Redefinition of the parastenocaridid genus Proserpinicaris (Copepoda: Harpacticoida), with description of three new species from Korea

Proserpinicaris young sp. nov., Proserpinicaris wangpi sp. nov. and Proserpinicaris imjin sp. nov. are described from subterranean waters of South Korea. They are short-range endemics, allopatric in distribution and closely related to each other, and to two other Far Eastern congeners. Distinguishing features are limited to the general habitus shape, proportions of the caudal rami and degree of sexual dimorphism. The genus Proserpinicaris Jakobi, 1972 Jakobi, H. 1972. Trends (Enp.P4 Mänchen) innerhalb der Parastenocarididen (Copepoda Harpacticoidea). Crustaceana, 22: 127–146. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar], as redefined here, is Palaearctic in distribution, with the centre of diversity in southern Europe, and 20 valid members, all of which share a large hyaline spiniform structure on the male fourth leg basis as a synapomorphy. A key to species is provided. Genera Niponnicaris Jakobi, 1972 Jakobi, H. 1972. Trends (Enp.P4 Mänchen) innerhalb der Parastenocarididen (Copepoda Harpacticoidea). Crustaceana, 22: 127–146. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] and Pannonicaris Jakobi, 1972 Jakobi, H. 1972. Trends (Enp.P4 Mänchen) innerhalb der Parastenocarididen (Copepoda Harpacticoidea). Crustaceana, 22: 127–146. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] are established as its junior subjective synonyms, Lacustricaris Jakobi, 1972 Jakobi, H. 1972. Trends (Enp.P4 Mänchen) innerhalb der Parastenocarididen (Copepoda Harpacticoidea). Crustaceana, 22: 127–146. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] is formally synonymized with Parastenocaris Kessler, 1913, and Parastenocaris lacustris Chappuis, 1958 Chappuis, PA. 1958. Le genre Parastenocaris Kessler. Vie Milieu, 8: 423–432.  [Google Scholar] is designated as incertae sedis in Fontinalicaridinae Schminke, 2010 Schminke, HK. 2010. High-level phylogenetic relationships within Parastenocarididae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida). Crustaceana, 83: 343–367. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar].     

First record of the genus Brachyzapus Gauld and Dubois (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) from Vietnam,with descriptions of six new species

Based on a recent collection of ichneumonids from Lao Cai Province, at an elevation above 1500 m above sea level, the genus Brachyzapus Gauld and Dubois, 2006 Gauld, ID and Dubois, J. 2006. Phylogeny of the Polysphincta group of genera (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae; Pimplinae: a taxonomic revision of spider ectoparasitoids. Syst Entomol., 31: 529–564. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] is reported from Vietnam for the first time and six new species are described: B. carinatus sp. nov., B. convexus sp. nov., B. duboisi sp. nov., B. fansipanensis sp. nov., B. hoanglienensis sp. nov. and B. politus sp. nov. Notes on distinguishing characters are provided and the new species are included in a tentative key to 12 species of Brachyzapus. Three species are formally transferred from Zabrachypus to Brachyzapus: B. atripedalis (Sheng, 2001), B. nitidus (Hao and Sheng, 2002 Hao, D and Sheng, ML. 2002. A new species of genus Zabrachypus Cushman (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). J Northeast Forestry Univ., 30: 95–96.  [Google Scholar]) and B. nonareaeidos (Wang, 1997) are new combinations.     

Differentiation of external morphology of Oribatella Banks, 1895 (Acari: Oribatida: Oribatellidae), in light of the ontogeny of three species

Differentiation of external morphology of Oribatella Banks, 1895 was investigated, in light of the ontogeny of O. quadricornuta (Michael, 1880 Michael, AD. 1880. A further contribution to the knowledge of British Oribatidae. J Roy Micr Soc London, 3: 225–251. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), O. superbula (Berlese,1904 Berlese, A. 1904. Acari nuovi. Manipulus III. Redia, 2: 10–32.  [Google Scholar]) and O. calcarata (CL Koch, 1835 Koch, CL. 1835. “Deutschlands Crustaceen, Myriapoden und Arachniden”. In Regensburg, Germany: Verlag Friedrich Pustet 1–3.  [Google Scholar]) studied here for the first time, and that of the other species from the literature. The pattern of gastronotal setae in larvae is similar, except for lack of seta h ₃ in O. nortoni Behan-Pelletier, 2011 Behan-Pelletier, VM. 2011. Oribatella (Acari, Oribatida, Oribatellidae) of eastern North America. Zootaxa, 2973: 1–56. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar], while that of nymphs and adults is differentiated. The nymphs of most species have 15 pairs of gastronotal setae, but those of O. metzi Behan-Pelletier, 2011 Behan-Pelletier, VM. 2011. Oribatella (Acari, Oribatida, Oribatellidae) of eastern North America. Zootaxa, 2973: 1–56. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] and most nymphs of O. calcarata have 13 pairs. The nymphs of most species carry the exuvial scalps of previous instars on apical parts of gastronotal setae da, while setae dm and dp, located under these scalps, are subjected to translocation, reduction in size or loss. In O. berlesei (Michael, 1898 Michael, AD. 1898. “Oribatidae”. In Das Tierreich, Lief. 3. Vol. 8 (Acarina). Berlin: Verlag von R. Friedländer und Sohn Edited by: Schulze, FE. 1–93. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), O. nortoni, O. quadricornuta and O. sexdentata Berlese, 1916 pair dp takes a more lateral position, compared with the larvae, in O. superbula and O. canadensis Behan-Pelletier and Eamer, 2010 Behan-Pelletier, VM and Eamer, B. 2010. The first sexually dimorphic species of Oribatella (Acari, Oribatida, Oribatellidae) and a review of sexual dimorphism in the Brachypylina. Zootaxa, 2332: 1–20. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] it is reduced in size (in the latter species pair dm is also reduced), while O. metzi loses setae dm and dp. In contrast, the nymphs of O. calcarata do not carry the scalps, and usually lose setae c ₁ and dm. The adults of all species lose setae c ₁, c ₃ and d-series, compared with the tritonymph, and only 10 pairs of notogastral setae remain (c ₂, l-, h- and p-series), but O. quadricornuta and O. calcarata rarely retain seta c ₃ unilaterally, which indicates the order of setal loss in Oribatella according to Shaldybina (1972 Shaldybina, ES. 1972. Some morphological characters of ceratozetid moss mites (Oribatei). Ucenyje zapiski Gor Gosud Pedagog Institut, Gorki, 130: 35–66. In Russian [Google Scholar]).     

Stegana castanea species group (Diptera,Drosophilidae) from the Oriental region

The Stegana castanea species group is established as a morphological group within the subgenus Steganina, based on two known and six new species from the Oriental region: Stegana (Steganina) bacilla Chen and Aotsuka, 2004 Chen, HW and Aotsuka, T. 2004. A survey of the genus Stegana Meigen from southern Japan (Diptera, Drosophilidae). J Nat Hist., 38: 2779–2788. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; S. castanea Okada, 1988 Okada, T. 1988. Family Drosophilidae (Diptera) from the Lund University Ceylon Expedition in 1962 and Borneo collections in 1978–1979. Entomol Scand (suppl)., 30: 109–149.  [Google Scholar]; S. (S.) reni sp. nov.; S. (S.) tiani sp. nov.; S. (S.) tongi sp. nov.; S. (S.) wangi sp. nov., S. (S.) weiqiuzhangi sp. nov. and S. (S.) xui sp. nov. from southern China. A key to all the species of this group is provided.     

Arthropod fauna of the UAE. By A. van Harten

Furcatopanorpa, a new genus of Panorpidae in Mecoptera, is erected with Panorpa longihypovalva Hua and Cai, 2009 Hua, BZ and Cai, LJ. 2009. A new species of the genus Panorpa (Mecoptera: Panorpidae) from China with notes on its biology. J Nat Hist, 43(9–10): 545–552. [Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] as its type species. It is mainly characterized by the following characters: the wings are much longer than the abdomen and are held roof-like over the abdomen at rest; the axis of the female genital plate is forked distally; the seventh and eighth abdominal segments of males are shortened and not constricted at basal part; the hypovalvae of male genitalia are extremely elongated and dorsal parameres are extraordinarily developed with complicated lobes. A key to the genera of Panorpidae is updated to include the new genus. Furcatopanorpa longihypovalva (Hua and Cai, 2009 Hua, BZ and Cai, LJ. 2009. A new species of the genus Panorpa (Mecoptera: Panorpidae) from China with notes on its biology. J Nat Hist, 43(9–10): 545–552. [Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), comb. nov., is transferred from Panorpa Linnaeus.     

Revalidation of Hepsetus cuvieri (Castelnau, 1861) (Characiformes: Hepsetidae) from the Quanza,Zambezi and southern part of the Congo ichthyofaunal provinces

Hepsetus cuvieri (Castelnau, 1861 Castelnau, FL. 1861. Mémoire sur les poissons de l'Afrique australe, Paris: Mem Poiss Afr Australe. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), originally described from “lac N'gami” (Botswana) and synonymized with H. odoe (Bloch, 1794 Bloch, ME. 1794. Naturgeschichte der ausländischen Fische. Berlin., 8: 1–174.  [Google Scholar]) by Roberts (1984 Roberts, TR. 1984. “Hepsetidae”. In Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA), Edited by: Daget, J, Gosse, JP and Thys van den Audenaerde, DFE. 138–139. Tervuren and Paris: ORSTOM. p.  [Google Scholar]), is revalidated. Hepsetus cuvieri can be readily distinguished from H. odoe based on a lower total number of gill rakers (8–13 versus 14–21); a generally higher number of scales between the dorsal fin and the lateral line (10½–11½ versus 7½–10½) and a higher number of scales between the adipose fin and the lateral line (6½–7½ versus 4½–6½) and other characters. A neotype is designated, as the holotype of this nominal species is apparently lost. Hepsetus cuvieri is restricted to the Quanza, Zambezi ichthyofaunal provinces and the southern part of the Congo Basin, i.e. the Congo ichthyofaunal province.