites with pocket depth ≥ 5mm, percentage of sites with bleeding on probing) and microbiome variables (diversity, richness, evenness, and dissimilarity) were calculated, a principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) was conducted, and differential abundance of agglomerated ribosomal sequence variants (aRSVs) classified on genus level was calculated using a negative binomial regression model. We found statistically noticeable decreased richness, and increased dissimilarity in the antibiotic, but not in the placebo group after therapy. The PCoA revealed a clear compositional separation of microbiomes after therapy in the antibiotic group, which could not be seen in the group receiving mechanical therapy only. This difference was even more pronounced on aRSV level. Here, adjunctive antibiotics were able to induce a microbiome shift by statistically noticeably reducing aRSVs belonging to genera containing disease-associated species, e.g., Porphyromonas, Tannerella, Treponema, and Aggregatibacter, and by noticeably increasing genera containing health-associated species. Mechanical therapy alone did not statistically noticeably affect any disease-associated taxa. Despite the difference in microbiome modulation both therapies improved the tested clinical parameters after two months. These results cast doubt on the relevance of the elimination and/or reduction of disease-associated taxa as a main goal of periodontal therapy.
The Central Asian spider genus Anemesia Pocock, 1895 is rediagnosed and revised. The genus was found to contain 14 species: ♂♀ A. andreevae sp. nov. (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan); ♂♀ A. birulai (Spassky, 1937) (Turkmenistan); ♂♀ A. castanea sp. nov.; ♂♀ A. incana Zonstein, 2001, ♂♀ A. infumata sp. nov.; ♂♀ A. infuscata sp. nov.; ♂♀ A. karatauvi (Andreeva, 1968) (all Tajikistan); ♂ A. koponeni Marusik, Zamani & Mirshamsi, 2014 (Iran); ♂♀ A. oxiana sp. nov.; ♂♀ A. pallida sp. nov.; ♂ A. parvula sp. nov. (all Tajikistan); ♂♀ A. pococki sp. nov. (Turkmenistan); ♂♀ A. sogdiana sp. nov. (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan) and ♂♀ A. tubifex (Pocock, 1889), the type species (Afghanistan, Turkmenistan). Nine species are newly described; others are redescribed from types and/or conspecific material. Males of A. tubifex and females of A. birulai, hitherto unknown, are described for the first time. Data on the variability, relationships, distribution, and ecology of all considered species are provided.
Twenty-two new species of the genus Eviulisoma Silvestri, 1910, from the Eastern Arc Mountains, Tanzania, are described: E. acaciae sp. nov., E. aequilobatum sp. nov., E. akkariae sp. nov., E. angulatum sp. nov., E. articulatum sp. nov., E. biquintum sp. nov., E. breviscutum sp. nov., E. cetafi sp. nov., E. chitense sp. nov., E. commelina sp. nov., E. coxale sp. nov., E. ejti sp. nov., E. grumslingslak sp. nov., E. kalimbasiense sp. nov., E. navuncus sp. nov., E. nessiteras sp. nov., E. ottokrausi sp. nov., E. paradisiacum sp. nov., E. sternale sp. nov. and E. zebra sp. nov. from the Udzungwa Mts, E. culter sp. nov. from the Rubeho Mts and E. kangense sp. nov. from the Kanga Mts. Eviulisoma kwabuniense Kraus, 1958, and E. dabagaense Kraus, 1958, both from the Udzungwa Mts, are redesribed based on new material. Notes are provided on E. iuloideum (Verhoeff, 1941) based on type material. Eoseviulisoma Brolemann, 1920, is synonymized under Eviulisoma, based on newly collected material of E. julinum (Attems, 1909), type species of Eoseviulisoma. New material of Suohelisoma ulugurense Hoffman, 1964, type species of Suohelisoma Hoffman, 1964, has revealed that the gonopod structure is more similar to that of Eviulisoma than originally thought, but Suohelisoma is retained as a valid genus. Four species groups are recognized among Eviulisoma species from the Udzungwa Mts, but the need for a revision of the entire genus is emphasized. Two types of epizootic fungi are recorded from Eviulisoma spp., and an enigmatic amorphous mass, which may be a kind of plugging substance, is recorded from the gonopod tips and excavated sixth sternum of several species.
Cochlostoma revised: the subgenus Lovcenia Zallot et al., 2015
(Caenogastropoda, Cochlostomatidae)
(2018)
Five species of the subgenus Lovcenia of Cochlostoma (Cochlostomatidae) are recognized, three of which are described as new to science: C. (L.) tropojanum sp. nov., C. (L.) jakschae sp. nov. and C. (L.) lanatum sp. nov. A lectotype is designated for C. (L.) erika (A.J. Wagner, 1906). The shell and the genital tracts are described for all species and the distributional data are summarized.
The species Canthidium alvarezi Martínez and Halffter, 1986 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) is transferred to the genus Ateuchus Weber, 1801, becoming Ateuchus alvarezi (Martínez and Halffter), new combination. Its relationship with other species in the genus is briefly discussed. The validity and ranking of the genus Lobidion Génier, 2010, originally described from a single female, is discussed based on the discovery of male specimens, which lead us to reclassify it as a monotypic subgenus of Ateuchus, becoming Ateuchus (Lobidion), new rank, with the only included species becoming Ateuchus (Lobidion) punctatissimus (Génier, 2010) new combination.
New genera and species of mimetic Cleridae from Mexico and Central America (Coleoptera: Cleroidea)
(2017)
New genera and species of putatively mimetic Cleridae (Coleoptera: Cleroidea) are described from Mexico and Central America: Namba testacea, new genus and species from Nuevo León, Mexico; Aulicoides leavengoodi, new genus and species from Jalisco, Mexico; and Quadrophenia, new genus, which includes Q. townshendi, new species, from Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, Q. mooni, new species, from Costa Rica, Q. entwistlei, new species, from Guatemala and Honduras, Q. daltreyi, new species, from Costa Rica, and Q. sumidero new species, from Chiapas, Mexico. A key to the species of Quadrophenia is provided. All of the newly described species are hypothesized to be Batesian mimics of aposematically colored coleopteran models, some of which are known to be chemically protected.
One of the notable features of penguin evolution is the occurrence of very large species in the early Cenozoic, whose body size greatly exceeded that of the largest extant penguins. Here we describe a new giant species from the late Paleocene of New Zealand that documents the very early evolution of large body size in penguins. Kumimanu biceae, n. gen. et sp. is larger than all other fossil penguins that have substantial skeletal portions preserved. Several plesiomorphic features place the new species outside a clade including all post-Paleocene giant penguins. It is phylogenetically separated from giant Eocene and Oligocene penguin species by various smaller taxa, which indicates multiple origins of giant size in penguin evolution. That a penguin rivaling the largest previously known species existed in the Paleocene suggests that gigantism in penguins arose shortly after these birds became flightless divers. Our study therefore strengthens previous suggestions that the absence of very large penguins today is likely due to the Oligo-Miocene radiation of marine mammals.
The tribe Zolini (Carabidae: Trechinae) is revised for New Zealand. Two subtribes, fi ve genera, and fortyeight species are recognized. The presence of the subtribe Merizodina is confi rmed for New Zealand; it includes three genera (Maungazolus n. gen., Pseudoopterus Csiki, 1928, and Synteratus Broun, 1909). The subtribe Zolina contains two genera (Oopterus Guérin-Méneville, 1841 and Zolus Sharp, 1886).
One genus and twenty-fi ve species are described as new: Maungazolus n. gen.; Maungazolus acutus n. sp., Maungazolus priestleyensisn. sp., Maungazolus ranatungaen. sp., Maungazolus septempunctatus n. sp., Maungazolus tararuaensisn. sp., Oopterus anglemensisn. sp., Oopterus arthurensisn. sp., Oopterus corvinki n. sp., Oopterus discoideus n. sp., Oopterus garnerae n. sp., Oopterus marrisin. sp., Oopterus mohiensis n. sp., Oopterus monticola n. sp., Oopterus nanus n. sp., Oopterus nunni n. sp., Oopterus palmai n. sp., Oopterus punctatus n. sp., Oopterus quadripunctatus n. sp., Oopterus taieriensis n. sp., Oopterus trechoides n. sp., Pseudoopterus fi ordlandensis n. sp., Pseudoopterus otiraensis n. sp., Zolus kauriensis n. sp., Zolus unisetosus n. sp., Zolus wongi n. sp.
Lectotypes are designated for Zolus helmsi Sharp, 1886 and Oopterus parvulus Broun, 1903.
Seven taxa are reinstated as valid genera and previous combinations: Zolus Sharp, 1886 and Pseudoopterus Csiki, 1928 (previously synonymized with Oopterus Guérin-Méneville,1841); Oopterus carinatus Broun, 1882 = Zolus carinatus (Broun, 1882); Oopterus helmsi (Sharp, 1886) = Zolus helmsi Sharp, 1886; Oopterus latipennis Broun, 1903 = Pseudoopterus latipennis (Broun, 1903); Oopterus plicaticollis Blanchard, 1843 = Pseudoopterus plicaticollis (Blanchard, 1843); Oopterus subopacus (Broun, 1915) = Zolus subopacus Broun, 1915.
Three new combinations are established: Oopterus pallidipes Broun, 1893 = Maungazolus pallidipes (Broun, 1893); Oopterus parvulus Broun, 1903 = Maungazolus parvulus (Broun, 1903); Oopterus pygmeatus Broun, 1907 = Maungazolus pygmeatus (Broun, 1907).
Eleven new synonymies are established: Oopterus basalis Broun, 1915 and Oopterus minor Broun, 1917 = Maungazolus pygmeatus (Broun, 1907); Oopterus nigritulus Broun, 1908 and Oopterus laevigatus Broun, 1912 = Oopterus sobrinus Broun, 1886; Oopterus sculpturatus ovinotatus Broun, 1908 = Oopterus sculpturatus Broun, 1908; Oopterus probus Broun, 1903 and Oopterus latifossus Broun, 1917 = Pseudoopterus latipennis (Broun, 1903); Oopterus puncticeps Broun, 1893 = Oopterus laevicollis Bates, 1871; Zolus atratus Broun, 1893 and Zolus femoralis Broun, 1894 = Zolus carinatus (Broun, 1882); Zolus labralis Broun, 1921 = Zolus helmsi Sharp, 1886.
A revision of all taxa is provided. Descriptions, identifi cation keys, illustrations of male genitalia, habitus photos, distributional data and maps are given. Extensive information on ecology, biology, dispersal power, and collecting techniques is included for each species.
Macunahyphes zagaia sp. nov. and M. araca sp. nov. are described based on imagines collected from the Amazon biome in Brazil. Specimens belonging to all species of the genus were examined and a diagnosis for each one is provided. Variation seen in the male imago of M. eduardoi is described, as well as the female and egg for the first time. Together with M. eduardoi, the two new species share the presence of a basal swelling on segment II of the forceps, which raises important questions concerning the evolution of this character in Leptohyphidae. Finally, a re-definition of the genus is proposed.
Within the central European opilionid fauna the widely used species names Leiobunum rupestre Herbst, 1799 and Leiobunum tisciae Avram, 1968 pose taxonomic and distributional problems. In addition, Nelima apenninica Martens, 1969 is close to L. tisciae in terms of external and genital morphology, but is specifically distinct. While coxal denticulation is largely lacking in N. apenninica, the validity of the genus Nelima Roewer, 1910 is questioned again. In addition, Leiobunum subalpinum Komposch, 1998, a recently described novelty from the eastern Alps, is closely related to L. rupestre. The four species are combined as the morphologically defined Leiobunum rupestre species group. Except for L. subalpinum, they were found to be allopatrically distributed from the Carpathians across central and Northwest Europe to the south-western Alps. The latter species is locally sympatric and partly elevationally parapatric to L. rupestre. Leiobunum tisciae is a recently introduced name and here recognized as a junior synonym of a number of taxa described much earlier, of which L. gracile Thorell, 1876 is re-introduced as oldest available name. Detailed morphological and distributional data for all taxa are presented.
Taxonomic updates and descriptions of four new species from Yunnan, China are provided: three new species in the genus Pitambara Distant, 1906: P. triremiprocta Wang & Soulier-Perkins, sp. nov., P. impudica Wang & Bourgoin, sp. nov., P. tricorne Wang & Wang, sp. nov., and one new species in the genus Serida Walker, 1857: Serida parenthesisflexuosa Wang & Soulier-Perkins, sp. nov. A new identification key to Pitambara species is provided, as well as to the species of the genus Lacusa Stål, 1862. Lacusa yunnanensis Chou & Huang, 1985 stat. rev. is not considered as a synonym of the species L. fuscofasciata (Stål, 1854) anymore and Lacusa orientalis (Liang, 2000) is transferred to the genus Acothrura Melichar, 1915 as Acothrura orientalis (Liang, 2000) comb. nov.
The nine British and Irish species of Enicospilus are revised, mapped and an identification key provided. One species, Enicospilus myricae sp. nov., is described as new; Enicospilus merdarius (Gravenhorst, 1829) is a senior synonym of E. tournieri (Vollenhoven, 1879) syn. nov.; the only available name for E. merdarius auctt. is Enicospilus adustus (Haller, 1885) stat. rev., and a neotype is designated for Ophion adustus Haller, 1885. Enicospilus cerebrator Aubert, 1969 and E. repentinus (Holmgren, 1860) are newly recorded from Britain. Some host data are available for eight of the nine species.
The Indochinese to southern Chinese millipede genus Tylopus currently comprises 62 species, including eight new ones: T. flavolineatus sp. nov., T. hongkhraiensis sp. nov. from central and northern Thailand, respectively, T. moniliformis sp. nov., T. retusus sp. nov., T. acuminatus sp. nov., T. dorsalis sp. nov., T. thunghaihin sp. nov., all from Laos, and T. punctus sp. nov. from northern Myanmar. A new record of T. baenzigeri Golovatch & Enghoff, 1993, from northern Thailand is given. All these species are richly illustrated, and a modified key to all known species of the genus is also provided.
We identified a high diversity in the net-winged beetles of the genus Cautires in Peninsular Malaysia. Fourteen new species are described: Cautires alexae sp. nov., C. andujari sp. nov., C. arribasae sp. nov., C. berembanensis sp. nov., C. campestris sp. nov., C. communis sp. nov., C. jasarensis sp. nov., C. katarinae sp. nov., C. kirstenae sp. nov., C. kotatinggensis sp. nov., C. linardi sp. nov., C. maseki sp. nov., C. pahangensis sp. nov. and C. renatae sp. nov. Seven previously described species are discussed, illustrated and differential diagnoses provided; all species are keyed. The Cautires species differ in a limited number of diagnostic characters, namely in the shape of male antennae, the relative size of eyes and in the shape of the male genitalia. The females are difficult to assign to a conspecific male due to high intraspecific variability. The characteristically low dispersal propensity of net-winged beetles lead to the evolution of the unique fauna in the Malay mountains and despite an extensive study of the type material we recorded only a single species of Cautires occurring simultaneously in Sumatra. We suggest that the Malay mountain fauna is highly endemic and evolved in situ.
The salticid genera Bristowia Reimoser, 1934, Habrocestum Simon, 1876 and Macaroeris Wunderlich 1992 are reported from Sri Lanka for the first time. One new species of Bristowia, B. gandhii sp. nov. (♂♀), and three new species of Habrocestum, H. hantaneensis sp. nov. (♂♀), H. kodigalaensis sp. nov. (♂♀) and H. ohiyaensis sp. nov. (♂), are described and diagnosed. The male of Macaroeris nidicolens Walckenaer, 1802 is redescribed and illustrated, based on new material from Sri Lanka.
Klugiatragus gen. nov. is described for Epimelitta laticornis (Klug, 1825) because this species has closed procoxal cavities, a crucial diagnostic incompatible with Epimelitta Bates, 1870, which has open procoxal cavities. Both sexes of this species are illustrated.
The ostracod genus Bennelongia De Deckker & McKenzie, 1981 occurs in Australia and New Zealand. We redescribe B. nimala from the Northern Territory and describe six new species from Western Australia belonging to the B. nimala (five species) and B. triangulata sp. nov. (one species) lineages: B. tirigie sp. nov., B. koendersae sp. nov., B. pinderi sp. nov., B. muggon sp. nov., B. shieli sp. nov. and B. triangulata sp. nov. For six of these seven species, we could construct molecular phylogenies and parsimonious networks based on COI sequences. We tested for specific status and for potential cryptic diversity of clades with Birky’s 4 theta rule. The analyses support the existence of these six species and the absence of cryptic species in these lineages. Bennelongia triangulata sp. nov. is a common species in the turbid claypans of the Murchison/Gascoyne region. Bennelongia nimala itself is thus far known only from the Northern Territory. Bennelongia tirigie sp. nov., B. pinderi sp. nov. and B. muggon sp. nov. occur in the Murchison/Gascoyne region, whereas B. koendersae sp. nov. and B. shieli sp. nov. are described from the Pilbara. With the six new species described here, the genus Bennelongia now comprises 31 nominal species.
Twenty-three species of cheilostome bryozoans are described from the Malaysian islands of Penang and Langkawi based on a brief reconnaisance survey of shore localities. These are the first bryozoans to be formally described from either island and they demonstrate the potential for further research on these neglected suspension feeders. Of the 23 species recorded, 12 are anascans, half of which are malacostegines, and 11 are ascophorans. The new combinations Acanthodesia falsitenuis (Liu, 1992), A. perambulata (Louis & Menon, 2009) and A. irregulata (Liu, 1992) are introduced. Most of the species recorded are widespread in the Indo-Pacific, and some are apparently globally distributed in the tropics and subtropics, including the invasive fouling species Bugula neritina, Hippoporina indica and Schizoporella japonica, as well as the coral reef associates Cranosina coronata and Hippopodina feegeensis. Plastic debris and glass bottles were encrusted by Jellyella eburnea, a coloniser of floating biological and man-made objects that is becoming widespread in the tropics and subtropics of the world’s oceans.
Pardosa benadira Caporiacco, 1940 is redescribed, including the hitherto unknown female. The species is here transferred to the genus Wadicosa Zyuzin, 1985. Previously known only from its type locality in Somalia, additional localities for P. benadira in Somalia and Kenya are given. Male and female W. cognata sp. nov. (Kenya: Lake Magadi), male and female W. jocquei sp. nov. (Comoro Islands, Aldabra, Madagascar and Mauritius) and female W. russellsmithi sp. nov. (Mauritius) are described. Pardosa oncka Lawrence, 1927, widely distributed in Africa and redescribed by Kronestedt in 1987, is formally transferred to the genus Wadicosa and new records given.
Three species of the genus Pseudocandona Kaufmann, 1900 and one of the genus Undulacandona Smith, 2011, collected from freshwater habitats in Japan, are described. The Pseudocandona species, Pseudocandona becca sp. nov., Pseudocandona atmeta sp. nov. and Pseudocandona falcula sp. nov., all belong to the rostrata-group. Previous reports of Pseudocandona rostrata (Brady & Norman, 1889) and Pseudocandona sarsi (Hartwig, 1899) from Japan are reassessed and are subsequently synonymized with Pseudocandona tenuirostris Hiruta & Mawatari, 2013 and Pseudocandona falcula sp. nov. respectively. Undulacandona colymba sp. nov. is only the second to be described in this genus. Like the type species of the genus, it is a stygobiont, collected from groundwater in Shiga Prefecture. Additional records of Candona candida (O.F. Müller, 1776), are presented herein; so far, Japanese records of this species are restricted to the eastern part of Hokkaido.
Two new species and a new genus of Cerambycidae are described from South America: Cotyclytus arriagadai sp. nov., from Bolivia; and Lembu dieguezi, gen. nov., sp. nov., from Paraguay. Orthomegas irroratus (Lameere, 1915) is redescribed, based on the second and third known specimens, and its distribution is expanded to include Ecuador. The male of Jamesia fuscofasciata Dillon and Dillon, 1952 is described and illustrated for the fi rst time, and the distribution of the species is expanded to Peru. Thirty-two new country records (twelve for Paraguay, fi fteen for Peru, two for Ecuador, three for Bolivia) and one new province record (Argentina) are presented.
Five new species of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) from Peru and Bolivia, and two new records for Peru
(2014)
The following four new species of Cerambycidae are described from Bolivia: Chrysoprasis imitatrix (Heteropsini); Carneades vigneaulti (Colobotheini); Colobothea larriveei (Colobotheini); Colobothea boliviana (Colobotheini). Esthlogena (Pseudotaxia) bella (Pteropliini) is described from Peru. A key to species of Carneades Bates, 1869 is provided. The other new species are included in previously published keys. Additionally, two new country records are reported for the fauna of Peru.
Two new species of pselaphine staphylinids in the genus Batrisodes are described: B. (Declivodes) dorothae Ferro and Carlton from Feliciana Preserve, Louisiana; and B. (Babnormodes) spretoides Ferro and Carlton from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. They differ from all other described Batrisodes species in secondary male characters, especially details of the frontal region of the head. These two species bring the total diversity of the genus in North America to 88 species. Specimens were imaged using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray microtomography (micro-CT) techniques. Utility of multiple imaging techniques, especially micro-CT, is discussed.
Multiple sources of confusion surround the identity of Ochodaeus grandiceps Fairmaire, 1897, from Sichuan, China (Coleoptera: Ochodaeidae). Herein the type specimen is illustrated to solve these taxonomic issues. Examination of the holotype indicates that the species must be transferred to the genus Nothochodaeus Nikolajev, 2005, resulting in a new combination. The genus Mimochodaeus Nikolajev, 2009, based on a misidentifi cation of O. grandiceps as its purported type species, is discussed. Finally, Cuban specimens had been treated erroneously as belonging to O. grandiceps, and so the species had remained undescribed. A new species, Parochodaeus perdidus, is described to accommodate them.
Eight new state records and the three newly described species are the subject of this publication. Whiteflies (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae: Aleyrodinae) were collected from 2003 through 2009 within the Las Vegas area of Clark County, Nevada to determine the occurrence of newly established species and host range and distribution. Prior to 2003 the following ten whiteflies were known to be established in Nevada: Aleuroglandulus subtilis Bondar, Aleuroplatus berbericolus Quaintance and Baker, Aleyrodes spiraeoides Quaintance, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), Dialeurodes citri (Ashmead), Siphoninus phillyreae (Haliday), Tetraleurodes mori (Quaintance), Trialeurodes abutiloneus (Haldeman), Trialeurodes packardi (Morrill), and Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood). Based on collections made after 2003, eleven additional whitefly species were found in Nevada. Of these the following eight were described species from California and other western U.S. states: Aleuroparadoxus arctostaphyli Russell, Aleuroplatus gelatinosus (Cockerell), Aleuropleurocelus ceanothi (Sampson), Aleuropleurocelus nigrans (Bemis), Tetraleurodes quercicola Nakahara, Trialeurodes corollis (Penny), Trialeurodes eriodictyonis Russell, and Trialeurodes glacialis (Bemis). Three new species are described and illustrated: Aleuropleurocelus nevadensis Dooley sp. nov., Tetraleurodes quercophyllae Dooley sp. nov., and Trialeurodes pseudoblongifoliae Dooley sp. nov.
Palystes kreutzmanni sp. n. is described from habitats close to Kleinmond, in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Spiders of this new species live in the typical fynbos vegetation of the Western Cape region. They build retreats between apical leaves of Leucadendron bushes. The systematic position of Palystes kreutzmanni sp. n. is discussed. Male and female show characters of different species groups, especially the female copulatory organ seems to be unique within the genus Palystes L. Koch, 1875.
European pea crabs - taxonomy, morphology, and host-ecology (Crustacea: Brachyura: Pinnotheridae)
(2010)
Pinnotherids are small crabs symbiotic to a variety of invertebrates. The European species infest bivalves and sea squirts. Their way of life is parasitic and poses a threat to commercially exploited bivalves. While juveniles of both sexes still look very similar - being agile swimmers and partially free living - a metamorphosis takes place in the female after mating and results in a conspicuous sexual dimorphism. Thereafter, the female settles in its host definitely and is morphologically strongly adapted to the parasitic life phase. A very high reproductive output was demonstrated among several pea crab species infesting bivalves. Despite from that, hardly any information is present in the literature on the pinnotherids’ reproductive biology and the underlying morphology.
Due to their cryptic way of life, the sexual dimorphism, and the different morphotypes of the female, the taxonomy of the Pinnotheridae is a serious challenge. Two widely accepted species are recognized on European coasts: Pinnotheres pisum and Nepinnotheres pinnotheres. Pinnotheres pectunculi was so far only known from the bivalve Glycymeris glycymeris in its type locality Roscoff (France), while Pinnotheres ascidicola and Pinnotheres marioni were described as living exclusively in ascidians without careful comparison with the previously described species. In order to produce standardized comparative descriptions, pea crabs were collected and studied from different hosts and localities in the Northeast Atlantic and in the Mediterranean. Nepinnotheres pinnotheres and Pinnotheres pisum were redescribed with consideration to characters of female and male. According to our morphological analysis, Pinnotheres ascidicola and Pinnotheres marioni are junior synonyms of Nepinnotheres pinnotheres, whereas the status of Pinnotheres pectunculi as a valid species was ascertained. Important characters are the mouthparts, the male gonopods, and especially chelipeds that showed consistent characteristics among different crab stages of both sexes.
Based on our sampling, we estimated the host-range of the European species. Nepinnotheres pinnotheres lives in ascidians and in the pen shell Pinna nobilis. Pinnotheres pisum infests numerous bivalve species - Pinna nobilis included. For Pinnotheres pectunculi novel host records are presented, all from the bivalve family Veneridae. Furthermore, feeding of the Pinnotheres-species was observed. They use a setae comb ventrally on the claw to brush mucus (and the accumulated food particles) from the bivalve gills. Feeding strategies and host-ecology will be thoroughly discussed in consideration to other Pinnotheridae.
We investigated the reproductive systems of European pinnotherids by histological methods, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy.
The Eubrachyura have internal fertilization: paired vaginas enlarge into storage structures, the spermathecae, which are connected to the ovaries by oviducts. Sperm is stored until the oocytes are mature and transported into the spermathecae, where fertilization takes place. In the investigated pinnotherids, the vagina is of the ‘concave pattern’. Musculature is attached alongside flexible parts of the vagina-wall to control the dimension of its lumen. The genital opening is closed by a muscular mobile operculum.
The spermatheca can be divided into two distinct regions by function and morphology. The ventral part includes the connection with vagina and oviduct and is regarded as the zone where fertilization takes place. It is lined with cuticle except where the oviduct enters the spermatheca by the ‘holocrine transfer tissue’. At ovulation, the oocytes have to pass through this multi-layered glandular epithelium, which has a holocrine mode secretion. The dorsal part of the spermatheca is lined by a highly secretory apocrine glandular epithelium, which was to date only found in fiddler crabs of the genus Uca.
The male internal reproductive system consists of paired testes and corresponding vasa deferentia. The sperm morphology of pinnotherids conforms to other thoracotremes, with slight differences between Nepinnotheres pinnotheres and Pinnotheres pisum. Spermatozoa become enveloped into spermatophores in the secretory proximal vas deferens. The medial vas deferens is strongly enlarged and stores spermatophores embedded in seminal plasma. The distal vas deferens holds tubular appendices, which extend into the ventral cephalothorax and slightly into the pleon. These appendices produce and store vast quantities of seminal plasma. The copulatory system of the Brachyura is formed by paired penes and two pairs of gonopods, which function in sperm transfer. In pinnotherids, the long first gonopods transfers the sperm mass to the female. It holds the ejaculatory canal inside, which opens proximally and distally. The second gonopod is solid, short and conical. During copulation, the penis and the second gonopod are inserted into the base of the tubular first gonopod. The second gonopod functions in the transport of the sperm mass inside the ejaculatory canal towards its distal opening. The specific shape of the second gonopod is strongly adapted for a sealing of the tubular first gonopod with longitudinal cuticle foldings that interlock inside the first gonopod. The presented results are discussed concerning their function in reproduction and in respect of the systematic account.
The role of secretion in sperm transfer, storage and fertilization among the Brachyura is still under debate. It is notable that structure and function of secretion are more complex in pinnotherids and probably more efficient than in other brachyuran crabs, which will be discussed, in view of the parasitic way of life and the high fecundity of pinnotherids.
Beiträge zur Kenntnis von Saprolaelaps Leitner, 1946 in Europa (Acari: Gamasida: Halolaelapidae)
(2002)
Es werden 16 Arten der Gattung Saprolaelaps Leitner, 1949 überarbeitet und beschrieben. Drei Arten werden neu beschrieben: Saprolaelaps goetzi sp. nov., Saprolaelaps hirschmanni sp. nov. und Saprolaelaps hyatti sp. nov. Folgende Milben werden erstmals für Deutschland nachgewiesen: Saprolaelaps areolatus und S. bachusi. Die Existenz und die Stellung der Gattung Saprolaelaps war bisher unsicher, sie wird zum Beispiel in der Tierwelt Deutschlands von Karg (1993) nicht erwähnt. Für die Weibchen der Gattung Saprolaelaps wird ein Bestimmungsschlüssel aufgestellt.
Se presenta una base de datos taxonómica y distribucional de los moluscos marinos, telTestres y dulceacuícolas de Chile continental e insular. Se ha descrito para Chile un total de 1.288 especies, incluidas en 236 familias. Estas especies representan alrededor del 1,8% de la fauna mundial conocida de moluscos recientes (en total unas 70.000 especies). Los gmpos más diversificados son Gastropoda (882 especies) y Bivalvia (233 especies). Del total, 1.070 son marinas, 132 terrestres y 83 de ambientes dulceacuiolas. Del total de especies, 13 son introducidas (terrestres: Milax gagates, Demceras laeve, D. reticulatum, Limax (Lehmannia) valentianus, L. (Limax)flavus, L. (L.) maximus, Oxychilus (Oxychilus) cellarius, O. (Ortizius) alliarius and Helix (Cryptomphalus) aspersa: marinas: Crassostrea gigas, Pecten mllximus, Haliotis rufescens y H. mimus) y 49 poseen importancia económica. Aun cuando las primeras referencias sobre moluscos chilenos datan de comienzos del siglo XVIII, se los conoce principalmente a través de los resultados de las expediciones oceanográficas de fines del siglo XIX y principios de éste.
Paleogeographical, morphological, ecological, physiological, linguistic, archaeological and historical evidence is used to explain the origin and history of the domestication of the wild common carp. The closest wild ancestor of the common carp originated in the drainages of the Black, Caspian andAral seas and dispersed west as far as the Danube River and east into Siberia. The common carp today is represented by the uncertain east Asian subspecies Cyprinus carpio haematopterus and by the European Cyprinus carpio carpio. There is some reason to think that Romans were the first to culture carp collected from the Danube, and that the tradition of the "piscinae dulces" was continued in monasteries throughout the Middle Ages. We have much better documentation of carp culture in ponds of lay and clerical landowners in western Europe after the 11 th century. Distribution of the common carp west of the Danube's piedmont zone was clearly brought about by humans, as was its introduction throughout the continents. Some domestication in China may have occurred independently of similar activities in Europe, but most of the modern-day activities with the common carp in far east Asia are restricted to the domesticated common carp imported from Europe, or at best to hybrids of local and imported strains. The xanthic (red) common carp seem to have first appeared in early cultures of Europe, China and Japan but reached their fame through recent artificial selection of multicolored aberrants in Niigata Prefecture of Japan. In monetary value, production of the colored carp - the Japanese "nishikigoi" - now exceeds the production of carp as human food. As "swimming flowers" nishikigoi delight modem people as much as the taste of carp may have delighted the Romans and medieval folks at the beginning of carp domestication. The common carp is not only the most important domesticated fish but contributes over I million metric tons to world aquaculture. The surviving wild forms of the common carp are threatened or close to the fate of the aurochs, the ancestor of cattle, which became extinct in 1627.
Twenty-eight new species of plant-feeding Cecidmnyiidae are described from galls taken on five species of Acacia in Kenya. The new species are placed in seven genera, four of them new. The new taxa, to be attributed to Gagne, are as follows, in bold face: in Acacidiplosis: ananas, cespitosa, conica, crispa, echinata, erupta, hamata, imbIicata, lamosa, lugosa, spinosa, undulata, and verticillata; in Aposchizomyia: acuta, brevis, crenata, longa, striata, and turnouri; Asphondylia napiformis; in Athidiplosis: bullata and walteri; in Contarinia. earolinae, hongoi, and plicata, Kimadiplosis divel sa, in Lupesia. niloticae and armata. The larvae, pupae, and the host-specific galls of these species generally offer the best characters for species discrimination. Galls of several additional species of gall midges from Acacia spp. in Kenya are described, but the gall makers are left unnamed for lack of suitable specimens. Collula acaciae (Kieffer 1912) is shown to be a junior homonym of Collula acaciae (Kieffer 1909) andis renamed kiefferi. Gail midges from acacias in Africa, India, and Australia are reviewed. Cecidomyia acaciaelongifoliae Skuse (1890) from Australia is newly combined in Dasineura. Two ofthe Bew species, Acacidiplodisspinosa and Aposehizomyia acula, inhibit flowering of Acacia nilotica and are potential biological control agents of their host in Australia.