Hemibranchiate sphaeromatids (Crustacea: Isopoda) from Queensland, Australia, with a world-wide review of the genera discussed

All known Queensland species of the isopod family Sphaeromatidae, subfamily Sphaeromatinae (= hemibranchs), are discussed. The following new taxa are erected: Calcipila cornuta, gen. nov., sp. nov. ; Cymodoce tribullis, sp. nov. ; Cymodoce bipapilla, sp. nov. ; Paracilicaea aspera, sp. nov. ; Cilicaeopsis glebosa, sp. nov. ; Cilicaeopsis furculata, sp. nov. ; Cilicaea calcarifera, sp. nov. ; Zuzara curtispina, sp. nov. ; Zuzara digitata, sp. nov. ; and Clianella brucei, sp. nov. Exosphaeroma intermedium Baker is transferred to the genus Sphaeroma Latreille. The genus Dynoides Barnard is reviewed and its current synonymy is contested. With several new records, this brings the total number of sphaeromatid species known from Queensland to 49, 24 of which are in the subfamily Sphaeromatinae. A checklist of all sphaeromatid species occurring in Queensland waters is given. From the rest of Australia: Cymodoce tuberculata Haswell is given the replacement name Cymodoce haswelli, nom. nov. ; Cymodoce granulata Miers is made a junior synonym of Cerceis trispinosa (Haswell) (subfamily Dynameninae); Zuzara diadema Leach, Z. dicantha (Milne Edwards) and Z. Integra Haswell are made junior synonyms of Z. semipunctata Leach; Cilicaeopsis dakini Tattersall is tentatively transferred to the genus Paracilicaea Stebbing. The genera discussed are reviewed world-wide and among the non-Australian species: Exosphaeroma papillae Bayliff is transferred to the genus Sphaeroma; Sphaeroma irakiensis Ahmed is made a junior synonym of Sphaeroma annandalei annandalei Stebbing; Cymodoce richardsoniae Nobili is shown to be distinct from Cymodoce truncata Leach; Cymodoce eupyga Nobili is transferred to the genus Paracilicaea; Dynoides amblysinus Pillai, Dynoides castroi Loyola e Silva and Exosphaeroma globicaudum (Dana) are transferred to the genus Clianella Boone; Dynoides brasiliensis (Loyola e Silva; and Sphaeroma savignn Milne Edwards sensu Dana, 1853 are declared to be conspecific with Clianella castroi. The name Sorrentosphaera Verhoeff is made a junior synonym of Dynamene Leach (subfamily Dynameninae.     

Notes on the little known moss Fissidens firmus Mitt. (Fissidentaceae)

Abstract

Fissidens firmus is revised, described, illustrated and a distribution is provided. It is compared to Fissidens hollianus, Fissidens pseudofirmus, Fissidens sedgwickii and Fissidens touwii. It is provisionally distinguished from F. firmus sensu auct. Fissidens multiflorus is reduced to F. hollianus. Lectotypes are designated for Fissidens multiflorus and Fissidens giesenhagenii. The collection that was reported from India as F. firmus appears to be F. hollianus. Thus, the present Western Ghats collection is effectively the first Indian record of F. firmus.     

Beschreibung einer neuen Carabus (Lamprostus)-Art aus Persien (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

Abstract

A new species of Carabus (Lamprostus) from the province of Gilan, Iran, is described and illustrated: Carabus (Lamprostus) staveni sp. nov., Carabus (Pachystus) rechingerae Mandl, 1972, is considered a junior synonym of Carabus (Lamprostus) calleyi nigrinus Motschulsky, 1865. The specific status of Carabus (Sphodristocarabus) korgei Heinz, 1970, is restored (stat. rev.) and Carabus separatus delirensis Deuve, 2000, is considered to be a junior synonym of it. Carabus (Megodontus) stroganowi javahardensis Deuve, 2000, is considered to be a synonym of Carabus (Megodontus) heinrichi Mandl, 1966; both taxa are from the same type locality.     

Convergence to Normality of the Asymptotic Quasi‐Score Function on a Linear Model

The asymptotic quasi‐likelihood method is considered for the model y_t = f_t(θ) + M_t, t = 0,1, …,T where f_tθ) is a linear predictable process of the parameter of interest θ, M_t is a martingale difference, and the nature of E(M_t² | ℱ_t–1) is unknown. This paper is concerned with the limiting distribution of the asymptotic quasi‐score function of such a model. Confidence intervals and hypothesis testing of θ is derived from the limiting distribution. Comparison is made between the estimates obtained through this method and those obtained through the least squares method.     

The genus Paradorylaimus Andrássy, 1969 (Dorylaimoidea: Nematoda)

Examination of the type specimens of Dorylaimus parafecundus De Coninck, 1935 showed that the cuticle lacks longitudinal ridges. The species is a typical Laimydorus and is herewith redesignated L. parafecundus (De Coninck, 1935) n.comb. As it is the type species of Paradorylaimus Andrássy, 1969, the latter generic name falls as a synonym of Laimydorus Siddiqi, 1969 which has priority of publication. The three other species included originally in Paradorylaimus are dealt with as follows: P. wilhelmschneideri (Andrássy, 1959) is considered incertae sedis; P. heterurus (Schuurmans Stekhoven & Teunissen, 1938) was shown by Mulk et al. (1978) to belong in the genus Roqueus Thorne, 1964; P. filiformis (Bastian, 1865) is herewith returned to Laimydorus. Dorylaimus tenuistriatus Schneider, 1935 is not identical with L. parafecundus: it is more slender; odontostyle, pharynx and spicules are shorter; supplement number is lower; shape of vulva and the arrangement of the pharyngeal gland nuclei are different. The species is transferred to Laimydorus, becoming L. tenuistriatus (Schneider, 1935) n.comb. Lectotypes are designated for L. parafecundus and L. tenuistriatus. Among the material of L. tenuistriatus are specimens of L. pseudostagnalis (Micoletzky, 1927) and L. sp.     

Infrageneric classification of the genusEleutherococcus maxim. (Araliaceae) with a new sectionCissifolius

The genusEleutherococcus Maxim, is divided into five sections based on the morphology;Eleutherococcus, Cissifolius C.H. Kim and B.-Y. Sun (sect, nov.),Acanthopanax (Decne. & Planch.) H. Ohashi,Cephalopanax (Baill.) H. Ohashi andZanthoxylopanax (Harms) H. Ohashi. SectionAcanthopanax is further divided into two subsections;Acanthopanax andIonostachyae (Nakai) C.H. Kim & B.-Y Sun (comb. nov.). The new sectCissifolius is distinguished from others in having five fused carpels with free styles, solitary umbels at the end of branches, dioecious sexuality, and absence of tufted hairs in abaxial surface of leaf veins. The new section is most closely related toAcanthopanax in having free styles, solitary umbels, and dioecious sexuality. It is also related toEleutherococcus in having five carpels and lacking tufted hairs on abaxial surface of leaves. SectionCephalopanax shares all characteristics other than the number of carpels withEleutherococcus. SectionZanthoxylopanax is closely related toAcanthopanax in having two carpels with free styles, while it is also related toCephalopanax by having bisexual flowers and umbels arranged in a simple cyme. Considering the evolutionary trend in the family Araliaceae, five-carpellate sectionsEleutherococcus andCissifolius are more primitive than two-carpellate sectionsAcanthopanax, Cephalopanax, andZanthoxylopanax. SectionZanthoxylopanax seems to be intermediate betweenAcanthopanax andCephalopanax.     

Studies in the morphology and systematics of berberidaceae

The floral vasculature in three allied genera,Plagiorhegma, Jeffersoria andAchyls is investigated, and the results are compared with those ofEpimedium andVancouveria which are related closely toPlagiorhegma andJeffersonia. The vasculature in the receptacle ofPlagiorhegma andJeffersonia is similar, but that ofAchlys is much simpler. Slightly different trace patterns are observed in the sepals ofPlagiorhegma andJeffersonia. InJeffersonia, the 3-trace condition leaving 2 or 3 gaps is most frequently observed, but inPlagiorhegma traces of a double nature leaving a single gap are more frequent. The traces to the innermost sepals, petals and stamens are usually of a double nature leaving a single gap in both genera. Regular division and fusion are not observed in the receptacular stele. The vascular differentiation between sepals and petals is more advanced inPlagiorhegma andJeffersonia than inEpimedium andVancouveria. InAchlys, the traces are all staminal and single throughout their course. Two parts recognized in the pistils ofPlagiorhegma, Jeffersonia andAchlys are traversed by independent vasculature. The comparisons of pistil morphology including vasculature ofPlagiorhegma, Jeffersonia, Achlys, Epimedium andVancouveria lead to the interpretation that the pistils are based on the same morphological plan. The probable evolutionary trend in pistil is then suggested in these five genera.     

Pollen morphology of the genera Polygonum s. str. and Polygonella (Polygoneae: Polygonaceae)

The pollen of 30 taxa (27 species, one subspecies and two varieties) in two genera, viz Polygonum s. str. and Polygonella was investigated with LM and SEM, and some selected taxa with TEM. In all genera investigated the pollen is prolate to spheroidal, and the aperture is mostly tricolporate, rarely panto-hexacolporate (especially Polygonum section Polygonum). The exine sculpturing pattern is the most variable feature. Three types of exine can be recognized. Type 1 (Avicularia-Type, sensu Hedberg) - All species of section Polygonum and section Tephis share the smooth tectate exine with spinules, sometimes the surface is more or less rough (Polygonum afromontanum in section Tephis). Type 2 (Pseudomollia-Type, sensu Hong) - Pollen of Polygonum molliaeforme (section Pseudomollia) has the exine, which is verrucose on both poles and nearby the mesocolpium, and mostly psilate around the ectoaperture. Type 3 (Duravia-Type, sensu Hedberg) - Pollen grains of Polygonum section Duravia and Polygonella have the exine which is semitectate-reticulate at the mesocolpium and the poles, and rugulate/reticulate or sometimes foveolate with microspinules around the ectoapertures. The pollen grains in four taxa (viz Polygonum section Pseudomollia, P. section Duravia and genus Polygonella) have a well-marked dimorphism of the ektexine, which is considered to be a synapomorphic condition. The differences of pollen grain between the genus Polygonella and Polygonum section Duravia are almost non existent and clearly interrelated. It is therefore postulated that the similarity in pollen of both taxa is not the result of convergency, but is interpreted as a homology. It is noteworthy that the pollen of Polygonum molliaeforme (section Pseudomollia) appears as intermediate between the Avicularia-type and the Duravia-type, and is well supported the value of separated section for its own. Additionally, in TEM, some exine ultrastructures (e.g. columellae, foot layer, endexine) appear to be valuable characters for comparison between/among taxa. The systematic potentialities of the pollen data of the studied taxa at various systematic levels are also discussed.     

A review of the Nearctic digger‐wasp genus Microstictia Gillaspy, 1963, with description of two new species from Arizona and Florida (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Crabronidae)

The genus Microstictia is characterized, its species are diagnosed and keyed; their distribution and collecting period summarized; and their taxonomic status discussed. Photographs of selected important characters are provided. Two new species are described, Microstictia pimensis from Arizona (in the rufescens species group) and M. eos from Florida (in the femorata species group). This is the first unambiguous record of Microstictia from the eastern USA. Based on this finding, M. femorata may actually have originated from Florida, which is frequently questioned. Microstictia minutula (described in Monedula), currently misinterpreted, is a valid name for M. texensis Gillaspy, new synonym. This new synonymy is largely based on female colour characters, whose significance is discussed. The species hitherto known as M. minutula is actually M. exigua (W. Fox), with M. divergens (J. Parker) as a new junior synonym.     

The size distribution of insertions and deletions in human and rodent pseudogenes suggests the logarithmic gap penalty for sequence alignment

The size distributions of deletions, insertions, and indels (i.e., insertions or deletions) were studied, using 78 human processed pseudogenes and other published data sets. The following results were obtained: (1) Deletions occur more frequently than do insertions in sequence evolution; none of the pseudogenes studied shows significantly more insertions than deletions. (2) Empirically, the size distributions of deletions, insertions, and indels can be described well by a power law, i.e., f _k = Ck ^–b , where f _k is the frequency of deletion, insertion, or indel with gap length k, b is the power parameter, and C is the normalization factor. (3) The estimates of b for deletions and insertions from the same data set are approximately equal to each other, indicating that the size distributions for deletions and insertions are approximately identical. (4) The variation in the estimates of b among various data sets is small, indicating that the effect of local structure exists but only plays a secondary role in the size distribution of deletions and insertions. (5) The linear gap penalty, which is most commonly used in sequence alignment, is not supported by our analysis; rather, the power law for the size distribution of indels suggests that an appropriate gap penalty is w _k = a + b ln k, where a is the gap creation cost and blnk is the gap extension cost. (6) The higher frequency of deletion over insertion suggests that the gap creation cost of insertion (a _i ) should be larger than that of deletion (a _d ); that is, a _i – a _d = In R, where R is the frequency ratio of deletions to insertions. Correspondence to: W.-H. Li     

Bambusicolous fungi in Japan (1): four <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phaeosphaeria</Emphasis> species

Four Phaeosphaeria species on bamboos are reported. Leptosphaeria lelebae on culms of Bambusa multiplex is synonymized with P. oryzae. A Phaeosphaeria sp. on leaves of Sasa kurilensis is noted to have some similarities to Leptosphaeria sasae. Cultural characteristics of P. brevispora collected from culms of Sasa sp. are first recorded. Phaeosphaeria bambusae on leaves of Pleioblastus simoni is redescribed. In addition, the history of taxonomic studies on bambusicolous fungi in Japan is briefly reviewed.     

Carapichea guianensis: the correct name for Psychotria carapichea (Rubiaceae), with a correction on the authority of P. carapichea, and a new combination in Carapichea

The correct name forPsychotria carapichea isCarapichea guianensis. Also, the authority ofPsychotria carapichea was previously incorrectly cited, because of an oversight of the illegitimacy ofTapogomea carapichea Poir. The complex taxonomic history of this species is analyzed, and the authority of the binomial is correctly cited. In addition,P. ligularis, which was treated as closely related toC. guianensis in previous publications, is transferred toCarapichea and it is now known asCarapichea ligularis.     

Genetic interactions suggest that Danforth's short tail (Sd) is a gain-of-function mutation

Danforth's short tail (Sd) is a semidominant mutation on mouse chromosome 2 that acts cell autonomously in the notochord and leads to its disintegration, and thus causes severe defects in somite patterning and vertebral column development. The molecular nature of the Sd gene and mutation is unknown, and it is unclear whether Sd is a loss-of-function mutation and the semidominant inheritance of the Sd phenotype is due to haploinsufficiency, or whether Sd represents a gain-of-function mutation in a gene essential for notochord development and maintenance. Here, we report on the genetic interaction between Sd and an insertional mutation called Etl4^lacZ, which provides genetic evidence that Sd is a gain-of-function mutation. Etl4^lacZ is an enhancer trap insertion, which gives rise to lacZ expression in distinct cell types, including the notochord. In homozygosity, the lacZ insertion leads to abnormal vertebrae in the caudal part of the vertebral column. Etl4^lacZ maps approximately 0.75 cM distal to Sd, and in double heterozygotes modifies the Sdphenotype contrarily, depending on the chromosomal configuration of the Sd and Etl4^lacZ mutations: when Etl4^lacZ is present on the chromosome wild type for Sd (Sd +/+ Etl4^lacZ; trans configuration), the Sd phenotype is enhanced, i.e., vertebral malformations extend to more anterior positions and the vertebral body of the axis is further reduced. Conversely, when Etl4^lacZ is present on the same chromosome as Sd (Sd Etl4^lacZ /+ +; cis configuration), the Sd phenotype is attenuated, i.e., vertebral malformations are confined to more posterior levels, and the dens axis, which is severely reduced or absent in Sd heterozygotes, is restored. The different effect of the Etl4^lacZ insertion on Sd, depending on its presence in trans or cis, suggests a direct interaction of the transgene insertion with the Sd gene. Additionally, the attenuation of the Sd phenotype by Etl4^lacZ in cis suggests that Sd is a gain-of-function mutation and lends support to the idea that Etl4^lacZ is a new allele of Sd. Dev. Genet. 23:86–96, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

The genus Thymus (Lamiaceae) in Sicily

An update on the taxonomy and geographic distribution of the genus Thymus in Sicily is given. This study is based on literature, herbarium and field investigations. In total, five taxa belonging to Thymus sect. Serpyllum (Th.richardii subsp. nitidus, Th.longicaulis and Th.praecox subsp. parvulus) and Th. sect. Hyphodromi (Th.spinulosus and Th.paronychioides) occur in Sicily. For each one, information about taxonomy, habitat, phenology, chromosome number and distribution are provided. Furthermore, the name Thymus pedicillatus Lojac. is here typified. Finally, an analytical key for the identification of the studied taxa is proposed.     

Succession in zooplankton and hydrophytes of a seasonal water on the west coast of South Africa

Paramesochra mielkei sp.n. is described and figured from the interstices of subtidal sandy sediments off the SW Dutch coast. Kunz' (1981) phylogenetic scheme of the Paramesochridae Lang, 1948 is re-examined and it is suggested that the family comprises two phyletic lines which originated early in paramesochrid evolution. Translation into Linnean hierarchies implies the establishment of two new sub-families. Within the primitive Diarthrodellinae subfam. n., Tisbisoma Bozic, 1964 is ancestral to Diarthrodella Klie, 1949 s.l. and Rossopsyllus Soyer, 1975. Remanea Klie, 1929 is transferred to the Paramesochrinae subfam. n. which comprises the genera of both the Scottopsyllus- and the Paramesochra-group. The aberrant genus Caligopsyllus Kunz, 1975, standing close to Apodopsyllus, is removed from the Paramesochra-group. P. brevifurca Galhano, 1970 is splitted into two subspecies and replaced in the genus Paramesochra. An attempt is made to assess the phyletic interrelationships of the Paramesochra-species and the resulting cladogram splits the genus into four species-groups. P. mielkei sp.n. is referred to the dubia-group and seems to be closely related to P. borealis Geddes, 1981. Finally, an amended diagnosis and a revised key to the species of the genus Paramesochra are presented.