Integrative taxonomy of the gymnophthalmid lizard Neusticurus rudis Boulenger, 1900 identifies a new species in the eastern Pantepui region,north-eastern South America

ABSTRACT

The gymnophthalmid lizard genus Neusticurus Duméril and Bibron, 1839 currently contains six described species. One of them, Neusticurus rudis Boulenger, 1900 has a long history of taxonomic confusion, and uncertainty remains about the number of species involved under that name, especially in the Pantepui region. Our molecular phylogenetic (concatenation and species tree) and morphological (morphometrics, external and hemipenial morphology) analyses confirm Neusticurus rudis as a species complex with several candidate species in the eastern Pantepui region. Neusticurus rudis is here redescribed based on the re-examination of the holotype and 10 specimens from the vicinity of the type locality (ca. 15 km airline) in Guyana. The geographic distribution of N. rudis sensu stricto is restricted to east of the Venezuelan Gran Sabana, extending from the slopes of Mount Roraima in Venezuela through the slopes of Maringma-tepui and Wayalayeng to Mount Ayanganna in Guyana, between 678 and 1500 m elevation. Populations tentatively assigned to N. rudis also occur from Mount Wokomung in the Pakaraima Mountains of Guyana to the Iwokrama Forest Reserve in Guyana, between 159 and 1234 m elevation. A new Neusticurus species is described from the uplands and highlands of the eastern Pantepui region, west of the Venezuelan Gran Sabana in Brazil and Venezuela, between 900 and 2200 m elevation. Populations provisionally assigned to the new species were also found from the La Escalera region to Chivatón, the summit of Abakapá-tepui and the slopes and summit of Auyán-tepui, Venezuela, between 1100 and 2203 m elevation. Our results suggest the Gran Sabana as a possible recent biogeographical barrier for the genus in the region and indicate that tepui-summit Neusticurus populations derive from uplands populations that shifted their habitat preference.

www.zoobank.org/lsid:zoobank.org:pub:33DCF862-11CF-4FD0-B4D6-706E2C6A339E     

A new landhopper species of Myanmarorchestia (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Talitridae) from Yunnan,China

A new landhopper talitrid, Myanmarorchestia nunomurai Nakano and Morino, sp. nov., from Yunnan Province, China is described. Since species of Myanmarorchestia were known only from Mt. Victoria of the Arakan Mountains of Myanmar, this is the first record of the genus from China. Myanmarorchestia nunomurai is characterised by its coxal gills on gnathopod 2 to pereopod 6 without filamentous projections while the other congeners from Myanmar possess some/all of the coxal gills with filamentous projections. Additionally, M. nunomurai can be diagnosed by the sexually dimorphic uropod 2, of which the outer ramus bears a robust seta on the midlateral surface and a few rows of small teeth on the middle to distodorsal surface.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3C014FFC-F4D6-4F18-8188-33672367ABB1     

Albertine Rift Valley endemics: three new species of freshwater crabs (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae) from Uganda,the Democratic Republic of the Congo,and Rwanda

Three new species of potamonautid freshwater crabs are described from the Albertine Rift Valley, Eastern Africa. One of the new species is from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda, the second is from Lake Kivu in Rwanda, and the third is from the Rwenzori Mountains in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. Diagnoses, illustrations and distribution maps are provided for these taxa, and they are compared to similar species from Uganda and elsewhere in East Africa.

www.zoobanl.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FC681BD6-6FB2-4A14-B068-89FC3EB26605     

Earthworms (Annelida: Oligochaeta) from islands of Kien Hai District,Kien Giang Province,Vietnam, with descriptions of two new species and one subspecies

An earthworm inventory was conducted on three islands (Hon Tre, Lai Son and An Son) in the southernmost part of Vietnam. A total of 13 species and subspecies belonging to four genera and two families were collected from 49 sampling sites. The genus Metaphire Sims & Easton, 1972 is dominant with six species and subspecies, Metaphire anomala (Michaelsen, 1907), Metaphire bahli (Gates, 1945), Metaphire houlleti (Perrier, 1872), Metaphire mangophila (Nguyen, 2011), Metaphire kiengiangensis Nguyen & Trinh, 2015, Metaphire peguana laisonensis subsp. nov. Two new species, Polypheretima dorsotheca sp. anov. and Polypheretima insularis sp. nov., and a new subspecies Metaphire peguana laisonensis subsp. nov. are described. Additionally, Amynthas alteradamae (Michaelsen, 1934) and Amynthas tertiadamae (Michaelsen, 1934) are re-described based on fresh material. An identification key to species is also provided.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4EA4C2C0-BEC2-45BF-8B72-388302A53F51     

竹链蚧属—新种记述(同翅目:链蚧科)

<正>本文记述了采自皖南竹链蚧属蚧虫一新种Bambusaspis huichowensis sp.nov.。     

古交矿区8号煤中有机硫的赋存规律

古交矿区８号煤中有机硫含量较高,占全硫的一半左右。首次对８号煤层进行了煤中有机硫的光电子能谱（ＸＰＳ）测试,采用带能谱和波谱的扫描电镜对２号、７号、８号煤层中不同显微组分的有机硫进行了测定。结果表明,８号煤中有机硫以多环含硫化合物或噻吩型硫为主;在不同煤层的显微组分中其有机硫含量有差异,但差异不大;同一煤层的显微组分中,不同亚组分的有机硫含量亦不同。     

关键种在生态系统中的现状分析及保护对策

针对目前我国生态系统关键种生存受到严重威胁的问题,阐述了关键种的概念、起源及关键种在生态系统中的重要地位。同时从关键种在生态系统中所具有的理论和实践价值等多角度进行了分析,以及对怎样有效保护生态系统关键种进行了有益的探讨。为促进我国生态系统保护具有一定的理论指导和现实意义。     

广东始兴南山自然保护区植被的研究

用植被样方调查法对广东始兴南山自然保护区的植被进行了研究,结果表明该地区具有6种植被型,地带性植被是亚热带常绿阔叶林.植被优势科为壳斗科、樟科、山茶科和杜英科等.植被优势种主要为甜椎、木荷、黧蒴、红椎、酸枣和青栲等.     

衡水湖自然保护区藻类植物资源初步研究

首次报道了衡水湖国家级湿地自然保护区藻类植物的种类组成、生态类群及常见群落.经初步调查和鉴定,衡水湖国家湿地自然保护区藻类植物共有9门、11纲、22目、31科、59属、119种(含种下分类单位),4种生态类群和8个常见藻类群落.主要类群中以绿藻门最多,共计49种,占保护区藻类总种数的4 1.2%;其次是硅藻门,31种(含1变种)占26.1%;再次是蓝藻门,22种(含1个变型)占18.5%.对衡水湖自然保护区水体环境质量、藻类资源进行了初步评价.