Cirolanid isopod crustaceans from the Townsville region of Queensland,Australia, with descriptions of six new species

Summary

A wide variety of littoral and sublittoral marine habitats have been sampled in the vicinity of Townsville in N.E. Australia in order to assess the diversity of cirolanid isopods present.

Of the thirteen species represented in the collections six were previously undescribed. The species present were: Cirolana schioedtei Miers, 1884 (16m in mud/sand); C. pustulosa Hale, 1925 (mainly littoral habitats such as crevices in wooden installations); C. cranchii var. australiense Hale, 1925 (mainly littoral cryptic habitats); C. tumulosa sp. nov. (3–9 m in soft particulate substrata); C. arcicauda sp. nov. (3–10 m in soft particulate substrata); C. variguberna sp. nov. (2–18 m in soft particulate substrata); C. luticola sp. nov. (2–14 m in soft particulate substrata); Neocirolana bicrista sp. nov. (11 m in particulate substrata); Excirolana orientalis Dana, 1853 (littoral sand); Pseudolana concinna (Hale, 1925) (littoral sand); Pseudolana brevifimbria sp. nov. (littoral sand); Eurydice orientalis Hansen, 1890 (plankton and 5–11 m in soft particulate substrata); Eurydice inermis Hansen, 1890 (plankton and 2–11 m in soft particulate substrata).

The new species are described in detail and additional information is given on the other species—some of which have been poorly described in the past. In addition two closely related species, i.e. Cirolana tenuistylis Miers, 1884 and C. woodjonesi Hale, 1924 are also redescribed so as to avoid any confusion with the Townsville species.     

Description of four new species of the Cirolana ‘parva group’ (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cirolanidae) from Thailand,with supporting molecular (COI) data

Four new species of the Cirolana ‘parva group’ from shallow coastal habitats in Thailand are described: Cirolana andamanensis sp. nov. and C. phangnga sp. nov., from the Andaman Sea, and C. siamensis sp. nov. and C. thailandica sp. nov. from the Gulf of Thailand. Molecular (The cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene) analysis incorporating taxa from the Cirolana ‘tuberculate group’ shows a monophyletic clade (Bayesian inference = 1 and maximum likelihood = 100%) within the Cirolana ‘parva group’ with two clades reflecting morphological characters. Cirolana andamanensis sp. nov. with antennula peduncle articles 1 and 2 entirely fused; male pereopod 1 without a setal fringe; uropod peduncle ventrolateral margin with 1 sensory seta. Cirolana phangnga sp. nov., C. siamensis sp. nov. and C. thailandica sp. nov. share the morphological characters of antennula peduncle articles 1 and 2 distinctly articulated; pereopod 1 in male with a setal fringe on the carpus and propodus; uropod peduncle ventrolateral margin with 3 sensory setae. Uncorrected p-distances strongly support the separation of these species, originally based on morphology, and show that the highest value of 32.1% is between C. thailandica sp. nov. and C. andamanensis sp. nov., while the lowest value of 22.5% is between C. phangnga sp. nov. and C. siamensis sp. nov.     

New species and records of Flabellifera from the Indian Ocean (Crustacea: Peracarida: Isopoda)

In this study of flabelliferan Isopoda from the Indian Ocean, 19 species are described as new, in 11 genera and two families: family Cirolanidae, Baharilana koloura, B. lira, Cirolana aldabrensis, C. mimulus, C. somalia, C. undata, Eurydice paxilli, and Metacirolana chemola; family Sphaeromatidae, Cassidinidea clarkae, Cymodoce fuscina, C. lirella, Dynamenella alveolata, D. remex, Heterodina (new genus), H. mccaini, Oxinasphaera brucei, O. furcata, O. tetrodon, Paracilicaea stauros, and Sphaeromopsis sulcifera. Diagnoses of the genera and species are provided, and keys to the Indian Ocean species of most of the genera are provided. The material comes primarily from Aldabra Atoll, the granitic Seychelles islands, Zanzibar Island, and Phuket in Thailand. A few miscellaneous samples from the South African Museum collections, and from the International Indian Ocean Expedition carried out in the mid‐1960s are included.     

Redescription of the genus Noteochordodes,reinterpretation of Noteochordodes dugesi (Camerano, 1898), a new combination of Neochordodes talensis (Camerano, 1897) and a description of a new species

Three species of the freshwater genus Noteochordodes (Nematomorpha) have been reported from Argentina. In this reinvestigation Neochordodes talensis is included into Noteochordodes on the basis of its cuticular structure. The ultrastructural study of the holotype of N. dugesi showed features which are correspondent with the genus Pseudochordodes. Consequently, some specimens formerly assigned to this species have been assigned to a new species, Noteochordoeds cymatium. Another new species, Noteochordodes achosmosus is also described. Therefore, we regard five species to be valid for the genus Noteochordodes: N. achosmosus, N. cymatium, N. desantisi, N. talensis and N. saltae.     

Two new species of Microprosthema from the Western Atlantic (Crustacea: Decapoda: Stenopodidea)

Two new species of shrimp in the genus Microprosthema are described and figured on the basis of materials collected recently from the tropical western Atlantic. Specimens of one, Microprosthema manningi, have been collected from Florida, Mexico, Belize and Old Providence Island. The other new species, Microprosthema looensis, was taken from a single site in the Florida Keys. Microprosthema manningi is closely related to the western Atlantic M. semilaeve, while M. looensis is closely related to the Indo-Pacific M. scabricaudatum. However, both new species can be distinguished by numerous morphological differences, as well as by coloration.     

Seven new species of Amynthas (Clitellata: Megascolecidae) and new earthworm records from Taiwan

Earthworm specimens collected in southern Taiwan consisted of seven new species of Amynthas and several previously known species, mostly widely distributed peregrines. The new species are A. nanrenensis of the octothecal A. corticis species group, A. monsoonus and A. huangi of the sexthecal A. aelianus species group, and four proandric octothecal species: A. chaishanensis, A. hengchunensis, A. kaopingensis and A. ailiaoensis. Amynthas chaishanensis has dorsal intrasegmental spermathecal pores, but the other three proandric species have dorsal, lateral or ventral intersegmental spermathecal pores, respectively. The proandric species are united by several features, including the enclosure of segment xi in a sac, as in A. formosae (also proandric), octothecal with spermathecae in vi–ix, spermathecal diverticula stalks generally kinked and often enclosed in membrane, and prostatic ducts divided polytomously into numerous small ductlets, which may be grouped into bundles of two to five. In A. ailiaoensis the prostatic duct trunk contains up to seven separate lumens in the ental half, surrounded by the circular muscle of the duct, while in A. chaishanensis the prostatic duct trunk contains about 40 small lumens. Of the previously known species in the collection, Pontodrilus litoralis and Metaphire houlleti are first reported from Taiwan. Additional locations for A. incongruus and A. robustus are given, and in the latter case the material appears to be the usual male‐sterile morph. Other species found are Pontoscolex corethrurus, Amynthas corticis, A. gracilis, Metaphire californica, and Polypheretima elongata.     

Alien polychaete species (Annelida: Polychaeta) on the southern coast of Turkey (Levantine Sea,eastern Mediterranean), with 13 new records for the Mediterranean Sea

The examination of benthic material collected from different depths and habitats along the southern coast of Turkey (Levantine Sea, eastern Mediterranean) in September and October 2005 revealed 30 alien polychaete species belonging to 15 families. Thirteen species (Pisione guanche, Linopherus canariensis, Onuphis eremita oculata, Lumbrineris perkinsi, Dorvillea similis, Timarete caribous, Pherusa parmata, Pherusa saldanha, Streblosoma comatus, Polycirrus twisti, Laonome triangularis, Branchiomma bairdi and Janua steueri) are new to the Mediterranean fauna, 24 species are new to the Turkish fauna and 27 species are new to the Levantine coast of Turkey. The specimens collected from the Levantine coast of Turkey and northern Cyprus that were previously identified as Linopherus acarunculata and Branchiomma boholense are reidentified as L. canariensis and B. bairdi, respectively. In the light of present knowledge, the previous reports of Lumbrineris inflata and Streblosoma hesslei from the Mediterranean (Italian coast) could refer to the species L. perkinsi and S. comatus, respectively. The species new to the Mediterranean Sea are redescribed and discussed.     

Annelids (Polychaeta and Oligochaeta) from the Sea of Marmara,with descriptions of five new species

This paper deals with annelids (Oligochaeta and Polychaeta) collected in the Sea of Marmara between 2006 and 2010 at depths from 0 to 66 m. A total of five oligochaete and 198 polychaete species were found. Five polychaete species, namely Prosphaerosyllis marmarae sp. nov., Levinsenia demiri sp. nov., Levinsenia kosswigi sp. nov., Levinsenia marmarensis sp. nov. and Levinsenia tribranchiata sp. nov. are new to science, and five oligochaete and 84 polychaete species are new to the fauna of the Sea of Marmara. A list of species found in the region and their maximum densities are presented at depth intervals. The present material includes six alien polychaete species, Paraprionospio coora, Polydora cornuta, Prionospio (Minuspio) pulchra, Pseudopolydora paucibranchiata, Chaetozone corona and Metasychis gotoi, of which the latter four species were new records for the region.     

Swedish nemerteans (phylum Nemertea), with description of a new hoplonemertean genus and species

A survey of the nemertean fauna along the Swedish west coast found specimens of 20 genera and 32 species, of which one genus and species is new to science (Tetraneuronemertes lovgreni gen. et sp. n.). The proportions of the three taxa Hoplonemertea, Heteronemertea, and Palaeonemertea are 34, 55, and 11%, respectively, with respect to specimen numbers, and the proportions for species within these taxa are 53, 31 and 16%, respectively. The most common species encountered during the survey were the heteronemerteans Lineus bilineatus, Micrura fasciolata, and Micrura purpurea, the hoplonemertean Nipponnemertes pulcher, and the palaeonemertean Cephalothrix rufifrons.     

Two new taxa from the Lesser Sundas in the genus Onthophagus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Two new Indonesian taxa are proposed in Onthophagus Latreille, 1802, illustrating the composite faunal spectrum of the Lesser Sundas (Indonesia): O. montishannoniae, a new species from Flores, and O. accedens nusatenggaricus, a new subspecies from Lombok and Flores. O. accedens Lansberge, 1883 is, with O. dux Sharp, 1875, placed in what is here defined as the dux subgroup within the subgenus Parascatonomus Paulian, 1932. The three included species‐group taxa are keyed, their status is discussed, and new records are given. The position of O. montishannoniae seems taxonomically and geographically isolated: this species has no known close relatives in the region, neither in the Lesser Sundas, nor anywhere else in Wallacea.     

Minute but constant morphological differences within members of Stenothoidae: the Stenothoe gallensis group with four new members,keys to Stenothoe worldwide,a new species of Parametopa and Sudanea n. gen. (Crustacea: Amphipoda)

The hitherto-known species of Stenothoe are grouped by their distribution. A key for Mediterranean–Atlantic species is given. To the so-called Stenothoe gallensis group (until now, four species), four others are added: S. andamanensis, S. clavetta, S. himyara and S. senegalensis, all new to science. Knowledge of Stenothoe aucklandica, frecanda, macrophthalma, valida and verrucosa is amended. The studied material also yields both a new species of Parametopa (P. gorea n. sp.) and a new genus (Sudanea n. gen.) with S. inopinata n. sp.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:23C8BB82-5CC1-40B2-BED9-431AA55901B9     

Six new species of Platygastrinae from the British Isles (Hymenoptera,Platygastridae)

Six species of Platygastrinae new to science are described and illustrated, namely Platygaster anglica, P. nixoni, P. sublongicornis, Synopeas londiniense, S. nottoni, and S. noyesi.     

Two new species of Rhizorhina (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida) from leptostracan and tanaidacean hosts

Summary

Two new species of parasitic copepods from the North Atlantic, Rhizorhina leptostracae associated with Nebaliella caboti, and Rhizorhina tanaidaceae from Leviapseudes hanseni, are described. Leptostracans and tanaids are new host groups for this genus. The systematic position of Rhizorhina is discussed.     

On a new genus and new species of xanthid crab (Crustacea,Decapoda, Brachyura,Xanthinae) from the South China Sea,with notes on the genus Liagore De Haan, 1833

A new genus and new species of xanthid crab, Ovatis simplex, is described from the South China Sea. The genus is closest to Liagore but can be distinguished by a suite of carapace and male gonopod characters. The systematic position of Liagore is also considered, and both genera, Liagore and Ovatis, are here referred to the subfamily Xanthinae. Comparisons with the allied genera, Paratergatis and Pulcratis, are also provided.     

A review of the South-East Asian Nasutitermitinae (Isoptera: Termidae), with descriptions of one new genus and a new species and including a key to the genera

This paper describes Snootitermes leuserensis, gen. et sp. nov. (collected from the Leuser Ecosystem, Sumatra), Hirtitermes brabazoni sp. nov. (collected from north Sulawesi) and the major soldier of Ceylonitermes indicola. It also includes a revised generic key to the Nasutitermitinae of Peninsular Malaysia, Java, Sumatra and Borneo and reassigns the South-East Asian Subulitermes-group of termites to the Nasutitermes-group. Aciculioiditermes denticulatus and A. sarawakensis are considered to be junior synonyms of Aciculioiditermes holmgreni. The genera Aciculioiditermes and Proaciculitermes are considered to be junior synonyms of Malaysiotermes. Therefore Aciculioiditermes holmgreni, Proaciculitermes orientalis, P. sabahensis, P. malayanus and P. lowi are all Malaysiotermes species. Tho's (1982, 1992) unpublished new genus (Genus A) is considered to be a new species of Ceylonitermes. Oriensubulitermes borneensis is shown to be a Subulioiditermes species, S. borneensis. Nasutitermes matangensiformis is shown to be a junior synonym of N. matangensis. Havilanditermes is shown to be a junior synonym of Nasutitermes.