The advertisement calls of three South American poison frogs (Amphibia: Anura: Dendrobatidae), with comments on their taxonomy and distribution

The advertisement calls of three species of dendrobatid frogs from Bolivia and Peru are described. For each species we present a characteristic audiospectogram and oscillogram. We also provide numerical information about the spectral and temporal features of the calls. Our recordings of these species are compared with previously described calls of the same species from other locations. Comparisons between the calls of three different populations of Colostethus from Peru and Bolivia support their conspecificity. Characteristics of the call of a Peruvian population of Epipedobates differ from those of E. hahneli, suggesting that further taxonomic research is needed. The distribution of the genus Colostethus and Epipedobates in Bolivia is reassessed.     

Breeding behaviour of Bokermannohyla nanuzae (Anura: Hylidae) at an Atlantic Forest site in southeastern Brazil

We studied the breeding activities of Bokermannohyla nanuzae at an Atlantic Forest site in southeastern Brazil from August 2010 to April 2012. We described courtship behaviour, acoustic parameters of calls, egg clutch features and the egg-laying site, and characterized the reproductive mode. We recorded calling males and gravid females almost year-round, except for a few months in the dry season. We observed the interaction of five male–female pairs that exhibited stereotyped behavioural sequences including visual and tactile signals. We identified three different types of calls that we considered as the advertisement call and two types of courtship calls. Egg clutches were placed in rocky crevices with water or in streamside puddles, among rocks, that would be likely to be flooded as stream water level raises, which characterizes a reproductive mode different from the one previously recognized for this species. The breeding biology of B. nanuzae is complex, with elaborate courtship behaviour and signalling.     

The bioacoustics of the burrowing frog Heleioporus (Leptodactylidae)

Summary

The frog Heleioporus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) calls from a burrow. This paper examines the acoustic properties of the burrow by experimentally actuating plaster casts taken from five species: H. eyrei, H. psammophilus, H. albopunctatus, H. inornatus and H. barycragus. These findings are correlated with the properties of both natural calls of the frogs from the burrow and calls induced from the frog outside of the burrow. The morphology of the burrow enhances the principal frequency component of the call by resonance. Frogs call from a slight bulge beneath the burrow entrance. This calling site corresponds to the optimum position for generating a sound pressure maximum within the burrow. This was determined experimentally in an artificially constructed burrow with a complex internal sound source. In addition to optimizing the acoustic properties of the burrow the frog, in this position, has an open visual field from the burrow entrance. We conclude that the burrow system may compensate for the lack of a vocal sac in these frogs.     

Water mites of the genus Hygrobates Koch, 1837 (Acari: Parasitengona: Hygrobatidae) from Hokkaido,northern Japan

Nine species of Hygrobates (Acari: Parasitengona: Hygrobatidae) from Hokkaido, Japan are described or redescribed from newly collected material and historical specimens. Treated herein are eight species in the subgenus Hygrobates, including one new species, H. bibi sp. nov., as well as H. calliger Piersig, ; H. foreli (Lebert, ); H. japonicus Uchida, ; H. longipalpis (Hermann, ); H. longiporus Thor, ; H. nigromaculatus Lebert, ; and H. sokolowi Thor, . Also treated is H. ezoensis Uchida, in the subgenus Rivobates. A lectotype and paralectotype are designated for H. japonicus Uchida, . Hygrobates (s. str.) heteropalpis Imamura, is synonymized with H. calliger Piersig, . The name H. ezoensis Uchida, is resurrected from synonymy with H. diversiporus Sokolow, . Six species previously known from Hokkaido were collected in the study: H. foreli, H. japonicus, H. longipalpis, H. longiporus, H. diversiporus, and H. ezoensis. New records for both Hokkaido and Japan include H. nigromaculatus and H. sokolowi. A species previously recorded from Hokkaido, H. taniguchii Imamura, , was not found in this study. Three new characters are proposed as useful for the taxonomy of the genus Hygrobates: the ratio of the distance between the P‐4 ventral setae to P‐4 length, the ratio of the length of the longest terminal seta on IV‐L‐5 to the length of IV‐L‐5, and the nature of the outer border of the genital plates.     

Revision of ‘Horatia’ snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae sensu lato) from South Caucasus with description of two new genera

Four nominal species of the genus Horatia Bourguignat, 1887 were described by Russian authors from Caucasian caves (H. borutzkii Shadin, 1932, H. birsteini Starobogatov, 1962, H. ljovushkini Starobogatov, 1962 and H. sokolovi Starobogatov, 1962). Hitherto all the species were known from type series (presented by empty shells) only. Examination of newly obtained samples from the caves of South Caucasus has shown that the four species actually do not belong to the genus Horatia due to obvious differences in the morphology of the copulatory organs between H. klecakiana Bourguignat, 1887 (the type species of this genus) and the Caucasian snails. Moreover, statistical analysis of conchological variation has revealed that the species H. birsteini, H. ljovushkini, and H. sokolovi are conspecific. Two genera are described: Pontohoratia (includes P. birsteini and P. smyri sp. nov.) and Motsametia (with the single species M. borutzkii comb. nov.). The two genera can be distinguished on the basis of the structure of their copulatory organs. The distribution and ecology of the Caucasian Horatia-like mollusks are briefly outlined.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4EDFB2AE-CB1D-4113-8CC7-3A1BBB46D838     

Vocalizations of the Brazilian torrent frog Hylodes heyeri (Anura: Hylodidae): Repertoire and influence of air temperature on advertisement call variation

In this study we analysed the acoustic activity of Hylodes heyeri in areas of Atlantic Forest, in southern Brazil. Observations were made in November 2001 and from January to April 2002, at Estação II Instituto Agronômico do Paraná, municipality of Morretes, State of Paraná. Males displayed three different vocalizations: advertisement calls, territorial calls, and courtship calls. Temporal and spectral parameters of advertisement and territorial calls were analysed, along with call intensity. The duration of the advertisement call showed a negative correlation with air temperature, with males decreasing the duration of advertisement calls at higher temperatures. Male body size was not correlated with any of the acoustic parameters. Details on habitat use, distances to nearest vocalizing neighbour, and daily calling activity are also included.     

New damselfly hosts and species identification of an aquatic parasitoid Hydrophylita emporos (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) in Taiwan

ABSTRACT

The host–parasitoid relationship and species identity of aquatic parasitoids of two damselflies Coeliccia cyanomelas (Platycnemididae) and Psolodesmus mandarinus dorothea (Calopterygidae) from Fushan and Lienhuachih in Taiwan were studied using morphological characters and DNA barcoding sequences. The parasitoids reared from the damselflies’ eggs, and the field-collected parasitoids, were morphologically identified as Hydrophylita emporos (Trichogrammatidae), a recently described parasitoid of the damselfly P. m. mandarinus from Northern Taiwan. The CO1 (cytochrome c oxidase I) gene tree supported the identification as H. emporos, as well as all parasitoid samples from C. cyanomelas, P. m. dorothea and P. m. mandarinus. The sampled H. emporos populations did not differ genetically despite their different host associations. However, some genetic differences were found between H. emporos populations from Northern and Central Taiwan, indicating that the dispersal of H. emporos may be limited by geographical distances. Our results suggest that H. emporos can parasitise not only closely related sister subspecies, P. m. mandarinus and P. m. dorothea, but also phylogenetically distant species of another damselfly family, C. cyanomelas. This is the first record of multiple damselfly hosts for the aquatic parasitoid genus Hydrophylita. This finding implies that the host range of H. emporos and congeneric species may be broader than previously thought.     

The first Leptanilloides species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Leptanilloidinae) from eastern South America

We describe a species of the exclusively Neotropical dorylomorph ant genus Leptanilloides (Leptanilloidinae), Leptanilloides atlantica sp. nov., based on workers collected in the Atlantic Forest, São Paulo, south-eastern Brazil. The 11 species of Leptanilloides described are known from relatively high altitudes in western America (from the Andes foothills in Bolivia to Sierra Morena in Mexico). The discovery of a Leptanilloides species in south-eastern Brazil represents a significant range extension for the genus; this new species shares characters with Leptanilloides biconstricta (Bolivia), Leptanilloides femoralis (Venezuela) and Leptanilloides gracilis (Mexico) and may be distinguished based on a combination of traits. The hypogaeic habits of Leptanilloidinae combined with inefficient collecting techniques may explain the paucity of information and of specimens of this group in most museum collections as well as its present apparent disjunct distribution. We compare Leptanilloides distribution to that of other organisms that show similar disjunct patterns in the Andes and montane sites in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E7E334AA-58C0-455D-A0A6-724D29226DD0     

The systematic position of the tribe Stenodemini (Heteroptera: Cimicomorpha: Miridae: Mirinae) in the light of the male internal reproductive system

The study focuses on the morphology and ultrastructure of the male reproductive system of 13 Hemiptera species representing the tribes Stenodemini and Pithanini: Acetropis carinata, Dolichomiris linearis, Leptopterna dolabrata, L. ferrugata, Megaloceroea recticornis, Notostira elongata, N. erratica, Stenodema (Brachystira) calcarata, Stenodema (Stenodema) holsata, S. (S.) laevigata, Trigonotylus caelestialium, T. pulchellus and Myrmecoris gracilis. The study also embraces three species which belong to the tribe Mirini, and play the role of an out-group in the conducted analyses. These species are: Adelphocoris seticornis, Calocoris affinis and Lygus rugulipennis. On the basis of total preparations, cross and longitudinal sections, we have studied the number of testicular follicles, their dimensions, types of connections between follicles and vas deferens, the structure of vasa deferentia, as well as the number, structure and origin of accessory glands. The above-listed features have provided complementary information, alongside morphological features, helpful in verifying the taxonomic position of the tribe Stenodemini.     

On systematic relations of Oomorphus concolor (Sturm) Col., Chrysomelidae), with descriptions of its larva and of an aberrant Cryptocephaline larva from Australia

The phylogenetic significance of morphological characters used to diagnose Bactericera, Rhinopsylla, Paratrioza, Allotrioza, Klimaszewskiella, Eubactericera, Phylloplecta and Sinitrioza is examined. There is no evidence that the genera or subgenera, in any of their present or past definitions, constitute natural units. The six former together, however, form a monophyletic group, defined by a combination of adult, larval and egg characters. Phylloplecta and Sinitrioza, which share similar adult characters with Bactericera, differ in the larval and egg morphology. The following new synonymies are established: Bactericera (=Rhinopsylla pro parte, = Paratrioza, = Allotrioza, = Klimaszewskiella, = Eubactericera pro parte) and Phylloplecta (= Sinitrioza). A list of the 121 species included in Bacerticera is provided and 75 new combinations are introduced (60 in Bactericera, 4 in Phylloplecta, 9 in Trioza and 1 in Kuwayama). Bactericera equisetifolii sp. n. and B. vellae sp. n. are described from Israel and Spain respectively, and B. loginovae, B. perrisii and B. rossica are redescribed. The following new species level synonymies are proposed: B. perrisii (= B. maritima) and B. gobica (= P. sinica, = P turcamanica). Variation of genal cone length in B. kratochvili is discussed and the presence of two biological races is noted in B. modesta. Keys are provided for the adults of the European species associated with Salix, and the last instar larvae of the West palaerctic species; the latter are also illustrated. Information on life cycles and host plants is summarised and briefly discussed. Differences in the hindwing venation, which were recently used to erect the families Rhinopsyllidae and Rhinocolidae are shown to be trivial. The two families are therefore synonymised with the Triozidae and Psyllidae respectively.     

Integrative taxonomic analysis reveals a new species of Leptobrachium (Anura: Megophryidae) from north-eastern Cambodia and central Vietnam

ABSTRACT

Species boundaries within the red-eyed Leptobrachium of southern Indochina have been uncertain. Leptobrachium pullum and L. mouhoti from upper and lower elevations, respectively, of the Langbian Plateau of southern Vietnam and eastern Cambodia differ in body size but have relatively low interspecific mitochondrial DNA divergence, leading to speculation that these might represent a single species with an elevational cline in body size. The recent discovery of an allopatric high-elevation population of red-eyed Leptobrachium on the Kon Tum Plateau (= Central Highlands) of north-eastern Cambodia and central Vietnam has been referred to both species, and to a putatively undescribed species. We examine variation in morphology of adults and tadpoles, mitochondrial DNA, 11 nuclear genes and advertisement calls, and show corroborating lines of evidence for the existence of three species of red-eyed Leptobrachium in southern Indochina. Although the three species are reciprocally monophyletic in mitochondrial DNA, their shallow mitochondrial DNA divergences are not mirrored by morphology, advertisement calls, or – in part – nuclear DNA, and probably reflect past mitochondrial introgression rather than recent speciation. The Central Highlands taxon is described herein as a new species.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CE6650AF-D9FB-40F4-8A2E-9B4E23AAC205     

Systematic status of Hydrozetes octosetosus Willmann, 1932 (Acari: Oribatida: Hydrozetidae) in the light of ontogenetic and ecological studies

The systematic status of Hydrozetes octosetosus was investigated by comparing this species to H. lacustris, which is the type species for the genus Hydrozetes Berlese, 1902. These species are similar, but probably not synonyms as recently proposed. They differ mainly by the position of notogastral seta lm in the adult and position and length of this seta and total number of long setae in the posterior part of nymphs. In the adult of H. octosetosus, this seta inserts behind the opisthosomal gland opening (gla), but in front of it in H. lacustris. In the nymphs of H. octosetosus seta lm inserts behind gla opening, but medially to it in H. lacustris. In H. octosetosus this seta is very long and the total number of long setae in nymphs is four pairs, while in H. lacustris seta lm is short and the total number of long setae in nymphs is three pairs.     

Gastrointestinal helminth communities of two gekkonid lizard species,Nactus multicarinatus and Nactus pelagicus (Squamata: Gekkonidae), from the Republic of Vanuatu,Oceania

Gastrointestinal helminth communities of two gekkonid species, Nactus multicarinatus and Nactus pelagicus, from the Vanuatu Archipelago were examined. Both helminth communities were depauperate: N. multicarinatus harboured one species of Digenea, Mesocoelium monas, one species of Cestoda, Oochoristica javaensis, four species of Nematoda, Hedruris hanleyae, Parapharyngodon maplestoni, Physocephalus sp. (larvae in cysts), Filarioidea gen. sp. (juvenile); N. pelagicus harboured one species of Cestoda, O. javaensis, four species of Nematoda, H. hanleyae, Falcaustra tannaensis, P. maplestoni, Physocephalus sp. (larvae in cysts). In each helminth community P. maplestoni represented a core species and H. hanleyae was a secondary species. It is postulated that the helminth fauna infecting lizards of the Vanuatu Archipelago originated in Australia and Papua New Guinea and reached the archipelago by rafting; their establishment in Vanuatu was fortuitous.     

Two new Geoplaninae species (Platyhelminthes: Continenticola) from Southern Brazil based on an integrative taxonomic approach

The genera Cratera Carbayo et al., 2013 and Obama Carbayo et al., 2013, belonging to the subfamily Geoplaninae, were recently proposed to encompass some of the species that belonged to the genus Geoplana Stimpson, 1857. Herein we describe two new species of Geoplaninae, occurring in areas of ombrophilous forest which belong to the southern portion of the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest. The species are sympatric in their type-locality. In general, both new species herein described match the diagnostic characteristics of their genera. However, some of these features are noteworthy when characters of the new species are taken into consideration, especially the pattern of the sensory pits and the morphology of the prostatic vesicle. Both species are differentiated from their congeners by a combination of morphological characteristics, corroborated by phylogenetic analyses of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene, using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference, as well as the Automatic Barcode Gap tool.     

A new species of arboreal salamander (Caudata: Plethodontidae: Pseudoeurycea) from the mountains of Oaxaca,Mexico

Recent surveys of the plethodontid salamander fauna of Oaxaca, Mexico, disclosed the existence of a new, morphologically distinct arboreal species of the genus Pseudoeurycea. The new species, described here, is from the Sierra Mazateca in northern Oaxaca. Sequences of 1833 base pairs of the 16S, cytochrome b and ND4 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes from the new taxon were used to assess its phylogenetic position. Previous phylogenetic analyses based on mtDNA supported recognition of four clades within Pseudoeurycea: P. bellii, P. gadovii, P. juarezi and P. leprosa-Lineatriton species groups. One additional species, P. unguidentis, was not closely allied to any of the four groups. Re-analysis including the additional sequences reported here establishes a sister-group relationship between the new species and P. unguidentis. Moreover, it supports this clade as part of the P. juarezi species group.     

Spatial and temporal organization in three syntopic species of the Scinax ruber group (Anura: Hylidae) in the Atlantic rainforest,southeastern Brazil

Coexistence of anuran species might lead to acoustic interference among communications, especially where species are closely related. This problem might be minimized through resource partitioning. To test this idea, we analysed calling with respect to temporal and physical space usage in three syntopic, closely related species (Scinax cuspidatus, Scinax aff. hayii and Scinax aff. x-signatus) in a temporary pond in the Atlantic rainforest. The chorus attendance of each species resulted from a different combination of factors in the rainy season. Although there was some temporal overlap of daily activity among species, peak activity time differed, particularly between the two species whose calls were most similar. Although all three species tend to aggregate in open microhabitats, their coexistence is apparently facilitated by differential use of vertical strata and organization of calling sites near the sites of conspecifics. Together, these factors apparently reduce acoustic interference among heterospecific calls.     

Ampithoid amphipods from the South Pacific: Papua New Guinea,French Polynesia and New Caledonia

This paper documents 13 known and seven new species of Ampithoidae from three South Pacific locations: Papua New Guinea; the Austral Isles, French Polynesia; and the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia. The new species Ampithoe ricaudyana, Ampithoe takeuchii, Cymadusa lituus, Cymadusa paradisaea, Plumithoe boulari, Sunamphitoe kanaka and Sunamphitoe tjiboui are described. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:590B4276-1DFA-40C1-B562-A7B5FC1E6A5C