Crustacean microcoprolites from Jurassic (Oxfordian) hydrocarbon-seep deposits of Beauvoisin,southeastern France

Decapod crustaceans are the most conspicuous predators and scavengers of modern chemosynthesis-based ecosystems at hydrothermal vents and hydrocarbon seeps; however, very little is known about decapod crustaceans at ancient seeps or vents. Some decapods, including galatheids, are known to produce highly specific, internally structured microcoprolites. Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) hydrocarbon-seep limestones from Beauvoisin (southeastern France) were found to contain such microcoprolites including Favreina fontana n. isp., F. cf. martellensis Brönnimann and Zaninetti, Palaxius salataensis Brönnimann, Cross and Zaninetti and Palaxius isp. These diverse ichnofossils indicate that crustaceans were also a part of ancient chemosynthesis-based ecosystems. This is the first report of crustacean coprolites from a deep-water environment.     

Hypercalcified segmented sponges (“sphinctozoans”) from the Upper Triassic (Norian) reef boulders of Taurus Mountains (southern Turkey)

Upper Triassic Norian reef boulders, exposed in a locality near the fountain “Tavuk Cesme” (“Chicken Fountain”) in Taurus Mountains, southern Turkey yielded a large number of hypercalcified sponges, including “sphinctozoans”, “inozoans”, “spongiomorphids”, and “chaetetids”. The sphinctozoans from this locality are described in this paper. Geologically, this locality belongs to the Anamas-Akseki autochthonous. The reef boulders of this locality are exposed near the “Tavuk Cesme” fountain, located at the road, leading from the town of Aksu to Yenisarbademli. The following taxa are described: Amblysiphonella taurica nov. sp., Anthalythalamia riedeli Senowbari-Daryan, Calabrisiphonella sphaerica nov. sp., Calabrisiphonella cuifi nov. sp., Cinnabaria minima Senowbari-Daryan, Colospongia recta nov. sp., Colospongia sp. 1, Colospongia sp. 2, Colospongia sp. 3, Cryptocoelia compacta nov. sp., Cryptocoelia? sp., Deningeria crassireticulata Senowbari-Daryan, Zühlke, Bechstädt and Flügel, Discosiphonella minima Senowbari-Daryan and Link, Gigantothalamia ovoidalis Senowbari-Daryan, Hajarispongia dipoyrazensis nov. sp., Hajarispongia cortexifera nov. sp., Kashanella irregularis Senowbari-Daryan, Kashanella cylindrica nov. sp., Parauvanella ferdowsensis Senowbari-Daryan, Parastylothalamia cylindrica nov. gen., nov. sp., Asiphothalamia polyosculata nov. gen, nov. sp., Sollasia norica nov. sp., and Thaumastocoelia sphaeroida Senowbari-Daryan. The most abundant sponge is Amblysiphonella taurica nov. sp. followed by Hajarispongia dipoyrazensis nov. sp., Colospongia and Discosiphonella minima Senowbari-Daryan and Link are also relatively abundant. The stylothalamid sponge Parastylothalamia nov. gen. is an abundant sponge genus in other Norian reefs of the Taurus Mountains, but is rare at the “Tavuk Cesme” locality.     

New and little-known crickets of the subfamily Phalangopsinae (Orthoptera,Gryllidae). 10. The genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Parendacustes</Emphasis> (Part 1)

The composition of the genus Parendacustes Chop. and of its two subgenera is briefly discussed. Nine new taxa of the nominotypical subgenus are described: P. berezini sp. n., P. arachne sp. n., P. pahangi borealis subsp. n., P. sylvestris sp. n., P. tkatshevae sp. n., P. tawau sp. n., P. tiomani sp. n., P. ectoparameralis sp. n., and P. magnispeculum sp. n. New data on the distribution of P. p. pahangi Gor. and considerations on the generic position of P. latifrons Chop. and P. lifouensis Desutter-Grandcolas are also provided.     

Review of the Western Palaearctic Ichneumon-flies of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhorus</Emphasis> Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera,Ichneumonidae: Ctenopelmatinae). Part III. The species with the reddish metasoma and black face

In the third part of the revision of the genus Rhorus Förster, 1869, the Palaearctic species with the red metasoma and blackish face are considered and keyed. Ten new Western Palaearctic species are described: Rhorus akdara sp. n., Rh. antennalis sp. n., Rh. brunnifemur sp. n., Rh. dbari sp. n., Rh. hissaricus sp. n., Rh. goderdzi sp. n., Rh. petropolitanus sp. n., Rh. punctatissimus sp. n., Rh. suomi sp. n., Rh. trochanteratus sp. n., together with two new species from East Siberia, Rh. ribesii sp. n. and Rh. sakha sp. n. Rh. binotatus (Kriechbaumer, 1897) and {ptRh. fasciatus} (Gravenhorst, {dy1829}) are redescribed.     

Triassic radiolarians of Kotel’nyi Island (New Siberian Islands,Arctic)

Triassic radiolarians from Kotel’nyi Island (New Siberian Islands, Arctic Region) are studied. Radiolarians occur in the Middle and Upper Triassic beds, which are well dated by ammonoids, nautiloids, and bivalves. In the Middle Triassic beds, which are composed of dark gray and black clays and claystones with interbeds of combustible schist, siltstone, clayey limestone, and many phosphatic concretions, the following two assemblages are recognized: (1) a Late Anisian assemblage, including Glomeropyle clavatum Bragin, sp. nov., G. boreale Bragin, G. manihepuaensis Aita, G. insulanum Bragin, sp. nov., Triassospongosphaera multispinosa (Kozur et Mostler), Tetraspongodiscus hibernus Bragin, sp. nov., T. borealis Bragin, sp. nov., Eptingium abditum Bragin, sp. nov., E. manfredi Dumitrica, Spongostephanidium japonicum (Nakaseko et Nishimura), and Ladinocampe vicentinensis Kozur et Mostler; (2) Late Ladinian assemblage, with Muelleritortis firma (Gorican), M. kotelnyensis Bragin, sp. nov., Tiborella nivea Bragin, sp. nov., Pseudostylosphaera goestlingensis (Kozur et Mostler), P. omolonica Bragin, Triassospongosphaera multispinosa (Kozur et Mostler), Sarla cincinnata Bragin, sp. nov., S. obscura Bragin, sp. nov., S. prava Bragin, sp. nov., and Eonapora stiriaca Bragin, sp. nov. The Upper Triassic beds, composed of gray and black clays and claystones with lenses of clayey limestones, with sideritic and phosphatic-calciferous concretions have yielded (1) an Early Carnian assemblage, with Pentactinocarpus colum Bragin, sp. nov., Glomeropyle cuneum Bragin, sp. nov., G. algidum Bragin, sp. nov., G. aculeatum Bragin, sp. nov., Kahlerosphaera isopleura Bragin, sp. nov., Stauracanthocircus folium Bragin, sp. nov., Tetraspongodiscus uncatus Bragin, sp. nov., Poulpus costatus (Kozur et Mostler), Eonapora robusta Kozur et Mostler, Planispinocyrtis kotelnyensis Bragin, sp. nov., Annulotriassocampe baldii (Kozur), and Pseudoeucyrtis annosus Bragin, sp. nov.; (2) a Middle-Late Carnian assemblage with Pseudostylosphaera glabella Bragin, sp. nov., P. gracilis Kozur et Mock, P. voluta Bragin, sp. nov., P. gelida Bragin, sp. nov., Kahlerosphaera unca Bragin, sp. nov., K. aspinosa Kozur et Mock, K. fuscinula Bragin, sp. nov., K. acris Bragin, sp. nov., Capnuchosphaera kuzmichevi Bragin, sp. nov., C. triassica De Wever, C. angusta Bragin, sp. nov., Sarla intorta Bragin, sp. nov., S. compressa Bragin, sp. nov., S. aequipeda Bragin, sp. nov., Betraccium irregulare Bragin, B. kotelnyensis Bragin, sp. nov., Spongotortilispinus carnicus Kozur et Mostler, S. subtilis Bragin, sp. nov., Dumitricasphaera simplex Tekin, D. aberrata Bragin, sp. nov., D. arbustiva Bragin, sp. nov., Zhamojdasphaera epipeda Bragin, sp. nov., Z. proceruspinosa Kozur et Mostler, Vinassaspongus subsphaericus Kozur et Mostler, Palaeosaturnalis triassicus Kozur et Mostler, Paronaella concreta Bragin, sp. nov., P. aquilonia Bragin, sp. nov., Tetraspongodiscus cincinnalis Bragin, sp. nov., Annulotriassocampe baldii (Kozur), Canoptum zetangense Wang et Yang, Whalenella speciosa (Blome), Syringocapsa turgida Blome, Droltus gelidus Bragin, sp. nov., and D. niveus Bragin, sp. nov.; (3) an Early Norian assemblage with Pseudostylosphaera glabella Bragin, sp. nov., P. gelida Bragin, sp. nov., P. voluta Bragin, sp. nov., Kahlerosphaera retunsa Bragin, sp. nov., Capnuchosphaera deweveri Kozur et Mostler, Sarla globosa Bragin, sp. nov., Palaeosaturnalis mocki Kozur et Mostler, Paronaella aquilonia Bragin, sp. nov., Syringocapsa turgida Blome, and Droltus gelidus Bragin, sp. nov.; (4) a Middle Norian assemblage with Sarla globosa Bragin, sp. nov., Sarla sp., Syringocapsa turgida Blome, Canoptum sp., and Laxtorum? sp. The fact that these assemblages include taxa that are recorded more southerly, including paleotropical localities, and support dating based on mollusks, enables the use of these data for Boreal-Tethyan correlation. The greatest similarity to Tethyan associations is observed in the Late Carnian and Early Norian, that is, the periods of the greatest penetration of thermophilic mollusks into this basin. A total of 69 radiolarian species of 3 orders, 18 families, and 29 genera are described; 44 species are newly described; the stratigraphic and geographical ranges of the majority of taxa are improved considerably.     

New species of the bristletail family machilidae (insecta,microcoryphia) from Abkhazia

Six new species are described from Abkhazia: Charimachilis abchasica sp. n., Lepismachilis abchasica sp. n., Trigoniophthalmus longitarsus sp. n., T. nematocerus sp. n., T. abchasicus sp. n., and T. subalpinus sp. n. Species of the genus Lepismachilis and the subgenus Trigoniophthalmus s. str. (T. longitarsus sp. n.) are described from the Caucasus for the first time. A key to the species of the genus Trigoniophthalmus from the Caucasus is given.     

A cellulose-decomposing bacterial association

The structure of a cellulose-decomposing bacterial association was described using phenotypic and phylogenetic characteristics. Based on their morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics, the bacteria isolated from the association were identified as Sporocytophaga sp., Xanthomonas sp, and Pseudomonas sp. The phylogenetic analysis based on comparison of 16S rRNA gene fragments obtained from the association revealed six bacterial species belonging to the clusters of Alcaligenes sp., Ochrobactrum sp., Sphingomonas sp., Achromobacter sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Flexibacteriaceae (Sporocytophaga).     

Gram-negative bacilli-derived peptide antibiotics developed since 2000

Gram-negative bacilli such as Pseudomonas spp., Pseudoalteromonas sp., Angiococcus sp., Archangium sp., Burkholderia spp., Chromobacterium sp., Chondromyces sp., Cystobacter sp., Jahnella sp., Janthinobacterium sp., Lysobacter spp., Paraliomyxa sp., Photobacterium spp., Photorhabdus sp., Pontibacter sp., Ruegeria sp., Serratia sp., Sorangium sp., Sphingomonas sp., and Xenorhabdus spp. produce an enormous array of short peptides of 30 residues or fewer that are potential pharmaceutical drugs and/or biocontrol agents. The need for novel lead antibiotic compounds is urgent due to increasing drug resistance, and this review summarises 150 Gram-negative bacilli-derived compounds reported since 2000, including 40 cyclic lipopeptides from Pseudomonas spp.; nine aromatic peptides; eight glycopeptides; 45 different cyclic lipopeptides; 24 linear lipopeptides; eight thiopeptides; one lasso peptide; ten typical cyclic peptides; and five standard linear peptides. The current and potential therapeutic applications of these peptides, including structures and antituberculotic, anti-cyanobacterial, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, insecticidal, and antiprotozoal activities are discussed.     

New leaf-beetle species (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae) from China: VIII

Chrysolina baoshanica sp. n., Ch. amica sp. n., Ch. baimana sp. n., Ch. sergeyi sp. n., Ch. korotjaevi sp. n., Ch. volkovitshi sp. n., Ch. aeruginosa kabana subsp. n., and Phratora belousovi sp. n. from Chinese provinces Gansu, Sichuan, and Yunnan are described. Types of the new species are deposited in the Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg.     

A new subfamily of ichneumonids from the Lower Cretaceous of Transbaikalia and Mongolia (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

A new subfamily of ichneumonids, Palaeoichneumoninae, is described from the Lower Cretaceous of Transbaikalia (Baisa locality) and Mongolia (Bon Tsagan and Kholbotu Gol localities). The new subfamily is intermediate between the archaic subfamily Tanychorinae and the Recent Ichneumonidae. It includes 12 new species, described in three new genera: Palaeoichneumon freja gen. et sp. nov., P. ornatus sp. nov., P. danu sp. nov., P. micron sp. nov., P. mirabilis sp. nov., P. tenebrosus sp. nov., P. townesi sp. nov., Rudimentifera mora gen. et sp. nov., R. suspecta sp. nov., Dischysma maculata gen. et sp. nov., D. similis sp. nov., and D. ramulata sp. nov.     

New species of the leaf beetles (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae) from China: VII

The following new taxa of leaf beetles are described from Chinese provinces Gansu, Sichuan, and Xinjiang based on the material of the Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, where the types are deposited: Chrysolina confucii sp. n., Ch. daosana sp. n., Ch. infernalis sp. n., Ch. gruevi sp. n., Ch. songpana sp. n., Phratora alternata sp. n., Taipinus rotundatus gen. et sp. n., Oreomela milae sp. n. (Chrysomelinae) and Zangastra sichuanica sp. n. (Galerucinae).     

New Weevils (Coleoptera,Curculionoidea) from the Eocene of the Green River,United States: Part 1

New genera, Pseudochirotenon gen. nov. (with the type species P. eocaenicus sp. nov.), Archaeoheilus gen. nov. (type species A. scudderi sp. nov.), Primocentron gen. nov. (type species P. wickhami sp. nov.), and Pseudophaops gen. nov. (type species Otiorhynchus perditus Scudder, 1876), and new species, Pseudochirotenon eocaenicus sp. nov., Perapion rasnitsyni sp. nov., Archaeoheilus scudderi sp. nov., A. ovalis sp. nov., Primocentron wickhami sp. nov., and Eudiagogus vossi sp. nov., from the Early–Middle Eocene of the Green River are described. New combinations of names (Apionion evestigatum (Scudder, 1893), comb. nov., Archaeoheilus packardii (Scudder, 1893), comb. nov., A. provectus (Scudder, 1876), comb. nov., A. deleticius (Scudder, 1893), comb. nov., A. lacoei (Scudder, 1893), comb. nov., Pseudophaops perditus (Scudder, 1876), comb. nov.) are established. The first fossil records of the tribe Ecelonerini from the New World and genus Perapion from the Green River Formation are provided.     

Bacterial diversity of the outflows of a Polichnitos (Lesvos,Greece) hot spring,laboratory studies of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyanobacterium</Emphasis> sp. strain and potential medical applications

The bacterial diversity of the outflows of Polichnitos (Lesvos, Greece) hot spring has been investigated. Cyanobacteria showing high sequence homologies with Phormidium sp. and Cyanobacterium aponinum were found. Members of the Alphaproteobacteria closely related to Rhodobium sp. Albidovulum sp., Rhodobacter sp., Microvigra sp., Nitratireductor sp. and Phaeobacter sp. Gammaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria and Firmicutes were represented by members of Idiomarina sp., Marinobacter sp., Shinella sp., Bacillus sp. and Clostridium sp. with sequence homologies ranging from 92% to 100%. Members of the Bacteroidetes and Planctomycetes were represented by sequences of novel phylogenetic linkages exhibiting 87–90% sequence homology with type strains. When the hot spring consortium was cultivated in bioreactor repeated batch culture under photo-autotrophic growth conditions at temperature < 30 °C, Cyanobacterium sp. dominated over Phormidium sp. Cyanobacterium sp. seems to have biotechnological potential since its extracellular broth exhibited a strong insecticidal activity against larvae of Aedes aegypti (a vector of important human diseases) and significant anti-cancer activity against the PC3 human prostate cancer cell line, while its toxicity against human endothelial cells was relatively low.     

New species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spathius</Emphasis> Nees (Hymenoptera,Braconidae) from Japan and neighboring territories

Eight new species of the genus Spathius Nees from Japan and the Russian Far East are described and illustrated: S. enigmatus sp. n., S. ishigakus sp. n., S. konishii sp. n., S. multigranulatus sp. n., S. omotodakus sp. n., S. pseudaspersus sp. n., S. pumilio sp. n., and S. tsushimus sp. n.     

New species of stromatoporoidea from the Upper Ordovician and Silurian of the Subpolar Urals

Stromatoporoidea are widespread in the Upper Ordovician and Silurian beds of the Kozhim River (western slope of the Subpolar Urals). Five new species Cystostroma prodigiosum sp. nov., Stylostroma flabellatum sp. nov., Labechiina arguta sp. nov., Ecclimadictyon faveolatum sp. nov., and Araneosustroma astroplexum sp. nov. are described.     

Jurassic Scaphopoda from the Russian platform: Pulsellidae and Gadilidae

The scaphopod families Pulsellidae and Gadilidae from sandy and clayey beds of the Jurassic (Callovian?Volgian) of European Russia are investigated. In Pulsellidae, the following taxa are described: Annulipulsellum with two subgenera, Annulipulsellum (species A. ambiguum sp. nov., A. rugosum sp. nov.) and Mesopulsellum subgen. nov. (A. alternoides sp. nov., A. calloviense sp. nov., A. hirtistriatum sp. nov., A. medium sp. nov.), Gracilipulsellum gen. nov. (G. iodaense sp. nov.), Gardneridentalium gen. nov. (G. primitivum sp. nov., G. reticulatum sp. nov.), and Mesoentalina gen. nov. (M. fabulosa sp. nov.). New taxa of the family Gadilidae include the genus Mesoantalis gen. nov. with the species M. clava sp. nov., M. expolitum sp. nov., and M. volgense sp. nov.     

New leaf-beetle species (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae) from China: IX

The following new species are described from Chinese provinces Gansu, Sichuan, and Yunnan, based on the material from the Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, where the types are deposited: Zeugophora nigroaerea sp. n. (Zeugophorinae), Cryptocephalus pseudosplendens sp. n. (Cryptocephalinae), Chrysolina kippenbergi sp. n., Ch. irinae sp. n., Ch. sinica sp. n., Ch. nixiana sp. n., Ch. yunnana sp. n., Oreomela fulvicornis sp. n., O. multipunctata sp. n. (Chrysomelini), Geinula cheni sp. n., and Furosawaia continentalis sp. n. (Galerucini).     

New weevils (Curculionidae) in Baltic amber

The new subtribes Palaeorhamphina subtrib. nov. of the tribe Rhamphini and Eocenesibiniina subtrib. nov. of the tribe Tychiini, new genera Archaeoeugnomus gen. nov. (type species A. balticus sp. nov.), Palaeorhamphus gen. nov. (type species P. primitivus sp. nov.), and Eocenesibinia gen. nov. (type species E. prussica sp. nov.), new subgenus Palaeoleiosoma subgen. nov. (type species L. klebsi sp. nov.) of the genus Leiosoma Stephens, and new species Leiosoma klebsi sp. nov., Caulophilus rarus sp. nov., C. squamosus sp. nov., Ceutorhynchus alekseevi sp. nov., C. electrinus sp. nov., Dorytomus nudus sp. nov., Pachytychius eocenicus sp. nov., Archaeoeugnomus balticus sp. nov., Palaeorhamphus primitivus sp. nov., Orchestes tatjanae sp. nov., and Eocenesibinia prussica sp. nov. are described. Electrotribus Hustache, 1942 placem. nov. is transferred from the tribe Derelomini of the subfamily Curculioninae to the tribe Acicnemidini of the subfamily Molytinae. Succinostyphlus erectosquamata (Rheinheimer, 2007) placem. nov. et comb. nov. is transferred from the genus Electrotribus Hustache, 1942 to the genus Succinostyphlus Ku?ka, 1996. These are the first records of representatives of the tribes Plinthini, Acicnemidini, Eugnomini, and Rhamphini in the Baltic amber.