Revision and biogeographical analysis of the black-chinned tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron (Teleostei,Cichlidae): results of morphometric,allozyme, globin chain and mtDNA studies

Morphometric, allozyme, globin chain and cytochrome b analyses were used for a revision of the subspecies complex of the black-chinned tilapia, Sarotherodon melanotheron Rüppell, 1852. Three out of four subspecies are recognized as valid: S. m. melanotheron (Ivory Coast to Benin), S. m. heudelotii (Senegal to Guinea) and S. m. leonensis (Sierra Leone to Liberia). The fourth subspecies, S. m. nigripinnis, is raised to the species level S. nigripinnis and is composed of the nominate subspecies S. n. nigripinnis known from Gabon and a newly introduced subspecies, S. n. dolloi, originally described as Tilapia dolloi and previously synonymized with S. m. nigripinnis. It is presently known from the mouth of the Congo to the Lower Kouilou. Phylogenetically, populations from the most eastern range, e.g. Gabon/Congo, are considered to represent the most ancient populations. From this area of origin, the western range of West Africa (Senegal to Benin) was colonized. Two independent colonization events are indicated by allozyme and mtDNA analyses. The initial invasion of the western range of West Africa could be dated back to about 2.5 million years ago.     

Morphometric and allozyme variation in the black-chinned tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron (Perciformes,Cichlidae), with a revision of the subspecies complex

Based on morphometric and allozyme data of a large sample of black-chinned tilapia, Sarotherodon melanotheron, originating from over its entire geographical distribution range, the subspecific classification of this species has been revised. One subspecies, S. m. paludinosus, is synonymized with S. m. heudelotii. The validity of another subspecies, S. m. leonensis, is questioned. The remaining three subspecies, S. m. melanotheron, S. m. heudelotii and S. m. nigripinnis are clearly distinguished as separate taxa.     

A new subspecies of the snake Lichanura trivirgata from Cedros Island, Mexico

A new subspecies, Lichanura trivirgata bostici, from Cedros Island, Baja California del Norte, Mexico, is described, figured, and compared to other taxa of the genus.     

A revision and phylogenetic re-evaluation of the family Schizopodidae (Coleoptera,Buprestoidea)

The Schizopodidae (formerly subfamily Schizopodinae, family Buprestidae) is elevated to family status, based on a review of its morphology including wing venation, male and female genitalia, larvae, and also a cladistic analysis of in-group and out-group comparisions. Two tribes are recognized: Schizopodini LeConte with one genus, Schizopus LeConte and Dystaxiini Théry with two genera: Dystaxia LeConte and Glyptoscelimorpha Horn. The genus Schizopus contains two species: S. laetus LeConte and S. sallei Horn with one new subspecies, S. sallei nigricans Nelson. The genus Dystaxia includes two species: D. murrayi LeConte, and D. elegans Fall. The genus Glyptoscelimorpha is separated into two subgenera: G. (s. str.) with two species, G. marmorata Horn, and G. viridis Chamberlin; and G. (Dystaxiella) Knull, new status, with one species, G. (D.) juniperae (Knull), new combination, with a new subspecies, G. (D.) juniperae viridiceps Nelson. All taxa are described and information on variation, type localities, distribution, biology, and comparisons are given for each species. Keys to taxa for tribes to subspecies are provided. Illustrations for all species, including habitus, male and female genitalia and other parts, as well as cladograms of relationships are presented. Lectotypes are designated for the following: Yermoella helferi Obenberger, Dystaxia elegans Fall and Glyptoscelimorpha marmorata Horn. Tables of taxa, characters and character states used in the cladistic analysis are included.     

Meristic studies of the Gulf of California species of Merluccius,with a description of a new species

Two distinct species of hake are found in the Gulf of California, and in view of the commercial importance of at least one of these, a detailed taxonomical study was carried out. A new species of hake is described from the northern Gulf of California: Merluccius hernandezi. A new population of Merluccius angustimanus was located off the coast of the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. A provisional examination of specimens from this population shows that it differs in important characteristics from the specimens described by Garman (1899) from Panama.

Merluccius hernandezi and M. angustimanus from Sinoloa are immediately separable by the shape of their caudal fin and the lengths of their pectoral fins: in M. hernandezi the caudal fin has a central lobe and in larger specimens it is truncate, while in M. angustimanus it is emarginate; the pectoral fin projects well beyond the anus in M. hernandezi but not in M. angustimanus.

A meristic index was devised which can be used successfully to distinguish between the two species in the field: only 4·13% of specimens studied would have been wrongly identified using this index.     

Geographical variation in the golden‐striped salamander,Chioglossa lusitanica Bocage, 1864 and the description of a newly recognized subspecies

Morphological and genetic data for the Iberian golden‐striped salamander, Chioglossa lusitanica, demonstrate the existence of two groups with southern and northern ranges, connected by a zone of intergradation in central Portugal. Because reproductive isolation between them is incomplete we consider the groups to be subspecies. The type locality of C. lusitanica (Buçaco near Lousã) is situated inside the mixed zone. This necessitates identification of the nominotypical subspecies. We sequenced a fragment of mitochondrial DNA from one of the species' syntypes and we determined what position over a latitudinal transect maximizes the morphological discrimination between the groups. Both approaches indicate that C. lusitanica from Buçaco represents the southern subspecies. A new subspecies of C. lusitanica is described from a northern locality (Valongo near Porto in north‐western Portugal). A lectotype is designated for Chioglossa lusitanica.     

Status of Thamnophis sirtalis in Chihuahua, Mexico (Reptilia: Colubridae)

This is a study of the populations of Thamnophis sirtalis that occur in Chihuahua, Mexico, and the adjoining U.S. state of New Mexico. Reference is made to previous studies dealing with geographical and systematic relationships. Additional data are provided for the New Mexico subspecies ( dorsalis ), and the relationship of T. s. parietalis to the New Mexico population is discussed. The Chihuahua population is described as a new subspecies.     

Mitochondrial genetic variation within and between Holbrookia lacerata lacerata and Holbrookia lacerata subcaudalis,the spot-tailed earless lizards of Texas

ABSTRACT

We examined genetic relationships among individuals and populations of the species Holbrookia lacerata, the spot-tailed earless lizard, using whole mitochondrial genomes. Lizards were collected from south, central and west Texas. We found significant amounts of genetic structure among populations and evidence of two major reciprocally monophyletic groups of spot-tailed earless lizards in Texas. Holbrookia lacerata lacerata occurs on the Edwards Plateau and adjacent regions of West Texas north of the Balcones Escarpment, while Holbrookia lacerata subcaudalis occurs in South Texas and adjacent Mexico south of the Balcones Escarpment. These two recognised subspecies correspond to the two clades we discovered. Holbrookia l. lacerata occupies much of its historical range at sometimes high population densities, while populations of H. l. subcaudalis appear to be highly fragmented based on recent observations compared to their historical range.     

Stephonyx californiensis sp. nov. (Amphipoda: Lysianassoidea: Uristidae), a new bathyal scavenger species from the Central Gulf of California,Mexico, and comments on the bathymetric and geographic distribution of the Stephonyx species group

A new species of scavenger amphipod of the genus Stephonyx is described and illustrated. The specimen was caught at 1150 m depth with a modified rectangular lobster trap positioned on the sea bottom in the central Gulf of California, Mexico. The new species is characterised by the absence of eyes; the lateral cephalic lobes medially developed and acute; antennae subequal in length; gnathopod 1 chelate, dactylus simple with three distal stout setae, inner margin sinuous with minute setae; gnathopod 2 subchelate, carpus with ventral margin crenulate, propodus subovate, palm deeply excavate, and dactylus slightly shorter than palm; maxilliped inner plate laceolate, with seven marginal nodular robust setae, distally; telson, each lobe with two dorsal robust setae, distal margin truncated, with one penicillate and two simple setae, in addition to two short spines. Stephonyx californiensis sp. nov. is morphologically similar to S. arabiensis, S talismani, S. laqueus and S. perexcavatus. The new species increases the number of Stephonyx species around the world to 14, with one species inhabiting from the continental shelf to abyssal depths (to 3000 m), 11 species occurring in bathyal depths (201–2000 m), and two other species restricted to abyssal depths (2001–4000 m).

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:346C3B15-E56A-4E17-9C5F-C9FDBB2AED92     

New data on bats from Dire Dawa region,eastern Ethiopia,with the first record of Rhinopoma microphyllum in the country

ABSTRACT

A small collection of bats composed of six species from Dire Dawa area, eastern Ethiopia, is presented. Besides three species previously known in the region, Rousettus aegyptiacus, Epomophorus minimus and Chaerephon pumilus, three bats were newly documented from the area, Rhinopoma microphyllum, R. cystops and Scotophilus leucogaster. R. microphyllum is here reported for the first time in Ethiopia. From molecular genetic comparisons Ethiopian R. cystops belongs to the Arabian subspecies lineage R. c. arabium, previously unknown from the African continent, raising interesting biogeographic questions.     

New species of Nasutopedia from cloud forests of the Neotropical region (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Tapinotaspidini)

The genus Nasutopedia is a distinct lineage of tapinotaspidine bees that occurs in cloud forests of the tropical Andes, mostly in altitudes higher than 1200 m above sea level. Here, four new species of Nasutopedia are described for a total of seven species in the genus: Nasutopedia borealis sp. nov., from Colombia and Venezuela, Nasutopedia laeta sp. nov. from Ecuador, Nasutopedia morena sp. nov. from Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico, and Nasutopedia puncticutis sp. nov. from Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. A key to Nasutopedia species is provided, including illustrations of main characters and a map of geographical distribution.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C3D6A837-7D84-4CB6-B74D-C4A9A5323A9B     

XXVIII.—Les Trechus [Coleoptera,Carabidæ] de l'Everest Expedition, 1924, et Remarques sur quelques espèces de l'Himalaya

Summary

Chorthippus m. montanus and C. p. parallelus are often difficult and sometimes impossible to separate using existing keys. Eleven potentially useful characters are re-evaluated in the male and six in the female. In males the best characters are found to be the number of stridulatory pegs on the hind femur, the length of the stridulatory file, cercus and anterior medial area, and the distance of the stigma from the fore wing tip; these characters are closely correlated with each other. In females the shape and length of the ventral valves of the ovipositor are found to be the most useful characters. The acoustic behaviour, cytology, serology, ecology and distribution of the two species are discussed.

A lectotype is designated for C. caffer Ramme, which is newly synonymised with C. p. parallelus. C. erythropus Faber is reduced in status to a subspecies of C. parallelus. The status of the following is also discussed: C. montanus tatrae Harz, C. parallelus aemulus Mishchenko, C. p. geminus Mishchenko, C. p. tenuis (Brullé), C. turanicus Tarbinskii and C. curtipennis (Harris).

A key is given to the Western European species and subspecies of this group.     

A description of Siphonophora portoricensis Brandt (Diplopoda: Siphonophorida: Siphonophoridae), with a Catalogue of Ordinal Representatives in the New World

Data on geographical distribution are provided for S. portoricensis Brandt, the type species of Siphonophora Brandt and the oldest species-group name in the genus, family, and Order; it appears to occur throughout Puerto Rico. It is characterized by fusion of the distal three podomeres of the anterior gonopods, which are sublinear in shorter, less mature males and bend caudad for varying lengths in longer individuals. In the New World, the Siphonophorida is represented by both families, the Siphonorhinidae by one genus and one species, Illacme plenipes Cook and Loomis, from San Benito County, California, and the Siphonophoridae by 10 genera, six monotypic, 66 extant nominal species, and one subspecies; two fossil species of Siphonophora have been proposed along with an unnamed fossil form of Siphonocybe Pocock. The following new combinations are officially recorded: Columbianum gracilicornis (Carl), Columbiozonium pearsei (Chamberlin), Cordillerium fuhrmanni (Carl), Yucatanium sabachana (Chamberlin), and Guatemalium barberi (Chamberlin). The Siphonophoridae ranges from southern California, northcentral Arizona, and central Texas to the Andes of central Peru and São Paulo state, Brazil. It also occurs on 10 islands in the Greater and Lesser Antilles, being newly recorded from Martinique, but apparently does not cross the Straits of Florida and is unknown from Florida, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.     

Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of Mount Kilimanjaro: Nymphalidae subfamilies Libytheinae,Danainae, Satyrinae and Charaxinae

This paper, which presents an annotated checklist of the ‘lower Nymphalidae’ (Libytheinae, Danainae, Satyrinae, Charaxinae), is the fourth in a series on the butterfly fauna of Mount Kilimanjaro. Four genera of lower Nymphalidae (Danaus, Amauris, Bicyclus, Charaxes), with a total of 11 included species, are known or believed to occur within the main forest zone, from c. 1800 to 2800 m. Of these, only three species of Charaxes (Charaxes berkeleyi, Charaxes ansorgei, Charaxes xiphares) may be restricted locally to this primary forest. The lower slopes fauna, below 1800 m, is considerably richer, with a total of 11 genera and 41 species listed (8 species of which extend into the forest zone). Possible additional species, dubious earlier records, problems with African subspecies of Danaus chrysippus, a need for more work on certain Satyrinae, and classification of the genus Charaxes are discussed. An identification key to the subfamilies of Nymphalidae, and the 19 genera of Libytheinae, Danainae, Satyrinae, Charaxinae that occur in Tanzania, together with a key to the adults of all the species of these four subfamilies considered to occur or have occurred on Kilimanjaro, with 206 colour images, are included as online Supplementary Information.     

New fanworm species (Polychaeta: Sabellidae: Fabriciinae) in the genus Pseudofabriciola Fitzhugh

Three new species are described: Pseudofabriciola quasiincisura from Belize, P. peduncula from Papua New Guinea, and P. sofla from the Gulf of Mexico off Florida. The total number of species in the genus is increased to 11. Pseudofabriciola quasiincisura and P. peduncula are intertidal, whereas P. sofla is from 26 m depth. An additional species from the Gulf of Mexico off Florida (88m depth), known only from a single specimen lacking the branchial crown, is described briefly but not named. Pseudofabriciola sofla and the unnamed species were originally described by Uebelacker (1984) as Fabricia sp. A. An emended definition for Pseudofabriciola is provided. Cladistic relationships of the species described herein are evaluated relative to others in the genus. The depth distribution of Pseudofabriciola, which displays the greatest known range within the Fabriciinae, is also re-examined.