Amerozercon Halašková, 1969 species (Acari: Mesostigmata: Zerconidae) of the United States of America

During the study of rich material collected in the USA, six Zerconidae species were found which seem to belong to the genus Amerozercon Hala?ková, 1969 Hala?ková, V. 1969. Some new species of the family Zerconidae from North America (Acari: Mesostigmata). Acta Soc Zool Bohem, 33: 115–127.  [Google Scholar]. Four of them, Amerozercon annularis sp. nov., Amerozercon auricularis sp. nov., Amerozercon halaskovae sp. nov. and Amerozercon penicillatus sp. nov. proved to be new to science. The unknown female of the type species of the genus, Amerozercon suspiciosus Hala?ková, 1969 Hala?ková, V. 1969. Some new species of the family Zerconidae from North America (Acari: Mesostigmata). Acta Soc Zool Bohem, 33: 115–127.  [Google Scholar], is described. Amerozercon minimus (Sellnick, 1958) is redescribed and transferred from the genus Zercon C. L. Koch, 1836 to Amerozercon. Some remarks on the problems of the present Zerconidae systematics are discussed.     

The freshwater shrimps of the genera Caridina and Parisia from karst caves of Sulawesi Selatan,Indonesia, with descriptions of three new species (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Atyidae)

The present study reports on collections of hypogean freshwater atyid shrimps of the genera Caridina Milne Edwards, 1837 Milne Edwards, H. 1837. Histoire naturalle des Crustacés, Comprenant l'Anatomie, la Physiologie et la Classification de ces Animaux, Vol. 2, 1–532. Paris (France): Libraire Encyclopedique de Roret.  [Google Scholar], and Parisia Holthuis, 1956 Holthuis, L. B. 1956. The troglobic Atyidae of Madagascar (Crudtacea, Decapoda, Natantia), Mem Inst Sci Madagascar ser.. A., 11: 97–110.  [Google Scholar], obtained from the karst caves and associated epigean waters of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Six species of Caridina were present, of which two are new to science and one is new to Sulawesi, as well as one new species of Parisia. Types of Caridina pareparensis De Man, 1892 De Man, J. G. 1892. Decapoden des Indischen Archipels.. Zool Ergebn Reise Niederland Ost‐Ind., 2: 265–527. pl. 15–29 [Google Scholar], and C. pareparensis parvidentata Roux, 1904 Roux, J. 1904. Décapodes d'eau douce de Cèlébes (Genres Caridina et Potamon).. Rev Suisse Zool., 12(3): 539–572. pl. 9 [Google Scholar], were re‐examined and redescribed; lectotypes for both taxa are designated. Caridina pareparensis parvidentata is here regarded as a distinct species. The new taxa are described, figured and compared with congeners.     

Australian species of Sinella (Coecobrya) Yosii, 1956 (Collembola: Entomobryidae)

The Australian members of the subgenus, Sinella (Coecobrya) Yosii, are revised. A new species from Western Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory, Sinella (Coecobrya) tropicalis sp. nov., is described, Sinella (Coecobrya) tenebricosa Folsom, 1902 is recorded from Australia for the first time, and new records of Sinella (Coecobrya) communis Chen and Christiansen, 1997 Chen, J‐X. and Christiansen, K. A. 1997. Subgenus Coecobrya of the genus Sinella (Collembola: Entomobryidae) with special reference to the species of China.. Annals of the American Society of Entomology, 90: 1–19.  [Google Scholar] are documented. Sinella (Coecobrya) caeca Schött, 1896 is considered a dubious record from Australia. A key is provided to the three known Australian species and a summary given of all dorsal and lateral chaetal patterns found on the fourth abdominal segment of subgenera Sinella Brook, 1882 Brook, G. 1882. On a new genus of Collembola (Sinella) allied to Degeeria Nicolet.. Journal of the Linnean Society of London (Zoology), 16: 541–545.  [Google Scholar] and Coecobrya Yosii, 1956 Yosii, R. 1956. Hohlencollembolen Japans II.. Japanese Journal of Zoology, 11(5): 609–627.  [Google Scholar]. The biogeography of the subgenus is described.     

Revision of Flabelliderma Hartman, 1969 (Polychaeta: Flabelligeridae)

The flabelligerid genus Flabelliderma Hartman, 1969 Hartman, O. 1969. Atlas of the sedentariate polychaetous Annelids from California, 812Los Angeles: University of Southern California, Allan Hancock Foundation.  [Google Scholar] is redefined and its type species is re‐established. In comparison with Flabelligera Sars, 1829 Sars, M. 1829. Bidrag til Söedyrenes Naturhistorie; Förste Hæfte, 60Bergen: Dahl.  [Google Scholar], the diagnostic features include the fusion of papillae forming tubercles, often adhering sediment particles, and notopodial lobes forming large ovoid lobes. Four species are described and presented as new combinations, and three others were previously undescribed; thus the species included are F. papillosa (Essenberg, 1922 Essenberg, C. E. 1922. Stylarioides papillosa, sp. nov., a new annelid from the San Diego region.. University of California, Publications in Zoology, 22: 379–381.  [Google Scholar]) from southern California, F. berkeleyorum n. sp. from Washington, F. claparedei (de Saint‐Joseph, 1898 de Saint‐Joseph, A. 1898. Les annélides polychètes des côtes de France (Manche et Océan).. Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Zoologie, Série 8, 5: 209–464.  [Google Scholar]) from the Bay of Biscay, F. gourdoni (Gravier, 1906 Gravier, C. 1906. Sur les annélides polychètes recueillies par l'Expédition Antarctique Française (Aphroditiens, Amphinomiens, Flabelligériens, Maldaniens, Ampharétiens).. Bulletin du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 7: 535–540.  [Google Scholar]) from Antarctica, F. lighti n. sp. from Guadalupe Island, western Mexico, F. ockeri n. sp. from southern California, and F. pruvoti (Fauvel, 1930 Fauvel, P. 1927. Polychètes sédentaires & addenda aux polychètes errantes.. Faune de France, 16: 1–494.  [Google Scholar]) from New Caledonia.     

Redefinition of the parastenocaridid genus Proserpinicaris (Copepoda: Harpacticoida), with description of three new species from Korea

Proserpinicaris young sp. nov., Proserpinicaris wangpi sp. nov. and Proserpinicaris imjin sp. nov. are described from subterranean waters of South Korea. They are short-range endemics, allopatric in distribution and closely related to each other, and to two other Far Eastern congeners. Distinguishing features are limited to the general habitus shape, proportions of the caudal rami and degree of sexual dimorphism. The genus Proserpinicaris Jakobi, 1972 Jakobi, H. 1972. Trends (Enp.P4 Mänchen) innerhalb der Parastenocarididen (Copepoda Harpacticoidea). Crustaceana, 22: 127–146. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar], as redefined here, is Palaearctic in distribution, with the centre of diversity in southern Europe, and 20 valid members, all of which share a large hyaline spiniform structure on the male fourth leg basis as a synapomorphy. A key to species is provided. Genera Niponnicaris Jakobi, 1972 Jakobi, H. 1972. Trends (Enp.P4 Mänchen) innerhalb der Parastenocarididen (Copepoda Harpacticoidea). Crustaceana, 22: 127–146. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] and Pannonicaris Jakobi, 1972 Jakobi, H. 1972. Trends (Enp.P4 Mänchen) innerhalb der Parastenocarididen (Copepoda Harpacticoidea). Crustaceana, 22: 127–146. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] are established as its junior subjective synonyms, Lacustricaris Jakobi, 1972 Jakobi, H. 1972. Trends (Enp.P4 Mänchen) innerhalb der Parastenocarididen (Copepoda Harpacticoidea). Crustaceana, 22: 127–146. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] is formally synonymized with Parastenocaris Kessler, 1913, and Parastenocaris lacustris Chappuis, 1958 Chappuis, PA. 1958. Le genre Parastenocaris Kessler. Vie Milieu, 8: 423–432.  [Google Scholar] is designated as incertae sedis in Fontinalicaridinae Schminke, 2010 Schminke, HK. 2010. High-level phylogenetic relationships within Parastenocarididae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida). Crustaceana, 83: 343–367. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar].     

Differentiation of external morphology of Oribatella Banks, 1895 (Acari: Oribatida: Oribatellidae), in light of the ontogeny of three species

Differentiation of external morphology of Oribatella Banks, 1895 was investigated, in light of the ontogeny of O. quadricornuta (Michael, 1880 Michael, AD. 1880. A further contribution to the knowledge of British Oribatidae. J Roy Micr Soc London, 3: 225–251. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), O. superbula (Berlese,1904 Berlese, A. 1904. Acari nuovi. Manipulus III. Redia, 2: 10–32.  [Google Scholar]) and O. calcarata (CL Koch, 1835 Koch, CL. 1835. “Deutschlands Crustaceen, Myriapoden und Arachniden”. In Regensburg, Germany: Verlag Friedrich Pustet 1–3.  [Google Scholar]) studied here for the first time, and that of the other species from the literature. The pattern of gastronotal setae in larvae is similar, except for lack of seta h ₃ in O. nortoni Behan-Pelletier, 2011 Behan-Pelletier, VM. 2011. Oribatella (Acari, Oribatida, Oribatellidae) of eastern North America. Zootaxa, 2973: 1–56. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar], while that of nymphs and adults is differentiated. The nymphs of most species have 15 pairs of gastronotal setae, but those of O. metzi Behan-Pelletier, 2011 Behan-Pelletier, VM. 2011. Oribatella (Acari, Oribatida, Oribatellidae) of eastern North America. Zootaxa, 2973: 1–56. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] and most nymphs of O. calcarata have 13 pairs. The nymphs of most species carry the exuvial scalps of previous instars on apical parts of gastronotal setae da, while setae dm and dp, located under these scalps, are subjected to translocation, reduction in size or loss. In O. berlesei (Michael, 1898 Michael, AD. 1898. “Oribatidae”. In Das Tierreich, Lief. 3. Vol. 8 (Acarina). Berlin: Verlag von R. Friedländer und Sohn Edited by: Schulze, FE. 1–93. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), O. nortoni, O. quadricornuta and O. sexdentata Berlese, 1916 pair dp takes a more lateral position, compared with the larvae, in O. superbula and O. canadensis Behan-Pelletier and Eamer, 2010 Behan-Pelletier, VM and Eamer, B. 2010. The first sexually dimorphic species of Oribatella (Acari, Oribatida, Oribatellidae) and a review of sexual dimorphism in the Brachypylina. Zootaxa, 2332: 1–20. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] it is reduced in size (in the latter species pair dm is also reduced), while O. metzi loses setae dm and dp. In contrast, the nymphs of O. calcarata do not carry the scalps, and usually lose setae c ₁ and dm. The adults of all species lose setae c ₁, c ₃ and d-series, compared with the tritonymph, and only 10 pairs of notogastral setae remain (c ₂, l-, h- and p-series), but O. quadricornuta and O. calcarata rarely retain seta c ₃ unilaterally, which indicates the order of setal loss in Oribatella according to Shaldybina (1972 Shaldybina, ES. 1972. Some morphological characters of ceratozetid moss mites (Oribatei). Ucenyje zapiski Gor Gosud Pedagog Institut, Gorki, 130: 35–66. In Russian [Google Scholar]).     

Revision of the genus Mimopodabrus Wittmer (Coleoptera,Cantharidae)

The genus Mimopodabrus Wittmer is reviewed, and the genus diagnosis is re-described. Three new species are described, M. multidentatus sp. nov. (Guangdong, China), M. variabilis sp. nov. (Yunnan, China) and M. diversefoveolatus sp. nov. (Lao Cai, Vietnam), with illustrations of habitus, antennae and aedeagus. A species is transferred from Micropodabrus to this genus, M. bicoloriceps (Wittmer, 1989 Wittmer, W. 1989. 42. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der indo-malaiischen Cantharidae und Malachiidae (Coleoptera). Entomol Basil., 13: 209–237.  [Google Scholar]) comb. nov. A species is synonymized, M. bicoloriceps (Wittmer, 1989 Wittmer, W. 1989. 42. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der indo-malaiischen Cantharidae und Malachiidae (Coleoptera). Entomol Basil., 13: 209–237.  [Google Scholar]) comb. nov.?=?M. bicoloriceps Wittmer, 1997 syn. nov. and the definition of M. yunnanus (Wittmer, 1993 Wittmer, W. 1993. Zur Kenntnis der palaearktischen und indo-malaiischen Cantharidae (Coleoptera). Entomol Basil., 16: 203–253.  [Google Scholar]) is restricted. A key to all known species of this genus is provided.     

The diverse Grania fauna (Clitellata: Enchytraeidae) of the Esperance area,Western Australia,with descriptions of two new species

Seven species of the marine enchytraeid genus Grania Southern, 1913 are described from sediments sampled during the 2003 International Workshop on the Marine Flora and Fauna of Esperance Bay and the Recherche Archipelago, on the southern coast of Western Australia. Two species are new to science, the euryhaline Tasmanian G. dolichura Rota and Erséus, 2000 Rota, E. and Erséus, C. 2000. Two new and peculiar species of Grania (Annelida: Clitellata: Enchytraeidae) inhabiting Tasmanian estuaries.. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 27: 245–254. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] represents a new record for the state, and the remaining four species were known from other parts of Western Australia. Grania quaerens sp. n. is recognized by having a high chaetal index ( = short chaetal foot), small coelomocytes, penial apparati with long whip‐like terminal stylets, conspicuous spermathecae with ectally bulbous ducts, and ectally granulated ampullae housing sperm rings in their ental region. Grania sperantia sp. n. is readily distinguishable by the complete lack of lateral chaetae, a multiple‐banded pattern of the clitellum, extremely long sperm funnels, and the intrasegmental location of the spermathecal pores. The latter new species and four others in the collection (G. bykane Coates, 1990 Coates, K. A. 1990. “Marine Enchytraeidae (Oligochaeta, Annelida) of the Albany area, Western Australia.”. In The marine flora and fauna of Albany, Western Australia, 1, Edited by: Wells, F. E, Walker, D. I, Kirkman, H and Lethbridge, R. 13–41. Perth: Western Australian Museum.  [Google Scholar], G. crassiducta Coates, 1990 Coates, K. A. 1990. “Marine Enchytraeidae (Oligochaeta, Annelida) of the Albany area, Western Australia.”. In The marine flora and fauna of Albany, Western Australia, 1, Edited by: Wells, F. E, Walker, D. I, Kirkman, H and Lethbridge, R. 13–41. Perth: Western Australian Museum.  [Google Scholar], G. dolichura, and G. ersei Coates, 1990 Coates, K. A. 1990. “Marine Enchytraeidae (Oligochaeta, Annelida) of the Albany area, Western Australia.”. In The marine flora and fauna of Albany, Western Australia, 1, Edited by: Wells, F. E, Walker, D. I, Kirkman, H and Lethbridge, R. 13–41. Perth: Western Australian Museum.  [Google Scholar]) are remarkable in possessing the head organ, a sensory structure unique to Grania that was not noted previously in Western Australian species. When considering the whole genus, the geographic pattern of the head organ appears southern‐centred: of the 17 species of Grania reported to possess it, as many as 13 inhabit the southern latitudes. The seventh species of the Esperance collection, G. vacivasa Coates and Stacey, 1993 Coates, K. A. and Stacey, D. 1993. “The marine Enchytraeidae (Oligochaeta, Annelida) of Rottnest Island, Western Australia.”. In The marine flora and fauna of Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Edited by: Wells, F. E, Walker, D. I, Kirkman, H and Lethbridge, R. 391–414. Perth: Western Australian Museum.  [Google Scholar], is notable for the kind of items found in its gut and the unusual appearance of its pygidium.     

Revalidation of Hepsetus cuvieri (Castelnau, 1861) (Characiformes: Hepsetidae) from the Quanza,Zambezi and southern part of the Congo ichthyofaunal provinces

Hepsetus cuvieri (Castelnau, 1861 Castelnau, FL. 1861. Mémoire sur les poissons de l'Afrique australe, Paris: Mem Poiss Afr Australe. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), originally described from “lac N'gami” (Botswana) and synonymized with H. odoe (Bloch, 1794 Bloch, ME. 1794. Naturgeschichte der ausländischen Fische. Berlin., 8: 1–174.  [Google Scholar]) by Roberts (1984 Roberts, TR. 1984. “Hepsetidae”. In Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA), Edited by: Daget, J, Gosse, JP and Thys van den Audenaerde, DFE. 138–139. Tervuren and Paris: ORSTOM. p.  [Google Scholar]), is revalidated. Hepsetus cuvieri can be readily distinguished from H. odoe based on a lower total number of gill rakers (8–13 versus 14–21); a generally higher number of scales between the dorsal fin and the lateral line (10½–11½ versus 7½–10½) and a higher number of scales between the adipose fin and the lateral line (6½–7½ versus 4½–6½) and other characters. A neotype is designated, as the holotype of this nominal species is apparently lost. Hepsetus cuvieri is restricted to the Quanza, Zambezi ichthyofaunal provinces and the southern part of the Congo Basin, i.e. the Congo ichthyofaunal province.     

Raspailiidae (Porifera: Demospongiae: Axinellida) from the Mexican Pacific Ocean with the description of seven new species

The taxonomy of the family Raspailiidae has always been controversial. The family was first included in the order Poecilosclerida. It was then allocated to the order Axinellida and later moved back to Poecilosclerida. Currently with the development of molecular tools it has been assigned to the order Axinellida. In this contribution we describe 10 species from the Mexican Pacific Ocean. Seven of them are new to science: Raspailia (Parasyringella) rubra sp. nov., Raspailia (Raspaxilla) hymani (Dickinson 1945 Dickinson, MG. 1945. Sponges on the Gulf of California. Allan Hancock Pac Exp, 11(1): 1–251.  [Google Scholar]), Raspailia (Raspaxilla) hyle (de Laubenfels 1930 de Laubenfels, MW. 1930. The sponges of California. (Abstracts of dissertations for the degree of doctor of philosophy). Stanford Univ Bull, 5(98): 24–29.  [Google Scholar]), Aulospongus cerebella (Dickinson 1945 Dickinson, MG. 1945. Sponges on the Gulf of California. Allan Hancock Pac Exp, 11(1): 1–251.  [Google Scholar]), Aulospongus californianus sp. nov., Aulospongus aurantiacus sp. nov., Eurypon patriciae sp. nov., Eurypon tylospinosum sp. nov., Eurypon diversicolor sp. nov. and Eurypon brunus sp. nov. We discuss the genus Eurypon and include a table for all the species described worldwide with some comments about this genus. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D462084B-EE9C-4C61-884A-C9DB70003B4A     

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.     

Gonopod segmentation and the Australian centipede Prionopodella (Chilopoda): testing a basal position in the Scutigeromorpha

The monotypic centipede genus Prionopodella Verhoeff, 1925 Verhoeff, K. W. 1925. Results of Dr. E. Mjöberg's Swedish scientific expeditions to Australia 1910–1913. 39. Chilopoda.. Arkiv för Zoologi, 26A: 1–62.  [Google Scholar] has until now been known only from the types of its type species, collected in Queensland, Australia, nearly a century ago. The female gonopods of Prionopodella were described as having a uniquely tripartite structure, viewed as primitive relative to the bipartite gonopod of all other Scutigeromorpha. An articulation in the syntelopodite is present in one syntype, but new specimens from central eastern Queensland show an, at most, incompletely jointed or entirely unjointed syntelopodite, as in other scutigeromorphs. Cladistic analysis of morphological characters including Prionopodella and the likewise monotypic Australian genus Prothereua Verhoeff, 1925 Verhoeff, K. W. 1925. Results of Dr. E. Mjöberg's Swedish scientific expeditions to Australia 1910–1913. 39. Chilopoda.. Arkiv för Zoologi, 26A: 1–62.  [Google Scholar], shows Prionopodella to nest within Thereuoneminae, allied to other Asian/Australian genera, rather than in a basal position within Scutigeromorpha as is implied by Verhoeff's theory about primitive gonopod structure.