Ecological notes of the alien species Godiva quadricolor (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) occurring in Faro Lake (Italy)

The first record from Sicily of the introduced facelinid nudibranch Godiva quadricolor allowed the detection of trophic relationships with the polycerid Polycera hedgpethi, another non-native nudibranch, and with two bryozoan species, namely the naturalized Cheilostomatida Bugula neritina and the cryptogenic Ctenostomatida Amathia verticillata. The settlement of both nudibranchs was presumably promoted by a trophic shift of P. hedgpethi from the natural prey B. neritina towards the largely available and not exploited A. verticillata. This short food web, without evident links with native fauna and having G. quadricolor as the top predator, is described. A DNA barcoding approach was used to confirm the identity of this facelinid species and to explore the possible genetic divergence occurring among the samples analysed.     

A new superfamily,family, genus and species of marine amphipod,Protodulichia scandens,from Japan (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Senticaudata: Corophiida)

ABSTRACT

In this study, the new amphipod superfamily Protodulichioidea and family Protodulichiidae are established. Both belong to the infraorder Corophiida but is different from all known superfamilies and families. Amphipods included in the new superfamily and family are characterised by having a triangular head with large eyes, extremely long pereopod 7, and uropod 3 with a short peduncle and slender rami bearing a few robust setae. Protodulichia scandens gen. et sp. nov. is fully described here and its mast-building behaviour is also recorded.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F6613B27-D954-4E4C-86CB-9FC5E9624334     

New data on sponges from Svalbard Archipelago with a description of a new species of Halicnemia

Sponge fauna from the west and south of Svalbard archipelago was studied. A total of 28 species of sponges were identified. Five of them are new records to the study area and one is new to science. New records for Spitsbergen are: Axinella hispida (Koltun 1959), Haliclona rossica (Hentschel 1929), Myxilla (Myxilla) perspinosa (Lundbeck 1905), Sphaerotylus borealis (Swartschewsky 1906) and Suberites carnosus (Johnston 1842). A new species of sponge, Halicnemia wagini sp. nov., collected south-west of Spitsbergen on the continental slope at a depth of 423–425 m, is described. It is similar to Halicnemia patera (Bowerbank 1864) and H. verticillata (Bowerbank 1866) in skeleton architecture, but significantly differs in its spicule complement and external appearance. Primarily, distinct differences concern the morphology of microscleres. In comparison with Halicnemia patera, the new species has an additional category of acanthose microscleres presented by microstrongyles, while microscleres of H. verticillata are only slightly curved and also verticillately spined. The study area, west of Spitsbergen, establishes close relationships with North Atlantic due to warm Atlantic waters of the West Spitsbergen Current. Proximity of the new species to the North Atlantic representatives of Halicnemia genus allowed us to suggest that H. wagini sp. nov., both ecologically and morphologically, has stood apart as a distinct biological species in the conditions of the Arctic.

http://www.zoobank.org/lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2A09537B-63D7-4F07-A2AB-9C707A686333     

Two new nematodes,Pseudelzalia longiseta gen. nov., sp. nov. and Paramonohystera sinica sp. nov. (Monhysterida: Xyalidae), from sediment in the East China Sea

Pseudelzalia longiseta gen. nov, sp. nov. and Paramonohystera sinica sp. nov. from subtidal sediment in the East China Sea are described. Pseudelzalia is characterized by 6 labial papillae and 10 cephalic setae, cylindrical buccal cavity, elongate (>2 anal body diameter) spicules, and conico-cylindrical tail devoid of terminal setae. It differs from Elzalia by the absence of terminal setae. Pseudelzalia longiseta sp. nov. is 647–853 μm long, has 7–8 μm long cervical setae, 11–14 μm long caudal setae, 25–41 μm long spicules about 2.1–2.7 anal diameter, and pointed tail-tip. Paramonohystera sinica possesses 12 cephalic setae, a character found in four congeners: Paramonohystera buetschlii (Bresslau and Schuurmans Stekhoven in Schuurmans Stekhoven, 1935, Paramonohystera pilosa Boucher, 1971, Paramonohystera concinna Lorenzen, 1977 and Paramonohystera halerba Fadeeva and Belogurov, 1987. It differs from P. buetschlii by shorter body (933–1023 μm versus 2000–2200 μm); from P. pilosa by the much shorter spicules (79–88 μm versus 167 μm) and narrower head (13–16 µm versus 32 µm); from P.concinna by smooth cephalic setae (versus segmented); and from P. halerba by the absence of two rows of setae on the ventral side of the tail (versus present). Based on the evaluation of nominal species, we recognize 14 valid species and provide an emended diagnosis and a tabular key for Paramonohystera.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:474B8F17-AED7-4078-8176-DFC499B78526     

First record of the genus Tanaostigma (Hymenoptera,Chalcidoidea, Tanaostigmatidae) from the Afrotropical region with description of three new species

ABSTRACT

The genus Tanaostigma is newly recorded from the Afrotropical region and three new species are described: Tanaostigma lasallei van Noort sp. nov. (South Africa), Tanaostigma mulu van Noort sp. nov. (Kenya) and Tanaostigma ukumbusho van Noort sp. nov. (Kenya). We provide comprehensive images of the holotypes and an illustrated identification key to the African species. New country distribution records are provided for Tanaostigmodes tambotis Prinsloo & LaSalle, 1995. All images presented here as well as supplementary images and online keys are available on www.waspweb.org

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:61D1A59D-3702-480A-B146-73067C29CD82     

白洋淀轮虫群落结构及富营养化评价

于2018年5月(春)、8月(夏)和10月(秋)对白洋淀26个采样点轮虫物种组成和群落结构进行了系统调查,测定了水温(WT)、溶解氧(DO)、pH值、水深(WD)、透明度(Tr)、总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)、叶绿素a(Chla)等环境因子,分析了轮虫群落参数与环境因子的关系,综合评价了白洋淀水体富营养化程度.共鉴定出轮虫21属61种,以耐污性种类为主,角突臂尾轮虫、萼花臂尾轮虫和小多肢轮虫为优势种.各采样点轮虫种数差异较大,最多为20种(聚龙淀),最少仅为6种(大麦淀).轮虫平均丰度和生物量呈现明显的季节变化,秋季最高(3 372 ind./L,0.90 mg/L),夏季其次(1 240 ind./L,0.88 mg/L),春季最低(210 ind./L,0.22 mg/L);轮虫最高丰度为6 930 ind./L(三角淀,秋季),最低仅为2 ind./L(平阳淀,夏季).Shannon-Wiener多样性指数(H')和Pielou均匀度指数(J)夏季最高(分别为2.30和0.86).经相关性分析发现,轮虫丰度与DO、WD、Chla、TP呈显著正相关,而与Tr显著负相关;轮虫种数与WD显著正相关,与WT显著负相关.与历史资料相比,白洋淀水质在一定程度有所好转,但仍处于富营养化状态.     

湖南省苦苣苔科植物物种多样性分析

通过对中国湖南省苦苣苔科植物野外调查以及文献资料整理,从苦苣苔科植物的属种组成、区系成分及地理分布特征等方面,阐述湖南省苦苣苔植物多样性现状。湖南省内共有苦苣苔科植物17属81种(含种下单位,下同),无特有属;特有种23种,占总种数28.40%。省内苦苣苔科植物主要分布于湘西北和湘西南地区。种数排前五的属为广义报春苣苔属(24种)、广义马铃苣苔属(17种)、半蒴苣苔属(9种)、石山苣苔属(6种)、长蒴苣苔属(5种)及吊石苣苔属(5种)。地理成分以热带成分为主。在种的分类水平上,特有成分所含种数32种,占总种数的45.07%,表明湖南省苦苣苔科植物特有性较高。针对苦苣苔科植物分布特性以及湖南苦苣苔科植物多样性现状,本文给出了合理保护与开发利用省内野生资源的建议。