Extremalona timmsi gen. nov., sp. nov., a new cladoceran (Cladocera: Anomopoda: Chydoridae) from an acid saline lake in southwest Western Australia

A new species of Cladocera, Extremalona timmsi gen. nov., sp. nov., was found in acid saline lakes in the southwest of Western Australia. Extremalona gen. nov. belongs to the Coronatella-branch of Aloninae, but differs from all members of the group by the oval body with small high-set head (tip of rostrum located at half-height of the body), the exopodite III with uniform, well-developed setae 4–6 and male antennule with six lateral and nine terminal aesthetascs, and by numerous other characters. In our opinion, Extremalona gen. nov. is one of the ancestral genera of the Coronatella-branch of Aloninae, sharing numerous common features with the elegans-group of Alona s.l. Our data confirm a high level of endemism in Australian Chydoridae and Cladocera in general.     

A redescription of the type specimen of Crotonia (= Acronothrus) obtecta (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1875), (Acari,Cryptostigmata) and a discussion of its taxonomic relationships

Summary

The holotype of Crotonia (= Westwoodia) obtecta (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1875) has been cleaned and is redescribed. Study indicates that Crotonia Thorell, 1876 is a senior synonym of Acronothrus Berlese, 1916, and that the family Crotoniidae Thorell, 1876 is a senior synonym of the Holonothridae Wallwork, 1963     

Studies on gorgoderid digeneans from Australian and Assian Freshwater fishes

Pseudophyllodistomum gen. nov. is proposed for a section of Phyllodistomum Braun, 1899. The new genus is distinguished by the simple form of the uterus, the eggs which reach over 60 μm long in length, the saccular excretory bladder, the 2[3 + 3 + 3) + (3 + 3 + 3)] = 36 flame-cell formula, the metacercaria which may have fully developed genitalia and is parasitic in decapod crustaceans, the use of corbiculid bivalves as first intermediate hosts, and the cercaria which has a long tail not enclosing the cercarial body. Two species, P. johnstoni sp. nov. and P. murrayense sp. nov., are described from Australian freshwater fish and five new combinations of previously described Phyllodistomum species from Asian freshwater fish are proposed — P. macrobrachicola (Yamaguti, 1934) comb. nov., P. lesteri (Wu, 1938) comb. nov., P. srivastavai (Rai, 1964) comb. nov., P. lucknowense (Pandey, 1970) comb. nov. and P. mingense (Tang, 1985) comb. nov. The first intermediate host of P. johnstoni is a Corbiculina species. The long-tailed cercariae infect the gonads of palaemonid prawns, Macrobrachium spp., in which they grow to unencysted metacercariae which may have fully developed genitalia. The metacercaria of P. murrayense also infects a Macrobrachium species. The evolution of the Gorgoderinae is discussed and it is suggested that, prior to the erection of Pseudophyllodistomum, Phyllodistomum may have encompassed as many as five different phylogenetic lines, each with similar adult morphology but distinguishable by life-cycle characters. It is postulated that more study will lead to further division of Phyllodistomum.     

Freshwater sponges of the West Indies: Discovery of Spongillidae (Haplosclerida,Spongillina) from Cuba with biogeographic notes and a checklist for the Caribbean area

The paper reports the first finding of freshwater sponges from the Greater Antilles. Spongillidae belonging to four species of the genera Ephydatia, Anheteromeyenia, and Radiospongilla were found in a variety of freshwater habitats in western Cuba. Anheteromeyenia cheguevarai nov. sp. is described. Morphological traits of sponges from West Cuba were characterized by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy and compared to the spongillofauna of the Nearctic and Neotropical regions and the pan‐Caribbean area. The specific richness and the discovery of a new species suggest a high diversity of the Antillean freshwater sponges although the investigated area of Cuba is relatively small.     

Freshwater invertebrates of subantarctic South Georgia

Twenty‐one lakes, ten pools, seven coastal pools, three streams, two seal wallows, a penguin wallow, and three flooded moss carpets on South Georgia were sampled for aquatic invertebrates. More than 100 invertebrate species were found comprising 59 species of Rotifera, 29 Arthropoda (including five Anomopoda, three Calanoida, two Harpacticoida, three Ostracoda, 12 Acarina and four Insecta) and at least 22 other invertebrate species (including four Platyhelminthes, three Gastrotricha, six Tardigrada, six Nematoda, and two species of Annelida). The fauna of South Georgia, although similar to that of the other Scotia Arc Islands, particularly Signy Island, is much richer by virtue of its lower latitude and milder climate.     

Redefinition of the parastenocaridid genus Proserpinicaris (Copepoda: Harpacticoida), with description of three new species from Korea

Proserpinicaris young sp. nov., Proserpinicaris wangpi sp. nov. and Proserpinicaris imjin sp. nov. are described from subterranean waters of South Korea. They are short-range endemics, allopatric in distribution and closely related to each other, and to two other Far Eastern congeners. Distinguishing features are limited to the general habitus shape, proportions of the caudal rami and degree of sexual dimorphism. The genus Proserpinicaris Jakobi, 1972 Jakobi, H. 1972. Trends (Enp.P4 Mänchen) innerhalb der Parastenocarididen (Copepoda Harpacticoidea). Crustaceana, 22: 127–146. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar], as redefined here, is Palaearctic in distribution, with the centre of diversity in southern Europe, and 20 valid members, all of which share a large hyaline spiniform structure on the male fourth leg basis as a synapomorphy. A key to species is provided. Genera Niponnicaris Jakobi, 1972 Jakobi, H. 1972. Trends (Enp.P4 Mänchen) innerhalb der Parastenocarididen (Copepoda Harpacticoidea). Crustaceana, 22: 127–146. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] and Pannonicaris Jakobi, 1972 Jakobi, H. 1972. Trends (Enp.P4 Mänchen) innerhalb der Parastenocarididen (Copepoda Harpacticoidea). Crustaceana, 22: 127–146. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] are established as its junior subjective synonyms, Lacustricaris Jakobi, 1972 Jakobi, H. 1972. Trends (Enp.P4 Mänchen) innerhalb der Parastenocarididen (Copepoda Harpacticoidea). Crustaceana, 22: 127–146. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] is formally synonymized with Parastenocaris Kessler, 1913, and Parastenocaris lacustris Chappuis, 1958 Chappuis, PA. 1958. Le genre Parastenocaris Kessler. Vie Milieu, 8: 423–432.  [Google Scholar] is designated as incertae sedis in Fontinalicaridinae Schminke, 2010 Schminke, HK. 2010. High-level phylogenetic relationships within Parastenocarididae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida). Crustaceana, 83: 343–367. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar].     

Ten new species of the genus Brevisomabathynella Cho,Park and Ranga Reddy, 2006 (Malacostraca,Bathynellacea, Parabathynellidae) from Western Australia

Ten new species of Brevisomabathynella Cho, Park and Ranga Reddy, 2006 Cho, JL, Park, JG and Ranga Reddy, Y. 2006. Brevisomabathynella gen. nov. with two new species from Western Australia (Bathynellacea, Syncarida): the first definitive evidence of predation in Parabathynellidae. Zootaxa., 1247: 25–42.  [Google Scholar] are described and illustrated from the arid region of Western Australia. Comparison of the external morphology revealed the presence of three common characters distributed among the 10 species: the five-segmented antenna, the absence of the basipodal seta on the male thoracopod VIII and the absence of a basiventral seta on the uropodal exopod. This character combination is not found in Notobathynella and Billibathynella, but only in Brevisomabathynella, a genus known from two described species both with unusual characters. Despite the three common attributes, the 10 new species differ remarkably from these two described species, but could not be defined by their own synapomorphy. Consequently, and cognizant of a previously performed molecular analysis, we assign the 10 new species to Brevisomabathynella and amend the generic diagnosis. The species inhabit shallow aquifers in groundwater calcretes and each appears to be endemic to a given calcrete formation. The two species previously known and the 10 species now described include four sympatric species pairs, with similar-sized sympatric species differing markedly in body form. Brevisomabathynella inhabit groundwater up to at least marine salinity.     

A case of biodiversity overestimation in the Balkan Belgrandiella A. J. Wagner, 1927 (Caenogastropoda: Hydrobiidae): molecular divergence not paralleled by high morphological variation

Belgrandiella A. J. Wagner, 1927 is a genus comprising minute snails with conic or turriform shells that are facultative stygobionts, inhabiting subterranean waters and springs. Few specimens or even empty shells of this taxon can be found, so the taxonomy is based mostly on the shell morphology and geographic distribution. Anatomy is known for a few taxa, and its usefulness is restricted. This, coupled with a popular idea that isolation is the first factor shaping divergence and speciation of the spring/cave fauna, resulted in dozens of nominal species of Belgrandiella, known from shells at a given locality. Herein we present shells, anatomy and four molecular markers (nuclear H3, 18S and 28S and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I) in Belgrandiella from 16 localities in Slovenia, northern Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Five sites are type localities of Boleana umbilicata, Belgrandiella kusceri, Belgrandiella krupensis, Belgrandiella zermanica and Belgrandiella robusta, respectively. Considering the shell and geographic distribution, we have determined B. cf. robusta Belgrandiella cf. croatica, Belgrandiella cf. fontinalis, Belgrandiella cf. kuesteri, Belgrandiella cf. pageti and Belgrandiella cf. koprivnensis The shells of all, as well as penes and female reproductive organs of two putative, species have been illustrated. Molecular analysis indicates four distinct clades, most probably of species rank for B. kusceri, B. cf. kuesteri, B. cf. fontinalis and B. cf. koprivnensis. Four nominal species (B. krupensis, B. robusta, B. umbilicata and B. zermanica) and one genus (Boleana) must be synonymised with Belgrandiella kusceri, and there are no more than four valid, biological species in the studied Belgrandiella. The molecular divergence is completely unmirrored by high morphological variability. Hence the level of endemism is markedly overestimated in these snails.     

A new genus and subfamily of Typhloplanidae (Platyhelminthes,Rhabdocoela) from Australia with a cladistic analysis of subfamily relationships

During a survey of marine interstitial Platyhelminthes of North Stradbroke Island, Queensland, Australia, a new taxon of Typhloplanidae (Rhabdocoela) was found, namely Cephalopharynx cannoni gen. nov. sp. nov. This new monotypic genus combines a suite of characters that set it apart from the remaining 63 genera present in the known eight subfamilies. It is unique in the lack of adenal and dermal rhabdites, the anterior position of the pharynx rosulatus, presence of a single anterior testis, and novel stylet structure. These character states substantiate the erection of a new subfamily, Cephalopharynginae, based on cladistic criteria. A key to the subfamilies of Typhloplanidae is provided.     

Five new species of Monocelis Ehrenberg, 1831 (Platyhelminthes: Proseriata) from eastern Australia

Six species of the genus Monocelis Ehrenberg, 1831 have been found in eastern Australia. All are new to science. Five of them are formally described here. Three species (M. rupisrubrae sp. nov., M. nexilis sp. nov., and M. corallicola sp. nov.) have two clearly set pigmented eyespots lateral to the statocyst. They differ in details of the copulatory organ and karyotype. No clear synapomorphies among them or with other species of the genus could be detected. Monocelis beata sp. nov. and M. macrobulbus sp. nov. present extremely elongate, longitudinally oriented copulatory organs. They are sister species, and phylogenetic relationships with M. galapagoensis Ax and Ax, 1977 and M. hopkinsi Karling, 1966 are proposed. Australian Monocelis have distributions limited to recognized biogeographical provinces in eastern Australia: M. corallicola, M. beata and M. macrobulbus in the northern Australian Zone, M. rupisrubrae and M. nexilis in the ‘Overlap Zone’ of the central east coast and Monocelis sp. A in the southern Australian Region.     

The Cassidininae Hansen, 1905 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Sphaeromatidae) of Australia

The Cassidininae of Australia are revised. The status of the subfamily is assessed and it is concluded that, as presently constituted, the Cassidininae is an artificial taxon. It is maintained here as a taxon of convenience (sensu lato) until the other sphaeromatid subfamilies can be reassessed, but a new diagnosis (sensu stricto) is given. The genus Cassidina is redescribed. Three new genera are established: Agostodina gen. nov. (type species: A. munta sp. nov.), Apemosphaera gen. nov. (type species: A. naranagi sp. nov.) and Discidina gen. nov. (type species: D. banawarra sp. nov.). New diagnoses are provided for the genera Cassidina Milne Edwards, Chitonopsis Whitelegge, Cassidinidea Hansen, Paracassidina Baker, Syncassidina Baker and Platysphaera Holdich and Harrison. The genus Dies is placed in synonymy with Cassidinidea and an annotated list is given of all species of the genus. The following new species (excluding the new type species) are described: Chitonopsis booyoolie, Agostodina munta, Paracassidina anasilla, P. bakeri, P. bamarook, P. bilbie, P. cervina, P. dama, P. fuscina, P. incompta, P. kutyo, P. munna, P. petala, P. prolata, P. wurrook and Cassidinidea korpie. Keys to the Australian genera and species are given.     

Biodiversity and biogeography of the coral boring barnacles of the genus Berndtia (Cirripedia: Acrothoracica) in the West Pacific,with description of three new species

Acrothoracican barnacles of the genus Berndtia are exclusive coral borers and the type species is Berndtia purpurea Utinomi, 1950a, reported in the corals Lepastrea purpurea and Psammocora profundacella in Wakayama, Japan. We confirmed the type is only from the coral Lepastrea purpurea and is distributed from Japan, Taiwan to Hong Kong. In contrast, B. purpurea from Psammocora belongs to a new species Berndtia haradai sp. nov., which is distributed from Japan to Okinawa. The other new species identified in the present study, Berndtia denticulata sp. nov. is common in Okinawa but also collected on the Pacific side of the Philippines. Berndtia utinomii sp. nov. is found on NE coast of Taiwan, Kochi and Wakayama in Japan and Vietnam but is absent from Okinawa. All described species are diagnostic in the coloration and morphology of the opercular bars in live specimens, morphology of posterior lobes of operculum and the number of notches in maxillules.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8B6FE5B4-C5DD-48DE-B91A-39BBBAF87636     

From the subantarctic to the subtropics: a revision of the Davacaridae Kethley, 1977 (Acari: Trigynaspida: Mesostigmata) with the description of a new genus and three new species

The family Davacaridae is shown to consist of at least two genera (Davacarus Hunter, Acanthodavacarus n. gen.) and four species that are distributed from subantarctic islands (D. gressetti Hunter) to Tasmania (D. reginaldi n. sp.), and to mainland Australia (D. lindquisti n. sp., A. klompeni n. sp.) at least as far north as the subtropical rainforests of south-east Queensland. These mites share a number of striking synapomorphies including the paedomorphic retention of the deutonymphal pattern of sclerotized plates in the adult, a secondary thickening of the cuticle around those plates and a lateral cheliceral excrescence that adheres to the cheliceral teeth. Species of Davacarus have lost the pregenital shield, have an intricate endogynium and four pairs of large, sessile opisthosomal glands; species of Acanthodavacarus have a pregenital shield with a pair of setae and two pairs of hypertrophied opisthosomal glands on short horn-like protrusions.     

Biogeography of amphipods (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Gammaridae) from the central Zagros Mountains,Iran, with descriptions of two new species

Seven species of gammarid amphipods were studied in the relatively small province of Charmahal-Va-Bakhteyari in the central Zagros Mountains, Iran. Of these, four are previously known (Gammarus proiectus, G. komareki, G. syriacus and G. balutchi), one is a new record for the region (G. pseudosyriacus) and two are new species (G. lordeganensis and G. bakhteyaricus). From the taxonomic point of view, head microsculpturing characters were found to be reliable as discriminating sets of characters useful in species identification. Habitat diversification and climatic fluctuations appear to be the main factors for species diversity of the area, and the Zagros Mountains act as a geographical barrier to species distribution.     

Two new species of Leicacandona Karanovic (Ostracoda,Candoninae) from the Great Sandy Desert,Australia

Two new species, Leicacandona pinkajartinyi sp. nov. and L. jula sp. nov., are described from the Great Sandy Desert, Western Australia. Both species have reduced posterior claws on the caudal ramus, but differ in carapace shape and the length of setae and number of segments on the second and third thoracopods. A cladistic tree based on 27 morphological characters and a tree based on geographic latitudes and longitudes of the localities where Leicacandona species have been collected so far were constructed. These two cladograms do not correspond completely, although some similarities exist. The results obtained here agree with those obtained for some other subterranean animals in Australia, and they are understood as independent colonizations of subterranean waters by a couple of widespread surface water species.     

Behavioural ecology of Australian gall thrips (Insecta,Thysanoptera)

Collections, observations and experiments were used to investigate the behavioural ecology of gall thrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. Data are presented on aspects of gall morphology, male and female morphology, behaviour, life cycles, and sex ratios for six gall-forming species, five species of inquilines (invaders that do not form galls), and one genus that uses secretions to glue phyllodes (modified petioles) together. During gall foundation on phyllodes of Acacia pendula, females of Kladothrips rugosus Froggatt fight other females to the death, males fight other males to the death, and one female or one adult of each sex remains alive within the gall to breed. In addition to the live adults, half of newly found galls contained dead bodies of from one to 13 males and females, which were apparently killed in fights. In Oncothrips tepperi Karny, which forms galls on Acacia oswaldii, single females found new galls, and females engage in lethal fighting during the period from gall initiation until closure. First-generation broods of Oncothrips tepperi comprise winged males and winged females with a sex ratio of about 1:6 female biased. Each gall also contains several wing-reduced adults with larger forelegs than winged adults, which probably either fight among themselves or defend their siblings from gall invaders. Adults of Oncothrips tepperi breed in the galls for two or more generations, whereas in all of the other species studied on Acacia only one generation occurs in a gall. Females of the inquiline Koptothrips flavicornis invade young, first-generation galls of Oncothrips tepperi, kill the foundling female, and produce their own offspring. Single females of Oncothrips antennatus (Moulton) form galls on Acacia aneura, and apparently do not fight. Winged females of Oncothrips antennatus have smaller forelegs, relative to their body size, than do winged females of Oncothrips tepperi. In Onychothrips arotrum Mound and Onychothrips tepperi (Uzel), single females from galls on Acacia aneura. In each species, females engage in lethal fighting during gall initiation. The sex ratio of Onychothrips arotrum broods is about 1:18 female biased. The inquiline Csirothrips watsoni Mound invades galls of Onychothrips arotrum, apparently after most or all of the offspring have left, and breeds inside. Females of this inquiline will kill live Onychothrips arotrum inside the galls, and they apparently plug gall entrances with cast O. arotrum exuviae. Iotatubothrips crozieri Mound and Crespi is involved in the formation of large, woody galls on stems of Casuarina, perhaps in association with a microorganism. They breed in these galls for many generations. Galls contain several to thousands of individuals, and the adult sex ratio is about 1:4 female biased. Adults of the inquilines Thaumatothrips froggatti and Phallothrips houstoni Mound and Crespi invade these galls, kill the Iotatubothrips adults, and breed therein. The Iotatubothrips occasionally attempt, ineffectually, to fight off the invaders, and they apparently make partitions within the gall to protect themselves from takeover. Adults of Lichanothrips spp. glue phyllodes of Acacia harpophylla together using eggs and patches of secretion, and they breed in the resultant narrow space. Xanothrips xantes Mound breed in these spaces after the Lichanothrips have left. Fighting in Kladothrips rugosus, Oncothrips tepperi and Onychothrips tepperi involves two adults rearing up head to head, sparring with their enlarged, armed forelegs raised, and attempting to grasp and hold their opponent with their forelegs and drive their sharply pointed fore-tarsal teeth into their opponent's body. Females of Onychothrips arotrum also grasp, stab and kill with their forelegs, but they have not been observed to rear up head to head. Three of the inquiline species, Csirothrips watsoni, Thaumatothrips froggatti and Phallothrips houstoni, kill the original gall inhabitants by extending their forelegs directly in front of their bodies, tilting their heads back, remaining in this position for variable periods of time, and sharply pulling their armed fore tibiae towards the fore femora when their victim is near. Inquilinism in gall thrips may have evolved from lethal intraspecific fighting. Certain aspects of behaviour and morphology in Australian gall thrips, such as high prevalence of lethal fighting, gall ‘plugging’ in Csirothrips watsoni, attempted gall defence and apparent formation of partitions in Iotatubothrips crozieri, and the presence of wing-reduced adults in Oncothrips tepperi, indicate that these species exhibit some of the most complex behaviour thus far discovered in Thysanoptera.     

A new genus and six new species of the Parabathynellidae (Bathynellacea,Syncarida) from the Kimberley region,Western Australia

Six new species of a new genus of the Parabathynellidae are described from the Kimberley Region, Western Australia. The erection of the new genus, Kimberleybathynella gen. nov., is based on the two‐segmented antenna, the partial fusion of the second and third segments of the maxilla, and the setal condition of the uropodal exopodite, where the outer seta is longer than the inner one. The one‐segmented exopodite of thoracopods I–VII and hemispherical form of male thoracopod VIII suggest the close relationship of Kimberleybathynella to the genus Atopobathynella.     

A new species and illustrated records of Paracyclops Claus, 1893 (Copepoda: Cyclopoida: Cyclopinae) from Mexico

A new species of the freshwater cyclopid genus Paracyclops Claus, 1893 collected from the state of Aguascalientes, Mexico is described based on female and male specimens. It has affinities with other forms with profusely ornamented caudal rami, such as Paracyclops carectum Reid and Paracyclops pilosus Dussart, but it can be distinguished by a combination of characters including details of the ornamentation of the coxa of leg 1, third antennular segment with incomplete suture line, inner margin of the caudal rami with scattered hair-like elements, and relatively long caudal rami, among other characters. The male is distinguished mainly by having the caudal rami completely covered by pilosity, which differs from all other known Paracyclops, including Paracyclops carectum. The new species has affinities with neotropical Paracyclops. Illustrated records and a morphological analysis of two more species of Paracyclops from Mexico, Paracyclops poppei and Paracyclops chiltoni, are also included in this contribution.