First record of the genus Gigantione (Epicaridea: Bopyridae: Pseudioninae) from Chinese waters,with description of three new species

The parasitic isopod genus Gigantione is first recorded from China. Four species are reported infesting xanthid and goneplacid crabs, three are new to science, and one is a new record from China. Gigantione ishigakiensis Shiino, 1941 Shiino, S. M. 1941. Further notes on Bopyrids from Kyûsyû and Ryûkyû.. Annotat Zool Jpn., 20: 154–158.  [Google Scholar], infesting Liagore rubromaculata (De Haan); G. hainanensis sp. nov., infesting Atergatis floridus (L.) and Atergatis sp., which differs from other recorded species in the shape of its barbula, first oostegite and subrectangular maxilliped; G. rhombos sp. nov., infesting Heteroplax dentata Stimpson, Eucrate alcocki Serene and Eucrate sp., its female distinguished from other species of Gigantione by having a prominent rhombic projection on the barbula; and G. tau sp. nov., infesting Carcinoplax longimanus (De Haan), the female of which differs from other species mainly by its T‐shaped pigmentation on the head. Four brachyuran crabs are first reported as hosts of bopyrids. A list of all brachyuran species so far recorded as bopyrid hosts in China is provided.     

Four new records and a new species of Dactylokepon Stebbing, 1910 (Epicaridea: Bopyridae: Ioninae) from Chinese waters

Five species of the parasitic isopod genus Dactylokepon are described from brachyuran crabs and a scyllarid shrimp collected in Chinese waters. Four species are first recorded from this region, D. richardsonae Stebbing, 1910 Stebbing, T. R. R. 1910. Isopod from the Indian Ocean and British East Africa.. Reports of the Percy Sladen Trust Expedition to the Indian Ocean in 1905, under the leadership of Mr. J. Stanley Gardiner, M. A. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, Series 2, Zoology, 14(1): 83–122.  [Google Scholar] infesting Portunus argentatus (White), D. semipennatus Bourdon, 1983 Bourdon, R. 1983. Expédition Rumphius II (1975) Crustacés parasites, commensaux, etc. (Th. Monod éd.). VIII. Crustacés isopodes (3e partie: Épicarides Bopyridae).. Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, Série 4, 5(A3): 845–869.  [Google Scholar] infesting Portunus haanii (Stimpson) and Lupocyclus rotundatus Adams and White, D. holthuisi Bourdon, 1967 Bourdon, R. 1967. Sur deux nouveaux épicarides (Isopoda) parasites de crustacés decapods.. Zoologische Mededelingen, 42(17): 167–174.  [Google Scholar] infesting Eduarctus martensii (Pfeffer), and D. caribaeus Markham, 1975 Markham, J. C. 1975. New records of two species of parasitic isopods of the bopyrid subfamily Ioninae in the western Atlantic.. Crustaceana, 29(1): 55–67.  [Google Scholar] infesting Randallia trituberculata Sakai. In addition, one species is new to science, D. barbuladigitus n. sp. infesting Liagore rubromaculata (De Haan). Six brachyuran crabs are reported for the first time as hosts of bopyrids. The new species is distinguished from other species of Dactylokepon in having a prominent trifid frontal lamina and a distinct digitate barbula.     

Rhizocephalans (Crustacea: Cirripedia) from Taiwan

One species of shrimp and sixteen species of brachyuran crabs are parasitized by rhizocephalans in Taiwanese waters. Ten of the crabs have never before been recorded as hosts of rhizocephalans. Eight species of rhizocephalans occur in Taiwan. Four species, Diplothylacus taiwanensis, D. calappae, Sacculina scutigera and S. docleae are new to science. The paper records the first example of simultaneous infection of the same host individual by two rhizocephalan species, and provides further evidence of successive moulting of the external mantle cuticle in several species of sacculinids.     

Parasites of shore crabs in the genus Hemigrapsus (Decapoda: Brachyura: Varunidae) and their status in crabs geographically displaced: a review

Two brachyurans of the varunid genus Hemigrapsus from the northwestern Pacific Ocean have invaded coastal regions of the north Atlantic – Hemigrapsus takanoi (sibling species of Hemigrapsus penicillatus) and Hemigrapsus sanguineus in Europe and the latter in the USA. Parasites are known from these crabs in their native habitats, but except for an undescribed larval nematode, none has been found in those examined from their new locations. These parasites include metacercariae of eight species of microphallid trematode, the rhizocephalan barnacles Polyascus polygenea, Sacculina nigra and Sacculina senta, and the obligate gut-inhabiting mesomycetozoan Enteromyces callianassae (potential parasite). The following have been identified in four of the other eight Pacific crabs within the genus (Hemigrapsus nudus and Hemigrapsus oregonensis, northern hemisphere; Hemigrapsus crenulatus and Hemigrapsus sexdentatus, southern hemisphere), none of which have been geographically displaced: metacercariae of two microphallid trematodes; cystacanths of three acanthocephalans Profilicollis antarcticus, Profilicollis botulus and Profilicollis novaezelandensis; larval nematode Ascarophis sp.; nematomorph Nectonema zealandica; entoniscid isopod Portunion conformis; mesomycetozoan Taeniella carcini; and nemertean egg predator Carcinonemertes epialti. The likelihood of the displaced species of shore crabs being rejoined with their native parasites or their susceptibility to becoming infected by similar parasites in their new locations is discussed. In future global displacements of parasitized Hemigrapsus species it is possible that their most serious parasites, rhizocephalans and entoniscid isopods, may infect previously uninfected species. For example, the two eastern Pacific species of Hemigrapsus (H. nudus and H. oregonensis) may be vulnerable to the rhizocephalans and may in turn be a source of entoniscids transported elsewhere.     

Hypersymbioses in the pinnotherid crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura: Pinnotheridae): a review

Members of the brachyuran family Pinnotheridae are nearly all symbionts of other invertebrates; some crabs are parasitic and others are commensal. Most live inside bivalve molluscs or in the tubes or burrows of polychaetes and other marine organisms. Animals living on or in pinnotherid crabs are considered to be hypersymbiotic and are reviewed here. Hypersymbionts are poorly represented within only 26 members (～8.6%) of the Pinnotheridae (20 species in the subfamily Pinnotherinae and six species in the Pinnothereliinae). Parasitic hypersymbionts are as follows: three species of fungi; one cestode larva (undescribed procercoid of Trypanorhynchida); one trematode metacercaria (undescribed Microphallidae); nematode cysts (undescribed); three species of Nemertea (Carcinonemertidae, two undescribed); two species of rhizocephalan Cirripedia (Sacculinidae; plus five or more undescribed potential sacculinid species); epicaridean Isopoda [13 species of Bopyridae (one undescribed) and four species of entoniscids (Entoniscidae, three undescribed)]. Preliminary biological information on undescribed entoniscids is presented. Several mainly incidental hypersymbioses involving ectosymbionts are known primarily from Pinnixa chaetopterana, a symbiont of polychaete burrows. The ctenostome bryozoan Triticella elongata is the only known obligate ectosymbiont in P. chaetopterana, but it also infests five other species of pinnotherids. Some of the other ectosymbionts (all incidental) on P. chaetopterana are stalked ciliates, hydroids, juvenile polychaetes, bivalve molluscs, balanomorph barnacles, harpacticoid copepods and urochordates. Species of ectosymbionts including an ectoproct bryozoan have been reported from other pinnotherid species. Factors influencing our meagre knowledge of hypersymbioses in the Pinnotheridae are discussed, among them the inaccessibility of crab hosts and research emphasis on taxonomy within the family.     

Laboratory studies of a tettigoniid (Insecta: Orthoptera) Ruspolia differens (Serville): colour polymorphism

The occurrence of the siphonostomatoid copepod, Sphaeronella leuckartii Salensky, in the marsupium of the amphipod Aora gracilis (Bate) was studied in Lough Hyne, south-west Ireland. A maximum of 12·9% of A. gracilis females were infected in any monthly sample derived from the sponges Halichondria panicea (Pallas) and Hymeniacidon perleve (Montagu), but up to 42·9% per month from plastic-mesh substrata. The parasitism of Amphipoda by Sphaeronella species is reviewed.     

A review of deviant phenotypes in bees in relation to brood parasitism,and a gynandromorph of Megalopta genalis (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

We review the occurrence of gynandromorphy in 64 species of bee, and describe the abnormal traits as deviations from the male or female wild-type. Pheno-deviants occur at approximately equal frequency among the main body regions (head, thorax, metasoma). Cross-sex expression of character states occur more often among females (i.e. deviant expression of male-like traits) than among males (i.e. deviant expression of female-like traits). Such pathologies demonstrate how developmental switch mechanisms might generate novel structural traits similar to those expressed as a syndrome of brood parasitic traits. We also describe the first known gynandromorphic bee in the tribe Augochlorini, a specimen of the nocturnal bee, Megalopta genalis.     

Fly parasitism in Papuan frogs,with a discussion of ecological factors influencing evolution of life‐history differences

Dipteran parasitism of frogs in the Papuan region is described and aspects of the ecological interaction are detailed. The fly involved, Batrachomyia krausi, is the largest known member of an otherwise Australian genus. Larvae of this species develop in the lateral lymph sacs of frogs of the genus Rana, feed on host blood tissues, occur with high incidence and moderate intensity, yet exhibit minimal virulence. Minimal virulence and high infestation rate seen in this host–parasite system contrast with those reported for Australian congeners. These differences are hypothesized to derive from interaction of the large size of the Papuan parasite with its phylogenetically constrained life‐history. Differences in virulence exhibited between parasitic chloropids versus calliphorids and sarcophagids are discussed as consistent with ecological predictions based on parasite transmission dynamics.     

The parasitoid complex attacking coexisting Spanish populations of Euphydryas aurinia and Euphydryas desfontainii (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae,Melitaeini)

We report on a five‐year investigation of the complex of parasitoids associated with coexisting populations of Euphydryas aurinia and Euphydryas desfontainii at a Spanish site. A sample of over 7000 eggs, 1000 larvae and 200 pupae (the last of these in part having been experimentally placed) revealed the existence of no egg parasitoids, of three primary larval parasitoids and of five primary pupal parasitoids, plus 13 secondary and facultatively tertiary parasitoids associated with the cocoons of the main larval parasitoid, the specialist Cotesia sp. D. The most abundant secondary parasitoid, Neochrysocharis albiscapus, entirely escaped tertiary parasitism by being gregarious. The mortality induced by parasitoids on the butterfly populations, although heavy, was clearly partially minimized by secondary parasitoids acting on Cotesia sp. D. The striking coincidence of the parasitoid complexes attacking the two Euphydryas species suggests a good system for investigating apparent competition between hosts sharing common natural enemies.     

An abnormal,parasitized pseudoscorpion—holotype of Pedalocreagris tethys Ćurčić (= Bisetocreagris ussuriensis (Redikorzev), n.syn.) (Arachnida: Chelonethi: Neobisiidae)

The holotype male of the pseudoscorpion Pedalocreagris tethys ?ur?i?, 1985 has been re-examined and found to be parasitized by an unidentified nematode. The supposed absence of the tactile seta of the telotarsus of leg IV in this species is shown to be a teratology, affecting only right leg IV of the holotype. Pedalocreagris ?ur?i?, 1985 is synonymized with Bisetocreagris ?ur?i?, 1983; Pedalocreagris tethys, the type species, is shown to be a junior subjective synonym of Bisetocreagris ussuriensis (Redikorzev, 1934).     

Geographical distributions and host associations of larval parasitoids of frugivorous Drosophilidae in Japan

In Japan, dominant parasitoids attacking frugivorous Drosophilidae species were Asobara (Braconidae, Alysiinae), Leptopilina, and Ganaspis species (Figitidae, Eucoilinae). Asobara japonica was found throughout Japan, and its populations in the main islands of Japan were parthenogenetic whereas those in the subtropical islands were sexually reproducing. Other parasitoids showed rather restricted distributions; A.tabida, A. rossica, A. rufescens, and Leptopilina heterotoma occurred mainly in northern to central parts of the main islands, Ganaspis xanthopoda from central to southern parts of the main islands, A. leveri in a southern part of the main islands, and A. pleuralis, L. victoriae, and Ganaspis sp. mainly in the subtropical islands. Their major hosts were species of the D. melanogaster species group in the main islands, and species of the D. melanogaster, immigrans, and polychaeta species groups in the subtropical islands. Host use considerably varied among parasitoid species, especially in the subtropical islands.     

The reproductive cycle of Mothocya epimerica (Isopoda: Cymothoidae) a parasite of the sand smelt,Atherina boyeri (Osteichthyes: Atherinidae), in the Lesina Lagoon,Italy

The population of sand smelt, Atherina boyeri, living in the Lesina lagoon (Italy, south-western Adriatic Sea) is infested by the cymothoid isopod Mothoyca epimerica. Monthly samples of sand smelt were taken from July 1990 to May 1991. Male hosts were more infested than females. No relationship was found between the prevalence of infestation and the gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indices of sand smelt. Mothocya epimerica is a protandric hermaphrodite. Reproduction occurs about four times from early summer to early winter, at 2 month intervals. Females produce multiple broods and their life span is at least 6 months during the reproductive season. From February to May reproduction is considerably reduced.     

Insect infestations of small corpses

Reproducible studies of the insects associated with small (< 1 kg) corpses are hampered by dramatic variation, for no obvious reason, in the background carrion-breeding fauna. This variation can lead to undue emphasis being attached to the results from exposure of one, or a small number, of corpses. An experiment with much larger numbers of mice (319) and birds (38) has shown that in eastern Ireland there are at least 29 species of carrion insect (excluding Coleoptera) breeding in such corpses, many of them only in deciduous woodland, where the greatest number and variety of small vertebrates would be found. Inventories of the post-mortem fates of mice and birds are drawn up, and the effects of competition assessed by experiment. Some species of sarcophagid fly larvae kill their competitors. Of the 14 Irish sacrophagine species, only four bred in corpses. There was a gross imbalance of Calliphora spp., with hardly any C. vomitoria in any bait tested.     

An Australian stiletto fly (Diptera: Therevidae) parasitised by a bee fly (Diptera: Bombyliidae)

Exechohypopion therephaga sp. nov. (Bombyliidae) emerged from the pupa of Parapsilocephala ambocerina sp. nov. (Therevidae) collected near Wentworth, New South Wales, Australia. The adults, pupae and mature larvae of the bombyliid and therevid are described and illustrated. Because the therevid host was collected from soil as a larva, the first instar bombyliid planidium is presumed to attach to the therevid in the larval stage. This is the second known record of a therevid being parasitised. Both known cases occurred in Australia and involved a bombyliid parasitoid.     

Some flagellates (Protista) from tropical marine sediments

An account is given of 114 new or otherwise interesting species of benthic marine flagellates from Fiji, Northern Australia (Queensland), Hawaii, Panama and Brazil. Most species are heterotrophs drawn from the euglendis, dinoflagellates, kinetoplastids, bicosoecids, heteroloboseids, and a variety of taxa of uncertain affinities. The work emphasizes the rich variety of protist taxa in marine benthic sites. New names are Amphidinium corrugatum, Anisonema glaciale, Bodo cephalophorus, B. platyrhynchus, B. saliens, Bordnamonas tropicana, Cafeteria ligulifera, C. marsupialis, C. minuta (Ruinen, 1938) nov. comb., Cryptaulax elegans, Dinematomonas inaequalis = Dinema inaequale, Dinematomonas maculata (= Dinema maculatum), Dinematononas valida (= Dinema validum), Diplonema ambulator, Diplonema metabolicum, Discocelis punctata, Dolium sedentarium, Goniomonas amphinema, Goniomonas pacifica, Gyrodinium oblongum, Heteronema exaratum, H. splendens, H. vittatum, Mastigamoeba psammobis, M. skujae nom. nov., Massisteria marina, Metopion fluens, Metromonas grandis, M. simplex (Griessmann, 1913) nov. comb., Notosolenus alatellus, N. navicula, N. ostium, N. scutulum, N. urceolatus, N. tamanduensis, N. triangularis, Percolomonas cuspidata, P. descissa (Perty, 1852) nov. comb., P. elephas (Klug, 1936) nov. comb., P. membranifera, P. pyriformis (Klebs, 1892) nov. comb., P. salina (Entz, 1904) nov. comb., P. spinosa (Klug, 1936) nov. comb., P. sulcata (Stein, 1878) nov. comb., Petalomonas boadicea, P. marginalis, P. minor, P. poosilla, P. raiula, Phyllomitus granulatus, P. vesiculosus, Platychilomonas psammobia, Ploeotia adhaerens, P. corrugata, P. decipiens, P. heracleum, P. discoides, P. longifilum, P. oblonga, P. pseudanisonema, P. punctata, P. robusta, P. scrobiculata, P. tenuis, Protaspis obliqua, P. verrucosa, P. gemmifera, P. tegere, Pseudoperanema (= Peranema) dolochonema, Thecamonas filosa, T. mutabilis (Griessmann, 1913) nov. comb., T.trahens, Urceolus cornutus, U. cristatus.     

The braconid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) associated with seeds of Dipterocarpaceae in Malaysia

Nineteen species of Braconidae have been reared from seeds of Dipterocarpaceae (mainly Shorea species) in West Malaysia. Eleven new species (Brachistinae: Schizoprymnus mesocaudus sp. nov.; Schizoprymnus torreadoroides sp. nov.; Braconinae: Bracon nitidisoma sp. nov.; Bracon rugulifer sp. nov.; Syntomernus shoreatus sp. nov.; Spermatobracon triangulornatus sp. nov.; Cheloninae: Ascogaster cornifera sp. nov.; Ascogaster lamellifera sp. nov.; Phanerotoma divergens sp. nov.; Microgastrinae: Apanteles hemiaurantius sp. nov.; Apanteles striatus sp. nov.) and one new genus (Spermatobracon gen. nov.; type species: Spermatobracon triangulornatus gen. nov. and sp. nov.) are described and illustrated.     

Biodiversity of subterranean amphipod crustaceans: global patterns and zoogeographic implications

Gammaridean amphipod crustaceans are important components of subterranean groundwater communities in many parts of the world. Most subterranean species are stygobionts, which are defined by loss or reduction of eyes and pigment and restriction to hypogean waters. The global subterranean amphipod fauna is composed of about 740 species that are distributed among 36 families and 138 genera; however, 12 families contain about 94% of all hypogean amphipods recorded to date. With respect to number of stygobionts, the four most important families are the Niphargidae, Crangonyctidae, Hadziidae s. lat. (complex), and Bogidiellidae. Many regions of the world contain significant diversities of subterranean amphipods, but the central and southern European-Mediterranean and eastern and southern North American-West Indian regions are clearly superior in taxonomic diversity and species richness. Together these two regions contain about 77% of the world's subterranean amphipod fauna, and their high diversities are attributed in part to geographical heterogeneity and a unique combination of geological and ecological phenomena that include extensive karst terrains, absence of glaciation, and exposure to marine transgressions in the south. Other regions with significant diversities of subterranean amphipods include southern Africa, Australia-New Zealand, eastern Asia, central South America, central Asia, northeastern Africa, and islands of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. The subterranean fauna of southeastern Asia remains very poorly known to date.