A new species of Munromyia Bezzi (Diptera: Tephritidae) reared from Chionanthus battiscombei (Oleaceae) in northern Kenya

Munromyia marsabitensis sp. nov. is described from the isolated mountains of Marsabit in northern Kenya. It can be distinguished from the two known congeners by the thoracic and abdominal colour patterns, structure of the male and female terminalia, and host plants. Larvae are seed predators, developing within the green, aborted fruits of Chionanthus battiscombei. Over 70% of sampled fruits (n?=?74) were infested with larvae, but nearly all of the individually infested fruits (96.1%) produced only one adult tephritid. Bactrocera biguttula, but not M. marsabitensis, was reared from ripe fruits of the same plant.     

Taxonomic revision of Ascidiacea (Tunicata) from the upper continental slope off north-western Australia

A collection of ascidians from 100–1000 m deep off the north-western coast of Australia has yielded 19 species, including one new, two possibly endemic to the north-western coast of Australia, four well-known Indo-west Pacific tropical species and 12 species known from the deeper waters of the western Pacific, of which 11 had not previously been recorded from off the western Australian coast or from other parts of the Indian Ocean. A third of these 12 species displays adaptations for a reduction in filter-feeding capacity, as do other known species from deeper slope and abyssal habitats. Nevertheless a connection with fauna of deep ocean basins of the Indian Ocean is not apparent at this stage. The full range of characters associated with species, genera and families are discussed, and those contributing to the identification of immature or mutilated specimens, as well as those relevant to an assessment of phylogenetic relationships, are emphasized.     

The morphological and molecular analyses of a new South American urban tardigrade offer new insights on the biological meaning of the Macrobiotus hufelandi group of species (Tardigrada: Macrobiotidae)

Worldwide knowledge of tardigrade fauna is still limited, and many areas such as South America are not well studied. The collection of new substrates in Argentinean urban areas provided an opportunity to describe the new tardigrade species Macrobiotus kristenseni sp. nov. This species has been studied with an integrative taxonomic approach, analysing its morphology by light and scanning electron microscopy, and considering two genes (cox1 and 18S rRNA) for DNA barcoding and phylogenetic purposes. The species belongs to the Macrobiotus hufelandi group of species, and it is characterized by egg processes in the shape of elongated cones with truncated and enlarged apexes, and by a high genetic distance with respect to closely related species (cox1: 18.2–33.4%). Morphological and molecular data show that the Macrobiotus hufelandi group of species has to be considered a true biological entity; one of the more widespread tardigrade lineages in continental environments. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2CA51ABA-5570-4AFB-8182-CE499D97B0F1     

Structure assignments of two new C-18-oxygenated steroidal ketals isolated from a pacific soft coral of the genusSinularia

Summary Two new C-18-oxygenated sterols possessing a spiroketal function (1 and2) have been isolated from a soft coral of the genusSinularia. The proposed structures are based on spectral data.     

A new species of the genus Liopeltis Fitzinger, 1843 from Vietnam (Squamata: Colubridae)

ABSTRACT

A new species of Liopeltis from central Vietnam is described based on morphological and molecular differences. Liopeltis pallidonuchalis sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: one single (or missing) loreal; one single nasal shield; dorsal scales in 15–15-15 rows, all smooth; 1 preocular, 2 postoculars and 1 + 2 temporals; 7 supralabials, of which 3^rd and 4^th in contact with the eye; 8 infralabials; nasal contacting internasal; prefrontal touching or separated from supralabials; ventral scales 126–138; subcaudal scales 67–73, paired; relative tail length about 0.274–0.301; an uniform bronze body colouration; a thin postocular stripe extending from eye to end of the neck becoming indistinct posteriorly. The new species differs from the morphologically closest species Liopeltis frenata by the lower number of ventrals and subcaudals, by characteristic colouration and significant divergence in cytochrome b mtDNA gene sequences (p = 15.3–15.6%). The new species is currently known from northen and central parts of the Annamite (Truong Son) Mountains, central Vietnam, and was recorded from montane evergreen tropical forests of Kon Tum–Gia Lai Plateau (Gia Lai and Thua Thien–Hue provinces, Da Nang City) at elevations of 950–1010 m asl to karst tropical forests in Quang Binh Province in the north at elevation 150 asl. We suggest the new species should be considered as Vulnerable (VU) following the IUCN’s Red List categories. An updated taxonomic key to the Liopeltis species is provided.     

A new shield-bug species Piezodorus grossi (Het.: Pentatomidae) from the Australasian region previously confused with P. hybneri (Gmelin)

Material previously identified as Piezodorus hybneri (Gmelin) from the Australasian region is here described as a new species, P. grossi sp. nov. The two species can be distinguished on the basis of the aedeagus in the male and spermathecal proximal duct in the female.     

南靖亚热带雨林美刺亮大蚊栖息

在南靖和溪亚热带雨林中分布有数种大蚊,美刺亮大蚊(Limonia (Euglochina) sp.)是雨林中唯一观察到在圆蛛科蜘蛛网上栖息的大蚊.因此我们对美刺亮大蚊和圆蛛科蜘蛛在蜘蛛网上的同现行为进行了观察研究.借助扫描电镜技术,在比较了其他大蚊、蜘蛛等节肢动物前跗节超微结构的基础上,对美刺亮大蚊栖息于蜘蛛网行为学的形态学机制进行了初步解析.文中也对美刺亮大蚊的聚集行为与雨林温湿度的关系进行了记录.     

苯酚处理海洋微藻生物学效应的研究

主要探讨了在培养液中添加不同质量浓度(0、10、20、30、40、50、60 mg/L)的苯酚后,培养单细胞微藻(塔胞藻)产生的生物学效应.结果发现,苯酚对细胞繁殖有明显的抑制作用,特别是当苯酚质量浓度达到40 mg/L以上时,在前2轮培养的微藻的繁殖能力与对照相比均表现显著差异,个别处理甚至出现极显著差异.另外,苯酚处理后还降低藻细胞内的多种内含物(如蛋白质、叶绿素、多糖等)含量.但是,当连续培养多代后,藻细胞对不良环境就产生了一定的适应能力.     

植物颗粒剂对蜗牛和蛞蝓诱杀作用初报

利用药用植物的粉碎物配合对蜗牛和蛞蝓有引诱作用的食物引诱素及成型剂等原料制成的植物颗粒剂在室内和菜地进行诱杀实验，结果表明：植物颗粒剂对蜗牛和蛞蝓都有较强的诱杀效果，防效分别达到83．4％和67．8％，显示了一定的实用性。植物颗粒杀虫剂对环境无污染，对人畜及害虫天敌无毒害，是一种新型的低毒植物源农药。     

福州市郊分棘四棱线虫病的流行情况与中间宿主

本文报道分棘四棱线虫两种新的中间宿主：介形虫和蚤蝇，确定了介形虫为福州市郊分棘四棱线虫病的主要传播媒介，通过剖检得出，麻鸭、半番鸭的感染率达５３．２％和１１．１％，平均感染强度分别为３８．１只和１０．７只，文中从流行病学的角度探讨了该病的控制方法。