Quasimodoana, a new Holarctic genus of eucoiline wasps (Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea, Figitidae), with a phylogenetic analysis of related genera

Abstract.  A new Holarctic genus, Quasimodoana gen.n. is described for the Palearctic eucoiline wasp Eucoila decipiens Förster, 1869, as Quasimodoana decipiens comb.n. A lectotype is designated for this species. A new North American species is described here as Quasimodoana gibba sp.n. As the new genus has similarities with several eucoiline genera, belonging to two related but distinct lineages, a phylogenetic analysis was carried out, based on 83 morphological characters. The two lineages included in the analysis are referred to here under the tribal names of Eucoilini and Trichoplastini stat.nov. We discuss reasons for adopting available tribal names (rather than 'informal genus groups'), and Trichoplastini is removed from synonymy with Eucoilini. The phylogenetic analysis places Quasimodoana unambiguously within Eucoilini, as a sistergroup to the Trybliographa complex. However, there is only weak support for the monophyly of Eucoilini and for the hypothesized sistergroup relationship between Eucoilini and Trichoplastini.     

A taxonomic revision of Limacoccus Bondar with a cladistic analysis of its relationships with other scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea)

The scale insect genus Limacoccus and its four palm pest species are revised and all instars with sexual dimorphism are described and illustrated. A key to Limacoccus species is provided. The unique life-history of this genus with construction of a protective tunnel by the second-instar female is described. A cladistic analysis of Limacoccus and eleven representative species of Diaspididae, Halimococcidae, Phoenicococcidae and Beesoniidae, was undertaken using fifty-four traditional and new characters from first and second instars and adult females. Character polarity was determined by outgroup comparison with Margarodidae, Pseudococcidae, Eriococcidae and Asterolecaniidae as outgroups. Nine most parsimonious trees were found. Analysis of the eleven terminal taxa of the strict consensus tree using Phoenicococcidae, Halimococcidae and Diaspididae as outgroups produced one parsimonious tree. As result of this analysis, Limacoccus is believed to be a monophyletic group of characterized by seven autapomorphies and is assigned to the family Beesoniidae fam.rev. The redefined family is divided into two tribes: Beesoniini stat.nov. with genera Beesonia and Mangalorea and Limacocciini stat.nov. with the genus Limacoccus. The Beesoniidae are here regarded as a sister group of Phoenicococcidae.     

Notes on the Chenopodiaceae of Ethiopia, Somalia and Southern Arabia

Atriplex griffithii is divided into two subspecies, ssp. griffithii and ssp. stocksii , stat. nov. Atriplex farinosa is typified and divided into two subspecies, ssp. farinosa and ssp. keniensis , stat. nov. A new species of Atriplex, A. nogalensis is described from Somalia. The subtribe Sevadinae is revised and found to consist of the two monotypic genera Sevada and Fadenia and the genus Lagenantha with two species, L. cycloptera , comb. nov. (which includes the types of Gyroptera and Cycloptera) , and L. gillettii , comb. nov.     

On the phylogeny of Euryteinae (Crustacea,Copepoda, Cyclopoida), with description of one new species from Korea

Euryte koreana sp. nov. is described from the shallow littoral on the East Coast of South Korea, and represents the first record of the subfamily Euryteinae Monchenko, 1974 in the Pacific Ocean north of the tropics. It belongs to a group of species that have the caudal rami length/width ratio of around four, but differs from all congeners by a number of morphological features. Detailed drawings and extensive scanning electron micrographs of many characters of ornamentation provided for this species should serve as a benchmark for distinguishing closely related species in this subfamily with conservative macro-morphology. A morphologically distinct population from anchialine caves in Mallorca, identified previously as Euryte longicauda Philippi, 1843, is described as another new species: Euryte jaumei sp. nov. To test the phylogenetic relationships of its members and previous hypotheses about generic placement of two species associated with scleractinian corals, several cladistic analyses are performed on all 16 currently recognized species of Euryteinae and two outgroups, Neocyclops australiensis Karanovic, 2008 and Troglocyclops janstocki Rocha and Iliffe, 1994, using 25 morphological characters. All resulting trees suggest a close relationship between the two commensal species and them as a sister clade to all other Euryteinae. They are transferred into a newly erected genus Coraleuryte gen. nov., as C. bellatula (Humes, 1991) comb. nov. and C. verecunda (Humes, 1992) comb. nov., and a revised diagnoses is provided for the genus Euryte Philippi, 1843. Obtained cladograms also show that Ancheuryte Herbst, 1989 is nested deeply within the Euryte clade, so the genus is synonymized and its only species is transferred, as E. notabilis (Herbst, 1989) comb. nov. A key to species of Euryteinae is also provided.     

A revision of the genus Lasianthus (Rubiaceae) in Africa, excluding Madagascar

23 species, one subspecies and three varieties have been described or named for the pan-tropical genus Lasianthus Jack (Rubiaceae) in continental Africa. In the present revision thirteen species, five subspecies and one variety are recognized; additionally two hybrids are proposed. Of the previously named taxa, the subspecies is raised to species rank whereas two species are degraded to subspecies and variety status, respectively. Five species are synonymised including two varieties, and four are left with uncertain status, including one variety. The distribution of the genus in Africa consists of two distinct elements: one component is found in the Guineo-Congolian regional centre of endemism and one in the eastern part of Afiomontane Archipelago-like regional centre of endemism. A centre of species diversity is found in Eastern Arc Mts., where six endemic species occur together with L. laxinervis and the more widespread L. kilimandscharicus. Four of the species are strict endemics of the Uluguru Mts. In addition to the presentation of the new section: Lasianthus Sectio Membranacei, sect. nov., this revision contain two hybrids from Uluguru Mts.: L. macrocalyx × pedunculatus and L. cereifizorus × pedunculatus, and following new taxa and new combinations: L. africanus ssp. biokoensis, subsp. nov.; L. africanus ssp. mayumbensis, comb. et stat. nov.; L. kilimandscharicus ssp. glabrescens, ssp. nov.; L. kilimandscharicus ssp. glabrescens var. xanthospermus, comb. et stat. nov.; L. kilimandscharicus ssp. hirsutus, ssp. nov.; L. laxinervis, stat. nov.; L. pedunculatus ssp. angustisepalus, ssp. nov.     

Discovery of the genus Skidmorella Johnson (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae) in Japan, with descriptions of two new species

The genus Skidmorella Johnson, previously known only from the South Pacific islands, is discovered in Japan. The type species, Skidmorella magnifica Johnson, is confirmed from Japan as the first record of the species other than the type locality. In addition, two new species, Skidmorella amamiana sp. nov. and Skidmorella quadrisulucia sp. nov., are described from the Ryukyus, Japan. Phylogenetic relationships of the genus Skidmorella and its allies are discussed on the basis of their morphological characters.     

中国绿刺蛾属的新种和新纪录种(鳞翅目,刺蛾科)

记述中国绿刺蛾属Parasa Moore 2新种:镇雄绿刺蛾P.zhenxiongica sp.nov.和西藏绿刺蛾P.xizangensis sp.nov.及3中国新纪录种:同宗绿刺蛾P.gentiles(Snellen)、缅媚绿刺蛾P.kalawensis Orhant和榴绿刺蛾P.punica (Herrich-Schaffer).另外,对中国绿刺蛾P.sinica Moore、双齿绿刺蛾P.hilarata(Staudinger)和青绿刺蛾P.hilarula (Staudinger)的混淆与误定进行了更正.提供了它们的成虫彩色照片和新种的外生殖器特征图.模式标本保存在中国科学院动物研究所.     

Systematics of the spider genus Metabus O. P.-Cambridge, 1899 (Araneoidea: Tetragnathidae) with additions to the tetragnathid fauna of Chile and comments on the phylogeny of Tetragnathidae

The spider genus Metabus (Tetragnathidae) previously included nine species: the type M. gravidus O. P.-Cambridge, 1899 – junior synonym of Leucauge ocellata (Keyserling) – from Central America and eight species from Chile. In this paper, the classification of the Metabus species-complex is revised, and two new genera, with three new species and five new combinations, are described. Allende gen. nov. is created for four Chilean species not congeneric with the type of Metabus : the type A. puyehuensis sp. nov. , A. patagiatus (Simon) comb. nov. , A. nigrohumeralis (F. O. P.-Cambridge) comb. nov. and A. longipes (Nicolet) comb. nov. Further additions to the Chilean fauna are under the new genus Mollemeta gen. nov. – created for M. edwardsi (Simon) comb. nov. – and three new species of Chrysometa : C. acinosa sp. nov. , C. levii sp. nov. and C. maitae sp. nov. Metabus now includes four species: M. ocellatus (Keyserling) comb. nov. , M. debilis (O. P.-Cambridge) comb. nov. , M. ebanoverde sp. nov. and M. conacyt sp. nov. All of these species were included in a phylogenetic analysis of 38 tetragnathid and 12 orbicularian outgroup terminals scored for 105 morphological and behavioural characters. The results suggest that Metabus as previously circumscribed is polyphyletic. The phylogenetic relationships within tetragnathids are briefly discussed. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 151 , 285–335.