The occurrence and morphology of Adiantum X variopinnatum (Pteridaceae)

Two populations ofAdiantum Xvariopinnatum were found at the La Selva Biological Field Station in Costa Rica. The plants were morphologically intermediate between their parents, showed additive isozyme banding patterns, and had aborted spores. Herbarium searches for the hybrid turned up specimens from Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, and Colombia. These are the first reports of the hybrid outside of Trinidad.     

A new species of Dicrotendipes (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Costa Rica

The adult male of Dicrotendipes baru is described from the Dominical area of southwestern Costa Rica. The species is characterized by its elongate club-like superior volsella. This species represents the third member of the genus known from Costa Rica.     

Antlered richardiid flies: new species of Richardia (Tephritoidea: Richardiidae) with antler‐like genal processes

Within Richardiidae, Richardia infestans, from Colombia, is the only known species to have genal processes, which are structures formed by the extension of the cuticle on the lateral margin of the gena. In the present work, six new species, with different patterns of antler‐like genal processes, are described. An identification key and illustrations are provided. Richardia bella sp. nov. , R. modesta sp. nov. and R. vitta sp. nov. are recorded from Costa Rica; R. advena sp. nov. is recorded from Costa Rica and Panama; R. simplex sp. nov. is recorded from Panama; and R. ornatella sp. nov. is recorded from Ecuador.     

Taxonomy of the genus Aspasia Lindley (Orchidaceae: Oncidieae)

The genusAspasia (Orchidaceae: Oncidieae) consists of five species of epiphytic orchids of Central and South America. The genus is compared with closely related genera of the tribe Oncidieae.Aspasia epidendroides is found in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and western Panama.Aspasia principissa is found in central and eastern Panama and adjacent Colombia.Aspasia psittacina is endemic to western Ecuador.Aspasia variegata is found in Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, Guyana, Surinam, and Brazil.Aspasia lunata is known only from Brazil.     

Description and phylogeny of a new Neotropical genus of Acalyptini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae) associated with the staminodes of Cyclanthaceae

The weevil genus Azotoctla gen. nov. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Acalyptini Thomson), is described to accommodate the following 15 new Neotropical species: Azotoctla aecuatorialis sp. nov. (Ecuador), Azotoctla anerunca sp. nov. (Ecuador), Azotoctla angustacra sp. nov. (Ecuador), Azotoctla curvirostra sp. nov. (Peru), Azotoctla dasygastra sp. nov. (Costa Rica and Honduras), Azotoctla femorata sp. nov. (Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama), Azotoctla gomezi sp. nov. (Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama), Azotoctla gottsbergeri sp. nov. (Brazil), Azotoctla clemmyssa sp. nov. (Colombia), Azotoctla melolauta sp. nov. (Colombia), Azotoctla migueli sp. nov. (Colombia), Azotoctla nana sp. nov. (Panama), Azotoctla punctata sp. nov. (Costa Rica), Azotoctla tibiatra sp. nov. (Belize), and Azotoctla tuberquiai sp. nov. (Colombia). Azotoctla is placed in the tribe Acalyptini, subtribe Staminodeina Franz, thus representing the sister taxon of Staminodeus Franz. The monophyly of Azotoctla is supported by the following inferred traits: a noncarinate rostrum that is tumescent above the antennal insertion in males; equilaterally subtriangular hemisternites of the male sternum 8; paired, longitudinal, laterally positioned sclerites of the aedeagus; and a bifurcate lamina of the female sternum 8, which bears explanate, diverging furcal arms. A key to the species of Azotoctla is provided; and the salient features of each species are illustrated and presented along with distributional and natural history data. A morphological cladistic analysis of 23 terminal species (eight outgroup, 15 ingroup) and 33 characters yielded a single most parsimonious cladogram (length = 75 steps, consistency index = 52, retention index = 77), with the ingroup topology ((A. aecuatorialis, (A. anerunca, A. gottsbergeri)), (A. punctata, ((A. angustacra, A. nana), (A. tibiatra, (A. clemmyssa, (A. curvirostra, A. femorata)), (A. melolauta, ((A. gomezi, A. migueli), (A. dasygastra, A. tuberquiai))))))). Species of Azotoctla are reproductively associated with the ephemeral staminodes of different members of the Neotropical monocot family Cyclanthaceae; most commonly with the widespread genus Carludovica Ruiz & Pavón. The interspecific homogeneity in external morphology, coupled with marked differences in genital traits and an apparent absence of narrow geographical ranges mediated by either host plants and/or biogeographical factors, jointly suggest that the diversification of Azotoctla is a relatively recent phenomenon and driven strongly by sexual selection. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 166 , 559–623.     

Snake venomics and antivenomics of Bothrops atrox venoms from Colombia and the Amazon regions of Brazil, Perú and Ecuador suggest the occurrence of geographic variation of venom phenotype by a trend towards paedomorphism

The venom proteomes of Bothrops atrox from Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Perú were characterized using venomic and antivenomic strategies. Our results evidence the existence of two geographically differentiated venom phenotypes. The venom from Colombia comprises at least 26 different proteins belonging to 9 different groups of toxins. PI-metalloproteinases and K49-PLA₂ molecules represent the most abundant toxins. On the other hand, the venoms from Brazilian, Ecuadorian, and Peruvian B. atrox contain predominantly PIII-metalloproteinases. These toxin profiles correlate with the venom phenotypes of adult and juvenile B. asper from Costa Rica, respectively, suggesting that paedomorphism represented a selective trend during the trans-Amazonian southward expansion of B. atrox through the Andean Corridor. The high degree of crossreactivity of a Costa Rican polyvalent (Bothrops asper, Lachesis stenophrys, Crotalus simus) antivenom against B. atrox venoms further evidenced the close evolutionary kinship between B. asper and B. atrox. This antivenom was more efficient immunodepleting proteins from the venoms of B. atrox from Brazil, Ecuador, and Perú than from Colombia. Such behaviour may be rationalized taking into account the lower content of poorly immunogenic toxins, such as PLA₂ molecules and PI-SVMPs in the paedomorphic venoms. The immunological profile of the Costa Rican antivenom strongly suggests the possibility of using this antivenom for the management of snakebites by B. atrox in Colombia and the Amazon regions of Ecuador, Perú and Brazil.     

A new species of pikeblenny (Blenniiformes: Chaenopsidae: Chaenopsis) from the tropical eastern Pacific and a key to all species

The genus Chaenopsis presently includes 10 species, four in the eastern Pacific and six in the western Atlantic. Five individuals of an undescribed species of this genus were obtained at Gorgona Island in the eastern Pacific of Colombia, in depths between 3 and 5 m. This new species differs from all the Eastern Pacific species in an array of traits including meristic, coloration and morphometric characters. Chaenopsis celeste new species differs from its only sympatric species, C. deltarrhis, in having fewer pectoral rays, fewer dorsal spines and more dorsal-fin soft rays and anal-fin elements. This new species is found over shallow sandy, rubble and small rocks bottoms from Costa Rica to Colombia.     

Some Entolomataceae (Agaricales) from Costa Rica

A preliminary account of Entolomataceae from Costa Rica is presented. Three new taxa are described, two inClitopilus, one inRhodocybe, and three new combinations are proposed inInocephalus. Five taxa ofClitopilus are reported for the first time from Costa Rica and a key to species is provided. Four species ofRhodocybe are discussed and a key to the six species known from Costa Rica is also provided.Alboleptonia earlei, Inocephalus murraii, Inocephalus quadratum, Rhodocybe incarnata andRhodocybe pseudonitellina are now known to occur in Costa Rica.