New records of West and South African Bathyporeia,with the description of four new species and a key to all species of the genus (Crustacea,Amphipoda)

New data on the warm temperate and tropical east Atlantic Bathyporeia species are presented. Four new species are described: Bathyporeia cunctator sp. nov. from South Africa, B. chevreuxi sp. nov. from Senegal, B. gladiura sp. nov. from South Africa, and B. griffithsi sp. nov. from Namibia. Bathyporeia cunctator sp. nov. and B. chevreuxi sp. nov. are very closely related to the west European B. tenuipes Meinert, 1877 and the Mediterranean B. lindstromi Stebbing, 1906 Stebbing, T. R. R. 1906. Amphipoda 1: Gammaridea.. Das Tierreich, 21: 1–806.  [Google Scholar]; these four cryptic species forming the complex tenuipes. Bathyporeia griffithsi sp. nov. and B. gladiura sp. nov. are highly distinctive new species. The morphotype “sunnivae” of Bathyporeia guilliamsoniana is recorded for the first time outside the Mediterranean Sea, in the Canary Islands. An identification key to all known Bathyporeia species is given.     

Diversity and distribution of marine Gastrotricha along the northern beaches of the state of São Paulo (Brazil), with description of a new species of Macrodasys (Macrodasyida,Macrodasyidae)

Forty-three putative species were found in this first-ever survey of the marine gastrotrich fauna of Brazil. Samples from 23 locations and 37 sites along the northern coasts of the state of São Paulo yielded 21 species of Macrodasyida (12 genera and five families) and 22 species of Chaetonotida (seven genera and two families). Based on morphology, 26 species appear to be taxa not previously described and thus far endemic to Brazil, 13 are known species, while one in each of the genera Diplodasys, Paradasys and Tetranchyroderma remains undetermined. The overall high diversity contrasts with the generally low number of species from single locations, averaging 4.3 (SD 3.5) spp. per location; very few species were found in sites characterized by very fine sand sediment loaded with detritus and by high water turbidity (e.g. 1 sp. in praia da Fazenda), whereas a well-diversified gastrotrich community was found in localities characterized by medium or fine sand with little detritus and clear water (e.g. 14 spp. in praia de Castelhanos). The macrodasyidans, Paraturbanella sp. 1, Pseudostomella sp. 1 and Tetranchyroderma sp. 1, and the chaetonotidan Heteroxenotrichula sp. 1 were the most common species, often sympatric and particularly frequent and abundant along the continental shoreline (recorded in 50–65% of these localities); on the other hand, Macrodasys fornerise n. sp., Ptychostomella sp. 1, Tetranchyroderma sp. 3 and Thaumastoderma sp. 2, while occurring sometimes in very high numbers, exhibited a much narrower range, being encountered only once or twice during the survey. The main morphometric traits are described of the 13 species considered to be cosmopolitan or with at least an amphi-Atlantic distribution, including Chaetonotus apechochaetus and Halichaetonotus marivagus, reported here for the first time from the Americas; of the 26 species thus far endemic to Brazil, Macrodasys fornerise n. sp., which is characterized by a noticeable 145?µm-long frontal organ, is also described and figured.     

Two new marine species from South Korea with remarks on the family Stylochidae (Acotylea,Polycladida, Plathelminthes)

Two new species of acotylean Polycladida are described from Korea, Munseoma maculata gen. et sp. nov., Callioplanidae, and Crytostylochus koreensis sp. nov., Stylochidae. Munseoma maculata is characterized by a small free prostatic vesicle but only indistinctly cut off from the ejaculatory duct; a Lang's vesicle is present. Crytostylochus koreensis possesses a prostatic vesicle with tubular lining of radial arrangement. Each papillate tube is connected via a glandular duct to a single extra‐vesicular gland attached to the muscular wall of the prostatic vesicle. That morphological feature forces discussion of the relationships within the family Stylochidae. Consequently, type material of other stylochids deposited in the museums of Hamburg, Vienna, and Stockholm was borrowed to investigate the genital organs and, in particular, the interior lining of the prostatic vesicle. Based on these analyses, two new types of prostatic lining are defined, the polyglandular type and the monoglandular type. The monoglandular type is defined as having an oval to elongate prostatic vesicle with tubular lining and extra‐vesicular glands. Each extra‐vesicular gland is connected via a glandular duct with a single tube. The polyglandular type is defined as having a mostly roundish oval prostatic vesicle with long‐fingered extensions, more or less horizontally directed distad, and numerous extra‐vesicular glands. Each long‐fingered extension is connected via several glandular ducts of extra‐vesicular glands. Based on these new characters, the family Stylochidae is newly defined.     

Description of four new species of the genus Ampelisca (Amphipoda,Ampeliscidae) from the northeastern and southeastern coasts of Brazil and designation of a neotype for Ampelisca soleata Oliveira, 1954

The present study raises the number of Ampelisca species recorded from the Brazilian coast from 18 to 21. The amphipod fauna of the Brazilian northeast coast is hardly known compared to that of the southeast coast. In this study, we describe three new species from the northeast coast: Ampelisca pseudobicarinata sp. nov., Ampelisca rocasensis sp. nov. and Ampelisca cristianae sp. nov, recorded previously as Ampelisca aff. lobata (Serejo et al. 2000 Serejo, CS, Wakabara, Y and Valério-Berardo, MT. 2000. Taxonomy and geographic distribution of Ampelisca (Amphipoda: Gammaridea) from the Brazilian coast. Polsk Archiw Hydrobiol., 47(3–4): 495–510.  [Google Scholar]). We also report a new record of Ampelisca burkei Barnard and Thomas, 1989 Barnard, JL and Thomas, JD. 1989. A new species, Ampelisca burkei, (Crustacea, Amphipoda) from Florida. Proc Biol Soc Washington., 102(2): 375–384.  [Google Scholar]. From the southeast coast a new species Ampelisca angraensis sp. nov. is described. An obscure species, Ampelisca soleata, which is very similar to Ampelisca brevisimulata, is herein redescribed and a neotype is designated. An updated key with all species of Ampelisca recorded from the Brazilian coast and comments on geographic distribution are given.     

A new species of arboreal salamander (Caudata: Plethodontidae: Pseudoeurycea) from the mountains of Oaxaca,Mexico

Recent surveys of the plethodontid salamander fauna of Oaxaca, Mexico, disclosed the existence of a new, morphologically distinct arboreal species of the genus Pseudoeurycea. The new species, described here, is from the Sierra Mazateca in northern Oaxaca. Sequences of 1833 base pairs of the 16S, cytochrome b and ND4 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes from the new taxon were used to assess its phylogenetic position. Previous phylogenetic analyses based on mtDNA supported recognition of four clades within Pseudoeurycea: P. bellii, P. gadovii, P. juarezi and P. leprosa-Lineatriton species groups. One additional species, P. unguidentis, was not closely allied to any of the four groups. Re-analysis including the additional sequences reported here establishes a sister-group relationship between the new species and P. unguidentis. Moreover, it supports this clade as part of the P. juarezi species group.     

Water mites of the genus Hygrobates Koch, 1837 (Acari: Parasitengona: Hygrobatidae) from Hokkaido,northern Japan

Nine species of Hygrobates (Acari: Parasitengona: Hygrobatidae) from Hokkaido, Japan are described or redescribed from newly collected material and historical specimens. Treated herein are eight species in the subgenus Hygrobates, including one new species, H. bibi sp. nov., as well as H. calliger Piersig, ; H. foreli (Lebert, ); H. japonicus Uchida, ; H. longipalpis (Hermann, ); H. longiporus Thor, ; H. nigromaculatus Lebert, ; and H. sokolowi Thor, . Also treated is H. ezoensis Uchida, in the subgenus Rivobates. A lectotype and paralectotype are designated for H. japonicus Uchida, . Hygrobates (s. str.) heteropalpis Imamura, is synonymized with H. calliger Piersig, . The name H. ezoensis Uchida, is resurrected from synonymy with H. diversiporus Sokolow, . Six species previously known from Hokkaido were collected in the study: H. foreli, H. japonicus, H. longipalpis, H. longiporus, H. diversiporus, and H. ezoensis. New records for both Hokkaido and Japan include H. nigromaculatus and H. sokolowi. A species previously recorded from Hokkaido, H. taniguchii Imamura, , was not found in this study. Three new characters are proposed as useful for the taxonomy of the genus Hygrobates: the ratio of the distance between the P‐4 ventral setae to P‐4 length, the ratio of the length of the longest terminal seta on IV‐L‐5 to the length of IV‐L‐5, and the nature of the outer border of the genital plates.     

Two new species of genus Arrenurus Duges, 1833 (Arrenuridae,Hydrachnellae, Acari) from Turkey

The males and females of Arrenurus dileri n. sp. collected from standing waters at the foothills of the Taurus Mountains in southern Turkey and males of Arrenurus ???kl?ensis n. sp. collected from I??kl? Lake, which is located in south-west Turkey, are described here. The morphological features of the species are compared with those of the similar species Arrenurus claviger Konike, 1882 and Arrenurus nodosus (Koenike, 1896).     

Revision of the Neotropical genus Yagra Oiticica (Lepidoptera: Castniidae)

The Castniidae, or butterfly moths, are characteristically colourful diurnal moths, distributed throughout the tropics except in Africa. The Neotropical representatives forage almost exclusively on monocotyledonous plants and many species are crop pests with more than 60% of the Neotropical castniids found or endemic in Brazil. Research studies that focus on taxonomy, systematics, and morphology of this group are scarce. In this study, Yagra Oiticica, a small genus restricted to south-eastern South America, is revised and the diagnostic morphological characters of male and female genitalia are illustrated. This research is part of long-term study on the Castniidae for future phylogenetic analysis.