Four new species of Gomphocythere (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from Lake Tanganyika, East Africa

Four new species of the ostracod genus Gomphocythere are described from Lake Tanganyika (East Africa): Gomphocythere downingi n. sp. G. coheni n. sp., G. wilsoni n. sp., and G. woutersi n. sp. All species are endemic to the lake and are found within a variety of substrates and depths. The addition of these four new species brings the total number of endemic Gomphocythere species in Lake Tanganyika to nine. Other Gomphocythere species are known from water bodies throughout East and South Africa and in the Levant. Brooding is an important, but not a unique, preadaptation for the persistence and taxic prolific speciation of this lineage in Lake Tanganyika.     

The genus Cyprideis Jones, 1857 (Crustacea,Ostracoda) in the Neogene of Italy: A geometric morphometric approach

As a result of the use of geometric morphometrics, multivariate statistics and classical morphological observations the authors propose a taxonomic revision of the Neogene Italian Cyprideis species. On this basis, the Cyprideis valves collected in Tortonian, Messinian and Pliocene brackish deposits of Italy are referred to 12 species, six of which are new: Cyprideis alexandri nov. sp., Cyprideis arvedoi nov. sp., Cyprideis lepianensis nov. sp., Cyprideis rooki nov. sp., Cyprideis strollae nov. sp., and Cyprideis toscana nov. sp. Some species are rather widespread in the Italian Peninsula (Cyprideis ruggierii Decima and Cyprideis crotonensis Decima) or even in the whole Palaeomediterranean (Cyprideis agrigentina Decima and Cyprideis anlavauxensis Carbonnel). For C. ruggierii, C. agrigentina and C. crotonensis, a phyletic relation is suggested. The new species are confined both geographically and stratigraphically in several Tuscan athalassic brackish basins, suggesting endemic speciation similar to those occurring in ancient lakes.     

Molecular analyses of ostracod flocks from Lake Baikal and Lake Tanganyika

Ancient lakes are excellent laboratories for evolutionary research, where species can be studied in the cradle where they originated. In this article, we investigate two endemic ostracod species flocks from the two oldest lakes in the world, Lake Baikal (LB) (ca. 28 myr) and Lake Tanganyika (LT) (ca. 12 myr), with DNA sequence data. Nuclear ITS1 failed to resolve the phylogeny of both flocks. Whilst most phylogenetic relationships of the Tanganyika flock are resolved with mitochondrial COI, the Baikalian tree contains multifurications of up to seven different clades. The Tanganyikan Cyprideis flock shows higher genetic variability, which matches its higher morphological variability. A significant deviation from a constant divergence rate through time indicates that the Cytherissa flock most likely experienced explosive speciation events during its earlier history. Comparative analyses of substitution rates furthermore revealed that they are not clock-wise for COI. Ancestral Cytherissa probably radiated in LB 5–8 myr ago, around the time when the cold, oxygenated abyss was formed in LB. The Tanganyikan Cyprideis flock is almost twice as old as the Baikalian Cytherissa flock, and possibly older than LT itself, ca. 15 myr. The Cyprideis flock has survived drastic lake level changes and resulting salinity crises during its entire history.     

Middle Permian Ostracods from Tak Fa Limestone, Phetchabun Province, Central Thailand

This paper presents the first Permian ostracod fauna discovered in Thailand. The ostracods are recovered from the Tak Fa Limestone (Middle Permian) in Phetchabun province, central Thailand. The ostracods belong to eight genera and 15 species. Four species are newly described: Sargentina phetchabunensis nov. sp., Geffenina bungsamphanensis nov. sp., Reviya subsompongensis nov. sp. and Bairdia takfaensis nov. sp. The ostracod assemblages characterize a shallow marine, near shore environment at the time of deposition. Except for one species, which shows palaeobiogeographical links between Central Thailand and South China, all the other species are endemic.     

Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea) of New Guinea: Part II. Hamatina gen. nov., with descriptions of four new species

This is the second part in a series of taxonomic studies on the family Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea) of New Guinea. A new genus, Hamatina gen. nov., is described, based on the type species, H. hemitoma (Diakonoff), comb. nov., and four new species are described: H. nabangae sp. nov., H. robdevosi sp. nov., H. jembatana sp. nov., and. iriana sp. nov. A key to four allied genera is given. Adults, heads, labial palpi, wing venations, and the male genitalia are illustrated.     

On Lecane tanganyikae new species (Rotifera: Monogononta, Lecanidae)

A new species of rotifer, Lecane tanganyikae n.sp., is described from the littoral of Lake Tanganyika and some water bodies in the plain of the Rusizi river near Lake Tanganyika, Bujumbura Province, Burundi. The affiliation of the new species, especially in relation to L. elsa Hauer, is discussed.     

New species of the family Heliodiscidae Haeckel (radiolaria)

The family Heliodiscidae Haeckel, 1881, which includes five genera, is reviewed. New methods of investigation are applied to the inner structure of Cretaceous spherical radiolarian skeletons, which reveal numerous taxa with an eccentric microsphere. Three new species, Astrophacus marinae sp. nov., Excentrosphaerella kovalenkovi sp. nov., and Excentrosphaerella kurilovi sp. nov., are described. The eccentric position of the microsphere suggests that these forms are nontypical Mesozoic radiolarians or new representatives of the family Heliodiscidae Haeckel, 1881, which was previously recorded in the Cenozoic.     

New bryozoan species from the stratotype section of the Upper Kazanian Substage

Representatives of nine bryozoan genera of four orders are identified for the first time from the carbonate deposits of the stratotype section of the Upper Kazanian Substage of the Middle Permian. Among them four new species are established and described: Permopora volgensis sp. nov., Stellahexaformis burovi sp. nov., Alternifenestella esaulovae sp. nov., and Wjatkella definita sp. nov. A brief lithological characterization is provided of the carbonate deposits that contain the remains of these bryozoans and were formed under the conditions of transgression-regression cycles of the Late Kazanian marine basin. Some questions concerning the taphonomy, ecology, and morphology of the bryozoans studied are considered.     

Palynology of the Dockum group (Upper Triassic), Texas,U.S.A.

A palynofloral assemblage is described from the Upper Triassic Dockum Group of Texas. Forty palynomorph species are recorded and these are correlated with European Upper Triassic assemblages. The Dockum Group assemblage is considered to be of late Karnian age.Two new genera, Tulesporites gen. nov., type species T. briscoensis sp. nov., and Daughertyspora gen. nov., type species D. chinleanus (Daugherty) comb. nov. have been erected; new species are Converrucosisporites matsenii sp. nov., Pyramidosporites traversei sp. nov., Callialasporites triassicus sp. nov., Plicatipollenites minutotriletus sp. nov., Triadispora dockumensis sp. nov., Bhardwajispora jansonii sp. nov., Protodiploxypinus americus sp. nov., P. ujhelyi sp. nov., Klausipollenites gouldii sp. nov., Pityosporites old-hamensis sp. nov., Abietineaepollenites bujakii sp. nov., Falcisporites oviformis sp. nov. and F. tecovasensis sp. nov.     

New radiolarian genera and species from the Lower Permian of the Southern Urals and Northern Mugodzhary

Two new genera and five new species of Lower Permian radiolarians, Arcoclathrata alekseevi gen. et sp. nov., Entactinia pinrasensis sp. nov., Microporosa rozhnovi gen. et sp. nov., M. aktastensis sp. nov., and Somphoentactinia saecularis sp. nov., from the Southern Urals and Northern Mugodzhary are described. The new spherical radiolarian taxa belong to three orders: Entactiniata, Cancelliata, and Spongiata of two classes, Sphaerellaria and Spumellaria.     

Morphology,Molecules, and Monogenean Parasites: An Example of an Integrative Approach to Cichlid Biodiversity

The unparalleled biodiversity of Lake Tanganyika (Africa) has fascinated biologists for over a century; its unique cichlid communities are a preferred model for evolutionary research. Although species delineation is, in most cases, relatively straightforward, higher-order classifications were shown not to agree with monophyletic groups. Here, traditional morphological methods meet their limitations. A typical example are the tropheine cichlids currently belonging to Simochromis and Pseudosimochromis. The affiliations of these widespread and abundant cichlids are poorly understood. Molecular work suggested that genus and species boundaries should be revised. Moreover, previous morphological results indicated that intraspecific variation should be considered to delineate species in Lake Tanganyika cichlids. We review the genera Simochromis and Pseudosimochromis using an integrative approach. Besides a morphometric study and a barcoding approach, monogenean Cichlidogyrus (Platyhelminthes: Ancyrocephalidae) gill parasites, often highly species-specific, are used as complementary markers. Six new species are described. Cichlidogyrus raeymaekersi sp. nov., C. muterezii sp. nov. and C. banyankimbonai sp. nov. infect S. diagramma. Cichlidogyrus georgesmertensi sp. nov. was found on S. babaulti and S. pleurospilus, C. franswittei sp. nov. on both S. marginatus and P. curvifrons and C. frankwillemsi sp. nov. only on P. curvifrons. As relatedness between Cichlidogyrus species usually reflects relatedness between hosts, we considered Simochromis monotypic because the three Cichlidogyrus species found on S. diagramma belonged to a different morphotype than those found on the other Simochromis. The transfer of S. babaulti, S. marginatus, S. pleurospilus and S. margaretae to Pseudosimochromis was justified by the similarity of their Cichlidogyrus fauna and the intermediate morphology of S. margaretae. Finally parasite data also supported the synonymy between S. pleurospilus and S. babaulti, a species that contains a large amount of geographical morphological variation.     

New gall midges of the subfamily Lestremiinae (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) from the Rovno amber

Two new genera and eight new species of the gall midges subfamily Lestremiinae, viz. Berestella insuperabilis gen. et sp. nov., Monardia impellucida sp. nov., Xylopriona aristata sp. nov. (Micromyini), Aprionus improvisus sp. nov., A.? vlaskini sp. nov. (Aprionini), Vicemyia immediata gen. et sp. nov. (Peromyiini), Cordylomyia cauta sp. nov. (Campylomyzini) and Bryomyia necessaria sp. nov. (Bryomyiini) from the Late Eocene Rovno amber are described. New combinations, i.e., Cordylomyia declinata (Fedotova, 2004), comb. nov. and Cordylomyia magnifica (Nel et Prokop, 2006), comb. nov. (both are transferred from Neurolyga) are proposed. No species in common with the fauna from the Baltic amber are recorded.     

On some eurypterids (Eurypterida, Chelicerata) from the Devonian of South Siberia

Fossil eurypterids from the Lake Shunet area (Lower Devonian of the Republic of Khakassia) and the Torgashino locality (Devonian of Krasnoyarsk Region) have been reexamined. New species of eurypterids are described: Stylonuroides orientalis sp. nov., Parahughmilleria longa sp. nov., and Nanahughmilleria notosibirica sp. nov.     

A new genus Heppneralis Park of Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea) from Is. Sulawesi,Indonesia, with descriptions of two new species

A new genus, Heppneralis Park, gen. nov., of the subfamily Torodorinae, is described based on the type species, H. decorella sp. nov., and an additional new species, H. dumogaensis sp. nov., from Is. Sulawesi, Indonesia is described. The new genus is distinguished from all known genera of the subfamily by unique wing color markings on both wings, with R₅ and M₂ absent in the forewing and M₂ absent in the hindwing.     

Mixoscyphus antarcticus gen. nov., sp. nov. (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Sertulariidae), the first truly endemic genus of Antarctic benthic hydroids

A genus and species of Antarctic benthic hydroids new to science, Mixoscyphus antarcticus gen. nov., sp. nov., is described and figured. Its systematic position amongst allied genera of the family Sertulariidae is discussed. The studied material originates from the South Shetland Islands area (West Antarctica), which was collected by several Spanish and US Antarctic expeditions. Mixoscyphus gen. nov. currently represents the only complete endemic genus of Antarctic benthic hydrozoans. A discussion of other genera of benthic hydroids that are largely endemic to the Antarctic is also provided.     

Discovery of Lower Famennian Stromatoporoidea in the Kuznetsk Basin

Stromatoporoidea recorded for the first time from the Lower Famennian of the Kuznetsk Basin are described. The assemblage studied includes three new species, Actinostroma quasifenestratum sp. nov., Kyklopora tomiensis sp. nov., and Coenostroma rarum sp. nov., and three previously known species of different genera.     

Kimmeridgian-Volgian Aporrhaidae (Stromboidea: Gastropoda) of the Russian Platform

Kimmeridgian-Volgian Aporrhaidae from European Russia are described for the first time. They are referred to three genera, including two new genera, Undoriptera gen. nov. and Volgacheilus gen. nov. with three new species, Undoriptera tridactylus sp. nov., Volgacheilus rogovi sp. nov., and Dicroloma tenuistriata sp. nov.     

Fossil representatives of the family Greenideidae (Hemiptera, Aphidoidea) from the Miocene of Europe

Four new aphid species (Hemiptera, Aphidoidea, Greenideidae) are described on the basis of imprints in oil-shales from the Miocene of Europe (Rubielos de Mora, Spain; Vishnevaya Balka ?Stavropol?, Russia): Eutrichosiphum europaeum nov. sp., Greenidea hispanica nov. sp., Greenideoida (Pentatrichosiphum) turolensis nov. sp. and Mollitrichosiphum rubusensis nov. sp. All the taxa are placed within recent genera of the subfamily Greenideinae. Miocene representatives of this subfamily have been found in the south of Europe. Later changes of climatic conditions limited its geographic range to south-eastern Asia, where it is now represented by over 130 species of seven genera.     

New fossil insects (Diaphanopterodea: Martynoviidae) from the Lower Permian of the Boskovice Basin, southern Moravia

Two new genera and new species assigned to the family Martynoviidae (Diaphanopterodea), Boskovicia celtai nov. gen., nov. sp. and Moravoptera hladilovae nov. gen., nov. sp. are described and illustrated from the Lower Permian (Artinskian/Sakmarian) locality of Obora, southern Moravia (Czech Republic). Discovery of the species Martynovia insignis Tillyard, originally described from the Lower Permian of Kansas (USA), supports close relationship of both faunas across Euramerica.