A revision of Ptychopyxis (Euphorbiaceae) in southeast Asia

Ptychopyxis is a genus comprised of 11 species. Nine are found in southeast Asia mainland and west Malesia and two species are endemic to New Guinea. One of the endemic New Guinean species is newly described here, viz. P. esdras Stoops sp. nov.     

Deep-sea Tardigrada from South Shetland Islands (Antarctica) with description of Angursa antarctica sp. nov. (Arthrotardigrada, Halechiniscidae)

A new species of marine tardigrade is described coming from the muddy sediment of the Antarctic deep sea. Angursa antarctica sp. nov. is characterized by the presence of balloon-shaped primary clavae, long lateral cirri, long cephalic cirri, spines on legs I, hemispherical capsule-shaped papillae on legs IV, and short external peduncles. Geographical distribution of the genus Angursa extends to Antarctic waters, suggesting a cosmopolitan distribution for this bathyal and abyssal genus. A table comparing the main differentiating characteristics of the species of Angursa is presented. Received: 25 July 1997 / Accepted: 9 November 1997     

中国阿果蝇属五新种和二新记录种（双翅目：果蝇科）

记述采自中国大陆的阿果蝇属5新种和2新记录种:尖叶阿果蝇Amiota acutifoliolata sp.nov.,缺茎阿果蝇A.apenis sp.nov.,小叶阿果蝇A.minufoliolata sp.nov.,曲叶阿果蝇A.undulata sp.nov.,爪叶阿果蝇A.ungulfoliolata sp.nov.,须刺阿果蝇A.balaenodentata Takada,Beppu&Toda,1979和钩茎阿果蝇A.orchidea Okada,1968;这7种阿果蝇不能指派于本属已建立的7个种团中的任何一个。     

New gall midges of the tribe Leptosynini (Diptera,Cecidomyiidae) from the Late Eocene ambers and the classification of the supertribe Heteropezidi

Three new genera and 27 new species of gall midges are described from the Late Eocene ambers: Henria baltica sp. nov., Frirenia manca sp. nov., F. musicata sp. nov., Leptosyna samlandica sp. nov., L. fastosa sp. nov. from Baltic amber and H. xystica sp. nov., H. liquida sp. nov., Stellasegna vlaskini gen. et sp. nov., S. vaporea sp. nov., S. nexa sp. nov., Rasnitsia verticosa gen. et sp. nov., F. rohdendorfi sp. nov., F. schevchenkoi sp. nov., F. melica sp. nov., F. lukashevichae sp. nov., F. leporidis sp. nov., F. marmarygma sp. nov., F. vesana sp. nov., Vincinescia alisae gen. et sp. nov., L. margarita sp. nov., L. munifera sp. nov., L. sukachevae sp. nov., L. assa sp. nov., L. larga sp. nov., L. vegeta sp. nov., L. vaticina sp. nov., and L. shcherbakovi sp. nov. from Rovno amber. Strobliella capitata Fedotova is redescribed as Henria capitata (Fedotova, 2004) (comb. nov.). Diagnoses of Henria (= Electroxylomyia Nel et Prokop, syn. nov.), Frirenia, and Leptosyna are revised. As a result, Henria comprises 3 extant and 5 extinct (Late Eocene) species, including H. eocenica (Nel et Prokop), comb. nov. (= Electroxylomyia eocenica), Frirenia comprises 1 extant and 10 Late Eocene species, and Leptosyna comprises 3 extant and 11 Late Eocene species. The tribe Heteropezini is elevated to the supertribal rank (Heteropezidi) and included in the subfamily Lasiopterinae. Leptosynini is treated as a separate tribe, and Lasiopterinae is considered as part of Cecidomyiidae s. str. (i.e., excluding Lestremiidae). Keys to the tribes and genera of Heteropezidi and to species of Henria, Stellasegna, Frirenia, and Leptosyna are provided. The gall midge faunas of the Rovno and Baltic ambers are compared. Phylogenetic relationships within the supertribe are hypothesized.     

Neoselachians (Chondrichthyes,Elasmobranchii) from the Lower and lower Upper Cretaceous of north‐eastern Spain

Extensive sampling of several Barremian and Albian–Cenomanian levels across the Aguilón, Oliete and Aliaga subbasins of the Iberian Basin, north‐east Spain, yielded abundant material of new or so far poorly known neoselachians. The faunas consist of 16 different species, five of which represent new species and two new genera: Cantioscyllium brachyplicatum sp. nov. , Platypterix venustulus gen. et sp. nov. , Ptychotrygon pustulata sp. nov. , Ptychotrygon striata sp. nov. and Iberotrygon plagiolophus gen. et sp. nov. In addition, teeth of Heterodontus cf. H. carerens, Lamniformes indet., Pteroscyllium sp., Scyliorhinidae indet., Rhinobatos sp., Spathobatis sp., Belemnobatis sp., Ptychotrygon geyeri, Ptychotrygon sp. and Celtipristis herreroi are described. The new family Ptychotrygonidae is defined. The localities comprise palaeoenvironments ranging from lacustrine and shallow lake to open marine settings. Neoselachians are almost completely absent from continental settings in the Barremian, as a result of prevailing freshwater conditions, but became more abundant in marine strata. The Albian–Cenomanian selachian assemblage is the most profuse and diverse of the three assemblages studied. It is dominated by small, benthic and near‐coastal taxa, for instance Cantioscyllium and Ptychotrygon, and contains several new species, including an endemic batoid, Iberotrygon plagiolophus gen. et sp. nov. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 155 , 316–347.     

A new species of Pavlova from Madeira

Light microscope observations on Pavlova pinguis sp. nov. (Chrysophyceae), a marine flagellate, are described and it is compared with the type species P. gyrans. Recent observations on P. gyrans are given and the diagnoses of the genus and type species emended.     

Flavonoid glycosides in Malabar spinach Basella alba inhibit the growth of Spodoptera litura larvae

Basella alba is a perennial plant of the Basellaceae and is known by various common names including Malabar spinach. There are few insects that cause damage to B. alba. In this study, we examined the effect of B. alba leaves on the growth of Spodoptera litura larvae. B. alba leaves and a methanolic extract of the leaves inhibited the growth of S. litura larvae. Half of the larvae reared on the leaves died within 1 week. We found that two flavonoids, vitexin, and vitexin-2″-O-arabinofuranoside, were abundant in the methanol extract of leaves. When larvae were reared on purified vitexin or vitexin-2″-O-arabinofuranoside, their growth was significantly impaired compared with larvae reared on control spinach leaves. These results suggested that the flavonoid glycosides in B. alba leaves act as deterrents to S. litura larvae.     

On Sea Turtle‐associated Craspedostauros (Bacillariophyta), with Description of Three Novel Species

The current study focuses on four species from the primarily marine diatom genus Craspedostauros that were observed growing attached to numerous sea turtles and sea turtle‐associated barnacles from Croatia and South Africa. Three of the examined taxa, C. danayanus sp. nov., C. legouvelloanus sp. nov., and C. macewanii sp. nov., are described based on morphological and, whenever possible, molecular characteristics. The new taxa exhibit characters not previously observed in other members of the genus, such as the presence of more than two rows of cribrate areolae on the girdle bands, shallow perforated septa, and a complete reduction of the stauros. The fourth species, C. alatus, itself recently described from museum sea turtle specimens, is reported for the first time from loggerhead sea turtles rescued in Europe. A 3‐gene phylogenetic analysis including DNA sequence data for three sea turtle‐associated Craspedostauros species and other marine and epizoic diatom taxa indicated that Craspedostauros is monophyletic and sister to Achnanthes. This study, being based on a large number of samples and animal specimens analyzed and using different preservation and processing methods, provides new insights into the ecology and biogeography of the genus and sheds light on the level of intimacy and permanency in the host–epibiont interaction within the epizoic Craspedostauros species.     

New genus of fossil apoid wasps (Hymenoptera,Apoidea) from the Cretaceous amber of Myanmar

The new genus 2Burmasphex is proposed for two fossil species, 2Burmasphex sulcatus sp. nov. and 2Burmasphex pilosus sp. nov., described from Myanmar Cretaceous amber. It exhibits many plesiomorphic features in relation to the extant Apoidea and is here provisionally allocated in the extinct family 2Angarosphecidae.     

A reanalysis of Parabuthus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) phylogeny with descriptions of two new Parabuthus species endemic to the Central Namib gravel plains,Namibia

Two new thick‐tail scorpions in the genus Parabuthus Pocock, 1890 are described from the gravel plains of the Central Namib Desert, Namibia: Parabuthus glabrimanus sp. nov. ; Parabuthus setiventer sp. nov. The two new species occupy discrete distributional ranges, allopatric with the closely related species Parabuthus gracilis Lamoral, 1979 and Parabuthus nanus Lamoral, 1979. The distributions of the four species are mapped and a key provided for their identification. Revised diagnoses are provided for P. gracilis and P. nanus. The two new species are added to a previously published morphological character matrix for Parabuthus species and their phylogenetic positions determined in a reanalysis of Parabuthus phylogeny. Parabuthus setiventer sp. nov. is found to be the sister species of P. nanus, whereas P. glabrimanus sp. nov. is sister to a monophyletic group comprising P. gracilis, P. nanus, and P. setiventer sp. nov. The discovery of two new scorpion species endemic to the Central Namib gravel plains contributes to a growing body of evidence that this barren and desolate region is a hotspot of arachnid species richness and endemism. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 159 , 673–710.     

New stoneflies (Insecta: Perlida = Plecoptera) from the late Mesozoic locality Khasurty,Transbaikalia

From the Lower Cretaceous locality Khasurty, western Transbaikalia, a new genus and species, Rasnitsyrina culonga, gen. et sp. nov. are described in the family Perlariopseidae. R. desiliens (Sinitshenkova, 1987), originally described in the genus Karanemoura Sinitshenkova, 1987, is transferred to the new genus. Two new species belonging to recent families are described: Dimoula khasurtensis sp. nov. (Nemouridae) and Jurataenionema rohdendorfi sp. nov. (Taeniopterygidae). All new species are described from fossils of adults.     

Novel diversity within Roseofilum (Desertifilaceae,Cyanobacteria) from marine benthic mats with description of four new species

Benthic cyanobacterial mats (BCMs) are natural phenomena in marine environments. Reports of BCMs occurring across coastal marine environments have increased, partly driven by nutrient loading and climate change; thus, there is a need to understand the diversity involved in the proliferations and potential toxicity of the BCMs. Furthermore, marine cyanobacterial mats are observed growing on and affecting the health of corals with one specific cyanobacterial genus, Roseofilum, dominating the microbial mats associated with black band disease (BBD), a destructive polymicrobial disease that affects corals. To explore the diversity of Roseofilum, cyanobacterial mats from various marine habitats were sampled, and individual isolates were identified based on morphology, 16S rRNA gene phylogenies, 16S–23S ITS rRNA region sequence dissimilarities, and phylogenomics. Four novel species of Roseofilum were isolated from benthic marine mats, three from the coasts of Florida, United States (R. capinflatum sp. nov., R. casamattae sp. nov., and R. acuticapitatum sp. nov.) and one from the coast of France (R. halophilum sp. nov.). Our analyses revealed that Roseofilum associated with coral BBD and those not associated with corals but rather from coastal benthic mats are systematically distinct based on both phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and LC–MS data indicated that microcystin production was found in one of the four species.     

On the Paleozoic bryozoans of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ascopora</Emphasis> Trautschold

Based on the study of the neotype and the astogeny of the type specimens of the species Ascopora nodosa (Fischer von Waldheim, 1837), the diagnosis and species composition of the genus Ascopora Trautschold, 1876 are emended. The genus Ascopora and three species out of the five included in this genus—A. nodosa (Fischer von Waldheim, 1837); A. sokolovae Schulga-Nesterenko, 1955; and A. latiaxis Schulga-Nesterenko, 1955—are described. A new genus, Tetrasella gen. nov., with the type species T. blanda sp. nov. is described. This genus comprises five species, transferred from the composition of the genus Ascopora. An emended diagnosis of the genus Ascoporella Krutchinina, 1986, is provided. This genus comprises nine species, of which two, A. lecta sp. nov. and A. mera sp. nov., are described as new species.     

Improved preparation of vitexin from hot water extract of Basella alba,the commercially available vegetable Malabar spinach (“Tsurumurasaki” in Japanese) and the application to semisynthesis of chafuroside B

ABSTRACT

Hot water extraction of D-arabinofuranosylvitexin from the raw leaves of commercially available Basella alba “Tsurumurasaki” and subsequent acidic hydrolysis was improved to be a procedure using a high-pressure steam sterilizer to afford vitexin. The amount was estimated to be 14.1 mg from 1 g of dry weight of the raw leaves, whose recovery was calculated to be 95% based on the estimated content of D-arabinofuranosylvitexin in B. alba raw leaves. The product was dehydratively cyclized between hydroxy groups on the carbohydrate and flavone skeletons under modified Mitsunobu reaction conditions in N,N-dimethylformamide to give chafuroside B, which is known to be a bioactive Oolong tea polyphenol. Through these transformations, 10.2 mg of chafuroside B could be semisynthesized from 1 g of dry weight of the raw leaves, and the efficiency was improved compared to that from the extraction from Oolong tea (3.4 μg from 1 g of dry weight).     

Asiaontsira gen. nov., a new tropical genus of the subfamily Doryctinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Vietnam and South‐East China

A new genus, Asiaontsira gen. nov., and two new species, A. cucphuongi sp. nov. (type species) and A. cantonica sp. nov., are described from tropical and subtropical areas of South‐East China and North Vietnam. This genus is compared to the closely related Australian Ontsirospathius Belokobylskij, Iqbal and Austin, 2004 as well as the similar and almost cosmopolitan genus Ontsira Cameron, 1900. A key to both species of Asiaontsira gen. nov. is provided.     

Mesozoic diversity of relict subfamily Kempyninae (Neuroptera: Osmylidae)

A new genus and two new species of Kempyninae (Osmylidae), Ponomarenkius excellens gen. et sp. nov. and Arbusella magna sp. nov., are described from the Middle-Upper Jurassic of Daohugou (China). The finding demonstrates that extant kempynins, a typical Gondwanan group, are overshadowed by their Mesozoic relatives in taxonomic diversity and variety of wing venation. Striped patterns of both newly described species are an example of cryptic and disruptive coloration, possibly pinnate leaf mimesis. Eyespot patterns of Arbusella magna sp. nov. can be explained as a result of sexual selection. The abundance and distribution of the Mesozoic kempynins are discussed.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CF33DEB4-0A69-407D-B1B2-1EC6537E4095     

Fossil Kajanthus lusitanicus gen. et sp. nov. from Portugal: floral evidence for Early Cretaceous Lardizabalaceae (Ranunculales,basal eudicot)

A new fossil flower, Kajanthus lusitanicus gen. et sp. nov, is described from the Early Cretaceous (late Aptian–early Albian) Chicalhão site near the village of Juncal, western Portugal, based on a single coalified specimen. The flower is small, actinomorphic, trimerous and bisexual, slightly compressed and with floral organs tightly adhering. The perianth is organised in more than two whorls. The inner two whorls consist of six bulky, apparently fleshy parts. The outer perianth whorls consist of narrow parts. There are six stamens, arranged in two whorls. The filaments are thick and anthers tetrasporangiate. The pollen sacs are protruding with extrorse dehiscence. Pollen observed in situ is tricolpate, tectate, finely punctate-perforate, compressed and more or less spherical in polar view with a diameter of about 15 µm. The gynoecium is superior and composed of three free carpels. Non-destructive virtual sectioning of the single flower using synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy revealed the presence of several curved ovules in each carpel, arranged in two longitudinal rows on marginal placentae. The character suite of the Kajanthus flower is only found in extant Lardizabalaceae (Ranunculales), where it is particularly close to Sinofranchetia, a monotypic genus that is now endemic to China.     

A new iridescent tarantula of the genus Thrigmopoeus Pocock, 1899 from Western Ghats,India

A distinctive new species of ground burrowing tarantula from Western Ghats endemic genus Thrigmopoeus is described from Kerala State, India. Thrigmopoeus psychedelicus sp. nov. differs from putative species of the genus in the adults being black overall with a metallic blue lustre on the carapace and abdomen. Females of Thrigmopoeus psychedelicus sp. nov. exhibit polychromatism. Juveniles and sub-adults are paler with vibrant maroon colouration on its abdomen whereas adult females are much darker and lack vibrant colouration as sub-adults.