Taxonomic review of Coccobius species (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) from China,with notes on their use in biological control of scale insect pests (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), and description of a new species

The Chinese species of the genus Coccobius Ratzeburg (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) are reviewed. Sixteen species, C. abdominis Huang, C. annulicornis Ratzeburg, C. azumai Tachikawa, C. chaoi Huang, C. curtifuniculatus Huang, C. flaviceps (Girault & Dodd), C. flavicornis Compere & Annecke, C. fulvus (Compere & Annecke), C. furviflagellatus Huang, C. furvus Huang, C. languidus Huang, C. longialatus Huang, C. longifuniculatus Huang, C. maculatus Huang, C. wuyiensis Huang, and one new species, Coccobius albiscutellum Wang and Huang sp.nov., are treated. A key is provided for the recognition of the females of all Chinese species of Coccobius, and notes are given on their use in biological control of scale insect pests. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F510059B-F176-46BA-B7B5-8252B06BE91F     

On the genus Racekiela in Mexico: molecular and morphological description of Racekiela cresciscrystae n. sp.

ABSTRACT

In Mexico, there are currently two known species of Racekiela: R. ryderii and R. montemflumina. Here we describe a new species from high-altitude streams in central and southern Mexico. Racekiela cresciscrystae sp. nov. presents two morphotypes: thick encrusting with raised ridges or lobose outgrowths at the surface and dark green in colour, or lime-green encrustations. The new species as megascleres presents microspined oxeas from 200 to 300 µm long, some centrotylote, or with malformations. Gemmules are spherical with a tri-layered theca, constituted by radially embedded birotules and pseudobirotules. The birotules have longer shaft than the rotule diameter, which is flat, and some slightly umbonate. Pseudobirotules of typical morphology have strongly or somewhat spined shaft. Spines can be straight or hooked. The species also presents other type of pseudobirotules, which are umbonate and with only small warts, instead of spines. DNA sequences from the nuclear ITS1-5.8-ITS2 region were sequenced from the holotype and a paratype of the new species to determine their phylogenetic relationships with other members of the family Spongillidae. Tree topologies (Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood) were consistent in showing Racekiela creciscrystae sp. nov. as a sister clade of R. montemflumina confirming its allocation in a monophyletic genus Racekiela. A comparison with all the Racekiela species described so far is also included. This paper increases the number of species of freshwater sponges in Mexico, and confirmed that Racekiela is a monophyletic genus with morphological characters very well defined.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3769C54F-23C4-409A-AF02-81F3AA084F7A

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A512359D-E428-4D04-B08A-E189E3F6F962     

The tetrigid genus Eucriotettix Hebard (Orthoptera: Scelimeninae) from China with description of two new species

Two new species of the tetrigid genus Eucriotettix Hebard from China, namely Eucriotettix tridentatus sp. nov. and Eucriotettix torulisinotus sp. nov. are described. The distribution and an updated key to the species of the genus from China is given.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E7E5EA3B-92ED-450F-9D1C-74569148D4F8     

Balcha opaca Fusu sp. n. (Insecta: Hymenoptera): availability of the species name

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to describe the circumstances of publication of an unavailable name of chalcid wasps, and to make the name Balcha opaca Fusu sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) available.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:38F49D79-F5AA-4516-8E48-55CFFA61A71C     

Heteromysoides (Crustacea: Mysidacea: Heteromysini) from a submarine cave on Grand Cayman,the Caribbean Sea: descriptions of a new and a rare species

During a recent biological investigation of submarine caves of Grand Cayman, the Caribbean Sea, two species of Heteromysoides were collected. One species, referred to Heteromysoides spongicola B?cescu, 1968 Baˇcescu, M, 1968. Heteromysini nouveaux des eaux cubaines: trois espèces nouvelles de Heteromysis et Heteromysoides spongicola n. g. n. sp., Revue Roumaine de Biologie, Zoologie 13 (1968), pp. 221–237. [Google Scholar], is known only by the type specimens; therefore, this discovery marks the second record of occurrence and a new habitat record for the species. The other species is considered new and is described as H. stenoura, a 10th species of the genus. The new species closely resembles H. simplex Hanamura and Kase, 2001 Hanamura, Y, and Kase, T, 2001. A new species of Heteromysoides (Mysidacea: Mysidae) from submarine caves of Okinawa, southwestern Japan, with a key to the world species, Crustacean Research 30 (2001), pp. 65–71.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar], known from the submarine caves of Okinawa, north-western Pacific, in the possession of a spiniform process on the eyes and a simple termination to the third thoracic endopod. However, the new species can be readily distinguished from the Pacific congener by a distally narrow telson and a more developed cornea in the eyes.     

A study of Platyplectrus Ferrière (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in mainland China

This paper reviews the Chinese species of Platyplectrus Ferrière. Twelve valid species are recognized from mainland China and a key to species is provided. Trichoplectrus Erdös (1951 Erdös, J, 1951. "Eulophidae novae. Acta Biologica". 1951, Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 2(1–3), 169–237. [Google Scholar]) is newly synonymized with Metaplectrus Ferrière (1941 Ferrière, C, 1941. New species of Euplectrini (Hym. Chalcidoidea) from Europe, Africa and Asia, Bulletin of Entomological Research 32 (1941), pp. 17–48.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) and three new combinations are proposed: Metaplectrus szepligetii (Erdös) from Platyplectrus, Platyplectrus bussy (Crawford) from Euplectrus and P. politus (Lin) from Metaplectrus. Four species of Platyplectrus were known previously from China: P. politus (Lin), P. odontogaster (Lin), P. papillata Lin and P. medius Zhu and Huang. Six species, P. bussyi (Crawford), P. laeviscuta (Thomson), P. natadae Ferrière, P. orthocraspedae Ferrière, P. pannonica (Erdös) and P. viridiceps (Ferrière) are newly recorded from China and re-described. Five new species, P. pulcher, P. setulosus, P. peculiaris, P. obtusiclavatus and P. variflagellum are described and compared with related species. Several species are also newly recorded from other regions: P. orthocraspedae Ferrière from the Afrotropical region, P. bussyi (Crawford) and P. laeviscuta (Thomson) from the Australian/Pacific region, P. laeviscuta (Thomson) from the Oriental region and P. viridiceps from the Palearctic region.     

A new species of arboreal salamander (Caudata: Plethodontidae: Pseudoeurycea) from the mountains of Oaxaca,Mexico

Recent surveys of the plethodontid salamander fauna of Oaxaca, Mexico, disclosed the existence of a new, morphologically distinct arboreal species of the genus Pseudoeurycea. The new species, described here, is from the Sierra Mazateca in northern Oaxaca. Sequences of 1833 base pairs of the 16S, cytochrome b and ND4 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes from the new taxon were used to assess its phylogenetic position. Previous phylogenetic analyses based on mtDNA supported recognition of four clades within Pseudoeurycea: P. bellii, P. gadovii, P. juarezi and P. leprosa-Lineatriton species groups. One additional species, P. unguidentis, was not closely allied to any of the four groups. Re-analysis including the additional sequences reported here establishes a sister-group relationship between the new species and P. unguidentis. Moreover, it supports this clade as part of the P. juarezi species group.     

Water mites of the genus Hygrobates Koch, 1837 (Acari: Parasitengona: Hygrobatidae) from Hokkaido,northern Japan

Nine species of Hygrobates (Acari: Parasitengona: Hygrobatidae) from Hokkaido, Japan are described or redescribed from newly collected material and historical specimens. Treated herein are eight species in the subgenus Hygrobates, including one new species, H. bibi sp. nov., as well as H. calliger Piersig, ; H. foreli (Lebert, ); H. japonicus Uchida, ; H. longipalpis (Hermann, ); H. longiporus Thor, ; H. nigromaculatus Lebert, ; and H. sokolowi Thor, . Also treated is H. ezoensis Uchida, in the subgenus Rivobates. A lectotype and paralectotype are designated for H. japonicus Uchida, . Hygrobates (s. str.) heteropalpis Imamura, is synonymized with H. calliger Piersig, . The name H. ezoensis Uchida, is resurrected from synonymy with H. diversiporus Sokolow, . Six species previously known from Hokkaido were collected in the study: H. foreli, H. japonicus, H. longipalpis, H. longiporus, H. diversiporus, and H. ezoensis. New records for both Hokkaido and Japan include H. nigromaculatus and H. sokolowi. A species previously recorded from Hokkaido, H. taniguchii Imamura, , was not found in this study. Three new characters are proposed as useful for the taxonomy of the genus Hygrobates: the ratio of the distance between the P‐4 ventral setae to P‐4 length, the ratio of the length of the longest terminal seta on IV‐L‐5 to the length of IV‐L‐5, and the nature of the outer border of the genital plates.     

Two new species of genus Arrenurus Duges, 1833 (Arrenuridae,Hydrachnellae, Acari) from Turkey

The males and females of Arrenurus dileri n. sp. collected from standing waters at the foothills of the Taurus Mountains in southern Turkey and males of Arrenurus ???kl?ensis n. sp. collected from I??kl? Lake, which is located in south-west Turkey, are described here. The morphological features of the species are compared with those of the similar species Arrenurus claviger Konike, 1882 and Arrenurus nodosus (Koenike, 1896).     

Two new species of Phylactella (Bryozoa Cheilostomatida) from the Mediterranean area belonging to the P. labrosa (Busk) complex of species

Examination of fossil and Recent specimens from the Sicilian area belonging to the Phylactella labrosa ‘complex’ revealed two new species: P. mediterranea sp. nov., a Pleistocene-to-Recent taxon and P. megarensis sp. nov., from Pleistocene sediments from eastern Sicily. Ecological, geographical and stratigraphical distribution of both new species are discussed also in comparison with P. labrosa.