Cryptic diversity among the achaetous Marionina (Annelida,Clitellata, Enchytraeidae)

This study investigates the diversity and taxonomy of a mainly marine group of species lacking chaetae currently assigned to the genus Marionina. This achaetous group includes four nominal species: M. achaeta (Hagen, 1954 Hagen, G. 1954. Michaelsena achaeta nov. sp., ein neuer mariner Oligochaet aus der Kieler Bucht. Faunistische Mitteilungen aus Norddeutschland, 1: 12–13.  [Google Scholar]), M. achaeta sensu Lasserre, 1964 Lasserre, P. 1964. Notes sur quelques oligochètes Enchytraeidae présents dans les plages du Bassin d’Arcachon. Procés-Verbaux des Séances de la Société Linnéenne de Bordeaux, 101: 87–91.  [Google Scholar], M. nevisensis Righi & Kanner, 1979 Righi, G. and Kanner, E. 1979. Marine Oligochaeta (Tubificidae and Enchytraeidae) from the Caribbean Sea. Studies of the Fauna of Curaçao and other Caribbean Islands, 58: 44–68.  [Google Scholar] and M. arenaria Healy, 1979 Healy, B. 1979a. Marine fauna of County Wexford. 1 – Littoral and brackishwater Oligochaeta. The Irish Naturalists' Journal, 19: 418–422.  [Google Scholar]. As Lasserre's (1964 Lasserre, P. 1964. Notes sur quelques oligochètes Enchytraeidae présents dans les plages du Bassin d’Arcachon. Procés-Verbaux des Séances de la Société Linnéenne de Bordeaux, 101: 87–91.  [Google Scholar]) M. achaeta appears to be morphologically different from its (then) senior homonym M. achaeta (Hagen, 1954 Hagen, G. 1954. Michaelsena achaeta nov. sp., ein neuer mariner Oligochaet aus der Kieler Bucht. Faunistische Mitteilungen aus Norddeutschland, 1: 12–13.  [Google Scholar]), the replacement name M. nothachaeta nom. nov. is proposed for it. We studied the genetic and morphological diversity of achaetous specimens of Marionina collected in Florida, the Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia, Sweden, England and the Bahamas. The collection localities are almost all supralittoral and often brackish-water habitats. Parts of the mitochondrial genes 12S, 16S, COI and the nuclear genes 18S, 28S and ITS were analysed to assess the genetic variation and phylogeny of the achaetous Marionina species. The molecular data reveal one monophyletic group of 11 separately evolving lineages, and between these lineages, K2P distances in the barcoding gene COI vary between 5.4 and 25.0%. On a morphological basis, the lineages could be assigned to seven different groups (morphotypes), of which only two could be identified as described nominal taxa: M. nevisensis s. lat. (several lineages) and M. nothachaeta. Since the former taxon appears to be a complex of cryptic species around the world and the original type material no longer exists, a neotype from the Caribbean was designated for M. nevisensis s. str. The remaining achaetous lineages represent five morphologically distinct species that are left unnamed, awaiting finer morphological scrutiny and detailed comparisons with new collections of M. achaeta and M. arenaria. Summing up, the group of achaetous Marionina now seems to contain up to 13 different species, seven of which are yet to be formally described and named.     

New species of Euptyctima (Acari,Oribatida) from New Zealand

Abstract

Oribotritia contortula n. sp., O. contraria n. sp., O. teretis n. sp., Rhysotritia bifurcata n. sp., Microtritia contraria n. sp., M. glabrata n. sp., Hoplophthiracarus bisulcus n. sp., Austrophthiracarus pulchellus n. sp., and Notophthiracarus claviger n. sp. are described from New Zealand.

The genera of Oribotritia Jacot, Rhysotritia Märkel & Meyer, Hoplophthiracarus Jacot, and Austrophthiracarus Balogh & Mahunka are new records for New Zealand.     

New species of the genus Cyamops Melander from New Zealand (Diptera, Periscelididae, Stenomicrinae)

Two new species of the genus Cyamops (Diptera: Periscelididae), the first from New Zealand, are described. The two newly described species are: Cyamops alessandrae and Cyamops crosbyi. A key to the genera of the subfamily Stenomicrinae and to the species of Cyamops from the Australasian/Oceanian Region and detailed illustrations of structures of the male terminalia are provided.     

Propappidae and aquatic Enchytraeidae (Oligochaeta) from the farthest southeast of Russia

Two mountain streams north and northeast of Vladivostok were studied in 1983–1984. In the Komarovka Stream, a great variety of Mesenchytraeus occurred in the spring zone, among them M. crenobius sp. n. with giant setae in the ventral bundles of VI–VIII and M. vshivkovae sp. n. with numerous spermathecal diverticula. In the stream zone of the Frolovka Stream Cernosvitoviella pensau sp. n., characterized by a complicated penial bulb and a very long spermathecal ampulla, was the dominant oligochaete. Propappus arhynchotus Sokolskaya was the second most abundant oligochaete in this stream. It proved to be a true member of this genus and not synonymous with any other species. These are the first records of aquatic enchytraeids for the Primorski Region of Russia.     

Chilocoris neozealandicus,a new species of burrowing bug from New Zealand (Heteroptera: Cydnidae)

Abstract

The Old World cydnid genus Chilocoris Mayr is recorded from the Australasian region for the first time. A key is provided separating Chilocoris from Centrostephus Horvath and Parachilocoris Horvath. A new species, Chilocoris neozealandicus, is described from New Zealand, along with habitus drawing and illustrations of diagnostic characters.     

Population dynamics and energy budget of Marionina southerni (Cernosvitov) (Enchytraeidae,Oligochaeta) in the shallow littoral of Lake Esrom,Denmark

Marionina southerni (Cernosvitov) was numerically the dominant oligochaete in a shallow, strongly exposed surf zone locality (0–1 m depth) in the mesotrophic Lake Esrom. It comprised 21,500 ind m^–2 or nearly 50% of the total oligochaete community, which otherwise was dominated by Nais spp. and the lumbriculid Stylodrilus heringianus Claparède. M. southerni appears to have a 1-y life cycle. Individual biomass ranged from 3 to 48 µg ash free dry weight. Annual net production at the site was 5.1 kcal m^–2 (size-frequency method) with a P/B ratio of 2.5. This is about 0.5% of the estimated mean zoobenthic production in the littoral zone from 0 to 2 m depth in Lake Esrom. At 5° C M. southerni showed a constant oxygen uptake down to 25% oxygen saturation, but practically no regulatory respiration was found at 20 °C. In the field M. southerni was never found in sediment with less than 60% oxygen saturation. The annual community respiration of M. southerni was 14.2 kcal m^–2, and annual assimilation thus made up 19.3 kcal m^–2 with a net production efficiency of 26.5%.     

Porphyra lilliputiana sp. nov. (Bangiales, Rhodophyta): A diminutive New Zealand endemic with novel reproductive biology

A new species of Porphyra, Porphyra lilliputiana, is described for the New Zealand region. This species is very small ([5] 10–20 [35] mm) and is found growing epiphytically, epilithically and epizoically on upper inter-tidal shores of moderate exposure. Field-collected material of P. lilliputiana possessed archeosporangia, endosporangia, spermatangia and zygotosporangia. In culture, archeospores vi/ere released and germinated to form thalli. Endosporangia either developed directly into thalli or released endospores which individually formed thalli. Zygotospores developed into the concho-celis phase, which formed conchosporangia. Released conchospores formed thalli. This species is distinguished by its small size, arrangement of reproductive cells, occurrence of endosporangia, dentate margin and habitat.     

First reports of Grania (Clitellata: Enchytraeidae) from Africa and South America: molecular phylogeny and descriptions of nine new species

In this article, our knowledge of the geographic distribution of Grania species is expanded by describing seven new species, G rania bekkouchei sp. nov. , G rania brasiliensis sp. nov. , G rania capensis sp. nov. , G rania chilensis sp. nov. , G rania cryptica sp. nov. , G rania hinojosai sp. nov. , and G rania simonae sp. nov. , from poorly investigated regions of the Southern Hemisphere, plus two new species, G rania carolinensis sp. nov. and G rania unitheca sp. nov. , from off the east coast of the USA. An immature achaetous specimen that we call Grania cf. levis was also included. The newly generated data were combined with a previously published data set in order to update the hypothesis of phylogenetic relationships among Grania species. All new species except G . cryptica sp. nov. are supported by both morphological and molecular data. In addition, we find that G . chilensis sp. nov. is structured in at least four distinct populations along the Chilean coast. The species described from South Africa form a monophyletic clade where two are morphologically indistinguishable but diverging in both mitochondrial and nuclear ribosomal genes, and thus we describe them as different species, G . bekkouchei sp. nov. and G . cryptica sp. nov. Among the North Carolinian species, G . unitheca sp. nov. is indicated as a close relative of Grania monospermatheca Erséus & Lasserre, 1976, and G . carolinensis sp. nov. is indicated as a close relative of G. cf. levis. The updated phylogeny is strongly concordant with geographical species distributions, thus supporting a low level of dispersal within this genus, as has previously been hypothesized. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London     

Ultrastructure of the body wall of three species of Grania (Annelida: Clitellata: Enchytraeidae)

De Wit P., Erséus C. and Gustavsson L.M. 2011. Ultrastructure of the body wall of three species of Grania (Annelida: Clitellata: Enchytraeidae). —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 92 : 1–11. The body wall of three species of Grania, including the cuticle, epidermis and the musculature, are studied using TEM. The cuticle is similar to previously studied enchytraeids, with an orthogonal grid pattern of collagen fibers. This pattern is also seen in Crassiclitellata, which has been suggested as the sister taxon of Enchytraeidae. Variation of epicuticular and fiber zone patterns seen in Naididae (formerly Tubificidae and Naididae) seem to be lacking in Enchytraeidae. The fiber thickness, however, varies between Grania species and may be a phylogenetically informative character. The epidermis consists of supporting cells, secretory cells and sensory cells. Basal cells, typical for Crassiclitellata, were not observed. The clitellum of Grania seems to consist of two types of gland cells, which develop from regular epidermal tissue. It is possible that more cell types exist in different regions of the clitellum, however. The body wall musculature is arranged somewhat differently from that of closely related taxa; this refers to the reduction of circular and outer, triangular longitudinal muscle fibers, while the inner, ribbon‐shaped longitudinal muscle fibers are well‐developed. A search was conducted for the cause of the peculiar green coloration of Grania galbina De Wit and Erséus 2007, and it was concluded that neither cyanobacteria nor epidermal pigment granules were present in the fixed material.     

Taphonomy and systematics of a new Late Cretaceous verrucid barnacle (Cirripedia,Thoracica) from Canterbury,New Zealand

Abstract: Cirripede remains (Thoracica, Verrucomorpha), found associated with the mosasaur Prognathodon waiparaensis  Welles and Gregg, 1971 in glauconitic sands of the Late Cretaceous Conway Formation exposed along the Waipara River bank (mid‐Canterbury, New Zealand), are identified as a new species, Verruca sauria sp. nov. On the basis of taphonomy, it is deduced that these verrucids grew on a postmortem accumulation of mosasaur bones under very quiescent conditions. The current amphitropical distribution of the earliest known verrucids, i.e. V. sauria sp. nov., V. prisca  Bosquet, 1854 , V. pusilla  Bosquet, 1857 and V. tasmanica  Buckeridge, 1983 , is rationalized in the light of Tethyan palaeogeography.     

Stratigraphy of the fossil Chironomidae (Diptera) from Lake Grasmere,South Island,New Zealand,during the last 6000 years

The fossil chironomid fauna of a 3.26 m long sediment core from Lake Grasmere has been analysed. The fossil chironomid taxa belong mainly to the subgroups Tanytarsini, Orthocladiinae, Chironomini, and Tanyphodinae. Heptagyini and Podonominae were not common. Tanytarsini were the dominant component of the fauna with Corynocera sp. as the most abundant species during pre-Polynesian times (before 1000 yr BP). The abundance and the composition of the fossil chironomid taxa have fluctuated markedly over the last 6000 years. These fluctuations could be partly correlated with changes in the stratigraphy of the sediments in the core. Layers of highly minerogenic sediment contained the lowest numbers of remains whereas high abundances were found in the sections of the core with the greatest proportion of organic matter. It is suggested that major shifts in the structure of the chironomid community have been mainly caused by changes in the hydrology and inflows of the lake, and the rate and type of sedimentation, in addition to variations in lake productivity.     

Three new chironomids (Diptera: Chironomidae) from the New Zealand seashore

The adults of Telmatogeton mortoni n.sp. (Clunioninae) and Smittia reinga n.sp. and Smittia whangaroa n.sp. (Orthocladiinae), from the northern New Zealand seashore, are described and figured.     

Praealbonemertes whangateaunienses n. gen. and n. sp., a new heteronemertean from New Zealand

Abstract

A new genus and species of heteronemertean, Praealbonemertes whangateaunienses n. gen. and n. sp., is described and illustrated. The species is characterised by inter alia a cephalic lacuna with strands of longitudinal muscle fibres, a proboscis with three muscle layers, and a well-developed muscle plate dorsal to the foregut and anterior intestine. The material was collected in New Zealand.     

Two species of adventive weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from Europe,hitherto unrecorded from New Zealand

Two curculionid weevils, Orthochaetes setiger (Beck, 1817) and Exomias pellucidus (Boheman, 1834) are recorded in New Zealand for the first time. The former has a wide distribution through the eastern South Island, while the latter has so far only been located in a single suburban garden in Dunedin. Both species are polyphagous and flightless. Although neither is expected to cause notable economic damage, their potential to invade native ecosystems makes them worthy of further investigation.     

Cephaloziella tahora Bever. & Glenny,a new species of Cephaloziella (Jungermanniopsida,Cephaloziellaceae) from eastern Taranaki,New Zealand

Cephaloziella tahora, a new species of Cephaloziella is described and illustrated from a lowland forest habitat in eastern Taranaki in the North Island of New Zealand. It has similarities to six other New Zealand species of Cephaloziella, and appears closest in New Zealand to Cephaloziella aenigmatica R.M.Schust. It is defined by a unique combination of features and distinguished from C. aenigmatica and other New Zealand species by having entire, distant leaves that reach the dorsal stem mid-line, and have large conspicuous hemispherical and hemi-ellipsoidal papillae, underleaves on gemmiparous and gynoecial shoots, and by its dioecy. The addition brings the number of New Zealand species of Cephaloziella to 18, 12 of which are endemic to New Zealand.     

Species of the genus Crotonia (Acari: Cryptostigmata) from New Zealand

Five new species of Crotonia from New Zealand ( C. cervicorna, C. cupulata, C. longibulbula, C. tuberculata and C. reticulata ) are described as new, and two species ( C. cophinana (Michael 1908) and C. caudatis (Hammer 1966)) are redescribed. Five species groups of the genus are characterized and a key to the adequately described species of the world is presented.     

New species of Pachycotes Sharp and Xylechinus Chapuis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae,Tomicini) from New Caledonian Araucaria spp. (Coniferales: Araucariaceae)

Abstract

Three new bark beetle species, Pachycotes grandis sp. n., P. engelsi sp. n., and Xylechinus araucariae sp. n. (Curculionidae, Scolytinae, Tomicini), are described and illustrated. Brief notes on their life histories are given. The beetles were collected from dead branches and logs of Araucaria laubenfelsii and A. muelleri trees in New Caledonia. In addition, a key for all nine known Pachycotes species (P. araucariae Schedl, P. australis Schedl, P. clavatus Schedl, P. grandis sp. n., P. engelsi sp. n., P. kuscheli Schedl, P. minor Wood, P. peregrinus (Chapuis), and P. villosus Schedl) is presented.