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     

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     

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.     

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     

白冠长尾雉(Syrmaticus reevesii)卵壳的超微结构及元素组成研究

对采自河南董寨国家级自然保护区的白冠长尾雉(Syrmaticus reevesii)卵壳样品进行了检测和研究,利用扫描电子显微镜观察了卵壳的超微结构,采用电感偶合等离子体光谱仪测定了卵壳中的化学元素.结果表明:白冠长尾雉卵壳的表面晶体层、栅栏锥体层和壳膜层的厚度分别为20.8,220.8和62.5μm,分别占卵壳总厚度的6.8%,72.6%和20.6%;栅栏层有很多蜂窝小孔,其直径为(0.32±0.08)μm(n=30);卵壳表面有许多圆形或椭圆形的气孔,可能与胚胎发育过程中的气体交换有关,气孔横断面呈细漏斗状,在其上半部有颗粒状填充物.同时比较了白冠长尾雉野生和笼养个体未孵化卵壳中21种化学元素的含量,发现在组成卵壳的化学元素中,野生白冠长尾雉的Ca,Mg,P,S的质量分数w>1 mg.g-1,其中Ca含量超过卵壳元素总含量的40%;Na,Si,S,K和Al次之,w=0.1~1mg.g-1;Fe,Zn,Pb,Mn,Cu,V,Ti元素的w=1~100μg.g-1;Ni,Cr,Co,Se,Cd的含量最低,w<1μg.g-1.与野生个体的卵壳相比,保护区人工饲养的白冠长尾雉的卵壳成分有显著差异,其中S,Cu,Fe,Al,Mn,Si,Sr,Se,Cr等元素野生个体与笼养个体相比,同种元素在不同个体上w的差异均达到20%以上.饲养个体对Fe,Mn,Si和Sr等4种元素摄入明显不足,而S,Cu,Al,Se,Cr等元素则显著偏高,这可能是造成董寨自然保护区白冠长尾雉卵受精率较低的主要原因.建议适当调整饲料中这些元素的配比,以保证饲养条件下白冠长尾雉拥有良好的营养供给,从而提高人工繁殖的成功率.     

滁州市南湖公园园林植物多样性调查研究

应用物种丰富度指数（S）、多样性指数（Shannon －Wiener 指数）、优势度指数（Simpson 指数）和均匀度指数（E）,对滁州市南湖公园绿地的园林植物进行了研究。结果表明：公园内乔木47种,灌木51种,草本37种,竹类2种,藤本2种;物种多样性基本表现为灌木层＞乔木层＞草本层;物种均匀度总体上为灌木层＞乔木层＞草本层;群落类型主要为乔木＋草本（小乔木及灌木＋草本）,乔木＋地被灌木＋草本（乔木＋小乔木及灌木＋草本）,乔木＋小乔木及灌木＋地被灌木＋草本。建议在构建较高物种多样性植物群落的同时,优先选择乡土野生花卉。