Three new species of the brackish‐water copepod Halicyclops (Crustacea,Cyclopoida) from Ariake Bay,Japan

Three new species of the cyclopoid copepod Halicyclops are described from river estuaries of Ariake Bay, Japan. Halicyclops continentalis sp. nov. is most similar to H. laminifer, but differs by the shape of an angular protuberance on the genital double‐somite and a serrate hyaline frill of the fourth urosomite. Halicyclops sinensis described by Tai and Chen is widely distributed in China and is identifiable to H. continentalis, indicating that the population in Ariake Bay is probably a continental relict. Halicyclops uncus sp. nov., belonging to the thermophilus group, is distinguishable by the shape of the lateral process on the genital double‐somite, a frill of the fourth urosomite and caudal rami; it is probably endemic to Japan. Halicyclops ariakensis sp. nov. differs from the other congeners by a combination of the shape of the prosome, urosomal hyaline frills and caudal ramus length; it is considered endemic to Ariake Bay.     

Ciliated protozoa from a volcanic crater-lake in Victoria,Australia

We have investigated the ciliated protozoa living in the crater-lake of an extinct volcano in Australia. Our principal objective was to discover if such a habitat— geographically distant and isolated from Europe (the latter having provided most of the diversity on which ciliate taxonomy is based)— could yield species that were unusual, and perhaps new to science. Numerous samples were taken from the superficial layer of lake sediment, and examined fresh in the laboratory. Thereafter, the samples were manipulated to encourage growth of rare and cryptic ciliate species. Eighty-five species of ciliated protozoa were identified. None of these was new, all having been found previously in fresh-or brackish water, sea water, or soil. All, apart from one (Oxytricha salmastra), are already known from Europe. In order to test our ability to discover new ciliate species, we examined a variety of water samples from other lakes, including those known to harbour endemic algae. One new ciliate species (Lembadion curvatum) was discovered in a lake in Western Tasmania. We conclude that the ciliate fauna of Australia is remarkably similar to that in Europe and other parts of the world. This is supported by the example of those ‘endemic’ ciliate species described in the literature which have, in response to additional sampling, been found elsewhere in the world.     

A new species of Schizopera (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from Japan,its phylogeny based on the mtCOI gene and comments on the genus Schizoperopsis

The predominantly marine genus Schizopera Sars, 1905 has only two significant inland water species-flocks, one in the ancient African Lake Tanganyika and the other in subterranean waters of Western Australia. Discovery of Schizopera abei sp. nov. from several interstitial locations in the vicinity of the ancient Lake Biwa has wider implications for the study of morphological homoplasies in the genus, as well as for the study of freshwater invasions in harpacticoid copepods. The new Schizopera species belongs to a small group of congeners with a two-segmented endopod of the fourth leg, which used to be recognised as a separate genus, Schizoperopsis Apostolov, 1982. Our reconstructed phylogenies based on the mtCOI partial sequences suggest that this character probably evolved convergently in at least some Schizopera, thus rendering the genus Schizoperopsis polyphyletic. However, almost all basal nodes in our cladograms are weakly supported, which shows limitations of a single-gene approach for reconstructing phylogenetic relationships. The new species is the first member of its genus from Japanese inland waters, and it has no close relatives among extent congeners anywhere in the world. We speculate that its ancestor may have invaded Lake Biwa, and subsequently its surrounding subterranean waters, from brackish areas around central Japan, presumably during a period of high sea water level through its major outflow river. This discovery may provide further support for the hypothesis about the role of ancient lakes as biodiversity pumps for subterranean habitats.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1F71F7AD-B7C8-4AD3-BE44-5E1BEE4E2AA8     

Three new species of octothecate pheretimoid earthworms from Taiwan,with discussion on the biogeography of related species

Three new species of octothecate Metaphire pheretimoid earthworms are described from Taiwan. They have close phylogenetic relationships with five described species, Metaphire paiwanna, Metaphire bununa, Metaphire riukiuensis, Metaphire taiwanensis, and Amynthas formosae. These eight species are all octothecate. They have similar body size, colour, prostate glands and caeca, and the seven species belonging to the genus Metaphire have C‐shaped male pores. Excluding M. riukiuensis, which has been found only in the Ryukyu Islands, the other seven species are endemic species in Taiwan. Each of them has a distinct geographical distribution. Accordingly, we inferred that the ancestor of these eight species, including M. riukiuensis, came to Taiwan from the continent of East Asia during the Pleistocene. A few of their descendants went northward to the Ryukyu Islands and were isolated. The others remained in Taiwan, dispersed, and were isolated by geographical barriers such as mountains and rivers. Subsequent allopatric speciation events in Taiwan and in the Ryukyu Islands then generated these eight species.     

News from a small island – first record of a freshwater shrimp (Decapoda,Atyidae, Caridina) from Peleng,Banggai Islands,Indonesia

The Indonesian island Sulawesi is well known for its fascinating fauna. Among the atyid and palaemonid freshwater shrimps described from Sulawesi are also a number of endemic species. In contrast, freshwater shrimps have never been reported from the nearby and smaller Peleng Island. Here we describe Caridina thomasi sp. nov. as a first record of an atyid freshwater shrimp from Peleng and compare it with atyids from Sulawesi and other localities. The new species is probably endemic to the island and shows some characters never described in the genus Caridina before. However, a molecular phylogeny of atyid shrimps from the Indo‐West Pacific based on mitochondrial DNA (16S) places C. thomasi within a clade of typical species of Caridina. We tentatively assign the new species to the genus Caridina and discuss the possibility of future changes in the classification of species in this genus.     

Diversity and taxonomy of intertidal Bryozoa (Cheilostomata) at Akkeshi Bay,Hokkaido, Japan

We found 39 cheilostome species among more than 7000 specimens collected at 10 intertidal sites in rocky habitats along the shore of Akkeshi Bay, eastern Hokkaido Island, Japan. These species are herein described in detail and illustrated by scanning electron microscopy. Nine species (23% of total) are described as new (Electra asiatica, Callopora sarae, Conopeum nakanosum, Cauloramphus cryptoarmatus, Cauloramphus multispinosus, Cauloramphus niger, Stomachetosella decorata, Microporella luellae, and Celleporina minima), and 21 species (54%) are reported for the first time from Japan. Species richness ranged from eight to 29 species per study site. A TWINSPAN analysis showed the species fell into nine groups defined by the local pattern of distribution. A cluster analysis of study sites based on similarity of species composition showed three faunistic groups distributed geographically: in Akkeshi Lake, along the eastern‐central shore of the bay, and at the mouth of the bay. Species richness in estuarine Akkeshi Lake was low, with a species composition very different from the outer bay. Most cheilostomes were found on rock and shell substrata, but uncommonly occurred on concrete walls, algae, hydroids, tubes of polychaetes, other bryozoans, and anthropogenic debris. Of the 39 species found, 33 (85%) contained embryos during the collecting periods, 2–7 June and 3–6 July 2004. The biogeographical composition of intertidal cheilostomes at Akkeshi Bay included species with Arctic‐Boreal (28%), Boreal (59%), and Boreal‐Subtropical (13%) distributions. The overall species richness of intertidal cheilostomes was two‐thirds that documented intertidally in a comparable study at Kodiak, Alaska, a locality 15° higher in latitude. We attribute the lower richness at Akkeshi to differences in the nearshore marine environment between the two localities.     

Rissoidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from northeast Atlantic seamounts

The gastropod family Rissoidae is revised at the species level for the Lusitanian seamounts, situated between Portugal and Madeira, and the Meteor group of seamounts, situated south of the Azores in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. Based on material obtained by dredging and trawling, 48 species are reported, of which 30 are described as new. There is very little overlap between the assemblages found on both groups of seamounts, with only two shared species. On the Lusitanian seamounts, 24 species were collected. Seven species (six with planktotrophic development) are shared with the mainland shelf or slope and are represented in low numbers. Eleven species are endemic to this seamount group as a whole and of these, three account for 75% of individuals. Of the species not shared with the mainland, only one is found on the four seamounts, eight (three new) are found on two or three seamounts and/or neighbouring islands, and six (all new) are endemic to a single seamount. On the Meteor group, 26 species were found, of which five are shared with the Azores and 20 (all new) are endemic to the seamount group as a whole. Most species are found on only two or three seamounts, whereas nine species are endemic to only one of the seamounts, and of these five are concentrated on Atlantis seamount. Eight endemic species of the Meteor group included in Porosalvania n. gen. have very different shapes and occupy discrete bathymetric intervals, but are best interpreted as a local radiation originating from a relatively old colonization of this seamount group. The endemic species, and among them the successful ones, all have a paucispiral protoconch denoting non‐planktotrophic development. As in the Macaronesian archipelagos, the Rissoidae are the most species‐rich molluscan family on the northeast Atlantic seamounts.     

A new,sibling, tree frog from Jerusalem (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae)∗

A new, sibling, species of tree frog of the Hyla arborea group is described from Jerusalem and the adjacent Judean hills. Hyla heinzsteinitzi sp. n. differs from the sympatric common H. savignyi of the Middle East in head shape, as the head is relatively wider and the snout more truncate; in call structure, as in each segment of its advertisement call the energy peaks abruptly near the segment's onset; and in colouration, as its dark lateral band is highly disrupted. In at least one of the H. heinzsteinitzi populations the frogs' green‐phase colour is turquoise rather than green. The distinction of the two species is demonstrable by Principal Coordinate Analysis. Hyla heinzsteinitzi seems to be endemic to a small area within the range of distribution of H. savignyi; here the two are sympatric and at least sometimes apparently syntopic. The ecological relations of the two are unknown. The new species is probably endangered.     

Deep-sea asellote isopods (Crustacea,Eumalacostraca) of the north-west Atlantic: the family Haploniscidae

The deep-sea asellote isopod species belonging to the family Haploniscidae were studied from three study sites off the North Carolina coast and one off Bermuda. The following five new species, belonging to the new genus Chandraniscus, are described: C. kussakini from Alpha-A off Bermuda (1300 m), C. eastwardae, C. costlowi and C. chardyi from the Carolina lower slope site Beta and C. negoescuae at site Sigma on the Carolina continental rise (4910 m). Three new species of Haploniscus are described: H. kensleyi from the Carolina upper continental slope at Alpha-B, H. gnanamuthi from site Alpha-A off Bermuda, H. harrietae from site Beta. A new species Chauliodoniscus wilsoni from site Sigma is also described. Three new species of the genus Hydroniscus, found in this alpha-taxonomic study, include H. buzwilsoni and H. malyutinae from site Beta and H. watlingi from both Beta and Sigma. Two new species of the genus Antennuloniscus, A. menziesi and A. lincolni, are described from site Beta over the Carolina lower continental slope.     

Composition of meiobenthonic Platyhelminthes from brackish environments of the Galician and Cantabrian coasts of Spain with the description of a new species of Djeziraia (Polycystididae,Kalyptorhynchia)

From 1997 to 1999, the fauna of free‐living Platyhelminthes of the rias ecosystem was studied along the Galician and Cantabrian coast in northern Spain. In total, 72 platyhelminth species are listed in this study. Forty‐two species represent new records for the Iberian Peninsula, three of which represent new genera records. A new species belonging to the genus Djeziraia (Polycystididae, Kalyptorhynchia), Djeziraia longistyla sp. nov., is described in this paper. In this broad‐scale study, a large data set (27 localities) of the estuaries of northern Spain allowed an analysis of the turbellarian species assemblages and the relation of species distributions to salinity, conductivity, oxygen, temperature, and sediment characteristics. Species assemblages (species diversity) of each habitat of the brackish water ecotone are shown. The present study contributes to knowledge on the ability of adaptation of free‐living Platyhelminthes to regimes of brackish water ecotones.     

Morphological reply to a DNA call: a new cryptic species of Hydraena from western Europe,with a complete overview of the Hydraena gracilis complex (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae: “Haenydra” lineage)

Recent molecular analyses revealed unexpected genetic variability within Hydraena gracilis, one of the most common and widespread European moss beetles, belonging to the West Palaearctic endemic “Haenydra” lineage. For this taxon, molecular data univocally evidenced two distinct clades, the first one including populations from the Iberian Peninsula, and the second including populations from central and eastern Europe. Aedeagal morphology of H. gracilis was further investigated, finally demonstrating the actual existence of a new cryptic species of the H. gracilis complex in Portugal, Spain and the French Pyrenees. The geographical range of the true H. gracilis was consequently revised. Finally, dichotomous keys for males of all species belonging to the H. gracilis complex, and for males of all the Iberian “Haenydra” species, are also supplied.     

Poecilostome copepods (Lichomolgidae) associated with the scleractinian coral Galaxea in the Moluccas

Summary

Nine species of Scirtothrips are here recorded from the Australasian region, eight from Australia and two including one endemic species from New Zealand. A key is provided for their identification, and diagnostic details and collection notes are given for each species. Two new species, S. casuarinae and S. helenae are described from Australia and one new synonym, S. gladiiseta Girault = Dendrothripoides ipomeae Bagnall, is recorded.     

Classical Biological Control of Bemisia tabaci in the United States. By Juli Gould,Kim Hoelmer & John Goolsby

ABSTRACT

The present study describes two new genera, six new species and three new records from the Sea of Marmara. The new genus Marmara gen. nov. belonging to the family Sagartiidae is mainly characterized by having conspicuous muscular belts along the column and the absence of suckers and tenaculi on the body wall. The genus Charisactis gen. nov. belonging to the family Condylanthidae is mainly characterized by having an atypical mesentery arrangement, single siphonoglyph and homotrichs in tentacles. The other species newly described from the Sea of Marmara belong to the families Diadumenidae (one species from deep waters), Halcampoididae (one species from shallow waters), Edwardsiidae (one species from shallow waters) and Epizoanthidae (one species from deep waters). Three species, namely Epizoanthus arenaceus (family Epizoanthidae), Rolandia coralloides (family Clavulariidae) and Virgularia sp. (family Virgulariidae) are reported for the first time from the Sea of Marmara. The external and internal anatomical features as well as cnidom structures of the species are presented and discussed with the closely related species. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:51DA9869-D786-4A8A-8C1F-62DC1BB67923     

Systematics of the Protohermes parcus species group (Megaloptera: Corydalidae), with notes on its phylogeny and biogeography

A species group, the Protohermes parcus group of the dobsonfly genus Protohermes, is proposed by the unique male genitalic structures. Five species belonging to the proposed species group from China and Nepal are described and illustrated, including three species new to science. A cladistic analysis is conducted to reconstruct the interspecific phylogeny within the proposed species group based on the morphological data. The biogeography of the proposed species group is also discussed.     

Australian thrips of the Haplothrips lineage (Insecta: Thysanoptera)

Keys are presented to the 11 genera and 50 species, including 21 new species, of Thysanoptera in Australia that are related to the worldwide genus Haplothrips Amyot and Serville. These taxa belong to what, in recent literature, has been called the “Haplothrips‐lineage”, that is, one of the three major radiations among the 2700 species and 350 genera of Thysanoptera Phlaeothripinae. The group is redefined, and the available tribal name Haplothripini shown to be appropriate. The character states on which the definition is based are discussed, and a list given of the 34 genera worldwide that can be included. The Australian species in these genera exhibit a diversity of biologies. Three genera involve species that invade galls induced by other thrips: Androthrips monsterae (Moulton) from New Guinea is newly recorded from Australia; Mesothrips jordani Zimmermann from South‐East Asia is newly recorded from Australia, with two new synonyms; the Asia‐Pacific genus, Euoplothrips Hood, includes two species in northern Australia. Three haplothripine genera are associated with grasses: one widespread genus, Apterygothrips Priesner, considered polyphyletic, includes only one Australian species; the only known species of Dyothrips Kudo is Oriental but extends into tropical Australia; Podothrips Hood, a circum‐tropical genus of thrips predatory on grass‐living coccoids, has 11 Australian species, six newly described. One grass‐associated genus, Bamboosiella Ananthakrishnan, is excluded from the Haplothripini. An Oriental genus of leaf‐ and flower‐living species, Dolichothrips Karny, includes one species in northern Australia, D. reuteri (Karny); Membrothrips Bhatti in which this species has been placed is considered a synonym. Karnyothrips Watson includes two species introduced to Australia, both predators of coccoids. Priesneria Bagnall includes three species from Australia, of which one fungus‐feeding species is newly described. Xylaplothrips Priesner is a widespread but ill‐defined, polyphyletic genus that currently includes three little‐known Australian species. Haplothrips is the main focus of this study, and character state variation among the Australian species is discussed. In total 24 species of Haplothrips from Australia are recognised, 14 being new species. Also included are the following, one new generic synonym, four new species synonyms, and one new combination. The 250 species worldwide in the genus are usually associated with the flowers of Asteraceae and Poaceae. In Australia, several of the species are specific to flowers, particularly of Poaceae and Cyperaceae but not Asteraceae. Almost half of these Australian species are presumed to be predatory on other small arthropods, and two have unusual host associations—with salt marsh Chenopodiaceae, and with the sori of Dicksonia tree ferns.