Revision of the Afrotropical Phaeogenini (Ichneumonidae,Ichneumoninae), with description of a new genus and?twelve new species

We revise the 10 genera and 23 species of the tribe Phaeogenini (Ichneumonidae: Ichneumoninae) known to occur in the Afrotropical region. We describe the following 13 new taxa: Kibalus Rousse, van Noort & Diller, gen. n.; K. toro Rousse, van Noort & Diller, sp. n.; K. mubfs Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; Arearia oxymoron Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; Chauvinia nyanga Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; Dicaelotus asantesana Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; D. hoerikwaggoensis Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; D. tablemountainensis Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; Heterischnus mfongosi Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; H. mkomazi Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; Lusius flummox Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; Tycherus amatola Rousse & van Noort, sp. n.; and T. nardousberg Rousse & van Noort, sp. n. New distribution records: Heterischnus africanus (Heinrich, 1936) from South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda; H. krausi Schönitzer, 1999 from Rwanda; Lusius tenuissimus (Heinrich, 1938) from Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. A doubtful record of Aethecerus foveolatus Gregor, 1940 from Sao Tome is additionaly reported in the appendix. We provide illustrated diagnoses and identification notes. Online interactive dichotomous and matrix Lucid keys to genera and species are available at http://www.waspweb.org.     

Afrotropical Cynipoidea (Hymenoptera)

The Afrotropical Cynipoidea are represented by 306 described species and 54 genera in four families: Cynipidae, Figitidae, Liopteridae and Ibaliidae, the latter represented by a single introduced species. Seven of these genera are only represented by undescribed species in the region. Seven new genus-level synonymies, one genus resurrected from synonymy, 54 new combinations, one combination reinstated, and one new replacement name are presented. We provide identification keys to the families, subfamilies and genera of cynipoid wasps occurring in the Afrotropical region (Africa south of the Sahara, including Madagascar and southern Arabian Peninsula). Online interactive Lucid Phoenix and Lucid matrix keys are available at: http://www.waspweb.org/Cynipoidea/Keys/index.htm. An overview of the biology and checklists of species for each genus are provided. This paper constitutes the first contributory chapter to the book on Afrotropical Hymenoptera.     

Taxonomic revision of Ectyphus Gerstaecker, 1868 and Parectyphus Hesse, 1972 with a key to world Ectyphinae (Insecta, Diptera, Mydidae)

The Afrotropical Mydidae genera Ectyphus Gerstaecker, 1868 and Parectyphus Hesse, 1972 are revised. Six species of Ectyphus are recognised (Ectyphus abdominalis Bezzi, 1924, Ectyphus armipes Bezzi, 1924, Ectyphus capillatus Hesse, 1969, Ectyphus pinguis Gerstaecker, 1868, and Ectyphus pretoriensis Bezzi, 1924), of which one is newly described from Kenya, Ectyphus amboselisp. n. Two species, Ectyphus bitaeniatus Hesse, 1969 and Ectyphus flavidorsalis Hesse, 1969, are newly synonymised with Ectyphus pinguis. The monotypic genus Parectyphus Hesse, 1972 and the male of its type species Parectyphus namibiensis Hesse, 1972 are re-described while the female is described for the first time. Comments on the distribution of all species within biodiversity hotspots are given. A dichotomous identification key to the genera and species of world Ectyphinae is provided and illustrated keys to the world Ectyphinae are made available online in both dichotomous and multi-access, matrix-based formats.     

New Afrotropical species belonging to genera never recorded before for the Afrotropical fauna (Diptera: Tachinidae)

Five remarkable new Afrotropical species belonging to four Old World genera never recorded before for the Afrotropical region (Neophryxe, Calliethilla, Metadrinomyia, Pseudalsomyia) are described and compared with congeners. Existing keys to tropical African tachinid genera are implemented. A brief discussion on the apomorphic support to each genus is provided.     

Systematics of Australian Thrasorinae (Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea, Figitidae) with descriptions of Mikeiinae, new subfamily, two new genera, and three new species

The Australian Thrasorinae are revised and Mikeius is transferred to Mikeiinae Paretas-Martínez & Pujade-Villar, subfam. n., and Mikeius clavatus Pujade-Villar & Restrepo-Ortiz, sp. n., is described. Two new genera of Thrasorinae are erected: Cicatrix Paretas-Martínez, gen. n., including Cicatrix pilosiscutum(Girault), comb. n. from Amblynotus, Cicatrix schauffi (Buffington), comb. n. from Mikeius, and Cicatrix neumannoides Paretas-Martínez & Restrepo-Ortiz, sp. n.; and Palmiriella Pujade-Villar & Paretas-Martínez, gen. n., including Palmiriella neumanni (Buffington), comb. n. from Mikeius, Thrasorus rieki Paretas-Martínez & Pujade-Villar, sp. n., is also described. A phylogenetic analysis of 176 morphological and biological characters, including all these new taxa and all genera previously included in Thrasorinae, was conducted. All subfamilies were recovered as monophyletic, with the following relationships: Parnipinae (Euceroptrinae (Mikeiinae (Plectocynipinae (Thrasorinae)))). A worldwide key to the subfamilies of Figitidae is provided that includes the new subfamily, as well as a key to genera Thrasorinae.     

DNA Barcoding to Improve the Taxonomy of the Afrotropical Hoverflies (Insecta: Diptera: Syrphidae)

The identification of Afrotropical hoverflies is very difficult because of limited recent taxonomic revisions and the lack of comprehensive identification keys. In order to assist in their identification, and to improve the taxonomy of this group, we constructed a reference dataset of 513 COI barcodes of 90 of the more common nominal species from Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria (W Africa) and added ten publically available COI barcodes from nine nominal Afrotropical species to this (total: 523 COI barcodes; 98 nominal species; 26 genera). The identification accuracy of this dataset was evaluated with three methods (K2P distance-based, Neighbor-Joining (NJ) / Maximum Likelihood (ML) analysis, and using SpeciesIdentifier). Results of the three methods were highly congruent and showed a high identification success. Nine species pairs showed a low (< 0.03) mean interspecific K2P distance that resulted in several incorrect identifications. A high (> 0.03) maximum intraspecific K2P distance was observed in eight species and barcodes of these species not always formed single clusters in the NJ / ML analayses which may indicate the occurrence of cryptic species. Optimal K2P thresholds to differentiate intra- from interspecific K2P divergence were highly different among the three subfamilies (Eristalinae: 0.037, Syrphinae: 0.06, Microdontinae: 0.007–0.02), and among the different general suggesting that optimal thresholds are better defined at the genus level. In addition to providing an alternative identification tool, our study indicates that DNA barcoding improves the taxonomy of Afrotropical hoverflies by selecting (groups of) taxa that deserve further taxonomic study, and by attributing the unknown sex to species for which only one of the sexes is known.     

Review of Afrotropical Figitinae (Figitidae,Cynipoidea, Hymenoptera) with the first records of Neralsia and Lonchidia for the region

The cynipoid subfamily Figitinae is poorly represented in the Afrotropical region with two genera (Figites Latreille and Xyalophora Kieffer) and six species currently known. Here we record an additional two genera (Neralsia Cameron and Lonchidia Thomson) for the region and describe three new species: Neralsia haddocki sp. n.; Xyalophora tedjoansi sp. n.; Xyalophora tintini sp. n. Benoit’s species described in 1956 are synonymized under Figites aciculatus (Benoit, 1956): Figites effossus syn. n.; Figites favonius syn. n.; Figites furvus syn. n.; Figites fraudator syn. n. Identification keys to the figitine genera and species occurring in the Afrotropical region are provided. Online interactive Lucid Phoenix and Lucid matrix keys are available at: http://www.waspweb.org/Cynipoidea/Keys/index.htm     

Rhagodiinae: A new subtribe in the Chenopodiaceae

A new subtribe, Rhagodiinae, is described in the tribe Chenopodieae of the Chenopodiaceae. Three genera are included in this new subtribe: Rhagodia with 8 species, Einadia with 3 species, and Holmbergia with a single species. All the species are fully described and keys to the genera and species are given. Four new combinations are proposed: Rhagodia deltophylla, Einadia nutans, Einadia hastata and Einadia triandra.     

Global diversity of water mites (Acari,Hydrachnidia; Arachnida) in freshwater

The Hydrachnidia (water mites) represent the most important group of the Arachnida in fresh water. Over 6,000 species have been described worldwide, representing 57 families, 81 subfamilies and more than 400 genera. The article analyzes extant water mite diversity and biogeography. Data on distribution and species richness of water mites are substantial but still far from complete. Many parts of the world are poorly investigated, Oriental and Afrotropical regions in particular. Moreover, information among different freshwater habitats is unbalanced with springs and interstitial waters disproportionately unrepresented. Therefore, more than 10,000 species could be reasonably expected to occur in inland waters worldwide. Based on available information, the Palaearctic region represents one of the better investigated areas with the highest number of species recorded (1,642 species). More than 1,000 species have been recorded in each of the Neotropical (1,305 species) and Nearctic regions (1,025 species). Known species richness is lower in Afrotropical (787 species) and Australasian (694 species) regions, and lowest in the Oriental region (554 species). The total number of genera is not correlated with species richness and is distinctly higher in the Neotropical (164 genera); genus richness is similar in the Palaearctic, Nearctic and Australasian regions (128–131 genera) and is lower in the Afrotropical and Oriental regions with 110 and 94 genera, respectively. A mean number of about three genera per family occur in the Palaeartic, Nearctic and Oriental while an average of more than four genera characterizes the families of Australasian and Afrotropical regions and more than five genera those of the Neotropical. Australasian fauna is also characterized by the highest percentage of endemic genera (62%), followed by Neotropical (50.6%) and Afrotropical (47.2%) regions. Lower values are recorded for the Palaearctic (26.9%), Oriental (24.4%) and Nearctic (21.4%). The Palaearctic and Nearctic have the highest faunistic similarity, some minor affinities are also evident for the generic diversification of Holarctic and Oriental families. The faunas of Southern Hemisphere bioregions are more distinct and characterized by the presence of ancient Gondwanan clades with a regional diversification particularly evident in the Neotropics and Australasia. This scenario of water mite diversity and distribution reflect the basic vicariance pattern, isolation, phylogenetic diversification, recent climatic vicissitudes and episodes of dispersal between adjacent land masses together with extant ecological factors can be evoked to explain distribution patterns at a global scale. Guest editors: E. V. Balian, C. Lévêque, H. Segers & K. Martens Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment     

青海湖莎草科植物的研究

青海湖位于青藏高原东北部,海拔约3100米,面积4635平方公里,大最水深28.70米,是我国最大的内陆高原湖泊。湖区气候干燥,水位持续下降,分离出几个子湖。母子湖长期隔离,水质有了明显不同,对水生植物生长发育和种间差异产生重要影响。现有莎草科植物共3属11种,其中有8种是新发现的特有种,例如:Eleocharis qinghaiensis;E.glabella;E.penchaoi;E.kuoi;E.paradoxa;E.erhaiensis;E.callosa;E.abnorma.本文还对该湖的莎草科植物分布及生长发育特点等进行初步探讨。     

Two new genera of Nanophyidae with six desmomeres (Coleoptera, Curculionoidea)

A new genus Lyalia is described in Nanophyidae and three species are included in it: Lyalia curvatasp. n. (Vietnam), Lyalia robusta (Pic, 1921), comb. n. (from Nanophyes) (Java, Bali, Laos) and Lyalia albolineata (Pajni & Bhateja, 1982), comb. n. (from Ctenomerus) (India: Assam). Ctenomerus lagerstroemiae G. A. K. Marshall, 1923 is a syn. n. of Lyalia robusta. Thus, the genus Ctenomerus Schoenherr, 1843 is restricted to the Afrotropical Realm. Kantohiagen. n. is erected for Kantohia taiwana (Kantoh & Kojima, 2009) (from Shiva) (Taiwan). A key to the Nanophyinae genera with six desmomeres is presented.     

Description,circumscription and phylogenetics of the new tribe Zaeucoilini (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Eucoilinae), including a description of a new genus

Abstract Neotropical eucoiline genera that have been included in and allied with the Zaeucoila genus group are redescribed. Following character analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction (25 taxa, 96 morphological characters, 1452 ribosomal and mitochondrial characters), this informal genus group was found to be monophyletic, and hence raised to formal recognition as a tribe of eucoilines, namely Zaeucoilini new tribe . Through phylogenetic reconstruction, Aegeseucoela Buffington was determined to be polyphyletic; the type species of Aegeseucoela, A. grenadensis (Ashmead), is transferred to Agrostocynips comb.n. ; the orphaned species, A. flavotincta (Kieffer), is transferred to Marthiella Buffington gen.n. , comb.n. Based on the examination of the holotype of Diranchis flavipes Ashmead, 1900 , this species is transferred to Rhabdeucoela comb.n. , where it is both a junior, subjective synonym of flavipes ( Ashmead, 1894 ) syn.n. and a junior, secondary homonym. Zaeucoilini contains the following genera: Agrostocynips Diaz, Dettmeria Borgmeier, Dicerataspis Ashmead, Lopheucoila Weld, Marthiella Buffington, Moneucoela Kieffer, Moritiella Buffington, Penteucoila Weld, Preseucoela Buffington, Rhabdeucoela Kieffer, Tropideucoila Ashmead and Zaeucoila Ashmead. Characters and character states applicable specifically to Zaeucoilini are defined and illustrated. Characters supporting the monophyly of each genus are discussed. The plesiomorphic host for members of the Zaeucoilini are postulated as agromyzid leaf‐mining Diptera, with one shift within the clade containing Dettmeria, Dicerataspis and Lopheucoila to fruit‐infesting Diptera. New host records are reported for species of Preseucoela, Rhabdeucoela and Zaeucoila. All known hosts for the species of each genus are reported, as are known distributions and locations of type specimens.     

Description of Phradonoma blabolili sp. n. (Coleoptera,Dermestidae, Megatominae), with notes on the dermestid beetles from Angola

Phradonoma blabolili sp. n. from Angola is described and illustrated. Key to the Afrotropical “Phradonoma nobile species group” to which the newly described species belongs, as well as key to genera of dermestid beetles occurring in Angola is given. List of all species of Dermestidae known to occur in Angola hitherto is provided.     

Deep-sea asellote isopods of the north-east Atlantic: the family Dendrotionidae and some new ectoparasitic copepods

A new species of Dendromunna and two new species of Dendrotion are described from abundant material collected in the Rockall Trough region of the north-east Atlantic. The taxonomy of the little known benthic deep-sea asellote isopod family Dendrotionidae is reviewed and keys provided for genera and species. Also diagnosed and described are two new species belonging to a new genus of siphonostomatoid copepod found as ectoparasites on the walking legs of the new Dendromunna. The new parasites belong in the Rhizorhina group of genera within the family Nicothoidae.     

中国长突飞虱亚科分类研究及一新种记述(同翅目,蜡蝉总科,飞虱科)

对我国长突飞虱亚科昆虫进行了系统整理,该亚科在中国迄今共记录了3个属:长头飞虱属Terauchiana Matsumura,1915(3种)、鞘茎飞虱属Preterkelisia Yang,1989(1种)和长突飞虱属Stenocranus Fieber,1866(20种).文中编制了分属分种检索表,记录了各属的主要特征、种类、分布及部分种类的寄主植物.记述采自我国贵州的长突飞虱属1新种,畸剌长突飞虱S.anomalus sp.nov.,绘制了新种的鉴别特征图.研究标本和模式标本保存在贵州大学昆虫研究所.     

A review of the genus Raveniola (Araneae, Nemesiidae) in China, with notes on allied genera and description of four new species from Yunnan

The Chinese representatives of Raveniola Zonstein, 1987 are currently recognized to comprise seven species. Four new species - Raveniola montanasp. n. (♂♀), Raveniola shangrilasp. n. (♂), Raveniola songisp. n. (♂) and Raveniola yunnanensissp. n. (♂) - are described from the highlands of Yunnan Province, China. According to some characters (shape of the palpus, palpal tibia and tibia I in males) they can be placed together with Raveniola hebeinica Zhu, Zhang & Zhang, 1999 and with Raveniola guangxi (Raven & Schwendinger, 1995), comb. n., transferred here from Sinopesa Raven & Schwendinger, 1995. The current generic position of Raveniola xizangensis (Hu & Li, 1987) is confirmed. Other Chinese nemesiids referred previously to Raveniola are transferred to Sinopesa: Sinopesa chinensis (Kulczyński, 1901), comb. n., Sinopesa sinensis (Zhu & Mao, 1983), comb. n. and Sinopesa chengbuensis (Xu & Yun, 2002), comb. n. The relationships between these Asian genera and their relations to Afrotropical nemesiids are discussed.