Cladocera and Copepoda of Shokalsky Island: new data from northwest Siberia

Information on the freshwater fauna of the remote Arctic territories is very patchy, and most of the isolated islands of the Arctic Ocean remain absolutely unexplored. The pioneer data on the species composition of microcrustaceans of Shokalsky Island (northwest Siberia, Russia) is reported here. The initial three-year research revealed a total of 31 new for the area species of Cladocera and Copepoda, including new records for the whole of northwestern Siberia. Comparing the interannual differences in faunal composition, we suggested the hypothesis of the existence of a cryptic pool of species’ resting stages, which can invade the community in the event of favourable environmental conditions in the Arctic freshwaters. We also compiled all the available data from different parts of northern Siberia and compared them with the fauna of Shokalsky Island to analyse the connection between the diversity and distributional patterns of copepods and cladoceran species and the climate conditions of different territories.     

A biogeographical analysis of the tenebrionid beetles (Coleoptera,Tenebrionidae) of the island of Thasos in the context of the Aegean Islands (Greece)

This research aimed to study the origin and the biogeographical relationships of the tenebrionid beetle (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) fauna of the island of Thasos, with reference to the other Aegean Islands. A total of 32 Aegean Islands and 170 taxa (species and subspecies), 23 of which occur on Thasos, were included in this study. Nine tenebrionid species are here reported for the first time from Thasos, including the first records of Platydema europaeum and Nalassus plebejus from the Aegean Islands. Several models (linear, exponential, power, logistic, Gompertz, Weibull and Lomolino functions) were used to test the species–area relationship. The power function appeared to be the most appropriate model and the parameters of the curve suggest a possible relict character for this fauna. The proportion of Balkan taxa on the islands sharply decreases from west to east, whereas the Anatolian taxa follow an opposite trend. Multi‐dimensional scaling, Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity and discriminant function analysis revealed a clear faunal discontinuity between the western and central Aegean Islands on one side, and the islands close to the Anatolian coast on the other. This discontinuity, consistent with the persistence (from Messinian to Pleistocene) of a sea barrier between these two groups of islands, strongly supports the importance of Pleistocene island configurations in determining present distributional patterns. The comparative richness of the tenebrionid fauna on Thasos is enhanced by the proximity of the island to the mainland and the diversity of its surviving habitats.     

On some Indian species of Aphelinidae,with a description of a new Coccophagus (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea)

Summary

The Philippine cruise of the U.S. Fisheries Steamer Albatross 1907–10 collected 61 species of spider crabs from the Philippine Islands bringing the total number of species known from the area to 71; 28 new species were described by Rathbun and the present report records 19 species not previously known from the area; included are nine widespread Indo-west Pacific forms, four previously known from Japan and four Indian Ocean species.

Hyastenus sebae White is renamed H. whitei and the former name is applied to H. oryx A. Milne Edwards. Hyastenus tuberculosus Rathbun is confirmed as a synonym of H. convexus Miers, Platymaia remifera Rathbun is reduced to synonomy with P. wyvillethomsoni Miers and Chorilia sphenocarcinoides Rathbun is transferred to the genus Sphenocarcinus.

The majority of species (51) occur around the central and southern islands of the archipelago and most of these (35 speciesl occur at varying depths on the continental shelf. Twelve species occur intertidally and 21 species are known from depths over 100 fms, some occurring as deep as 800 fms.

The spider crab fauna is clearly part of the Indo-west Pacific, 25 species being widespread ones; 26 species are shared with Japan, 24 with Australia and 31 with the Indian Ocean. However, 20 species appear to be confined to the Philippine Islands. The relationships of the Philippine fauna with that of the rest of Indonesia is not yet clear     

A synopsis of present knowledge of the Simuliidae (Diptera) of the Canary Islands,including keys to the larval and pupal stages

As human demands for water have become more intense in modern times, the Canary Islands have become a difficult environment for all the macroinvertebrate fauna dependent upon running water for their survival; few permanent streams remain. Investigations on the simuliid (blackfly) fauna have shown, however, that at least six species exist in the archipelago, but that one, the endemic Simulium paraloutetense, known only from one site now destroyed, is possibly extinct. The paper presents cumulated data on distribution and material obtained over the past 33 years (since aquatic-stage specimens from breeding sites were first collected) with the aim of providing a baseline against which future studies of the Canarian simuliid fauna can be assessed. Revised identification keys for larvae and pupae are given to aid such monitoring. Remarks concerning each species include notes on chromosomal data when these are available. Comments are included on some aspects of the lotic habitats and island colonization.     

Biodiversity and biogeography of non-marine Mollusca on the islands of the Southern Ocean

There are no terrestrial and freshwater molluscs associated with Continental nor Maritime Antarctica. The malacofaunas of the cool-temperate and sub-Antarctic islands of the Southern Ocean are extremely depauperate, comprising a mere 68 site-records of 51 species from 27 genera in 13 families. The South Atlantic records are confined to the Falkland Islands, which harbour nine species (one bivalve, five pond snails and three terrestrial aliens), and South Georgia, where there is one Notodiscus sp. (Charopidae). The fauna of the South Indian Ocean islands of Prince Edward, Crozet, Kerguelen and Heard, comprises two alien slugs and endemic Notodiscus hookeri (Charopidae). The majority of species occur on the South Pacific Ocean Islands of Macquarie, Campbell, Auckland, Snares, Antipodes, Bounty and Chatham to the south and east of New Zealand. The Chatham fauna is dissimilar to that on the other South Pacific Islands, though both represent vicariant remnants of common South Pacific Is./New Zealand Athoracophoridae, Charopidae and Punctidae. There is, other than the broad South Indian Ocean distribution of Notodiscus hookeri, little evidence of Holocene dispersal and colonization. Indeed the Southern Ocean is an effective barrier and the different regional (South Atlantic/Indian/Pacific) faunas are principally vicariant and derived from local survivors of Pleistocene glaciation.     

Sandflies (Diptera: Phlebotominae) of the Canary Islands

Of the four species of phlebotomine sandflies known from the Canary Islands one is endemic. The subgenus Phlebotomus (Abonnencius), created to accommodate this endemic species, is newly synonymized with Ph. (Anaphlebotomus). The biology of Canary Island sandflies is summarized and a comparison of the fauna to that of continental Africa suggests a closer affiliation to the eremic Palearctic than to the Afrotropical Region.     

Helminths of Emoia caeruleocauda (Squamata: Scincidae) from the Northern Mariana Islands,Micronesia

One hundred and ninety-eight Emoia caeruleocauda from nine of the Northern Mariana Islands, Micronesia were surveyed for helminths. Samples from Agrigan, Almagen, Anatahan, Asuncion, Pagan, Rota, Saipan, Sarigan and Tinian were examined. The helminth fauna was greatly depauperate: one species of Cestoda, Cylindrotaenia hickmani, one species of Nematoda, Skrjabinodon sheai and acanthocephalan cystacanths were found. Three of the larger islands, Agrigan, Rota and Saipan, contained two species of helminths. No helminths were found in E. caeruleocauda from Anatahan, Asuncion, Pagan and Tinian Islands.     

Polyphagy and florivory prevail in a leaf-beetle community (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) inhabiting the canopy of a tropical lowland rainforest in southern Venezuela

ABSTRACT

Embedded within the interdisciplinary research project ‘Towards an understanding of the structure and function of a Neotropical rainforest ecosystem with special reference to its canopy’ organised by the Austrian Academy of Science, the canopy beetle fauna was surveyed by means of a 42 m tall tower crane. This paper presents results of the chrysomelid beetle fauna observed and collected at canopy trees for 1 year. A total of 1783 adult leaf beetles were collected, representing 117 morphospecies (Bruchinae are not included) including 31 singletons. The most abundant family was Galerucinae sensu stricto with 827 individuals (46% of collection). The most speciose subfamilies were Galerucinae sensu stricto followed by Alticini, Cryptocephalinae and Eumolpinae. Nineteen species collected with at least two individuals were restricted to a single tree species whereas 68 species were found to feed on several canopy host trees. Only a few species fed on leaves; these were in Cassidinae, Cryptocephalinae, Eumolpinae and Galerucinae. Strikingly, most canopy chrysomelids were collected at flowers of canopy trees, although some species fed also on extrafloral nectaries or fruits. Alticini were restricted predominantly to flowers, but Cryptocephalinae, Eumolpinae and Galerucinae revealed broader plasticity in host tissue selection. Insights into beetle seasonality, diurnal/nocturnal activity and intra-canopy migration are provided. Abundant flower-visiting species occurred on their host trees commonly over the entire flowering season, with their abundances often correlated with the number of open flowers. After termination of one tree’s flowering season, many flower-visiting leaf beetles moved to other flowering trees. Certain congeneric species of Galerucinae and Eumolpinae occurred together at their host plants within the same periods.     

The terrestrial micro-arthropod fauna of the South Sandwich Islands

The South Sandwich Islands are an isolated maritime Antarctic volcanic island arc 550-600km south-east of South Georgia. The terrestrial biology of the islands, with emphasis on the unique habitats associated with volcanically warmed ground, was investigated in 1997 and compared with the data collected during the only previous (1964) terrestrial expedition to the archipelago. The terrestrial fauna includes 29 free-living micro-arthropod species (nine Collembola and 20 Acari) and two, currently unidentified, enchytraeid worms; a further eight parasitic and sublittoral Acari are recorded in the literature. Freshwater habitats are very restricted in the archipelago and no freshwater fauna was located. Supralittoral pools on a single island contained the marine isopod Cassidinopsis maculata. There are no endemic taxa and no shoreline invertebrates other than the supralittoral Archisotoma brucei (Collembola) and two Enchytraeidae. Diversity on individual islands is, in part, a function of available ice-free ground area. The majority of dominant species throughout the archipelago, Cryptopygus antarcticus (Collembola), Nanorchestes nivalis, Eupodes minutus, Alaskozetes antarcticus and Halozetes belgicae (Acarina), originate on other maritime Antarctic islands, while Ayersacarus tilbrooki (Acarina) is sub-Antarctic. Few (one to three) individuals of several other sub-Antarctic species were recorded by either 1964 or 1997 expeditions, but only Pilellus rykei (Acarina) was reported by both. None of the sub-Antarctic species thought to be associated with geothermally warmed ground in 1964 was confirmed in 1997, despite extensive sampling of the same sites. It is more probable that sub-Antarctic colonists frequently arrive on the South Sandwich Islands but are unable to establish longterm viable populations. Cryptopygus caecus, now widespread on Candlemas I., is a solitary exception to this generalization.     

The Tanaidacea (Crustacea,Peracarida) of the North-East Atlantic: the shelf and bathyal Paratyphlotanais of the ‘Atlantic Margin’

Increasing oil-exploration activity and associated ecological surveying west of the Shetlands is leading to the discovery of many poorly known or undescribed tanaidaceans. Three species of the typhlotanaid genus Paratyphlotanais Kudinova-Pasternak and Pasternak, 1978 Kudinova-Pasternak R. K Pasternak F. A 1978 Deep sea Tanaidacea collected from the Caribbean Sea and Puerto Rico trench during the 16th cruise of RV ‘Akademik Kurchatov’ and the resemblance between the fauna of deep-sea Tanaidacea of the Caribbean region and the Pacific Trudy Instituta Okeanologiii. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, 113, 115–135 (in Russian)  [Google Scholar] have been recorded from shelf and bathyal depths between Iceland, the Faroe Islands and the western margin of the British Isles. Two, P. gracilipes (Hansen) and P. microcheles (G. O. Sars), formerly belonging to the genus Typhlotanais, are redescribed and a new species is described. A key to their identification is included. Inhabiting largely discrete zoogeographic areas, these species help define regional macrofaunal associations.     

A limnological reconnaissance of the Falkland Islands; with particular reference to the waterfleas (Arthropoda: Anomopoda)

Forty‐eight freshwater bodies on the Falkland Islands, including 33 lakes and pools, and 12 rivers and streams, were sampled for freshwater invertebrates. This study yielded 129 species of invertebrates (79 Rotifera, 34 Arthropoda, six Platyhelminthes, three Gastrotricha, two Nematoda, two Annelida, two Mollusca, and one Tardigrada) plus two fish species bringing the known Falkland Islands freshwater fauna to more than 170 species. While the presence of fishes, molluscs, amphipods, caddis larvae, waterboatmen, parasitic cercaria, and truly planktonic rotifers make the Falkland Islands fauna markedly richer than any subantarctic, or maritime Antarctic island, it is nevertheless sparse when compared with other temperate and tropical locations.     

IX.—On a new species of Serpulid Polychæte from the Shoreham Harbour Canal,Sussex

Summary

The zoogeography of the Cayman Islands is discussed. Two species of Lutzomyia were found on Cayman Brac and they are described and their relation to other forms discussed. One is a Cuban species, or a close relative, and the other is allied to a Jamaican sand-fly.

A nematode parasite was found in one sand-fly.     

Rediscovery of the Hawaiian endemic bark beetle Xyleborus pleiades Samuleson, 1981 on Moloka‘i,with records of three new exotic bark beetles for the island (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Xyleborini)

ABSTRACT

During the course of a targeted bark beetle survey of the Hawaiian Islands, insect sampling undertaken in native forest biotopes on Moloka‘i island revealed the presence of one native and three exotic species of xyleborine bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Xyleborini) hitherto not recorded from the island. We present detailed new island records for these species, which include the second record of Xyleborus pleiades Samuelson, 1981, an endemic Hawaiian species not recorded in over 50 years, and previously known only from two specimens from the island of Maui. The three newly recorded introduced species are widespread pantropical beetles of actual or potential pest status: Xyleborus affinis Eichhoff, 1867, Xyleborinus saxesenii (Ratzeburg, 1837), and Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky, 1866). The importance of the records is briefly discussed, and all newly recorded species are illustrated in colour photographs.     

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.     

The blackfly fauna of Majorca and other Balearic Islands (Diptera: Simuliidae)

Results are presented of a survey of the Simullidae of the Balearic Islands, an archipelago not previously studied for its blackfly fauna. Four morphospecies occur, none endemic, of which Prosimulium aculeatum is a rare species previously known only from Sardinia and Sicily, and Simulium cryophilum, S. velutinum and S. intermedium widespread in western Europe and North Africa.     

Notes on the ecology of the Clwyd estuary,north Wales

Summary

No previous ecological work having been attempted in the Clwyd estuary, a 13 month survey was made to assess conditions and provide basic data. A notable feature of this estuary is its physical construction, which, being long in relation to its width, appears to limit the diversity of the benthic fauna. Comments are made on the five most abundant species, Macoma balthica, Scrobicularia plana, Nereis diversicolor, Corophium volutator and Gammarus duebeni. The effect of changing climatic conditions on one species, Gammarus duebeni is described.     

A report on the cheilostome Bryozoa of the Sudanese Red Sea

Summary

Eighty-six species of bryozoa are listed from collections from reefs in the Sudanese Red Sea, increasing the known fauna list by 30 species. The abundance, in terms of numbers of colonies, and the distribution of nineteen species has been analysed over a range of 30 metres depth. The character of the genera Calyptotheca Harmer and Emballotheca Levinsen are briefly discussed. C. thornelyae is introduced for Lepralia subimmersa Thornely not MacGillivray, and E. harmeri for E. acutirostris Harmer not Canu and Bassler. In addition, three new species of Calyptotheca, C. heteroavicularia, C. nigra and C. sudanensis, and one of Escharoides, E. longirostris, are described.     

Bats from the Solomon Islands

Summary

This paper reports bats obtained in the Solomon Islands by the Oxford University (Department of Zoology) Expedition to the Solomon Islands, 1953, and by the Royal Society British Solomon Islands Protectorate Expedition, 1965. Some range extensions among the islands are recorded : more notably, Emballonura dianae and Miniopterus tristis are recorded from the Solomons for the first time. Further specimens of Hipposideros dinops and Hipposideros diadena demissus are recorded and a brief review of the species of Miniopterus in Australasia has been made.