Radiation of the genus Dysdera (Araneae, Haplogynae, Dysderidae) in the Canary Islands: The western islands

The spider genus Dysdera has undergone an extraordinary species radiation in the Canary Islands. As a first step towards the recovery of the endemic species phylogeny and the study of the evolutionary processes underlying its diversification, an exhaustive taxonomical work is required. The present paper deals with the endemic species that inhabit the western Canaries: La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro. Four new species are described: Dysdera enghoffi sp. n., D. hirguan sp. n., D. orahan sp. n. and D. ramblae sp. n. Three new synonymies are reported: D. palmensis Schmidt, 1982 = D. crocota Koch, 1839, D. multipilosa Wunderlich, 1991 = D. levipes Wunderlich, 1987 and D. silvatica Schmidt, 1981 = D. rugichelis Simon, 1907. Four species are redescribed: D. calderensis Wunderlich, 1991 D. clavisetae Wunderlich, 1991 D. levipes Wunderlich, 1987 and D. rugichelis Simon, 1907 for which a neotype is designated. The presence on the western islands of the formerly described species D. insulana Simon, 1883, D. macra Simon, 1883 and D. nesiotes Simon, 1907 are considered to be doubtful. The citation of D. cribellata Simon, 1883 in La Palma (Simon, 1907) was based on a mis-identification. The species D. gomerensis Strand, 1911 is designated as a nomen dubium. Morphological affinities as well as ecology and distribution of the species are discussed.     

Radiation of the genus Dysdera (Araneae, Haplogynae, Dysderidae) in the Canary Islands: The island of Gran Canaria

This study continues studies on the taxonomy and distribution of Dysdera in the Canarian archipelago. Four new species are described: Dysdera andamanae sp. n., D. arabisenen sp. n., D. tibicena sp. n. and D. yguanirae sp. n. Four new synonymies are reported: D. bailadero Wunderlich, 1991 and D. pauciserae Wunderlich, 1991 = Dysdera iguanensis Wunderlich, 1987, D. tamadabaensis Wunderlich, 1991 = D. paucispinosa Wunderlich, 1991; D. sinuosa Wunderlich, 1994 = D. tilosensis Wunderlich, 1991. Six species are redescribed: D. bandamae Schmidt, 1973, D. iguanensis Wunderlich, 1987, D. insulana Simon, 1883, D. paucispinosa Wunderlich, 1991, D. tilosensis Wunderlich, 1991 and D. verneaui Simon, 1883; and neotypes are designated for D. insulana and D. verneaui . The presence of the following species in Gran Canaria is reported for the first time: D. iguanensis , formerly only collected on Tenerife, D. insulana , previously of doubtful location, and D. levipes , known from Tenenfe and La Gomera. Morphological affinities, ecology and distribution of the species are discussed.     

Distribution and evolution of the Anopheles punctulatus group (Diptera: Culicidae) in Australia and Papua New Guinea

The members of the Anopheles punctulatus group are major vectors of malaria and Bancroftian filariasis in the southwest Pacific region. The group is comprised of 12 cryptic species that require DNA-based tools for species identification. From 1984 to 1998 surveys were carried out in northern Australia, Papua New Guinea and on islands in the southwest Pacific to determine the distribution of the A. punctulatus group. The results of these surveys have now been completed and have generated distribution data from more than 1500 localities through this region. Within this region several climatic and geographical barriers were identified that restricted species distribution and gene flow between geographic populations. This information was further assessed in light of a molecular phylogeny derived from the ssrDNA (18S). Subsequently, hypotheses have been generated on the evolution and distribution of the group so that future field and laboratory studies may be approached more systematically. This study suggested that the ability for widespread dispersal was found to have appeared independently in species that show niche-specific habitat preference (Anopheles farauti s.s. and A. punctulatus) and conversely in species that showed diversity in their larval habitat (Anopheles farauti 2). Adaptation to the monsoonal climate of northern Australia and southwest Papua New Guinea was found to have appeared independently in A. farauti s.s., A. farauti 2 and Anopheles farauti 3. Shared or synapomorphic characters were identified as saltwater tolerance (A. farauti s.s. and Anopheles farauti 7) and elevational affinities above 1500 m (Anopheles farauti 5, Anopheles farauti 6 and A. farauti 2).     

The Anopheles punctulatus group of mosquitoes in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu surveyed by allozyme electrophoresis

Abstract. Four species within the Anopheles punctulatus group of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) were identified by allozyme analysis of samples collected from thirty-three localities in Guadalcanal, Makira, Malaita, Temotu and Western Provinces in the Solomon Islands and six localities on Efate, Espiritu Santo, Maewo and Malekula Islands in Vanuatu. Three of these species are members of the An. farauti complex. A key is given to identify five species of the An. punctulatus group known to occur in the Solomon Islands using their isoenzyme characteristics.
An. farauti No. 1 was widespread in coastal areas of the Solomon Islands and was the only species detected in Vanuatu, including Efate Island (where Faureville is the type locality of An. farauti Laveran sensu stricto). An. farauti No. 2 and An. punctulatus were common in the Solomon Islands in more inland areas. An. farauti No. 7, reported here for the first time, was found as larvae in freshwater at six localities on north Guadalcanal. Three other members of the An. punctulatus group which have been reported previously from the Solomon Islands: An. koliensis, An. renellensis and an electrophoretic variant of An. farauti sensu lato, were not found in our samples.
Previously recognized vectors of malaria and bancroftian filariasis in the Solomon Islands are An. farauti No. 1 (i.e. An. farauti s.s. ), An. koliensis and An. punctulatus s. s. Adult females of An. farauti No. 2 and An. farauti No. 7 were not attracted to human bait in areas where their larvae occurred, indicating that these two species are not anthropophilic and therefore unlikely to transmit human pathogens.     

Latest Permian Palaeolithocycliidae (Radiolaria) from South China

The family Palaeolithocycliidae Kozur and Mostler was formerly thought to be ranging from Devonian to Carboniferous. However, a lot of radiolarians assignable to this family were discovered in the late Changhsingian (Latest Permian) of South China. Six species, including Palaeolithocyclia pilata n. sp., Palaeolithocyclia platta n. sp., Paramphibrachium woni n. sp., Klaengspongus spinosus Sashida, Klaengspongus formosus n. sp. and Klaengspongus umbilicatus n. sp., have been identified. In this paper, these species are illustrated and described.     

Free-living marine Rhabdocoela (Platyhelminthes) from the N. American Pacific coast. With remarks on species from other areas

From the N. American Pacific coast the following taxa are described: Coronopharynx pusillus Luther, Pogaina bicornk sp.n., P. paranygulgus sp.n. (Provorticidae); Brinkmanniella palmata sp.n., Tvaerminnea karlingi pucifica subsp.n. (Promesostomidae); Trigonostomum setigerum O. Schmidt, Messoplana pacifica sp.n., Ceratopera axi (Riedl), C. ehlersi sp.n., C. pilifera sp.n. (Trigonostomidae); Polycystis ali Schockaert, P. hamata sp.n. (Polycystididae). From other areas: Brinkmanniella palmata from the Skagerrak, Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea; Ceratopera axi from the Falkland Islands; Polycystis ali from Galapagos Islands; Ceratopera bermudensis sp.n. from Bermuda. Polycystis ali is considered to be a polytypic species with the forms 'Somali', 'California' and 'Galapagos'. Brinkmanniella augusti Marcus and B. falklandica Westblad are considered to be species incertae sedis. Problems in penetrating the world-wide marine turbellarian fauna are discussed.     

Ordovician phyllocarids (Arthropoda; Crustacea) from Argentina

New phyllocarids are described from the Ordovician (early Arenig to lower Caradoc) of the Precordillera and Eastern Cordillera of Argentina, namelyCaryocaris delicatus n. sp.,Caryocaris sp. 1, ?Caryocaris sp. 2,Pumilocaris granulosus n. gen., n. sp., ?Pumilocaris sp. and an undetermined form. They all occur in graptolite-bearing shales. A critical review of the South American phyllocarids formerly described in the literature is made andCaryocaris delicatus n. sp. (Llanvirn) is compared with congeneric species known from the Ordovician (Tremadoc-Caradoc) of North America, Europe, China and Australia. The presence ofCaryocaris in South America is therefore attested, which confirms the view that the genus had a worldwide distribution in the lower Ordovician in relation with a possible pelagic lifestyle. A new definition ofCaryocaris is proposed and the former subdivision of the genus [C. (Caryocaris) andC. (Rhinopterocarys)] abandoned. A set of original characters (e.g. lack of rostral plate, short leaflike furcal rami, short telson, extremely thin carapace) strongly indicates thatCaryocaris lies outside the Ceratiocarididae and may form the basis of a new taxonomic unit.     

Revision of the genus Menippus Clark in Australia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae)

Abstract  The genus Menippus is revised for Australia, with six species, three of which are new: M. cynicus Clark, M. darcyi sp. nov. , M. ewani sp. nov. , M. fugitivus (Lea), M. sufi sp. nov. and M. yulensis (Jacoby) comb. nov. (from Diorhabda Weise). Menippus yulensis was described from New Guinea. This species and M. darcyi were formerly confused in Australia with M. fugitivus , which is now considered endemic to Lord Howe Island. The species formerly considered M. fugitivus and protected under the Threatened Species Conservation Act, New South Wales, is now named M. darcyi . A key is provided for the Australian species of Menippus and a lectotype designated for M. yulensis . The composition of Menippus is discussed and three non-Australian species are transferred to this genus: M. inconspicua (Jacoby) comb. nov. (from Diorhabda Weise); M. laterimaculata (Jacoby) comb. nov. ; and M. marginipennis (Jacoby) comb. nov. (from Galerucella Crotch). A revised checklist of Menippus species is given. The recorded foodplants of Menippus are species of Celtis (Ulmaceae).     

Revision of the subgenus Ceratitis (Pardalaspis) Bezzi, 1918 (Diptera, Tephritidae, Ceratitini)

Abstract. The fruit fly genus Ceratitis (Diptera: Tephritidae) comprises several important pest species attacking a wide range of unrelated fruits. In this paper the subgenus Ceratitis ( Pardalaspis ) Bezzi is revised. Ten species are recognized of which five are described as new: C.(P.)hamata sp.n., C.(P.)munroi sp.n., C.(P.)serrata sp.n., C.(P.)semipunctata sp.n. and C.(P.)zairensis sp.n. A key to both sexes is provided. All species are restricted to the Afrotropical Region and distributional and known host plant data are given.     

Typhlocybinae of New Zealand (Homoptera: Cicadellidae)

Two tribes of the subfamily Typhlocybinae are represented in New Zealand, as follows. Erythroneurini: the cosmopolitan genus Zygina is represented by 4 endemic species—toetoe, ramsayi n.sp., dumbletoni, and agni n.sp.—plus zealandica, which occurs in Australia also. Typhlocybini: Typhlocyba froggatti, T. lethierryi, Ribautiana tenerrima, Eupteryx melissae, Kybos smaragdula, and K. betulicola are introduced Northern Hemisphere elements; Matatua montivaga n.gen.&sp. is endemic; M. maorica (formerly Dikraneura maorica), also endemic, is of uncertain identity in the absence of male specimens. Keys are given for the separation of all taxa, the genera and species are described, and all species except Matatua maorica are figured.     

Exogoninae (Polychaeta: Syllidae) from the Mexican Caribbean region with a key for the Gran Caribbean species]

This paper identifies the Exogoninae (Syllidae) from the Mexican Caribbean coasts and includes a key to identify all the species recorded from the Grand Caribbean Sea. The classification of the family and the composition of Exogoninae are briefly examined; the correct names of the subfamilies are Syllinae Grube, 1850, Eusyllinae Malaquin, 1893, Autolytinae Malaquin, 1893 and Exogoninae Langerhans, 1879. Exogoninae includes Anguillosyllis Day, 1963, Brania de Quatrefages, 1866, Braniella Hartman, 1963, Exogone ?rsted, 1845, Exogonella Hartman, 1961, Exogonoides Day, 1963, Parapionosyllis Fauvel, 1923, Psammosyllis Westheide, 1990, Spermosyllis Claparède, 1864, and Sphaerosyllis Claparède, 1863. Pseudexogone Augener, 1922, formerly included in the group, is not a syllid; it belongs to Pilargidae. We collected 814 specimens belonging to 3 genera, 3 subgenera and 13 species as Brania (4), Exogone (4) and Sphaerosyllis (5); five new species are described: Brania russelli n. sp, Brania uebelackerae n. sp, Brania westheidei n. sp., Exogone (Exogone) bondi n. sp. and Exogone (Parexogone) sanmartini n. sp. For each species, selected references, diagnostic features, observations on morphological variability, distribution and illustrations are provided; new species also have an english diagnosis. Most abundant species were B. uebelackerae n. sp. (295), S. taylori Perkins (169), E. (E.) dispar Webster (76), and E. (E.) bondi n sp. (72).     

A new species of Pomphorhynchus (Acanthocephala: Palaeacanthocephala) in freshwater fishes from central Chile

This study describes a new species of Pomphorhynchus collected from Percilia gillissi Girard, 1855 from the Za?artu canal, between the sister basins of the Itata and Laja rivers, in central Chile. Pomphorhynchus moyanoi n. sp. is characterized by an asymmetrical, well-differentiated subspherical bulb and 12-14 longitudinal rows of 13-14 hooks; the third and the fourth hook in each row are stout. Among South American species, P. moyanoi n. sp. shows some similarities to the Chilean species P. yamagutii Schmidt & Hugghins, 1973, but it differs in having a longer neck, larger bulb, and different proboscis armature arrangement. Pomphorhynchus moyanoi n. sp. differs from P. patagonicus Ortubay, Ubeda, Semenas & Kennedy 1991, in the bulb shape (protuberances), number of rows, fourth hook size and basal hook size. Pomphorhynchus moyanoi n. sp. also differs from P. sphaericus in the arrangement of hooks (number of rows and hooks per row), length and width of the proboscis, neck width, and symmetry of the bulb.     

Revision of the Genera Apicalia A. Adams and Stilapex lredale and Description of Two New Genera (Mollusca, Prosobranchia, Eulimidae)

All species that have been described in Apicalia , except the type-species, are transferred to other eulimid genera. Three species earlier included in other genera and four new species are placed in Apicalia , viz. A. angulata sp.n. A, cicatricosa sp.n. A. echinasteri sp.n. (all three Queensland), and A. habei sp.n. (Japan). Those of which the hosts are known are all ectoparasites of asteroids. Two of the seven species previously included in Stilapex are excluded and four species earlier placed in other genera are transferred to Stilapex . The members of the latter genus are parasites of ophiuroids. Tropiometricola gen.n. is erected to include Stilifer sphaeroconcha Habe, a crinoid parasite. Parvioris gen.n. is described with Eulima fulvescens A. Adams as type species. A list of species described in eulimid genera and fitting Parvioris is given. P. australiensis sp.n. (W. Australia), P. blakeae sp.n. (Mauritius), P. mortoni sp.n. (Hong Kong), and P. noumeae sp.n. (New Caledonia) are described. Those species of which the host is known, are all ectoparasites of starfishes.