A new species of Lepanthes (Orchidaceae) from Puerto Rico

A new species,Lepanthes caritensis, is described and illustrated. There are now nine species ofLepanthes known to occur in Puerto Rico. Plant habitat and floral morphology ofL. caritensis is most similar to that ofL. sanguinea. A survey of the area where the new species is located suggests that it is rare and should be protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act. Una especic nueva,Lepanthes caritensis, es descrita e ilustrada para Puerto Rico. Con ésta hay ahora nueve especies deLepanthes en Puerto Rico. El hábito de la planta y la morfología de la flor deL. caritensis es más similar aL. sanguinea. Un muestreo del área donde se encuentra la nueva especie sugiere que ésta es rara y que debería ser protegida por el Federal Endangered Species Act.     

Revision of the genus Psalitrus d'Orchymont from Southern India and Sri Lanka (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Omicrini)

Abstract. Eight new species of Psalitrus are described: P.besucheti, P.coccinelloides, P.decoratus and P.silvestris from Southern India and P.loebli, P.mahanuwara, P.serendibensis and P.veddha from Sri Lanka. The two Psalitrus known previously from India, P.championi and P.fallax , are redescribed and lectotypes and paralectotypes are designated. For each species the aedeagus and female ectodermal genitalia are figured. For the first time among Hydrophiloidea species characters have been found in female ectodermal genitalia, thanks to staining with chlorazol black dye. The best biometric characters are selected by multiple-discriminant analysis and an identification key is given. A list of the known Psalitrus species is given.     

Jacquinia pauciflora (Theophrastaceae), a new species from Puerto Rico

A new species,Jacquinia pauciflora, is described from subtropical moist forest on karst hills (mogotes) in northwestern Puerto Rico.Jacquinia pauciflora is similar toJ. stenophylla Urban, from which it differs in several floral and leaf characters, but is possibly most closely related toJ. umbellata A. DC. A key to the species ofJacquinia occurring in Puerto Rico is provided.     

A new species of Rhynchospora section Tenues Kükenthal (Cyperaceae) from Puerto Rico

Rhynchospora depressirostris M. Strong, an overlooked species ofRhynchospora sect.Tenues Kükenthal, previously treated in the literature asR. tenuis Link, is described from Puerto Rico. An illustration and SEM images of the achene (fruit) are provided, and its relationship to closely allied and morphologically similar species is discussed.     

A review of Scymnodes Blackburn, with the description of a new Australian species and its larva (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Abstract. The genus Scymnodes is reviewed both taxonomically and biologically, and its nineteen constituent species placed into two subgenera. S.(Dolinus) Weise is made a subjective synonym of S. (Scymnodes) Blackburn, S.(Apolinus) is proposed as a new name for Platyomus Mulsant (nee Schoenherr) and Rhynchortalia wallacei Crotch is transferred to S. (Scymnodes) as a new combination. S.(S.)bellus , sp.n. is described. Its larva is also described and comparisons made with those of S.(A.)lividigaster and the platynaspine Phymatosternus lewisi (Crotch). Comments are made on the habits of the S.(S.)bellus larva, which was observed to feed on ants.     

An aberrant species of Nipponocercyon from Sichuan, China (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Sphaeridiinae)

A detailed examination of specimens of Cryptopleurum sichuanicum Ryndevich, 2005 from high altitudes of Sichuan Province, China, revealed that the species belongs in the genus Nipponocercyon Satô, 1963 previously endemic to Japan. The species is here transferred in Nipponocercyon, and Nipponocercyon sichuanicus (Ryndevich, 2005), comb. n. is redescribed and compared with Nipponocercyon shibatai Satô, 1963. The male genitalia of Nipponocercyon sichuanicus is described for the first time. An adapted diagnosis of Nipponocercyon is provided, and reasons for the inclusion of Nipponocercyon sichuanicus into Nipponocercyon and the general distribution of the genus are discussed.     

Three new species of Crenitis Bedel, 1881 from South Africa,with a revised key to African species (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae)

Three new species of Crenitis Bedel, 1881 are described from South Africa; C. castellus sp.n. and C. rupestris sp. n. from the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg, and C. quagga sp.n. from the Western Cape Province. All three new species were found in madicolous habitats, which appear to be characteristic for a number of species of the genus. A revised key to African species of Crenitis is included.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:18BE876C-46CB-4AD5-9BB0-EA6F8D711F09     

A new coptoclavid larva (Coleoptera: Adephaga: Dytiscoidea) from the Middle Jurassic of China,and its phylogenetic implication

Daohugounectes primitivus, a new genus and species of coptoclavid beetles, is described from 67 fossil larvae from the Jurassic locality of Daohugou, northeastern China. It differs from other coptoclavids in the combination of the following characters: lateral lobes of nasale present; legs relatively short, with tarsi flat and slightly dilated; abdominal tergite VIII almost circular; derivative of abdominal segment IX present; urogomphi short; and helical thickening of tracheae weak. Most of these features are plesiomorphic for the family Coptoclavidae and the superfamily Dytiscoidea. Among dytiscoids, a derivative of abdominal segment IX is present only in the larvae of the recently discovered relic family Aspidytidae.     

A new species of Paratanais Dana, 1852 (Crustacea,Peracarida, Tanaidacea,Paratanaidae) from Puerto Rico,northwestern Atlantic

Paratanais rosadi sp. n. described from Puerto Rican coastal waters represents the first species of the genus from the northwestern Atlantic. It is distinguished from the other Paratanais species by a combination of characters, including article-2 of the maxilliped palp with a geniculate, finely-serrulate seta on inner margin; chela with stiff, geniculate, seta arising from propodus between fixed finger and dactylus and with short, stout, finely serrulate, seta on inner distal face of propodus adjacent to base of dactylus; carpus of pereopods 4−6 having three, instead of four stout modified spiniform setae distally, uropodal exopod distinctly shorter than endopodal article-1; and uropodal endopod with articles of about of equal in length. A key for the separation of Paratanais species from the Atlantic Ocean is presented.     

Four New Ladybug Species Belonging to Decadiomus Chapin (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) from Puerto Rico

While searching for native natural enemies attacking invasive insect pests in Puerto Rico, we found four undescribed ladybug species belonging to the Caribbean ladybug genus Decadiomus Chapin. In this article, we describe the following species from Puerto Rico: Decadiomus seini n. sp., Decadiomus ramosi n. sp., Decadiomus hayuyai n. sp., and Decadiomus martorelli n. sp. Illustrations of the dorsal habitus, shape of prosternal carinae, and drawings of male and female genitalia are presented. We also present a key for Diomini of Puerto Rico and discuss their importance as potential biocontrol agents.     

A review of the net-winged midges (Diptera: Blephariceridae) of the West Indies,with description of a new species from Puerto Rico

ABSTRACT

The Caribbean blepharicerid fauna comprises three described species: Paltostoma palominoi Hogue and Garces, 1990, found in eastern Cuba; P. agyrocincta Curran, 1927, widespread in Puerto Rico; and P. schineri Williston, 1896, which occupies most major islands of the Lesser Antilles. In this paper, we describe P. portoricensis Hogue and Courtney, sp. n., a second species from Puerto Rico. We also provide keys to adults, pupae, and larvae of known Caribbean species, re-describe P. argyrocincta and P. schineri, and present a brief discussion of the bionomics and phylogenetic affinities of the net-winged midge fauna.     

Two new species of Rhagophthalmus Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Rhagophthalmidae) from Yunnan, south-western China, with notes on known species

Rhagophthalmus fugongensis Li & Liang and Rhagophthalmus lufengensis Li & Ohba are introduced as new to science. The first record of R. tonkineus in China is provided. The male genitalia of R. gibbosulus and R. giganteus are described and illustrated. The female and larva of R. giganteus and the female of R. semisulcatus are illustrated. The distribution of Rhagophthalmus is discussed and a rectification of the relative arrangement of different parts of the male genitalia is provided (the base‐piece is on the ventral side of the male genitalia, and the parameres on the dorsal side).     

Review of the Berosus Leach of Venezuela (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Berosini) with description of fourteen new species

The species of the water scavenger beetle genus Berosus Leach occurring in Venezuela are reviewed. Thirty-six species are recorded, including fifteen new species, fourteen of which are described here as new: Berosus araguasp. n., Berosus asymmetricussp. n., Berosus capanaparosp. n., Berosus castaneussp. n., Berosus corozosp. n., Berosus ebeninussp. n., Berosus garciaisp. n., Berosus humeralissp. n., Berosus jolyisp. n., Berosus llanensissp. n., Berosus megaphallussp. n., Berosus ornaticollissp. n., Berosus repertussp. n., and Berosus tramidrumsp. n. The fifteenth new species, known from a single female, is left undescribed pending the collection of males. Twelve species are recorded from Venezuela for the first time: Berosus ambogynus Mouchamps, Berosus consobrinus Knisch, Berosus elegans Knisch, Berosus geayi d'Orchymont, Berosus ghanicus d'Orchymont, Berosus guyanensis Queney, Berosus holdhausi Knisch, Berosus marquardti Knisch, Berosus olivae Queney, Berosus reticulatus Knisch, Berosus wintersteineri Knisch, and Berosus zimmermanni Knisch.     

Two new species of the genus Rhynchitobius Sharp, 1889 (Coleoptera: Rhynchitidae) in Dominican amber

New species of rhynchitid weevils, Rhynchitobius tanyrhinus n. sp. and R. xuthocolus n. sp. (Coleoptera: Rhynchitidae) in the tribe Auletini are described from Dominican amber. The former species is characterized by a long rostrum, narrow pronotum and elytra, rugose elytral intervals and distinct elytral striae. The latter species has a short rostrum, wide antennal club, yellow legs, non-rugose elytral intervals and weak elytral striae. The present study describes the first representatives of the family Rhynchitidae from Dominican amber.     

Additions to the review of Chinese Enochrus,with description of a new species (Coleoptera,Hydrophilidae, Enochrinae)

A new species, Enochrus (Methydrus) limbourgi sp. n., is described from Jiangxi Province, Southeast China, and illustrated. Subgenus Enochrus s. str. Thomson, 1859 is recorded for the first time in China, based on the record of Enochrus (s. str.) melanocephalus (Olivier, 1792) from Inner Mongolia. The male of Enochrus (Hydatotrephis) liangi Jia & Zhao, 2007 is described for the first time.     

A new poroid species of Resupinatus from Puerto Rico, with a reassessment of the cyphelloid genus Stigmatolemma

A fungus with gelatinous poroid fruiting bodies was found in Puerto Rico and determined by macro- and micromorphology to be most similar to members of the lamellate agaric genus Resupinatus. This species is described as a new species, Resupinatus porosus. Phylogenetic analyses of ribosomal DNA sequences support the inclusion of this fungus in the clade containing Resupinatus, and indicate that this monophyletic group also includes members of Asterotus and the cyphelloid genus Stigmatolemma. Resupinatus porosus is another example of tropical poroid representatives of lamellate agaric genera. Resupinatus is emended to include species with poroid (R. porosus) or merulioid (R. merulioides) hymenophore as well as those with laterally stipitate (Asterotus) or cyphelloid (Stigmatolemma) fruiting bodies. Seven new combinations in Resupinatus are proposed to accommodate well-known species of Stigmatolemma.     

A new genus and species of 'giant hutia' (Tainotherium valei) from the Quaternary of Puerto Rico: an extinct arboreal quadruped?

A large incomplete rodent femur from a Quaternary cave deposit near Barahona, Puerto Rico, is established as the holotype of Tainotherium valei , a new extinct genus and species. Although biogeographic and body size similarities suggest that it may be related to the Puerto Rican giant hutia Elasmodontomys , the Antillean large-bodied rodent family Heptaxodontidae is now interpreted as invalid, and it is impossible to assign Tainotherium to a particular caviomorph family in the absence of associated craniodental material. Tainotherium differs from other West Indian species in possessing a large femoral head, a proximally angled femoral neck, a short greater trochanter and a medially positioned lesser trochanter unconnected by an intertrochanteric crest, and a transversely flattened, anteroposteriorly bowed shaft lacking well-defined ridges. These characters are all associated with arboreal life habits in other mammal groups. The Puerto Rican land mammal fauna was dominated by a rodent radiation occupying a wide variety of niches before human arrival in the West Indies, but although arboreality is correlated with increased likelihood of survival in Quaternary mammalian extinction events, all of this fauna is now extinct. It is unlikely that decreasing aridity and the reduction of Puerto Rican savanna-type environments at the end of the Pleistocene contributed to the extinction of the arboreal Tainotherium , and habitat destruction by pre-Columbian Amerindians may instead have been responsible.     

A description of the first instar larva of Promecognathus Chaudoir (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

The first instar larva of Promecognathus laevissimus (Dejean) is described, representing the first species of Promecognathus known in the larval stage. The larva is autapomorphic in having: (1) additional setae, often in great number, on many sclerites of the body, (2) a transverse, not bulbous, sensory area located ventrally and laterally at the apex of antennomere III, and (3) the marginal area of the mesonotum, metanotum and abdominal tergites I-VI more expanded than usual in carabid larvae. No evidence was found from the larval morphology of P.laevissimus to indicate the sister group of the Promecognathini.