The species of Encarsiella Hayat (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) from China

Four species of Encarsiella are recorded from China, including Taiwan, of which two species, E. nepalensis and E. amabilis sp. n. are new records for China. An illustrated key for their identification is provided, including the as yet extralimital species E. boswelli, which is almost certainly present in China, though currently unrecorded.     

The Australian species of Encarsia Förster (Hymenoptera,Chalcidoidea: Aphelinidae), parasitoids of whiteflies (Hemiptera,Sternorrhyncha, Aleyrodidae) and armoured scale insects (Hemiptera,Coccoidea: Diaspididae)

The species of Encarsia Förster known from Australia are revised. This study is based mainly on material collected over the last 10 years. Ninety‐four species are recognized, including 38 new species, and seven new records for Australia. All species are fully described or diagnosed, and illustrated by microphotographs. Seven new specific synonymies are proposed and two lectotypes are designated. A key to the females of Australian species of Encarsia is provided. The known hosts and distribution are summarized. The diversity of the Australian Encarsia fauna is discussed.     

Encarsia (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) parasitoids of Bemisia species in Taiwan (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

The whitefly genus Bemisia (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is represented by five species in Taiwan, including the notorious global pest Bemisia tabaci. A catalogue of Encarsia species attacking these whiteflies, based almost entirely on previously unpublished records, is provided. A key for the identification of the 17 Encarsia species known to parasitize Bemisia species in Taiwan is provided. Three new species, E. guangxingana Shih, Ko and Polaszek sp. nov., E. lineolata Shih, Ko and Polaszek sp. nov. and E. magnalata Shih, Ko and Polaszek sp. nov., are described from Taiwan. These new species were all reared from Bemisia giffardi.     

Neotropical whiteflies of the subfamily Aleurodicinae established in the western Palaearctic (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae)

Four members of the small, mainly Neotropical, whitefly subfamily Aleurodicinae, Aleurodicus dispersus Russell, Paraleyrodes bondari Peracchi, P. citricolus Costa Lima and P. minei Iaccarino, are now established in the western Palaearctic, where all have economic impact. Keys are presented to enable their identification. The puparium of P. citricolus is redescribed, and the adult male is described for the first time.     

Description of a new whitefly,Pealius satakshiae Dubey (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), infesting Quercus leucotrichophora (Fagaceae) in the Western Himalaya,India

ABSTRACT

A new whitefly species, Pealius satakshiae Dubey, found infesting Quercus leucotrichophora A. Camus (Fagaceae) in the Chail Wildlife Sanctuary, Himachal Pradesh, India, is described. Puparia of the new species differ from described Pealius species in being larger in size, having a differentiated cephalus, rhachisform abdomen and reduced abdominal segment VII, and lacking the first abdominal setae. Puparial characteristics for the genus Pealius Quaintance and Baker in relation to new species are discussed. Camera lucida drawings, images of habitus and holotype, and scanning electron microscope photomicrographs are provided.

http://www.zoobank.org/lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9712A865-4DD6-457B-84B0-1C7873316DE4     

Mandibular teeth in Chalcidoidea: function and phylogeny

Aphelinidae and Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) were surveyed for presence of a specialized ventroapical mandibular tooth that is formed through modification of a seta into a stout socketed spine. An almost identical tooth is found in a homologous position in Coccophaginae (Aphelinidae), Eriaphytinae (Aphelinidae), Calesinae (Aphelinidae or incertae sedis), and Habrolepidini (Encyrtidae), but nowhere else within Chalcidoidea. Although the tooth represents a synapomorphy for genera within each of these higher taxa, it appears to be independently derived on the basis of other morphological and biochemical evidence. Observations of Comperiella bifasciata and Encarsia sp. nr. perniciosi emerging from California Red Scale show that the tooth is used for shearing off pieces of the mummified host remains and the scale cover during formation of the exit hole. The tooth occurs in both sexes, and in taxa with a broad host range such as Encarsia, which attack both armoured scales and whiteflies. Problems associated with character homology, function and phylogeny are discussed.     

The Thysanoptera Haplothripini (Insecta: Phlaeothripidae) of Iran

In Iran, 4 genera and 27 species are recorded of the Thysanoptera tribe Haplothripini (Phlaeothripidae, Phlaeothripinae): Dolicholepta Priesner with 1 species, Haplothrips Amyot and Serville with 23 species, Neoheegeria Schmutz with 2 species, and Plicothrips Bhatti with 1 species. Identification keys are provided to these taxa. Three new synonyms are established: H. inoptatus Priesner is a junior synonym of H. globiceps Bagnall, H. iraniensis Priesner is a junior synonym of H. maroccanus Priesner, and H. scythicus Knechtel is a junior synonym of H. leucanthemi (Schrank). Reports of H. cerealis Priesner from Iran are considered to be misidentifications of H. tritici Kurdjumov, and comments are made on the identity of several predatory species related to H. subtilissimus (Haliday) and H. globiceps Bagnall. Several character states used for recognizing taxa in Haplothrips are discussed, and available biological data for each species are presented.     

Impacts of nonnative plant species on production and diversity in the front range of Colorado

Nonnative plant species are considered one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, yet we still are unable to predict how production and diversity of a community will change once a species has invaded. Ponderosa pine woodlands in the Front Range of Colorado are ideal for studying the impacts of nonnative plants on production and species richness. We selected 5 sites along the northern Front Range with varying proportions of nonnative and native species and compared understory production and species richness along the gradient of nonnative species dominance. Total species production was positively and significantly related to total species richness, and total species production increased significantly with increasing nonnative species richness. There was a negative relationship between native and nonnative species production, and there was no relationship between nonnative species richness and native species richness. This study demonstrates the complex nature of species richness and productivity relationships and should serve as a starting point for future research in which a variety of other variables are considered.     

Species diversity of Tetrigidae (Orthoptera) in Guizhou,China with description of two new species

Guizhou Province, located in southwest China, is famous for its wholly karst landforms, in which many pygmy locusts with poor dispersal ability have been isolated and preserved. Species diversity of Tetrigidae from Guizhou is introduced, which deals with six sub-families, 28 genera and 69 species, among them, 33 species are endemic to Guizhou. Two new species, Paragavialidum prominemarginatus Zha & Ding sp. nov. and Teredorus jinshaensis Zha & Ding sp. nov. are described and illustrated with photographs. Flatocerus chishuiensis, Flatocerus nigritibialis and Flatocerus nigrifemura are considered as synonyms of Flatocerus wuyishanensis. Flatocerus wuyishanensis is redescribed and photographed based on our collections.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:334D6268-E3C1-450E-A3A2-31F9839B4EE6     

Cryptic subarctic diversity: a new bumblebee species from the Yukon and Alaska (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

It is nearly 90 years since a bumblebee species has been described for the first time from Canada or the USA that was previously unrecognised by science. We describe and illustrate Bombus(Alpinobombus) kluanensis sp. nov. and begin to map its distribution. This species was discovered through analysis of Cytochrome c Oxidase subunit I barcodes and had been unsuspected on the basis of morphological and colour characteristics. So far, 247 female specimens considered to belong to this species are known from the subarctic mountains associated with the Denali Fault running from the Alaska Range (Alaska, USA) to Kluane in the Saint Elias Mountains (Yukon, Canada). A checklist of all species of the subgenus Alpinobombus worldwide is provided.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:78D524DD-FFBA-4BC4-8D39-3EF4F6BDD39E     

Genetic diversity of freshwater crabs (Brachyura: Sesarmidae) from central Jamaica with description of a new species

Jamaica is the only island of the Greater Antilles where freshwater streams are not populated by representatives of the old lineage of freshwater crabs, the Pseudothelphusidae. Instead, a very diverse fauna of endemic sesarmid crabs inhabits freshwater and terrestrial habitats throughout the island, thereby showing complete independence from the sea. They have been reported thriving in bromeliad leaf axils, rock rubble, empty snail shells, caves and mountain streams. Otherwise, the Sesarmidae are typical inhabitants of soft‐sediment littoral habitats like marshes and mangroves. For many years, crabs from Jamaican mountains streams had been considered to belong to a single species, Sesarma bidentatum Benedict . However, recent morphological and molecular studies have shown that crabs from mountain streams of different regions of the island belong to different species. Consequently, four new crab species have been described over the last 10 years. In this study, we give evidence that freshwater streams in central Jamaica also host two different species of crabs. In streams draining to the north we exclusively found the species S. windsor Türkay and Diesel, , while streams draining to the south were inhabited by a closely related but undescribed species of crab. The southern species is here described as new and is referred to as Sesarma meridies sp. n. Morphological and molecular (12S and 16S mtDNA) evidence is provided that allows these two species of freshwater crabs from central Jamaica to be distinguished. The species richness of Jamaican endemic sesarmids thereby increases to 10, which makes the island unique in terms of its diversity of land‐dwelling crabs.     

Morphological diversity of habrobathynellids (Parabathynellidae,Bathynellacea) in India,with the description of a new species

A new species, Habrobathynella indica, is described. The male thoracopod VIII of this species is unique within the Parabathynellidae in its penis‐like extension of the internal lobe reaching thoracopod VII. The other two species known from India also have features unique to either the family or the genus. Habrobathynella schminkei has a seta on the uropod distally of the thick terminal spine of the spine row, a seta otherwise unknown in the family, and H. nagarjunai has a homonomous spine row on the uropod, which is lacking in other species of the genus.     

Genetic diversity in the Carabodes marginatus species group (Acarida,Oribatida, Carabodidae) as inferred from allozymes

Ten populations representing four species of the ‘Carabodes marginatus’ group, as C. marginatus, C. affinis, C. quadrangulus and C. montanus from central Italy have been studied for genetic variation at 16 enzymatic loci by electrophoresis. Morphotypes close to C. marginatus but easily distinguishable by the shorter marginal notogastral setae were also included in the analysis to evaluate their systematic status. Carabodes arduinii, a very different species from the ‘coriaceus’ group, was employed as an out-group. Phylogenetic relationships among different species were studied and inferred data demonstrated that cladogenetic events occurred, even though rates of molecular and morphological evolution do not correlate. Morphotypes related to C. marginatus were genetically very close to the type specimens, but a different pattern of allele frequency was observed in sympatric populations of the two setal forms. Possible explanations for this finding are suggested in relation to historical processes. The rate of gene flow among populations of the two morphs was estimated by both Wright's F _st and Slatkin's Nm methods. These two different procedures yielded contradictory results.     

Species diversity of the genus Phortica Schiner in Yunnan,China, with descriptions of nine new species (Diptera,Drosophildae)

This paper deals with a total of 29 species of the genus Phortica from Yunnan, including nine new species: acongruens (Zhang and Shi), bicornuta (Chen and Toda), bipartita (Toda and Peng), biprotrusa (Chen and Toda), cardua (Okada), eugamma (Toda and Peng), excrescentiosa (Toda and Peng), flexuosa (Zhang and Gan), gamma (Toda and Peng), hani (Zhang and Shi), lambda (Toda and Peng), omega (Okada), protrusa (Zhang and Shi), pseudogigas (Zhang and Gan), pseudopi (Toda and Peng), pseudotau (Toda and Peng), saeta (Zhang and Gan), speculum (Máca and Lin), subradiata (Okada), tau (Toda and Peng), glabtabula Chen and Gao, sp. nov., latipenis Chen and Gao, sp. nov., longipenis Chen and Gao, sp. nov., pangi Chen and Wen, sp. nov., sagittaristula Chen and Wen, sp. nov., saltiaristula Chen and Wen, sp. nov., setitabula Chen and Gao, sp. nov., uncinata Chen and Gao, sp. nov., and unipetala Chen and Wen, sp. nov. A key to all species examined of the genus Phortica from Yunnan, China, is provided.     

Abundance,species richness and diversity of the orb-weaving spider families Araneidae,Nephilidae and Tetragnathidae in natural habitats in Trinidad,West Indies

This study examined the biodiversity of orb-weaving spiders in natural habitats in Trinidad, a continental island with a northern South American fauna. Forty-six localities were sampled, classified into seven formations (representing vegetation structure) and 16 habitat types (based on plant species composition), using visual search and sweep-netting methods, resulting in a total of 1225 individuals of 57 species. Abundance and species richness were significantly related to formation but not habitat type, while both factors influenced species diversity, evenness and dominance. Gamma (γ) diversity had a larger component of β than α diversity did, indicating that between-habitat differences are a substantial part of regional diversity in orb-weaving spiders in Trinidad.     

Digenean species diversity in teleost fish from a nature reserve off Corsica,France (Western Mediterranean), and a comparison with other Mediterranean regions

Data on the digenean parasites of 2238 teleosts from the Scandola Nature Reserve off Corsica are presented. These represent the largest general survey of digenean parasites attempted in the Mediterranean region and is the result of major collections and systematic reports published over the past 20 years. The number of different digenean species recorded from 63 fish species was 102. Full parasite-host and host-parasite lists are presented, with information on the geographical distribution of the parasites, their site within the host and the prevalence, adundance and intensity of the infections. The digenean fauna of teleosts off Corsica is compared with that in other regions of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. A more detailed analysis of the diversity of these parasites in sparid fishes indicates that the digenean diversity off Corsica is far greater than that in other parts of the Mediterranean.     

Microhabitat diversity of Svalbard Bryozoa

Bryozoans are one of the major macrofaunal groups of the high polar regions. Here we present data on the nature of bryozoan assemblages in the Svalbard Archipelago sampled over 6 years between 1997 and 2002. Samples were collected with use of Van Veen grab, dredge and Scuba diving at depths ranging from 0 to 268?m. Among examined material (5026 items) bryozoans were present on one type of abiotic (stones) and 40 types of biotic substrata. The biotic substrata we investigated included algae (12 taxa) and invertebrates (28 taxa: Hydrozoa, Gastropoda, Bivalvia, Polychaeta, Crustacea, Ascidiacea, other Bryozoa). Both a priori ANOSIM (Global R?=?0.512, P?=?0.001) and cluster analyses reveal differences between the assemblages on different types of substrata. Cluster analyses distinguish two distinct groups of substrata. The first (stable) included stones, molluscs and Balanus balanus whilst the second (flexible) consisted of algae, hydrozoans and bryozoans. Bryozoan assemblages which colonized different substrata, varied in terms of species composition and their dominance. Bryozoan species were categorized as generalists, low‐specificity epibiotic species or locally abundant background species. No species were found to be substratum‐specific to any type. Among substrata with the richest bryozoan fauna were stones (156 taxa), Chlamys islandica (68) and Balanus balanus (62). There were clear patterns in the distribution of substrata colonized by bryozoans within the fjord system: those shallow near the mouth were rich whilst those in deeper water were depauperate. We consider environmental gradients such as siltation and processes related to depth to be responsible for such patterns.     

Description of a new species of Haminoea (Gastropoda: Cephalaspidea) from India,with an account of the diversity of the genus in the Indo-West Pacific

In this paper current knowledge on the diversity of the gastropod cephalaspidean genus Haminoea from India is revised. A comprehensive literature review was undertaken and novel specimens were collected. Specimens from India were DNA barcoded using the gene cytochrome c oxidase sub-unit I and a Bayesian gene tree together with an Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) species delimitation analysis were inferred to compare Indian samples with species from the Indo-West Pacific. The most comprehensive DNA data set to date of the genus Haminoea is included and new morpho-anatomical features of Indo-West Pacific species were generated through fine anatomical work and scanning electron microscopy. A critical appraisal of previous records of the country is included and a new species, Haminoea aptei sp. nov., is described from the Andaman Islands and Lakshadweep Islands, India.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:90C191A9-5CA6-4BC6-84E3-B1A26674FA1B