Taxonomy and phylogeny of the Old World jumping plant-louse genus Paurocephala (Insecta,Hemiptera, Psylloidea)

Fifty-one species are recognized in the genus Paurocephala, with an additional 14 species which remain unnamed. Thirty-five species are described as new, and five species are synonymized: P. pumilae and P. zhejiangensis with P. chonchaiensis, P. debregeasiae with P. sauteri, and P. guangxiensis and P. tremae with P. trematos. Two varieties, P. psylloptera maculipennis and P. psylloptera setifera, are raised to species level. P. bifasciata is reinstated from former synonymy with P. chonchaiensis, and Anomoterga kleinhofiae is transferred back to Paurocephala. Lectotypes are designated for P. brevicephala, P. chonchaiensis, P. psylloptera, P. sauteri, P. setifera and P. wilderi. The four New World species of Paurocephala are not considered to be congeneric with the Old World species and will be transferred to Diclidophlebia. Two South African species, P. bicarinata and P. hottentotti, are removed from Paurocephala and have to be accommodated in a new genus in the Diaphorininae. Thus Paurocephala is an Old World genus with nine Afrotropical and 42 Indo-Australian described species. Keys for the identification of adults and fifth instar larvae are provided. All 51 named species are diagnosed and illustrated, and information is given on distribution and host plants. Based on two cladistic analyses, one using adult characters only, and one using both adult and larval characters, four monophyletic species groups are recognized. In both analyses a basal group of 10 species, the brevicephala -group, forms the sister group to all other Paurocephala spp. The Afrotropical species are monophyletic and, together with one Oriental species constitute the gossypii group. In the analysis with adult characters only, the gossypii -group is the sister taxon of the kleinhofiae -group and, both together, are the sister group of the psylloptera -group, the largest species group with 27 species. In the analysis of adult and larval characters, the relationships between the last three species groups are not resolved. The result of the phylogenetic analysis confirms the synonymy of the subgenus Thoracocorna with Paurocephala. Known host plants of Paurocephala spp. belong to the Malviflorae with the exception of the Afrotropical P. insolita which develops on Theiflorae (Theales, Clusiaceae). The brevicephala -, kleinhofiae - and gossypii -groups are associated with hosts of the order Malvales (Malvaceae and Sterculiaceae), whereas the psylloptera -group is with Urticales (Urticaceae, Moraceae and Ulmaceae).     

Gall-inducing jumping plant-lice of the Neotropical genus Baccharopelma (Hemiptera,Psylloidea) associated with Baccharis (Asteraceae)

The genus Baccharopelma (new replacement name for Neopelma Burckhardt, 1987 Burckhardt, D. 1987. Jumping plant lice (Hoomoptera: Psylloidea) of the temperate neotropical region. Part 1: Psyllidae (subfamilies Aphalarinae, Rhinocolinae and Aphalaroidinae). Zoological Journal of the Linnaean Society, 89: 299–392. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] nec Sclater, 1860 Sclater, P. L. 1860. Characters of ten new species of American bird. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 28: 461–467.  [Google Scholar]; and for its replacement name Burckhardtia Straube and Miretzki, 1999 Straube, F. C and Miretzki, M. 1999. A homonymy in Psyllidae (Homoptera): a new name for Neopelma Burckhardt. Revista brasileira de Zoologia, 16: 1233 [Google Scholar] nec Frech, 1907 Frech F 1907 Ueber Aviculiden von palaeozoischem Habitus aus der Trias von Zacatecas Comptes Rendus du Congrès Géologique International, Mexico, 10(1906), 327–335  [Google Scholar] nec Brown and Hodkinson, 1988 Brown, R. G and Hodkinson, I. D. 1988. Taxonomy and ecology of the jumping plant-lice of Panama (Homoptera: Psylloidea). Entomonograph, 9: 304?pp [Google Scholar]) is revised to include five named species and possibly two undescribed species. The junior homonym Burckhardtia Brown and Hodkinson nec Frech is replaced by Hodkinsonia nom. n. The introduction of the two generic replacement names necessitates two new combinations. Four species are described as new. Keys for the identification of adults and the last instar larva are provided along with species diagnoses and illustrations of taxonomically relevant structures. The galls and known biological features are briefly discussed for each species and the phylogenetic relationships among the species are analysed. Baccharopelma spp. are monophagous on Baccharis spp. (Asteraceae) on which they induce galls. The temperate South American genus has one species restricted to Chile, three to Brazil and one occurring in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.     

Life cycle variation and adaptation in jumping plant lice (Insecta: Hemiptera: Psylloidea): a global synthesis

This paper integrates the scattered information on the life histories of the jumping plant lice or psyllids, examining those aspects of their biology that contribute to successful life cycle completion. Variation in life history parameters is reviewed across the world's psyllids and the relative importance of phylogeny and environment, including host‐plant growth strategy, in determining life history strategies is assessed. Elements of life cycles considered include: development rate and voltinism, response to high temperature and drought, cold‐hardiness and overwintering strategy, seasonal polymorphism, diapause, metabolism, host‐plant selection and range, phenological and other adaptations to host plants, disease transmission and host amelioration, dispersal, reproduction and mate finding. Life history parameters are analyzed for 342 species. While a phylogenetic signal can be identified within the data, the main drivers for life history adaptation are environmental temperatures and water availability, acting directly on the psyllids or mediated through their host plants.     

A new species of freshwater crab (Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamidae) from Dongyin Island,Matsu, Taiwan,defined by morphological and molecular characters,with notes on its biogeography

A new species of freshwater crab, Nanhaipotamon dongyinense sp. nov. (Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamidae), is described from Dongyin Island, Matsu, Taiwan. Based on morphological and molecular (mitochondrial 16S rRNA) evidence, it can be distinguished from its congeners. The biogeography of the species, found on an island 50 km from mainland China, is also discussed.     

The systematics of the dusky striped squirrel,Funambulus sublineatus (Waterhouse, 1838) (Rodentia: Sciuridae) and its relationships to Layard's squirrel,Funambulus layardi Blyth, 1849

The systematics of the dusky striped squirrel, Funambulus sublineatus (Waterhouse, 1838 Waterhouse, GR. 1838. On a new species of squirrel … Sciurus sublineatus. Proc Zool Soc Lond. (part VI), : 19–20.  [Google Scholar]) are reassessed against new evidence following a revision of its genus, Funambulus Lesson, 1835 Lesson, RP. 1835. Illustrations De Zoologie, ou Recueil De Figures D'animaux peintes d'aprés nature, Paris: Arthur Bertrand.  [Google Scholar]. Mitochondrial DNA suggests that the Sri Lankan subspecies of F. sublineatus is the sister taxon of Funambulus layardi Blyth, 1849 Blyth, E. 1849. Note on the Sciuri inhabiting Ceylon and those of the Tenasserim provinces. J Asiatic Soc (Bengal), 18(1): 600–603.  [Google Scholar], despite its phenotypic similarity to the nominate species. Morphological and mtDNA evidence is presented for these species plus additional mtDNA data from Funambulus palmarum (Linnaeus, 1766 Linnaeus, C. 1766. Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, 12th, Holmiae: Laurentii Salvii.  [Google Scholar]) and Funambulus pennantii Wroughton, 1905 Wroughton, RC. 1905. The common striped palm squirrel. J Bombay Nat Hist Soc, 16: 406–413.  [Google Scholar]. Morphometric data indicate that the two taxa conventionally considered subspecies of F. sublineatus are sufficiently distinct for them to be ranked separately, resulting in two further endemic mammal species in India and Sri Lanka and an increase in Funambulus diversity. The name of the Sri Lankan species changes to Funambulus obscurus (Pelzeln and Kohl 1886 Pelzeln, Av and Kohl, FF. 1886. Ueber eine Sendung von Saugethieren und Vogeln aus Ceylon. Verhandel zool bot Ges Wien, 35: 525–528.  [Google Scholar]). Whether the mtDNA phylogeny is a true reflection of F. obscurus and F. layardi remains unresolved pending further data.     

The Indo-Pacific Pilumnidae XII. On the familial placement of Chlorodiella bidentata (Nobili, 1901) and Tanaocheles stenochilus Kropp, 1984 using adult and larval characters with the establishment of a new subfamily,Tanaochelinae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura)

Within the Xanthoidea, Chlorodiella bidentata (Nobili, 1901) had been assigned to the Xanthidae MacLeay, 1838 and Tanaocheles stenochilus Kropp, 1984, to the Trapeziidae Miers, 1886. The adult characters of these two species are re-appraised and are considered to be congeneric. The familial position of Tanaocheles is reviewed and the genus does not conform to the diagnosis of the Xanthidae or Trapeziidae. The taxon is, therefore, placed in the Pilumnidae Samouelle, 1819, sensu Guinot, 1978, and assigned to a new subfamily. The first stage zoeal chaetotaxy of C. bidentata supports the adult revision at the family level.     

The preimaginal stages of Minotetrastichus frontalis (Nees) and Chrysocharis laomedon (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), parasitoids associated with Phyllonorycter issikii (Kumata) (Lepidoptera,Gracillariidae)

The biology and morphology of the early larval instars of Minotetrastichus frontalis (Nees) are redescribed and the morphology of the preimaginal stages of Chrysocharis laomedon (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) are described in detail for the first time. Both species are larval-pupal parasitoids of Phyllonorycter issikii (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae), which is associated with Tilia sp. The female of M. frontalis lays her egg beside the host larva and the newly hatched first instar larva moves and has to find the host larva. The larva of P. issikii tries to continue its feeding but never pupates after paralysis. The female of C. laomedon lays its egg inside the cuticle of the larva of P. issikii, but the newly hatched parasitoid larva vacates the host larva and develops externally on its surface as an ectoparasitoid. Such behaviour might be facilitated by the constant temperature and humidity inside the mine. Some peculiarities of parasitoid–host relationships are described and discussed.     

The species of four genera of Metopiinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) in Britain,with new host records and descriptions of four new species

Two genera of Metopiinae are recorded for the first time from the British Isles, Ischyrocnemis Holmgren and Synosis Townes. An account is also given of a further two genera, Apolophus Townes and Stethoncus Townes, that have been recently recorded from Britain but remain little known. Apolophus and Synosis are shown to be koinobiont endoparasitoids of Lepidoptera larvae of the families Schreckensteiniidae and Yponomeutidae, respectively. Four species are described as new: Stethoncus monopicida sp. nov., Synosis caesiellae sp. nov., Synosis fieldi sp. nov., and Synosis parenthesellae sp. nov. A key to the Western Palaearctic species of Synosis is provided.