Description,molecular phylogeny,and natural history of a new kleptoparasitic species of gelechiid moth (Lepidoptera) associated with Melastomataceae galls in Brazil

The male, female, pupa and larva of a new species of Gelechiidae (Lepidoptera), Locharcha opportuna Moreira and Becker, are described and illustrated with the aid of optical and scanning electron microscopy. A preliminary analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences including members of related lineages is also provided. The immature stages are associated with galls induced by a species of Palaeomystella Fletcher (Lepidoptera: Momphidae) on Tibouchina sellowiana (Cham.) Cogn. (Melastomataceae), endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest. Larvae are kleptoparasitic, usurping the gall internal space and thereafter feeding on the internal tissues. By determining the variation in population density of both species and following gall development individually throughout ontogeny under field conditions, we demonstrated that the kleptoparasite completes its life cycle inside galls induced by Palaeomystella, where pupation occurs. The variation in seasonal abundance of the kleptoparasite is tied to that of the cecidogenous species, with their corresponding peaks in density occurring sequentially.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:525F6D52-8CE1-47D1-A0D9-78B564DF5565     

Jumping plant‐lice of the family Phacopteronidae (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) from Cameroon

Nine species of the family Phacopteronidae are recorded from Cameroon. All are assigned to the large pan‐tropical genus Pseudophacopteron. Eight species are described as new, and P. electum Capener is redescribed. The species are diagnosed and illustrated, and keys for the identification of adults and fifth instar larvae are provided. Information is given on distribution, host plants, and biology. Eight species are associated with plants of the order Rutales/Sapindales (three Sapindaceae, one Burseraceae, one Burseraceae or Anacardiaceae, one Meliaceae, one Rutaceae, and one Anacardiaceae/Simaroubaceae); host plants of one species remain unknown. Four species, namely P. electum, P. fuscivenosum sp. n., P. lecaniodisci sp. n., and P. morion sp. n., induce nut or pit galls on the leaves.     

A new species of marine nemertean from Anglesey,North Wales,with a discussion of the genus Paroerstedia Friedrich, 1955

A new species of marine nemertean, Paroerstedia nigrimaculata sp. nov., is described and illustrated from a single specimen found among Corallina in a lower shore rock pool at Rhosneigr, Anglesey, North Wales. No Paroerstedia species has been recorded previously from the British Isles. The systematics of the genus and its contained species are discussed.     

Lernanthropus antofagastensis sp. nov. (Copepoda: Lernanthropidae) parasitic on Anisotremus scapularis in Chilean waters,and new records of Lernanthropus trachure (Brian, 1903)

Lernanthropus antofagastensis sp. nov., parasitic on Anisotremus scapularis, and inshore fish of Antofagasta, Chile, is described and illustrated. It resembles five other species of Lernanthropus in its dorsal plate and third leg, but can be distinguished from them by a combination of characters. L. trachuri Brian, 1903, is recorded, its male described and illustrated from specimens collected from Seriolella violacea and Trachurus murphy, taken in the same locality.     

Pontoniine shrimps from the Zoological Museum,Copenhagen

Three species of Indo-West Pacific pontoniine shrimp from the collection of the Zoological Museum, Copenhagen, have been examined. Two of the species were found to be new, Periclimenaeus mortenseni sp. nov. and P. wolffi sp. nov., from the Kei Islands, Indonesia, and off south west Taiwan, respectively, and are described and illustrated. Remarks, with illustrations, on little known, closely related species, Periclimenaeus pachydentatus Bruce 1969 and P. tridentatus (Miers, 1884), are also included. Platycaris latirostris Holthuis 1952, is recorded from Mauritius for the first time.     

A new genus and species of Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera,Chalcidoidea) from Spain,parasitic in cynipid galls on Fumaria

Neaylax versicolor (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae), which forms galls on fumitory (Fumaria), is attacked in Spain by Rivasia fumariae, a species of Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) herein described as new and assigned to a new genus. The new genus has an unusual combination of morphological characters but seems best placed in the pteromalid subfamily Ormocerinae. An account is given of the biology and larval morphology of the new species.     

A new species of Allorhogas (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae) inducing ovule galls on Miconia chamissois Naudin,a potentially invasive shrub in the Brazilian cerrado

ABSTRACT

Allorhogas Gahan (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a mainly Neotropical doryctine wasp genus whose species have been associated with 11 vascular plant families. All species of Allorhogas whose feeding habits are known are confirmed or presumed to be phytophagous, either by being gall inducers on seeds, seeds predators or by inquilinism of other gall former taxa. Here we describe a new species of Allorhogas from Brazil and assess its phylogenetic affinities using one mitochondrial (COI) and one nuclear (28S) marker. Different from other described species of Allorhogas that induce galls on fruits/seeds of Melastomataceae, the new species attacks floral bud ovules of Miconia chamissois Naudin (Melastomataceae), forming ‘fruit-like’ galls. We recovered a clade exclusively composed of species of Allorhogas that attack Melastomataceae species. The new species could potentially be used as a biological control of M. chamissois populations to prevent the imbalance of the plant diversity of cerrado, which is one of the most endangered biomes in Brazil.

http://www.zoobnk.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:27ADE2CD-6C55-4712-92EC-B0F209FEFD10     

A new endemic ground beetle species of the genus Tapinopterus Schaum (Pterostichini: Carabidae: Coleoptera) from the Balkan Peninsula,with some notes on its ecology

A new ground beetle species, Tapinopterus (Tapinopterus) macedonicus sp. nov. (from Northern Macedonia, Mount Karad?ica, ?pela Bozguni Cave) is described and diagnosed. Male and female genitalia and other taxonomically important characters are illustrated. A comparison is carried out between the new species and the most closely related taxa. The new species is clearly distinct from its closest congeners and represents an endemic relict inhabiting a limited area in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula. In addition, its current distribution and some notes on its ecology are also presented.     

Two new troglobitic species of the genus Telema (Araneae,Telemidae) from Guizhou,southwestern China

Two new species of Telema are described, from caves in Xinyi City and Cheheng County, Guizhou, southwestern China: T. feilong sp. nov., T. zhewang sp. nov. Male and female genitalia and other taxonomically important characters are illustrated. Some comparisons are made between these species and similar taxa. In addition, some notes on their ecology and the distribution of Chinese Telema are also presented. Telema are recorded from three scattered localities, Hunan Province, Guizhou Province and Hannan Province, in China.     

A phytophagous braconid,Allorhogas conostegia sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), in the fruits of Conostegia xalapensis (Bonpl.) D. Don (Melastomataceae)

Before 1989 all braconid wasps were thought to be parasitoids, but in that year the first phytophagous species was reported. Subsequently, a few other examples of phytophagy have been discovered, most of which are species of Allorhogas in the subfamily Doryctinae. Until now, all demonstrated examples of phytophagy in this genus have been as gall inducers in the fruits of Fabaceae. Here we describe a new species from Costa Rica, Allorhogas conostegia Marsh and Shaw, and provide evidence that it forms galls in the fruits of Conostegia xalapensis (Melastomataceae). We also provide information on the phenology of the plant and of the galls and the effects of the galls on the host plant, and we discuss the potential species richness of Allorhogas in the Neotropics.     

Harpacticoid copepods (Thalestridae) infesting the cultivated Wakame (brown alga,Undaria pinnatifida) in Korea

Two species of thalestrid harpacticoid: Amenophia orientalis n. sp. and Parathalestris infestus n. sp., are described based on specimens collected from Soando Island in Korea. These copepods infest the cultivated brown alga, Wakame, Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey), producing galls with pinholes (0·5–1·1.5 mm in diameter) on the fronds, midribs, and sporophylls. A. orientalis outnumbered P. infestus in all of the observed incidences; however, the fecundity of the latter species is twice that of the former.     

Reclassification of Bracon mendocinus,a gall‐associated doryctine wasp,and description of a new closely related species of Allorhogas (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

One of the first reported gall‐associated braconids, from 1910, Bracon mendocinus Kieffer and Jörgensen, is removed from the subfamily Braconinae and transferred to the doryctine genus Allorhogas, A. mendocinus (Kieffer and Jörgensen) comb. nov. A new species morphologically similar to A. mendocinus, A. joergenseni Martinez and Zaldivar‐Riverón sp. nov., is also described. Additionally a neotype is designated for B. mendocinus Kieffer and Jörgensen. We base our conclusions on the morphological examination of recently collected specimens from central Argentina associated with galls on Lycium chilense (Solanaceae), as well as on the DNA variation at 28S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial DNA genes.     

Behavioural ecology of Australian gall thrips (Insecta,Thysanoptera)

Collections, observations and experiments were used to investigate the behavioural ecology of gall thrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. Data are presented on aspects of gall morphology, male and female morphology, behaviour, life cycles, and sex ratios for six gall-forming species, five species of inquilines (invaders that do not form galls), and one genus that uses secretions to glue phyllodes (modified petioles) together. During gall foundation on phyllodes of Acacia pendula, females of Kladothrips rugosus Froggatt fight other females to the death, males fight other males to the death, and one female or one adult of each sex remains alive within the gall to breed. In addition to the live adults, half of newly found galls contained dead bodies of from one to 13 males and females, which were apparently killed in fights. In Oncothrips tepperi Karny, which forms galls on Acacia oswaldii, single females found new galls, and females engage in lethal fighting during the period from gall initiation until closure. First-generation broods of Oncothrips tepperi comprise winged males and winged females with a sex ratio of about 1:6 female biased. Each gall also contains several wing-reduced adults with larger forelegs than winged adults, which probably either fight among themselves or defend their siblings from gall invaders. Adults of Oncothrips tepperi breed in the galls for two or more generations, whereas in all of the other species studied on Acacia only one generation occurs in a gall. Females of the inquiline Koptothrips flavicornis invade young, first-generation galls of Oncothrips tepperi, kill the foundling female, and produce their own offspring. Single females of Oncothrips antennatus (Moulton) form galls on Acacia aneura, and apparently do not fight. Winged females of Oncothrips antennatus have smaller forelegs, relative to their body size, than do winged females of Oncothrips tepperi. In Onychothrips arotrum Mound and Onychothrips tepperi (Uzel), single females from galls on Acacia aneura. In each species, females engage in lethal fighting during gall initiation. The sex ratio of Onychothrips arotrum broods is about 1:18 female biased. The inquiline Csirothrips watsoni Mound invades galls of Onychothrips arotrum, apparently after most or all of the offspring have left, and breeds inside. Females of this inquiline will kill live Onychothrips arotrum inside the galls, and they apparently plug gall entrances with cast O. arotrum exuviae. Iotatubothrips crozieri Mound and Crespi is involved in the formation of large, woody galls on stems of Casuarina, perhaps in association with a microorganism. They breed in these galls for many generations. Galls contain several to thousands of individuals, and the adult sex ratio is about 1:4 female biased. Adults of the inquilines Thaumatothrips froggatti and Phallothrips houstoni Mound and Crespi invade these galls, kill the Iotatubothrips adults, and breed therein. The Iotatubothrips occasionally attempt, ineffectually, to fight off the invaders, and they apparently make partitions within the gall to protect themselves from takeover. Adults of Lichanothrips spp. glue phyllodes of Acacia harpophylla together using eggs and patches of secretion, and they breed in the resultant narrow space. Xanothrips xantes Mound breed in these spaces after the Lichanothrips have left. Fighting in Kladothrips rugosus, Oncothrips tepperi and Onychothrips tepperi involves two adults rearing up head to head, sparring with their enlarged, armed forelegs raised, and attempting to grasp and hold their opponent with their forelegs and drive their sharply pointed fore-tarsal teeth into their opponent's body. Females of Onychothrips arotrum also grasp, stab and kill with their forelegs, but they have not been observed to rear up head to head. Three of the inquiline species, Csirothrips watsoni, Thaumatothrips froggatti and Phallothrips houstoni, kill the original gall inhabitants by extending their forelegs directly in front of their bodies, tilting their heads back, remaining in this position for variable periods of time, and sharply pulling their armed fore tibiae towards the fore femora when their victim is near. Inquilinism in gall thrips may have evolved from lethal intraspecific fighting. Certain aspects of behaviour and morphology in Australian gall thrips, such as high prevalence of lethal fighting, gall ‘plugging’ in Csirothrips watsoni, attempted gall defence and apparent formation of partitions in Iotatubothrips crozieri, and the presence of wing-reduced adults in Oncothrips tepperi, indicate that these species exhibit some of the most complex behaviour thus far discovered in Thysanoptera.     

Rediscovery of the Hawaiian endemic bark beetle Xyleborus pleiades Samuleson, 1981 on Moloka‘i,with records of three new exotic bark beetles for the island (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Xyleborini)

ABSTRACT

During the course of a targeted bark beetle survey of the Hawaiian Islands, insect sampling undertaken in native forest biotopes on Moloka‘i island revealed the presence of one native and three exotic species of xyleborine bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Xyleborini) hitherto not recorded from the island. We present detailed new island records for these species, which include the second record of Xyleborus pleiades Samuelson, 1981, an endemic Hawaiian species not recorded in over 50 years, and previously known only from two specimens from the island of Maui. The three newly recorded introduced species are widespread pantropical beetles of actual or potential pest status: Xyleborus affinis Eichhoff, 1867, Xyleborinus saxesenii (Ratzeburg, 1837), and Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky, 1866). The importance of the records is briefly discussed, and all newly recorded species are illustrated in colour photographs.     

On the parasitoid community of Aulacidea laurae (Hym., Cynipidae), with description of a new species of Adontomerus (Hym., Torymidae)

An account is given of parasitoids (Hym., Chalcidoidea) reared from Spanish galls of Aulacidea laurae (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae) which develop in achenes of Scorzonera laciniata (Asteraceae). The parasitoid community includes Adontomerus brevicaudatus (Hym., Torymidae) which is described as new. Final instar larva of the new species is also described. The generic placement of A. brevicaudatus and the composition of the parasitoid community are discussed.     

Rediscovery of Disepyris semiruber (Kieffer) (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) in Southern Africa,with first description of the male

Holepyris semiruber Kieffer is redescribed and illustrated based on freshly collected specimens. Holepyris semiruber var. striatipleura Kieffer is considered a colour variant of this species and therefore a junior synonym of H. semiruber syn. nov. This species is transferred to Disepyris, D. semiruber (Kieffer) comb. nov., based on the possession of a short 2r-rs&Rs vein in the fore wing and presence of long flat spine-shaped setae on the outer (posterior) surface of the protarsi. The male is described for the first time from new specimens collected in South Africa. This species is recorded for the first time from Namibia and Zimbabwe. All photographs are available on www.waspweb.org.