New genus and species of eudactylinid (Siphonostomatoida: Copepoda) from gill lamellae of ornate eagle rays, Aetomylaeus vespertilio (Myliobatidae), collected in the Beagle Gulf off northern Australia

Janinecaira darkthread n. gen., n. sp. (Eudactylinidae, Siphonostomatoida, Copepoda) infects gills of the ornate eagle ray Aetomylaeus vespertilio (Bleeker, 1852) (Myliobatidae, Myliobatiformes) in the Beagle Gulf (Timor Sea, eastern Indian Ocean) off northern Australia. The adult female of Janinecaira darkthread n. sp. is most easily distinguished from other eudactylinids (Eudactylinidae) by its long genital complex that comprises about 86-90% of the total body length. A diagnostic key to genera of Eudactylinidae based on adult females is provided.     

Two new species of Paraorygmatobothrium (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea) from weasel sharks (Carcharhiniformes: Hemigaleidae) of Australia and Borneo

Two new species of Paraorygmatobothrium Ruhnke, 1994, P. janineae n. sp. and P. kirstenae n. sp., are described from the spiral intestine of 2 shark species of the Family Hemigaleidae: Hemigaleus microstoma and Hemipristis elongata. The 2 new cestode species differ from other members of Paraorygmatobothrium in vitelline follicle distribution and possession of a cephalic peduncle. The 2 new species differ from 1 another in total length, maximum width, scolex size, number of proglottids per strobila, and number of testes per proglottid. The generic diagnosis of Paraorygmatobothrium is emended to include the new species. The results of this study extend the distribution of Paraorygmatobothrium to include the carcharhinid shark family Hemigaleidae.     

Three new species of Etlingera (Zingiberaceae) from Borneo

Three new species from northern Borneo are described: Etlingera rubromarginata from Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah; E. belalongensis presently only known from the Temburong District of Brunei; and E. corrugata presently only known from Danum Valley, Sabah.     

Three new species of Rhinebothrium (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea) from the freshwater whipray, Himantura chaophraya, in Malaysian Borneo

Three new Rhinebothrium Linton, 1890 species, R. kinabatanganensis n. sp., R. megacanthophallus n. sp., and R. abaiensis n. sp., collected from the spiral intestines of 6 freshwater whiprays (Himantura chaophraya, Dasyatidae) in the Kinabatangan River, Malaysian Borneo, are described. This is the first record of cestodes from the Kinabatangan River and from H. chaophraya. The new Rhinebothrium species are differentiated from the 34 valid Rhinebothrium species in addition to 2 species, Echeneibothrium hui Tseng, 1933 and E. oligotesticularis Subramaniam, 1940 that are herein transferred to Rhinebothrium. Each of the new species was examined with light and scanning electron microscopy. Two of the new species possess cilia on their bothridia, which have not previously been reported for members of this genus.     

Description of a new trypanorhynch species (Cestoda) from Indonesian Borneo, with the suppression of Oncomegoides and the erection of a new genus Hispidorhynchus

A new species of Oncomegas Dollfus, 1929 is described from the cowtail stingray, Pastinachus atrus (Macleay), collected in the Makassar Strait, Indonesian Borneo. Oncomegas trimegacanthus n. sp. possesses 2 oval bothria, gland cells within the bulbs, prebulbar organs, a distinctive basal armature with a single macrohook on the bothrial surface of the asymmetrical basal swelling, and a heteroacanthous, heteromorphous metabasal armature with 10 hooks per principle row. It differs from congeners by its possession of additional enlarged hooks at the base of the tentacle. Because of apparent morphological similarities, we suppress the genus Oncomegoides Beveridge & Campbell, 2005 with Oncomegas, and place the type and only species, Oncomegoides celatus Beveridge & Campbell, 2005 , within Oncomegas as Oncomegas celatus n. comb. Three species of Oncomegas , namely, Oncomegas paulinae Toth, Campbell & Schmidt, 1992, Oncomegas australiensis Toth, Campbell & Schmidt, 1992, and Oncomegas aetobatidis Campbell & Beveridge, 2009, differ from other species, possessing testes posterior to the ovary and a metabasal armature consisting of tiny, relatively homeomorphous hooks, with more than 14 hooks per principle row. Based on these morphological differences, a new genus, Hispidorhynchus n. gen., is erected, with Hispidorhynchus australiensis n. comb. as the type species.     

A new genus and species from Borneo and a new species from Java and Sumatra of Cicadini (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)

A new cicada genus and species, Minilomia triquetra, gen. and sp. nov., is described from Borneo. The new genus Minilomia is closely allied to Platylomia Stål and is placed in the subtribe Dundubiina of the tribe Cicadini. Another new cicada species, Pomponia brevicaudata, sp. nov. (subtribe Psithyristriina), is described from Java and Sumatra. The new species belongs to the Pomponia linearis species group and the P. linearis species complex but is distinguished from its congeners by the unusually short male abdomen.     

Two new species ofSilhouetted (Gobiidae) from northern Australia

Two new species of the tropical Indo-Pacific gobiid genusSilhouetted, S. evanida andS. hoesei, are described from Darwin and Queensland, and the Cobourg Peninsula, N.T., respectively.S. evanida occurs in pools on intertidal sand flats along beaches and sandy creek mouths, andS. hoesei more sublittorally at 5–6 m on silty sand. A key to western Pacific and Australian species is included.     

Three new species of the genus Medwayella Traub, 1972 (Insecta: Siphonaptera: Pygiopsyllidae) from Sabah (eastern Malaysia, Borneo)

Medwayella traubiana n. sp., M. pfeifferi n. sp. and M. sabahae n. sp. (Pygiopsyllidae) are described from Sabah (north of Borneo island), the first two on Tupaia tana (Scandentia), the last on Sundasciurus lowii (Rodentia). Sex male is only identified, because these fleas have been collected in sympatry, or even in syntopy. Their determination is based on segment IX and aedeagus. If M. traubiana and M. pfeifferi are related to some known species, M. sabahae is clearly distinct from other Medwayella.     

A new genus and species of Elipsocidae (Psocoptera) from Australia

A new genus of Elipsocidae is erected for one new species from Victoria, both sexes of which are macropterous.     

A new genus and species of cestode (Rhinebothriidea) from Mobula kuhlii (Rajiformes: Mobulidae) from Malaysian Borneo

The cestode fauna of the shortfin devilray, Mobula kuhlii (Müller & Henle, 1841) was examined for the first time. The work resulted in the discovery of a new genus and species of rhinebothriidean tapeworm. Crassuseptum pietrafacei, n. gen. n. sp. is erected here on the basis of its unique scolex and proglottid morphology. Histological sections and examination by light and scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that this new genus differs from all other rhinebothriidean genera in its possession of bothridia in which the proximal and distal sides are confluent, i.e., not separated by a rim of tissue, and in its possession of testes that extend to the posterior margin of the ovary. This new species is characterized in part by its possession of stalked, elongate bothridia lacking lateral constrictions, with 13-15 prominent transverse bothridial septa and 4 reduced transverse septa, craspedote proglottids, each with 2-3 layers of testes in cross section, and a vas deferens that joins the cirrus sac at its anterior margin. Histological and optical sections through bothridial septa revealed that the transverse septa are formed by septal muscles separate from bothridial radial musculature, extending from the anterior side to the posterior side of each septum. This is only the second species rhinebothriidean cestode reported from mobulids. This study adds to the number of new species and genera of elasmobranch cestodes discovered off of the island of Borneo.     

One new genus and three new species of Orsillinae (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) from Australia

Abstract  Two new species of Nysius Dallas, N. orarius sp. n. and N. tasmaniensis sp. n. are described from New South Wales and Tasmania (Australia), respectively. A new monotypic genus, Reticulatonysius , with type-species R. queenslandensis sp. n. is described from Queensland, and its systematic relationship with other orsilline genera is discussed.     

A new genus and two new species of Aporhynchidae (Cestoda: Trypanorhyncha) from catsharks (Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) off Taiwan

New collections of cestodes from the spiral intestines of catsharks (Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) off Taiwan have led to the discovery of a new genus and 2 new species of trypanorhynchs. These taxa are relatively unique among trypanorhynchs in their lack of all elements of the rhyncheal apparatus. The new genus, Nakayacestus n. gen., is considered to belong with Aporhynchus in the Aporhynchidae. In addition to lacking the rhyncheal apparatus, these 2 genera share circum-medullary vitelline follicles, post-ovarian testes, and complex terminal genitalia consisting of accessory, external, and internal seminal vesicles. The 2 genera differ conspicuously in spinithrix configuration; whereas both species of Nakayacestus n. gen. bear scolex spinitriches that are bifid, trifid, or pectinate, species of Aporhynchus either lack scolex spinitriches entirely or possess spathulate spinitriches. The configuration of the bothria of the 2 genera also differ conspicuously. Whereas the bothria of Aporhynchus are sessile and generally do not extend beyond the lateral margins of the cephalic peduncle, those of Nakayacestus bear only a tenuous connection with the scolex proper, being conspicuously free both anteriorly and posteriorly and extending conspicuously beyond the cephalic peduncle. Futhermore, the boundary between the scolex and the strobila of members of the new genus is clearly delineated, whereas this distinction is ill-defined in species of Aporhynchus. Nakayacestus takahashii n. sp., the type of the new genus, was collected from the Broadmouth catshark, Apristurus macrostomus, and differs from Nakayacestus tanyderus n. sp., collected from the Blacktip sawtail catshark, Galeus sauteri, in being shorter, bearing a longer pedunculus scolecis, an ovary that is more posterior in the proglottid, and fewer post-ovarian testes. Furthermore, the 2 new species differ conspicuously from one another in the configuration of their scolex spinitriches.     

A new genus and species of proteocephalidean (Cestoda) from Clarias catfishes (Siluriformes: Clariidae) in Africa

A new proteocephalidean cestode is described from 2 catfishes, Clarias gariepinus (type host) and C. cf. anguillaris (Siluriformes: Clariidae), from Ethiopia (type locality), Sudan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, and a new genus, Barsonella, is proposed to accommodate it. The genus belongs to the Proteocephalinae because its genital organs (testes, ovary, vitellarium, and uterus) are situated in the medulla. Barsonella lafoni, the type and only species of the new genus, is characterized mainly by the possession of an additional opening of each sucker; circular musculature on the anterior margin of suckers, serving as a sphincter; a small thin-walled glandular apical organ; absence of well-developed osmoregulatory canals in mature, pregravid, and gravid proglottids; and a large strobila, up to 173 mm long and 3.2 mm wide. Species of Marsypocephalus Wedl, 1861 (Marsypocephalinae), other large-sized proteocephalidean tapeworms occurring sympatrically in African catfishes (Clarias and Heterobranchus) and also possessing a sphincter-like, circular musculature on the anterior part of suckers, differ from B. lafoni in the absence of an additional sucker opening and glandular apical organ, the cortical position of the testes, well-developed osmoregulatory canals throughout the strobila, and a large cirrus sac. Proteocephalus glanduligerus (Janicki, 1928), another cestode parasitic in Clarias spp. in Africa, is much smaller than B. lafoni (maximum length 15 mm), has suckers without additional opening and circular musculature on the suckers, a large-sized glandular organ, much larger than suckers, and well-developed osmoregulatory canals. Comparison of partial sequences of the 28S rRNA gene for 7 samples of B. lafoni from 2 different hosts and 4 localities in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Tanzania has shown a very low genetic variability. In a limited phylogenetic analysis, B. lafoni formed a clade with Corallobothrium solidum Fritsch, 1886 (Proteocephalidae: Corallobothriinae), an African electric catfish parasite. This clade was the sister group of almost all Neotropical taxa from pimelodid and other catfishes.     

Three new species of genus Myrmica (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Himalaya

Three new species of the genus Myrmica are described from the Himalayas. Myrmica curvispinosa sp. nov., Myrmica kothiensis sp. nov. and Myrmica religiosa sp. nov. belong to the Myrmica inezae species group, which is earlier represented by 4 species. Myrmica curvispinosa sp. nov. is described based on worker and gyne, with a report of ergatoid as well. Myrmica kothiensis sp. nov. and Myrmica religiosa sp. nov. are described based on worker caste only. A key to the species of the Myrmica inezae species group has been provided in the following.