Holotrich Ciliates from the Stomach of Hippopotamus amphibius, with Descriptions of Two New Genera and Four New Species

SYNOPSIS. Holotrich ciliates from the stomach contents of Hippopotamus amphibius are described, including details of their infraciliature. They are placed in 4 families: subclass Holotrichia, order Gymnostomatida, suborder Rhabdophorina, family Buetschliidae: Blepharozoum binucleatum n.sp., Cucurbella vivax n.g., n.sp.; order Trichostomatida, family Plagiopylidae: Paraplagiopyla kiboko n.g., n.sp.; family Paraisotrichidae: Paraisotricha minuta Hsiung, 1930; family Blepharocorythidae: Charonina hippopotami n.sp. Paraisotricha minuta appears identical to the form found in the cecum and colon of the horse; Blepharozoum binucleatum, Cucurbella vivax and Charonina hippopotami also approach species found in the digestive tract of Equidae. By contrast, Paraplagiopyla kiboko resembles species that are free-living or are commensal in the digestive tract of Echinodermata.     

Three new species of Orphninotrichia Mosely (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) from Barrington Tops, New South Wales, a distribution extended, and remarks on generic placement

Abstract Three new species are described in the endemic Australian microcaddisfly genus Orphninotrichia Mosely (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae: Hydroptilinae), all collected in the Barrington Tops area of north-eastern New South Wales: Orphninotrichia bilobata sp. n., O. claviculata sp. n. and O. dundungra sp. n. From the same area, Orphninotrichia papillata Wells, described from central Victoria, is newly recorded and noted for the atypical presence of a large gland on the dorsum of the male head. Comments are made on the still unresolved affinities of the genus Orphninotrichia , and a key to males of all species is provided.     

Nectonema zealandica n. sp. (Nematomorpha: Nectonematoidea) parasitising the purple rock crab Hemigrapsus edwardsi (Brachyura: Decapoda) in New Zealand,with notes on the prevalence of infection and host defence reactions

A new species of Acusicola is described based on adults of both sexes taken from plankton samples collected in the upper reaches of the Piauí River estuary, in the northeast of Brazil. Ovigerous females were present in the plankton. The new species, Acusicola minuta n. sp., can be distinguished from its congeners by its small body size, female antennal morphology and leg setation. The male described here as A. minuta n. sp. is the first known male attributed to the genus.     

Mitogenomic phylogenetics of Diochus occultus n. sp., a palaeoendemic endogean species within the tribe Diochini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae)

The tribe Diochini has a worldwide distribution, with 2 and 74 epigean species within the genera Antarctothius and Diochus, respectively. Recent phylogenetic studies suggest a sister relationship of Diochini and a lineage formed by Xantholinini, Maorothiini, and Othiini, within the subfamily Staphylininae. Here, we describe the first known endogean representative of Diochini, Diochus occultus n. sp., and provide the first two complete mitogenomes for the tribe, corresponding to the two European Diochus species: Diochus occultus n. sp. and Diochus staudingeri. These sequences were combined with 40 additional mitogenomes from representatives within Staphylininae, Paederinae, Silphidae, and Aleocharinae, and COI sequences from 5 additional species of Diochus to conduct a series of mitogenomic phylogenetic and dating analyses. The estimated molecular phylogeny is fully consistent with previous studies based on morphology and molecular data, finding a sister relationship of Diochini with a clade formed by Xantholinini and Othiini (Maorothiini not sampled). Dating analyses inferred an early split of the tribe Diochini at 140–156 Mya. Morphology shows clear differences in the aedeagal and external morphology of D. occultus n. sp. and D. staudingeri, whereas a sister relationship of these taxa is found in the phylogenetic analyses, with the split dated at 48–61 Mya. Although the study of additional Palaearctic Diochus species will be required to conclusively establish that D. occultus n. sp. is a palaeoendemic taxon sister to D. staudingeri, associated with forests of Abies pinsapo in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, this conclusion is consistent with the ancient estimated age of speciation, endogean habitat specificity, low dispersal capacity (flightless species), and microendemicity of D. occultus. This is also consistent with the continued emersion of the Betic sub‐plate along its tectonic evolution. The estimated ages of diversification of the Paederinae‐Staphylininae lineage are also discussed.     

Polycentropus cianficconiae sp. n. from Sicily and Descriptions of the Females of the Polycentropus Species Found in Sicily (Trichoptera,Polycentropodidae)

The male and female of Polycentropus cianficconiae sp. n. (Peloritani Mountains, Northeast Sicily) are described. This new species is related to P. divergens Mosely, 1930, of which the variability of some characters of male genitalia is examined. Female genitalia of the new species are compared to those of P. divergens, P. malickyi Moretti, 1981 and P. mortoni Mosely, 1930. The characters of female genitalia are useful for evaluating the relatedness and differences among the species. They agree with the findings of the study on male genitalia.     

Moina oryzae n. sp. (Cladocera,Moinidae) from Tamil Nadu (South India)

Moina oryzae n. sp., from a rice field in South India, is described. The species is related toMoina reticulata Daday, 1905, and toMoina minuta Hansen, 1899. The parthenogenetic and sexual females and male are described. A differential diagnosis is given.     

Genetic diversity and phylogenetic position of the subclass Astomatia (Ciliophora) based on a sampling of six genera from West African oligochaetes (Glossoscolecidae, Megascolecidae), including description of the new genus Paraclausilocola n. gen

To more confidently assess phylogenetic relationships among astome ciliates, we obtained small subunit (SSU) rRNA sequences from nine species distributed in six genera and three families: Almophrya bivacuolata, Eudrilophrya complanata, Metaracoelophrya sp. 1, Metaracoelophrya sp. 2, Metaracoelophrya intermedia, Metaradiophrya sp., Njinella prolifera, Paraclausilocola constricta n. gen., n. sp., and Paraclausilocola elongata n. sp. The two new species in the proposed new clausilocolid genus Paraclausilocola n. gen. are astomes with no attachment apparatus, two files of contractile vacuoles, and an arc-like anterior suture that has differentiations of thigmotactic ciliature on the anterior ends of the left kineties of the upper surface. Phylogenetic analyses were undertaken using neighbor-joining, Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, and maximum parsimony. The nine species of astomes formed a strongly supported clade, showing the subclass Astomatia to be monophyletic and a weakly supported sister clade to the scuticociliates. There were two strongly supported clades within the astomes. However, genera assigned to the same family were found in different clades, and genera assigned to the same order were found in both clades. Thus, astome taxa appear to be paraphyletic when morphology is used to assign species to genera.     

Taxonomic review of the genus Thecobathra (Lepidoptera,Yponomeutidae) from Taiwan

The Taiwanese species of Thecobathra are reviewed. Four new species of Thecobathra: T. heppneri n. sp., T. minuta n. sp., T. pauciguttata n. sp., and T. taiwanensis n. sp. are described. The female genitalia of T. basilobata are described for the first time. Keys to all the Taiwanese species of Thecobathra are provided.     

Three new species of Dactylogyrus Diesing, 1850 (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) from the gills of the bala sharkminnow Balantiocheilos melanopterus (Cyprinidae) from Thailand

Three new species of Dactylogyrus are described from the gills of the cyprinid fish Balantiocheilos melanopterus (Bleeker) imported from Thailand via the aquarium trade. They are D. coartatus n. sp., D. macrocolpius n. sp. and D. melanopteri n. sp. The double-bar species, D. coartatus n. sp. and D. melanopteri n. sp., are characterised by hooks that are markedly large in relation to the size of the anchors. Clip-like anchors with a sharply recurved, long point are a unique feature of D. coartatus n. sp. The single-bar species, D. macrocolpius n. sp., is characterised by having a copulatory organ composed of a spiral copulum and a medial accessory piece with thorns.     

On four new tropical and subtropical Lecane (Lecanidae,Monogononta, Rotifera)

Four new tropical/subtropical species of Lecane are described. L. abanica n. sp. is recorded from Saudi Arabia and the Comoro Islands; L. minuta n. sp. and L. spiniventris n. sp. from the Sultanate of Brunei, and L. nelsoni n. sp. from Brazil. An attempt is made to include characters of the trophi in the diagnosis of these Lecane.     

Descriptions of new taxa of the Clausiliidae from Turkey (Mollusca: Stylommatophora)

Summary

Several new taxa of the Clausiliidae were described From Turkey: Dobatia multidentifera n. sp., Albinaria monocristata n. sp., Albinaria basalifera n. sp., Roseniella (Chavchetia) n. subgen., Roseniella (Chavchetia) rufina n. sp., Armenica euprepes truncata n. ssp., Armenica multispirata n. sp., Armenica bicarinata grisea n. ssp., Kazancia n. gen., and Kazancia monticola n. sp. Investigations were made of the genital morphology of some species, and the arrangement of the taxa in Nordsieck’s classification (H, NORDSIECK 1979) is discussed.     

Phytolyma tchuentei sp.n. (Hemiptera: Homotomidae), a new species of psyllid associated with Morus mesozygia (Moraceae) from Cameroon

A new Phytolyma species from Cameroon is described. Phytolyma tchuentei sp.n. is similar to P. minuta Hollis but antenna, male and female terminalia are different from the four described African Phytolyma species. P. tchuentei sp.n. develops on Morus mesozygia (Moraceae). Unlike the other Phytolyma species, the new species does not cause galls on leaves and buds of its host.     

Early Emsian ammonoids from the eastern Anti-Atlas (Morocco) and their succession

From 20 sections in the Tafilalt (eastern Anti-Atlas, Morocco), 13 early Emsian ammonoid species of the families Mimosphinctidae, Mimoceratidae, Teicherticeratidae, Mimagoniatitidae, and Auguritidae have been discovered. The following taxa are newly described:Chebbites n. gen.,Chebbites reisdorfi n. sp.,Chebbites undosus n. sp.,Gracilités maghribensis n. sp., Palaeogoniatitinae n. subfam.,Irdanites n. gen.,Irdanites kaufmanni n. sp.,Irdanites korni n. sp.,Lenzites gesinae n. sp.,Weyeroceras n. gen.,Weyeroceras angustus n. sp. In addition, specimens ofErbenoceras solitarium, Metabactrites formosus, andRuanites obliquecostatus are described and figured from Morocco for the first time. The ammonoid generaConvoluticeras, Erbenoceras, Mimosphinctes, Palaeogoniatites, Talenticeras, andTeicherticeras and the families Mimosphinctidae, Mimoceratidae, Teicherticeratidae, and Mimagoniatitidae are reviewed.Taskanites andLaganites are regarded as subjective junior synonyms ofConvoluticeras. In Morocco, the early Emsian ammonoid succession differs from what can be expected from a phylogenetic point of view. Several species belonging to different families of various phylogenetic stages appear within one stratigraphical unit. In contrast to previous opinions however,Gyroceratites laevis appears stratigraphically earlier thanMimagoniatites fecundus, which agrees in this case with the phylogenetic succession of the taxa. Stratigraphical data from early Emsian ammonoids are still insufficient as basis for a more detailed stratigraphical subdivision of the early Emsian.     

Raunsgaardispermum lusitanicum gen. et sp. nov., a new seed with in situ pollen from the Early Cretaceous (probably Berriasian) of Portugal: Further support for the Bennettitales‐Erdtmanithecales‐Gnetales link

Assemblages of Recent and sub-Recent dinoflagellate cysts are described from the southern Beaufort Sea, offshore Mackenzie Delta region, Canadian Arctic, and include the new taxa Spiniferites frigidus Harland &; Reid, Multispinula minuta Harland &; Reid, and Rottnestia amphicavata Dobell &; Norris. These assemblages, which appear to be unique to Arctic waters, are dominated by Operculodinium centrocarpum, and compared to assemblages found in north-temperate seas, also dominated by Operculodinium centrocarpum, are ten times less diverse. The three new species described herein may prove to be indicators of the Arctic environment. Several genera of Recent cysts that were not originally supplied with Latin diagnoses are validated.     

Two new Neotropical species of Perithreticus Vaillant 1973 (Diptera: Psychodidae,Psychodinae)

The genus Perithreticus is recorded for the first time from Central America and the Caribbean. Two new species are described and figured: P. arboscandens Kvifte & Andersen, n. sp. from Zurquí, San José Province, Costa Rica and P. guantanamera Kvifte & Andersen, n. sp. from Alexander von Humboldt National Park, Guantánamo Province, Cuba. The generic diagnosis is emended to accommodate the newly described species, and a key to the males of the Perithreticus species of the world is presented.     

Two new species of Duplicibothrium Williams & Campbell, 1978 (Tetraphyllidea: Serendipidae) from the Pacific cownose ray Rhinoptera steindachneri

Two new tetraphyllidean species, Duplicibothrium cairae n. sp. and D. paulum n. sp., are described from Pacific cownose rays Rhinoptera steindachneri collected from the Gulf of California. D. cairae n. sp. differs from the only other known species in this genus, D. minutum, in its possession of two posteriorly bifurcating longitudinal septa on each bothridium and having a greater number of loculi per bothridium, wider bothridia and a greater number of segments per worm. D. paulum n. sp. differs from the above two species in being shorter, having two continuous longitudinal septa on each bothridium, rather than posteriorly bifurcating or absent longitudinal septa, having a greater number of loculi per bothridium and having fewer segments per worm. The generic diagnosis of Duplicibothrium is amended to reflect the inclusion of the two new species. Species of Duplicibothriumappear to be restricted to host species of the genus Rhinoptera. Systematic information gained from the study of these two new species supports the monophyly of the tetraphyllidean family Serendipidae and suggests that Duplicibothrium shares a phylogenetic heritage with species in the genera Glyphobothrium and Serendip, taxa that are also parasitic in cownose rays. Evidence for a phylogenetic relationship between serendipid species and species of Dioecotaenia is discussed, as are potential molluscan hosts for cestode species in Duplicibothrium and Dioecotaenia.