Redescription of Paralagenophrys singularis (Kellicott) n. comb. (Ciliophora: Peritricha: Lagenophryidae)1

Lagenophrys singularis is removed from Lagenophrys and designated the type species of Paralagenophrys n. g. Compared to members of Lagenophrys, the oral area of P. singularis is radically distorted. Paralagenophrys apparently also lacks second-type division, a special phase of sexual reproduction characteristic of Lagenophrys and associated with its adaptation to symbiotic life on crustaceans. Members of Lagenophrys are obligate ectocommensals of crustaceans. In contrast, P. singularis (Kellicott, 1887) n. comb. occurs most often on the leaves of aquatic vascular plants.     

1061. Lunaria annua subsp. pachyrrhiza (Borb as) Maire & Petitm.,: Cruciferae (Brassicaceae)

Lunaria annua is overviewed and its two subspecies, subsp. annua and subsp. pachyrrhiza, discussed, the latter described. Two cultivars of subsp. pachyrrhiza, ‘Corfu Blue’ and ‘Mistras’ are illustrated and described. Details of cultivation are also included.     

Megalophallus deblocki n. sp. (Digenea: Microphallidae) from Rostrhamus sociabilis (Vieillot) (Aves: Accipitridae) in Paraguay

A new species in the little-known digenean fauna of Paraguayan birds is described in detail, especially in relation to its terminal genitalia. The new form, Megalophallus deblocki n. sp., is a microphallid from the intestine of the snail kite Rostrhamus sociabilis (Vieillot). It is differentiated in detail from its congeners, but differs mainly in having a substantially larger phallus (e.g. in relation to the ventral sucker), a smaller ventral sucker and smaller eggs. Comments are included on the functional morphology of the terminal genitalia.     

Ephemerum hibernicum sp. nov. (Bryopsida: Ephemeraceae) from Ireland

Abstract

Ephemerum hibernicum sp. nov. is described from inundation zones of two lakes and a river in north-central Ireland and a river in western Ireland. It is most similar to E. crassinervium and E. sessile, but differs from both of these in several characters of the leaves. In particular, papillae on the upper lamina are much lower than in most E. crassinervium, while the leaves are longer and wider than in E. sessile, with a wider lamina towards the leaf apex, less well-defined costa and sometimes with large spinose marginal teeth. Ephemerum hibernicum is a rare species and its specialized habitat merits conservation.     

Paravelia anta sp. n. and P. hungerfordi (Drake and Harris) from South America (Heteroptera: Veliidae)

Paravelia anta sp.n. from Argentina and Paraguay is described and compared with its close relative P. hungerfordi (Drake & Harris) from Brasil, which is redescribed. In addition, characteristics to separate these two from the remaining species of Paravelia are given.     

Diplobulbus brayi n. sp. (Digenea: Opecoelidae) from Odax acroptilus (Perciformes: Odacidae) off Western Australia

Diplobulbus brayi n. sp. is described from the small intestine of Odax acroptilus (Perciformes: Odacidae) from Point Peron in southern Western Australia. One of the five previously described species of Diplobulbus, D. vitellosus Bilqees, 1972 from Tetraodon lunaris (now Lagocephalus lunaris), is synonymised with Alloheterolebes indicus (Gupta, 1968) Hafeezullah, 1971, which is known from the same host in the Indian Ocean. D. brayi n. sp. can be distinguished from the remaining four species of Diplobulbus by the distinct interruption of the vitelline follicles at the ventral sucker, its more elongate form and its long post-testicular space. Diplobulbus is so far restricted to the Indo-Pacific region and appears to be stenoxenic to labroid fishes. This is the first record of a trematode from an odacid fish.     

Bispiculum inaequale n. gen. & sp. (Nematoda: Tetradonematidae) from New Zealand wood-boring beetles (Curculionidae: Platypodinae )

Abstract

A monotypic new genus, Bispiculum, is erected for B. inaequale n.sp. from the haemocoel of Platypus apicalis, P. caviceps, and P. gracilis, ambrosia beetles indigenous to New Zealand. B. inaequale is characterised by its possession of a pair of spicules and three rows of anal papillae in the male, and ‘escape-form’ juveniles. This is the first record of a tetradonematid in New Zealand, and the first of a tetradonematid from the Curculionidae. All stages are described, and the life history is discussed. The diagnosis of the Tetradonematidae is emended, the family is reviewed, and a key to species is provided.     

Mammalakis n. g. and Mammalakinae n. subfam. (Nematoda: Heterakoidea: Kiwinematidae): parasites of mole rats (Rodentia: Bathyergidae and spalacidae)

Heterakis macrospiculum Ortlepp, 1939 is redescribed as the type species of Mammalakis n. g., known only from mole rats, and characterised by an absence of cheilostomal flanges to the lips, and the presence of caudal expansions of the lateral alae on males and of massive spicules. H. spalacis Marcu, 1930 and H. spalaxi Kozlov & Jangolenko, 1962 are also referred to the new genus for which the Mammalakinae n. subfam. of the Kiwinematidae is erected. The new evidence, while not clarifying phylogenetic relationships within the Heterakoidea, supports the view that that superfamily had its origins before the separation of Laurasia and Gondwanaland.     

Representatives of Batrachocamallanus n. g. (Nematoda: Procamallaninae) from Xenopus spp. (Anura: Pipidae): geographical distribution,host range and evolutionary relationships

The great majority of the Procamallaninae occur in teleosts from tropical regions; however, representatives of this group are also frequent parasites of aquatic clawed toads (Xenopus spp.) in Africa. The taxonomic status of procamallanines from different Xenopus spp. and their geographical distribution is reviewed. Batrachocamallanus n. g. is created to include forms from amphibians with large numbers of mucrons on the female tail and relatively small body size. B. occidentalis n. sp. and B. siluranae n. sp. are described, while Procamallanus brevis Kung, 1948, originally recorded from an unidentified African amphibian, is considered a synonym of B. slomei (Southwell & Kirshner, 1937) n. comb. Due to the presence of spiral thickenings on its buccal capsule, B. xenopodis (Baylis, 1929) n. comb. has previously been placed in the genus Spirocamallanus Olsen, 1952. However, this species shares the apomorphic presence of numerous mucrons on the female tail, and almost identical cephalic morphology, male caudal structures and female reproductive system with other procamallanines from clawed toads. This suggests that they represent a monophyletic grouping. There is also only limited morphometric differentiation between B. xenopodis and the other proposed representatives of Batrachocamallanus (supported by a multivariate analysis of male and female specimens), which further indicates a close relationship between them. Great variability in the presence and type of buccal capsule thickenings occurs within Batrachocamallanus. Members of this genus most closely resemble the African species Procamallanus laeviconchus (Wedl, 1862), which exhibits a smooth buccal capsule similar to that of B. siluranae. Buccal capsule thickenings of the remaining Batrachocamallanus spp. probably arose independently from those described in other procamallanines. Such characters may be evolutionarily unstable and an unsuitable basis for generic classification in this subfamily. Although B. siluranae is the only Batrachocamallanus species to occur in X. tropicalis-like hosts (which represent a separate lineage from other clawed toads), its distribution, and that of its congeners, may be determined more by host-independent ecological or biogeographical factors than by an association with host phylogeny. Thus, B siluranae occurs in Xenopus spp. from tropical rain forest (including those from other host lineages) while the other forms are typically found in savanna or montane forest, and in the cases of B. slomei and B. xenopodis at least, do not show narrow host specificity to particular clawed toad taxa. Although more than one Batrachocamallanus spp. were found in X. laevis, X. muelleri and X. fraseri-like clawed toads, co-existence at the same locality never occurred, perhaps indicating a high degree of interspecific ecological segregation.     

Revision of the genus Amadotrogus Reitter, 1902 (n. stat.) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)

In this paper, the subgenus Amadotrogus Reitter, 1902 and its taxonomic status as a subordinate taxon of genus Amphimallon are reviewed. Two kinds of character sets are discussed; those relative to the external morphology of the adult and those of the male and female genitalia. Subgenus Amadotrogus is compared with its recognized allied genera in the same clade (Coca-Abia 1995) Amphimallon Berthold, 1827; Geotrogus Guérin, 1842; Monotropus Erichson, 1847; Pseudoapeterogyna Escalera, 1914 and Rhizotrogus Berthold, 1827 to asses the realtionships of these taxa. Phylogenetic analysis discloses that Amadotrogus, considered to be a subgenus of Amphimallon, has synapomorphic characters which justify its elevation to generic rank. Thus, genus Amadotrogus includes seven species distributed across the Northern Mediterranean basin. The type species, Amadotrogus quercanus (Burmeister, 1855), and six others, transferred from genus Rhizotrogus: Amadotrogus grassii (Mainardi, 1902), Amadotrogus insubricus (Burmeister, 1855), Amadotrogus oertzeni (Brenske, 1886), Amadotrogus patru- elis (Reiche, 1862), Amadotrougs truncatus (Brenske, 1886) and Amadotrogus vicinus (Mulsant, 1842) (Coca-Abia & Martín-Piera 1998). In addition, Rhizotrogus rugifrons Burmeister, 1855 is considered a new synonym of Amadotrogus vicinus. Rhizotrogus bolivari Martínez y Sáez, 1873, Amphimallon cata- launicum Báguena, 1956 and Rhizotrogus lajonquierei Baraud, 1970 are synonymized with Amadotrogus patruelis.     

The erection of Leporidotaenia n. g. (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) for Anoplocephaloides spp. parasitising Leporidae (Lagomorpha)

Leporidotaenia n. g. is proposed for four cestode species parasitising Leporidae (Lagomorpha) which were previously considered as members of the genus Anoplocephaloides. The new genus is differentiated from Anoplocephaloides by the presence of a spinose covering on the tegument, the protrusible genital atrium, the massive cirrus-sac with highly developed musculature, the presence of a retractor muscle associated with the cirrus-sac, the posterior position of vaginal pore relative to the male orifice, the cirrus armed with long spines and its occurrence only in hosts of the family Leporidae (Lagomorpha). The genus includes: L. romerolagi (type-species), L. floresbarroetae, L. pseudowimerosa and L. wimerosa. the species (excluding L. floresbarroetae) are redescribed and figured and a differential key is presented. An attempt is made to explain the range of Leporidotaenia spp. in Central America and the western Palaearctic on the basis of the palaeozoogeography of rabbits and hares.     

Carnoya kermarreci n.sp. (Rhigonematidae: Nematoda) from Anadenobolus politus (Porat) (Rhinocricidae: Diplopoda) from Guadeloupe

Summary Carnoya kermarreci n.sp. (Rhigonematidae; Nematoda) is described from Anadenobolus politus (Porat) (Rhinocricidae; Diplopoda) from Guadeloupe. The new species most closely resembles C. martiniquensis Adamson, 1984 from A. politus in Martinique and C. venezuelensis Adamson, 1984 from Rhinocricus flavocinctus from Venezuela in that the lips in the male are broad and the arrangement of caudal papillae is almost identical in the three species. Males of C. kermarreci are easily distinguished by the absence of spines, by the form of the cuticular projections at the base of the buccal cavity and by the fact that the most anterior pair of caudal papillae are located very close together. Females are distinguished by the presence of three pairs of somatic papillae near the level of the vulva. The nematode fauna of A. politus includes species from two distinct orders and presumably reflects the fact that diplopods are among the most ancient hosts of nematodes.     

Amblyomma boeroi n. sp. (Acari: Ixodidae), a parasite of the Chacoan peccary Catagonus wagneri (Rusconi) (Artiodactyla: Tayassuidae) in Argentina

All parasitic stages of Amblyomma boeroi n. sp. (Acari: Ixodidae) are described here from Catagonus wagneri (Rusconi) in Argentina. The diagnostic characters for the male are a combination of orbited eyes, a 2/2 dental formula, coxa IV considerably larger than coxae I–III and with a long, sickle-shaped, medially directed spur arising from its internal margin, a scutum which is light grey to very pale ivory in colour, and the absence of a postanal groove. The diagnostic characters for the females are a combination of orbited eyes, a central pair and two marginal pairs of short, coarse notal setae, a 2/2 dental formula, and the absence of a postanal groove. The nymph has short palpi and a 2/2 dental formula arranged in 6 rows, its eyes are convex and orbited, and it has no postanal groove. The dorsally rectangular basis capituli of the larva, its bulging eyes and slightly sinuous posterior scutal margin all serve to distinguish it from the larva of other species of the genus. The principal host for all parasitic stages is C. wagneri (Artiodactyla: Tayassuidae). Phylogenetically A. boeroi appears to represent an independent lineage within Amblyomma Koch, 1844.     

Nanocladius (Plecopteracoluthus) asiaticus sp. n. (Diptera: Chironomidae) Phoretic on Dobsonfly and Fishfly Larvae (Megaloptera: Corydalidae)

The adult male, adult female, pupa, and larva of Nanocladius (Plecopteracoluthus) asiaticus sp. n. (Diptera: Chironomidae) are described and illustrated. Larvae live in coarse silken nets which usually are attached to the ventral side of the mesothorax of larval dobsonflies and fishflies (Megaloptera: Corydalidae) dwelling in stream riffles. The host species are Protohermes grandis and Parachauliodes continentalis in Japan, Protohermes costalis and Neochauliodes sinensis in Taiwan, and Neurhermes maculipennis in the Malay Peninsula. Larvae are not parasitic but may have a commensal relationship with their hosts; they feed on algae and detrital material caught on their silken nets, or on the body surface of their hosts. Pupation occurs in the fine silken net fixed to the lateral side of host thoracic regions, or occasionally to the undersides of hind legs.     

Travassostrongylus yungaensis n. sp. and Hoineffia simplicispicula n. sp. (Nematoda: Trichostrongyloidea) from Thylamys venustus cinderellus and Lutreolina crassicaudata (Marsupialia: Didelphidae) in the northwest of Argentina

Travassostrongylus yungaensis n. sp. and Hoineffia simplicispicula n. sp., belonging to the family Viannaiidae and collected from the intestine of Thylamys venustus cinderellus and Lutreolina crassicaudata from Tucamán and Salta, Argentina, are described. T. yungaensis n. sp. differs from T. tourei, T. quintus, T. quatuor and T. paraquintus because it possesses a well-developed dorsal lobe of the caudal bursa without accessory rays. Furthermore, the absence of a telamon distinguishes it from T. quatuor and T. quintus. H. simplicispicula differs from H. cayennensis in its shorter cephalic vesicle, simple spicular structure and gubernaculum, the absence of accessory pieces in the caudal extremity of the female and the lack of ornamentation between rays 2 and 6 and the dorsal lobe of the male. The distribution of the parasites along the intestine of the host suggest that both genera may co-exist, sharing the same ecological habitat but each having its preferential microbiotope.     

African Hepatics: VIII. Diplasiolejeunea albifolia (Taylor) E. W. Jones comb.nov.

Abstract

The new combination Tetralophozia filiformis (Steph.) E. Urmi is proposed for Chandonanthus filiformis Steph. So far this species has been known only from Asia and N. America. Recent collections show it to occur also in Europe, in the Cantabrian Mts., Spain. Here it grows in sheltered places on siliceous rocks in oceanic conditions. From Tetralophozia setiformis (Ehrh.) Schljak. (=Chandonanthus setiformis) it is distinguished by its smaller size, the leaf lobes are always more than twice as long as wide and their margins are not inflexed towards the stem.     

Orientation responses of Triops granarius (Lucas) (Branchiopoda: Notostraca) and Streptocephalus ssp. (Branchiopoda: Anostraca)

Summary Triops granarius and Streptocephalus spp. show an orthokinetic response and swim faster in light than in darkness. Triops is negatively, Streptocephalus positively phototactic. The lethal temperature for 24 hours' exposure is 34°C for Triops, 35°C for Streptocephalus. Temperatures around 29°–30°C are preferred by both to 20°C or 33°C. Phototaxis overrides these temperature reactions in Streptocephalus but not in Triops. Both swim against water currents: Triops does not become habituated to mechanical stimuli upon responses to which its survival may depend.

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Résumé Le Triops granarius et le Streptocephalus spp. ont une réaction orthocinétique et se déplacent plus vite dans la lumière que dans le noir. Le Triops est négativement phototactique, le Streptocephalus l'est positivement. La température mortelle pour une exposition de 24 h. est 34°C pour le Triops et 35°C pour le Streptocephalus. Tous les deux préfèrent des températures de l'ordre de 29°–30°C plutôt que de 20°C ou 33°C. Le phototactisme domine ces réactions aux température chez le Streptocephalus mais pas chez le Triops. Tous les deux se déplacent contre les courants: le Triops ne peut pas s'accoutumer aux excitents méchaniques, même si sa vie dépend de sa réaction à ces excitents.

     

The genus Pnyxiopalpus gen.n. (Diptera: Sciaridae)

Pnyxiopalpus gen.n. (type-species P. raptor sp.n.), Oriental in distribution, includes the following species: P. acanthipes sp.n. (Malay Peninsula), P. aculeatus sp.n. (Borneo), P. adebratti sp.n. (Borneo), P. aphrodite sp.n. (Sumatra), P. dentaneus sp.n. (Sulawesi), P. fossor sp.n. (Borneo), P. fuscinellus sp.n. (Borneo), P. hamatus sp.n. (Borneo), P. latifalx sp.n. (Borneo), P. macrocellus sp.n. (Malay Peninsula), P. microdon sp.n. (Sumatra), P. nepenthophilus sp.n. (Malay Peninsula), P. noona sp.n. (Palawan), P. raptor sp.n. (Borneo), P. reticulatus sp.n. (Malay Peninsula) and P. simplex sp.n. (Borneo). Males and females are keyed and described. Pnyxiopalpus has a number of characters previously unknown in Sciaridae. In contrast to other Sciaridae, interspecific morphological variation is greater for the females compared to the males. Based on a parsimony analysis of sixty-four morphological characters, Pnyxiopalpus is monophyletic, and its sister group appears to be Spathobdella Frey + {[Peyerimhoffia Kieffer + (Faratsiho Paulian + Pnyxia Johannsen)] + [Hyperlasion Schmitz + (Hermapterosciara Mohrig & Mamaev + Parapnyxia Mohrig & Mamaev)]}. According to the most parsimonious solution, the monophyly of Hyperlasion, Lycoriella Frey and Plastosciara Berg in their current sense is questioned. Aptery and one-segmented maxillary palp, usually regarded as important in sciarid classification, show a lot of homoplasy.     

The Oocysts of Eimeria vermiformis sp. n. and E. papillata sp. n. (Protozoa: Eimeriidae) from the Mouse Mus musclus

SYNOPSIS. Eimeria vermiformis sp. n. and E. papillata sp. n. are described from the mouse Mus musculus. The sporulated oocysts of E. vermiformis are 18–26 by 15–21 μ (mean 23.1 by 18.4 μ); its sporocysts are 11–14 by 6–10 μ (mean 12.8 by 7.9 p). The sporulated oocysts of E. papillata are 18–26 by 16–24 μ (mean 22.4 by 19.2 μ); its sporocysts are 10–13 by 6–9 μ (mean 11.2 by 8.0 μ). A substiedal body is present in E. papillata sporocysts. Patent infections were produced in white laboratory mice with both species. Fourteen species of Eimeria have now been described from the genus Mus.