The infective larva of Litomosoides yutajensis Guerrero et al., 2003 (Nematoda: Onchocercidae), a Wolbachia-free filaria from bat

The infective larva of Litomosoides yutajensis Guerrero et al., 2003, a parasite of the bat Pteronotus pamellii, is described; it is distinct from congeneric infective larvae by the absence of caudal lappets. The life cycles of five other species of Litomosoides are known; three are parasites of rodents, one of a marsupial and one of a bat. As with these species, the experimental vector of L. yutoajensis used was the macronyssid mite Ornithonyssus bacoti. In nature, the main vectors are probably other macronyssids but transmission by O. bacoti, with its large host-range, could account for the characteristic host-switchings in the evolution of Litomosoides. Unlike the murine model L. sigmodontis Chandler, 1931, L. yutajensis is devoid of the endosymbiontic bacteria Wolbachia and may be of great interest.     

Leioproctus rosellae sp. n., the first record of the genus from northern South America (Hymenoptera, Colletidae)

Leioproctus Smith is a diverse colletine genus found in the Australian region and primarily temperate areas of South America. A new species of Leioproctus subgenus Perditomorpha Ashmead, Leioproctus rosellae Gonzalez, sp. n., from a tropical dry forest of the Caribbean coast of Colombia is described and figured. This is the first record of the genus from northern South America.     

Boromorphus saudicus sp. n., a new record of the genus from the Arabian Peninsula (Tenebrionidae: Pimeliinae: Boromorphini)

Boromophus saudicus sp. n. (subfamily Pimeliinae Latreille, 1802, tribe Boromorphini Skopin, 1978) is described from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Rawdhat Khorim, Riyadh Province). This finding represents the first record of the genus Boromorphus Wollaston, 1854 from the Arabian Peninsula. The species was collected from Acacia trees and from pitfall traps.     

Parastenocaris lorenzae n.sp., and first record of Parastenocaris glacialis Noodt (Copepoda,Harpacticoida) from Italy

Parastenocaris lorenzae n.sp. is described from rhithrostygal of the Sangro river (Abruzzo, Central Italy). Parastenocaris glacialis Noodt, 1952 is for the first time recorded from Italy. The presence of borealpine elements in ground waters of Central Apennines is briefly discussed.Contribution to the knowledge of the groundwater fauna in central Research supported by grants from M.P.I. (40%) and C.N.R. (Gruppo and southern Italy: XLIV. Nazionale di Biologia Naturalistica).     

Parauronema virginianum n. g., n. sp., a Marine Hymenostome Ciliate

SYNOPSIS. Parauronema virginianum n. g., n. sp., a marine hymenostome ciliate is described from the Virginia coast. Structural studies were made on specimens treated with the Chatton-Lwoff silver impregnation technic and on animals observed with the phase microscope. Particular attention was given to the buccal ciliature and its importance to generic assignment in the order Hymenostomatida.     

Platyamoeba stenopodia. n. g., n. sp., a Freshwater Amoeba*

SYNOPSIS. Platyamoeba stenopodia n. g., n. sp., isolated from a lake in Alabama, is an amoeba with flattened form, usually more than 2.5 × as long as broad, the anterior half hyaline and the posterior half granular, with a single vesiculate nucleus at the posterior edge of the hyaline region. It forms a transitory floating stage with slender, hyaline pseudopods. Its cyst is spherical, uninucleate, with a smooth inner wall and a thinner, closely applied outer wall, which is often slightly wrinkled. Length of locomotive amoeba 15–36 μ diameter of cyst 7–11.5 μ Reproduction by binary fission with mesomitotic nuclear division, the nuclear membrane disappearing in prophase. The genus Platyamoeba is erected for amoebae including this organism; the type species is P. placida.     

Erhardorina n. g., Ascogregarina polynesiensis n. sp., Eimeria golemanskii n. sp., Isospora tamariscini n. sp., Gregarina kazumii n. nom., new combinations and emendations in the names of apicomplexan protozoa

On the basis of a review of the approximately 4300 species of apicomplexan protozoa, the following new species, new names, new combinations, and emendations are given: NEW GENUS, Erhardovina; NEW SPECIES, Ascogregarina polynesiensis, Eimeria golemanskii, Isospora tamariscini; NEW NAME, Gregarina kazumii; NEW COMBINATIONS, Ascogregarina brachyceri (Purrini, 1980), Erhardovina euzeti (Lipa, 1981), E. scutovertexi (Erhardová, 1955), Haemorhormidium batrachi (Chaudhuri & Choudhury, 1983); EMENDATIONS, Selenidium francianum (Arvy, 1952) Tuzet & Ormières, 1965, Pyxinioides bolitoides D. P. Henry, 1938, P. japonicus H. Hoshide, 1951, P. kamenote H. Hoshide, 1951, P. kurofuji H. Hoshide, 1951, P. oshoroensis H. Hoshide, 1951, P. pugetensis D. P. Henry, 1938, Gregarina levinei Haldar & Sarkar, 1980, Retractocephalus halticae Haldar, Chakraborty & Kundu, 1982, Cnemidospora schizophylli Tuzet & Guerin, 1947, Grebneckiella indica (Merton, 1911) Watson, 1916, Quadruspinospora atractomorphae Haldar & Chakraborty, 1978, Haemogregarina acipenseri Nawrotzky, 1914, H. lobianci Yakimov & Kohl-Yakimov, 1912, H. yakimovikohlae Wladimiroff, 1910, Hepatozoon luehi (Sambon, 1909) Pessoa, Cavalheiro & de Souza, 1970, Eimeria beyerae Ovezmukhammedov, 1977, E. (?) gigantea (Labbé, 1896) Reichenow, 1921, E. (?) labbei Hardcastle, 1943, E. rufi Prasad, 1960, E. (?) scylii (Drago, 1902) Levine & Becker, 1933, Isospora corvi Ray, Shivnani, Oommen & Bhaskaran, 1952, I. melopsittaci Bhatia, Chauhan, Arora & Agrawal, 1973, I. seicerci Ray, Shivnani, Oommen & Bhaskaran, 1952, I. stomatici Chakravarty & Kar, 1944, I. triffitae Nukerbaeva & Svanbaev, 1973, Wenyonella mackinnonae Misra, 1947, Octosporella sanguinolentae Ovezmukhammedov, 1975, Lankesterella millani Alvarez Calvo, 1975, Sarcocystis woodhousei Dogel', 1916, Haemoproteus lari Yakunin, 1972, Babesia ninakohlyakimovae (Yakimoff & Shokhor, 1916), Theileria ninakohlyakimovae (Yakimov, 1916) Krylov, 1974, Haemohormidium batrachi (Chaudhuri & Choudhury, 1983).     

Doratomantispa burmanica n. gen., n. sp. (Neuroptera: Mantispidae), a new genus of mantidflies in Burmese amber

A new genus and new species of mantidflies, Doratomantispa burmanica n. gen., n. sp. (Neuroptera: Mantispidae), is described from Burmese amber. Diagnostic characters of the new genus are small body size, trichosors present around entire wing margin except basally, protarsus 5-segmented with paired, simple claws but no aroleum, profemur bearing six cuticular spines, inner surface of protibia with row of peg-like protrusions, Sc meets R₁ in region of pterostigma, costal space greatly narrows toward wing apex, with 16 veinlets in costal space on front wing while costal veinlets on hind wing are replaced by trichosors and CuP absent in hind wing. The abdomen of the mantidfly is filled with large spheres resulting from a possible rickettsial infection. Phoretic heterostigmatid mites are adjacent to the wings of the fossil.     

Tachypteron franzeni n. gen., n. sp., earliest emballonurid bat from the Middle Eocene of Messel (Mammalia, Chiroptera)

A new genus and species of emballonurid microchiropteran,Tachypteron franzeni, is described from the early Middle Eocene (MP 11) of Grube Messel, near Darmstadt, Germany. The holotype is extraordinarily well-preserved. It is the first unequivocal representative of an extant clade among Messel bats and the oldest unequivocal record of Emballonuridae. The flight apparatus ofT. franzeni is highly specialized for a rapid and constant flight style. The proportions of the strikingly narrow wing, the outline of the flight membranes and external ear, the morphology of the postcranial skeleton, and the relative cochlea size ofT. franzeni and extantTaphozous species are almost identical, while the dentition ofT. franzeni is distinguished by more plesiomorphic features.Tachypteron and the fairly diverse Paleogene record of emballonurids from France, consisting mainly of isolated teeth, document the earliest radiation known from an extant bat family and suggest a rather intense pre-Middle Eocene diversification of emballonurids.     

A description of seven Antarctic marine gymnamoebae including a new subspecies, two new species and a new genus: Neoparamoeba aestuarina antarctica n. subsp., Platyamoeba oblongata n. sp., Platyamoeba contorta n. sp. and Vermistella antarctica n. gen. n. sp

Seven marine gymnamoebae were isolated from different environments of seawater, slush (pack ice meltwater), and sediment in the Ross Sea area of Antarctica. All amoebae were isolated and maintained at temperatures below 4 degrees C. Growth, rate of locomotion, and general morphology were observed at an environmentally appropriate temperature (1 degrees C) and at room temperature (approximately 25 degrees C). Molecular (srDNA sequences) and microscopical techniques were used to identify the gymnamoebae and establish their phylogenetic affinities. Three isolates (S-131-2, SL-200, and W4-3) were assigned to a psychrophilic subspecies of Neoparamoeba aestuarina, N. aestuarina antarctica n. subsp., one isolate (S-205) was assigned to a new species of Platyamoeba, P. oblongata n. sp., two isolates (W51C#4 & W51C#5) were also assigned to a new species of Platyamoeba, P. contorta n. sp., and one isolate (S-241) was a novel psychrophilic gymnamoeba Vermistella antarctica n. gen. n. sp. Molecular and morphological results revealed that V. antarctica was not related to any described family of gymnamoebae. Strains S-205, W51C#4, and W51C#5 were capable of locomotion at room temperature, while strains SL-200, S-131-2, W4-3, and S-241 exhibited locomotion only below approximately 10 degrees C. Our results imply that the Antarctic environment is host both to cosmopolitan gymnamoebae that have acquired adaptations for existence at low environmental temperature and to apparently novel psychrophilic amoebae described here for the first time.     

Erhardorina n. g., Ascogregarina polynesiensis n. sp., Eimeria golemanskii n. sp., Isospora tamariscini n. sp., Gregarina kazumii n. nom., New Combinations and Emendations in the Names of Apicomplexan Protozoa1

On the basis of a review of the approximately 4300 species of apicomplexan protozoa, the following new species, new names, new combinations, and emendations are given: NEW GENUS,Erhardovina; NEW SPECIES,Ascogregarina polynesiensis, Eimeria golemanskii, Isospora tamariscini; NEW NAME,Gregarina kazumii; NEW COMBINATIONS,Ascogregarina brachyceri (Purrini, 1980),Erhardovina euzeti (Lipa, 1981),E. scutovertexi (Erhardová, 1955),Haemorhormidium batrachi (Chaudhuri & Choudhury, 1983); EMENDATIONS,Selenidium francianum(Arvy, 1952) Tuzet & Ormières, 1965,Pyxinioides bolitoides D. P. Henry, 1938,P. japonicus H. Hoshide, 1951,P. kamenote H. Hoshide, 1951,P. kurofuji H. Hoshide, 1951,P. oshoroensis H. Hoshide, 1951,P. pugetensis D. P. Henry, 1938, Gregarina levinei Haldar & Sarkar, 1980,Retractocephalus halticae Haldar, Chakraborty & Kundu, 1982,Cnemidospora schizophylli Tuzet & Guerin, 1947,Grebneckiella indica (Merton, 1911) Watson, 1916,Quadruspinospora atractomorphae Haldar & Chakraborty, 1978,Haemogregarina acipenseri Nawrotzky, 1914,H. lobianci Yakimov & Kohl-Yakimov, 1912,H. yakimovikohlae Wladimiroff, 1910,Hepatozoon luehi (Sambon, 1909) Pessoa, Cavalheiro & de Souza, 1970,Eimeria beyerae Ovezmukhammedov, 1977, E. (?) gigantea (Labbé, 1896) Reichenow, 1921, E. (?) labbei Hardcastle, 1943, E. rufi Prasad, 1960, E. (?) scylii (Drago, 1902) Levine & Becker, 1933, Isospora corvi Ray, Shivnani, Oommen & Bhaskaran, 1952,I. melopsittaci Bhatia, Chauhan, Arora & Agrawal, 1973, I. seicerci Ray, Shivnani, Oommen & Bhaskaran, 1952,I. stomatici Chakravarty & Kar, 1944,I. triffitae Nukerbaeva & Svanbaev, 1973,Wenyonella mackinnonae Misra, 1947,Octosporetla sanguinolentae Ovezmukhammedov, 1975,Lankesterella millani Alvarez Calvo, 1975,Sarcocystis woodhousei Dogel', 1916,Haemoproteus lari Yakunin, 1972, Babesia ninakohlyakimovae (Yakimoff & Shokhor, 1916),Theileria ninakohlyakimovae (Yakimov, 1916) Krylov, 1974,Haemohormidium batrachi(Chaudhuri & Choudhury, 1983).     

Bisbalia vossi n. g., n. sp. (Nematoda: Onchocercidae), a filarial worm from a geomyoid rodent,Heteromys anomalus,in Venezuela

Bisbalia vossi n. g., n. sp. is described from Heteromys anomalus (Rodentia: Geomyoidea: Heteromyidae) in northern Venezuela (Aragua). The filariae were found in a membranous pocket in the pleural cavity, and almost all had ingested red blood cells of their host. The morphology of this onchocercine species is highly evolved (advanced reduction of head and caudal papillae; short undivided oesophagus). Its very short microfilariae (60 m) and the shape of the tail of the female (two terminal median pairs of bosses) suggest that this species could be derived from Ackertia Vaz, 1934, a South American genus parasitic in caviomorph rodents which is related to the Dipetalonema-line, but Ackertia has several pairs of precloacal papillae, which are absent in the new genus. In North America, where the geomyoid rodents originated and diversified, the two previously described filarial species differ from this new material and show affinities with Old World bat parasites (Litomosa van Beneden, 1871).     

Calispadella alata n. gen., n. sp., the first chaetognath recorded from a hydrothermal vent site (Mid-Atlantic Ridge)

Calispadella alata n. gen., n. sp., is the first chaetognathdescribed from a hydrothermal vent field (Mid-Atlantic Ridge,depth 1600 m). It belongs to the family Spadellidae (presenceof transverse muscles in trunk and long tail segment). Thereis a pair of lateral fins making no contact with the body posteriorly;these free wing-like extensions end in festoons provided distallywith patches of adhesive cells. This unique feature in a deepbentho-planktonic species can be seen as an adaptation to adhereat times to the substrate to resist local turbulences producedby the hydrothermal fluids. This may also indicate that thisnew genus is phylogenetically close to the neritic genus Paraspadella,which has adhesive finger-like processes. Calispadella alatais sexually precocious as reported for other deep chaetognaths,contrary to most deep living organisms which exhibit delayedsexual maturity. This feature might be a means to increase thepossibility of mating in scarce populations.