Actiniaria and Ceriantharia of the Azores (Cnidaria Anthozoa)

The common shallow water species of sea anemones (Actiniaria) and tube anemones (Ceriantharia) of the Azores are listed. Eight species of sea anemones are mentioned, the species Cereus pedunculatus and Sagartia affinis being new records for the archipelago. Both species of Ceriantharia, namely Arachnanthus nocturnus and Pachycerianthus solitarius, are recorded from the Azores for the first time. Arachnanthus nocturnus is also recorded from the Cape Verde Islands and from Madeira for the first time. Communicated by H.-D. Franke     

A preliminary survey of the Chironomidae (Diptera) of Costa Rica,with emphasis on the lotic fauna

Extensive collections of Chironomidae were made in Costa Rica, Central America, during 1986 and 1987. Fifty-five genera and at least 148 species belonging to the subfamilies Podonominae, Tanypodinae, Orthocladiinae and Chironomidae were found. Chironominae and Orthocladiinae predominated. Only one species of Podonominae was collected. Tanypodinae was represented by many genera, but species richness was low.Cricotopus was the most widespread and diverse genus of Orthocladiinae. Among the Chironominae the generaPolypedilum, Pseudochironomus, Tanytarsus andRheotanytarsus showed high species richness. Several species were collected that could not be assigned to genus. A number of range extensions were recorded for taxa found in the Neotropical region for the first time and for Neotropical taxa recorded outside of South America for the first time. The Costa Rican chironomid fauna consists of cosmopolitan, holarctic and neotropical components. There is probably an endemic Central American chironomid fauna at the species level.     

The effects ofTilapia introductions in Lake Luhondo,Rwanda

Synopsis Cyprinid fishes apparently constituted the major part of the original fish fauna in Lake Luhondo, Rwanda, at least until 1934. At that time only three species, all cyprinids, were known from the lake:Barbus neumayeri, a small barbel, very common in the lake (described from the lake asBarbus luhondo) and two larger cyprinid species:Barbus microbarbis andVaricorhinus ruandae. These two large species were probably not very common in the lake. Between 1935 and 1938 some youngTilapia were introduced into Lake Luhondo. Since then and certainly since 1952 the large cyprinids seem to have disappeared completely from the lake. The smallBarbus neumayeri has become extremely rare; at present it survives only in some small tributaries of the lake. In the lake itselfTilapia andHaplochromis species are now the dominant fauna. A survey of the available information is given.Africa-Museum, Steenweg op Leuven, B-1980 Tervuren, Belgium (mailing address)     

Late Triassic (Late Norian) gastropods from the Wallowa Terrane (Idaho,USA)

A diverse Late Triassic (Late Norian) gastropod fauna is described from the Mission Creek Limestone of the Wallowa terrane (Idaho, USA). Sample standardization by rarefaction analysis indicates that the fauna is even more diverse than the Late Triassic gastropod fauna from the Pucara Formation (Peru) which represents the most diverse gastropod fauna from South America. The gastropod fauna consists of 66 species; several genera are reported for the first time from North America. A high percentage of the species are highly ornamented and several have distinct siphonal canals. This suggests that the appearance of truly Mesozoic elements among the gastropods began before the Mesozoic Marine Revolution in other clades. The fauna is dominated by high-spired strongly ornamented procerithiids, a group more characteristic for the Jurassic. Comparison of the present fauna and the Iranian Nayband Formation gastropod fauna show that the procerithiids underwent a first global radiation in the Late Triassic. The high number of new species in this fauna suggests that sampling of Late Triassic gastropod faunas is still incomplete and hinders palaeobiogeographic considerations. Previous suggesions that gastropod faunas from the Wallowa and Wrangellia terranes resemble each other and are distinct from those of Alexander, Chulitna, and Farewell terranes are basically corroborated. The gastropod fauna of the Mission Creek Limestone differs considerably from that of the western and central Tethys but shares several taxa with the Late Triassic gastropod fauna of the Pucara Formation in Peru. Thus, the Hispanic corridor was probably not present in the Norian but opened only in the Early Jurassic. The subfamily Andangulariinae is introduced and placed in the Zygopleuridae. The generaSpiniomphalus, Nodoconus, Gudrunella, Blodgettella, Idahospira, andSiphonilda and the subgenusCryptaulax (Wallowax) are introduced. 27 species are erected. A lectotype is designated forCryptaulax rhabdocolpoides Haas, 1953.      

Cirripedia of Madeira

We give a list of Cirripedia from Madeira Island and nearby deep water, based on specimens in the collection of the Museu Municipal do Funchal (História Natural) (MMF), records mentioned in the literature, and recent collections. Tesseropora atlantica Newman and Ross, 1976 is recorded from Madeira for the first time. The Megabalanus of Madeira is M. azoricus. There are 20 genera containing 27 species, of which 22 occur in depths less than 200 m. Of these shallow water species, eight are wide-ranging oceanic forms that attach to other organisms or to floating objects, leaving just 13 truly benthic shallow water barnacles. This low diversity is probably a consequence of the distance from the continental coasts and the small area of the available habitat. No endemic species have been found.     

新疆吐鲁番盆地桃树园晚二叠世非海相腹足类

提要新疆吐鲁番盆地桃树园地区晚二叠世地层称作下仓房沟群,自下而上分为泉子街组、梧桐沟组和锅底坑组,为河–湖相碎屑沉积,剖面连续,层序清楚,动、植物化石丰富。文中研究的腹足类标本产于桃东沟剖面梧桐沟组下部和中部的介壳灰岩层和灰岩透镜体中,见有2层,计有2科4属6种:Xinjiangospira rotundata Yu et Zhu,Xinjiangospira habita sp.nov.、Hydrobia turpanensis Wei、Hydrobia orientalis sp.nov.、Pseudamnicola taodonggouensis sp.nov.和Valvata complanusa sp.nov.;与腹足类共生的有双壳类、叶肢介、介形类,以及植物和脊椎动物化石等,其中双壳类主要是Palaeanodonta,Palaeomutela和Anthraconauta等属。该腹足动物群由Hydrobiidae和Valvatidae的属种组成,标本数量多,壳体小,保存完好,是迄今已知属种最丰富的古生代淡水腹足类动物群。当前梧桐沟组腹足动物群面貌与准噶尔盆地大龙口剖面小龙口组...     

Contribution to the fauna of mollusk-eating marsh flies (Diptera,Sciomyzidae) of Yakutia

A total of 38 species belonging to 14 genera and 2 tribes of the family Sciomyzidae were recorded from Yakutia. Among these species, 23, 6, and 8 species were recorded from Yakutia, eastern Siberia, and Siberia, respectively, for the first time. The fauna of Central Yakutia, comprising 33 species, is examined best of all. The range diversity of investigated sciomyzids is classified into 13 types. Species with Holarctic and trans-Eurasian ranges constitute the largest groups comprising 12 species each. Colobaea punctata, Ilione albiseta, Pherbellia brunnipes, and Sepedon sphegea are very abundant. The species composition of the Yakut fauna noticeably differs from neighboring faunas of the Russian Far East, Mongolia, and Alaska, but the generic composition of these faunas is more similar. The Yakut fauna of the Sciomyzidae is intermediate between the fauna of Mongolia and the faunas of the Russian Far East and Alaska. The fraction of marsh flies in dipteran assemblages of meadow cenoses is usually small, but their abundance in some years grows significantly. The population density of marsh flies in the valleys of large rivers is higher in comparison with that found in isolated alas hollows in the plakors (= euclimatopes). Analysis of the trophic associations of the larvae of the Yakut sciomyzids has revealed 5 out of the 7 groups known in the family.     

Diversity and biogeography of a species‐rich ant fauna of the Australian seasonal tropics

Although ants are an ecologically dominant and extensively studied faunal group throughout the tropics, there is a poor understanding of tropical ant diversity and distribution at large spatial scales. Here we use a collection developed from 3 decades of ant surveys to present the first analysis of ant diversity and biogeography of a large tropical region. Our objective was to document the species richness, composition, and biogeographic distributions of the ant fauna of the 400 000 km² “Top End” of Australia's Northern Territory. The known Top End ant fauna comprises 901 native species from 59 genera. The richest genera are Pheidole (90 species), Melophorus (83), Monomorium (83), Camponotus (71), Meranoplus (63), Polyrhachis (57), Rhytidoponera (50), Tetramorium (43), Cerapachys (32), and Iridomyrmex (31). The fauna is the center of diverse radiations within species‐groups of genera such as Meranoplus, Rhytidoponera, and Leptogenys. It also includes IndoMalayan species that have likely bypassed the normal dispersal route into Australia through Cape York Peninsula in North Queensland. Faunistic similarity with other regions of far northern Australia is associated more with rainfall than with geographic proximity. Most (60%) of Top End ant species have not been recorded elsewhere, and, despite uncertainties relating to species delimitation and sampling intensity, this appears to be a credible estimate of the level of endemism. Such exceptionally high endemism can be attributed to the Top End's geographic isolation from other regions of northern Australia with comparably high rainfall.     

Taxonomic notes on halacarids (Acari) from the Skagerrak area

A total of 27 halacarid species were found in sediments taken at 5–25 m depth off the western coast of Sweden. The four speciesCopidognathus magnipalpus, Actacarus obductus, Coloboceras longiusculus, andLohmannella multisetosa are new to the fauna of the northeastern North Atlantic; taxonomic diagnoses of these species are given.Anomalohalacarus septentrionalis andCamactognathus borealis, both new species, are described. Member of the Taxonomy Group at the Biologische Anstalt Helgoland     

Temporal, spatial and substrate-dependent variations of Danish hard-bottom macrofauna

Detailed knowledge of the Danish hard-bottom fauna is at present limited because of sampling problems. In this study, two different sampling units were used to yield quantitative results of the fauna on two stone reefs in Kattegat: natural holdfasts of Laminaria digitata and plastic pan-scourers imitating the holdfasts. On the two reefs a total of 135 taxa (102 species) were identified, representing 12 phyla. One species, the bryozoan Cribrilina cryptooecium, has not previously been recorded in Denmark. The fauna was characterized by a mixture of a large number of rare species, yielding high values on the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, and it showed a high degree of spatial and temporal variation. ANOSIM analyses showed a significant difference in species compositions between both sampling location, time and substrate type. The plastic pan-scourers proved to be a valuable substrate for quantitative investigations of the fauna. In contrast, the Laminaria holdfasts were too small and variable to be suitable for such studies. Electronic Publication     

Marine Oligochaeta of Jiaozhou Bay,Yellow Sea coast of China

Sixteen species of marine Oligochaeta (8 Tubificidae, 1 Naididae, 6 Enchytraeidae, 1 Megascolecidae) are recorded from the Qingdao area, at about 36° N on the Chinese Yellow Sea coast. Taxonomic remarks are given for most species, of which none appears new to science.Limnodriloides victoriensis Brinkhurst & Baker andEnchytraeus kincaidi Eisen, previously known from the Northeast Pacific, are described from Asia for the first time. These, as well asMonopylephorus rubroniveus Levinsen and aLumbricillus sp., are interpreted as members of a temperate fauna, while all the remaining species have previously been reported from Hong Kong (at about 22° N) and thus are regarded as subtropical/tropical forms in the Yellow Sea.     

First finding of larviposition in Calliphora loewi from an island relict forest

Larviposition is widespread in blowflies, but among Calliphora species this behavior has seldom been described. The evidence of larviposition in C. loewi is here reported for the first time and discussed in relation with other blowfly species exhibiting the same behavior. The blowfly C. loewi is considered oviparous but surprisingly, female specimens from Madeira Island (Portugal) were found to carry few large larvae (one to three larvae up to 5.1 mm in size) in the ovipositor and abdomen. The finding of larviposition behavior in C. loewi from Madeira Island is at present enigmatic and further studies are needed to clarify the reproductive biology of this species.     

Middle Devonian dendroid graptolites from the Brilon Reef area (Rheinisches Schiefergebirge, Germany)

Dendroid graptolites from the Middle Devonian (Givetian, middlePolygnathus varcus Biozone) of the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge are described for the first time. The fauna of the Burgberg locality south of the Brilon reef comes from a black shale layer in a succession of calcareous debris flows. The fauna includes five species ofDictyonema andRuedemannograptus described in open nomenclature. The fragmentation of the material is conside-red as an indication of post-mortem transport.      

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Actinostola callosa</Emphasis> (Verrill, 1882) (Actinostolidae,Anthozoa), a medusivorous sea anemone and its mass occurrence in the Lurefjord,Norway

The seafloor of two Norwegian fjords (Lurefjord and Sognefjord) was studied using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Two large sea anemone species, Actinostola callosa and Bolocera tuediae, are part of the benthic fauna of these fjords. The first species is the most abundant in the Lurefjord north of Bergen. A special linear model to calculate the distances between specimens was constructed using the Geographic Information System data from the ROV. A. callosa was found to be medusivorous. Its biomass and high abundance seem to be correlated with a mass occurrence of its important local prey, the coronate medusa Periphylla periphylla.Communicated by H.-D. Franke     

Cladocera and free-living Copepoda from the Fouta Djalon and adjacent mountain areas in West Africa

Thirty-two species of Cladocera and 27 species of free-living copepods were identified in a series of samples collected in 25 localities in and around the Fouta Djalon mountains, West Africa. Beside great richness in numbers of species, the nature of the fauna is noteworthy: at least 20% of the Cladocera and 50% of the copepods are endemic to West Africa. Possible palaeoclimatological reasons for this are discussed. The cladoceran genus Streblocerus is recorded from Africa for the first time. It is an element of northern origin in the fauna of West Africa. More examples of this kind are documented among the Copepoda Cyclopoida and Harpacticoida, but the bulk of the fauna is evidently of tropical origin. In particular, great adaptive radiation is occurring in the local representatives of the genus Tropocyclops. Three new species of Parastenocaris are described; they are the first representatives of this genus found in West Africa.     

Descriptions of two new species of flea of the genus Plocopsylla in northwestern Argentina

Two new species of flea of the genus Plocopsylla, subgenus Plocopsylla, (Siphonaptera: Stephanocircidae) collected from sigmodontine rodents in northwestern Argentina are described and a key to identification of species of the genus Plocopsylla, subgenus Plocopsylla, in Argentina is presented. Plocopsylla (P.) inti is cited for the first time in Argentina, extending its distribution ～ 970 km further south than previously documented. New locality data and flea–host associations are recorded. The contributions of this study are relevant because they increase knowledge of the diversity of flea fauna in northwestern Argentina bordering a plague endemic area and will be useful in the implementation of plague control management plans in the future.     

A faunistic reconnaissance of Lakes Kundi and Keilak,western Sudan

Lakes Kundi and Keilak show large seasonal variations in area, but have permanent dry season residual areas rich in aquatic macrophytes. The faunas of the two lakes are similar, with L. Kundi (130 species recorded) being richer than L. Keilak (91 species). The fauna of L. Kundi includes the protomonad Rhipidodendron huxleyi, which has not been previously recorded in Africa. In L. Keilak we found Neozonocypris mirabilis, previously known only from L. Tanganika.     

Sarmatian (Late Middle Miocene) gastropod assemblages of the Central Paratethys

Summary A rather diverse gastropod fauna from Sarmatian deposits of the Austrian/Hungarian Eisenstadt-Sopron Basin was studied. The fauna derives from two layers of clay and silt within a siliciclastic section at St. Margarethen in Burgenland (Austria). These layers are interpreted as littoral mudflats which formed during the Sarmatian (Late Middle Miocene) along the western coast of the Central Paratethys. Strong shifts in the composition of the gastropod fauna, dominated by Potamididae (Cenogastropoda: Cerithioidea), within each layer indicate successions of limnic-fluvial to oligohaline, brackish-littoral, and marine-littoral environments. These shifts in facies are reflected by an alternational of thePotamides hartbergensis assemblage,Granulolabium bicinctum assemblage, and thePotamides disjunctus assemblage. The speciesJujubinus turriculus (Eichwald, 1850),Gibbula buchi (Dubois, 1831), andCylichnina elongata (Eichwald, 1830) are reported for the first time from the Sarmatian of the Paratethys.Mitrella agenta nov. sp. (Neogastropoda: Columbellidae) is introduced as a new species. These species might represent relics of the diverse Badenian fauna but could also prove a minor ingression of marine species from an adjacent bioprovince in the Late SarmatianMactra “Zone”.