The erection of Leporidotaenia n. g. (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) for Anoplocephaloides spp. parasitising Leporidae (Lagomorpha)

Leporidotaenia n. g. is proposed for four cestode species parasitising Leporidae (Lagomorpha) which were previously considered as members of the genus Anoplocephaloides. The new genus is differentiated from Anoplocephaloides by the presence of a spinose covering on the tegument, the protrusible genital atrium, the massive cirrus-sac with highly developed musculature, the presence of a retractor muscle associated with the cirrus-sac, the posterior position of vaginal pore relative to the male orifice, the cirrus armed with long spines and its occurrence only in hosts of the family Leporidae (Lagomorpha). The genus includes: L. romerolagi (type-species), L. floresbarroetae, L. pseudowimerosa and L. wimerosa. the species (excluding L. floresbarroetae) are redescribed and figured and a differential key is presented. An attempt is made to explain the range of Leporidotaenia spp. in Central America and the western Palaearctic on the basis of the palaeozoogeography of rabbits and hares.     

Nanocnide zhejiangensis sp. nov. (Urticaceae: Urticeae) from Zhejiang Province,East China

Nanocnide zhejiangensis X.F. Jin & Y.F. Lu, a new species of Urticaceae from Zhejiang, east China, is described with illustrations. The new species is morphologically similar to Nanocnide japonica in having staminate inflorescence longer than leaves, but differs by having glabrous stems, petioles, peduncles and abaxial leaf surfaces, glabrous perianth lobes of staminate flowers, dorsally glabrous perianth lobes of pistillate flowers, and acuminate or solitary spinose–setaceous at the apex. Analysis based on ITS, atpF–H, atpB–rbcL and trnL–F sequences also demonstrate that Nanocnide japonica is the closest extant relative to the new species.     

Liparis rubescens sp. nov. (Orchidaceae) from Thailand

In the context of an ongoing revision of the orchid genus Liparis in Thailand, we describe and illustrate a new species under the name L. rubescens Tetsana, H. A. Pedersen & Sridith. Morphologically, it is particularly similar to L. dumaguetensis Ames from the Philippines, but it differs in the shape of the lateral sepals and in several characters of the labellum. Among the Liparis species already known from Thailand, L. atrosanguinea Ridl. bears a certain resemblance to the new species, but not so much as to make misidentifications likely. So far, L. rubescens is only known from Khao Nan National Park in the southern Thai province of Nakhon Si Thammarat, but we suggest that it should also be searched for in other parts of peninsular Thailand, southernmost Myanmar and Peninsular Malaysia.     

Leucocytozoon atkinsoni n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Leucocytozoidae) from the avian family Timaliidae

Investigators of haematozoa of the Timaliidae have reported the presence of two species of Leucocytozoon Berestneff, 1904, i.e. L. liothricis Laveran & Marullaz, 1914 and L. timaliae Bennett, Earlé & Pierce, 1993. Blood films collected from 42 wild-caught babblers in Madagascar were stained and examined for the presence of haematozoa using a compound microscope. To date, no species of avian haematozoa have been reported from babblers in Madagascar, although haematozoa have been observed. In the present study, we report a new species of Leucocytozoon, L. atkinsoni n. sp., whose morphometrics fall between those reported for the two previously described species from timaliids. The parasite is capped by the host cell nucleus covering 38% of its perimeter. L. atkinsoni n. sp. was found to have a marked, intensely staining, nucleolus as well as vacuoles in the parasite cytoplasm, in contrast to both L. liothricis and L. timaliae. Remnants of the host cell cytoplasm are commonly observed in cells infected with L. atkinsoni, a characteristic not reported in association with either of the previously described species from these hosts.     

Dendrocalamus parvigemma sp. nov. (Gramineae: Bambusoideae) from Vietnam

A new species of Dendrocalamus Nees from Vietnam, D. parvigemma N. H. Xia, V. T. Nguyen et V. L. Le, is described and illustrated. The new species is morphologically similar to D. latiflorus Munro and D. yunnanicus Hsueh & Li, from which it differs by having a very small and nearly circular culm bud, dense, 1.4–1.6 cm long, palea with bristles and apex split in 2, narrowly lanceolate ovary, and sheath ligule 5 mm heigh and irregularly serrulate.     

Lomatogonium cherukurianum sp. nov. (Gentianaceae) from Sikkim Himalaya

Populations of an unknown taxon of Lomatogonium A. Braun have been found during floristic surveys in the alpine pasture of north Sikkim, India. Comparison with morphologically similar taxa (Lomatogonium stapfii (Burkill) Harry Smith and L. longifolium Harry Smith) revealed that the new populations represent a species new to science, which is described as L. cherukurianum. Data on phenology, ecology and distribution of the new species is provided together with illustrations.     

Diplectanids infesting the gills of the barramundi Lates calcarifer (Bloch) (Perciformes: Centropomidae), with the proposal of Laticola n. g. (Monogenoidea: Diplectanidae)

Four species of the Monogenoidea, Laticola lingaoensis n. sp., L. latesi (Tripathi, 1957) n. comb. [previously Pseudorhabdosynochus latesi (Tripathi, 1957) Kritsky & Beverley-Burton, 1986], L. paralatesi (Nagibina, 1976) n. comb. [previously Diplectanum paralatesi Nagibina, 1976] and Diplectanum penangi Liang & Leong, 1991, are reported from the gills of Lates calcarifer (Centropomidae) from the South China Sea (new geographical records for L. latesi and D. penangi). Collections from off Bathurst Island, Northern Territory, Australia, represent a new geographic record for L. paralatesi; Chilka Lake, Orissa, India, is established as the type-locality for L. latesi. Laticola n. g. (Diplectanidae) is proposed for species with a spoon-shaped copulatory organ with two to four concentric incomplete ridges in the base. Laticola lingaoensis, the type-species of Laticola, is described, and L. latesi and L. paralatesi are redescribed based on specimens from the South China Sea. Pseudorhabdosynochus monosquamodiscusi Balasuriya & Leong, 1995 and Pseudorhabdosynochus yangjiangenesis Wu & Li, 2005 are considered junior subjective synonyms of L. latesi and L. paralatesi, respectively.     

Parietaria taiwania sp. nov. (Urticaceae) from Taiwan

A new species of Urticaceae, Parietaria taiwania C. L. Yeh & C. S. Leou is described and illustrated. The new species is related to P. micrantha Ledebour, but can be distinguished from it by being a perennial herb with climbing or pendulous stems, leaves that are sparsely pubescent on the adaxial side, unisexual flowers, male flowers without bracts and female flowers with a bract. This is the first record of a species of Parietaria in Taiwan.     

Lixus petiolicola n. sp. from Northeastern Turkey and Lixus furcatus Olivier: Comparative systematic and ecological study (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Lixinae)

Lixus petiolicola n. sp. is described from Northeastern Turkey. Ecological data and morphological characters are presented in comparison with closely related species Lixus furcatus Olivier from the Palaearctic subgenus Callistolixus Reitter. Host plant of the new species is Prangos sp. (Apiaceae). Female lays eggs in the petiole where immature stages then develop; one generation is produced per year. Lectotypes of Lixus sitta Sahlberg 1823; L. parallelus Boheman 1842; L. eversmanni Hochhuth 1847; L. ferulaginis Apfelbeck 1899, and L. furcatus longicollis Petri 1905 are designated. A new synonymy is established: L. furcatus Olivier 1807 [=L. eversmanni Hochhuth 1847, n. syn.]. The name of L. recurvus Olivier 1807 is resurrected, excluded from synonyms of L. furcatus and attributed to the L. iridis group.     

Lycium amarum sp. nov. (Solanaceae) from Xizang,supported from morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis

Lycium amarum sp. nov. L. Q. Huang is described based on its general morphology and pollen micromorphology, which were compared with closely related Lycium species. The phylogenetic relationships among the new species and closely related Lycium species belonging to the tribe Lycieae were investigated based on the DNA sequence data of the granule‐bound starch synthase (GBSSI) gene. Morphologically, L. amarum is similar to L. chinense Mill. sharing lanceolate or linear‐oblanceolate leaves, three‐lobed calyx, villous ring slightly above the filament base, and adjacent corolla tube, however, L. amarum may be diagnosed by its prominent tubercles at the base of spines, thinly leathery leaves, and a two‐tine crack on the tip of calyx lobes. According to our results, the new species is close to L. barbarum L., L. chinense, L. dasystemum Pojark, and L. yunnanense Kuang & Lu.     

Lagerstroemia menglaensis sp. nov. (Lythraceae) from Xishuangbanna,Yunnan Province,China

Lagerstroemia menglaensis C. H. Gu, M. C. Ji & D. D. Ma, a new species of Lythraceae from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China is described and illustrated. The morphological characteristics of the new species and two morphologically similar species (L. guilinensis and L. venusta) are compared, and a key to distinguish between them is provided.     

Limonium cedrorum sp. nov. (Plumbaginaceae) from Lebanon

Limonium cedrorum Domina & Ramondo, a new species belonging to the L. palmare aggr., is described and illustrated from the inland near Becharre (Lebanon). Its relationships with morphologically close taxa are discussed. Limonium cedrorum differs from L. sieberi and L. postii mainly by looser inflorescences and larger flowers. It differs from L. galilaeum by longer outer bract and longer scale below the first inflorescence branch, few sterile branches, thicker base of the inflorescence and denser spikes, and from L. graecum by the shape of the inflorescence, longer basal internodes and the shape of the calyx.     

Liparis guangxiensis sp. nov. (Malaxideae: Orchidaceae) from China

A new orchid species, Liparis guangxiensis C. L. Feng & X. H. Jin, is described and illustrated from Guangxi, China. It is a widespread epiphyte in the limestone region at elevations of 200–1400 m in tropical evergreen forest. Liparis guangxiensis is similar to L. rhombea sharing a similar habit, a bifid lip and a column without wings, but differs by having a compressed peduncle, lateral sepals forming in ‘V’ below the lip and an oblong lip with a callus at the base.     

Ligularia dalaolingensis sp. nov. (Asteraceae–Senecioneae) from central China

Ligularia dalaolingensis, a new species from Hubei and Hunan, China, is described and illustrated. It belongs to L. sect. Ligularia ser. Speciosae on the basis of its palmate leaf venation, racemose synflorescence and pappus which is slightly shorter than the tube of the tubular corolla. In the series, its closest relatives are assumed to be L. fischeri and L. stenocephala. From L. fischeri, L. dalaolingensis is readily distinguished by smaller basal leaves, shorter synflorescence, narrower involucres and fewer phyllaries and florets; from L. stenocephala, L. dalaolingensis differs by smaller basal leaves, shorter synflorescence as well as broader bracts. A diagnostic key to Chinese species of L. ser. Speciosae with broadly ovate, ovate or ovate‐lanceolate bracts is provided.     

FIVE NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS LEPTUS LATREILLE FROM MT. HUPINGSHAN OF HUNAN CHINA* (ACARI: ERYTHRAEIDAE)

Abstract This paper reports five new larval mite species belonging to the genus Leptus Latreille 1796, that is, L. hupingshunicus sp. nov., L. shimenensis sp. nov., L. brachypodos sp. nov., L. dolichopodos sp. nov., and L. sulciscutus sp. nov. All species were collected by using the Malaise Trap from Mt. Hupingshan, Shimen County, Hunan Province, China.     

Limnebius alibeii sp. n. (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae) from Morocco

Limnebius alibeii sp. n. is described from the Moroccan Atlas. The new species is closely related to L. fretalis Peyerimhoff, from which can be separated for its slightly smaller size and the structure of the aedeagus.