Epizoic rotifers (Rotifera: Monogononta,Bdelloidea) from the gill chambers of Potamon fluviatile (Herbst, 1785)

We describe some rare epizoic rotifers found on Potamon fluviatile (Herbst, 1785) from Italy. Three species are discussed: Lecane branchicola (Piovanelli, 1903) (Monogononta, Lecanidae; new synonym: L. piovanellii Barto?, 1957 Barto?, E. 1957. Die Rädertiere der Kiemenhöhle der Süsswasserkrabbe (Potamon potamon). Vestnik Ceskoslovenské Zoologiscké Spolecnosti, 21: 376–380.  [Google Scholar]), Anomopus telphusae Piovanelli, 1903 and Embata parasitica (Giglioli, 1863) (Bdelloidea: Philodinidae). Lecane branchicola, previously considered a nomen nudum after Barto? (1957 Barto?, E. 1957. Die Rädertiere der Kiemenhöhle der Süsswasserkrabbe (Potamon potamon). Vestnik Ceskoslovenské Zoologiscké Spolecnosti, 21: 376–380.  [Google Scholar]), is redescribed, and its identity is stabilized by the designation of a neotype. Both L. branchicola and A. telphusae are particularly rare, and have been found on a few occasions only. Lecane branchicola appears to be restricted to a specific body part of their host, namely the branchial chamber. On the contrary, E. parasitica has been recorded as epizoic from several hosts and regions. SEM photographs of the trophi of the three species are presented.     

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     

Two new species of Beddardiella (Eudrilidae: Oligochaeta: Annelida) from Nigeria

Two new earthworms species, Beddardiella soforei n.sp. and Beddardiella numanensis n.sp., are described from Michika and Numan in north eastern Nigeria. They, like their earlier described congeners, are characterized by non-continuity of the lumen of the thecovarian duct with that of the spermatheca, the locations of two oesophageal gizzards in either V–VI or VI–VII (as against a single gizzard in V in other Eudrilinae), the location of ventral oesophageal sacs in X–XII as against IX–XI, and the location of calciferous glands in XV as against XIII. These probably represent sufficient reasons to erect a new subfamily to accommodate the genus Beddardiella. But, as a continuing analysis reveals more variations among the Eudrilinae it is recommended that this awaits a more comprehensive reclassification of the family.     

A new genus and species of bythitid fish (Teleostei: Ophidiiformes) from New Zealand

Brosmodorsalis persicinus n. gen., n. sp. is described from specimens collected from shallow coastal rocky reefs of northern New Zealand. Brosmodorsalis is placed in the bythitid fish subfamily Brosmophycinae because it has the caudal fin separate from the dorsal and anal fins. The genus differs from all others within the subfamily by the origin of the dorsal fin being well in advance of the posterior margin of the operculum and the anterior dorsal fin rays being free of membrane.     

Notes on some palaearctic and oriental Systropha,with descriptions of new species and a key to the species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae)

An annotated list of the palaearctic and oriental species of the genus Systropha Illiger, 1806, includes additional records for some less well-known species. A lectotype is designated for Systropha hirsuta Spinola, 1839. Systropha christae Warncke, 1992, is synonymized with S. hirsuta. Systropha androsthenes and S. diacantha, spp. n., are described from the Gulf States. A key for the separation of the males is given.     

Terrapotamon gen. nov., a new genus of freshwater crabs from Malaysia and Thailand,with description of a new species,Terrapotamon aipooae sp. nov. (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamidae)

A new genus, Terrapotamon gen. nov., is established to accomodate two species of freshwater crabs, Potamon abbotti Rathbun, 1898 from southern Thailand, and a new species, Terrapotamon aipooae sp. nov. from West Malaysia. Members of this genus are characterized by their inflated carapaces, very acutely triangular external orbital angles, and structure of their first male gonopods.     

The sentinel crabs of the genus Chaenostoma (Stimpson, 1858) (Crustacea: Brachyura: Macrophthalmidae), with description of a new species and new records

The genus Chaenostoma (Stimpson, 1858) so far includes four distinct species, i.e. C. boscii (Audouin, 1826), C. lisae (Poupin and Bouchard, 2010), C. punctulatus Miers, 1884, and C. sinuspersici (Naderloo and Türkay, 2011). Chaenostoma java n. sp. is here described as a fifth species from Java (Indonesia) easily distinguished from its congeners by the features of the male first pleopod, the penultimate segment of the male abdomen, and the unique female gonopore. The new species is most similar to C. lisae, but they differ in the morphology of the male chelipeds and female gonopores. Chaenostoma lisae is redescribed and recorded from Madagascar, Mayotte I. and New Caledonia. An identification key for the genus is provided.     

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.     

Tardigrades from the Tsinling Mountains,central China with descriptions of two new species of Echiniscidae (Tardigrada)

A checklist of 63 species of tardigrades from the Tsinling Mountains is given in this paper. Thirty‐seven species of tardigrades that had never been found in the Tsinling Mountains were reported here. Twenty of them are new records for the mountains, 15 of them are new records for China, two of them are new to science. Pseudechiniscus pilatoi sp. n. is similar to Pseudechiniscus quadrilobatus Iharos, 1969 Iharos, G. 1969. Einige Angaben zur Tardigradenfauna Vietnams.. Opuscula Zoologica, Budapest, 9(2): 273–277.  [Google Scholar]. It differs from P. quadrilobatus in different cuticular sculpture, in the joints of paired‐plates, near the dorsal median line, uplifting but not protruding backward, and in lacking notches on terminal plate. Echiniscus marleyi sp. n. differs from E. canadensis Murray in having filaments D; it differs from E. mediantus Marcus in lacking filaments C but in having filaments D; it differs from E. spinulosus (Doyère) in lacking teeth B, C, E, and in having filaments D instead of teeth D.     

Two new species of Pogonognathellus (Collembola: Tomoceridae) from China,with a discussion of East Asian species

Thirteen species of the genus Pogonognathellus Paclt, 1944 Paclt, J. 1944. Nomina nova in Collembola. Entomol Listy, 7: 92 [Google Scholar] have been reported worldwide, two from East Asia. Two new species of the genus from Jilin Province, northeast China are described here. Pogonognathellus heterochros sp. nov. is characterized by its unique body colour. Pogonognathellus mai sp. nov. is most similar to Pogonognathellus beckeri (Börner, 1909) but differs from it mainly in maxilla and tenaculum. A key to the East Asian species is provided, and the confusion among these species is discussed. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:902CD044-0A58-4CCF-A1B1-449C9DE10938     

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.     

The subfamily Andaniopsinae (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Stegocephalidae): description of one new species and redescription of Steleuthera maremboca

One new species, Andaniopsis isaki n. sp., is described, and one species, Steleuthera maremboca, is redescribed. Both genera belong to the newly erected subfamily Andaniopsinae. The combination of the enlarged merus on pereopod 7 and the weakly incised apex of the telson separates the new species from all other Andaniopsinae species.     

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.     

A new species of the genus Nanosesarma (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Sesarmidae), and redescription of Nanosesarma jousseaumei (Nobili, 1906), including new records from the Persian Gulf

A new species of sesarmid crab from the Persian Gulf, Nanosesarma sarii n. sp. is described. Further, a poorly known species, N. jousseaumei (Nobili, 1906 Nobili, G. 1906. Faune carcinologique de la Mer Rouge. Décapodes et Stomatopodes. Ann Sci Nat, Zool ser. 9., 4(1): 1–347.  [Google Scholar]), is recorded from the Persian Gulf and recognized as a valid species. N. sarii n. sp. is allied to N. minutum (De Man, 1887) and N. jousseaumei (Nobili, 1906) Nobili, G. 1906. Faune carcinologique de la Mer Rouge. Décapodes et Stomatopodes. Ann Sci Nat, Zool ser. 9., 4(1): 1–347.  [Google Scholar], but is easily distinguishable from them through a number of characters, in particular the upper surface of the palm with a longitudinal granular ridge, the upper surface of the movable finger fully covered with tubercles, and abdomen of the male with the sixth segment wide and the seventh segment remarkably elongate. N. jousseaumei differs from its remaining congeners in having a large gap between the cheliped fingers, a large tubercle proximally on the outer surface of the movable finger, and large teeth on the posterior margin of the merus of the walking legs.     

The morphological and molecular analyses of a new South American urban tardigrade offer new insights on the biological meaning of the Macrobiotus hufelandi group of species (Tardigrada: Macrobiotidae)

Worldwide knowledge of tardigrade fauna is still limited, and many areas such as South America are not well studied. The collection of new substrates in Argentinean urban areas provided an opportunity to describe the new tardigrade species Macrobiotus kristenseni sp. nov. This species has been studied with an integrative taxonomic approach, analysing its morphology by light and scanning electron microscopy, and considering two genes (cox1 and 18S rRNA) for DNA barcoding and phylogenetic purposes. The species belongs to the Macrobiotus hufelandi group of species, and it is characterized by egg processes in the shape of elongated cones with truncated and enlarged apexes, and by a high genetic distance with respect to closely related species (cox1: 18.2–33.4%). Morphological and molecular data show that the Macrobiotus hufelandi group of species has to be considered a true biological entity; one of the more widespread tardigrade lineages in continental environments. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2CA51ABA-5570-4AFB-8182-CE499D97B0F1     

Two new free-living marine nematode species of Xyalidae (Monhysterida) from the Yellow Sea,China

Two new species of free-living marine nematodes Paramonohystera eurycephalus sp. nov. and Steineria sinica sp. nov. from the Yellow Sea, China are described. Paramonohystera eurycephalus sp. nov. is characterized by relatively wide head diameter (33 μm in width), large cup-shaped buccal cavity; presence of numerous long cervical setae; amphidial fovea 18–20 μm in diameter; spicules slender, arcuate, 3.1–3.2 anal body diameter; gubernaculum tubular with a distal hook; five to six minute precloacal supplements. Steineria sinica sp. nov. is characterized by eight groups of three subcephalic setae at almost same level as cephalic setae; eight groups of two long cervical setae situated between subcephalic setae and amphidial fovea; amphidial fovea round, 35% of corresponding body diameter, about one head diameter from anterior end; spicules slender, cephalate proximally and taper distally; gubernaculum pipe-shaped with dorsocaudal apophysis; tail conico-cylindrical with three long terminal setae.