New species of gnaphosid spiders (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) from the Western Ghats of India

Three new species of the family Gnaphosidae are diagnosed and illustrated: Hitobia procula sp. nov. (only male), Synaphosus iunctus sp. nov. (only female) and Urozelotes patulusus sp. nov. (both male and female). The genera Hitobia and Synaphosus are recorded for the first time from India.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B0090C55-5C3A-4D8A-A543-EFE945F09332     

A new landhopper species of Myanmarorchestia (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Talitridae) from Yunnan,China

A new landhopper talitrid, Myanmarorchestia nunomurai Nakano and Morino, sp. nov., from Yunnan Province, China is described. Since species of Myanmarorchestia were known only from Mt. Victoria of the Arakan Mountains of Myanmar, this is the first record of the genus from China. Myanmarorchestia nunomurai is characterised by its coxal gills on gnathopod 2 to pereopod 6 without filamentous projections while the other congeners from Myanmar possess some/all of the coxal gills with filamentous projections. Additionally, M. nunomurai can be diagnosed by the sexually dimorphic uropod 2, of which the outer ramus bears a robust seta on the midlateral surface and a few rows of small teeth on the middle to distodorsal surface.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3C014FFC-F4D6-4F18-8188-33672367ABB1     

A new species of Ahaetulla Link, 1807 (Serpentes: Colubridae: Ahaetullinae) from India

A new species of vine snake of the genus Ahaetulla is described from peninsular India. The new taxon is a medium-sized arboreal snake, readily distinguished from all other congeners by morphological and genetic differences. The new species appears to be widely distributed in Eastern Ghats and Central India with the western-most distribution extending into eastern Rajasthan. However, it is relatively rare, with only three specimens being acquired over the past nine years.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B610BF55-3CEF-4160-9A2C-25A069A82223

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AD84ABAE-F4F5-452C-8EFD-969D191E738B     

Two new species of the genus Alloclubionoides (Araneae: Amaurobiidae) in Korea

Two new species of the genus Alloclubionoides from two National Parks of Korea are described with detailed illustrations, leg spination, trichobothrium patterns and scanning electron micrographs. Alloclubionoides wolchulsanensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from other Alloclubionoides spiders by a heart-shaped conductor with rounded base in the male palp and a large genital opening situated in the middle of the atrium, and a broadly cylinder-like copulatory duct in female. Alloclubionoides jirisanensis sp. nov. resembles Alloclubionoides napolovi (Ovtchinnikov, 1999 Zhang, ZS, Zhu, MS and Song, DX. 2007. Three new species of the genus Ambanus Ovtchinnikov, 1999 from China (Araneae: Amaurobiidae: Coelotinae). Zootaxa., 1425: 21–28.  [Google Scholar]) but can be distinguished from it by the ‘Y’-shaped conductor dorsal apophysis and wound distal part of conductor.     

Arctic species of the cheilostome bryozoan Microporella,with a redescription of the type species

This investigation focuses on the diversity and taxonomy of species of Microporella found north of the Arctic Circle. Firstly, however, a neotype is chosen for the Mediterranean type species M. ciliata (Pallas) in order to stabilize the taxonomy of this “pseudocosmopolitan” species, which has been recorded in the past from the Arctic. Study of type and other material using scanning electron microscopy shows that only two Arctic species of Microporella can be recognized, M. arctica Norman and M. klugei sp. nov. The first of these is characterized by a large ascopore divided by thin radial septa and situated close to the proximal rim of the orifice. Microporella klugei sp. nov. differs in having a smaller, undivided ascopore situated in a more proximal position on the frontal shield. Both Arctic species are notable among Microporella species for having a high proportion of autozooids without associated avicularia.     

Description of Ghatiana,a new genus of freshwater crab,with two new species and a new species of Gubernatoriana (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae) from the Western Ghat Mountains,India

A new genus of freshwater crab, Ghatiana, with two new species, Ghatiana aurantiaca and Ghatiana hyacintha, and a new species of Gubernatoriana Bott, 1970, are described from the Western Ghat Mountains in Maharashtra State, India. Ghatiana is most similar to Gubernatoriana by its wide, highly arched carapace and by the shape of the male abdomen. Nevertheless, the new genus can be distinguished from Gubernatoriana by the broadness of carapace, length of male abdomen, shape of sixth abdominal somite, length of telson and length of G1 terminal article. Ghatiana aurantiaca sp. nov. and G. hyacintha sp. nov. are distinguished by differences in body colour, carapace width, and G1 morphology, whereas Gubernatoriana triangulus sp. nov. is distinguished from two other known species [Gubernatoriana gubernatoris (Alcock, 1909) and Gubernatoriana pilosipes (Alcock, 1909)] by its triangular G1 subterminal segment and by its carapace morphology. Keys to the species of both the genera are provided.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:36BAA1EA-DC15-4B06-BA09-7BD26C63FF54     

Four new and six known species of the genus Dorylaimellus Cobb, 1913 (Nematoda: Belondiridae) from India

Four new and six known species of Dorylaimellus Cobb, 1913 Cobb, NA. 1913. New nematode genera found inhabiting freshwater and non-brackish soils. J Wash Acad Sci, 3: 432–444. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] are described. Dorylaimellus shamimi sp. nov. has body 1.1–1.2 mm, offset lip region, odontostyle 7–8 μm, pharyngeal expansion 35–43%, longitudinal vulva, amphidelphic gonad and conoid ventrally arcuate tail. Dorylaimellus parindicus sp. nov. has body 1.2–1.5 mm, distinct ventral body pores, lip region offset, odontostyle thick walled, 5–6 μm, odontophore with poorly developed flanges, pharyngeal expansion 38–45%, longitudinal vulva, amphidelphic gonad and short conoid tail. Dorylaimellus hanifae sp. nov. has body 0.3–0.4 mm, offset lip region with peri-oral disc, odontostyle 4–5 μm, pharyngeal expansion 50–55%, transverse vulva, amphidelphic gonad and clavate tail. Dorylaimellus khasianus sp. nov. has body 1.2–1.4 mm; offset lip region; odontostyle 7 μm; odontophore with well developed flanges; pharyngeal expansion 31–35%; longitudinal vulva; amphidelphic gonad and elongate-conoid tail. Dorylaimellus occidentalis, Dorylaimellus parvulus, Dorylaimellus deviatus, Dorylaimellus paraclavatus, Dorylaimellus salvus and Dorylaimellus filamentosus are redescribed.     

The Neotropical genus Cyriocosmus Simon, 1903 and new species from Peru,Brazil and Venezuela (Araneae: Theraphosidae: Theraphosinae)

Cyriocosmus peruvianus sp. nov., C. itayensis sp. nov., C. aueri sp. nov., C. giganteus sp. nov. from Peru, Loreto region, C. hoeferi sp. nov. from Brazil, C. williamlamari sp. nov. and C. nicholausgordoni sp. nov. from Venezuela are described, illustrated, diagnosed and both sexes, if known, keyed. New Peruvian species can be distinguished from all congeners, except C. bertae Pérez-Miles, 1998 and C. pribiki Pérez-Miles and Weinmann, 2009, by the uniformly coloured carapace and abdomen without stripes and by the short paraembolic apophysis in male palpal bulb. The female of Cyriocosmus ritae Pérez-Miles, 1998 is described for the first time from a known Peruvian population near Iquitos.     

An unusual new species of Trechona (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Dipluridae), from quartzitic caves of the Diamantina Plateau,Minas Gerais,Brazil, with a key to the known species

Trechona diamantina sp. nov. is described from quartzite caves in Diamantina, central Minas Gerais State, Brazil. This represents the largest cavernicolous mygalomorph population ever recorded. The new species is the first Trechona recorded from a xeric habitat, namely the Rocky Fields on the Diamantina Plateau. T. diamantina sp. nov. is closely related to T. uniformis, both species possessing elongated male and female copulatory organs and both constructing distinct funnel-webs and sheet-webs in quartzite formations. T. diamantina sp. nov. is distinct in possessing less elongated embolus and receptacula seminis. A key for all valid species of the genus is given.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:EB9E66B3-4701-470C-A80D-873E25F52042     

A new species of Grania (Enchytraeidae,Clitellata, Annelida) and redescription of Grania pusilla from a rocky shore in SE Ireland

Two species of marine Enchytraeidae belonging to the genus Grania Southern, 1913, Grania mira sp.nov and Grania pusilla Erséus, 1974, are described from the rocky shores of southeast Ireland. Grania mira has distinctive muscular modifications of the male ducts. Grania pusilla which was previously reported only from the coasts of Norway and Sweden by Erséus (1974), is completely redescribed, including information on many additional morphological characters noted from recent taxonomic literature on Grania. It is reinstated to the level of species. The species has a penial stylet and a large glandular penial bulb. Differences in setal distribution between specimens of G. pusilla from Ireland and those from Norwegian and Swedish populations are attributed to geographical separation limiting genetic exchange. This is the first report of Grania in Ireland since Southern's discovery of Grania maricola in 1913. Grania maricola shares a structurally simple penial bulb type with G. pusilla, but the species differ in spermathecal shape, spermathecal ectal pore position and vas deferens length.     

New species of Notophthiracarus (Acari: Oribatida: Phthiracaroidea) from Tanzania

Three new species of the genus Notophthiracarus are described, identified and figured from Uluguru Mountains of Tanzania: Notophthiracarus quasiuluguruensis sp. nov, Notophthiracarus tuberculus sp. nov, and Notophthiracarus uluguruensis sp. nov. A comparison with the most closely related species of the genus Notophthiracarus is also presented.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3FBF24E7-3E2D-4686-AD57-EFEA25510BBD     

Karkata,a new genus of gecarcinucid freshwater crab with two new species,and four new species of Pilarta Bahir and Yeo, 2007 and Cylindrotelphusa Alcock, 1909 (Decapoda: Brachyura) from Kerala,India

A new genus of freshwater crab, Karkata gen. nov., with two species, K. ghanarakta sp. nov. (type species) and K. kusumbha sp. nov., and two new species each of Pilarta Bahir and Yeo, 2007 (P. aroma sp. nov. and P. punctatissima sp. nov.) and Cylindrotelphusa Alcock, 1909 (C. breviphallus sp. nov. and C. longiphallus sp. nov.), are described from Kerala, India. Additionally, C. granulata (Pillai, 1951) comb. et stat. nov. is recognised as a distinct species. Karkata gen. nov. is distinguished from other Indian gecarcinucid genera by a suite of carapace and gonopod characters, including a moderately arched, smooth carapace, the presence of a prominent suture between male thoracic sternites 2, 3 and 3, 4, the absence of a flagellum on the third maxilliped exopod, a very short terminal segment of the male first gonopod (G1), and a short distal segment of the male second gonopod (G2). Karkata ghanarakta sp. nov. is differentiated from K. kusumbha sp. nov. by the shape of the G1 subterminal segment and its live colouration. Pilarta punctatissima sp. nov. is distinct among the congeners mainly by its densely punctate carapace, densely setose anterolateral and posterolateral margins of the carapace, stouter G1 terminal segment, and relatively long G2 distal segment whereas P. aroma sp. nov. can be separated from P. anuka Bahir and Yeo, 2007 by its relatively smooth carapace, deep H-shaped groove, relatively long G1 terminal segment, and almost straight outer margins of the G1 terminal and subterminal segments. Cylindrotelphusa breviphallus sp. nov. is differentiated from C. longiphallus sp. nov. and C. steniops (Alcock, 1909) by its stout G1, with a stout, short terminal segment. Cylindrotelphusa longiphallus sp. nov. is distinguished from the congeners by its shallow, narrow cervical grooves and relatively slender ambulatory legs. An identification key to the species of Karkata, Pilarta and Cylindrotelphusa is provided.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AB9B01DA-B23F-4AC2-9349-75ADDBBBF707     

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.     

Three new species of the genus Otacilia (Araneae: Corinnidae) from Hainan Island,China

Three new species of the genus Otacilia collected from Hainan Island, China, are diagnosed, described and illustrated: Otacilia jianfengling sp. nov., Otacilia bawangling sp. nov. and Otacilia limushan sp. nov.