Canarian land snail diversity: conflict between anatomical and molecular data on the phylogenetic placement of five new species of Napaeus (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Enidae)

Five new species of land snail (family Enidae) are described from La Gomera (Canary Islands) of which the majority, on the basis of anatomy alone, could be incorporated within a new supraspecific taxon. In addition to the morphological study of these new species, a region of the 16S mitochondrial gene is sequenced from three of the new species and a range of species of Napaeus from within its two subgenera ( Napaeinus and Napaeus ) . There is a disparity between the morphological and preliminary molecular phylogenetic data. Possible explanations for this conflict are discussed, as well as the evolutionary relationships among these different taxa, and it is suggested that this group may be an excellent model for further studies of adaptation and diversification.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 89 , 169–187.     

Phylogeny and species boundaries in the gobiid genus Gnatholepis (Teleostei: Perciformes)

Species of the goby genus Gnatholepis Bleeker, 1874, are common inhabitants of shallow tropical seas worldwide. In this study, mitochondrial DNA sequence (ND2 gene), from 349 Gnatholepis individuals sampled from across the South and Central Pacific and Caribbean, is used to infer phylogeny and determine species boundaries. Seven species of Gnatholepis are recognized: the Indo-Pacific G. anjerensis (Bleeker, 1851) [ G. cauerensis (Bleeker, 1853) is a synonym]; G. scapulostigma Herre, 1953; G. davaoensis Seale, 1910; G. knighti Jordan & Evermann, 1903; G. gymnocara Randall & Greenfield, 2001; G.  sp. Randall & Greenfield, 2001; and the Atlantic/Caribbean G. thompsoni Jordan, 1904. Results from the molecular phylogeny are compared with a previous morphology-based revision of the genus in order to establish which morphological characters diagnose species in correspondence with the molecular phylogeny.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 142 , 573–582.     

The bark and ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae, Scolytinae) of Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the role of mating systems in island zoogeography

Cocos Island is a small oceanic island midway between Costa Rica and the Galápagos Archipelago; about 2 Myr in age, it is the only tropical oceanic island in the eastern Pacific with tropical wet forest. We identified several hundred bark beetle specimens collected during recent expeditions by INBio, the National Biodiversity Institute of Costa Rica, and re-examined all specimens from earlier collections. We report 19 species in ten genera, seven or eight of which are endemic, making scolytines the largest group of beetles known from the island. We describe as new Pycnarthrum pseudoinsulare , Xyleborinus cocoensis , and Xyleborus sparsegranulosus , resurrect Xyleborus bispinatus as separate from X. ferrugineus , and report six other species as new to Cocos Island. Three-quarters of the scolytines reproduce by brother–sister mating, and we argue that inbreeders are superior island colonists because they are less affected than are outbreeders by problems of mate location and inbreeding depression. The fauna and flora of Cocos Island arrived by dispersal and human transport. We examine natural colonization patterns for the fauna, using the distributions of the relatives of island endemics: most colonization came from the Americas, but the closest relatives to some endemics are found on Caribbean or Galápagos islands. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 89 , 729–743.     

Evolutionary relationships among the Pulmonate land snails and slugs (Pulmonata, Stylommatophora)

We have incorporated an additional 56 species of land snails and slugs in our ribosomal (r) RNA molecular phylogeny. The new taxa include representatives of several important groups. The molecular tree now includes 160 species of stylommatophoran land snails and slugs in 144 genera in 61 families. In the rDNA tree, the Stylommatophora are principally divided into an 'achatinoid' and a 'non-achatinoid' clade. Within these clades, several major land snail groups, including the Orthurethra, Elasmognatha, Limacoidea, and Helicoidea, are supported. Overall, the rDNA molecular phylogeny has remained stable following the incorporation of the additional taxa, with these additions having little impact on the major evolutionary patterns in the tree. Taxonomic coverage of the Orthurethra, Orthalicidae, Camaenidae, and Bradybaenidae is increased significantly. The camaenids and bradybaenids form a complex, and both appear to be paraphyletic. Several families of uncertain affinity, such as the Sagdidae and Thyrophorellidae, are included for the first time. The Sagdidae are shown to belong to the Helicoidea, and the Thyrophorellidae to the Achatinoidea.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 87 , 593–610.     

A new dwarf Coffea (Rubiaceae) from southern Cameroon

A distinctive new species of dwarf monocaulous Coffea (Rubiaceae) from Cameroon is described and illustrated. Coffea mapiana is the second dwarf monocaulous known from Cameroon. Its diagnostic characters are elucidated and its taxonomic affinities are discussed; a conservation assessment is provided.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 151 , 425–430.     

New chromosome counts in the genus Cousinia (Asteraceae) from Iran

Chromosome counts are reported of 38 populations representing 24 species of the genus Cousinia from Iran, one of the main centres of speciation of the genus. Sixteen of the counts are new to science. Our results confirm that Cousinia exhibits a complex dysploid series ranging from x  = 13 to x  = 9. One of the basic chromosome numbers, x  = 9, is new for the genus and must be confirmed. Some considerations on the correlation between chromosome numbers and section classification are made.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 151 , 411–419.     

Extreme ultraviolet sexual dimorphism in jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae)

Jumping spiders (Salticidae) have acute vision with some cells in the retina that are sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) spectra (< 400 nm). However, no study has documented the use of UV signals in salticids. To appreciate the function of UV vision, it is necessary to characterize the UV colours of salticids. In the present study, the UV and human-visible wavelengths of a tropical ornate salticid spider, Cosmophasis umbratica , were analysed using reflectance spectrometry to obtain evidence of sex-specific UV colours. An absolute sexual dimorphism in the UV colours of this salticid species was found. All of the body parts of adult males that are displayed to conspecifics during intra-specific interactions reflected UV (300–400 nm) light, whereas the adult females and juveniles did not reflect UV light from any body part. A great deal of variation was also found in the UV wavebands among males. This is the first full UV characterization of a salticid spider and the first study to demonstrate an extreme sexual UV dimorphism in jumping spiders. The findings obtained provide evidence that UV reflectance may comprise important sexual signals in jumping spiders.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 89 , 397–406.     

A new Mantalania species (Rubiaceae) from Madagascar

Mantalania longipedunculata De Block & A.P. Davis, a new species of Rubiaceae (Gardenieae) from Île Sainte Marie, Madagascar, is described, illustrated, and compared with the three other species in the genus. An extinction risk assessment is given, using the categories and criteria of the World Conservation Union (IUCN).  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 151 , 421–424.     

A new species of Noccaea (Brassicaceae) from South Anatolia, Turkey

Noccaea camlikensis sp. nov. (Brassicaceae) is described and illustrated from a localized serpentine range in southern Turkey. Its close relationship to N. cariensis , from which it differs in leaf and carpological characters, is discussed. The protologue of this fairly unknown species can now be amended to cover better the morphological variability of this taxon. A comparative study of seed-coat anatomy advocates its move from Thlaspi to Noccaea ; the relevant combination N. cariensis (Carlström) Parolly, Nordt & Aytaç is made. The ecology of both vicarious species is discussed and their distribution mapped.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 150 , 409–416.     

A new polypterid fish: Polypterus faraou sp. nov. (Cladistia, Polypteridae) from the Late Miocene, Toros-Menalla, Chad

Polypterus faraou sp. nov. (Cladistia, Polypteridae) from the Late Miocene of Toros-Menalla (western Djourab, Chad) is described on the basis of a subcomplete articulated skeleton preserved in three dimensions. This is the first time such a complete fossil polypterid skeleton has been described. It is the only verifiable fossil record for the genus Polypterus . P. faraou closely resembles P. bichir and P. endlicheri , extant fish found in the Chad–Chari system. Intrarelationships among the polypterids are not yet resolved: however, P. faraou shows a primitive shape of the body and a primitive shape of the opening of the lateral line on the scales, similar to that of three living species ( P. bichir , P. endlicheri and P. ansorgii ).  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 146 , 227–237.     

A new species of Magnolia sect. Tulipastrum (Magnoliaceae) from Fujian, China

Magnolia polytepala Law, R.Z. Zhou & R.J. Zhang sp. nov. (Magnoliaceae) a new species from Fujian, south-east China, is described and illustrated. The species was found growing only in the evergreen broad-leaved forests of Mount Wuyishan at altitudes of 500–1200 m. Notes are also presented on the phenology and conservation status of the new species. It is closely related to Magnolia liliiflora Desr., but differs from the latter in its stunted habit (less than 2 m tall) and tepals, which are more numerous (12–16) and not contorted at the base.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 151 , 289–292.     

Ecology and systematics of mangrove crabs of the genus Perisesarma (Crustacea: Brachyura: Sesarmidae) from East Africa

East Africa has a reduced mangrove crab species richness when compared to Asian mangroves. To date, only one species of Perisesarma de Man, 1895 has been reported in East Africa, despite more than 30 years of mangrove research in this region. Based on morphology, colour, mtDNA and behaviour, we describe a new species of Perisesarma from Kenya, P. samawati sp. nov. Surprisingly, when comparing molecular data from other species within this genus, P. samawati sp. nov. and the sympatric P. guttatum (A. Milne Edwards, 1869) are not sister species. Some aspects of the ecology of P. guttatum and P. samawati sp. nov. are compared and the differences discussed. Additionally, we compare P. samawati sp. nov. with the ecological literature of a possible sister species P. eumolpe de Man, 1895 from Malaysian mangroves. Our findings suggest that the new species is an ecologically important species in East African mangroves.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 141 , 435–445.     

A new species of the genus Lightiella: the first record of Cephalocarida (Crustacea) in Europe

A new species of Cephalocarida belonging to the genus Lightiella is described. Like all known species of Lightiella , the new species is characterized by reduction of trunk segment 8, which also lacks both pleura and thoracopods. The diagnostic characters of the species are: (1) one seta on the inner distal corner of the penultimate endopodal segment of second maxilla and thoracopods 1–5; (2) only one claw on the distal segment of the endopod of thoracopod 6. A cladistic analysis of 27 morphological characters was used to estimate the phylogeny of all species of Lightiella , with all other cephalocarid species used as outgroups. The discovery of this species in the Mediterranean fills a gap in the distribution of the genus and of the entire class.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 148 , 209–220.     

Leaf morphology of hosts and nonhosts of the thrips Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis (Bouché)

This study highlights the morphological differences between two groups of plants; those that are recorded as hosts of the thrips Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis (Bouché) and those that remain free from infestation. Scanning electron microscope techniques were used to describe the morphology of the leaf surface of 19 species in order to help identify which morphological features could play a role in the selection of plant species by thrips from among a diverse botanical collection. H. haemorrhoidalis had a preference for species with leaves that were coriaceous, with one or both surfaces being smooth. Plants evading these thrips commonly possessed glandular trichomes. Thus morphology may have a role in deterring thrips from the leaf surface, as well as influencing the behaviour of predators that control thrips. Further detailed studies into the chemistry of leaves of hosts and nonhost species may help to further our understanding of selection mechanisms.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 152 , 109–130.     

Polyploidy in Aconitum subgenus Lycoctonum (Ranunculaceae)

Chromosome numbers and morphology in 22 populations belonging to 11 taxa of Aconitum subgenus Lycoctonum (Ranunculaceae) from China were studied. Some taxa were diploid, with 2 n  = 16, but four species and two varieties were found to be tetraploid, with 2 n  = 32. They are concentrated in the Hengduan Mountains region in south-west China, indicating that polyploidy could have played an important role in the speciation of the subgenus in this region, one of the areas of the world with a high concentration of endemic species. The relationships of some of the species are discussed.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 150 , 343–353.