<Emphasis Type="Italic">Adlardia</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">novaecaledoniae</Emphasis> n. g., n. sp. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) from the fork-tailed threadfin bream <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nemipterus furcosus</Emphasis> (Val.) (Perciformes: Nemipteridae) off New Caledonia

Adlardia novaecaledoniae n. g., n. sp. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) is described from the fish Nemipterus furcosus (Val.) (Perciformes: Nemipteridae) from off New Caledonia (South Pacific). Adlardia n. g. is distinguished from all other cryptogonimid genera by the combination of an elongate body, the presence of oral spines, intestinal caeca that open via ani at the posterior end of the body, a highly lobed ovary, oblique testes that are located in the mid-hindbody, vitelline follicles that extend from midway between the testes and ovary to midway between the ovary and ventral sucker, and an excretory vesicle that bifurcates dorsal to the ovary and reunites immediately anterior to the pharynx. A. novaecaledoniae n. sp. is the only cryptogonimid that has been reported with an excretory vesicle that reunites anterior to the pharynx. Siphoderina elongata (Gu &; Shen, 1979) Miller &; Cribb, 2008 is transferred to Adlardia as A. elongata (Gu &; Shen, 1979) n. comb. based on morphological and ecological (host group) agreement with A. novaecaledoniae. Bayesian inference analysis of LSU rDNA revealed that A. novaecaledoniae nested well within a clade containing cryptogonimid taxa known almost exclusively from haemulid and lutjanid fishes, suggesting that host-switching between teleosts of the Haemuloidea, Lutjanoidea and Sparoidea may have been common in the evolutionary history of this system.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Neolebouria blatta</Emphasis> n. sp. (Digenea: Opecoelidae) from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pristipomoides argyrogrammicus</Emphasis> (Valenciennes) and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Etelis carbunculus</Emphasis> Cuvier (Perciformes: Lutjanidae) off New Caledonia

Neolebouria blatta n. sp. is described from Pristipomoides argyrogrammicus (Valenciennes) and Etelis carbunculus Cuvier in waters off New Caledonia. It differs from all other species of Neolebouria Gibson, 1976 but one, N. georgenascimentoi Bray, 2002, in the extension of the cirrus-sac to the ovary or nearly so. It differs from N. georgenascimentoi in its continuous, rather than interrupted, vitelline distribution. N. blatta belongs to a small group of similar Neolebouria species reported in deep-water lutjanids, which includes N. longisacculus (Yamaguti, 1970) n. comb., N. rooseveltiae (Yamaguti, 1970) n. comb. and N. ulaula (Yamaguti, 1970).     

A new species of water mite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Atractides</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Atractides</Emphasis>) <Emphasis Type="Italic">turcicus</Emphasis> sp. n. (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Hygrobatidae) from Turkey

In this study, the structural characteristics, unique features, various organ measurements of males and females of the water mite Atractides (Atractides) turcicus sp. n. from Turkey are described. In addition, the study compares their characteristics with related species.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Longidorus</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">kheirii</Emphasis> n. sp. (Nematoda: Longidoridae) from Iran

Longidorus kheirii n. sp., a parthenogenetic species, was found in soil samples collected from the rhizosphere of Rosa sp. growing in a natural mountainous region close to Maragheh city, northwestern Iran. It is characterised by having a long body (6.7-9 mm), a 19.5-23 mum wide head continuous with the body contour, a truncate and slightly concave lip region with convex sides between the anterior end and the guide-ring, an odontostyle 113-130 mum long, an odontophore 69-97.5 mum long, a body width of 90.5-117.5 mum at the mid-body, a long, wide oesophageal bulb (149.5-193.5 x 39.5-48 mum), a tail length of 47-72 mum, a male with 11 ventromedian supplements and spicules of 85 mum in length, and four juvenile stages. The ribosomal 18S rDNA gene of L. kheirii n. sp., L. leptocephalus Hooper, 1961, L. profundorum Hooper, 1966 L. euonymus Mali & Hooper, 1973 and two unidentified species listed as Longidorus sp. 1 and Longidorus sp. 2, all recovered from northwestern Iran in the same survey, and the ITS1 of L. kheirii n. sp. and Longidorus sp. 1 were sequenced in order to investigate the phylogenetic relationships with other previously sequenced Longidorus species.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Petasiger islandicus</Emphasis> n. sp. (Digenea: Echinostomatidae) in the horned grebe <Emphasis Type="Italic">Podiceps auritus</Emphasis> (L.) (Aves: Podicipedidae) from Iceland

Petasiger islandicus n. sp. is described and figured from a demographically isolated population of the horned grebe Podiceps auritus auritus (L.) in Lake Myvatn (Iceland). This new species belongs to the group of species with 19 collar spines which possess a large elongate-oval cirrus-sac, well-developed pars prostatica and massive bulb-like cirrus. Within this group, P. islandicus appears most similar to P. oschmarini Kostadinova & Gibson, 1998, a form with similar body dimensions described from the same host, but differs in having a larger head collar, collar spines, oral sucker, pharynx, testes and sucker-width ratio, and a smaller cirrus-sac, cirrus and eggs. Two Nearctic species resemble P. islandicus in general morphology but differ as follows: P. pseudoneocomense Bravo-Hollis, 1969 has a larger body and collar width, notably shorter collar spines, smaller testes and sucker-width ratio, and a shorter but much wider cirrus-sac which is also smaller relative to the ventral sucker and almost entirely anterior to it; and P. caribbensis Nassi, 1980 has a smaller body, shorter collar spines and a seminal vesicle which is small in relation to the cirrus-sac, vitelline fields reaching anteriorly to the level of the genital pore and the intestinal bifurcation is located more anteriorly.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Allassogonoporus dromiciops</Emphasis> n. sp. (Digenea: Allassogonoporidae) from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dromiciops gliroides</Emphasis> (Marsupialia: Microbiotheriidae) in Patagonia,Argentina

A new species of Allassogonoporus Olivier, 1938, from a naturally infected specimen of Dromiciops gliroides, is described. Adults of A. dromiciops n. sp. were recovered from the small intestine. This new species can be distinguished from all other species of the genus by having: the largest body and eggs, a lobed testes and ovary, a Y-shaped excretory vesicle and vitelline follicles beginning at the level of the posterior margin of the oral sucker. This is the first record of a species of Allassogonoporus in South America and the first record of a digenean parasitising D. gliroides.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Walckenaeria aksoyi</Emphasis> sp. n. (Araneae: Linyphiidae) from Turkey

Walckenaeria aksoyi sp. n. (Araneae: Linyphiidae) is described based on males from Marmaris Province in Turkey.     

New species in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Barleria</Emphasis> sect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stellatohirta</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Acanthaceae</Emphasis>) from Africa

Summary  Three new species are described in Barleria L. sect. Stellatohirta M. Balkwill from tropical Africa: B. aristata from south-central Tanzania, B. aenea from south-western Tanzania and northeast Zambia, and B. purpureotincta from south-western Zambia. Their affinities and conservation status are discussed.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gorgoderina festoni</Emphasis> n. sp. (Digenea: Gorgoderidae) in Anurans (Amphibia) from Mexico

Gorgoderina festoni n. sp. is described from the urinary bladder of Gastrophryne usta, Leptodactylus labialis, L. melanonotus and Bufo marinus from localities at low altitude in the states of Veracruz, Oaxaca, Guerrero and Colima, Mexico. This species differs from most other species of the genus by a combination of the following characters: lobed vitelline masses, body size 3.45–4.26 (mean 3.75) mm and sucker-ratio 1:1.3–1.52 (mean 1:1.44). The new species shares these three features with G. bilobata Rankin, 1937, G. schistorchis Steelman, 1938, G. tenua Rankin, 1937, G. vitelliloba (Olsson, 1876) and G. cryptorchis Travassos, 1924, but it differs from the first four in having gonads with entire margins. G. festoni most closely resembles G. cryptorchis, but differs from this species in body width at the level of the ventral sucker and in the absence of oesophageal glands. The autapomorphy that distinguishes G. festoni from all other members of the genus is the presence of a tegumental extension (festoon) on the external margin of the ventral sucker.     

New combinations and typifications in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bistorta</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Persicaria</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Polygonum,</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rumex</Emphasis> (Polygonaceae)

New combinations are proposed in anticipation of the Polygonaceae treatment in the forthcoming volume of Intermountain Flora: Polygonum kelloggii var. esotericum, P. kelloggii var. watsonii , Rumex densiflorus var. pycnanthus , R. salicifolius var. utahensis, and R. occidentalis var. tomentellus. Typifications are proposed to facilitate ongoing studies in Polygonaceae and to maintain current usage.     

Mercury Tolerance of Thermophilic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus</Emphasis> sp. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ureibacillus</Emphasis> sp

Although resistance of microorganisms to Hg(II) salts has been widely investigated and resistant strains have been reported from many eubacterial genera, there are few reports of mercuric ion resistance in extremophilic microorganisms. Moderately thermophilic mercury resistant bacteria were selected by growth at 62 °C on Luria agar containing HgCl₂. Sequence analysis of 16S rRNA genes of two isolates showed the closest matches to be with Bacillus pallidus and Ureibacillus thermosphaericus. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for HgCl₂ were 80 μg/ml and 30 μg/ml for these isolates, respectively, compared to 10 μg/ml for B. pallidus H12 DSM3670, a mercury-sensitive control. The best-characterised mercury-resistant Bacillus strain, B. cereus RC607, had an MIC of 60 μg/ml. The new isolates had negligible mercuric reductase activity but removed Hg from the medium by the formation of a black precipitate, identified as HgS by X-ray powder diffraction analysis. No volatile H₂S was detected in the headspace of cultures in the absence or presence of Hg²⁺, and it is suggested that a new mechanism of Hg tolerance, based on the production of non-volatile thiol species, may have potential for decontamination of solutions containing Hg²⁺ without production of toxic volatile H₂S.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Neobisium babinzub</Emphasis> sp. n. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neobisium tarae</Emphasis> sp. n. (Neobisiidae,Pseudoscorpiones) from the central Balkan Peninsula (Serbia)

Two new pseudoscorpion species, Neobisium babinzub sp. n., and N. tarae sp. n. (Neobisiidae, Pseudoscorpiones), were collected in soil and leaf-litter on Mt. Stara Planina and Mt. Tara, Serbia, diagnosed and thoroughly illustrated. The main morphological characteristics of the two taxa clearly demonstrate their adaptation to life in soil.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ty</Emphasis>1<Emphasis Type="Italic">/copia</Emphasis>- and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ty</Emphasis>3<Emphasis Type="Italic">/gypsy</Emphasis>-like DNA sequences in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helianthus </Emphasis>species

Two repeated DNA sequences isolated from a partial genomic DNA library of Helianthus annuus, p HaS13 and p HaS211, were shown to represent portions of the int gene of a Ty3 /gypsy retroelement and of the RNase-Hgene of a Ty1 /copia retroelement, respectively. Southern blotting patterns obtained by hybridizing the two probes to BglII- or DraI-digested genomic DNA from different Helianthus species showed p HaS13 and p HaS211 were parts of dispersed repeats at least 8 and 7 kb in length, respectively, that were conserved in all species studied. Comparable hybridization patterns were obtained in all species with p HaS13. By contrast, the patterns obtained by hybridizing p HaS211 clearly differentiated annual species from perennials. The frequencies of p HaS13- and p HaS211-related sequences in different species were 4.3x10(4)-1.3x10(5) copies and 9.9x10(2)-8.1x10(3) copies per picogram of DNA, respectively. The frequency of p HaS13-related sequences varied widely within annual species, while no significant difference was observed among perennial species. Conversely, the frequency variation of p HaS211-related sequences was as large within annual species as within perennials. Sequences of both families were found to be dispersed along the length of all chromosomes in all species studied. However, Ty3 /gypsy-like sequences were localized preferentially at the centromeric regions, whereas Ty1/ copia-like sequences were less represented or absent around the centromeres and plentiful at the chromosome ends. These findings suggest that the two sequence families played a role in Helianthusgenome evolution and species divergence, evolved independently in the same genomic backgrounds and in annual or perennial species, and acquired different possible functions in the host genomes.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phuphanochloa,</Emphasis> a new bamboo genus (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Poaceae</Emphasis>: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bambusoideae</Emphasis>) from Thailand

Summary  A new monotypic bamboo genus Phuphanochloa (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) from north-eastern Thailand is described, together with a new species, P. speciosa.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Kretzschmaria varians</Emphasis> sp. nov., <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xylaria coremiifera</Emphasis> sp. nov. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xylaria umbonata</Emphasis> sp. nov. from Costa Rica

Kretzschmaria varians, a species apparently related to K. micropus, is described as new. It is distinguished primarily by having asci with 2 to 8 ascospores with inconstant germination slit length and remains of synnemata on stromata and surrounding substrate. Xylaria coremiifera, described here as new, bears small fragile coremia on pulvinate stromata and the surrounding substrate. Asci often have fewer than 8 ascospores, most frequently 4. Xylaria umbonata, described here as new, produces perithecia around a central umbo that appears to be the remains of a synnema. Ascospores have long spiralling germination slits.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Steinernema costaricense</Emphasis> n. sp. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">S. puntauvense</Emphasis> n. sp. (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae), two new entomopathogenic nematodes from Costa Rica

Steinernema costaricense n. sp. and S. puntauvense n. sp. were recovered during a survey for native entomopathogenic nematodes in Costa Rica. Morphological data, molecular (28S rDNA sequence data) studies and cross-hybridisation tests were used for diagnostic and identification purposes. Additionally, 28S rDNA sequence data were used to assess the evolutionary relationships of the new species with other Steinernema spp. Morphological diagnostic features for S. costaricense n. sp. include: the body size of the infective juvenile (av. 1,696); the presence of protruding 'horn-like' cephalic papillae; the position of the excretory pore in the infective juvenile (av. 77 microm) and the first generation male (av. 117 microm); the D% value of the infective juvenile (av. 53) and the first generation male (av. 56); the E% value of the infective juvenile (av. 85); and the morphology of the spicules and gubernaculum of the first generation male. Diagnostic traits for S. puntauvense n. sp. are: the position of the excretory pore in the infective juveniles (av. 25 microm); the shape and size of the spicules and gubernaculum of the first generation male; and the shape of the tail of the first generation female. In addition to these traits, 28S rDNA sequences analysis and hybridisation tests showed that both new Steinernema species are distinct and unique entities.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Camellia cattienensis</Emphasis>: a new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Camellia</Emphasis> (sect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Archaecamellia</Emphasis>: Theaceae) from Vietnam

A new species of the genus Camellia L. (Theaceae, Theoideae) is described and illustrated under the name C. cattienensis. This species occurs in the rainforest vegetation of Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. A discussion of the morphological characters distinguishing this new species from related Camellia species is presented. Morphological evidence supports a transitional taxonomic placement in Camellia sect. Archaecamellia Sealy. This placement is justified by C. cattienensis exhibiting some morphological characteristics also found in sects Stereocarpus (Pierre) Sealy and Piquetia (Pierre) Sealy.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dracunculus mulbus</Emphasis> n. sp. (Nematoda: Spirurida) from the water python <Emphasis Type="Italic">Liasis fuscus</Emphasis> (Serpentes: Boidae) in northern Australia

A new species of Dracunculus Reichard, 1759 (Nematoda: Spirurida) is described from the tissues surrounding organs in the body-cavity of the water python Liasis fuscus Peters in northern Australia. One to 14 worms were recovered from 22% (27/120) of pythons examined. Males were located principally around the lungs, liver and heart of the hosts, and females were recovered from peritoneal tissue surrounding the intestines and lining the body-cavity. This species differs from previously described species of Dracunculus in the position of the papillae at the posterior end in males, and in the possession of thick, narrow caudal alae. Submedian cephalic papillae are single in both sexes. Dorsal and ventral anterior cephalic papillae are absent in males. This is the first report of a species of Dracunculus from the Australian region.