Species of Antarctoscyphus Peña Cantero,García Carrascosa and Vervoort, 1997 (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: Symplectoscyphidae) collected by US Antarctic expeditions: biogeographic implications

Antarctoscyphus is one of the most characteristic genera of Antarctic benthic hydroids, with nine of the 10 known species considered to be endemic to the Antarctic; only Antarctoscyphus elongatus is also present in the sub-Antarctic region of Kerguelen. Accordingly, the genus was considered to have an Antarctic–Kerguelen distribution. Here we present the results of the study of the species of Antarctoscyphus collected from different Antarctic areas and from the Magellan region, during several expeditions under the United States Antarctic Research Program between 1958 and 1986. A scanning electron microscopy survey of all known species of the genus was carried out. Eight of the 10 known species of Antarctoscyphus were found in the collection, with A. spiralis and A. elongatus being the most frequently found species, whereas A. biformis, A. fragilis and A. gruzovi were found only once. The type material of A. biformis was reviewed and re-described. This study represents the second records for A. biformis and A. fragilis. The new records allow updating of the biogeographic knowledge on the distribution of several species: A. mawsoni, so far considered endemic to East Antarctica, and A. asymmetricus, considered endemic to West Antarctica, are here considered to have a Circum-Antarctic distribution. Additionally, A. fragilis, previously considered endemic to the Weddell Sea, is now considered to have a West Antarctic–Patagonian distribution, as it was recorded off the Pacific Magellan region. The records gathered here allow us to change the distribution pattern of the genus from Antarctic–Kerguelen to Pan-Antarctic. The study has allowed us to increase the known bathymetric range for some species, some reaching much deeper waters than previously known. Hence, A. fragilis, A. grandis and A. mawsoni, hitherto considered shelf species, are reported from bathyal bottoms of the continental slope. A general discussion on the bathymetric and geographic distribution of all known species is included.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1C7ED3F2-3FF1-4C5C-85BB-FAAF557AC2ED     

Rediscovery,natural history,and conservation status of Idiocranium russeli Parker, 1936 (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Indotyphlidae)

The indotyphlid caecilian amphibian Idiocranium russeli Parker, 1936 is the only nominal species in its genus. Apart from two additional, largely overlooked locality records that we consider to be of an undescribed species, I. russeli is known with certainty from only a single collection of c.50 specimens from a single locality in 1933. We report new material from fieldwork in 2012 carried out in the vicinity of the type locality. Digging surveys at 34 sites for a total of >2000 person minutes found 50 I. russeli at 15 of these sites, extending the known range of the species by more than 40 km south and from an elevation of c.670 m to 104–820 m. The species probably occurs in nearby Nigeria and in some protected areas, is tolerant of some human disturbance, and is likely to move from Data Deficient to Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Males have relatively longer and wider heads than females. Total length measured for preserved specimens is less than for freshly anaesthetized specimens, by up to 14.1%. Previously, preserved I. russeli were reported as having a maximum length of 114 mm, but the new sample includes specimens with total lengths of 145 mm in preservation and 167 mm when fresh. The sex of the smallest independent specimens (total length 62 mm in preservation) could be determined from examination of the gonads, hatchlings are c.30 mm, and I. russeli is confirmed as one of the smallest known caecilian species.     

Checklist of leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of Turkey,excluding Bruchinae

The leaf beetle fauna of Turkey is reviewed and a complete checklist with provincial distributions is presented for the first time. Seven hundred and seventy-six species are catalogued in total. This represents approximately 22% of the known Palaearctic leaf beetle fauna. The Turkish leaf beetle fauna is characterized by 81 endemic species. Distributions of the species in Turkey are given based on available literature records. Some new materials from new localities are also examined. Taxa in the list are arranged systematically under family, subfamily, genus, subgenus (when recognized) and species. The subspecies are not included in the list but mentioned in the notes given for certain species. The species whose occurrences in Turkey need conformation are not included in the list but are given separately. Additionally, two new synonymies are stated: Psylliodes diversicolor Nadein 2006 = P. kasnakensis Gök et Aslan, 2007 syn.nov.; Phyllotreta maculicornis Pic, 1906 = Ph. ispartaensis Gök, 2005 syn.nov.     

Phylogenetic relationships of Mesobuthus eupeus (C.L. Koch, 1839) inferred from COI sequences (Scorpiones: Buthidae)

In this study, the first molecular phylogenetic analysis of Mesobuthus eupeus in Iran is presented based on sequence data of a ～ 700-base-pair fragment of cytochrome C oxidase, subunit I. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred using parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference. The results support monophyly of M. eupeus, but there is a clear divergence between northern and southern clades. The northern clade includes four subspecies – M. e. eupeus, M. e. philippovitschi, M. e. afghanus and M. e. thersites; whereas the southern clade is comprised of two others – M. e. phillipsi and M. e. kirmanensis. Accordingly, possible scenarios for the evolution and phylogeographic structure of M. eupeus based on the geological history of the Iranian Plateau were proposed. The observation of two distinct lineages supports the proposal that M. eupeus might be a species complex composed of species with highly similar morphological features.     

Morphology and natural history of the cryptogenic sponge associate Polydora colonia Moore, 1907 (Polychaeta: Spionidae)

The polychaete Polydora colonia is a widely distributed symbiont of sponges that has been reported as introduced into the Mediterranean Sea. Polydora colonia is re-described based on specimens associated with the sponges Microciona prolifera and Halichondria bowerbanki from New York and aspects of its reproduction and feeding biology are described for the first time. The morphology of P. colonia agrees with previous reports of this species. Females of P. colonia deposited egg capsules (14–19 eggs/capsule) in their tubes on sponges and adelphophagy was observed. Larvae appear to be competent to settle on hosts at the 13-chaetiger stage. One commensal ciliate and one parasitic copepod were found associated with P. colonia. P. colonia as an introduced species is evaluated based on current evidence. Sponge material was observed in the gut of > 50% of the worms examined but further studies are needed to evaluate whether P. colonia is selectively feeding on M. prolifera.     

Gastrointestinal helminths of nine species of Cnemaspis (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Peninsular Malaysia,one species from Cambodia and Thailand and two species from Vietnam

A total of 12 species of Cnemaspis (N = 104) from Southeast Asia were examined for gastrointestinal helminths. Samples consisted of nine species (n = 86) from Peninsular Malaysia: Cnemaspis affinis (n = 4); Cnemaspis baueri (n = 17); Cnemaspis biocellata (n = 12); Cnemaspis grismeri (n = 8); Cnemaspis kumpoli (n = 11); Cnemaspis limi (n = 9): Cnemaspis monachorum (n = 7); Cnemaspis pemanggilensis (n = 10); Cnemaspis peninsularis (n = 8); one species (n = 5) from Cambodia and Thailand, Cnemaspis chanthaburiensis (n = 5); and two species (n = 13) from Vietnam: Cnemaspis nuicamensis (n = 6) and Cnemaspis tucdupensis (n = 7). The aggregate helminth community consisted of one species of Cestoda, Cylindrotaenia malayi and nine species of Nematoda: Bakeria schadi, Meteterakis singaporensis, Parapharyngodon maplestoni, Maxvachonia sp., Physalopteroides sp., Physalopteridae gen. sp., Riticulariidae gen. sp., Seuratoidea gen. sp., Ascaridoidea gen. sp. Meteterakis singaporensis had the largest number of individuals (457) and greatest prevalence (24%). Twenty-eight new host records are reported.     

Deep-sea asellote isopods (Crustacea,Eumalacostraca) of the north-west Atlantic: the family Haploniscidae

The deep-sea asellote isopod species belonging to the family Haploniscidae were studied from three study sites off the North Carolina coast and one off Bermuda. The following five new species, belonging to the new genus Chandraniscus, are described: C. kussakini from Alpha-A off Bermuda (1300 m), C. eastwardae, C. costlowi and C. chardyi from the Carolina lower slope site Beta and C. negoescuae at site Sigma on the Carolina continental rise (4910 m). Three new species of Haploniscus are described: H. kensleyi from the Carolina upper continental slope at Alpha-B, H. gnanamuthi from site Alpha-A off Bermuda, H. harrietae from site Beta. A new species Chauliodoniscus wilsoni from site Sigma is also described. Three new species of the genus Hydroniscus, found in this alpha-taxonomic study, include H. buzwilsoni and H. malyutinae from site Beta and H. watlingi from both Beta and Sigma. Two new species of the genus Antennuloniscus, A. menziesi and A. lincolni, are described from site Beta over the Carolina lower continental slope.     

Comparative larval morphology of the European bone-skippers,Thyreophora cynophila (Panzer, 1798) and Centrophlebomyia furcata (Fabricius, 1794) (Diptera: Piophilidae), with notes on their coexistence and natural history

Considered at times as extinct, the European bone-skippers Thyreophora cynophila and Centrophlebomyia furcata (Diptera: Piophilidae) have been recently rediscovered in Spain, coexisting in some areas. Nevertheless, apart from their typical association with big mammal carcasses, little is known about them and the other species of subtribe Thyreophorina. In the present paper, the larval morphology of T. cynophila is described for the first time and compared with that of C. furcata. The morphology of cephalopharyngeal skeleton, the number and arrangement of the spines of ventral creeping welts, and the morphology and presence or absence of tubercles in the two last segments of the body, are the main characters allowing for larval identification of both species. Some preliminary field and laboratory observations on the behaviour and life cycle of the two species are also provided.     

Novel records and observations of the barnacle Stephanolepas muricata (Cirripedia: Balanomorpha: Coronuloidea); including a case for chemical mediation in turtle and whale barnacles

We report new distribution and host records of the turtle barnacle Stephanolepas muricata Fischer. Ours is the first study to document this species' occurrence in Mexico and in the Atlantic Ocean (North Carolina, Georgia and Florida: USA). We also present the first record of S. muricata from olive ridley sea turtles, Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz). We discuss the physical and ecological characteristics associated with the specimens collected and present evidence suggesting the likelihood of chemical mediation between embedding coronuloid barnacles like S. muricata and host turtles. We provide the first data on the diet and fecundity of S. muricata.     

Four new species of Mesomyzostoma (Myzostomida: Annelida)

Mesomyzostoma Remscheid, 1918 currently includes three described species that live in the coelom and/or gonads of comatulid crinoids: Mesomyzostoma reichenspergeri Remscheid, 1918, Mesomyzostoma katoi Okada, 1933 and Mesomyzostoma lanterbecqae Summers and Rouse, 2014 in Summers, Al-Hakim et al. 2014. Here we describe four new species of Mesomyzostoma and assess their phylogenetic relationships using 18S rRNA, cytochrome oxidase subunit I and 16S rRNA sequence data. We also designate a neotype for M. katoi as the original types appear to be lost. We record M. reichenspergeri from the Australian Great Barrier Reef and from northern Papua New Guinea, but samples from the type locality (Aru Islands, Indonesia) and previously recorded host are needed for confirmation. The new species of Mesomyzostoma are one Japanese species: Mesomyzostoma okadai sp. nov., and three Australian species: Mesomyzostoma lobus sp. nov., Mesomyzostoma leukos sp. nov. and Mesomyzostoma botulus sp. nov. The first infects the coelom of crinoid arms and pinnules, and the other three are found in crinoid oral discs. We also record M. leukos sp. nov. and M. botulus sp. nov. from Papua New Guinea. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that M. okadai sp. nov. is the sister group to all other Mesomyzostoma.     

Helminths of ten species of Litoria frogs (Anura: Hylidae) from Papua New Guinea

One hundred and ninety-one frogs collected in Papua New Guinea from 10 species of the genus Litoria, namely, L. angiana, L. arfakiana, L. caerulea, L. congenita, L. eurynastes, L. gasconi, L. infrafrenata, L. iris, L. kumae and L. modica, were examined for helminths. Eighteen species of helminths were found: one species of Monogenea, Parapolystoma bulliense; three species of Digenea, Diplodiscus amphichrus, Halipegus zweifeli and Mesocoelium monas; 13 species of Nematoda, gravid specimens of Aplectana macintoshii, Cosmocerca novaeguineae, Falcaustra papuensis, Maxvachonia adamsoni, Maxvachonia flindersi, Maxvachonia ingens, Meteterakis crombiei, Moaciria moraveci, Parathelandros mastigurus, Physalopteroides milnensis, Pseudorictularia dipsarilis, Seuratascaris numidica, and larvae (in cysts) of Abbreviata sp. and, one species of Acanthocephala, Pseudoacanthocephalus bufonis. Mean number of helminth species per host species was 3.0 ± 1.4 SD (range 1–5), mean number of helminth species per infected frog was 1.1 ± 0.4 SD (range 1–2), and mean number of helminths per infected host was 33.3 ± 5.8 SD (range 1–36). Twenty-eight new host records and two new locality records are reported. The biogeography of the recovered helminths is discussed.     

Smicridea McLachlan (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) from northwestern Argentina and Bolivia: new species,redescription, association and new records

Four new species of Smicridea (Rhyacophylax) are described from Argentina and Bolivia. Smicridea (Rhyacophylax) bifida sp. nov., S. (R.) elisae sp. nov. and S. (R.) valeni sp. nov. are described from the male; S. (R.) thermophyla sp. nov. is described as the first species of Smicridea from thermal springs. The larva and pupa of S. (R.) thermophila were associated using the metamorphotype method. New distributional records of S. (R.) dithyra, S. (R.) atrobasis, S. (R.) peruana and S. (R.) pampeana are included. Morphological characters of male S. (R.) peruana that were not mentioned before are included. Illustrations of all taxa named in this paper are included.