On new or poorly known Australian Filistatidae spiders (Araneae: Araneomorphae), including a study on the fine morphology of Wandella

I present an update on the taxonomy of the filistatid genera Wandella Gray and Yardiella Gray, both endemic to Australia. Two new species are described: Wandella grayi sp. nov., known from Queensland, and Wandella infernalis sp. nov., known from a single cave in Western Australia. The male of Wandella australiensis (L. Koch) and the females of Wandella stuartensis Gray and Wandella waldockae Gray are described and illustrated for the first time. New records are given for these and other species of Australian filistatids, including the first epigeal records of Yardiella humphreysi Gray, a species so far known only from caves. Updated distribution maps are presented. Additionally, I present novel morphological data for Wandella using light and scanning electron microscopy. The cephalothorax, spinning organs, genitalia and appendages of some species are illustrated in detail. I report the presence of a putative claw extensor muscle in the male palpal cymbium, and describe interesting modifications in the clypeal region of adult males. The phylogenetic significance of these characters is briefly discussed.     

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.     

A new Chilean genus and species of land planarian (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida,Geoplaninae) with cephalic retractor muscle and adenodactyl

ABSTRACT

A new genus and species of land planarian, Pichidamas piru gen. nov. sp. nov., is described from Pichidamas, province of Osorno in Southern Chile. Pichidamas piru is a sub-cylindrical and slender Geoplaninae characterized by the presence of a creeping sole extending 50% of the body width, a cephalic retractor muscle, five parenchymatic muscle layers, a male atrium with proximal tongue-like fold and distal adenodactyl; and ovovitelline ducts approaching the copulatory apparatus anteroventrally. Details of the organization of the cephalic retractor muscle, the absence of sensory pits, the existence of a parenchymatic muscle layer, located to the inside of the ventral peripheral nervous plexus, and an adenodactyl in the distal portion of the male atrium are unique traits seemingly reflecting an earlier branch of Geoplaninae.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:04423258-DB01-4CE3-A474-EF6B563C605C     

Prey capture and feeding behaviour in an endemic land flatworm from São Tomé Island

ABSTRACT

Two specimens of the endemic land flatworm species Othelosoma impensum Sluys & Neumann, 2017 from the volcanic island São Tomé were observed in the wild in Obo-National Park while they were preying on ants that had descended on a tree trunk after their nuptial flight. A maximum of 41 ants were assembled in a cluster by one of the flatworms, the insects being immobilised by mucus secreted by the worms. A strong cephalic retractor muscle facilitated capture of the mobile prey. Presence or absence of similar cephalic adaptations in other species of Othelosoma and other genera of land flatworms is discussed, as well as the effectiveness of the sticky mucus secreted by the worms during prey capture.     

Adaptations of sea snakes that eat fish eggs; with a note on the throat musculature of Aipysurus eydouxi (Gray, 1849)

Features of sea snakes (Emydocephalus and some Aipysurus) that specialize in eating fish eggs are reviewed. Additionally, an earlier account of the hyoid musculature of Aipysurus eydouxi is corrected.

A new feeding mechanism, possibly unique in higher snakes, is postulated; fish eggs together with substantial quantities of sand appear to be sucked into the mouth by the contraction of a ‘geniomucosalis’ muscle which originates on the lower jaw and inserts on the oral mucosa. Other characters, which occur in two of the three egg-eating species, and which seem to correlate with this feeding habit, include: a spine on the snout (perhaps used for probing sand), strong consolidation of lip scales (likely to increase rigidity of the mouth border) and marked tooth reduction and loss (probably reflecting redundancy).     

Three new Brazilian species of the land planarian Choeradoplana (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Geoplaninae), and an emendation of the genus

Three new Brazilian species of the neotropical land planarian genus Choeradoplana (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Continenticola: Geoplaninae) are described, making a total of nine species within the genus. All the new species share unique derived characters typical of the genus. Two of the new species exhibit important features representing morphological variations that were previously unknown for the genus: the dorsal cutaneous longitudinal muscle layer, as well as the ventral one, partially sunken into the parenchyma in one species, and the common ovovitelline duct approaching the copulatory apparatus ventrally in the other. As a consequence of these morphological variations, an emendation of the genus is proposed.     

Dhanya,a South-east Asian genus of ozaenine ground beetles

The species of the South-east Asian genus Dhanya are reviewed, and three new species are described: mulu from Sarawak; andrewesi from India; and cylindera from Philippines. Dhanya bioculata is designated as the type-species and a lectotype is designated for this species. The variety pallida is synonymized with its species seminigra. The species cavicola Moore is transferred from Pseudozaena to Itamus. Keys to the genera of South-east Asian Ozaenini and to the species of Dhanya are provided. Morphological details of Dhanya are illustrated with scanning electron micrographs and drawings, and include information on the structure of the prothoracic pits, elytral flanges, and on microsculpture. A cladistic analysis of the species is included and the relationship of the genus to its sister group, Eustra, and to the other genera of Ozaenini is discussed. Specimens of Dhanya are found under bark of fallen logs and in rotting tree stumps in lowland and upland tropical rain forest; an association with ants or termites is suggested for at least one species.     

Australian thrips of the Haplothrips lineage (Insecta: Thysanoptera)

Keys are presented to the 11 genera and 50 species, including 21 new species, of Thysanoptera in Australia that are related to the worldwide genus Haplothrips Amyot and Serville. These taxa belong to what, in recent literature, has been called the “Haplothrips‐lineage”, that is, one of the three major radiations among the 2700 species and 350 genera of Thysanoptera Phlaeothripinae. The group is redefined, and the available tribal name Haplothripini shown to be appropriate. The character states on which the definition is based are discussed, and a list given of the 34 genera worldwide that can be included. The Australian species in these genera exhibit a diversity of biologies. Three genera involve species that invade galls induced by other thrips: Androthrips monsterae (Moulton) from New Guinea is newly recorded from Australia; Mesothrips jordani Zimmermann from South‐East Asia is newly recorded from Australia, with two new synonyms; the Asia‐Pacific genus, Euoplothrips Hood, includes two species in northern Australia. Three haplothripine genera are associated with grasses: one widespread genus, Apterygothrips Priesner, considered polyphyletic, includes only one Australian species; the only known species of Dyothrips Kudo is Oriental but extends into tropical Australia; Podothrips Hood, a circum‐tropical genus of thrips predatory on grass‐living coccoids, has 11 Australian species, six newly described. One grass‐associated genus, Bamboosiella Ananthakrishnan, is excluded from the Haplothripini. An Oriental genus of leaf‐ and flower‐living species, Dolichothrips Karny, includes one species in northern Australia, D. reuteri (Karny); Membrothrips Bhatti in which this species has been placed is considered a synonym. Karnyothrips Watson includes two species introduced to Australia, both predators of coccoids. Priesneria Bagnall includes three species from Australia, of which one fungus‐feeding species is newly described. Xylaplothrips Priesner is a widespread but ill‐defined, polyphyletic genus that currently includes three little‐known Australian species. Haplothrips is the main focus of this study, and character state variation among the Australian species is discussed. In total 24 species of Haplothrips from Australia are recognised, 14 being new species. Also included are the following, one new generic synonym, four new species synonyms, and one new combination. The 250 species worldwide in the genus are usually associated with the flowers of Asteraceae and Poaceae. In Australia, several of the species are specific to flowers, particularly of Poaceae and Cyperaceae but not Asteraceae. Almost half of these Australian species are presumed to be predatory on other small arthropods, and two have unusual host associations—with salt marsh Chenopodiaceae, and with the sori of Dicksonia tree ferns.     

Palaearctic species of Ammoplanus (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)

The Palaearctic species of the genus Ammoplanus Giraud are revised, based on material of over 1750 specimens from Europe, North Africa and Central Asia. For almost all species it was possible to examine the type material and in six species the lectotypes have been designated, in two cases (A. perrisi and A. marathroicus) the neotypes. As a result 38 species are recognized as valid, keyed out and commented on. Eight species are described as new and four species names are here placed in synonymy. Several species are of wide distribution, which made it necessary to include also those described from Central Asia and Mongolia. The keys are made to all Palaearctic species but no material is known from the regions east of Mongolia, although four undescribed species are available from South-East Asia. The Afrotropical species are listed and most of them were also examined. Two subgenera are recognized in the region; 32 species are classified in Ammoplanus sensu stricto and six in the subgenus Ammoplanellus. In the nominal subgenus the following species are described as new: A. atlasensis from Morocco, A. biscopula from Israel, A. biskrensis from Algeria, A. denesi from Turkey (Anatolia), A. freidbergi and A. kaplanae from Israel, A. minutus from Bulgaria and Turkey and A. strumae from Bulgaria and Greece. New synonymy: A. angelae becomes a junior synonym of rhodesianus (known before only from Africa), A. crudelis a synonym of A. kaszabi, A. handlirschi a synonym of A. marathroicus, A. suarezi a synonym of A. kohlii, A. subcompressus of A. gegen, A. orbiculatus of A. simplex and A. zarcoi of A. kohlii; A. wesmaeli is confirmed as a synonym of A. perrisi. Otherwise the synonymy is corrected under A. bischoffi and the names A. dusmeti and A. curvidens are re-established as valid. In a short review of the African species A. (Ammoplanellus) cradockensis Arnold, 1959 is placed as a new synonym under A. (Ammoplanellus) latiscapus Leclercq, 1959. The nomenclatural changes are explained under the relevant species.     

Hairworms found in Scottish agricultural land,with descriptions of two new species of Gordionus Muller (Nematomorpha: Gordiidae)

Three species of Nematomorpha were found in a survey of the ground beetles of Scottish agricultural land, Gordionus violaceus (Baird) and two undescribed new species, G. linourgos sp. nov. and G. diligens sp. nov. The morphology of all three species is studied with the aid of SEM, and the characteristics of the cuticle and the male terminal lobes described in detail. All species were found to be parasitic in ground beetles of the family Carabidae, in nine different species (Nebria brevicollis (Fabricius), Harpalus latus (Linnaeus), four species of Pterostichus, and three species of Calathus). Gordionus violaceus is also reported to be a parasite of the spider Arctosa alpigena (Lycosidae). Up to four specimens were found in the same host, typically one adult and several juvenile forms. Parasitized hosts had severe alterations of their reproductive, digestive and secretory systems. The three species of Gordionus were mostly found in grasslands and coniferous forest, most abundantly in June and July.     

A review of the north-western Pacific species of the genus Paguristes (Decapoda: Anomura: Diogenidae), I. Five species initially reported by Ortmann (1892) from Japan

Five species of the hermit crab genus Paguristes Dana, 1851, initially reported by Ortmann (1892) from Japan, are revised based on the materials reported by Ortmann (1892), Doflein (1902), Balss (1913) and Miyake (1978), and on newly collected specimens. The specific status of P. palythophilus Ortmann, 1892, is clarified, and a species confused with P. palythophilus is described as new, P. albimaculatus. It has been revealed that P. kagoshimensis Ortmann, 1892, is actually a junior subjective synonym of P. digitalis Stimpson, 1858. The species heretofore assigned to P. kagoshimensis is described as new, P. versus. It has been confirmed that Paguristes acanthomerus Ortmann, 1892, is a valid species and that P. barbatus sensu Ortmann, 1892, is the same species as P. ortmanni Miyake, 1978. Further, a new species, P. doederleini, is described for P. setosus sensu Ortmann, 1892. It is also shown that a part of the group of specimens identified as Paguristes puniceus by Miyake (1978) is referable to P. doederleini. In addition to the three new species recognized herein, the four previously described species are also redescribed in detail in order to make clear their taxonomic status.     

Descriptions of the Patagonian species of the subgenus Trichohelea of Forcipomyia,with a key to the Neotropical species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

The following two new species of Forcipomyia (Trichohelea) collected in the Nothofagus patagonian forest are described and illustrated: F. (T.) sayhuequei from the province of Chubut in Argentina and Llanquihue in Chile, and F. (T.) tehuelche from the Argentinean province of Santa Cruz. Based on the examination of the types, the previously known species Lasiohelea shannoni Ingram and Macfie is recognized as a junior synonym of Forcipomyia limnetis Ingram and Macfie, and the species is redescribed and illustrated. A key to recognition of females and males of the 14 Neotropical species of the subgenus is included.     

Revision of the genus Erythracarus Berlese (Acarina: Anystidae: Erythracarinae)

The mite genus Erythracarus is revised and redefined and the new pyrrholeucus species group is described. The type species of Erythracarus is established as E. ruricola and the previous designation of Trombidium parietinum as the type is thus declared invalid. Bechsteinia and Chabrieria are newly synonymized with Erythracarus. Nine new species are described: Erythracarus amnicolus n. sp., E. avius n. sp., E. barbarus n. sp., E. ciliatus n. sp., E. decoris n. sp., E. elegans n. sp., E. flavipes n. sp., E. katherinae n. sp. and E. nasutus n. sp. The species E. parietinus, E. pyrrholeucus, E. festinus and E. grahami are redescribed and identification keys to known species and instars of Erythracarus are presented. E. cluozzai is made a junior synonym of Tarsolarkus articulosus, Bechsteinia solarii and Erythraeus spinatus are made junior synonyms of Erythracarus parietinus, while Bechsteinia californica, B. schneideri and Tarsotomus terminalis are all made junior synonyms of E. pyrrholeucus. E. simku is found to be a nomen nudum. E. pyrrholeucus is recorded for the first time from Australia, Iran and the Ukraine and E. parietinus for the first time from the western United States. The only record of E. parietinus from Australia is shown to be based on a misidentification. Observations on reproductive behaviour are made for five Erythracarus species. All of these reproduce sexually by means of stalked spermatophores, the shape of which is species specific. Spermatophores are often deposited on top of one another, possibly indicating sperm competition. Males of one species, E. pyrrholeucus, are unknown and this species is thus likely to be thelytokous. Some Erythracarus species are oviparous. E. ciliatus and E. parietinus are ovoviviparous or viviparous. Prelarvae that were studied were immotile except for those of E. ciliatus, which were able to move their legs. Immotility is a derived character state in Erythracarus and possibly an adaptation to more protected habitats.     

The amphipod genus Alexandrella (Amphipoda,Stilipedidae): taxonomic status,allometric growth and description of two new species

Two new species of the genus Alexandrella are described: A. mandibulata and A. martae. One species, A. mixta, is considered a junior synonym of the type species A. dentata. The genus now comprises six species, all of which are restricted to either the Antarctic or sub‐Antarctic region or the South Pacific. Oostegites are observed to be present on pereopod 1 in two Alexandrella species. This is a novel morphological trait among the Amphipoda. Developmental information is presented for two other Alexandrella species, in which the mandibular incisor is seen to be modified from strongly toothed in marsupial young to totally smooth in mature specimens. Also the armature dorsally on their body and the morphology of the telson undergo conspicuous allometric changes. A key to all known Alexandrella species is provided.     

The species of Symplocodes Hebard (Blattodea: Ectobiidae: Blattellinae) with description of a new species from China

This paper provides a generic diagnosis, a species list and taxonomy for the genus Symplocodes Hebard, 1929. The new species Symplocodes euryloba sp. nov. from China is described and illustrated. Symplocodes tsaii Bey-Bienko, 1958 is regarded as a subspecies of Symplocodes marmorata (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893), i.e. S. marmorata tsaii comb. nov., and its differences from S. marmorata marmorata (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893) are discussed. Two known species, Symplocodes ridleyi (Shelford, 1912) and Symplocodes manubria Feng et Guo, 1990, are redescribed and illustrated, whereas one new specific synonym, i.e. Symplocodes brachialis, is proposed. A key to species worldwide is provided. The tarsal claws of these four species as well as one species of Chorisoserrata Roth, 1998 are examined and photographed to compare the intergeneric differentiation of claw specialization and to discuss its function.     

A new leaf-resembling genus of bush-cricket from West Africa (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)

Trimusculotrema warnaki gen. et sp. nov. is described from the skin of Himantura uarank Forsskål. Trimusculotrema is distinguished from other genera in the Benedeniinae by the following combination of anatomical features: accessory sclerites and anterior hamuli small; haptor with two or three intrinsic, concentric muscle bands; haptor papillate ventrally; cirrus sac with internal seminal vesicle and spermatophore matrix reservoir; separate male and female pores opening ventrally and dorsally respectively; vagina short. On the basis of these features Benedenia micracantha Euzet and Maillard, 1967 from the skin and B. leucanthemum Euzet and Maillard, 1967 from the gills of Dasyatis marmorata Steindachner off Senegal are transferred to the new genus as Trimusculotrema micracantha comb. nov. and T. leucanthemum comb. nov. The presence of haptoral papillae, noted previously in some species of Entobdella, perhaps indicates that the new genus is more closely related to entobdellids than to benedeniids. Several living specimens of T. uarnaki had 7 (2–17) eggs in early cleavage projecting from the body, their appendages gripped in a muscular sphincter at the uterine opening. These egg bundles appear to be shed from the parasite soon after laying.     

Redescriptions of two termites from Burmese amber

Summary

Danothrips Bhatti 1971 is revised and its relations with Chaetanaphothrips Priesner are discussed. The genus is redefined in view of the increased number of species within the genus, and a key is provided to distinguish the species. Six species are included: setifer Bhatti 1971 theifolii (Karny 1921), theivorus (Karny 1921), trifasciatus Sakimura 1975, and two new species, alis and moundi. The range of distribution of trifasciatus, originally described from Hawaii, is considerably extended by its new findings from the Lesser Antilles (St. Vincent Island) and Indonesia (Andalas).