Description of two new species of Guernea (Crustacea,Amphipoda, Dexaminidae) from Japan,with tentative revision of subfamily Prophliantinae

Guernea minor sp. nov. and G. ezoensis sp. nov. are described from Japan. Based on these new species and the literature, a tentative revision of the subfamily Prophliantinae is proposed. The subgenus Prinassus of the genus Guernea is invalidated. The subgenus Haustoriopsis of the genus Guernea is re-elevated to a separate genus from Guernea. Dexaminoculus is transferred from Prophliantinae to Dexamininae.     

Tardigrades from Signy Island,South Orkney Islands,with particular reference to freshwater species

Seventeen species of Tardigrada from lakes and catchments on Signy Island, South Orkney Islands, are described. Two species, Echiniscus punctus and Isohypsibius laevis are new to science, and two, Oreella minor and Pseudechiniscus suillus, are new to the Signy Is. records.     

A new species of Didogobius (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from the Adriatic Sea

Didogobius schlieweni sp. nov. is described from a single specimen collected among pebbles in shallow water at Unije island, near Cres, in the northern Adriatic Sea. The holotype has vivid dark and pale patterning, and is assigned to Didogobius on the basis of head neuromast patterns and meristic features. Diagnostic values of the latter are D2 I/12, A I/11, P 17, and LL 55–56. A key to species of the Chromogobius and Didogobius complex is provided.     

A new genus and species of Conchaspididae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) from Florida,remarkable in lacking legs

A new genus of Conchaspididae, Asceloconchaspis gen. nov., is described for Asceloconchaspis milleri sp. nov., a new species from Florida, USA. Unlike other conchaspidids, the adult female and second instar of the genus lack legs. The presence of legs is one of the important, distinguishing characters at present separating the Conchaspididae from the Diaspididae. However, the new genus also possesses well-developed antennae and has multilocular disc pores on the abdomen in the adult female; these distinctly conchaspidid characters are never found in the Diaspididae. Asceloconchaspis is closely related to Fagisuga Lindinger, a monotypic genus with primitive characters described from South America on Nothofagus. A key to the four known genera of Conchaspididae is provided, and the morphology and distribution of the Conchaspididae are discussed.     

A new species of a misophrioid copepod from the near-bottom waters off Brazil

The order Misophrioida is recorded for the first time in Brazilian waters and the new species Archimisophria squamosa, with some important plesiomorphic features, is described.     

Variations in some morphological characteristics of Polydora ciliata (Johnston)

Summary

On investigation of a dense population of mud tube building polychaetes tentatively identified as Polydora ciliata it was found that many individuals also showed morphological characteristics more usually associated with other members of the same genus. This prompted the examination of the morphology of P. ciliata from a number of different areas with the aim of assessing the stability of some of the characters used in the taxonomy of its genus. These proved to be highly variable, did not group together consistently and overlapped with some of those of P. limicola (Annenkova) and P. ligni Webster. No clear distinction between P. ciliata and P. limicola could be made on the grounds of the characteristics examined but the overlap between P. ciliata and P. ligni was small.     

A new species of the genus Scaptognathus (Acari,Halacaridae) from Japan

A new species under the name Scaptognathus ventridiscus sp. nov. is described from Japan. It differs from its congeners by the possession of a ventral disc in the male, a peculiar arrangement of dorsal plates and dorsal setae, and unique leg chaetotaxy.     

Eustigmaeus floridensis sp. nov., a new mite species of the genus Eustigmaeus Berlese, 1910 (Acari: Stigmaeidae) from citrus in Florida

Eustigmaeus floridensis sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on female specimens collected from citrus trees in Florida, USA. The new species is closely related to Eustigmaeus arcuata, Eustigmaeus segnis and Eustigmaeus microsegnis, all known to occur in Florida. Eustigmaeus floridensis sp. nov. can be distinguished by larger dimples associated with setae sce, d₂ and e₁ containing at least four or more vacuoles centrally; dorsal body setae broadly lanceolate and feather-like, except c₂, which is slender; anogenital area with striae and one pair of serrated aggenital (ag1) and three pairs of serrated pseudanal (ps_1?3) setae. A key to the Eustigmaeus species known to occur across USA is also provided.     

Taxonomy of the genus Tantunema Siddiqi, 1982 (Dorylaimida: Tylencholaimidae) with description of one new and two known species

One new and two known species of the genus Tantunema Siddiqi, 1982 are described and illustrated. Tantunema indicum sp. nov. is characterized by having a small body (length 0.32–0.45 mm); lip region cap-like, set off by slight constriction; odontostyle 6–7 µm and odontophore 8–10 µm long; pharyngeal expansion gradual, expanded part occupying about 35–41% of total neck length, lumen of posterior expanded part widened and thickened; female genital system mono-opisthodelphic, anterior genital branch absent; tail short, hemispheroid, 0.8–1.1 anal body diameter long. Tantunema pakistanense (Timm, 1964) comb. nov. (=Tylencholaimus pakistanensis Timm, 1964) and Tantunema intermedium (Peña-Santiago and Coomans, 1996) Andrássy, 2009 are redescribed. A diagnostic compendium and key to species of the genus is also provided.