A new species of bethylid wasp (Hymenoptera) from New Zealand,with comments on its life history and host

A new species of parasitoid wasp Chilepyris platythelys (Chrysidoidea: Bethylidae), from New Zealand, is described and illustrated. Its life history is described and its host, an anobiid (Coleoptera) larva, Hadrobregmus (Megabregmus) magnus is mentioned as the first host record for the genus Chilepyris.     

A revision and phylogenetic re-evaluation of the family Schizopodidae (Coleoptera,Buprestoidea)

The Schizopodidae (formerly subfamily Schizopodinae, family Buprestidae) is elevated to family status, based on a review of its morphology including wing venation, male and female genitalia, larvae, and also a cladistic analysis of in-group and out-group comparisions. Two tribes are recognized: Schizopodini LeConte with one genus, Schizopus LeConte and Dystaxiini Théry with two genera: Dystaxia LeConte and Glyptoscelimorpha Horn. The genus Schizopus contains two species: S. laetus LeConte and S. sallei Horn with one new subspecies, S. sallei nigricans Nelson. The genus Dystaxia includes two species: D. murrayi LeConte, and D. elegans Fall. The genus Glyptoscelimorpha is separated into two subgenera: G. (s. str.) with two species, G. marmorata Horn, and G. viridis Chamberlin; and G. (Dystaxiella) Knull, new status, with one species, G. (D.) juniperae (Knull), new combination, with a new subspecies, G. (D.) juniperae viridiceps Nelson. All taxa are described and information on variation, type localities, distribution, biology, and comparisons are given for each species. Keys to taxa for tribes to subspecies are provided. Illustrations for all species, including habitus, male and female genitalia and other parts, as well as cladograms of relationships are presented. Lectotypes are designated for the following: Yermoella helferi Obenberger, Dystaxia elegans Fall and Glyptoscelimorpha marmorata Horn. Tables of taxa, characters and character states used in the cladistic analysis are included.     

Insular species of Neotropical freshwater crabs (Crustacea: Brachyura)

One species of Trichodactylidae and four species of Pseudothelphusidae are present on continental islands in three areas of Central and South America. (1) Trinidad and Margarita Island have, in common with the Venezuelan mainland, the pseudothelphusid Eudaniela garmani (Rathbun, 1898); additionally, Trinidad shares with the mainland the trichodactylid Dilocarcinus dentatus (Randall, 1839). These disjunct distributions can be attributed to changes in sea level during the Quaternary, but the presence of the endemic pseudothelphusid Microthelphusa odaelkae (Bott, 1970) in Trinidad probably reflects an older connection with the continent. (2) A new species, Potamocarcinus roatensis, was found on Roatan Island, off the coast of Honduras. A cladistic analysis of the genus Potamocarcinus (H. Milne Edwards, 1853) revealed a close association of P. roatensis with P. magnus (Rathbun, 1896), a widely distributed Central American pseudothelphusid. Possibly both species originated in a pre-Quaternary vicariant event. (3) Another pseudothelphusid, Hypolobocera gorgonensis von Prahl, 1983, inhabits disjunct areas on Gorgona Island, off the Pacific coast of Colombia, and on the mainland of Ecuador, reflecting either a wider distribution before the last Holocene transgression or accidental dispersal through natural rafts.     

Diagnoses,synonymies and occurrences of the pantropical millipeds,Leptogoniulus sorornus (Butler) and Trigoniulus corallinus (Gervais) (Spirobolida: Pachybolidae: Trigoniulinae)

The trigoniuline millipeds, Leptogoniulus sorornus (Butler) and Trigoniulus corallinus (Gervais), the latter apparently native to southeast Asia, have been introduced into Africa, Central and South America, and tropical islands throughout the world. Literature records are summarized, new localities are presented, and diagnostic statements and anatomical illustrations are provided. Full synonymies are presented, and the following new ones are proposed: under L. sorornus— Spirobolus suturalis Porat, S. sanctae-luciae Bollman, S. coquereli Saussure and Zehntner, Trigoniulus ambonensis Attems, T. acolastus Silvestri, Glosselus musarum Cook, and nine names authored by R. V. Chamberlin— Cairibolus antonianus, T. frater, T. garmani, T. remotus and T. philippinus, Spirostrophus socius and S. javanus, Litobolus hanevavus, and Trucobolus townesi; under T. corallinus— Iulus sumatrensis Gervais, Spirobolus sanguineus Koch, S. goësi Porat, S. cinctipes Butler, S. rugosus Voges, six names by Karsch— S. detornatus, S. punctiplenus, S. signifer, S. decoratus, S. phranus and S. punctidives—S. dominicae Pocock, S. surinamensis Bollman, S. dorsopunctatus Saussure and Zehntner, Trigoniulus sanguineus Tomosvary, T. tahitianus and T. amnestus, both by Chamberlin, and T. (Marshallbolus) takakuwai Verhoeff.     

Ascidiacea (Tunicata) from deep waters of the continental shelf of Western Australia

Seventy‐eight species of Ascidiacea, including 21 new species from deeper waters (about 100 m and occasionally to about 500 m) off Western Australia appear to represent a diverse fauna not previously sampled. The relatively few solitary species taken include two possibly introduced (Styela plicata and S. clava). Large aplousobranch colonies dominate the collections. Aplousobranch species with numerous, small, deeply embedded zooids in massive three‐dimensional, vertical and often branched or stalked inflexible colonies supported by embedded sand (Polyclinindae) or calcareous spicules (Didemnidae) are common. Species with flexible stalks (enabling them to respond to prevailing currents) such as Clavelina meridionalis, Sigillina australis and S. cyanea were not taken often. Some known species (e.g. Synoicum chrysanthemum, and Atriolum tubiporum) previously considered rare were taken at these depths in significant numbers. Other unusual taxa (Pseudodiazona longigona and Condominium spp.) are recorded from new locations but do not appear to be common.     

Minute but constant morphological differences within members of Stenothoidae: the Stenothoe gallensis group with four new members,keys to Stenothoe worldwide,a new species of Parametopa and Sudanea n. gen. (Crustacea: Amphipoda)

The hitherto-known species of Stenothoe are grouped by their distribution. A key for Mediterranean–Atlantic species is given. To the so-called Stenothoe gallensis group (until now, four species), four others are added: S. andamanensis, S. clavetta, S. himyara and S. senegalensis, all new to science. Knowledge of Stenothoe aucklandica, frecanda, macrophthalma, valida and verrucosa is amended. The studied material also yields both a new species of Parametopa (P. gorea n. sp.) and a new genus (Sudanea n. gen.) with S. inopinata n. sp.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:23C8BB82-5CC1-40B2-BED9-431AA55901B9     

Designation of a neotype for Synodontis schall (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) and description of two new species of Synodontis (Siluriformes: Mochokidae)

A morphometric study of 105 specimens of Synodontis schall, including most type specimens of all nominal species considered junior synonyms of S. schall has been undertaken. Two new species S. ouemeensis and S. kogonensis are described from the Ogun (Nigeria), Oueme (Benin) and Mono (Togo) basins, and the Kogon and Fatala (Guinea) basins, respectively. A neotype is designated for S. schall. The two new species differ from S. schall mainly by the width of the premaxillary toothplate (12.9–24.3% HL for S. schall vs. 21.6–32.7% HL), and can be distinguished one from the other by differences in orbit diameter (20.5–26.8% HL for S. ouemeensis vs. 19.4–21.0% HL for S. kogonensis) and prepectoral length (23.4–28.2% SL for S. ouemeensis vs. 21.6–23.3% SL for S. kogonensis).     

An identification guide to Eurysternine dung beetles (Coleoptera,Scarabaeidae)

An identification guide to the genus Eurysternus is presented. One new species, confusus is described from South America. The synonymies inflexus (Germar) (=planipennis Lucas), parallelus Castelnau (=femoralis Lucas), hirtellus Dalman (=cirratus Harold), calligrammus Dalman (=opacus Lucas), foedus Guérin-Méneville (=claudicans Kirsch), velutinus Bates (=hypocrita Balthasar), and caribaeus (Herbst)(=peruanus Harold) are established, and four previously established synonymies confirmed. Lectotypes are designated for the following species of Eurysternus: mexicanus Harold, plebejus Harold, angustulus Harold, velutinus Bates, hypocrita Balthasar, hamaticollis Balthasar, nebulosus Kirsch, peruanus Harold, sulcifer Balthasar, cirratus Harold, planipennis Lucas, cyanescens Balthasar, femoralis Lucas, and for Onitis deplanatus Germar.

Neotypes are designated for the following species of Eurysternus: magnus Castelnau, marmoreus Castelnau, impressicollis Castelnau, foedus Guérin-Méneville, hirtellus Dalman, opatrinus Perty, parallelus Castelnau, cayennensis Castelnau, and for Scarabaeus caribaeus Herbst.

Type-species are designated for the genera Eurysternus Dalman and Aeschrotes Saint-Fargeau & Serville.     

New species of Dolichopus Latreille, 1796 from China (Diptera: Dolichopodidae)

The following three new species of Dolichopus are described from China: Dolichopus (Dolichopus) jilinensis sp. nov., D. (D.) longipilosus sp. nov. and D. (D.) yangi sp. nov. Three new species are reported from China, and a key to the Chinese species of the genus Dolichopus is presented for the first time.     

Four new species of the Diphascon nobilei group (Eutardigrada,Hypsibiidae)

The existence of a group of species similar to Diphascon (Diphascon) nobilei is shown. These species have some common characteristics: a well‐evident drop‐shaped thickening between the buccal tube and the pharyngeal tube, pharyngeal bulb, more or less elongate, with three rod‐shaped macroplacoids and microplacoid, claws of the hind legs different from those of the first three pairs of legs in having a very wide basal portion and indented basal margin, basal spurs also present on the external claws and, in some cases, also on the internal claws of the first three pairs of legs. Four new species of this group are described: Diphascon (D.) serratum, D. (D.) nelsonae, D. (D.) platyungue, and D. (D.) hydrophilum. They differ from one another in the dimensions and shape of the claws; in some cases the difference also affects the value of the ptd index relative to the insertion point of the stylet supports, the buccal and the pharyngeal tube length or the macroplacoid length.     

Intraspecific clinal variation in Plagiodontes patagonicus (Gastropoda: Orthalicidae,Odontostominae), an endemic species from Argentina

Plagiodontes patagonicus (d'Orbigny, 1835) is a quite variable species endemic to southern Buenos Aires province (Argentina). Its taxonomic characterization did not include any quantitative analysis of variability for an accurate discrimination, and the extremes of its variation were described as different subspecies or species. In this paper, shell measurements and angles, and quantitative data on the terminal male genitalia were studied by Principal Component Analysis and Varimax multivariate analysis. Typical Plagiodontes patagonicus and the largest form known as P. patagonicus magnus Hylton‐Scott, 1951 Hylton‐Scott, MI. 1951. Nuevos moluscos terrestres del norte argentino.. Acta Zoologica Lilloana, 10: 5–29.  [Google Scholar] showed an almost continuous pattern of shell variation, which is positively correlated with the altitude gradient over their geographical range, which in turn is correlated with a rainfall gradient, i.e. they constitute a size‐form cline that does not allow objective delimitation of different morphospecies. Data from the genital system were also arranged as a geographical gradient within the P. patagonicus patagonicus–P. patagonicus magnus continuum. The variability of protoconch sculpture and apertural teeth also indicate recognition of them as a single taxon.     

Distributions of two ectosymbionts,branchiobdellidans (Annelida: Clitellata) and scutariellids (Platyhelminthes: “Turbellaria”: Temnocephalida), on atyid shrimp (Arthropoda: Crustacea) in southeast China

Distribution of two ecologically similar but usually spatially separate ectosymbionts, branchiobdellidans (Annelida) and scutariellids (Platyhelminthes), on atyid shrimp (Neocaridina spp.) is reported from 18 localities in five Provinces of southeastern China. Prevalence was determined for the branchiobdellidan, Holtodrilus truncatus, found at seven locations, the scutariellid, Scutariella japonica, present at every site, and where cohabitation occurred. Both ectosymbionts showed a microhabitat predilection for the host's branchial chambers and instances of cohabitation occurred at all seven locations where H. truncatus were collected, although not on every shrimp. On-site observations of live hosts supporting both ectosymbionts showed that neither H. truncatus nor S. japonica reacted aggressively or defensively towards the other when in close proximity. Instances of imported Chinese Neocaridina spp. into central Honshu Island, Japan, almost certainly came from areas in southeast China identified in this study. These imported populations are predicted to spread northwards into the area where endemic Japanese branchiobdellidans occur.     

A new species of Stenhelia (Copepoda,Harpacticoida) from a hydrothermal,active, submarine volcano in the New Ireland Fore-Arc system (Papua New Guinea) with notes on deep sea colonization within the Stenheliinae

A new species of harpacticoid copepod, Stenhelia gundulae (Stenheliinae), is described from Edison seamount, a hydrothermal active submarine volcano in the New Ireland Fore-Arc system (Papua New Guinea). Some species groups are identified within the genus Stenhelia. The new species is assigned to the ‘S. normani group’, which is characterized within a more inclusive taxon by the male P5 exp being fused to the basis and lacking two outer spines. The species most closely related to S. gundulae s.n. appear to be S. giesbrechti T. and A. Scott, 1896, S. tethysensis Monard, 1928 and S. normani T. Scott, 1905 including its former subspecies S. polluta Monard, 1928 and S. acutirostris Willey, 1935. The other known deep sea species of Stenhelia, S. noodti Schriever, 1982, S. islandico Schriever, 1982, S. lima Becker and Schriever, 1979 and S. diegensis Thistle and Coull, 1979, on the other hand belong to a different lineage, the ‘S. longicaudata group’ which is characterized by the apomorphic shape of the P1. It is hypothesized that deep sea colonization within the Stenheliinae occurred independently at least twice in two different lineages.     

Revision of the millipede genus Parafontaria Verhoeff, 1936 (Diplopoda,Xystodesmidae)

The xystodesmid millipede genus Parafontaria Verhoeff, 1936 is revised in the light of the geographic variation found in the genital morphology of both sexes. The following 11 species, including one new species, are recognized as valid: P. erythrosoma (Takakuwa, 1942), P. ishiii Shinohara, 1986, P. doenitzi (Karsch, 1880), P. laminata (Attems, 1909), P. crenata Shinohara, 1986, P. longa Shinohara, 1986, P. tokaiensis n. sp., P. shiraiwaensis Shinohara, 1986, P. falcifera (Verhoeff, 1936), P. spathulata (Miyosi, 1951) and P. takakuwai (Shinohara, 1957). Parafontaria tonominea (Attems, 1899) can be recognized as a species complex and is operationally defined as a species. The systematic status of P. terminalis (Takakuwa, 1942) is uncertain. The following new synonymies are proposed: Fontaria (Parafontaria) armigera Verhoeff, 1936 (currently P. laminata armigera (Verhoeff, 1936)), F. (P.) kuhlgatzi Verhoeff, 1937 (currently P. kuhlgatzi (Verhoeff, 1937)) and P. echizenensis Shinohara, 1986 with P. laminata; F. coarctata circula Attems, 1901 (currently P. circula (Attems, 1901)), F. coarctata acutidens Attems, 1909 (currently P. acutidens (Attems, 1909)), F. (Japonaria) spiraligera Verhoeff, 1937 (currently P. spiraligera (Verhoeff, 1937)), F. (J.) marmorata Verhoeff, 1937 (currently P. marmorata (Verhoeff, 1937)), Japonaria longispinosa longispinosa Miyosi, 1951 (currently P. longispinosa longispinosa (Miyosi, 1951)), J. longispinosa falcata Miyosi, 1951 (currently P. longispinosa falcata (Miyosi, 1951)), J. egregia Haga, 1968 (currently P. egregia (Haga, 1968)) with P. tonominea. A cladistic analysis based on 15 morphological characters was performed for all species except P. terminalis. The strict and majority rule (50%) consensus trees identified three and five clades, respectively, within the genus.     

Parasitoids of larch sawfly,Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig) (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) in Changbai Mountains

Eight parasitoids, Cleptes semiauratus (L.) (Chrysididae), Himerta impuncta Sheng, Polyblastus (Labroctonus) westringi Holmgren, Olesicampe erythropyga (Holmgren), Campodorus sp. and Mesochorus sp. (Ichneumonidae), Tritneptis lophyrorum (Ruschka) (Pteromalidae) and Myxexoristops sp. (Tachinidae), reared from cocoons of Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig) (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) in Changbai Mountains, Jilin Province in 2009–2010, are reported. Four hyperparasitoids of P. erichsonii, Phygadeuon bidentatus (Uchida) and Phygadeuon rugulosus Gravenhorst and Trichopria sp. (Diapriidae) reared from Myxexoristops sp., Phygadeuon sp. reared from C. semiauratus, are reported for the first time. The account ratio of Chrysididae, Ichneumonidae, Tachinidae and Pteromalidae was 59.5, 5.6, 32.4 and 2.4%, respectively. The parasitism rates of parasitoids of P. erichsonii were 31.5% in May 2009, 19.8% in October 2009 and 15.9% in June 2010. The emergence periods of parasitoids were from 16 May to 7 June 2009.     

Revision and biogeographical analysis of the black-chinned tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron (Teleostei,Cichlidae): results of morphometric,allozyme, globin chain and mtDNA studies

Morphometric, allozyme, globin chain and cytochrome b analyses were used for a revision of the subspecies complex of the black-chinned tilapia, Sarotherodon melanotheron Rüppell, 1852. Three out of four subspecies are recognized as valid: S. m. melanotheron (Ivory Coast to Benin), S. m. heudelotii (Senegal to Guinea) and S. m. leonensis (Sierra Leone to Liberia). The fourth subspecies, S. m. nigripinnis, is raised to the species level S. nigripinnis and is composed of the nominate subspecies S. n. nigripinnis known from Gabon and a newly introduced subspecies, S. n. dolloi, originally described as Tilapia dolloi and previously synonymized with S. m. nigripinnis. It is presently known from the mouth of the Congo to the Lower Kouilou. Phylogenetically, populations from the most eastern range, e.g. Gabon/Congo, are considered to represent the most ancient populations. From this area of origin, the western range of West Africa (Senegal to Benin) was colonized. Two independent colonization events are indicated by allozyme and mtDNA analyses. The initial invasion of the western range of West Africa could be dated back to about 2.5 million years ago.     

Nine new species of Braconidae (Hymenoptera) from the Russian Far East

Nine new species of Braconidae from the Russian Far East are described and illustrated: Tebennotoma spasskensis sp. n., Parahormius bikinus sp. n., Colastes (Colastes) ussuricus sp. n., C. (Shawiana) kurilensis sp. n., C. (S.) bohayicus sp. n., Oncophanes makarkini sp. n., Doryctes slavianka sp. n., Brulleia chankaica sp. n., Cardiochiles turga sp. n. The genera Tebennotoma Enderlein and Brulleia Szépligeti are recorded for the Russian fauna for the first time.