Deep sea swimming crabs of the Charybdis miles species group in the western Indian Ocean (Crustacea: Decapoda: Portunidae)

The deep-sea species of the Charybdis miles group occurring in the western Indian Ocean are revised on the basis of recent collections obtained by German and Russian expeditions. Two new species are described, Charybdis meteor sp. n. from the Straits of Bab el Mandeb and Charybdis crosnieri sp. n. from the insular margins and seamounts of the western Indian Ocean, which has been previously identified as Charybdis sagamiensis Parisi, 1916. The C. miles group represents a lineage with a probably relatively recent tendency for submergence which culminated in the formation of C. acutidens Türkay, 1986, a characteristic species of the deep Red Sea water mass.     

Two new bathyal species of Pseudotachidius (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from the Beaufort Sea (Alaska,U.S.A.)

Summary

Two new species of harpacticoid copepods are described from the northeastern coast of Alaska, U.S.A. Pseudotachidius brevisetosus sp. nov. and Pseudotachidius bipartitus sp. nov. co-occurred at depths from 659–1144 m. Pseudotachidius brevisetosus is unique in the armature of the ♀ P₅ and the ♂ P₂ endopod. Pseudotachidius bipartitus, with a 2-segmented P₁ endoped is also unique. The setal arrangements of Pseudotachidius coronatus T. Scott and Pseudotachidius similis T. Scott are discussed. The correct setal formulae for all species and a key to the genus are given.     

New species of Orasema (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae) from Central and South America

ABSTRACT

Six new species of Orasema are described. Four species are placed into a newly recognised lasallei species group: Orasema lasallei sp. nov. (Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua), O. janzeni sp. nov. (Costa Rica), O. peckorum sp. nov. (Brazil) and O. vasquezi sp. nov. (Colombia). One species is placed in the wayqecha group, Orasema masneri sp. nov. (Ecuador). One other species is currently unplaced to species group, O. longinoi sp. nov. (Costa Rica). Orasema lasallei was taken from a nest of Pheidole vorax (Fabr.) and an undescribed species near O. longinoi from a nest of Pheidole dossena Wilson (Myrmicinae). The morphology of the digitate labrum is discussed with respect to other Eucharitidae.     

III.—Idatiella China: Two new species,with a key (Hemiptera,Miridæ)

Summary

Nine soil, freshwater, and marine species of Thecamoeba have been isolated and investigated, and nine other probably or possibly valid species were reviewed from the literature. Locomotive form/behaviour and interphase nuclear structure are adequate to distinguish all known species, and on that basis the diagnoses of several species have been clarified and questions of possible synonymy resolved.

Most known species can be placed into either a rugose or a smooth group, but it is not yet clear that the genus can be formally divided along that line.

Feeding experiments and observations on six soil and freshwater species showed interspecific differences in the kind of protozoan prey ingested. Species also differed in their rate of multiplication in culture.

One recently discovered species, T. proteoides, approaches Amoeba proteus in both morphological and cultural characteristics more than does any other known species of Thecamoeba but is clearly a member of the latter genus.     

Tineid moths from the Batu Caves,Selangor

Summary

Three cave-dwelling species of Tineidae reared from bat guano in the Batu Caves, Malaysia, are differentiated. They are determined as Tinea hypochrysa Meyrick (= palaechrysis Meyrick, syn. nov.), Tinea porphyropa Meyrick subsp. batuensis subsp. nov. and Crypsithyris sladeni Bradley. Illustrations of the imagines and tenanted larval cases of the three species and figures of the male and female genitalia of T. hypochrysa and T. porphyropa batuensis are given. Lectotypes are designated for hypochrysa Meyrick and palaechrysis Meyrick.     

Revision of the Traumatomutilla juvenilis species group (Hymenoptera,Mutillidae)

ABSTRACT

Traumatomutilla duplicata duplicata (Gerstaecker, 1874), T. duplicata feia Casal, 1969, T. bruchi André, 1908, T. cristata (Gerstaecker, 1874), T. aterrima (Gerstaecker, 1874) and T. lorena (Cresson, 1902) are proposed as junior synonyms of Traumatomutilla bivittata (Gerstaecker, 1874). Traumatomutilla immaculiceps André, 1901, T. bivittata rubroguttata André, 1901 and T. estrella (Cresson, 1902) are proposed as junior synonyms of T. juvenilis (Gerstaecker, 1874). Traumatomutilla bispiculata (André, 1907) is proposed as a junior synonym of T. miniata (Gerstaecker, 1874). The previously unknown males of T. guarata Casal, 1969 and T. juvenilis are described and illustrated. All species of the T. juvenilis species group are redescribed and illustrated. A new species, Traumatomutilla juvenindica Bartholomay & Williams sp. nov., is described based on males and females from northern South America. Additionally, identification keys to the species and known colour forms of the T. juvenilis species group are provided.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3563B9EE-A45B-4939-8436-7A808D4F8996     

XLI.—Note on a Megalosaurian tibia from the lower Lias of Wilmcote,Warwickshire

Summary

A new species of Dolichomiris Reuter from India and another from South Africa are described, while costicollis Berg is excluded, bringing the total number of species in the genus to seven. All species are figured and keyed. D. linearis Reuter is recorded from Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia and the New Hebrides. Lectotypes are designated where necessary. A revised key to the genera of Stenodemini is presented.     

Historical review and redescription of three poorly known species of the catfish genus Trichomycterus from south-eastern Brazil (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae)

ABSTRACT

This study is primarily directed to the most poorly known species of the genus Trichomycterus, comprising five nominal species (T. florensis, T. immaculatus, T. nigricans, T. paquequerensis and T. santaeritae) endemic to south-eastern Brazil. One of them, T. nigricans, is the type species of the genus, involved in taxonomic problems for over 150 years. A detailed historical review, accompanied by examination of type specimens and recent collections, revealed that the correct type locality of T. nigricans is in the vicinity of Rio de Janeiro, not Santa Catarina as commonly appears in the literature; specimens previously misidentified as T. nigricans from Santa Catarina belong to a possibly undescribed species of the genus Cambeva; T. paquequerensis is a synonym of T. immaculatus, and T. florensis is a synonym of T. santaeritae; and the hypothesis that T. santaeritae is closely related to the Amazon Sarcoglanidinae is refuted. The three valid species are redescribed. These species are members of a clade also including T. caipora that is highly supported by molecular data, diagnosed by a pronounced posterior maxillary process and caudal fin emarginate at least in larger specimens. A subclade comprising T. caipora, T. nigricans and T. santaeritae is diagnosed by a long maxilla and a bifid anterior extremity of hypobranchial 3.     

Chelodesmid studies. XVIII. On some new or poorly-known taxa in the tribe Batodesmini (Polydesmida: Chelodesmidae)

Summary

Some new and poorly-known taxa of batodesmine diplopods are described from northern South America, with notes on their affinities. New genera include Igaraparana, based on I. batesi, sp. nov. from Amazonian Colombia; Curimagua, based on C. granulata, sp. nov. from Edo. Falcon, Venezuela; and Cheirogonus, based on C. pittieri, sp. nov. from Panama. The inadequately proposed species Leptodesmus interrupticolor Silvestri (southeastern Ecuador) is redescribed and figured from type material, and referred to Cordilleronomus as its third species. The enigmatic genus Tunochilus Chamberlin, 1950, is clarified and referred to the Batodesmini from its incorrect location in the Cryptodesmidae, with notes and drawings made from a paratype of the type species T. marginis; the presumptive congener T. marcuzzii is described as new from material taken at Caracas, Venezuela.     

A new species of Metatrichoniscoides (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscoidea) from the coast of South Wales,U.K.

Summary

A new species of terrestrial isopod, Metatrichonixoides celticus is described and differentiated from other European species of the same genus. M. celticus occurs on the coast of South Wales, U.K. and its supralittoral habitat is outlined.     

LVIII.—On some new and curious Thysanoptera (Tubulifera) from Papua

Summary

Observations are made on the morphology of a polystomatid parasite recovered from Ptychadena mascareniensis in two areas of Uganda. Comparisons are made with other material from Zaire, Ethiopia and Uganda and a single taxon, Polystoma pricei (syn. P. africanum aethiopiense), is recognised. The present information on the morphological variation of the species suggests that P. pricei cannot be adequately separated from P. africanum and this latter designation takes precedence. The parasite is widely distributed with the following hosts and range: Bufo regularis in Liberia, Uganda and Ethiopia, Ptychadena mascareniensis in Uganda and Ethiopia, Ptychadena sp. in Zaire, and Rana angolensis in Ethiopia.

The systematics of the African species of Polystoma is reviewed and the close affinity of many of the taxa is recognised. Problems in the existing taxonomy of this group are discussed and a Polystoma africanum species complex is proposed.     

Rediscovering Dichotomius foveicollis (Kirsch, 1871) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae), new combination,revalidation and other taxonomic notes

ABSTRACT

We found that Pinotus foveicollis synonym of D. agenor, does not belong to this group of species, neither is synonym of D. agenor. Here the species is revalidated to Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) foveicollis, the female is re-described, and the male is described for the first time. Based on male diagnostic characters the species is moved from D. agenor to D. inachus species-group.     

XXXVI.—A new gecko from Sokotra

Summary

The thysanopteran genus Cartomothrips Standard is revised with a key to the four species: browni Standard (= Treherniella niger Moulton syn. nov.), laughlini sp. nov., neboissi sp. nov. and manukae Stannard. Two species are known from Australia, one from New Zealand but the fourth is known from both countries. These thrips are apparently fungus-feeding, two being associated with the dead twigs of Leptospermum species. The significance of the distribution of these insects and their host plants on both sides of the Tasman Sea is discussed.     

LXV.—On an Encyrtid (Leefmansia bicolor,gen. et sp. n.) reared from eggs of Sexava (Orth.) in the Dutch East Indies

Summary

Eleven species of marine mites (Halacaroidea) are recorded from intertidal and subtidal collections made along the coast of California. Four new species Copidognathus spinifer sp. nov., Copidognathus ilsebartschi sp. nov., Agaue variabilis sp. nov., and Halacarus newelli sp. nov. are described. Agaue californica (Hall) is completely redescribed. Agauopsis newelli Krantz and Halacarus magniporus Krantz, new records for California, are diagnozed and described. Agauopsis curvata Krantz is diagnozed and further described. The juvenile stages of Copidognathus curtus Hall are described. The range of Agauopsis filirostris MacQuitty is extended within California. A tabular key to the Californian species of Copidognathus is given. The distribution of the halacaroids in California is compared to that of other fauna.     

LVII.—Pityosporites Westphalensis,sp. nov., an abietineous type pollen grain from the coal measures of Britain

Abstract

Recent investigations of the microfloras of the Upper Carboniferous coal-seams of a part of the South Wales Coalfield have demonstrated the presence in these coals of pollen grains of typical Abietineous aspect referable to the genus Pityosporites Seward. A new species—P. westphalensis—is described. The grains are found distributed through the seam as part of the overall microflora and are not associated with any male fructifications or sporangia. However, on morphological grounds they are referable to the Coniferae and indicate the existence during late Carboniferous (Coal Measures) times of a group of conifers which quite probably were the early representatives of the Abietineae. The geographical and vertical distributions of Pityosporites in the British Coal Measures are given as far as they are known at present, and it is concluded that this hitherto unknown group of Coal Measures conifers made a small but nevertheless significant contribution to the floras of those times.     

A new species of the dentipes-subgroup of Triconia and a redescription of T. giesbrechti and T. elongata (Copepoda: Cyclopoida: Oncaeidae) from the tropical Pacific and the Korea Strait

A new species of Triconia in the family Oncaeidae, Triconia pacifica sp. nov., and a new form variant each of Triconia giesbrechti Böttger-Schnack and Triconia elongata Böttger-Schnack are described from two sites in the Pacific. Triconia pacifica can be distinguished from its sibling Triconia dentipes (Giesbrecht) by (1) morphometric characters, including the proportional lengths of distal endopod spines of swimming leg 4, and the relative length of the outer basal seta on P5, and by (2) a number of micro-structures on the appendages. The Pacific specimens of T. elongata and T. giesbrechti resemble the typical forms in morphometric characters, with some minor differences in proportional spine lengths on the swimming legs, and differ in a few micro-structures. The hitherto unknown male of T. giesbrechti is newly described. For all species/forms described, the intraspecific variability of proportional spine lengths on the endopods of P2–P4 is examined and discussed. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6B41B0E2-0A5C-458B-8F9C-25000F208E24     

Integrative taxonomy of Thalerosphyrus Eaton, 1881 (Ephemeroptera,Heptageniidae) in Thailand

ABSTRACT

A comprehensive revision of the genus Thalerosphyrus in Thailand is assessed. Four species are recognised: T. flowersi, T. sinuosus, T. vietnamensis and one new species, Thalerosphyrus thailandensis sp. nov., which is described here. A morphological comparison of the described species is provided. A Maximum Likelihood (ML) consensus tree based on 658 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene of five species was performed. Uncorrected p-distances strongly support the identity of these species, originally based on morphology, and show differences of 8.4–29.8% between species and 1.4–6.3% within species.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:850FB31C-2B6A-4AB2-92D5-3413B193F196