Taxonomy and phylogeny of the Old World jumping plant-louse genus Paurocephala (Insecta,Hemiptera, Psylloidea)

Fifty-one species are recognized in the genus Paurocephala, with an additional 14 species which remain unnamed. Thirty-five species are described as new, and five species are synonymized: P. pumilae and P. zhejiangensis with P. chonchaiensis, P. debregeasiae with P. sauteri, and P. guangxiensis and P. tremae with P. trematos. Two varieties, P. psylloptera maculipennis and P. psylloptera setifera, are raised to species level. P. bifasciata is reinstated from former synonymy with P. chonchaiensis, and Anomoterga kleinhofiae is transferred back to Paurocephala. Lectotypes are designated for P. brevicephala, P. chonchaiensis, P. psylloptera, P. sauteri, P. setifera and P. wilderi. The four New World species of Paurocephala are not considered to be congeneric with the Old World species and will be transferred to Diclidophlebia. Two South African species, P. bicarinata and P. hottentotti, are removed from Paurocephala and have to be accommodated in a new genus in the Diaphorininae. Thus Paurocephala is an Old World genus with nine Afrotropical and 42 Indo-Australian described species. Keys for the identification of adults and fifth instar larvae are provided. All 51 named species are diagnosed and illustrated, and information is given on distribution and host plants. Based on two cladistic analyses, one using adult characters only, and one using both adult and larval characters, four monophyletic species groups are recognized. In both analyses a basal group of 10 species, the brevicephala -group, forms the sister group to all other Paurocephala spp. The Afrotropical species are monophyletic and, together with one Oriental species constitute the gossypii group. In the analysis with adult characters only, the gossypii -group is the sister taxon of the kleinhofiae -group and, both together, are the sister group of the psylloptera -group, the largest species group with 27 species. In the analysis of adult and larval characters, the relationships between the last three species groups are not resolved. The result of the phylogenetic analysis confirms the synonymy of the subgenus Thoracocorna with Paurocephala. Known host plants of Paurocephala spp. belong to the Malviflorae with the exception of the Afrotropical P. insolita which develops on Theiflorae (Theales, Clusiaceae). The brevicephala -, kleinhofiae - and gossypii -groups are associated with hosts of the order Malvales (Malvaceae and Sterculiaceae), whereas the psylloptera -group is with Urticales (Urticaceae, Moraceae and Ulmaceae).     

Revision of the millipede genus Parafontaria Verhoeff, 1936 (Diplopoda,Xystodesmidae)

The xystodesmid millipede genus Parafontaria Verhoeff, 1936 is revised in the light of the geographic variation found in the genital morphology of both sexes. The following 11 species, including one new species, are recognized as valid: P. erythrosoma (Takakuwa, 1942), P. ishiii Shinohara, 1986, P. doenitzi (Karsch, 1880), P. laminata (Attems, 1909), P. crenata Shinohara, 1986, P. longa Shinohara, 1986, P. tokaiensis n. sp., P. shiraiwaensis Shinohara, 1986, P. falcifera (Verhoeff, 1936), P. spathulata (Miyosi, 1951) and P. takakuwai (Shinohara, 1957). Parafontaria tonominea (Attems, 1899) can be recognized as a species complex and is operationally defined as a species. The systematic status of P. terminalis (Takakuwa, 1942) is uncertain. The following new synonymies are proposed: Fontaria (Parafontaria) armigera Verhoeff, 1936 (currently P. laminata armigera (Verhoeff, 1936)), F. (P.) kuhlgatzi Verhoeff, 1937 (currently P. kuhlgatzi (Verhoeff, 1937)) and P. echizenensis Shinohara, 1986 with P. laminata; F. coarctata circula Attems, 1901 (currently P. circula (Attems, 1901)), F. coarctata acutidens Attems, 1909 (currently P. acutidens (Attems, 1909)), F. (Japonaria) spiraligera Verhoeff, 1937 (currently P. spiraligera (Verhoeff, 1937)), F. (J.) marmorata Verhoeff, 1937 (currently P. marmorata (Verhoeff, 1937)), Japonaria longispinosa longispinosa Miyosi, 1951 (currently P. longispinosa longispinosa (Miyosi, 1951)), J. longispinosa falcata Miyosi, 1951 (currently P. longispinosa falcata (Miyosi, 1951)), J. egregia Haga, 1968 (currently P. egregia (Haga, 1968)) with P. tonominea. A cladistic analysis based on 15 morphological characters was performed for all species except P. terminalis. The strict and majority rule (50%) consensus trees identified three and five clades, respectively, within the genus.     

A revision of the Asian and European species in the subgenus Amiota Loew (Diptera,Drosophilidae) and the establishment of species-groups based on phylogenetic analysis

A total of 53 Amiota (s. str.) species (75% of the world total) from Asia and Europe, including 10 new species, kamui, kimurai and planata from Japan, and aristata, cuii, macai, magniflava, nuerhachii, spinata and watabei from China, are reviewed with designation of two new synonymies and phylogenetic analysis. Based upon the result of cladistic analysis with 31 adult male morphological characters, the following conclusions are deduced: (1) The subgenus Amiota is monophyletic, so far as the Asian and European forms are concerned. (2) Seven monophyletic groups are recognized within this subgenus. Two of them correspond to known species-groups, the apodemata and sinuata groups, and the remaining five are established as new species-groups, the nagatai, basdeni, taurusata, alboguttata and rufescens groups. A key to all the studied species from Asia and Europe is provided.     

Cladistic analysis of the pennatulacean genus Renilla Lamarck, 1816 (Coelenterata,Octocorallia)

The genus Renilla is an interesting taxon for phylogenetic studies, which includes six species endemic to America with an anphiamerican distribution Pacific-Atlantic Ocean). A cladistic analysis of Renilla Lamarck, 1816 using eight characters from external morphology produced one cladogram (length 14, CI = 0.92, RI = 0.87), and the characters were polarized using Echinoptilum macintoshii Hubrecht, 1885 as an outgroup. In the cladogram the following phylogenetic sequence results: ((R. koellikeri (R. muelleri, R. musaica)) (R. octodentata (R. reniformis, R. tentaculata))).     

Phylogenetic analysis of extreme morphologies: deep-sea holasteroid echinoids

Because of their ‘bizarre’ features, some echinoids can be considered laboratories in which to analyse the origin of extreme morphologies. The holasteroid family Urechinidae Duncan, 1889 is such a group. It is composed of 18 previously named living species in three genera: Urechinus A. Agassiz, 1879, Plexechinus A. Agassiz, 1898, and Pilematechinus A. Agassiz, 1904. With Stereopneustes, the most closely related living taxon, and the calymnid-plus-pourtalesiid clade as outgroups, a phylogenetic analysis on 35 binary characters is produced. We focus on two major aspects of morphology: test features (apical system, basicoronals, interambulacrum 5, test shape, ambulacra) and external appendages (pedicellariae, spines, sphaeridia). New data on plate architecture, morphology, and appendages are illustrated, and the position of the fossil, Chelonechinus, is discussed. We show that the Urechinidae is paraphyletic: the genus Plexechinus shares more recent common ancestry with the calymnids and pourtalesiids than with other urechinids. In order to retain the well-circumscribed clade, Pilematechinus A. Agassiz, 1904, the phylogenetic classification also recognizes two additional genera: Cystechinus A. Agassiz, 1879, and Antrechinus new genus. A key to the species is provided. The production of extreme morphologies, such as internal parental care, is explored by mapping test size, the occurrence of fascioles, and periproct position onto the phylogeny. By adding plates early in ontogeny, Pilematechinus develops radically different plate architectures from another genus of large forms, Cystechinus. In contrast, the latter gets large by exaggerating allometric trends seen in other holasteroids. Paedomorphosis and miniaturization have evolved independently in Antrechinus and some Plexechinus, but always by truncation of allometric trajectories.     

A new species of Nebalia (Crustacea,Leptostraca) from Unguja Island (Zanzibar), Tanzania,East Africa,with a phylogenetic analysis of leptostracan genera

Nebalia brucei sp. nov. is described from specimens taken in traps from Unguja Island (Zanzibar), Tanzania, East Africa. The species is characterized by the following unique combination of characters: a short and broad rostrum; a carapace that is large compared to overall body size and that covers pleonite 4; a basally narrow compound eye; and acutely pointed denticles at the dorsal margin of pleon segments 6 and 7. Cladistic analyses of the relationships of the seven recognized leptostracan genera resulted in two hypotheses. One tree has Nebaliopsis as sister group to the remaining leptostracans and supports the monophyly of Nebaliidae. The other tree has Paranebalia as sister group to the remaining leptostracans and Nebaliidae as paraphyletic with respect to Nebaliopsis. Both trees contain a Nebalia/Dahlella/Sarsinebalia clade.     

Variation in ovariole number within the Aphidoidea

Several different morphs from over 50 species of aphids were dissected and the number of ovarioles recorded for each. By using these results and published data, details of ovariole number in more than 125 species of aphid from seven families were analysed.

Variation in ovariole number between generations was found in six of the seven families studied. Variation within a generation appeared to be restricted to certain subfamilies.

Certain trends in variability of ovariole number appear to be linked with the morph of the aphid, migratory morphs (particularly within the Aphididae) having greater variability than non-migratory morphs. Heteroecious aphids tend to show greater variability than autoecious aphids which, in turn, show greater variability than anholocyclic aphids.     

On the use of ordered sets in problems of comparison and consensus of classifications

Ordered set theory provides efficient tools for the problems of comparison and consensus of classifications Here, an overview of results obtained by the ordinal approach is presented Latticial or semilatticial structures of the main sets of classification models are described Many results on partitions are adaptable to dendrograms; many results on n-trees hold in any median semilattice and thus have counterparts on ordered trees and Buneman (phylogenetic) trees For the comparison of classifications, the semimodularity of the ordinal structures involved yields computable least-move metrics based on weighted or unweighted elementary transformations In the unweighted case, these metrics have simple characteristic properties For the consensus of classifications, the constructive, axiomatic, and optimization approaches are considered Natural consensus rules (majoritary, oligarchic, ) have adequate ordinal formalizations A unified presentation of Arrow-like characterization results is given In the cases of n-trees, ordered trees and Buneman trees, the majority rule is a significant example where the three approaches convergeThe authors would like to thank the anonymous referees for helpful suggestions on the first draft of this paper, and W H E Day for his comments and his significant improvements of style