A review of the species of Thambemyia Oldroyd (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) from China

The genus Thambemyia Oldroyd is reported on Chinese mainland for the first time with one known species (T. rectus) and one new species for science (T. shandongensis sp. nov.). A key to the three species of the genus from China is provided.     

Taxonomy of the genus Acymatopus Takagi (Diptera: Dolichopodidae)

Two new species of the genus Acymatopus from Japan and China are described. This is the first record of Acymatopus outside Japan. A key to all six valid species of the genus is given, and their distributions are mapped and discussed.     

The genus Phyllomyza Fallén (Diptera: Milichiidae) from Japan, with descriptions of four new species

The Japanese species of the genus Phyllomyza Fallén are revised. Four new species, Phyllomyza kanmiyai sp. nov., P. amamiensis sp. nov., P. proceripalpis sp. nov. and P. japonica sp. nov., are described and illustrated. P. securicornis Fallén is recorded from Japan for the first time. A key to the Japanese species of Phyllomyza is presented.     

New species of the genus Salganea (Blattaria, Blaberidae, Panesthiinae) from Myanmar, with molecular phylogenetic analyses and notes on social structure

A new species of the genus Salganea is described from Mount Victoria, Chin State, Myanmar under the name of Salganea matsumotoi sp. nov. Morphological investigation suggests that this species belongs to the S. nigrita species group. The inferred molecular phylogenetic tree indicates that S. matsumotoi is most closely related to the taxa S. incerta, S. taiwanensis, S. gressiti and S. esakii, distributed in Thailand, Taiwan and Japan, all of which belong to the S. nigrita species group. Social structural data suggest that this species is subsocial, and in contrast to other studied species in the genus, potentially has more than one reproductive episode.     

Six new species of the genus Dicranosepsis Duda (Diptera, Sepsidae) from Vietnam, with a revised key to the species

The flies of the genus Dicranosepsis from Vietnam were investigated and classified taxonomically. Six new species (D. longa sp. nov., D. kurahashii sp. nov., D. monoseta sp. nov., D. sinuosa sp. nov., D. barbata sp. nov., and D. vietnamensis sp. nov.) are described and illustrated. Dicranosepsis is redefined and a revised key to the species is also provided.     

Eulophine parasitoids of the genus Trichospilus in Indonesia, with the description of two new species (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)

Two new species of the parasitoid wasp genus Trichospilus (Chalcidoidea: Eulophidae: Eulophinae) are described from Java and Sulawesi, Indonesia. A key to all species of Trichospilus worldwide is provided.     

Two new species of the genus Carminator Shaw from Japan, the northernmost record of extant Megalyridae (Hymenoptera)

The family Megalyridae is recorded from Japan for the first time on the basis of two new species, Carminator helios and C. japonicus. This is the northernmost record of living Megalyridae, although fossil species are known from regions of the Baltic Sea. Carminator helios can be distinguished from congeners of the Asian and Australian regions by the combination of a long head, deeply excavated frons with convex inner margins, entirely striated postgena, the number of fore tibial spines (more than 16), and a long R₁ vein. Carminator japonicus is distinguishable from other species by the combination of an orange‐colored metasoma, a weakly excavated frons, and an elongate vertex. This species was collected from the canopy of Acer pictum. Additional characters that distinguish species of the genus Carminator are discussed.     

Review of the cichlid genus Thysochromis (Teleostei: Ovalentaria) with the description of a new species from the Kouilou Province in the Republic of Congo,west–Central Africa

A new species of the chromidotilapiine genus Thysochromis, is described from the Noumbi and Kouilou River drainages in the Republic of Congo. Based on the current investigation, Thysochromis is resolved as containing two geographically disjunct species, T. ansorgii from localities in the upper Guinean ichthyofaunal province (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin and Nigeria) and Thysochromis emili sp. nov. restricted to coastal regions of the Republic of Congo in the lower Guinean province.     

THE GENUS BALLIELLA ITONO & TANAKA (RHODOPHYTA: CERAMIACEAE) FROM EASTERN AUSTRALIA1

Three new species of the genus Balliella Itono & Tanaka are described from eastern Australia. Balliella amphiglanda from Lord Howe I. and Port Hacking, N.S.W., is distinctive in producing either abaxial or adaxial gland cells from the basal cells of lateral branches and in having tetrasporangia restricted to short branches. Balliella repens, from Tryon I., Heron I and Wistari Reef Qld., and Lord Howe I., N.S.W., is distinguished from the other species of the genus by its regularly developed prostrate systems and clustered tetrasporangia. Balliella grandis, from Wistari Reef, North West I. and One Tree I., Qld., is the largest recorded species of Balliella. It has correspondingly large gland cells and abaxial as well as adaxial tetrasporangia. Our work supports the placement of Balliella in the tribe Antithamnieae, a move which necessitates emending Wollaston's definition of the tribe to include species with procarps that form at successive levels along main axes rather than at only one or two points behind the apices.     

CRYPTOPERIDINIOPSIS BRODYI GEN. ET SP. NOV. (DINOPHYCEAE), A SMALL LIGHTLY ARMORED DINOFLAGELLATE IN THE PFIESTERIACEAE1

A new genus and species of heterotrophic dinoflagellate, Cryptoperidiniopsis brodyi gen. et sp. nov., are described. This new species commonly occurs in estuaries from Florida to Maryland, and is often associated with Pfiesteria piscicida Steidinger et Burkholder, Pseudopfiesteria shumwayae (Glasgow et Burkholder) Litaker et al., and Karlodinium veneficum (Ballantine) J. Larsen, as well as other small (<20 μm) heterotrophic and mixotrophic dinoflagellates. C. brodyi gen. et sp. nov. feeds myzocytotically on pigmented microalgae and other microorganisms. The genus and species have the enhanced Kofoidian plate formula of Po, cp, X, 5′, 0a, 6″, 6c, PC, 5+s, 5″′, 0p, and 2″″ and are assigned to the order Peridiniales and the family Pfiesteriaceae. Because the Pfiesteriaceae comprise small species and are difficult to differentiate by light microscopy, C. brodyi gen. et sp. nov. can be easily misidentified.     

Haramonas viridissp. nov. (Raphidophyceae, Heterokontophyta), a new sand-dwelling raphidophyte from cold temperate waters

A new, marine, sand‐dwelling raphidophyte from Sylt, Germany, Haramonas viridis Horiguchi et Hoppenrath sp. nov. is described. This represents a second species in the previously monotypic genus Haramonas, which was originally described from a sand sample from a mangrove river mouth in tropical Australia, based on the type species, H. dimorpha. This new species from a cold temperate region: (i) possesses a tubular invagi‐nation in the posterior part of the cell; (ii) produces copious amounts of mucilage in culture; (iii) possesses both motile and non‐motile stages in its life cycle; and (iv) has overlapping discoidal chloroplasts, all of which are diagnostic features of the genus Haramonas. Therefore, it is indisputable that this species belongs to this genus. However, the species from Sylt differs from the type species of the genus in: (i) having a larger cell size; (ii) possessing a larger number of chloroplasts; and (iii) being greenish in color. The ultrastructural study revealed that the structure of the tubular invagi‐nation was the same as that of the type species.     

The Larva and Pupa of Pseudoneureclipsis lusitanicus Malicky, 1980 (Trichoptera: Hydropsychoidea): Description,Ecological Data and Taxonomical Considerations

Pseudoneureclipsis lusitanicus Malicky, 1980, is reported from a large tributary of the Loire River, the first record of this genus and species from France. In Europe, this genus was previously known from Portugal. Larval and pupal characters suggest that the genus does not belong to the family Polycentropodidae, as currently classified.     

PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE GENUS HYPNEA (GIGARTINALES,RHODOPHYTA), WITH A DESCRIPTION OF H. CAESPITOSA SP. NOV.1

Species discrimination within the gigartinalean red algal genus Hypnea has been controversial. To help resolve the controversy and explore phylogeny within the genus, we determined rbcL sequences from 30 specimens of 23 species within the genus, cox1 from 22 specimens of 10 species, and psaA from 16 species. We describe H. caespitosa as a new species characterized by a relatively slender main axis; a pulvinate growth habit with entangled, anastomosing, and subulate uppermost branches; and unilaterally borne tetrasporangial sori. The new species occurs in the warm waters of Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. The phylogenetic trees of rbcL, psaA, and cox1 sequences showed a distant relationship of H. caespitosa to H. pannosa J. Agardh from Baja California and the marked differentiation from other similar species. The rbcL + psaA tree supported monophyly of the genus with high bootstrap values and posterior probabilities. The analysis revealed three clades within the genus, corresponding to three sections, namely, Virgatae, Spinuligerae, and Pulvinatae first recognized by J. G. Agardh. Exceptions were H. japonica T. Tanaka in Pulvinatae and H. spinella (C. Agardh) Kütz. in Spinuligerae.     

Review of the genusBembras Cuvier, 1829 (Scorpaeniformes: Bembridae) with description of three new species collected from Australia and Indonesia

The bembrid genusBembras Cuvier is reviewed. Five species,B. japonica Cuvier,B. adenensis Imamura & Knapp and three undescribed species, were assigned to the genus. Type species of the genus,Bembras japonica is redescribed on the basis of 36 specimens including the holotype, and three new species,B. macrolepis, B. longipinnis andB. megacephala, previously misidentified asB. japonicus, are also described on the basis of specimens collected from Australia and Indonesia.Bembras macrolepis differs from its congeners by having large body scales, a long pectoral fin with 17–19 rays and a dark blotch on slightly upper portion to middle of margin, 14–15 anal-fin rays, small head and orbit, and caudal fin with a broad vertical dark band near posterior margin.Bembras longipinnis is distinguished from other members of the genus by having a slightly long pectoral fin with 17–19 rays and lacking a small black blotch near tip of upper rays, caudal fin with a large dark spot most intense in lower lobe, 1–2 gill rakers on upper gill arch, 13–14 anal-fin rays, slightly elong ated head and small orbit.Bembras megacephala is characterized by the following combination of characters: caudal fin with several irregular narrow vertical dark bands, small orbit, pectoral fin with 19–20 rays and lacking a small black blotch near tip of upper rays, head elongate, 2–4 gill rakers on upper gill arch, 15 anal-fin rays and small body scales. A key separating the five species ofBembras is given.     

NEW MARINE MEMBERS OF THE GENUS HEMISELMIS (CRYPTOMONADALES,CRYPTOPHYCEAE)1

Cryptomonads are a ubiquitous and diverse assemblage of aquatic flagellates. The relatively obscure genus Hemiselmis includes some of the smallest of these cells. This genus contained only two species until 1967, when Butcher described seven new marine species mainly on the basis of observations with the light microscope. However, from these seven taxa, only H. amylifera and H. oculata were validly published. Additionally, the features Butcher used to distinguish species have since been questioned, and the taxonomy within Hemiselmis has remained clouded due to the difficulty in unambiguously applying his classification and validating many of his species. As a result, marine strains are often placed into one of three species—H. rufescens Parke, H. virescens Droop, or the invalid H. brunnescens Butcher—based on cell color alone. Here we applied microscopic and molecular tools to 13 publicly available Hemiselmis strains in an effort to clarify species boundaries. SEM failed to provide sufficient morphological variation to distinguish species of Hemiselmis, and results from LM did not correlate with clades found using both molecular phylogenetic and nucleomorph genome karyotype analysis, indicating a high degree of morphological plasticity within species. On the basis of molecular characters and collection geography we recognize four new marine species of Hemiselmis—H. cryptochromatica sp. nov., H. andersenii sp. nov., H. pacifica sp. nov., and H. tepida sp. nov.—from the waters around North America.     

New species of the genus Plesiolacerta (Squamata: Lacertidae) from the upper Oligocene (MP28) of Southern Germany and a revision of the type species Plesiolacerta lydekkeri

Abstract: The lacertid material from the locality of Herrlingen 8 (upper Oligocene, MP28) is described as a new species of the genus Plesiolacerta. The material is disarticulated and comprises isolated elements including parietal, frontal, maxilla and dentary. It can be assigned to a single species on the basis of the external surface ornamentation. This morphology is typical for the genus Plesiolacerta, but the material differs in detail from the type species P. lydekkeri. The most significant feature of the new species is that the occipital scute of the parietal bone is narrow, rectangular in shape and anteroposteriorly short. Hitherto, the last occurrence of this genus was in the lower Oligocene. This material represents the first evidence of the existence of this genus in the upper Oligocene. Therefore, our knowledge of its evolution is expanded by providing new data on its spatial and temporal ranges and morphology. This taxon has a much longer history than we thought. In addition, the Eocene species, P. lydekkeri, is reviewed here. P. lydekkeri shares the most lacertid synapomorphies and, given our present knowledge, Plesiolacerta is a taxon very close to or possibly within crown Lacertidae. The frontal and postorbitofrontal of Plesiolacerta are described for the first time. In view of the primitive morphology and early occurrence of Plesiolacerta, it seems that the feature of a longer anterior region of the frontal could be considered as a plesiomorphic feature within lacertid lizards, and the condition in Timon (approximately the same length) as derived.