Cladistic analysis of the pennatulacean genus Renilla Lamarck, 1816 (Coelenterata,Octocorallia)

The genus Renilla is an interesting taxon for phylogenetic studies, which includes six species endemic to America with an anphiamerican distribution Pacific-Atlantic Ocean). A cladistic analysis of Renilla Lamarck, 1816 using eight characters from external morphology produced one cladogram (length 14, CI = 0.92, RI = 0.87), and the characters were polarized using Echinoptilum macintoshii Hubrecht, 1885 as an outgroup. In the cladogram the following phylogenetic sequence results: ((R. koellikeri (R. muelleri, R. musaica)) (R. octodentata (R. reniformis, R. tentaculata))).     

New species and new records of Veliidae from Espírito Santo State and adjacent Minas Gerais State,Brazil, with notes on nomenclature (Insecta: Heteroptera: Gerromorpha)

A review of the Veliidae occurring in Espírito Santo State, Brazil, is presented. The following new taxa are described: Oiovelia brasiliensis sp. nov., Paravelia capixaba sp. nov., Rhagovelia vaniniae sp. nov., R. mangle sp. nov., R. teresa sp. nov., R. denticulata sp. nov. and R. sooretama sp. nov. Husseyella halophila, Microvelia ayacuchana, and Stridulivelia quadrispinosa are recorded for the first time from southeastern Brazil. Microvelia longipes, M. mimula, M. venustatis, R. accedens, R. bocaina, R. elegans, R. hambletoni, R. itatiaiana, R. robusta, R. tenuipes, R. triangula, R. trianguloides, R. zela and S. tersa are recorded for the first time from Espírito Santo State. The occurrence of H. diffidens in Espírito Santo is confirmed. Additional records from the Caparaó mountain range are presented for M. mimula, R. accedens, R. aiuruoca and R. triangula. A necessary nomenclatural note concerning R. ochroischion, R. sbolos, R. trianguloides and R. turmalis is presented.     

The larval development of the spider crab Rochinia gracilipes (Crustacea: Majoidea: Epialtidae: Pisinae) reared in the laboratory

The larval development of the spider crab Rochinia gracilipes Milne-Edwards, 1875 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Majoidea: Epialtidae: Pisinae) is described and illustrated from laboratory-reared larvae. Development consisted of two zoeal stages and one megalopa, following the typical pattern in Majoidea. Zoea I of R. gracilipes, R. debilis and R. carpenteri differed in lengths of the rostral spine of the carapace, in the number of setae and aesthetascs of several head appendages (exopods of antennules, endopods of maxillules, and endopods and scaphognathites of maxillae) and in the length of posterolateral processes of abdominal somites; lateral carapace spines were present only in R. carpenteri and pleopod buds only in R. debilis. Megalopae of Rochinia gracilipes and R. carpenteri differed in several notable characters: a dorsal spine and long rostrum of the carapace, as well as spines in coxa and ischium of pereiopods, appeared only in R. carpenteri, and podobranchiae of the 3rd maxilliped appeared only in R. gracilipes; they also differed in setation of abdomen and pleopods. The comparison of the available information on Pisinae larval development suggested that larval morphology would not help to accurately understand the phylogenetic relationships of this subfamily of spider crabs.     

Termites live in a pear-shaped world: a response to Platnick

The six primarily Neotropical species groups of the genus Rachispoda are revised, comprising a total of 50 species, of which 35 are newly described. The aequipilosa group comprises nine species in the Neotropical and southeastern Nearctic regions: R. aequipilosa (Duda) comb. n., R. spuleri (Sabrosky) comb. n., and the new species R. alces, R. chisholmae, R. intonsa, R. joycei, R. laureata, R. luciana, and R. paludicola. The divergens group comprises ten Neotropical species: R. decimsetosa (Richards) comb. n., R. divergens (Duda) comb. n., R. multisetosa (Duda) comb. n., R. pluriseta (Duda) comb. n., and the new species R. condyla, R. forficula, R. luisi, R. merga, R. thaliathrix, and R. villosa. The fuscinervis group is a Neotropical and southern Nearctic group of 21 species: R. fuscinervis (Malloch) comb. n., R. schildi (Spuler) comb. n., R. striata (Duda) comb. n., R. trigonata (Spuler) comb. n., R. trochanterata (Malloch) comb n., and the new species R. aeditua, R. amarilla, R. andina, R. cesta, R. clivicola, R. colombiana, R. geneiates, R. justini, R. luminosa, R. meringoterga, R. oreadis, R. recavisterna, R. synoria, R. thermastris, R. trichopyga, and R. zygolepis. The maculinea group comprises seven Neotropical species: R. maculinea (Richards) comb. n., and the new species R. altimontana, R. baezensis, R. caesia, R. kaieteurana, R. lucaris, and R. praealta. The marginalis group contains the single Neotropical species R. marginalis (Malloch) comb. n. The m-nigrum group contains two species in the Neotropical and southeastern Nearctic regions: R. bipilosa (Duda) comb. n. and R. m-nigrum (Malloch) comb. n. Six described species are newly synonymized: Leptocera ensenada Richards (=R. divergens), L. limbinervis Duda and L. ruficornis Duda (=R. fuscinervis), L. paraguayensis Duda and L. weemsi Sabrosky (=R. m-nigrum), and L. rossi Richards (=R. multisetosa).     

New taxa of Rhagidiidae (Acari: Prostigmata) from North America. Part V. Genus Robustocheles Zacharda,with a key to world species of the genus

Six new species of rhagidiid mites from the Nearctic region, Robustocheles (R.) pascuaria n.sp., R. (R.) similis n.sp., R. (Mexia) longichelae n.subgen, n.sp., R. (Lewia) lacustris n. sp., R. (L.) obscuritata n. sp. and R. (L.) spinaea n. sp., are described. Additional morphological data are given for R. infernalis Zacharda and Elliott which is placed in the new subgenus Mexia. A key to adults of the known four subgenera and 15 species of the genus Robustocheles Zacharda of the world is presented.     

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.     

Smicridea McLachlan (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) from northwestern Argentina and Bolivia: new species,redescription, association and new records

Four new species of Smicridea (Rhyacophylax) are described from Argentina and Bolivia. Smicridea (Rhyacophylax) bifida sp. nov., S. (R.) elisae sp. nov. and S. (R.) valeni sp. nov. are described from the male; S. (R.) thermophyla sp. nov. is described as the first species of Smicridea from thermal springs. The larva and pupa of S. (R.) thermophila were associated using the metamorphotype method. New distributional records of S. (R.) dithyra, S. (R.) atrobasis, S. (R.) peruana and S. (R.) pampeana are included. Morphological characters of male S. (R.) peruana that were not mentioned before are included. Illustrations of all taxa named in this paper are included.     

Further remarks on the synonymy of the Rhagidiidae (Acarina: Prostigmata)

The systematic positions of the recently described species Rhagidia odontochela Turk, 1972, R. vitzhumi Turk, 1972, R. pseudocrenata Shiba, 1976, R. neoshibai Shiba, 1976, R. strandtmanni Shiba 1976, R. orghidani Baltac, 1977, Coccorhagidia cubana Baltac, 1977 and C. montana Baltac, 1977, are discussed. Specific synonyms of the Rhagidiidae are listed.     

V.—The shell of the ostracod genus Macrocypris

Summary

Robertgurneya smithi nov. sp. is described and figured from near Adelaide; notes are given on other species (including complete figures of the female of R. ilievecensis Monard), followed by a revised key to the members of this genus, of which R. smithi is the first to be found in Australian waters.     

Four related species of root mealybugs of the genus Rhizoecus from east and southeast Asia of importance at quarantine inspection (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae)

New data on four related species of root mealybugs of the genus Rhizoecus, from east and southeast Asia, are presented in order to aid identification. One of these, R. carolinensis Beardsley, described from the Caroline Is., is now known to occur in Papua New Guinea and Sabah, East Malaysia. R. saintpauliae Williams, described from Thailand, also occurs in Hawaii and the Philippine Is. R. hibisci Kawai and Takagi, described from Japan, is now known from Hawaii. It has been intercepted in recent years at quarantine inspection in the USA and also in the Netherlands on plants from various localities in east Asia. A new species, R. bacorum sp. nov., is described from Sri Lanka. These species are probably polyphagous and are potential pests to horticulture, causing damage to potted plants if they become established in greenhouses. A key to all four species is presented.     

The rats of Addu Atoll,Maldive Islands

Summary

1. 1. A population of tree-living Rattus rattus from Addu Atoll is described. Both sexes, but especially the females, have an unusually high tail to head-plus-trunk ratio.

2. 2. It is likely that the population reached Addu from Ceylon well before 1900 and is derived from the form R. r. kandianus Kelaart of that country. R. r. kandianus differs somewhat from the Addu form in its pleage characters but resembles it in possessing a high tail to head-plus-trunk ratio.

     

Primno evansi sp. nov. (Amphipoda: Hyperiidea) from the eastern North Atlantic

A new species of hyperiid amphipod, Primno evansi, is described from samples collected on R.R.S. Discovery Cruise 140, August to September 1983, in the eastern North Atlantic. The genus Primno, which has a wide geographic distribution, is now represented by five species with two of these occurring in the eastern North Atlantic. Primno evansi is closest to P. brevidens.     

Notes on astogeny of some Petraliellidae (Bryozoa) from Australia

Members of the bryozoan family Petraliellidae share the capacity to develop basal rhizoids, which anchor the unilaminar, semi-repent parts of the colonies above the substratum, and enable them to overgrow other, competing sessile forms. Little is known of the larval behaviour and settlement, or the early astogeny of species. Ancestrulate colonies of the Australian Tertiary lunulitiform species Smittia biincisa are referred to the genus Riscodopa, and together with Riscodopa paucipora sp. nov. are described and compared with the Recent species R. cotyla and R. parva from New Zealand, and with R. hyalina sp. nov. from New South Wales, Australia. All the Recent species are known to develop basal rhizoids, and an early astogeny similar to that of many other small, rooted bryozoans, comprising the post-metamorphosis development of a binary complex, including rhizoid and feeding elements, is inferred for Riscodopa. Observations on living Hippopetraliella magna from Queensland suggest that both the ancestrular morphology and early astogeny show a capacity for semi-repent growth, even though they do not include rhizoid development. Larvae metamorphose without direct attachment, and the ancestrula develops elongated, partially calcified supporting processes, which raise the early stages of growth above the substratum. A similar kind of ancestrula has been found in preserved specimens of Mucropetraliella ellerii.     

Synonymy of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), 1790 and R. vulneratus (Panzer), 1798 (Coleoptera,Curculionidae, Rhynchophorinae)

Morphological, molecular-genetic and breeding data were collected to investigate the species status of the Asian palm weevils, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) and R. vulneratus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). These weevils are distinguished by characteristic colouring of the pronota and elytra, but naturally occurring colour intermorphs were observed. Contrary to the literature, quantitative measurements of the concavity of subgenal sutures and of pronotal shape indicated no differences between the two species. Larvae did not differ significantly in labral characteristics. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) banding patterns were identical for nine of 14 primers, indicating that these weevils are very closely related. Sequences of the cytochrome oxidase gene for 201 base pairs read were identical for R. ferrugineus and R. vulneratus, but the congener R. bilineatus differed from them by 10%, suggesting divergence of these lineages about 5?million years ago. Hybrid F1s were obtained from all heterospecific crosses, and one surviving hybrid F1 female produced viable eggs. Previous studies have revealed no pheromonal differences. On the basis of this evidence, R. ferrugineus and R. vulneratus should be considered colour morphs of the same species and be synonymized under the name Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), with the common name Asian palm weevil.     

Space use by two arboreal rodent species in a Neotropical cloud forest

Studying animal space use patterns can help increase our understating of ecological processes such as competition and community dynamics. To quantify space and habitat use in an isolated and patchy cloud forest community in Mexico, we evaluate the vertical stratification, home range and habitat selection of two arboreal rodents: Habromys schmidlyi and Reithrodontomys microdon. Using live-traps at ground level and different forest strata, we radio-equipped nine individuals of H. schmidlyi and seven of R. microdon, and evaluated fine-scale space use and broad-scale habitat selection between cloud forest and oak forest. We found an average home range of 0.24 ha for R. microdon males and 0.72 ha for females, with a preference for higher canopy in the cloud forest. For H. schmidlyi the home range was 0.83 ha for males and 0.29 ha for females, with a preference for the understory level in the cloud forest. Home range is three-dimensional for these rodents, so we estimate that on average, individuals of both species used eight trees in the time they were tracked. We characterised the vegetation at the trap sites, and used recursive partitioning to relate the presence of different plants with the probability of finding these two species and Peromyscus aztecus, a third rodent species also present in the area and considered in our analysis of habitat use. The highest probability of finding R. microdon (96%) was related to the presence of Brachythecium occidentale and Renauldia mexicana, while H. schmidlyi (95%) was found in close proximity to Fabronia ciliaris and Everniastrum. We highlight the importance of arboreal trapping in biodiversity assessments, and the role of arboreal rodents in maintaining tropical forest ecosystems. We suggest that these rodent species could avoid or reduce competition by using the vertical strata differentially, and that H. schmidlyi and R. microdon can be biological indicators for cloud forest management and conservation.     

New records of West and South African Bathyporeia,with the description of four new species and a key to all species of the genus (Crustacea,Amphipoda)

New data on the warm temperate and tropical east Atlantic Bathyporeia species are presented. Four new species are described: Bathyporeia cunctator sp. nov. from South Africa, B. chevreuxi sp. nov. from Senegal, B. gladiura sp. nov. from South Africa, and B. griffithsi sp. nov. from Namibia. Bathyporeia cunctator sp. nov. and B. chevreuxi sp. nov. are very closely related to the west European B. tenuipes Meinert, 1877 and the Mediterranean B. lindstromi Stebbing, 1906 Stebbing, T. R. R. 1906. Amphipoda 1: Gammaridea.. Das Tierreich, 21: 1–806.  [Google Scholar]; these four cryptic species forming the complex tenuipes. Bathyporeia griffithsi sp. nov. and B. gladiura sp. nov. are highly distinctive new species. The morphotype “sunnivae” of Bathyporeia guilliamsoniana is recorded for the first time outside the Mediterranean Sea, in the Canary Islands. An identification key to all known Bathyporeia species is given.     

A record of Randiella from New Caledonia,the first known occurrence of the marine interstitial family Randiellidae (Annelida; Oligochaeta) in the South Pacific Ocean

Five specimens morphologically indistinguishable from Randiella caribaea Erséus and Strehlow, 1986, previously known only from the Caribbean in the Atlantic Ocean, are reported from a sandy beach at Touhou, New Caledonia. The new material reveals that R. caribaea and probably also the closely related R. minuta Erséus and Strehlow, 1986 have dorsal spermathecae, an assumedly apomorphic condition vis-à-vis the lateral spermathecae of the other species of Randiellidae. The number and position of the gonads in this family are unclear, but the new material of R. caribaea appears to have at least one testis in segment X and one ovary in segment XII.     

African Derbidae (Homoptera,Fulgoroidea): taxonomic notes with descriptions of new species collected mainly from coconut

An annotated list of the African Derbidae described since Synave's 1973 monograph is given, with some corrections and additions to that work together with a revision of the genus Robigus from Africa. The following new species are described: Diostrombus schuilingi sp. nov., D. mkurangai sp. nov., Zorabana vipaku sp. nov., Patara minazi sp. nov., P. chambeziensis sp. nov., Paraphenice mawai, sp. nov., Phenice pongwei sp. nov., Robigus magawai sp. nov., Robigus synavei sp. nov. (= R. tortrinotatus sensu Synave, 1973), Kamendaka ukutu sp. nov. All of these new species with the exception of R. synavei were collected from coconut. The following new synonomies are made: Proutista fritillaris (Boheman) = P. tesselata (Westwood) syn. nov., Diostrombus abdominalis (Distant) = D. moerensis Synave syn. nov., Paraphenice dissimilis Synave = Pamendanga fuscinervis Van Stalle syn. nov., Zoraida fuligipennis Muir = Z. nigeriensis Synave syn. nov., Platocera africana Muir, omitted in error from Synave (1973), is described and figured. Proutista moesta (Westwood) is recorded from Africa for the first time.