The morphology of the larval stages of three species (Arrenurus mediorotundatus Thor, 1898; Arrenurus conicus Piers 1894; and Arrenurus cylindratus Piers, 1896) of the Megaluracarus subgenus (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Arrenuridae)

The morphology of the larval stages of three species (Arrenurus mediorotundatus, Arrenurus conicus and Arrenurus cylindratus) belonging to the Megaluracarus subgenus is described. Particular attention is paid to the common characters of the three species in which they differ from the other species belonging to the other subgenera. These are: the shape of the excretory pore plate, the shape of the dorsal plate, the length of coxal plate II medial margin and the C1-CpI, C4-CpIII distances. Other characters differ between the three species also. These are: the shape of the dorsal plate, the shape of coxal plate III, the shape of excretory pore plate and the presence or absence of secondary setae of the IFe3 setae.     

Zur Parasitologie und postparasitischen Entwicklung der neotropischen Wassermilbe Arrenurus valencius (Hydrachnellae,Acari), nebst einigen faunistischen Angaben zum See “Laguna Chichoj”; in Guatemala

During two visits to Guatemala in 1974 and 1975 observations were made on the fauna in Eichhomia growth of the small lake “Laguna Chichoj”;. Chemical and physical data and faunistic finds are reported. Particular attention was paid to the water mite Arrenurus (Arrenurus) valencius MARSHALL, 1919. Adults of this species occur commonly in the Eichhornia growth. The larvae parasitize adult Ischnura ramburi crédula (Zygoptera, Odonata). This fits the known pattern according to which nearly all species of the subgenus Arrenurus are parasites of dragonflies belonging to both the Zygoptera as well as Anisoptera (Münchberg 1935, Mitchell 1959, Böttger 1965, Cassagne‐Méjean 1966, Cook 1974, Stechmann 1977). Also the first mentions in the literature on tropical species of the subgenus Arrenurus pointed to Odonata as specific hosts (Münchberg 1958, 1959, 1960).

Ischnura ramburi credula is quite abundant in Eichhornia growth. Both sexes are infested by water mites, the males carrying a maximum of 111, the females of 66 parasites. The average were 24 parasites per male and 16 per female. For both sexes the extensity of infestation was an equal 90%.

The parasites are located predominantly at the ventral side of the thorax and the first abdominal segments. During the parasitic phase the volume of the larvae increases considerably: body length and width double. Separation from the host ‐ notwithstanding a few exceptions ‐ does not take place when after a few days of parasitic existence the amount of food necessary for further development has been ingested but only at the moment of death of the host. This raises the chances of the parasites of returning to the water: the host dragonflies live near the shore and regularly dying individuals fall on the surface of the water or among the Eichhornia plants.

Larvae which had left their dead host in the laboratory have been reared through the Postlarval Resting Stage I, the deutonymph stage and the Postlarval Resting Stage II up to the adult. The deutonymphs are carnivorous like the adults; they prey on ostracods with predilection.     

Morphology and postembryonic development of males and females of Bosmina longispina Leydig (Crustacea, Anomopoda) from a North Iceland population

We investigated the morphology of adult and juvenile stages of females and males of Bosmina longispina Leydig from a North Icelandic population. There are additional setae near the basis of the second antenna and between its branches in adult males, not described in Bosmina, but known from other Anomopoda. New features of female morphology are also found. The development of the first limb and postabdomen of the male is described in detail. In juvenile males of B. longispina (belonging to subgenus Eubosmina), characteristics of morphology, similar to those in adult males of other subgenera are found.Abbreviations af antennal flap - as additional setae of male - bs basis of seta of clasper - bc basis of postabdominal claws - ch clasper hook - cl clasper - cs seta of clasper - cw claws of postabdomen - de distal endite of the first limb - dr dorsal row of denticles on male postabdomen - df dorsal fold of carapace - eh ejector hooks of limb I - ep epipodite - ex exopodite - fp frontal head pore - fs frontal seta - hs hair sensilla - in incision of juvenile male postabdomen - ir interrupted rows of setules on postabdomen - Ip lateral head pore - mp median head pore - mpr maxillar process of limb I - mr main row of denticles on postabdominal claws - pe predistal endite of limb I - pf preantennal fold of valve - pl plate above postabdominal setae - ps postabdominal setae - rs rudimentary setae - sr second row of denticles near basis of claws - vf ventral fold of valve - vr ventral row of denticles on male postabdomen     

A new cyprinid species, Placocheilus dulongensis, from the upper Irrawaddy system in northwestern Yunnan, China

A new species of the cyprinid genus Placocheilus Wu 1977, is described from the Dulong River drainage (in the upper reach of the Irrawaddy River), northwestern Yunnan Province (China). Placocheilus dulongensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from the other three congeners, namely P. caudofasciatus, P. robustus and P. cryptonemus, by the following combination of characters: no semicircular black mark on the middle of each caudal fin lobe; no blackish band across the dorsal fin; one pair of rostral barbels and one pair of maxillary barbels; 39-40 perforated lateral line scales. Osteological characters, such as the shape of the second infraorbital, preoperculum, and the vertical plate of the urohyal were observed in a cleared and stained skeletal specimen. A simplified key to the genus Placocheilus is provided based on the comparisons among the four species.     

Haplostomides hawaiiensis,new species (Copepods: Cyclopoida: Ascidicolidae), associated with the ascidian Polyclinum constellatum at Honolulu,Hawaii

An ascidicolid copepod, Haplostomides hawaiiensis, is described on the basis of females obtained from the compound ascidian Polyclinum constellatum collected in Keehi Lagoon, Honolulu, Hawaii. The features that separate H. hawaiiensis from other species of the genus include an elongate body with dorsal curvature and indistinct tagmosis, and a combination of characters of cephalic appendages (antenna with 2 spines, mandible with 3 setae, maxillule with 7 setae and maxilla with 2 setae) and thoracic appendages (legs 1–4 with 1 seta on protopod and 2 spines and 1 seta on exopod). Haplostomides hawaiiensis appears to be most closely related to H. hibernicus (T. & A. Scott, 1895) which occurs in compound ascidians from European seas. This is the first copepod associate of an ascidian to be reported from Hawaii.     

On the biology of the Limoniid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lipsothrix nobilis</Emphasis> (Diptera,Limoniidae) with description of the immature stages

Data on the biology and morphological characters of the larva and pupa of Lipsothrix nobilis Loew, 1873 are given for the first time. The diagnostic characters for the genus Lipsothrix Loew and the species L. errans (Walker) are specified. The larvae differ in the structure of the frontal plate, coloration of the stigmal area, and structure of the hypostomium. The pupae differ in the shape of cuticular structures of the abdominal segments and structure of the spiracles and terminal dents. The larvae inhabit the light decaying moist wood of fallen trunks.     

Distributional, morphological and genetic consequences of dispersal for temporary pond water mites

1. To determine the consequences of dispersal and gene flow for temporary pond water mites (Hydrachnida), we compared distributional, genetic and morphological characters in the closely related species Arrenurus angustilimbatus and A. rufopyriformis. The former has larvae that parasitise and disperse on adult mosquitoes, whereas larvae of the latter forego any association with hosts. 2. Allometrically adjusted egg size and gonopore size were found to be useful characters for distinguishing between females of the two species. 3. Arrenurus angustilimbatus possesses a broader and more continuous geographic distribution than its ‘direct developing’ counterpart. Allozyme heterozygosity was higher and population differentiation lower in A. angustilimbatus. In addition, populations of A. rufopyriformis were morphologically divergent, whereas populations of A. angustilimbatus were not. Isolation by distance analyses on both genetic and morphological characters indicated that the results were not biased by different sampling regimes for the two species. 4. These results demonstrate the importance of mosquito parasitism for maintaining ecological and genetic linkages between A. angustilimbatus populations. More broadly, we hypothesise that insect‐mediated dispersal has contributed to the ecological and evolutionary success of water mites, because the Hydrachnida lack other obvious adaptations for dispersing in space or time.     

Allocation of reproductive effort in female Arrenurus spp. water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia; Arrenuridae)

Summary Twenty-seven species of water mites of the genus Arrenurus were compared with respect to allocation of reproductive effort. Clutch volume was positively correlated to female volume, female volume was positively correlated with clutch size and with larval volume, while clutch size and larval volume were negatively correlated. In threespace, corresponding to female volume, clutch size and larval volume, species were arranged along two trajectories representing separate reproductive strategies. The strategy characterized by small larvae, large clutches and large females corresponded to species of the subgenus Arrenurus, known to be larval parasites of adult Odonata. Members of three subgenera, known to be larval parasites of adult Diptera, followed the second strategy of small clutch size and alrge larvae. Of nine species of mites tested for intraspecific relationships, only one significant relationship was found, between female volume and clutch size for A. (Megaluracarus) bartonensis.     

Communication via sex pheromones within and among Arrenurus spp. mites (Acari: Hydrachnida; Arrenuridae)

We present direct experimental evidence of pheromone use in six species of Arrenurus and indirect evidence for four species, including members of the subgenera Megaluracarus, Truncaturus, and Arrenurus. Water in which females were housed elicited arrestant behaviour in males, males oriented to the source, and at least some individuals in each species assumed the male readiness posture, a precursor to coupling. Most species responded to water treated with conspecific females, but there was also interspecific sex pheromone responsiveness. Arrenurus manubriator and A. megalurus demonstrated reciprocal pheromone cross-attractancy. Males of A. major, A. marshallae, and A. birgei responded to water from females of related species from within their subgenera. Arrenurus apetiolatus males failed to respond to conspecific female-treated water, but the same water elicited arrestant behaviour and orientation in A. manubriator. Heterospecific reactions to female-conditioned water were limited to cases involving members of the same species group and were not seen between species representing different species groups or different subgenera. The species for which cross-attractancy has been demonstrated commonly co-occur in nature, so apparently these pheromones are of limited value for species recognition. Shared reaction to sex pheromones provides additional evidence for inferring close phylogenetic relationship among species, and thus far, corresponds with morphological evidence based on adult males and larvae.     

Trichodorus philipi n. sp. from South Africa,with Notes on Paratrichodorus lobatus and P. acutus

A new species in the family Trichodoridae, from the rhizosphere of native plants of the Cape Fynbos in the western Cape, Republic of South Africa, is described and illustrated. Trichodorus philipi n. sp. resembles T. cottieri Clark, 1963 and T. degans Allen, 1957, from which both sexes are distinguished by a shorter body and onchiostyle. The females differ by the more posterior position of excretory pore, presence of two pairs of lateral body pores, and shape and sclerotization of vulval-vaginal region in lateral view. Males differ by the more posterior position of excretory pore and ventromedian cervical papilla and length and shape of the spicules. Additional morphological details and morphometrics are given for Paratrichodorus lobatus (Colbran, 1965) Siddiqi, 1974 and P. acutus (Bird, 1967) Siddiqi, 1974.     

Deladenus valveus n. sp. (Nematoda: Neotylenchidae) in Dunnage Wood from South Korea Intercepted in Ningbo,China

Deladenus valveus n. sp., isolated from packaging wood originated from South Korea and intercepted in Ningbo, P.R. China, is described and illustrated. Both mycetophagous and infective forms were recovered and are described. The new species D. valveus n. sp. resembles other Deladenus species in which the excretory pore is situated anterior to the hemizonid: in mycetophagous females, the excretory pore is 59 to 74 μm from the anterior end and 37 to 54 μm anterior to the hemizonid. The new species is characterized by the presence of a distinct valve at the esophago-intestinal junction in mycetophagous females and by a degenerate esophagus in mycetophagous males, both of which characters are reported for the first time in a species of Deladenus.     

Jenynsia lineata species complex,revision and new species description (Cyprinodontiformes: Anablepidae)

The Jenynsia lineata species complex comprises J. lineata from Montevideo, Uruguay and Jenynsia multidentata, from coastal basins of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina up to 1200 m a.s.l. Taxonomic divisions within this group were tested using three different species delimitation methods, which found the two existing names to be synonyms and revealed a new cryptic species. Jenynsia darwini sp. nov. is distinguished from all congeners by having a unique combination of character states, including the shape of the dorsal postcleithrum (three times higher than wide v. less than two times higher than wide) and female colour pattern in the half of the caudal peduncle with rows of chromatophores segmented in unaligned spots (v. aligned spots forming lines). The new species also differs from J. lineata by having 26 nucleotide substitutions in the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase I (coI). Phylogenetic analysis of the genus based on morphological characters proposed by previous studies corroborates monophyly of the subgenera Plesiojenynsia and Jenynsia, with the new species being allocated to the subgenus Jenynsia as the sister group of J. lineata.     

Euphorbia venkatarajui sp. nov. (Euphorbiaceae) from Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh,India

Euphorbia venkatarajui, a new succulent species of Euphorbiaceae, is described from Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh state, India. The new species belongs to the subgenus Euphorbia, and it closely resembles Euphorbia gokakensis S.R. Yadav, Malpure and Chandore and E. caducifolia Haines., but differs in certain distinct characters.     

Geometric and traditional morphometrics for the assessment of character state identity: multivariate statistical analyses of character variation in the genus Arrenurus (Acari,Hydrachnidia, Arrenuridae)

Geometric and traditional morphometric approaches are tested to describe and reveal taxonomic characters and character states in variation of shape and size of idiosoma morphology in the Arrenuridae. Patterns of variation of idiosoma and glandularia features of males from 11 Mexican species of Arrenurus (Megaluracarus) and two species of subgenus Dadayella were explored with five landmark configurations and three sets of interlandmark distances. Separate principal component analyses (PCA) and canonical variate analyses (CVA) were performed for each data set. The eight multivariate analyses of variance among 13 a priori groups (species) detected significantly different morphometric variants, which were interpreted as different taxonomic character states. Patterns of character state similarity among species were examined with unweighted‐pair grouping method using averages (UPGMA) cluster analyses on Mahalanobis distances. Analyses of five landmark configurations revealed important taxonomical variation in the anterior idiosoma outline (10 character states), the outline of the posterior region or cauda (13 states), the distribution of postocularia, and the second and third pairs of dorsoglandularia (nine states), the fourth pair of dorsoglandularia (three states), and ventroglandularia on the posterior side of idiosoma (nine character states). Multivariate analyses of three sets of distance measurements also resulted in the detection of potential taxonomic characters related to idiosoma size (12 character states), postocularia and dorsoglandularia (13 states), and ventroglandularia (nine character states). Morphometric analyses of distances and shapes provide a formal basis for the interpretation of taxonomic characters, and for the discovery of character states. These characters should be investigated further in a wider sample of species for the phylogenetic systematics of these water mites. In the meantime, idiosoma regions and structures were tested for congruence in a phylogenetic analysis, and were proposed as homologous among the species sampled.     

A new species of giant marabou stork (Aves: Ciconiiformes) from the Pleistocene of Liang Bua,Flores (Indonesia)

Fossils of the genus Leptoptilos from the Pleistocene of Liang Bua, Flores, Indonesia, belong to a new species of giant marabou stork, Leptoptilos robustus sp. nov. This giant bird, estimated at 1.80 m in length, was similar in dimensions to extant Leptoptilos dubius, except for the tibiotarsus. The thick cortical bone wall of the tibiotarsus and the estimated weight of 16 kg imply a reduced flight capability. Osteological and biometric characters suggest that L. robustus is most closely related to L. dubius. An evolutionary lineage is proposed in which a volant L. dubius‐like ancestor in the Middle Pleistocene evolved into the Late Pleistocene L. robustus on Flores, with a concomitant reduction of the ability to fly and an increase in body size. The large body size and terrestrial lifestyle of L. robustus are responses to an unbalanced, insular environment with abundant prey items and a lack of mammalian carnivores, and emphasize the extraordinary nature of the Homo floresiensis fauna. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 160 , 707–724.     

Two Lepotrema Ozaki, 1932 species (Digenea: Lepocreadiidae) from marine fishes from the southern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

The genus Lepotrema Ozaki, 1932 is revived and redefined. Its main diagnostic characters are the dorsal excretory pore, the muscular development of the distal metraterm and the trilobate ovary. It is considered to contain five species, to which a key is given. Lepotrema clavatum Ozaki, 1932 is briefly redescribed from Amanses scopas and Sufflamen chrysopterus, and L. canthescheni n. sp. is described from Cantheschenia grandisquamis, based on material from the southern Great Barrier Reef. L. canthescheni is distinguished by its vitelline and uterine distribution. The other three recognised species are: L. adlardi (Bray, Cribb & Barker, 1993) n. comb., L. incisum (Hanson, 1955) n. comb. and L. xanthichthydis (Yamaguti, 1970) n. comb., all three having originally been placed in Lepocreadium.