Two new genera of Laophontidae (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from the high Antarctic Weddell Sea

Two new genera of the harpacticoid family Laophontidae from the high Antarctic Weddell Sea are described. At present, both taxa cannot be assigned to any of the known genera or lineages of the family. The Antarctic shows the greatest degree of endemism worldwide in several already investigated taxa and, considering the available records, the Laophontidae appear to be no exception to this rule. The available data on the Laophontidae of the Weddell Sea seem to support a hypothesis of an ‘old’ antarctic fauna rather than a recolonization by ‘phylogenetic younger’ taxa after the major climatic changes, which took place in the Antarctic continent and the surrounding waters from the Miocene onwards.     

A taxonomic and zoogeographical census of the extant ant taxa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The numbers of extant ant taxa in the world are analysed taxonomically and zoogeographically. A table detailing numbers of subfamilies, tribes and genera, and the numbers of species they contain, and one analysing the number of species per genus per zoogeographical region, are presented. Subfamilies are analysed by number and percentage of genera and species; the most speciose genera are isolated and listed in terms of absolute size and speciosity per subfamily. Tables detailing total numbers of genera and species per subfamily per region, and endemic genera per subfamily per region are given, and the endemicity and speciosity of genera are tabulated on a regional basis.     

The Australian Chloropinae (Diptera: Chloropidae)

The Australian Chloropinae are revised and keys are provided to the 22 genera and 110 species now known. Two genera and 50 new species are described, and nine genera and eight species, previously known in the Oriental Region to the north, are recorded as new to Australia. The new taxa and taxonomic changes proposed are listed in the Appendix. Distribution within Australia, the phylogeny of the genera known in Australia and the biology of the Chloropidae are briefly discussed.     

Kaiparowits flora

The paper presents an annotated list of 851 taxa in 358 genera and 80 families.   Threatened and endangered plants are enumerated.     

Vascular flora of Kane Lake Cirque, Pioneer Mountains, Idaho

Kane Lake Cirque lies in the western Pioneer Mountains of south central Idaho. An inventory of the high elevation flora of the cirque revealed the presence of 180 vascular taxa representing 95 genera and 30 families. Five alpine taxa are here documented from Idaho for the first time: Carex incurviformis Mack., Draba fladnizensis Wilfen., Potentilla nivea L., Ranunculus gelidus Kar. & Kir., and Ranunculus pygmaeus Wahlenb. Kane Lake Cirque also contains populations of four additional alpine taxa considered to be of conservation concern in Idaho: Erigeron humilis Graham, Parnassia kotzebuei Cham., Saxifraga adscendens L., and Saxifraga cernua L.     

A checklist of the vascular plants of the House Range, Utah

A checklist of the vascular plants of the House Range, Juab and Millard counties, Utah, is presented. A flora of 373 species and infraspecific taxa in 231 genera and 60 families are reported. The geology, physiography, climate, and plant communities are briefly discussed. Several endemics occur in the study area and a new taxon has been described.     

Diptera from Nepal. Sepsidae

Summary

The material examined included six species in three genera. No new taxa are described but Parapalaeosepsis Duda and related taxa are discussed. Dicranosepsis Duda is placed in synonymy under Parapalaeosepsis, and Parapalaeosepsis bicolor (Wied.) is proposed as a new combination with Sepsis pubipes Brun. as a new synonym.     

Observations on the spectral reflectances of certain high Andean Penaincisalia and Thecloxurina,with the description of a new species (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Eumaeini)

The eumaeine hairstreak species Thecloxurina tegulina Bálint and Boyer, sp. n. from SW Peru, department Apurímac (type locality: Karkatera, NW of Ampay, 3,200 m, 13°34′286″S; 72°58′501″W) is described on the basis of qualitative and quantitative wing pattern, male genital and spectral characters. The spectral reflectance of the closely related genera Penaincisalia and Thecloxurina are investigated and compared. It is demonstrated that the spectral characteristics of the two genera are qualitatively differing, and the taxa investigated representing the two genera (Penaincisalia:Thecloxurina = 3:5) also have characteristic species dependent reflectance peaks measured at normal incidence.     

The anatomy and taxonomy of Vanclevea (Asteraceae)

Wood, leaf, and floral anatomy of Vanclevea stylosa is compared with that of several possibly related species in the genera Acamptopappus, Eastwoodia, Grindelia, Haplopappus, and Petradoria. Although V. stylosa was originally described as a Grindelia, it is clearly distinct from that genus. Of the taxa studied, it is most closely allied to Haplopappus salincinus and H. scopulorum. The taxonomy, morphology, and distribution of the monotypic Vanclevea are detailed, and known exsiccatae are listed.     

Swedish nemerteans (phylum Nemertea), with description of a new hoplonemertean genus and species

A survey of the nemertean fauna along the Swedish west coast found specimens of 20 genera and 32 species, of which one genus and species is new to science (Tetraneuronemertes lovgreni gen. et sp. n.). The proportions of the three taxa Hoplonemertea, Heteronemertea, and Palaeonemertea are 34, 55, and 11%, respectively, with respect to specimen numbers, and the proportions for species within these taxa are 53, 31 and 16%, respectively. The most common species encountered during the survey were the heteronemerteans Lineus bilineatus, Micrura fasciolata, and Micrura purpurea, the hoplonemertean Nipponnemertes pulcher, and the palaeonemertean Cephalothrix rufifrons.     

Utah flora: Malvaceae

This paper is the third in a series dealing with a revision of the flora of Utah. Treated herein are 9 genera and 23 species, including both commonly cultivated, escaped, and indigenous representatives. Proposed new taxa include Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia (H. and A.) Rydb. var. moorei Welsh, Sphaeralcea leptophylla (Gray) Rydb. var. janeae Welsh, and Sphaeralcea psoraloides Welsh.       

Pleioxenous host-restriction in fleas

A review of the pleioxenous genera of fleas, those genera whose species are confined to hosts of a single family, indicates that such a restriction results from one of several situations. Genera of 10 or more taxa (species and subspecies) were considered, so as to exclude very small genera that might be relicts. Polyxenous genera, whose species occur regularly on two or more families (and frequently on two or more orders) of hosts are far more numerous than pleioxenous genera.

Bat fleas (Ischnopsyllidae) are unique in that all genera are pleioxenous. This seems to reflect the fact that most bat fleas occur on cave-dwelling bats, and that the cave provides for larval development of bat fleas. Five pleioxenous genera occur on rodents in deserts or semiarid regions. The extreme climatic changes that have been concomitant with desertification from the Mid-Cenozoic, and especially in the Pleistocene, are paralleled by the proliferation of the mammalian hosts themselves in deserts. Three pleioxenous genera are found on fossorial rodents (Geomyidae). These rodents appear to have been isolated and rejoined during climatic changes in western North America; and rapid speciation of their fleas followed speciation of the hosts. One pleioxenous genus, and others that are nearly pleioxenous, parasitize cricetine mice in Central America. It is suggested that the Cenozoic archipelago which occupied this region provided an environment for rapid speciation of both hosts and their fleas. Two pleioxenous genera are found on tree squirrels in the tropics. Although fleas of mice occasionally make permanent transfers to squirrels, as the former occupy squirrel nests, reverse transfers (from tree squirrels to mice) are rare. Two genera of fleas are restricted to murid mice in Africa south of the Sahara; this is a region in which murid mice usually outnumber species of other rodent families. One pleioxenous genus occurs on Arvicolidae, possibly a result of rapid speciation of hosts during the extreme climatic changes in boreal habitats during late Cenozoic and Pleistocene.

There is a tendency for the apparently more ancient families of fleas (e.g. Stephanocircidae, Pygiopsyllidae and Hystrichopsyllidae) to have very few pleioxenous genera but many polyxenous genera. The more modern families of fleas (e.g. Leptopsyllidae and Ceratophyllidae) contain a higher percentage of pleioxenous genera.     

A new subfamily of Rhynchohydracaridae (Acari,Hydrachnellae) from the island of Coiba (Panama) with descriptions of new taxa

During an intensive study of the water mite fauna of the island of Coiba (Panama) the following new taxa were found: a new subfamily of Rhynchohydracaridae Lundblad, 1936 with two new genera and species, and a new subgenus of Rhynchohydracarus Lundblad, 1936 with a new species. The female of this genus is described for the first time.