New family and genus Rostrocalanus gen. nov. (Crustacea: Calanoida: Rostrocalanidae fam. nov.) from deep Atlantic waters

Two new species of a new genus and family Rostrocalanidae of benthopelagic clausocalanoid copepods are described from female specimens collected from abyssal depths close to the sea bed in the tropical Atlantic. Rostrocalanus gen. nov. shares the presence of sensory setae on maxilla with other bradfordian families of Clausocalanoidea, but does not fit the diagnosis of any of these families. A family Rostrocalanidae is established for this new genus and is defined by the following derived characters: four‐segmented exopod of mandible supplied with four setae; distal basal endite of maxillule fused to endopod and bearing five setae in total; endopod of maxilla furnished with six worm‐like sensory setae; arrangement of setal numbers on praecoxal endites of maxilliped syncoxa as 0, 1, 2. The establishment of a new clausocalanoidean family sheds new light on the morphological diversity of bradfordian benthopelagic copepods and adds to the biodiversity of the deep‐water calanoid fauna.     

Chilarboreus gen. nov., a new genus of Chilean Scirtidae (Coleoptera: Scirtoidea), with descriptions of three new species

The genus Chilarboreus gen. nov. is described from Nothofagus forests of Chile to accommodate three new species: Chilarboreus fossulatus sp. nov., Chilarboreus acuticollis sp. nov. and Chilarboreus darwini sp. nov. The genus is subdivided into two subgenera: Chilarboreus subgen. nov. (type species: C. fossulatus) and Pictarboreus subgen. nov. (type species: C. darwini). Identification keys to the genera of Chilean Scirtidae and the species in the genus Chilarboreus are provided. The state of knowledge of Chilean Scirtidae is summarized. The position of Chilarboreus within Scirtidae and the phenomenon of wing reduction in Scirtidae are discussed.     

A new genus and two new species of Parastenocarididae (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from southeastern India

Indocaris gen. nov. with two new species, Indocaris imbricata sp. nov. and Indocaris inopinata sp. nov., and also for the already known Indocaris tirupatiensis (Ranga Reddy 2011a) comb. nov. – all from the groundwaters in peninsular India. The highly diagnostic synapomorphy of the new genus is a composite character associated with the male leg 4 basis: five or six prominent, imbricate, enlarged, petal-like spinules, arranged as a semi-whorl at the insertion of the endopod and increasing in size from internal to external. Another distinctive feature of the same appendage is that its one-segmented endopod is dilated or bulbous in the proximal half, produced distally into an incurved spiniform or horn-like structure about as long as the corresponding first exopodal segment, and ornamented with three or four fine spinules on the subproximal outer margin. The three species also share a unique constellation of other salient morphologic features, which along with the phylogenetic position of Indocaris gen. nov. within the family Parastenocarididae are discussed. Indocaris gen. nov. has closest phylogenetic affinity with the Neotropical Remaneicari Jakobi, 1972. A short note on the ecology and biogeography of the parastenocaridid species of the Indian subcontinent is provided besides a key for their identification.     

A new genus and species of terrestrial isopod from Malaysia (Crustacea,Oniscidea, Platyarthridae)

A new terrestrial isopod, Cephaloniscus sociabilis gen. nov., sp. nov., from Fraser Hill in central Malaysia, is described and illustrated. The new genus belongs to the family Platyarthridae and is distinguished from other members of the family by the characteristic structure of the cephalon. The specimens were collected from the nest of the termite Hospitalitermes sp. (near medioflavus Holmgren) together with the ant Centromyrmex hamulatus (Karavaiev).     

A new pontoniine shrimp genus (Crustacea: Decapoda) from the Yemen,with a note on other species

An unusual new genus and species of coral inhabiting pontoniine shrimp from the Yemen is described and illustrated. The new shrimp is remarkable for its very small size and the unique form of its telson. Three other pontoniine shrimps are also reported from the Yemen for the first time, raising the number of such shrimp species known from southern Arabia to 18.     

A revision of the family Deckeniidae Ortmann, 1897 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamoidea), with description of a new genus (Gecarcinucidae: Gecarcinucoidea) from the Seychelles,Indian Ocean

The family Deckeniidae Ortmann, 1897, is revised and only 2 East African species are recognised, D. imitatrix Hilgendorf, 1869, and D. mitis Hilgendorf, 1898. The identity of the poorly known species from Seychelles, Indian Ocean, Deckenia alluaudi A. Milne Edwards and Bouvier, 1893, is clarified. This species is redescribed, assigned to a new genus (Seychellum gen. nov.), removed from the Deckeniidae sensu stricto and transferred to the family Gecarcinucidae Rathbun, 1904.     

A new genus and six new species of the Parabathynellidae (Bathynellacea,Syncarida) from the Kimberley region,Western Australia

Six new species of a new genus of the Parabathynellidae are described from the Kimberley Region, Western Australia. The erection of the new genus, Kimberleybathynella gen. nov., is based on the two‐segmented antenna, the partial fusion of the second and third segments of the maxilla, and the setal condition of the uropodal exopodite, where the outer seta is longer than the inner one. The one‐segmented exopodite of thoracopods I–VII and hemispherical form of male thoracopod VIII suggest the close relationship of Kimberleybathynella to the genus Atopobathynella.     

A new genus and five new species of Phoxocephalidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from the south-east Brazilian deep sea

Rearing data from higher plants, carrion and bird and mammal nests and burrows are provided for eight species of Heleomyzidae (Diptera): Heleomyzinae: Heleomyza borealis Boheman, Scoliocentra brachypterna (Loew) and Eccoptomera microps (Meigen); Heteromyzinae: Tephrochlamys flavipes (Zetterstedt), Tephrochlamys tarsalis (Zetterstedt) and Heteromyza rotundicornis (Zetterstedt); and Suillinae: Suillia ustulata (Meigen) and Suillia variegata (Loew). The puparia of these species are described. Unique characters and characters in combination distinguish each species and their subfamilies, suggesting that early stages are a valuable source of taxonomic data. Head skeleton and other features suggest contrasting food gathering mechanisms, with heleomyzines suited to feeding on food of low viscosity, suillines on high-viscosity or firm food and heteromyzines on food of intermediate viscosity.     

New species and rediagnosis of Coecobrya (Collembola: Entomobryidae), with a key to the species of the genus

The history of Coecobrya is traced and the genus is redefined. Two new species are described and one known species is redescribed in this paper: Coecobrya lanna sp. nov., Coecobrya tukmeas sp. nov. and Coecobrya aokii (Yoshii, 1995 Yoshii, R. 1995. Notes on Collembola of Vanuatu. Acta Zool Asiae-Orient., 3: 43–50.  [Google Scholar]). Additional details are provided for three other species Coecobrya guanophila Deharveng, 1990 Deharveng, L. 1990. Fauna of Thai caves. II. New Entomobryioidea Collembola from Chiang Dao cave, Thailand. Occas Papers Bernice P Bishop Mus., 30: 279–287.  [Google Scholar], Coecobrya similis Deharveng, 1990 Deharveng, L. 1990. Fauna of Thai caves. II. New Entomobryioidea Collembola from Chiang Dao cave, Thailand. Occas Papers Bernice P Bishop Mus., 30: 279–287.  [Google Scholar] and Coecobrya tenebricosa (Folsom, 1902). Complete S-chaetotaxy of the dorsal tergites is illustrated for the first time in the genus. Sinella ciliata Denis, 1932 is synonymized with C. tenebricosa. A key to the world species of Coecobrya is given.     

The first record of Bathynellacea from Thailand: a new genus and species of Parabathynellidae (Crustacea: Syncarida)

A new genus and species of the family Parabathynellidae, Siambathynella laorsriae gen. nov. et sp. nov. is described from Thailand. The new genus displays an exclusive character: a distinctive male thoracopod VIII with a row of denticles on the basipod. The new species also displays a unique combination of morphological characters, including a seven-segmented antennule, seven-segmented antenna, sexual dimorphism on the antennule, exopod of thoracopod I one-segmented, exopod of thoracopod II–VII two-segmented, male thoracopod VIII lacking basipodal seta, female thoracopod VIII with two setae, lacking pleopods, sympod of the uropod with inhomonomous row of spines, and endopod of uropod with a spinous distal process and a large distal spine ornamented with rows of setules. This is the first record of Bathynellacea (family Parabathynellidae) in Thailand, extending the distributional range of this taxon in Asia.     

A new pontoniine shrimp (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae) from the Ryukyu Islands,Japan

An unusual new genus and species of pontoniine shrimp, Nippontonia minirostris gen. nov., sp. nov., from a sponge host from the Ryukyu Is., Japan, is described and illustrated. The new genus appears not to be closely related to any of the previously described genera. The genus is particularly remarkable for the morphology of the fixed finger of the minor second pereiopod, which is without parallel in the Palaemonidae.     

An enigma from Australia: a new variation on the corophioid theme (Crustacea: Amphipoda)

Aetiopedes gracilis gen. et sp. nov. (Amphipoda : Isaeidae) is described from southern Australian (Tasmanian, Victorian) shallow coastal sand habitats. The taxon superficially resembles an ampeliscoid having antenna 2 markedly longer than antenna 1 and peraeopods 3–4 with long, slender dactyls. The possibility is raised that glandular peraeopods may be a synapomorphy associating Ampeliscoidea with Corophioidea as sister groups. The structure of peraeopods 3–4 (merochelate), labrum (toothed) and telson (shortened) are all autapomorphies peculiar to the new taxon. Within the Isaeidae, Aetiopedes appears to be closest to Amphideutopus. The relationships of these taxa are discussed in relation to the hypotheses of Barnard & Thomas (1987) on the systematics of the Neomegamphopidae.     

Revision of the genus Pseudodiphascon (Tardigrada,Macrobiotidae), with the erection of three new genera

A flexible but non-annulated buccal tube was used to erect the subgenus Pseudodiphascon, later raised to genus level (type species Macrobiotus inflexus). However, the presence of a flexible (but non-annulated) buccal tube in the holotype and paratype is due to the moulting simplex stage of both animals. Therefore Macrobiotus inflexus must be considered species dubia. The other species to date attributed to Pseudodiphascon differ from the type species of the genus in the presence of a pharyngeal tube that appears annulated. Because of this and other characters, they do not conform to the definition of Pseudodiphascon and cannot be attributed to this genus, which must be considered genus dubium. The characters of the claws and of the buccal—pharyngeal apparatuses led us to describe three new genera: Biserovus gen. n.: claws without a differentiated basal portion, annulated pharyngeal tube, peribuccal lamellae present; Minilentus gen. n.: claws of ‘hufelandi type’, annulated pharyngeal tube, peribuccal lamellae absent; Insuetifurca gen. n.: claws of modified' hufelandi type, annulated pharyngeal tube, peribuccal lamellae present, stylet furcae of a peculiar shape. Pseudodiphascon diphasconides lacks annulation in the buccal tube and is transferred to the genus Minibiotus.     

A new genus and two new species of Pudeoniscidae Lemos de Castro 1973 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea) from Brazil

To date, the family Pudeoniscidae includes six species and three genera, Pudeoniscus, Brasiloniscus and Iansaoniscus, with distributions restricted to Brazil. Here, we redefine the family Pudeoniscidae based on the discovery of a new genus and two new species, Oxossioniscus pataxo sp. nov. and Oxossioniscus akoko sp. nov., from the Brazilian Atlantic forest in the state of Bahia, and on the examination of Pudeoniscus birabeni and Pudeoniscus obscurus. Moreover, P. obscurus is re-described and new records are provided for P. birabeni.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A0123730-C623-49CE-8665-AE17FDDF994A.     

Two new species of the genus Paracyatholaimus Micoletzky (Nematoda: Cyatholaimidae) from the Yellow Sea

Two new free-living marine nematode species of Paracyatholaimus Micoletzky, 1923 Paracyatholaimus qingdaoensis sp. nov. and Paracyatholaimus huanghaiensis sp. nov. from the Yellow Sea, China are described. Paracyatholaimus qingdaoensis sp. nov. is characterized by cylindrical body with conical tail; spicules reverse S-shaped, distally pointed; gubernaculum plate, with two cusps at distal end, parallel to the spicules; 10 thick setose precloacal supplements in a 5 + 5 arrangement, anterior group of five supplements located at a protuberance. Paracyatholaimus huanghaiensis sp. nov. is characterized by a cylindrical body with conic-cylindrical tail; slender spicules curved, distally pointed; gubernaculum handle-shaped, expanding distally to a plate, with some sawteeth at distal end; three papillose precloacal supplements, each papilla protruding conically with cuticularized narrow ducts. A key for identification of species of Paracyatholaimus is proposed. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0A8E40E5-AE7A-47DA-B755-61E1D088C1E9     

Two new species of the genus Sinella Brook, 1882 (Collembola: Entomobryidae) from East China

Two new species, Sinella hexaseta sp. nov. and Sinella pauciseta sp. nov., collected from East China, Anhui and Zhejiang provinces, respectively, were described. Both are easily discriminated from each other and all known Sinella species by their unique dorsocentral chaetotaxic patterns on Abd. IV. In S. pauciseta sp. nov., postlabial setae H_1–4 are ciliate, which are smooth in all other known species of the genus.     

Three new species and one new record of the genus Doryphoribius Pilato, 1969 (Tardigrada: Eutardigrada: Hypsibiidae) from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee,USA)

Box jellyfishes (Cnidaria: Cubozoa) have a profound impact on human activities because of their highly potent venoms that may lead to severe envenomations in humans. Cubozoa is one of the smallest classes within Cnidaria with only some 50 described species in seven families. The literature on Cubozoa is scattered and oftentimes difficult to access. In particular, comprehensive treatments of Cubozoa that present a comparative overview of the group are either non-existent or largely outdated. Here we provide a synopsis of the carybdeid Cubozoa (Carybdeida) including an illustrated key to the families and genera of this order. Of particular interest is the family Carukiidae, which contains the species that was originally attributed with causing a severe envenomation syndrome called Irukandji syndrome. One new species of Carukiidae, Malo filipina sp. nov., is described, Morbakka virulenta is redescribed and a neotype is designated, and an unidentified species of Morbakka is recorded from the Philippines.     

Two new palaemonid shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda) from the Australian North West Shelf

Two palaemonid shrimps, from about 80 and 50 m on the Australian North West Shelf, are described and illustrated. A new genus, Carinopontonia, is designated for the single incomplete specimen of C. paucipes sp. nov. The new genus is most closely related to the genus Dasycaris Kemp, 1922. A single specimen of a second shrimp can be referred to Apopontonia Bruce, 1977, but to neither of the known species, and it is now described as A. tridentata sp. nov.