Three new species of Cecidophyinae (Acari: Eriophyidae) from China

Three new eriophyoid mite species (Acari: Eriophyoidea: Eriophyidae) from China are described and illustrated. They are Cecidophyes truncatis sp. nov. on Acer truncatum Bunge (Aceraceae), Cecidophyes hirsutes sp. nov. on Cardamine hirsute L. (Cruciferae) and Paracolomerus fopingacer sp. nov. on Acer sp. L. (Aceraceae). All the new species described herein are vagrants on the host plant.     

New species of cryptognathid mites from Israel (Acari: Prostigmata: Cryptognathidae)

Favognathus gersoni n. sp. (from mosses), Favognathus cordylus n. sp. (from pine litter), and Cryptognathus attenuatus n. sp. (from tree bark) are described from Israel.     

Further remarks on the synonymy of the Rhagidiidae (Acarina: Prostigmata)

The systematic positions of the recently described species Rhagidia odontochela Turk, 1972, R. vitzhumi Turk, 1972, R. pseudocrenata Shiba, 1976, R. neoshibai Shiba, 1976, R. strandtmanni Shiba 1976, R. orghidani Baltac, 1977, Coccorhagidia cubana Baltac, 1977 and C. montana Baltac, 1977, are discussed. Specific synonyms of the Rhagidiidae are listed.     

Mites of the superfamily raphignathoidea (Acarina: Prostigmata) associated with South African plants

Abstract

Nine new species and one new subspecies of the superfamily Raphignathoidea are described and figured. These are: Fam. Caligonellidae: Neophyllobius natalensis and N. cavumarboris; fam. Stigmaeidae: Ledermülleria neomaculata, L. lineolata, Villersia oudemanis, Mediolata africana and Eupalopsis brevipilus; fam. Raphignathidae: Raphignathus bathursti and Acheles aethiopica; fam. Cryptognathidae: Cryptognathus cucurbita cucurbitella. Apostigmaeus navicella is recorded for the first time from South Africa. Keys to the genera and species associated with plants are given.     

Description of a new Tetranychus (Acarina,Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) pest of Musa from French Guiana

A new species of tetranychid mite, genus Tetranychus Dufour, 1832, is described and illustrated herein from neotropical area. Tetranychus musae sp. nov. (Acari, Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) differs from other species in the genus by the combination between the arrangement of leg setae on females tarsus I and the shape of the aedeagus. Tarsus I bears one tactile setae proximal to proximal duplex setae and three tactiles in line or almost in line with proximal duplex setae. The aedeagus knob consists of an acute posterior projection bent ventrally and a larger anterior rounded projection directed anterodorsally. T. musae specimens were collected in French Guiana where they appeared to be a pest of Musa sp. A key to adults of neotropical species of the genus Tetranychus feeding on banana is provided.     

Indirect sperm transfer and sexual differences of Erythraeus phalangioides (De Geer), (Prostigmata,Erythraeidae)

The spermatophore and morphological differences in the sexual organs of Erythraeus phalangioides (De Geer) as well as the reproductive behaviour of males are described.     

New species of the rhagidiid genus Foveacheles (Acari: Prostigmata: Eupodoidea) with a lyrifissure-like structure on the chelicerae

Three new species are described: Foveacheles gigantea n. sp., F. halltalensis n. sp. and F. proxima n. sp. Their phylogenetic relationships are discussed. The new gigantea-species group is erected, based on the presence of a lyrifissure-like structure near the base of the fixed digit of the chelicera. A cheliceral lyrifissurelike structure has not been previously observed and described in literature on mites of the superfamily Eupodoidea. The definition of the genus Foveacheles is slightly adapted.     

New taxa of Rhagidia and Foveacheles (Acari: Prostigmata: Rhagidiidae) from Italian and French caves,with keys to adults of subgenera Deharvengiella and Mediostella

Three new species of rhagidiid mites from France and Italy, Rhagidia (Deharvengiella) paralleloseta sp. nov., R. (D.) serpentiforma sp. nov. and Foveacheles (Mediostella) carnichensis sp. nov., are described. Keys to adults of the known species of Rhagidia (Deharvengiella) and Foveacheles (Mediostella) are presented.     

The functional morphology of the feeding and grooming appendages of Ebalia tuberosa (Pennant) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Leucosiidae)

Summary

Ebalia tuberosa feeds mainly on small invertebrates but will also scavenge. The morphology of the feeding and grooming appendages is described paying particular attention to the structure and distribution of the setae. The movements of the various appendages during feeding are analysed. The mouthparts function in manipulating, grasping and cutting the food; in forming setal screens which prevent food from falling out of the mouth region; in creating water currents to waft away rejected material; and in cleaning each other. Setal structure is correlated with function. Those appendages which manipulate the food are armed with cuspidate and serrate setae while those which hold the food string steady during cutting carry plumodenticulate setae. Plumodenticulate and serrulate setae of various types make up two buccal setal screens, one transverse and the other longitudinal. The rejection current is generated by the flagella of the exopodites of the 1st and 2nd maxillipeds which bear long plumose setae. The main cleaning appendages are the 3rd maxillipeds whose distal segments bear serrate setae. In addition, various appendages bear fields of plumodenticulate setae which brush and clean adjacent surfaces during the normal feeding movements of the mouthparts.     

Comparative morphology of the otolith of the triplefins (family: Tripterygiidae)

Otolith morphology may provide useful information about the triplefin fish family Tripterygiidae. A comparative study of the otolith of 40 tripterygiid species was conducted to identify the most appropriate taxonomical characters that can separate the species and genera of the family Tripterygiidae. Among other otolith characters, it is possible to distinguish characters that clearly define a taxonomic group (genus or species), and other characters that are shared by several genera, but may be only useful to define certain species within a genus. Ontogenetic changes in the otolith of the triplefin fishes studied are evident. The otolith of the juvenile Ucla xenogrammus was the most similar to the adult otolith, while otolith of the juvenile Blennodon dorsale was the least similar to the adult otolith.     

Linking morphology and molecules: integrative taxonomy of spathidiids (Protista: Ciliophora: Litostomatea) from Korea

We isolated seven spathidiids from various terrestrial habitats in Korea: Enchelys megaspinata sp. nov.; Spathidium ascendens Wenzel, 1955; S. papilliferum Kahl, 1930; S. polynucleatum (Foissner et al., 2002) comb. nov.; S. rectitoratum Kahl, 1930; S. securiforme Kahl, 1930 stat. nov.; and Apobryophyllum schmidingeri Foissner and Al-Rasheid, 2007. Their vegetative and resting cyst morphology were studied in vivo and after protargol impregnation. Their phylogenetic relationships were inferred from the analysis of 18S rRNA gene and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region sequences. Enchelys megaspinata is nested within the Semispathidium breviarmatum cluster. It differs from all multi-macronucleate congeners either by the number of macronuclear nodules and ciliary rows or by the presence of prominent spines on resting cysts. Both morphological and molecular data support species-level status for S. rectitoratum and S. securiforme. Although S. papilliferum is one of the morphologically most distinct spathidiids due to the presence of oral bulge papillae, it is non-monophyletic. Based on molecular analyses, we suggest reassigning the morphologically transitional S. ascendens and S. polynucleatum, both formerly combined with Epispathidium, to the genus Spathidium. Korean and German populations of Apobryophyllum schmidingeri are highly similar, both morphologically and genetically. The present study highlights the complexity of spathidiid taxonomy, which requires a combination of morphological and molecular approaches to resolve.

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