Some Entolomataceae (Agaricales) from Costa Rica

A preliminary account of Entolomataceae from Costa Rica is presented. Three new taxa are described, two inClitopilus, one inRhodocybe, and three new combinations are proposed inInocephalus. Five taxa ofClitopilus are reported for the first time from Costa Rica and a key to species is provided. Four species ofRhodocybe are discussed and a key to the six species known from Costa Rica is also provided.Alboleptonia earlei, Inocephalus murraii, Inocephalus quadratum, Rhodocybe incarnata andRhodocybe pseudonitellina are now known to occur in Costa Rica.     

A new species of Columnea and range extension in the Gesneriaceae from Costa Rica

Columnea lariensis is described and illustrated as a new species from the Talamanca Mountains, Costa Rica. It is similar to C. canarina from Panama. Alloplectus weirii is here reported for the first time from Mesoamerica and an illustration is provided.

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Resumen   Columnea lariensis de la Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica, es descrita e ilustrada. Es similar a C. canarina de Panamá. Alloplectus weirii se reporta para Mesoamérica por primera vez y se incluye una ilustración de la misma.

     

Two new species of Blechnum (Blechnaceae) from the neotropics

Blechnum moranianum is a new species similar toB. loxense, andB. nigrum is segregated from theB. fragile complex. Both are described and illustrated as result of the author's taxonomic fern work in Costa Rica. Blechnum moranianum es una especie nueva similar aB. loxense, yB. nigrum es segregada del complejoB. fragile. Ambas son aquí descritas e ilustradas como resultado de los trabajos taxonómicos del autor en los helechos de Costa Rica.     

Polystichum lilianae sp. nov. (Dryopteridaceae) and its relationships to P. fournieri and P. turrialbae

Morphological, isozyme, and cytological analyses of the small, pale-scaled polystichums from oakdominated montane rain forests in Costa Rica and Mexico reveal the presence of a separable undescribed species endemic to the Cordillera de Talamanca of Costa Rica. The new taxon,Polystichum lilianae, is an allotetraploid hypothesized to have the sympatricP. turrialbae as one diploid progenitor based on isozyme characters. The isozyme and morphometric data also support the inclusion ofP. smithii, described from southern Mexico, inP. turrialbae, described from Costa Rica. The namePolystichum fournieri, formerly used for all of these plants, applies to species endemic to Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico. It is not a progenitor ofP. lilianae.     

Notes on natural enemies attackingLepidosaphes species [Homoptera: Diaspididae] associated withCitrus in Costa Rica

Aphytis lepidosaphes Compere (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) parasitize two species ofLepidosaphes onCitrus in Costa Rica.Zagloba beaumonti andPentilia discors (Col.: Coccinellidae) also feed on both species.      

The occurrence and morphology of Adiantum X variopinnatum (Pteridaceae)

Two populations ofAdiantum Xvariopinnatum were found at the La Selva Biological Field Station in Costa Rica. The plants were morphologically intermediate between their parents, showed additive isozyme banding patterns, and had aborted spores. Herbarium searches for the hybrid turned up specimens from Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, and Colombia. These are the first reports of the hybrid outside of Trinidad.     

Failure of the introduction ofActinote anteas (Lep.: Acraeidae) from Costa Rica as a biological control candidate forChromolaena odorata (Asteraceae) in South Africa

Actinote anteas from Costa Rica was screened as a biological control candidate forChromolaena odorata in South Africa. Preliminary starvation trials suggest thatA. anteas is species specific. There are seven larval instars and the life cycle is completed in 101–169 days. The culture died out after three generations possibly because of incompatibility with the form of the local species ofC. odorata or disease.     

Three new neotropical species of Elaphoglossum (Elaphoglossaceae) with subulate scales

Three new neotropical species of subulate-scaledElaphoglossum are described and illustrated:E. minutissimum, E. rosettum, E. semisubulatum. The first occurs in Costa Rica, the second and third in Bolivia.     

A new species of Paullinia (Sapindaceae) from Costa Rica

Paullinia fournieri, a new species from Costa Rica is described, illustrated, and its relationships to other species are discussed.     

Three new species in the neotropical genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clidemia</Emphasis> (Melastomataceae: Miconieae)

We here propose and describe three new species of Clidemia: C. aguilarii from Costa Rica and Panama; C. aurantiaca from Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador; and C. subpeltata, a Costa Rican endemic. Phenological notes, distribution maps, line drawings, color images of the live plants in the wild, and discussions comparing the new species to their presumed closest relatives are provided.     

Two new species and two new combinations in Mesoamerican Ericaceae

Satyria ventricosa andVaccinium monteverdense from Panama and Costa Rica, respectively, are described and illustrated.Gonocalyx megabracteolatus andVaccinium talamancense are new combinations. Relationships of the new species are discussed. Keys are provided for the entire genusGonocalyx, and forSatyria in Mesoamerica.

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Resumen  Se describenSatyria ventricosa yVaccinium monteverdense de Panamá y Costa Rica, respectivamente, con sus ilustraciones. Se hace una nueva combinación deGonocalyx megabracteolatus yVaccinium talamancense. También se discuten las relaciones entre las nuevas especies. Se incluyen claves para el género completoGonocalyx y para el géneroSatyria en Mesoamérica.

     

A new species ofLentinula (Agaricales) from Central America

Lentinula aciculospora sp. nov. is described from a single Province in Costa Rica. Stature and habit of basidiomata of this species are similar to some otherLentinula taxa (i.e.L. edodes), but the elongate-cylindrical shape of basidiospores is a distinctive character ofL. aciculospora. The mating system ofL. aciculospora is tetrapolar as also found in other species of the genus, but this species is genetically isolated fromL. boryana, and all morphological variants ofL. edodes.     

A new section of Protium from the neotropics. Studies in neotropical Burseraceae XIII

Protium sectionPepeanthos, a neotropical group of nine species ranging from Costa Rica to the southern perimeter of Amazonia, is described, as are the group's five new species:P. calendulinum, P. gallosum, P. pecuniosum, P. retusum, andP. urophyllidium. Keys are provided to flowering and to fruiting material. The new section is characterized by a milky resin; lateral leaflet pulvinuli inconspicuous or absent; style short-branched and the stigmas caudiculate and spiculate; and the cotyledons plano-convex.     

Addendum to the checklist of the helminth parasites of vertebrates in Costa Rica

In this work, we present an addendum to the "Checklist of the helminth parasites of vertebrates in Costa Rica" with a parasite-host list as well as a host-parasite list. This addendum updates the available information on this group of parasites in Costa Rica, since very recently a new input has been made to describe the helminth fauna of vertebrates, particularly at the Area de Conservación de Guanacaste. In this paper, we add 33 records, representing 23 species. This raises the number of helminth species described in vertebrates from Costa Rica to 325, represented by 89 species of digeneans, 23 of monogeneans. 63 of cestodes, 13 of acanthocephalans, and 137 of nematodes. In total, 133 species of vertebrates have been studied for helminths in Costa Rica (31 species of fishes. 7 amphibians, 18 reptiles, 40 birds, and 37 mammals). Currently, 67 species (20.6 %) have been recorded as new species from Costa Rica and most of them are endemic to particular regions. The Colecci6n de Helmintos de Costa Rica, housed at the Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR), San José, is the depositary of only 23% of the species recorded so far; however this situation is changing and people recognizes.     

Distribution and diversity of begomoviruses in tomato and sweet pepper plants in Costa Rica

Begomoviruses (genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae) have emerged as important plant pathogens in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Although these viruses were reported during the 1970s in Costa Rica, they are still poorly known. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyse the diversity and distribution of begomoviruses in commercial tomato and sweet pepper fields from different agricultural production systems of the major growing regions of Costa Rica. A total of 651 plants were randomly sampled from greenhouses and open field crops during 2011 and 2012 in three different geographical locations. The bipartite begomoviruses Tomato yellow mottle virus, Tomato leaf curl Sinaloa virus and Pepper golden mosaic virus, and the monopartite begomovirus Tomato yellow leaf curl virus were detected in the collected samples. The complete genome of isolates from each species was cloned and sequenced. The frequency of detection of these four begomoviruses in the analysed samples ranged from 0 to 9%, the presence, and the prevalent virus varied largely according to the geographical location, the host (tomato and pepper), and the production system (greenhouses or open fields). An association between geographical region and begomovirus species was observed suggesting that in Costa Rica the heterogeneity on climate, topography and agricultural system might influence the distribution of begomovirus species in the country. A broader survey needs to be conducted to confirm it, although these preliminary results may contribute to the management of begomoviruses in Costa Rica.     

Diversity of the free-living marine and freshwater Copepoda (Crustacea) in Costa Rica: a review

The studies on marine copepods of Costa Rica started in the 1990’s and focused on the largest coastal-estuarine systems in the country, particularly along the Pacific coast. Diversity is widely variable among these systems: 40 species have been recorded in the Culebra Bay influenced by upwelling, northern Pacific coast, only 12 in the Gulf of Nicoya estuarine system, and 38 in Golfo Dulce, an anoxic basin in the southern Pacific coast of the country. Freshwater environments of Costa Rica are known to harbor a moderate diversity of continental copepods (25 species), which includes 6 calanoids, 17 cyclopoids and only two harpacticoids. Of the +100 freshwater species recorded in Central America, six are known only from Costa Rica, and one appears to be endemic to this country. The freshwater copepod fauna of Costa Rica is clearly the best known in Central America. Overall, six of the 10 orders of Copepoda are reported from Costa Rica. A previous summary by 2001 of the free-living copepod diversity in the country included 80 marine species (67 pelagic, 13 benthic). By 2009, the number of marine species increased to 209: 164 from the Pacific (49% of the copepod fauna from the Eastern Tropical Pacific) and 45 from the Caribbean coast (8% of species known from the Caribbean Basin). Both the Caribbean and Pacific species lists are growing. Additional collections of copepods at Cocos Island, an oceanic island 530 km away of the Pacific coast, have revealed many new records, including five new marine species from Costa Rica. Currently, the known diversity of marine copepods of Costa Rica is still in development and represents up to 52.6% of the total marine microcrustaceans recorded in the country. Future sampling and taxonomic efforts in the marine habitats should emphasize oceanic environments including deep waters but also littoral communities. Several Costa Rican records of freshwater copepods are likely to represent undescribed species. Also, the biogeographic relevance of the inland copepod fauna of Costa Rica requires more detailed surveys.     

Reports in Pteridaceae (Filacales) family in the Neotropics

Several contributions to the Neotropical pteridophyte flora are made in this paper with the range extensions for four species of Adiantum, two species of Doryopteris and one species of Eriosorus. The species concerned are: A. polyphyllum Willd. for Nicaragua and Costa Rica; A. trichochlaenum Mickel et Beitel for Guatemala and Costa Rica; A. villosissimum Mett. ex Kuhn for Costa Rica; A. wilesianum Hook. for Nicaragua; D. nobilis (T. Moore) C. Chr. for Costa Rica, Colombia and Venezuela; D. redivida Fée for Panama; and E. hirtus (Kunth) Copel. for Costa Rica. The concept of D. pedata (L.) Fée is redefined.     

Checklist of the helminth parasites of vertebrates in Costa Rica

Helminth parasites of vertebrates have been studied in Costa Rica for more than 50 years. Survey work on this group of parasites is far from complete. We assembled a database with all the records of helminth parasites of wild and domestic vertebrates in Costa Rica. Information was obtained from different sources such as literature search (all published accounts) and parasite collections. Here we present a checklist with a parasite-host list as well as a host-parasite list. Up to now, 303 species have been recorded, including 81 species of digeneans, 23 monogeneans, 63 cestodes, 12 acanthocephalans, and 124 nematodes. In total, 108 species of vertebrates have been studied for helminths in Costa Rica (31 species of fishes, 7 amphibians, 14 reptiles, 20 birds, and 36 mammals). This represents only 3.8% of the vertebrate fauna of Costa Rica since about 2,855 species of vertebrates occur in the country. Interestingly, 58 species (19.1 %) were recorded as new species from Costa Rica and most of them are endemic to particular regions. Considering the valuable information that parasites provide because it is synergistic with all the information about the natural history of the hosts, helminth parasites of vertebrates in Costa Rica should be considered within any initiatives to accomplish the national inventory of biological resources. Starting with this compilation work, the Colección de Helmintos de Costa Rica (CHCR), hosted at the Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, has re-emerged and it is our hope that it will have the standards of quality to assure that it will become the national depository of helminths in the country.     

Tylopilus alkalixanthus, a new species of Boletaceae from Costa Rica and Japan

Tylopilus alkalixanthus is described from the Cordillera Talamanca of Costa Rica. At the present time it is known only from Costa Rica and Japan.     

Development of microsatellite markers for the white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa C.F. Gaertn., Combretaceae)

We developed nine new microsatellite markers for the white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa C.F. Gaertn.), a mangrove species widely distributed in the Western Hemisphere. The loci were developed from a sample collected in Baja California Sur, Mexico, and were screened for polymorphism in 108 individuals from the Pacific Coast of Mexico and Costa Rica. The level of polymorphism was relatively low, from two to four alleles. These are the first set of polymorphic markers described for L. racemosa and should be of value in studying regional genetic differentiation among natural populations of this species.