A new pontoniine shrimp genus (Crustacea: Decapoda) from the Yemen,with a note on other species

An unusual new genus and species of coral inhabiting pontoniine shrimp from the Yemen is described and illustrated. The new shrimp is remarkable for its very small size and the unique form of its telson. Three other pontoniine shrimps are also reported from the Yemen for the first time, raising the number of such shrimp species known from southern Arabia to 18.     

Abbreviated larval development of the freshwater prawn,Macrobrachium pilimanus (De Man, 1879) (Decapoda,Palaemonidae), reared in the laboratory

The larvae of the freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium pilimanus (De Man, 1879), were reared in the laboratory. Larval development was highly abbreviated, with two zoeal and one megalopal stages. Newly hatched larvae were benthic, with a tendency to cling on to roughened surfaces. All larval stages subsisted solely on endogenous yolk. Morphological and behavioural differences between the first zoea of this species and that of M. malayanum (Roux, 1934) are highlighted. The potential use of larval characters in taxonomy is also discussed.     

Re-descriptions of two little-known Indo-West Pacific palaemonid shrimps,Periclimenes calmani Tattersall and P. delagoae Barnard

The type material of two little-known Indo-West Pacific palaemonid shrimps Periclimenes calmani Tattersall, 1921, and P. delagoae Barnard, 1958, is redescribed and illustrated. Their systematic relationships are re-assessed and keys provided for the identification of related species.     

Two new species of the commensal shrimp genus Periclimenaeus Borradaile, 1915, (Decapoda,Palaemonidae) from the Maldive Islands

Two new species of the commensal shrimp genus Periclimenaeus Borradaile, found in the waters of the Maldive Islands, Indian Ocean, are described and illustrated. P. tchesunovi sp. nov. is related to P. rastrifer Bruce. The former may be distinguished by its deeper rostrum, with dentition 6/1, the presence of supraorbital tubercles, and broad, spatulate fingers on the first pereiopods. P. zarenkovi sp. nov. closely resembles P. diplosomatis Bruce in the presence of minute denticulations on the dactylar cutting edge of the major second pereiopod, but differs from it by a deeper rostrum with 5 dorsal teeth, more robust chelae of the second pereiopods, and small dorsal telson spines.     

Designation of two new pontoniine shrimp genera (Decapoda: Palaemonidae)

Two new pontoniine genera are designated, Pseudopontonia gen. nov., for Pontonia minuta Baker, and Anchiopontonia gen. nov., for Pontonia hurri Holthuis, both genera being presently monospecific. Pontonia minuta is known only from south and eastern Australia, and is of unknown commensal association. Anchiopontonia hurii, an associate of spondylid bivalves, known from the Marshall and Tuamotu Islands, is also newly recorded from the Ryukyu Islands.     

Macrobrachium malayanum (Roux, 1934) stat. nov. (Decapoda,Palaemonidae) as a synonym of M. geron Holthuis, 1950, with notes on its distribution

Macrobrachium pilimanus malayanus (Roux, 1934) is synonymized with M. geron Holthuis, 1950 and accorded full species status as M. Malayanum (Roux, 1934) stat. nov. A lectotype is also designated. Variation within M. malayanum and differences between this species and M. pilimanus (De Man, 1879) are discussed, and the taxonomy of the species clarified. New records of M. malayanum are presented for Sarawak and Sumatra.     

Pontoniine shrimps from the Zoological Museum,Copenhagen

Three species of Indo-West Pacific pontoniine shrimp from the collection of the Zoological Museum, Copenhagen, have been examined. Two of the species were found to be new, Periclimenaeus mortenseni sp. nov. and P. wolffi sp. nov., from the Kei Islands, Indonesia, and off south west Taiwan, respectively, and are described and illustrated. Remarks, with illustrations, on little known, closely related species, Periclimenaeus pachydentatus Bruce 1969 and P. tridentatus (Miers, 1884), are also included. Platycaris latirostris Holthuis 1952, is recorded from Mauritius for the first time.     

Two new palaemonid shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda) from the Australian North West Shelf

Two palaemonid shrimps, from about 80 and 50 m on the Australian North West Shelf, are described and illustrated. A new genus, Carinopontonia, is designated for the single incomplete specimen of C. paucipes sp. nov. The new genus is most closely related to the genus Dasycaris Kemp, 1922. A single specimen of a second shrimp can be referred to Apopontonia Bruce, 1977, but to neither of the known species, and it is now described as A. tridentata sp. nov.     

A new pontoniine shrimp (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae) from the Ryukyu Islands,Japan

An unusual new genus and species of pontoniine shrimp, Nippontonia minirostris gen. nov., sp. nov., from a sponge host from the Ryukyu Is., Japan, is described and illustrated. The new genus appears not to be closely related to any of the previously described genera. The genus is particularly remarkable for the morphology of the fixed finger of the minor second pereiopod, which is without parallel in the Palaemonidae.     

Host ranges of parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae and Ichneumonidae) reared from Epermenia chaerophyllella (Goeze) (Lepidoptera: Epermeniidae) in Britain,with description of a new species of Triclistus (Ichneumonidae)

The complex of parasitoids attacking larval stages of Epermenia chaerophyllella in Britain is outlined, and the host range of each of the species recorded (three braconids and four ichneumonids) is discussed. ‘Ecological’ factors, such as the behavioural similarity of unrelated hosts during the vulnerable parts of their life histories, seem to have been important in the evolution of the host associations of several of these parasitoids, even though they are koinobionts. A new species, Triclistus epermeniae Shaw and Aeschlimann, is described.