The species of the genus Micrambe Thomson 1863, from South Africa (Coleoptera: Cryptophagidae)

The 22 species of the genus Micrambe Thomson known from South Africa are analyzed and revised. Micrambe danielssoni sp. nov is described. Following a detailed study of the type material in different entomological collections, the status of two taxa is revised and two new synonymies are proposed: Micrambe kolbei Grouvelle 1908, syn. nov. for Micrambe minuta Grouvelle 1908, and Micrambe similis Bruce 1957, syn. nov. for Micrambe peringueyi Grouvelle 1908. A lectotypus is designated for one taxon: Micrambe capensis (Redtenbacher 1867). A key to all the species occurring in South Africa is presented.     

Recent Bryological Literature, 68

Abstract

Five species of Colura are reported from Mulanje Mountain, of which four, C. ealyptrifolia (Hook.) Dum., C. digitalis (Mitten) Steph., C. hattoriana Pócs and C. tenuicornis (Evans) Steph. are new for Malawi. C. hattoriana is also reported new for mainland Africa. A key to sub-Saharan taxa is provided.     

REDESCRIPTIONS OF PLACOBDELLA STUHLMANNI (BLANCHARD, 1897) AND PLACOBDELLA GAROUI (HARDING, 1932) (HIRUDINEA: GLOSSIPHONIIDAE)

SUMMARY

The two African leeches Placobdella stuhlmanni (Blanchard, 1897) and Placobdella garoui (Harding, 1932) are redescribed and figured because of the confusion that exists in the literature with regard to the specific identities of the two taxa. During a survey of the freshwater leeches of the Republic of South Africa and South West Africa, material was obtained which made possible a thorough study of the two species. Not only did this clear up existing discrepancies but the research also added much new information concerning the two leeches. Certain aspects of their biology are considered for the first time.     

The epiphytic bryoflora of the Jbel Bouhalla (Rif,Morocco), including a new variety of moss,Orthotrichum speciosum var. brevisetum

Abstract

The epiphytic bryoflora of Jbel Bouhalla, a mountain sited in the Rif range (northern Morocco), is catalogued, resulting in a list of 48 taxa (45 mosses and 3 liverworts). One new variety, Orthotrichum speciosum var. brevisetum, is described, and some new records are reported: Orthotrichum shawii and O. pallens are new to northern Africa, while Habrodon perpusillus and O. speciosum var. speciosum are new to Morocco.     

Chloroplast DNA variation in the cultivated and wild olive taxa of the genus Olea L.

Polymorphism in the lengths of restriction fragments of the whole cpDNA molecule were studied in 15 taxa (species or subspecies) of the genus Olea. From restriction analysis using nine endonucleases, 28 site mutations and five length polymorphisms were identified, corresponding to 12 distinct chlorotypes. From a phenetic analysis based on a Nei’s dissimilarity matrix and a Dollo parsimony cladistic analysis using, as an outgroup, a species of the genus Phillyrea close to Olea, the ten taxa of section Olea were distinguished clearly from the five taxa of section Ligustroides which appear to posses more ancestral cpDNA variants. Within the section Ligustroides, the tropical species from central-western Africa, Olea hochtetteri, showed a chlorotype which differed substantially from those of the other four Olea taxa growing in southern Africa, supporting a previous assessment according to which O. hochtetteri may have been subjected to a long period of geographical isolation from the other Olea taxa. Within the Olea section, three phyla were identified corresponding to South and East Africa taxa, Asiatic taxa, and a group including Saharan, Macaronesian and Mediteranean taxa, respectively. On the basis of cpDNA variation, the closest Olea taxa to the single Mediterranean species, Olea europaea, represented by its very predominant chlorotype, observed in both wild and cultivated olive, were found to be Olea laperrinei (from the Sahara), Olea maroccana (from Maroccan High Atlas) and Olea cerasiformis (from Macaronesia). These three taxa, which all share the same chlorotype, may have a common maternal origin. Received: 5 December 1999 / Accepted: 30 December 1999     

A contribution to the knowledge of epiphyllous bryophytes of Bioko Island (Equatorial Guinea), including additional remarks on non-epiphyllous species

Abstract

A collection of epiphyllous bryophytes from Bioko Island was investigated. It contained 57 epiphyllous bryophytes, comprising 55 hepatics and two mosses. Three taxa, Cololejeunea eustacei Pócs, Colura calderae Pócs and Lejeunea halei Robinson subsp. africana Pócs, are new to science. Cololejeunea papilliloba Steph. is new to Africa, five species of hepatics are new to West Africa, and an additional 31 species of hepatics are newly reported from Bioko Island. The second part of the paper deals with records of non-epiphyllous collections. Fourteen species are reported for the first time for Bioko Island. Actinodontium dusenii Broth. is made a synonym of Actinodontium streptopogoneum Broth. The following new combination is proposed: Wijkia rigidicaule (Müll.Hal. ex Broth.) Frank Müll., comb. nov. (Basionym: Acanthocladium rigidicaule Müll.Hal. ex Broth.).     

Identity of North African endemic bryophytes, 1

Abstract

Ten taxa of Pottiaceae considered endemic to North Africa have been studied and typified. Nine are newly synonymized with other well-known taxa. A new combination is proposed: Weissia condensa var. armata (Thér. & Trab.) M.J.Cano, Ros & J.Guerra. The distribution of Acaulon triquetrum var. desertorum (Besch.) Jelenc and Weissia condensa var. armata are respectively extended to Europe and the African continent. Barbula muralis var. obovata Schimp. is a misprint in the publication of the taxon. Two nomina nuda, Tortula cuneifolia var. caulescens Jelenc and Tortula cuneifolia var. pilifera Jelenc have no taxonomic value.     

Contributions to the knowledge of African Rotifers I. Rotifers from Senegal

24 plankton samples, collected in different parts of the Republic of Senegal (W. Africa) were examined for their rotifer content. Seventy taxa were identified to species level, some of which were present in different forms. Thirty three taxa and forms are new to Senegal, three species are new to Africa. Attention is paid to a cruciform population of Asplanchnella sieboldi and to a Brachionus quadridentatus population of very small dimensions. Two new taxa are described: Brachionus cf. angularis and Brachionus bidentatus senegalensis Koste & De Ridder.     

Mosses of southwest Ethiopian montane forests – notes on their occurrence pattern and many new country records

One hundred and thirty-nine taxa of mosses are reported from the montane forest zone of southwest Ethiopia. Of these, 53 taxa are new country records and Meteoriopsis reclinata (Müll.Hal.) M.Fleisch. ex Broth. is, in addition, new to Africa. Most of the new records are of species also found in Uganda, Kenya or Tanzania, but there are some surprises, such as Fabronia perciliata Müll.Hal. with the closest location in South Africa and Namibia, Entodontella cameruniae Broth. previously known only from West Africa and Bryomaltaea obtusifolia (Hook.) Goffinet, otherwise reported only from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We list all taxa and give a short account of their frequency and in which habitat and on which substrate they grow. That such a large proportion of the species are new to the country suggests that Ethiopia is bryologically very under-explored, and that further exploration will reveal many additional species. In particular, the remnant forests of southwest Ethiopia are likely to be of great importance as bryophyte hotspots.     

Three new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sarcocornia</Emphasis> (Chenopodiaceae) from South Africa

Sarcocornia decussata, S. freitagii and S. tegetaria from South Africa are described as new taxa. Sarcocornia decussata and S. freitagii are narrow endemics of the West Coast of South Africa where they are found in inland saline habitats (quartz patches, salt pans and saline alluvia) while S. tegetaria is an endemic of southern African coasts (spanning Namibia, South Africa and Mozambique) where it is confined to low-lying intertidal habitats of estuaries.     

Karyosystematische Untersuchungen anRubiaceae: Chromosomenzählungen aus Afrika,Madagaskar und Mauritius

Chromosome numbers for 81 different taxa ofRubiaceae from Africa, Madagascar and Mauritius are presented. 52 taxa, including 11 genera, have been counted for the first time. The results are listed, compared with available literature data and discussed in regard to their systematic significance.

     

New monogeneans from the bathydemersal southern African endemic catshark,Holohalaelurus regani (Gilchrist, 1922)

The catshark genus Holohalaelurus Fowler is currently represented by five species distributed off the southern and eastern parts of the African coast. Very few parasitological records exist for any of these five species, representing a significant knowledge gap. We report the first monogenean species from the bathydemersal species Holohalaelurus regani (Gilchrist): a new species of Microbothriidae Price, 1936, Leptomicrobothrium holohalaelure n. sp. from the dorsal skin surface, and a new species of Hexabothriidae Price, 1942 representing a new genus, Scyliorhinocotyle narvaezae n. gen., n. sp., from the gill lamellae. Both monogenean records represent the first for any member of the catshark genus Holohalaelurus. Previously we focused on the identification of monogenean taxa of emerging veterinary importance for public aquaria. We now begin a focused effort to document a generally unexplored monogenean biodiversity from diverse marine habitats off South Africa.

     

Taphonomy of Small Predators multi-taxa accumulations: palaeoecological implications

Abstract

Most small terrestrial vertebrate accumulations in archaeological and palaeontological sites result from predation but we are far from having an exhaustive knowledge of modern predators’ diet, ecological niches and bone modification patterns especially in North African sites. The few neotaphonomic referentials available result from taxon-specialized palaeontologists’ initiatives. A survey of the literature on North Africa predators shows that their prey diversity is high and not only include rodent and shrews but also amphibians, squamates, bats and insects. We performed here a pilot taphonomic study of a Moroccan Tyto alba nest pellets including the whole taxa consumed (birds, rodents, shrews, amphibians, insects). We analyzed bone representation, fragmentation and digestion for each taxa and then compared the results. We observe differences between the taxa but on the whole find higher modification levels for this assemblage compared to roost sites of barn owls from other sites. We used for the comparisons homologous bones like the femur and the humerus and also found differences between the taxa. For example, digestion was lower on amphibians and birds than on micromammals. We discuss here some methodological issues as well as archaeological and palaeoenviromental ones by comparison with the Pleisto-Holocene site of El Harhoura II (Morocco).     

High mortality and female‐biased operational sex ratio result in low encounter rates and moderate polyandry in a spider

The taxonomy of the Old World bat genus Otomops (Chiroptera: Molossidae) has been the subject of considerable debate. The failure of classical morphological studies to provide consistent patterns regarding interspecific relationships within Otomops has limited any understanding of the evolutionary history of the genus. We used traditional and geometric morphometric approaches to establish the species limits of taxa from sub‐Saharan Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Madagascar. Morphometric data supported the recent recognition of three distinct Afrotropical taxa: Otomops madagascariensis from Madagascar; Otomops martiensseni s.s. from southern, eastern, central, and western Africa; and an undescribed taxon from north‐east Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Analyses of craniodental measurements and landmark‐based data showed significant cranial size and shape divergence between the three taxa. Cranial size and shape variation within Afro‐Arabian Otomops were strongly influenced by altitude, seasonality of precipitation, and precipitation in the driest month. Based on morphometric patterns and molecular divergence estimates, we suggest that morphological evolution within Afro‐Arabian Otomops occurred in response to the fluctuating climate during the Pleistocene on the one hand, and the increasing aridity and seasonality over north‐eastern Africa on the other. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, •• , ••–••.     

Exploring the Afromontane centre of endemism: Kniphofia Moench (Asphodelaceae) as a floristic indicator

Aim The genus Kniphofia contains 71 species with an African–Malagasy distribution, including one species from Yemen. The genus has a general Afromontane distribution. Here we explore whether Kniphofia is a floristic indicator of the Afromontane centre of endemism and diversity. The South Africa Centre of diversity and endemism was explored in greater detail to understand biogeographical patterns. Location Africa, Afromontane Region, southern Africa, Madagascar and Yemen. Methods Diversity and endemism for the genus were examined at the continental scale using a chorological approach. Biogeographical patterns and endemism in the South Africa Centre were examined in greater detail using chorology, phenetics, parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE) and mapping of range‐restricted taxa. Results Six centres of diversity were recovered, five of which are also centres of endemism. Eight subcentres of diversity are proposed, of which only two are considered subcentres of endemism. The South Africa Centre is the most species‐rich region and the largest centre of endemism for Kniphofia. The phenetic analysis of the South Africa Centre at the full degree square scale recovered three biogeographical areas that correspond with the subcentres obtained from the chorological analysis. The PAE (at the full degree square scale) and the mapping of range‐restricted taxa recovered two and six areas of endemism (AOEs), respectively. These latter two approaches produced results of limited value, possibly as a result of inadequate collecting of Kniphofia species. Only two AOEs were identified by PAE and these are embedded within two of the six AOEs recovered by the mapping of range‐restricted taxa. All the above AOEs are within the three subcentres found by chorological and phenetic analysis (at the full degree square scale) for the South Africa Centre. Main conclusions The centres for Kniphofia broadly correspond to the Afromontane regional mountain systems, but with some notable differences. We regard Kniphofia as a floristic indicator of the Afromontane Region sensu lato. In southern Africa, the phenetic approach at the full‐degree scale retrieved areas that correlate well with those obtained by the chorological approach.     

Molecular phylogenetics and definition of the Acrapex minima Janse group (Lepidoptera,Noctuidae, Apameini,Sesamiina) with the description of four new species from the Afrotropics

Five morphologically similar species of Acrapex Hampson (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Apameini), from sub-Saharan Africa are reviewed, including four new species that are described: Acrapex mondogeneta Le Ru n. sp., A. mubale Le Ru n. sp., A. robe Le Ru n. sp. and A. rubona Le Ru n. sp. These five species belong to a species complex that we hereby define as the Acrapex minima group. Host plants of three species are recorded; Acrapex minima is recorded for the first time on a host plant, Digitaria natalensis Stent; A. mondogeneta on Hyparrhenia hirta (L.) Stapf and A. rubona on Imperata cylindrica (L.) P. Beauv. We also conducted molecular phylogenetics (using both Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood) and molecular species delimitation analyses (Poisson tree processes) on a six gene multi-marker dataset (four mitochondrial and two nuclear gene fragments; 4582 nucleotides in length) of 42 specimens and 22 species, including 23 specimens from the Acrapex minima group. The results of the corresponding analyses support the monophyly of the group and the species status of the newly described taxa.     

Arctotheca calendula (L.) Levyns: An emerging invasive species in Italy

Abstract

Prevention and early detection are considered to be the most effective means of managing non-native invasive species that have serious ecological and economic impacts. Consequently, the study of those taxa that are still in an early stage of invasion but are highly likely to spread and to have a significant adverse impact in future is becoming an increasingly important issue in both the research on and management of invasive species. In Italy, one such species is Arctotheca calendula (L.) Levyns, a herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family that is native to South Africa. Here, we present an overview of current knowledge on the distribution and potential impacts of this species in Italy, and we outline some features that are crucial to understanding and preventing its invasive spread.     

Two new taxa of Bauhinia sect. Caulotretus from Bahia,Brazil

One new species and one new variety ofBauhinia subg.Phanera sect.Caulotretus are described. Both taxa are tendrilled lianas with woody fruit and both are apparently endemic to Southern Bahian moist forest.Bauhinia carvalhoi has the smallest entire leaves known in the section.Bauhinia angulosa var.bahiana apparently replaces, in “Mata higrófila sul Bahiana”, the typical variety from southeastern Brazil. A key to the three taxa of this section known from Bahia is provided.     

Homaliodendron decompositum (Brid.) Wagn. reduced to synonymy with H. flabellaturn (Sm.) Fleisch

Abstract

Four small moss families found in Malawi are reviewed, and keys are provided to all taxa known in Malawi (and usually to all known in Africa). Regmatodontaceae is shown to contain only one species in Africa, but both known species are keyed. Rhachitheciaceae, contains three genera in Africa (which are keyed), only one of which occurs in Malawi, and for this genus a key is provided for all three African species. Rhacocarpaceae contains only two species in Africa, which are keyed, only one of which is known from Malawi. Rhizogoniaceae contains two genera and three species in Africa.