A revision of Vanneaugobius (Teleostei: Gobiidae), with description of a new species

The small eastern Atlantic-Mediterranean gobiid genus Vanneaugobius Brownell, 1978 (type-species: V. dollfusi Brownell, 1978) is redefined to include new skeletal and head lateral-line criteria. Provisionally, V. dollfusi is retained as distinct from V. pruvoti (Fage, 1907), the latter being now recorded from the Canary Islands, and a new species, V. canariensis, is described from the Canaries and Guinea. Originally associated with the Indo-Pacific Valenciennea and Asterropteryx, Vanneaugobius is actually synapomorphic with two other small eastern Atlantic genera, Wheelerigobius Miller, 1981, and Odondebuenia De Buen, 1930, in virtual separation of the pelvic fins and a trend for modification of upper and lower scales at the caudal fin origin. Vanneaugobius occupies an intermediate position between the two former genera in head lateral-line specialization. The genus-group shares a modal vertebral number of 28 with the north-eastern Atlantic-Mediterranean Gobius-Thorogobius complex.     

A revision of the Nearctic species of Clinohelea Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

The seven species of Clinohelea known to inhabit North America are described and illustrated, and a key is provided for identification. Two species groups are recognized: the unimaculata group and the bimaculata group. Clinohelea longitheca and C. pseudonubifera are new. Clino - helea nebulosa (Malloch) is a synonym of C. curriei (Coquillett) NEW SYNONOMY.     

New species of Corcyrogobius,Thorogobius and Wheelerigobius from West Africa (Teleostei: Gobiidae)

Three new West African species of gobiid fishes are described from the Gulf of Guinea in the tropical eastern Atlantic. These are Corcyrogobius lubbocki sp. nov., Thorogobius rofeni sp. nov. and Wheelerigobius wirtzi sp. nov. Generic features are discussed. T. rofeni, known from only the holotype, was trawled on the upper continental slope, an unusually deep occurrence for a gobiid species.     

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.     

A new genus and species of Sarcoglanidinae (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) from southeastern Brazil,with a re-examination of subfamilial phylogeny

Microcambeva barbata, n. gen. et sp., is described from rio São João, Estado do Rio de Janeiro. It is proposed as the sister group of Malacoglanis and Sarcoglanis, on the basis of three characters: pectoral fin longer than the head, pectoral fin rays projecting well beyond the fin membrane, and a forked caudal fin. Monophyly of the Sarcoglanidinae is confirmed by the unique possession of a long lateral process on the premaxilla and a separate anterior ossification on the palatine. A sister group relationship between the Sarcoglanidinae and the Glanapteryginae is supported by four synapomorphies: a posteriorly directed dorsal process on the quadrate, a large dorsal anteriorly directed process on the hyomandibula, vomer reduced and generalized miniaturization. A more inclusive group composed of Sarcoglanidinae, Glanapteryginae, Tridentinae, Vandeliinae and Stegophilinae is considered monophyletic, since they all exhibit a reduced interopercular patch of odontodes, a reduced or absent metapterygoid, reduction in the number of pleural ribs, and lack an elongate process on the parasphenoid.     

A taxonomic revision of the genus Ocyale Audouin, 1826 in Africa (Araneae: Lycosidae)

The taxonomy of the African representatives of the wolf spider genus Ocyale is revised. Fundamental taxonomic problems were encountered which resulted in confusion in the literature between Ocyale and Pisaura and thus potential instability of the type genus of the family Pisauridae. For reasons of taxonomic stability, a new type species for Ocyale is proposed here: O. neatalanta. Besides the type species, O. dewinterae n.sp., O. discrepans Roewer, 1960, O. grandis n.sp. and Ocyale guttata Karsch, 1878, are described and an identification key is provided. Ocyale spissa (Lenz, 1895) proved to be a junior synonym of O. guttata. Ocyale maculata (L. Koch, 1875), O. spissides Strand, 1907, O. fera Strand, 1908, O. ingenua (Karsch, 1879) and O. conspersa Karsch, 1879, were found to be either nomina dubia or incertae sedis.     

Specialization of the gobioid palatopterygoquadrate complex and its relevance to gobioid systematics

The gobioid suspensorium provides a suite of characters which seem valuable in hypothesizing gobioid phylogenies. Characters presently discussed refer to the architecture of the palatopterygoquadrate complex; i.e., the structure of the palatine, ectopterygoid and quadrate, and the spatial relationships existing between these bones. Several genera exhibit specialization, to different levels, of the palatopterygoquadrate complex. The following are regarded as specialized characters: a long palatine extending towards, or meeting the quadrate; or a very short, stubby palatine; a shallow ectopterygoid meeting the anteroventral corner of the quadrate, near the articulation with the lower jaw; a quadrate which is deeply forked, bearing an anteroposteriorly short dorsal lamina with a long anteroventrally sloping edge. Examination of the distribution of these palatopterygoquadrate complex characters, and reference to other, previously documented, features of gobioid skeletons and modified lateral-line systems, permits discussion of the phylogeny of several gobioid genera. The Gobionellinae, the Sicydiinae, and Awaous exhibit specialized characters of the palatopterygoquadrate complex, and are hypothesized to form a monophyletic group. Affinities between these lineages and the Microdesminae are also proposed, on the basis of similarities in palatopterygoquadrate complex, and other morphological characters.     

West Indian Neoathyreus and their over-water dispersal (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Geotrupinae)

Neoathyreus androsensis n.sp., is described from Andros Is. in the Bahamas and from Cayo Coco, Cuba. The new species and four other previously described species, now known to occur in the West Indies, are briefly described, keyed and figured. One species, Neoathyreus lanei (Martínez) occurs in the Lesser Antilles and also in northern South America. The four other species occurring on either Cuba, the Bahamas, or Hispaniola are closely related to each other and somewhat less so to the Neoathyreus hamifer complex, known from Mexico and Central America. A minimum of two or three over-water dispersals by ancestral forms seem to be necessary to explain the current distributions of at least some of these West Indian species.     

A revision of the neotropical beetle genus Isanopus Sharp, 1876 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylinini)

The xanthopygine staphylinid genus Isanopus Sharp, 1876 Sharp, D. 1876. Contribution to an insect fauna of the Amazon Valley (Col. Staph.).. Trans Entomol Soc Lond., 1876: 27–424.  [Google Scholar] is revised. Three species are described as new, I. ashei sp. n. from Costa Rica and Panama, I. eptaskouros sp. n. from Peru, and I. hinojosai sp. n. from Costa Rica and Panama. A lectotype is designated for I. sahlbergi Bernhauer, 1917 Bernhauer, M. 1917. Neue südamerikanische Staphyliniden.. Wiener Entomol Zei., 36: 102–116.  [Google Scholar]. Distribution maps, a key and illustrations of structural features are provided for the identification of species. Phylogenetic analysis of six ingroup and two outgroup taxa based on 19 characters produced a single most parsimonious tree (tree length = 24, CI = 1.0). The monophyly of Isanopus is supported by high bootstrap and Bremer support values.     

Evaluation of the taxonomy of Helix cincta (Muller, 1774) and Helix nucula (Mousson, 1854); insights using mitochondrial DNA sequence data

Phylogenetic relationships of the Aegean Helix cincta and Helix nucula with congeneric species found in Greece were inferred using mitochondrial DNA sequence data. Twenty-three specimens from mainland Greece, Aegean Islands, Cyprus and North Africa were analysed, revealing that (1) H. nucula is monophyletic, (2) H. cincta from Greece and Cyprus is paraphyletic, and so questions arise regarding the taxonomy of this species, and (3) H. cf. cincta from Tunisia might be considered as a distinct evolutionary lineage. Moreover Helix valentini, an endemic species of Kalymnos Island group, is clustered within the lineage of H. c. anatolica, so supporting the synonymy of the two ‘species’, and the elevation of H. c. anatolica to species level. Hence, our results stress the need for a taxonomic reconsideration of H. cincta in the Aegean Sea, indicating that sequence data can prove useful in overcoming taxonomic issues at both species and subspecies level.     

A systematic revision of the large-scaled Marcusenius with description of a new species from Cameroon (Teleostei; Osteoglossomorpha; Mormyridae)

Nine out of 37 recognized species in the genus Marcusenius have eight large circumpeduncular scales rather than 12 or 16, which is more typical of the genus. They are: M. dundoensis, M. fuscus, M. ghesquierei, M. intermedius, M. kutuensis, M. lambouri, M. moorii, M. paucisquamatus and M. schilthuisiae. All nine are restricted to West-Central and Central Africa. A detailed morphometric analysis could not distinguish differences between M. moorii, M. paucisquamatus and M. lambouri. Therefore they are considered as synonyms with M. morrii as the senior synonym. The systematic status of M. intermedius is uncertain owing to the existence of only three specimens. Within this species complex a new species, Marcusenius sanagaensis, is described from the Sanaga River basin in Cameroon. It differs from all the others in the number of scales on the lateral line and in the extent of the broad dark band between the anterior base of the dorsal fin and the anterior base of the anal fin. All valid Marcusenius species with eight circumpeduncular scales are redescribed and a key to these species is given.     

The species of Cellaria (Bryozoa: Cheilostomatida) with large avicularia from West Africa

The three species of Cellaria with large avicularia (the size of an autozooid) known from West Africa have been studied: C. atlantida Cook, C. cookae n. sp. and C. salicornioides Lamouroux. All three are figured by SEM. Cellaria cookae n. sp. is mainly distinguished by its avicularium, with arched and pointed rostrum and mandible and a cryptocyst with a rectangular lyrula. Cellaria atlantida is characterised by its bell shaped Cellaria avicularium. The recognition of C. salicornioides var. normani is considered to be unjustified, as the distinctive character, which is the existence of lateral branching, is only a feature of young colonies and tends to disappear later.