Life cycles and host–parasitoid relationships of five species of Leucospis wasps in Argentina (Hymenoptera: Leucospidae)

The genus Leucospis Fabricius is comprised of parasitoid wasps relatively uncommon in nature. Their immature stages develop on aculeate Hymenoptera, in particular solitary bees, but hosts are known for only around 25 Leucospis species (about 20% of 115–120 world species), so the true relationship of this family with bees is largely unknown. Here we report on individuals of five species of Leucospis wasps which emerged from nests of different bee and wasp species during distinct sampling periods during a trap-nesting programme, in two contrasting areas: agro-ecosystems and natural habitats in the Pampean region. Some of these nests were parasitised by L. cayennensis Westwood, L. coxalis Kirby, L. egaia Walker, L. pulchriceps Cameron and L. signifera Bou?ek. Our results expand the available information of host species for L. cayennensis, L. coxalis, L. egaia and L. pulchriceps and represent the first record of hosts associated with L. signifera. The hosts were only bee species of the genera Centris, Tetrapedia (family Apidae) and Megachile (Megachilidae). These species were more abundant in the natural reserve than in agro-ecosystems, suggesting that anthropogenic activities could negatively affect their populations. Most nests were attacked in one (43.7%) or two (40.7%) cells, but the remaining nests (16.5%) had more (up to seven cells). However, the position of the attacked cells was variable, suggesting that females of Leucospis species oviposit in recently built cells, and that the hatching of larvae is delayed, or that the first larval stage waits until the host larva reaches a sufficient size to attack.     

Reflection of the Neogene–Quaternary phylogeography in the recent distribution limiting climatic factors of eight Mediterranean Phlebotomus species (Diptera: Psychodidae)

The diversification of Mediterranean Phlebotomus species occurred during the Neogene and Quaternary periods. The climatic and geographical history of the Mediterranean area plausibly influenced the climatic requirements of recent sand fly species. Our aim was to investigate the European zoogeography and the climate-based ecological groups of eight Phlebotomus species considering the phylogeography of the studied taxa. Jaccard index calculation, hierarchical cluster and principal component analyses were performed. The results of Jaccard-coefficient calculations may indirectly refer to the former existence of three possible glacial refuges of sand fly populations in Europe: an Iberian, an Apennine and a Balkan Peninsula–Asia Minor refuge. Three main climatic groups of the studied sand fly species were distinguished, namely the so-called ‘Trans-Mediterranean’, ‘East Mediterranean’ and ‘West Mediterranean’ groups. Our results suggest that the ancestor of Phlebotomus similis and Phlebotomus sergenti was adapted to the hot, dry summer Mediterranean climate during the late Neogene. The third member of this climate group, Phlebotomus papatasi because of co-adaptation shows similar climatic requirements as P. similis and P. sergenti. The five Larroussius species studied should have evolved under moister climatic conditions. Species of the ‘West Mediterranean’ group were adapted to the milder and wetter oceanic climate of Atlantic coasts. The species of the ‘East Mediterranean’ group diversified under the less balanced climate of the East Mediterranean. The recent climatic requirements and the European distribution of the studied species is the consequence of the complex Quaternary–Neogene geographical and climatic history of their former habitats in the Old continent. The adaptation of the ancestors of the studied sand fly species to the changing geographical and climatic factors of Europe are discussed.     

Revision of the West Palaearctic species of Rhoptromeris Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Eucoilinae)

The West Palearctic species of Rhoptromeris are revised. A total of 11 species are recognised as valid in this region, including four newly described species: Rhoptromeris dichromata sp. nov., Rhoptromeris koponeni sp. nov., Rhoptromeris leptocornis sp. nov. and Rhoptromeris macaronesiensis sp. nov. Eucoila luteicornis Ionescu, 1959 is synonymised with Rhoptromeris heptoma (Hartig, 1840) syn. nov. A checklist of the Holarctic Rhoptromeris is presented and an identification key to the West Palearctic species is provided. www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8164332C-93E2-4E3F-A408-F5FF5DFB366E     

Re‐description of the lycosiformis species group of Anyphops Benoit and description of two new species (Araneae,Selenopidae)

Anyphops Benoit is a heterogeneous genus with 62 known species restricted to the Afrotropical region. It is split into four species groups using the number of ventral spine pairs on tibiae I–II. The lycosiformis species group (?=?B‐B1 species group of Lawrence) is characterized by four ventral pairs of spines and includes Anyphops lycosiformis (Lawrence), A. natalensis (Lawrence) and A. parvulus (Pocock). In this paper, I revise this species group and include here A. mumai Corronca, A. lawrencei (Roewer) and two new species: Anyphops ngome n. sp. and A. lucia n. sp. from South Africa. Drawings of the female and male genitalia and some somatic characters are given, in some cases for the first time. A key for the lycosiformis species group and a map showing the distribution of each species are provided.     

East–west differentiation in the Marcusenius macrolepidotus species complex in Southern Africa: the description of a new species for the lower Cunene River,Namibia (Teleostei: Mormyridae)

This paper critically compares the Southern African bulldog fish species Marcusenius macrolepidotus (Peters, 1852), inhabiting the eastern Lower Zambezi River, and Marcusenius altisambesi Kramer et al., 2007, inhabiting the central Upper Zambezi River, with bulldog fish samples from the western lower Cunene River, a 2600-km range from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic. The three species or forms are well differentiated in morphology and molecular genetics, and differentiation is also present in electric organ discharges. Marcusenius altisambesi and the Cunene sample, which we recognize as Marcusenius multisquamatus sp. nov., are closely related and form a sister taxon to M. macrolepidotus. This result is based on the analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences and genomic Inter-simple-sequence-repeat fingerprinting. Morphological adaptations to life in a torrential escarpment river seem to be present in M. multisquamatus sp. nov. when compared with M. altisambesi, which lives in a reservoir river that periodically floods the savannah. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8FE68494-9ED9-428E-B181-E814D25493F2     

Host–parasite relationships and life cycles of cuckoo wasps in agro-ecosystems in Argentina (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae: Chrysidini)

Chrysididae is a diverse group of parasitoid/cleptoparasitic wasps; however, host–parasite relationships and life cycles of few species have been studied. Nests of different wasp and bee species were obtained during a trap-nesting programme, in the Pampean region. Some of these nests were parasitised by cuckoo wasps females of Caenochrysis taschenbergi (Mocsáry), Chrysis boutheryi (Brèthes), C. saltana Bohart, C. sp. 1 (ignita-group), C. sp. 2 (ignita-group), Neochrysis lecointei (Ducke), Pleurochrysis ancilla (Buysson) and P. lynchi (Bréthes). This paper reports new data about host–parasite relationships and life cycles for these species. Multiple parasites (from one species or from different families of insects) emerged from single cells of some parasitised nests: from each host cell parasitised by species of Pleurochrysis, two adults emerged successfully, information previously unknown for the genus; and in three cases of cells parasitised by C. boutheryi, two adults successfully emerged from a single cell; in two cases both individuals were chrysidine, and in third one was chrysidine and one Leucospis pulchripes (Leucospidae).     

Four new species of the genus Trichomyia − subgenus Septemtrichomyia Bravo (Diptera: Psychodidae: Trichomyiinae) from Brazil

Septemtrichomyia Bravo is a subgenus of Trichomyia Haliday in Curtis that includes 14 Neotropical species. Here we describe four new species of moth flies from the state of Espírito Santo in Brazil: Trichomyia capixaba sp. nov., T. gabia sp. nov., T. gustavoi sp. nov. and T. menezesi sp. nov. We also provide an updated key to males of the subgenus Septemtrichomyia.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4E3C2133-2FCD-4A14-B9A3-A55715931AB4     

New species of Porphyrochroa Melander (Diptera: Empididae) from Paraná, Brazil and key to Brazilian species from southern and south-eastern Brazil

Two new species of Porphyrochroa Melander are described from Paraná, Porphyrochroa atlantica and Porphyrochroa sierra. A new record is also made for Porphyrochroa pacaraima Mendonça, Rafael and Ale-Rocha, from Mato Grosso state. Drawings of the male genitalia are provided. A key to Brazilian species from southern and south-eastern Brazil is presented.     

Observations on the “tenuis group” (Eutardigrada,Macrobiotidae) and description of a new Macrobiotus species

A new species of the tardigrade genus Macrobiotus is described. The species, designated M. ciprianoi n. sp., was isolated from a mixture of Provence broom leaf litter and mosses, and from rock mosses collected in the Sierra de Guadarrama, Madrid (Spain). Given that Macrobiotus ciprianoi n. sp. shares several characters to members of the “tenuis group”, we assessed the taxonomic homogeneity of the group. The new species differs from those of the “tenuis group” according to a unique set of characters related with claw shape, features of the buccal‐pharyngeal apparatus, and egg morphology. Our analysis of holotypes and/or paratypes of “tenuis group” species and other Macrobiotus species with similar characters (M. bondavallii and M. caelicola) reflects the heterogeneity of this group of species as currently described.     

A new wolf spider species in the Pardosa monticola‐group (Araneae: Lycosidae) from Xinjiang,China

The Plateremaeoidea demonstrate highly differentiated patterns of dorsal setae on the hysterosoma because these setae are lost in protonymph and adult. Setal loss in protonymph always starts with setae of d-series, and occurs in order, continuing to the l-series and h-series. For example, Aleurodamaeus setosus (Berlese, 1883 Berlese, A. 1883. Escursione in Sicilia. Acarofauna Sicula. Ia serie. Bull Soc Entomol Ital., 15: 212–220.  [Google Scholar]) and Al. africanus Pletzen, 1963 Pletzen, R Van. 1963. Studies on South African Oribatei, II. Plateremaeidae Trägardh 1931; Genus Pedrocortesella Hammer 1961. Acarologia, 5(3): 438–442.  [Google Scholar] lose setae of d-series in protonymph, and eight pairs in adult (c-series, l-series, h ₂, h ₃), so four pairs of setae remain (h ₁, p-series). 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 (1758–2002). Graellsia. 60:3–305. Online version accessed in February 2011, p. 1–558. Available from http://www.ucm.es/info/zoo/Artropodos/Catalogo.pdf (http://www.ucm.es/info/zoo/Artropodos/Catalogo.pdf)  [Google Scholar] lose also setae la and lm in protonymph, and four pairs (c-series, lp), five pairs (c-series, lp, h ₃) and six pairs (c-series, lp, h ₂, h ₃) in adults, respectively, so six pairs (h-, p-series), five pairs (h ₁, h ₂, p-series) and four pairs of setae (h ₁, p-series) remain, respectively. Licnodamaeus costula Grandjean, 1931 Grandjean, F. 1931. Le genre Licneremaeus Paoli (Acariens). Bull Soc Zool France., 56: 221–250.  [Google Scholar] loses additionally seta lp, and Licnobelba latiflabellata (Paoli, 1908 Paoli, G. 1908. Monografia del genere Dameosoma Berl. e generi affini. Redia., 5: 31–91.  [Google Scholar]) also lose seta h ₂ in protonymph, and setae of c-series in adults, so six pairs of setae (h-series, p-series) remain in the former species, and four pairs (h ₁, p-series) in the latter species. Morphological characters of juveniles and adults of eight species of Plateremaeoidea are compared.