Taxonomic revision of the genus Dolophilodes subgenus Dolophilodes (Trichoptera: Philopotamidae) of Japan

Japanese species of the genus Dolophilodes subgenus Dolophilodes are revised taxonomically. Seven described species are recognized: D. japonicus (Banks), D. shinboensis (Kobayashi), D. auriculatus Martynov, D. nomugiensis (Kobayashi), D. babai (Kobayashi), D. iroensis (Kobayashi) and D. commatus (Kobayashi). In addition, two new species, D. angustatus and D. dilatatus, are described. Males of all nine species and females of all but D. babai are described and illustrated. The subgenus Hisaura Kobayashi is synonymized under the subgenus Dolophilodes. Three synonymies of species proposed are Wormaldia triangulata Kobayashi under D. nomugiensis, D. kunashirensis Ivanov under D. iroensis and Sortosa kaishoensis Kobayashi under D. commatus.     

The genus Plectrocnemia Stephens of Japan (Trichoptera; Polycentropodidae)

The Japanese species of the genus Plectrocnemia Stephens (Trichoptera; Polycentropodidae) are revised based on examination of male material. Five new species are described: P. divisa, P. suzukii, P. corna, P. scoparia, and P. odamiyamensis. P. levanidovae Vshivkova et al. is recorded from Japan for the first time and redescribed. P. wui (Ulmer), P. tochimotoi Schmid, P. tsukuiensis (Kobayashi), and P. okiensis Kobayashi are redescribed. Arctopsyche hirayamai Matsumura is transferred to Plectrocnemia and redescribed. P. asuana Kobayashi, P. kadowakii Kobayashi, and P. makiensis Kobayashi are transferred to the genus Nyctiophylax Brauer.     

皖北地区寒武系芙蓉统炒米店组中上部的索克虫类三叶虫*

塔里木盆地塔中台地奥陶系海百合茎化石丰富。本文通过研究塔中35井上奥陶统良里塔格组和桑塔木组岩芯中的海百合与其共生生物的关系, 讨论了海百合化石的古生态。在塔中35井上奥陶统取芯中识别出7种海百合茎类型: 圆圆茎、星星茎、星圆茎、椭圆圆茎、星椭圆茎、圆角星星茎和不规则星茎, 根据茎板形态划分为五射茎板组(Pentameri)、椭圆茎板组(Elliptici)、圆茎板组(Cyclici)、特殊茎板组(Varii)四种组合类型; 统计了海百合茎化石各种切面的大小和百分含量; 结合岩性分析了每段地层的沉积环境。研究发现, 在局限泻湖环境下, 蓝细菌–四分珊瑚为主的生物组合中不见海百合化石碎片; 仅见腹足类和介壳类化石的细砂屑滩中, 偶见细小的海百合茎化石; 在开阔海环境中, 海百合广泛与苔藓虫、管孔藻、粗枝藻等共生。在海百合–苔藓虫组合中, 海百合茎板的类型最丰富多样, 五射茎板组、椭圆茎板组、圆茎板组、特殊茎板组等四种茎板组合类型都存在; 在管孔藻–海百合组合中, 海百合茎板主要为圆茎板类型, 粗大、密集, 海百合茎碎片含量最高; 在海百合–粗枝藻组合中, 海百合茎板的数量减少、大小变小, 但茎板的类型比较丰富, 四种茎板组合类型都有。由此认为, 塔中台地上奥陶统沉积期, 海百合生长的首选环境为开阔台地, 并受水动力能量和水体清洁度控制: 水动力能量高, 水体清洁, 海百合繁盛; 水动力能量低, 水体动荡浑浊, 海百合可以生存; 水动力能量低、较为动荡、微生物席发育的环境, 不利于海百合生存。     

贵州寒武系杷榔组Sphenothallus Hall,1847的发现及古生态意义*

在安徽省萧县凤凰山剖面炒米店组中上部(江山阶上部到第十阶)岩层中采得丰富的索克虫科三叶虫标本。共计4属6种(含2新种), 包括Eosaukia bella (Walcott, 1906)、E. anhuiensis sp. nov.、Lophosaukia orientalis (Kobayashi, 1933)、Prosaukia campe (Walcott, 1905)和P. xiaoxianensis sp. nov.、Lichengia onigawara Kobayashi, 1942。在对属征进行修订与讨论的基础上, 通过对比这些属的模式种及其他种, 对4个旧种进行了再研究和种征厘定, 最后对这6个种的谱系关系展开了简要讨论。     

A new species, Gazza squamiventralis, from the East Coast of Africa (Perciformes: Leiognathidae)

Gazza squamiventralis sp. nov. is described as the fifth species of the genus, based on the holotype and eight paratypes, 42–96 mm in standard length, collected along the east coast of Africa, from Kenya to Mozambique. The species is similar to other congeners in general appearance, differing clearly from them in having the ventrolateral surface of the body scaled anterior to a line from the pectoral fin base to the pelvic fin origin (vs naked) and a smooth supraorbital ridge (vs finely serrated). Additionally, the species differs from G. dentex, G. rhombea, and G. achlamys in having the dorsolateral surface of the body scaled anterior to a vertical through the tip of the posterior branch of the supratemporal canal (vs corresponding region naked), and from G. minuta in having the first dorsal fin pterygiophore narrowly expanded anteriorly, with a concave margin (vs broadly expanded, with a convex or linear margin), and a short antrorse extension of the first anal fin pterygiophore (vs long). A key to the five species of the genus Gazza is provided. Received: May 30, 2000 / Revised: September 16, 2000 / Accepted: January 16, 2001     

Chemical variation in defensive secretions of four species of Nasutitermes

Nineteen monoterpenes and 13 diterpenes were distinguished in soldier defensive secretions of four species of Nasutitermes. Samples of N. columbicus, N. corniger, N. ephratae and N. nigriceps were collected in Costa Rica and Panama. Interspecifically, these species can be differentiated by monoterpenes, which exhibit a complex pattern. Intraspecifically, there is detectable variation in monoterpenes and diterpenes, each of which allows discrimination of four populations of N. corniger. Similarity between two Pacific populations of N. corniger from different environments, a tropical dry forest and a rainforest, suggests there is no climatic influence on chemical compositions of defensive secretions. In addition, results from Costa Rica provide evidence that the Atlantic population of N. corniger is derived from Pacific populations.     

Redescription of Chlorophthalmus corniger,a senior synonym of Chlorophthalmus bicornis (Family: Chlorophthalmidae)

Chlorophthalmus corniger is redescribed on the basis of recently collected specimens. The species is redefined as a species of Chlorophthalmus with the lower jaw terminating in a distinctly projecting horizontal plate with strong, spine‐like processes directed forward from the plate's corners; body silvery grey, with numerous minute black spots and traces of broad darker crossbars; base of anterior dorsal fin spines and distal parts of dorsal fins black; adipose fin tiny with numerous black spots; caudal fin black; 3·5 scales above lateral line; three rows of cheek scales; head very large, 34·3–40·1% standard length (L_S); eye large, 29·8–40·8% head length (L_H); pectoral fin long, extending to beyond dorsal fin base, 21·7–26·2% L_S. Chlorophthalmus bicornis is a junior synonym of C. corniger based on the examination of the type series of both species. It is confined to the northern half of the Indian Ocean, reliably recorded from Somalia and the Gulf of Aden to southern Java, Indonesia, at depths between 200 and 500 m. A lectotype and three paralectotypes were designated for C. corniger. DNA barcodes for Indian species of Chlorophthalmus were generated.     

A morphometric and genetic framework for the genus Gazella de Blainville, 1816 (Ruminantia: Bovidae) with special focus on Arabian and Levantine mountain gazelles

Gazella is one of the most species‐rich genera within horned ruminants. Despite overall similarity in body size and morphology, gazelles show variability in coloration and horn morphology. Unfortunately, however, species differentiation based on these characters, or on discrete skull characters, is very difficult due to high intraspecific variability. Furthermore, most species have fragmented and allopatric distributions, so that species boundaries were hard to define in the past. Mitochondrial DNA sequences have proven useful for investigating gazelle taxonomy in recent years, but especially for old museum material, i.e. type specimens, destructive sampling is often impossible. We provide a comprehensive morphometric framework for the genus Gazella based on linear skull measurements reconciled with results from molecular phylogenetic analysis based on the largest dataset available so far. In particular for males, the skull morphology shows interspecific differences concurrent with DNA data and provides a reliable tool for species identification. Based on morphometric data we synonymize G. karamii with G. marica, and confirm the identification of the G. arabica and G. a. rueppelli type skulls from analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London     

Revision of Asian species of the Drosophila melanica species group (Diptera: Drosophilidae), with a description of a new species from Vietnam

A new species of the Drosophila (Drosophila) melanica species group (Diptera: Drosophilidae), Drosophila denruoi Suwito & Watabe, sp. nov., is described from northern Vietnam. It is proved by crossing experiments that reproductive isolation is complete between this species and other morphologically similar species. Larval ganglion cells of D. denruoi possess 2n = 12 chromosomes, comprised of four pairs of acrocentric, one pair of metacentric and one pair of micro‐chromosomes. This is the largest number of acrocentric chromosomes in the group and implies that the species has the most primitive chromosomal configuration in the melanica group. Based on the results of crossing experiments and close morphological examination, Drosophila pengi Okada & Kurokawa, 1957 from central Japan, once regarded as a synonym of Drosophila tsigana Burla & Gloor, 1952, is shown to be distinct from D. tsigana. Drosophila pengi is thus resurrected as a member of the melanica group. We synonymize Drosophila bisetata Toda, 1988, described from central Myanmar, with D. pengi. In addition, a population from Guizhou, southwestern China, once regarded as D. tsigana, is also identified as D. pengi. These populations from central Myanmar and southwestern China share the diagnostic characters of D. pengi. At the same time, it is reconfirmed that the Hokkaido population is conspecific with European D. tsigana. Furthermore, another species, Drosophila longiserrata Toda, 1988 described from central Myanmar, is synonymized with Drosophila afer Tan, Hsu & Sheng, 1949 from China, based on their having identical karyotypes and external morphology.     

Addition and re-examination of Japanese species belonging to the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cercospora </Emphasis>and allied genera. V. Collections from the Nansei Islands (2)

 Five species collected in the Nansei Islands are discussed. Of these, one species found on Gardenia jasminoides is described as a new species, Cercosporidium okinawaense Kobayashi et Nishijima. Asperisporium caricae on Carica papaya, Pseudocercospora melastomobia on Melastoma candidum, and P. neoliquidambaris Nakashima et Kobayashi, nom. nov. on Liquidambar formosana are newly added to the Japanese mycoflora. Cercospora violamaculans on Rhaphiolepis umbellata is transferred to the genus Pseudocercospora as Pseudocercospora violamaculans (Fukui) Kobayashi et Nakashima, comb. nov., with some additional notes. Received: October 26, 2001 / Accepted: March 13, 2002     

Genetic variation and phylogeny of Scandinavian species of Grania (Annelida: Clitellata: Enchytraeidae), with the discovery of a cryptic species

Individuals of five nominal species of Grania (Annelida: Clitellata: Enchytraeidae) were collected from locations in Sweden, Norway and France, for studies on the intraspecific variation at the Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) locus of mitochondrial DNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nuclear DNA. It was found that the previously described morphospecies in general contain low variation compared to the between‐species variation in both loci. In one instance, however, an individual morphologically indistinguishable from G. ovitheca was found to be deviant and instead cluster with G. postclitellochaeta both by COI and ITS. We describe this individual as a new species: G. occulta sp.n. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses were conducted, showing a close relationship between G. variochaeta, G. occulta, G. ovitheca and G. postclitellochaeta, as well as between G. pusilla and G. maricola. Using the results from the phylogenetic analyses, we discuss the evolution of morphological characters in Scandinavian species of Grania.     

Molecular systematics and phylogeography of the gigantic earthworms of the Metaphire formosae species group (Clitellata, Megascolecidae)

The earthworms of the Metaphire formosae species group distributed in Taiwan are members of the Pheretima complex within the Megascolecidae. In this study, the systematics and phylogeography of this species group were investigated using DNA sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), 16S ribosomal (r)RNA, and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (ND1). The results indicated that the 13 taxa of the M. formosae species group form a clade, including a cryptic species discovered in this study. In addition, Metaphire hengchunensis (James, S.W., Shih, H.-T., Chang, H.-W., 2005. Seven new species of Amynthas (Clitellata: Megascolecidae) and new earthworm records from Taiwan. J. Nat. Hist. 39, 1007-1028) should be regarded as a subspecies of Metaphire paiwanna Tsai, C.-F., Shen, H.-P., Tsai, S.-C., 2000a. Native and exotic species of terrestrial earthworm (Oligochaeta) in Taiwan with reference to Northeast Asia. Zool. Stud. 39, 285-294, Tsai, C.-F., Tsai, S.-C., Liaw, G.-J., 2000b. Two new species of pontandric pheretimoid earthworms belonging to the genus Metaphire (Megascolecidae: Oligochaeta) from Taiwan. J. Nat. Hist. 34, 1731-1741, and Metaphire bununa glareosa Tsai et al. 2000 should be elevated to specific status. Phylogeographical inferences showed that allopatric speciation occurred in this species group during the rapid uplift of the main island of Taiwan between 5.0 and 2.5 million years ago. Our analysis exposes non-monophyly within each of the genera Amynthas and Metaphire, and more generally within the Pheretima complex. Further revisions of this speciose complex are urgently needed.     

Gut-specific actinobacterial community structure and diversity associated with the wood-feeding termite species, Nasutitermes corniger (Motschulsky) described by nested PCR-DGGE analysis

This comprehensive survey studied the actinobacterial community structure and putative representative members associated with the gut of the wood-feeding termite, Nasutitermes corniger (Motschulsky), using nested PCR-DGGE and 16S rDNA sequences analyses. The closest relatives of the actinobacteria inhabiting the gut of Nasutitermes corniger were in five families, regardless of the geographical origin of the termite colony: Propionibacteriaceae, Streptomycetaceae, Cellulomonodaceae, Corynebacteriaceae and Rubrobacteraceae. Feeding termites on beech wood did not result in substantial changes in the actinobacterial community structure as revealed by DGGE banding patterns. Most of the 16S rDNA sequences obtained after excision and sequencing of DGGE bands clustered with those previously retrieved in termite guts. These results confirm the presence of gut-specific actinobacteria. Except for the 16S rDNA sequences affiliated to Streptomycetaceae and Cellulomonodaceae, no sequence had more than 97% similarity with the closest isolated strains, indicating the presence of microorganisms that have not yet been cultivated. These results suggest that members of the Actinomycetales order account for the largest proportion of the Actinobacteria phylum inhabiting the gut of the termite N. corniger.     

Microsatellite markers for the polygamous termite Nasutitermes corniger (Isoptera: Termitidae)

We developed eight highly variable microsatellite markers for the termite Nasutitermes corniger. Allele number per locus ranged from nine to 34, and expected heterozygosity from 0.45 to 0.94, in samples from seven sites in the former canal zone of Panama. The utility of these markers was assessed for five congeners varying in phylogenetic distance to N. corniger. The markers will be useful for fine‐scale examination of population and colony genetic structure in N. corniger and other closely related species.     

Two new species of Apsilochorema Ulmer, 1907 (Trichoptera: Hydrobiosidae) from India

Two new species Apsilochorema (Apsilochorema) shalimarensis sp. n. and Apsilochorema (Apsilochorema) sainii sp. n. are described and illustrated from India. With these new additions, the genus Apsilochorema Ulmer, 1907 is now represented by 14 species from India.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AAA8C469-850E-4778-BCF1-3FF5B429E559