The deltocephaline leafhopper genus Hishimonoides in the Indian subcontinent (Homoptera)

The genus Hishimonides and the species Hishimonoides orientalis Mahmood are redefined. Three new species of the genus, namely H. arbudae (from Rajasthan: Mount Abu), H. bougainvilleae (from Karnataka: Bangalore; Tamil Nadu: Burliar) and H. setosus (from Karnataka: Bandipur; Rajasthan: Mount Abu) are described and illustrated. A key to the seven species known in the genus is given. H. bougainvilleae was found on Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd. (Nyctaginaceae).     

Five new species of Homalotylus Mayr (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) − from India with a key to Indian species

Five new species of Homalotylus Mayr (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) – H. noyesi sp. nov., H. biharensis sp. nov., H. varicolorus sp. nov. (from Bihar province), H. montanus sp. nov. (from Tamil Nadu province) and H. insularis sp. nov. (from Andaman and Nicobar Island) – are described from India. A revised key to the Indian species of Homalotylus is provided.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9209CC16-7A20-49BF-B4C6-95EF0F5567DF     

Two new species of the genus Sinella Brook, 1882 (Collembola: Entomobryidae) from East China

Two new species, Sinella hexaseta sp. nov. and Sinella pauciseta sp. nov., collected from East China, Anhui and Zhejiang provinces, respectively, were described. Both are easily discriminated from each other and all known Sinella species by their unique dorsocentral chaetotaxic patterns on Abd. IV. In S. pauciseta sp. nov., postlabial setae H_1–4 are ciliate, which are smooth in all other known species of the genus.     

Description of a new Tetranychus (Acarina,Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) pest of Musa from French Guiana

A new species of tetranychid mite, genus Tetranychus Dufour, 1832, is described and illustrated herein from neotropical area. Tetranychus musae sp. nov. (Acari, Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) differs from other species in the genus by the combination between the arrangement of leg setae on females tarsus I and the shape of the aedeagus. Tarsus I bears one tactile setae proximal to proximal duplex setae and three tactiles in line or almost in line with proximal duplex setae. The aedeagus knob consists of an acute posterior projection bent ventrally and a larger anterior rounded projection directed anterodorsally. T. musae specimens were collected in French Guiana where they appeared to be a pest of Musa sp. A key to adults of neotropical species of the genus Tetranychus feeding on banana is provided.     

On the northernmost Ajmonia Caporiacco, 1934 (Aranei: Dictynidae: Dictyninae)

Ontogeny of loss of gastronotal setae in Arthrodamaeus reticulatus (Berlese, 1910), Gymnodamaeus bicostatus (C.L. Koch, 1836) and Jacotella neonominata Subías, 2004 Subías, LS. 2004. Listado sistemático, sinonímico y biogeográfico de los Ácaros Oribátidos (Acariformes, Oribatida) del mundo (1748-2002). Graellsia., 60: 3–305. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] was investigated. From the larval setation, the protonymph of these species loses three pairs of d-series and two pairs of l-series; these losses continue through subsequent nymphal stages and adult. Between tritonymph and adult, setae of h-series are subject to loss; A. reticulatus loses none, G. bicostatus loses one pair (h ₃) and J. neonominata loses two pairs (h ₂ and h ₃). The nymphs of these species bear the gastronotic exuviae of previous instars, but they differ in the appearance of the exuviae, the manner of their connection with the gastronotum, and the shape of setae c ₃ and lp, which in some species helps secure the exuviae to the body. Other aspects of ontogeny of these species are described and illustrated for the first time, and morphological characters that distinguish Arthrodamaeus, Gymnodamaeus and Jacotella are discussed.     

The life‐cycle of Hemigalichus chrotogale sp. nov. (Acari: Listrophoridae), with comparative observations on listrophorid morphology

A new fur‐mite species, Hemigalichus chrotogale (Acari: Listrophoridae), is described from Chrotogale owstoni (Carnivora: Viverridae) from Vietnam. The external morphology of all instars is described in detail. The precopulatory mate‐guarding behaviour exhibited by H. chrotogale is the first report of this phenomenon in the Listrophoridae. A morphological comparison of all currently recognized listrophorid genera and some early derivative representatives of the family Atopomelidae, which are closely allied to the Listrophoridae, is conducted. The results obtained support the monophyly of Listrophoridae. The family Listrophoridae includes two subfamilies, Listrophorinae, with more than 150 species in 20 genera, and the monobasic Aplodontochirinae, and is characterized by the following synapomorphies: the palps are enveloped by distinct membranes, the prescapular shield covers the gnathosoma, or most of it, dorsally, the clasping organs of coxal fields I are larger than those of coxal fields II, and setae scx, baI–II, pRII, and sIII are absent.     

A new species of Munromyia Bezzi (Diptera: Tephritidae) reared from Chionanthus battiscombei (Oleaceae) in northern Kenya

Munromyia marsabitensis sp. nov. is described from the isolated mountains of Marsabit in northern Kenya. It can be distinguished from the two known congeners by the thoracic and abdominal colour patterns, structure of the male and female terminalia, and host plants. Larvae are seed predators, developing within the green, aborted fruits of Chionanthus battiscombei. Over 70% of sampled fruits (n?=?74) were infested with larvae, but nearly all of the individually infested fruits (96.1%) produced only one adult tephritid. Bactrocera biguttula, but not M. marsabitensis, was reared from ripe fruits of the same plant.     

Shallow-water Mysida (Crustacea: Mysidacea) of Bahrain (Arabian Gulf): species composition,abundance and life history characteristics of selected species

Mysida were collected from Tubli Bay and the eastern coastline of Bahrain during 1991–1992 incidental to a survey of penaeid prawns. These samples provided an opportunity to assess the species composition of mysids from a nearshore region of the Arabian Gulf—an area in which mysid fauna is poorly known. The 114 beam trawl samples yielded >29?000 mysids. Rhopalophthalmus sp. (>90%), Siriella brevicaudata (5%), Kainomatomysis foxi (1.2%), Siriella sp. A (0.9%) and Indomysis annandalei (0.6%) were the most abundant of 11 species identified. Basic life history variables (carapace length, life stage, brood size) were measured for these five taxa.     

Coelomotrema aegyptiaca sp. nov., an unusual prosthogonimid trematode from Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout) in Egypt

Coelomotrema aegyptiaca sp.nov. is described from Rattus norvegicus in Sharkia Province, Egypt. The worms are believed to have come from the abdominal cavity. They differ from C. antechinomes in having a larger and more elongated body, the median position of the genital pore, retort-shaped ovary, relatively smaller testes and very feebly developed suckers, the oral sucker being vestigial. This is the second prosthogonimid to be reported from rats.     

Two new free-living marine nematode species of Xyalidae (Monhysterida) from the Yellow Sea,China

Two new species of free-living marine nematodes Paramonohystera eurycephalus sp. nov. and Steineria sinica sp. nov. from the Yellow Sea, China are described. Paramonohystera eurycephalus sp. nov. is characterized by relatively wide head diameter (33 μm in width), large cup-shaped buccal cavity; presence of numerous long cervical setae; amphidial fovea 18–20 μm in diameter; spicules slender, arcuate, 3.1–3.2 anal body diameter; gubernaculum tubular with a distal hook; five to six minute precloacal supplements. Steineria sinica sp. nov. is characterized by eight groups of three subcephalic setae at almost same level as cephalic setae; eight groups of two long cervical setae situated between subcephalic setae and amphidial fovea; amphidial fovea round, 35% of corresponding body diameter, about one head diameter from anterior end; spicules slender, cephalate proximally and taper distally; gubernaculum pipe-shaped with dorsocaudal apophysis; tail conico-cylindrical with three long terminal setae.     

The developmental sequence of Argulus foliaceus (Crustacea: Branchiura)

We describe and illustrate the complete development of Argulus foliaceus L. A metanauplius is followed by nine juvenile stages. Eggs were detected in the thorax of the female at the 11th stage. Comparisons are made between the development of A. foliaceus and the other freshwater species of Argulus currently found in the UK.     

Two new species of the commensal shrimp genus Periclimenaeus Borradaile, 1915, (Decapoda,Palaemonidae) from the Maldive Islands

Two new species of the commensal shrimp genus Periclimenaeus Borradaile, found in the waters of the Maldive Islands, Indian Ocean, are described and illustrated. P. tchesunovi sp. nov. is related to P. rastrifer Bruce. The former may be distinguished by its deeper rostrum, with dentition 6/1, the presence of supraorbital tubercles, and broad, spatulate fingers on the first pereiopods. P. zarenkovi sp. nov. closely resembles P. diplosomatis Bruce in the presence of minute denticulations on the dactylar cutting edge of the major second pereiopod, but differs from it by a deeper rostrum with 5 dorsal teeth, more robust chelae of the second pereiopods, and small dorsal telson spines.     

Two new free-living nematode species of Setosabatieria (Comesomatidea) from the East China Sea and the Chukchi Sea

Two new free-living marine nematode species of the genus Setosabatieria from the sandy intertidal zone of Xiamen, in the East China Sea and a shallow water area in the Chukchi Sea, Arctic Ocean are described and illustrated. Setosabatieria longiapophysis sp. nov. is characterized by four longitudinal files with 7–9 cervical setae per file, 15–16 minute papillate precloacal supplements and relatively long straight apophyses of gubernaculum. Setosabatieria major sp. nov. is identified by its relatively large body of 2701–3144 µm, the number (10–11) of cervical setae per file, 26–28 minute papillate precloacal supplements and spicules with a central septum at both the proximal and distal end. A pictorial identification key to all known species of Setosabatieria is provided.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B8A2BEC9-5CD4-4AA9-9CA8-D1AE1FDE4887     

Population characteristics of four deep‐water pandalid shrimps (Decapoda: Caridea) in the northern Aegean Sea (NE Mediterranean)

The population characteristics of four deep‐water pandalid shrimps (Decapoda: Caridea) were studied in the northern Aegean Sea in samples collected annually (1997–2000) in summer, through experimental trawl, at depths down to 600 m. Females were larger than males in Plesionika martia and Plesionika heterocarpus; no significant differences in size of males and females were found in Chlorotocus crassicornis and Plesionika antigai. A trend of increasing size with depth was observed, as well as a linear increase in the proportion of females with increasing size. Sex ratio was skewed towards females at all depths in P. antigai, while in P. heterocarpus and C. crassicornis males dominated the intermediate depths. Negative allometries were apparent in the carapace length–weight relationships in males of all species. Isometric relationships were found in females apart from in P. heterocarpus. The population patterns conform to relevant Mediterranean reports. However, some population differences exist that may reflect the distinct environmental conditions prevailing in the study area.     

Two new species of Lauratonema (Nematoda: Lauratonematidae) from the intertidal zone of the East China Sea

Two new species of free-living marine nematodes of the genus Lauratonema Gerlach, 1953 from an intertidal sandy beach of the East China Sea are described and illustrated. Lauratonema macrostoma sp. nov. is characterized by a spacious buccal cavity, depth 2.1–2.3 times width; cup-shaped amphids; small blade-like spicules (14–16 µm long, 0.55–0.65 anal or cloacal body diameter [a.b.d.]) and unequal length of outer labial setae and cephalic setae (13–17 µm and 9–12 µm respectively). Lauratonema dongshanense sp. nov. can be distinguished by the small buccal cavity with a strong cuticularized transverse strip structure; cup-shaped amphids; small blade-like spicules (14–15 µm long, 0.58–0.67 a.b.d.), unequal length of outer labial setae and cephalic setae (8–10 µm and 5–7 µm respectively); the presence of a small precloacal papilla. A dichotomous key for the genus Lauratonema is given.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B5BA6C15-E72A-4C62-97B4-1823E71A9355     

Structure of the reproductive system and hectocotylus in males of lesser flying squid Todaropsis eblanae (Cephalopoda: Ommastrephidae)

This paper introduces new data on Todaropsis eblanae morphology, morphometry and functional aspects of the male reproductive system and hectocotylus. Spermatophores differ in specimens from the Atlantic Ocean (average length, 18.28 ± 1.45 mm, 15.63 ± 0.8% of mantle length; weight, 2.0–12.0 mg) and the Indian Ocean (average length, 24.8 ± 2.85 mm, 16.9 ± 2.1% of mantle length; weight, 35.0–39.6 mg) (t?=?3.14; p < 0.01 for absolute sizes and t?=?0.711; p > 001 for relative sizes). An additional important distinctive trait is the form of connection of the cement body with the ejaculatory tube. In recent years, T. eblanae has been regularly caught in the Barents Sea, meaning its range has extended to subarctic waters. The morphology and morphometry of the spermatophoric complex of organs did not vary in investigated parts of its range. Hectocotylus patterns and some important spermatophore traits distinguish Todaropsis from other Ommastrephidae.