Cryptic and non-cryptic diversity in New Guinea ground snakes of the genus Stegonotus Duméril,Bibron and Duméril, 1854: a description of four new species (Squamata: Colubridae)

ABSTRACT

The island of New Guinea has been identified as biologically megadiverse but many taxa are still poorly known. This is especially the case for many of the island’s snakes, which by their very nature can be difficult to collect and study. Here we examine the phylogenetic and phylogeographic structure of a poorly studied snake genus, Stegonotus, focusing on the species of New Guinea; until now, Stegonotus has never been examined using modern phylogenetic methods. Using molecular data from 49 individuals representing eight of the ten described species, and including all New Guinea taxa, we estimate a multilocus phylogeny and examine population structure to help identify undescribed taxa. We use morphological data from the corresponding museum vouchered specimens (where available) and also examine additional specimens for taxa not included in the molecular data set to determine morphological differences among putative taxa. We find molecular evidence for four new species of Stegonotus, both morphologically obvious and cryptic, and describe them herein. The recognition of these four species indicates that Stegonotus diversity has been previously underestimated and also suggests that there are likely additional undescribed taxa within the genus. These four taxa increase the number of described species by 40% and further confirm New Guinea as the centre of diversity for the genus.

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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.     

A note on the feeding of Simocephalus vetulus (O. F. Müller) (Crustacea; Cladocera) in light and dark

Summary

Simocephalus vetulus can be reared in the dark on a diet of Scenedesmus, but not on a pure culture of Chlamydomonas moewusii, unless the latter is frequently stirred. This failure appears to result from the ability of this alga to adhere to the sides and bottom of the culture vessel where the cladoceran is apparently unable to ingest it.     

New species of Streblosoma (Thelepodidae,Annelida) from the Mediterranean Sea: S. pseudocomatus sp. nov., S. nogueirai sp. nov. and S. hutchingsae sp. nov.

ABSTRACT

In the framework of faunistic research conducted along the Apulian coast of Italy, three new species of thelepodid polychaetes are reported: Streblosoma pseudocomatus sp. nov., S. nogueirai sp. nov. and S. hutchingsae sp. nov. The taxonomic position of S. comatus is clarified and emended as Thelepus comatus. The described species are characterised by their C-shaped arrangement of uncini. The species are compared with their closest congeners and a synoptic table is provided for the species of Streblosma with C-shaped tori.

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Trichoptera (Insecta) from Pernambuco State,northeastern Brazil

We present here the first list of species of Trichoptera (Insecta) from Pernambuco State, northeastern Brazil, as well as new records of caddisfly species for the country. This study is based on collections of adults, from rivers and streams in 10 counties. A total of six families, 14 genera, and 22 species were recorded, increasing the number of species in the northeastern region from 15 to 37. Moreover, Mortoniella asymmetris Blahnik and Holzenthal, 2011 is recorded for the first time from Brazil.     

A synopsis of Martarega White, 1879 (Insecta: Heteroptera: Notonectidae) occurring in the Brazilian Amazonia,with descriptions of three new species

The genus Martarega comprises 15 species and nine of these have been recorded in northern Brazil. Martarega pydanieli sp. nov. from Rondônia, while Martarega nieseri sp. nov. and M. barcelos sp. nov. from Amazonas are described here. Six known species are recorded in the Brazilian Amazonian Region (Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia and Roraima): M. brasiliensis, M. chinai, M. gonostyla, M. membranacea, M. oriximinaensis, and M. uruguayensis. At the outset of this survey the genus Martarega of the Brazilian Amazonian Region held 12 species, but no specimens of M. mcateei, M. hungerfordi, and M. williamsi were collected in the regions sampled. Martarega brasiliensis is newly recorded from Roraima, which comprises the first record of members of this genus in this State. Martarega uruguayensis is newly recorded from Pará and Rondônia, while M. gonostyla from Rondônia. Distinct keys to males and females of Martarega occurring in this region, including these new species, are provided.     

Description of four new species of Hersiliidae (Arachnida,Araneae) from Kinabalu National Park,Sabah, Borneo,Malaysia

The family Hersiliidae includes, to date, seven genera and 148 species, distributed throughout tropical, subtropical and warm temperate zones. Of these, five genera and 30 species have been recorded from the Oriental region. In this paper, three new species of the genus Hersilia Audouin and one new species of the genus Tamopsis Baehr and Baehr are described from Kinabalu National Park, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia.     

On Paranacypris samambaiensis gen. nov., sp. nov. (Crustacea,Ostracoda), the first South American psychrodromid from the alluvial valley of the Upper Paraná River,Brazil

Paranacypris samambaiensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is here described from closed lakes in the alluvial valley of the Upper Paraná River. The new genus, characterized by a large frontally overlapping left valve, belongs in the Psychrodromini, and is the first representative of this tribe described in South America. Nevertheless, it has some different character states, and the diagnosis of the tribe had to be adapted. The species is rare and restricted to closed lakes (not in contact with the main channels of the river). It mostly occurs in benthic littoral habitats, and far less in the pleuston communities, the most common habitat in this floodplain. The behaviour of P. samambaiensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is enigmatic because it combines long natatory setae on the antennae (swimming behaviour) with a very stout caudal ramus, including the spine‐like posterior seta (crawling behaviour). We present a key to the genera of the Herpetocypridinae.     

First record of the genus Brachyzapus Gauld and Dubois (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) from Vietnam,with descriptions of six new species

Based on a recent collection of ichneumonids from Lao Cai Province, at an elevation above 1500 m above sea level, the genus Brachyzapus Gauld and Dubois, 2006 Gauld, ID and Dubois, J. 2006. Phylogeny of the Polysphincta group of genera (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae; Pimplinae: a taxonomic revision of spider ectoparasitoids. Syst Entomol., 31: 529–564. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] is reported from Vietnam for the first time and six new species are described: B. carinatus sp. nov., B. convexus sp. nov., B. duboisi sp. nov., B. fansipanensis sp. nov., B. hoanglienensis sp. nov. and B. politus sp. nov. Notes on distinguishing characters are provided and the new species are included in a tentative key to 12 species of Brachyzapus. Three species are formally transferred from Zabrachypus to Brachyzapus: B. atripedalis (Sheng, 2001), B. nitidus (Hao and Sheng, 2002 Hao, D and Sheng, ML. 2002. A new species of genus Zabrachypus Cushman (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). J Northeast Forestry Univ., 30: 95–96.  [Google Scholar]) and B. nonareaeidos (Wang, 1997) are new combinations.     

Stephonyx californiensis sp. nov. (Amphipoda: Lysianassoidea: Uristidae), a new bathyal scavenger species from the Central Gulf of California,Mexico, and comments on the bathymetric and geographic distribution of the Stephonyx species group

A new species of scavenger amphipod of the genus Stephonyx is described and illustrated. The specimen was caught at 1150 m depth with a modified rectangular lobster trap positioned on the sea bottom in the central Gulf of California, Mexico. The new species is characterised by the absence of eyes; the lateral cephalic lobes medially developed and acute; antennae subequal in length; gnathopod 1 chelate, dactylus simple with three distal stout setae, inner margin sinuous with minute setae; gnathopod 2 subchelate, carpus with ventral margin crenulate, propodus subovate, palm deeply excavate, and dactylus slightly shorter than palm; maxilliped inner plate laceolate, with seven marginal nodular robust setae, distally; telson, each lobe with two dorsal robust setae, distal margin truncated, with one penicillate and two simple setae, in addition to two short spines. Stephonyx californiensis sp. nov. is morphologically similar to S. arabiensis, S talismani, S. laqueus and S. perexcavatus. The new species increases the number of Stephonyx species around the world to 14, with one species inhabiting from the continental shelf to abyssal depths (to 3000 m), 11 species occurring in bathyal depths (201–2000 m), and two other species restricted to abyssal depths (2001–4000 m).

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