Mycobiota associated with the ambrosia beetle Scolytodes unipunctatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae)

Ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) are associated with strictly entomochoric and mutualistic fungi. We studied the mycobiota associated with Scolytodes unipunctatus, ambrosia beetles that infest Cecropia trees in Central America. Isolates were characterized using morphology and rDNA sequences (ITS region, LSU, and SSU rDNA). Four species are described here: Raffaelea scolytodis sp. nov. (Ophiostomatales), Gondwanamyces scolytodis sp. nov., Custingophora cecropiae sp. nov., and Graphium sp. (Microascales). The genus Custingophora is emended to include Knoxdaviesia anamorphs of Gondwanamyces based on uniformity of DNA sequences and phenotype.     

Sur une flore a Glossopteropsida et Lycopsida de Namibie (Sud-Ouest Africain)

The study of imprints of fossil plants collected in the Permian from the country of Hammanskraal (Namibia) leads to the following identifications: Glossopteris sp., Gangamopteris sp., Noegerrathiopsis sp., Gondwanidium sp., Asterotheca sp. and Lycopodiopsis derbyiB. Renault, Lycopodiopsis costilatus n. sp., Brasilodendron pedroanum(W. Carruthers) W.G. Chaloner & alii, Brasilodendron africanum n. sp. This flora has affinities with some fossil floras from South Africa and from Brazil, and is, probably, of upper Permian age.     

Novel Myxobolus and Ellipsomyxa species (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) parasiting Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) in the Amazon basin,Brazil

We describe two novel myxosporean parasites from Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii, an economically important freshwater catfish from the Amazon basin, Brazil. Myxobolus tapajosi n. sp., was found in the gill filaments of 23.5% of 17 fish, with myxospores round to oval in frontal view and biconvex in lateral view: length 15 (13.5–17) μm and width 10.7 (9.6–11.4) μm; polar capsules equal, length 5.8 (4.6–7.1) μm and width 3 (2.3–3.8) μm containing polar tubules with 6–7 turns. Ellipsomyxa amazonensis n. sp. myxospores were found floating freely or inside plasmodia in the gall bladder of 23.5% of fish. The myxospores were ellipsoidal with rounded extremities: length 12.8 (12.3–13.6) μm and width 7.6 (6.7–8.7) μm; with two equal, slightly pyriform polar capsules, length 3.8 (3.8–4.0) μm and width 3.1 (2.5–3.4) μm, containing polar tubules with 2–3 turns. We combined spore morphometry, small-subunit ribosomal DNA data, specific host, and phylogenetic analyses, to identify both of these parasites as new myxozoan species. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses showed that Myxobolus tapajosi n. sp. clustered in a basal branch in a subclade of parasites from exclusively South American pimelodid fishes. Ellipsomyxa amazonensis n. sp. clustered within the marine Ellipsomyxa lineage, but we suspect that although the parasite was collected in freshwater, its hosts perform a large migration throughout the Amazon basin and may have become infected from a brackish/marine polychaete host during the estuary phase of its life.     

Hexasaturnalis nakasekoi nov. sp., a Jurassic saturnalid radiolarian species frequently confounded with Hexasaturnalis suboblongus (Yao)

Detailed morphological study of the ring of the Jurassic saturnalid radiolarian species frequently cited in the literature as Hexasaturnalis suboblongus (Yao) has proven that it contains two well-defined species: H. suboblongus (Yao), practically ranging within the boundaries of the Bajocian, and Hexasaturnalis nakasekoi nov. sp., ranging within the Bathonian-Kimmeridgian interval. The two species seem to be important stratigraphically because the transition from the former to the latter took place at or around the Bajocian/Bathonian boundary. The phyletic lineage Hexasaturnalis hexagonus (Yao) → H. inuyamaensis (Yao) → H. suboblongus (Yao) → H. nakasekoi nov. sp. → H. minor (Baumgartner) → Dicerosaturnalis angustus (Baumgartner) → D. dicranacanthos (Squinabol) is proposed.     

Taxonomic review of the genus Thecobathra (Lepidoptera,Yponomeutidae) from Taiwan

The Taiwanese species of Thecobathra are reviewed. Four new species of Thecobathra: T. heppneri n. sp., T. minuta n. sp., T. pauciguttata n. sp., and T. taiwanensis n. sp. are described. The female genitalia of T. basilobata are described for the first time. Keys to all the Taiwanese species of Thecobathra are provided.     

Los géneros Praectenodonta, Praenucula y Notonucula (Palaeotaxodonta : Bivalvia) en el Siluro-Devónico de Bolivia

Taxonomy of 57 bivalves, internal and external molds is described in this paper, corresponding to three paleotaxodontids genera Praectenodonta, Praenucula and Notonucula. Samples were collected from nine sites, where stratigraphic columns were measured in Silurian to Devonian series from Altiplano, Cordillera Oriental and Interandean of Bolivia. For the first time in Bolivia, Praectenodonta and Notonucula have been identified. Four species have been described, three of them are new: Praectenodonta boliviensis n. sp., Praenucula quichua n. sp. and Notonucula altiplanica n. sp. Paleogeography of new species and genera is proposed.     

The Genera Haplocytheridea Stephenson, 1936 and Cytheridea Bosquet, 1852 (Subphylum Crustacea, Class Ostracoda) from the Early Miocene Pirabas Formation, Brazil

The genera Haplocytheridea and Cytheridea have Tethyan origins and a wide paleobiogeographic and stratigraphic distribution, ranging from the Cretaceous to Recent. Both of them have been recorded in northern South America, but only Cytheridea has been found in the northern Cretaceous basins of Brazil. The genus Haplocytheridea is recorded, for the first time, in the Early Miocene deposits of the Pirabas Formation of northern Brazil, from a 20 m-thick succession of carbonate and argillaceous rocks deposited in lagoonal and restricted platform environments. Among the ten Haplocytheridea species identified, four are new: H. variopunctata n. sp., H. sandbergi n. sp., H. pirabasensis n. sp. and H. sinuosa n. sp. In addition, three new species of Cytheridea are also described: C. coimbrai n. sp., C. pirabasensis n. sp. and C. purperae n. sp. The highest frequencies and abundances of both genera, in the studied section, are thought to be associated with nearshore to brackish water settings.     

Association of a luminous Vibrio sp., taxonomically related to Vibrio harveyi, with Clytia linearis (Thornely, 1900) (Hydrozoa, Cnidaria)

A previously unknown association between a luminous Vibrio sp., taxonomically related to the species Vibrio harveyi and a common member of the shallow/mid water communities of the Mediterranean Sea, the hydrozoan Clytia linearis is described. All the specimens of C. linearis observed under blue light excitation showed both a natural luminescence appearing as a series of fine dots due to clytin, and a clear fluorescence on the external side of the perisarc around the colonies due to the presence of luminous bacteria. Luminous bacteria were isolated from the surface of C. linearis, their phenotypic characterization as isolates was performed by several morphological, biochemical, and cultural tests, completed with 16S rDNA sequence analysis. All the isolates were referred to a Vibrio sp. taxonomically related to V. harveyi. The association of the V. harveyi-related species with C. linearis, as already suggested for another hydroid, Aglaophenia octodonta, could be explained with the activity of these bacteria of feeding on the chitinous structures present in these hydroids. Moreover, the adhesion of the luminous bacterium (here referred to as Vibrio sp. CL1) on C. linearis may contribute to the survival of this Vibrio species in the marine environment providing a suitable growth habitat.     

Gregarina hylobii and Ophryocystis hylobii n. sp. (ophryocystidae,neogregarinida) parasitizing Hylobius abietis (Curculionidae,coleoptera)

Two sporozoan parasites, Gregarina hylobii and Ophryocystis hylobii n. sp., parasitizing the adults of natural populations of Hylobius abietis are described. The gregarine G. hylobii, a parasite of the gut of H. abietis, has been reexamined and its complete life cycle, including the solitary gamonts, gametocysts, and sporoducts is described. The life cycle of the neogregarine O. hylobii infecting the Malpighian tubules of host animals examined at light and electron microscope levels is discussed. Some data on the prevalence of infections and host-parasite relationships are also discussed.     

Siamspinops, a new selenopid spider genus from Southeast Asia (Arachnida, Araneae)

Examination of a collection of selenopid spiders from Southeast Asia resulted in recognition of a new genus, Siamspinops gen. nov., which is erected to accommodate four new Southeast Asian species. Siamspinops spinosissimus sp. nov. (the type species; the male and female are described), S. spinosus sp. nov. (female) and S. allospinosus sp. nov. (female) are recorded from Thailand, S. spinescens sp. nov. (female) from the Malay Peninsula.     

Description of a new species of the genus Anochetus Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Orchid Island,Taiwan

A trap-jaw ant Anochetus lanyuensis sp. nov., belonging to the graeffei species group Brown, 1978, is described on the basis of worker and gyne castes from Orchid Island (Lanyu), Taiwan. A. lanyuensis sp. nov. is easily distinguishable from the other species in the graeffei species group by the large size of its eye, longitudinal striae on the pronotal disc, and concave dorsal margin of the petiolar node in the frontal view.     

On the roles of Notch, Delta, kuzbanian, and inscuteable during the development of Drosophila embryonic neuroblast lineages

The generation of cellular diversity in the nervous system involves the mechanism of asymmetric cell division. Besides an array of molecules, including the Par protein cassette, a heterotrimeric G protein signalling complex, Inscuteable plays a major role in controlling asymmetric cell division, which ultimately leads to differential activation of the Notch signalling pathway and correct specification of the two daughter cells. In this context, Notch is required to be active in one sibling and inactive in the other. Here, we investigated the requirement of genes previously known to play key roles in sibling cell fate specification such as members of the Notch signalling pathway, e.g., Notch (N), Delta (Dl), and kuzbanian (kuz) and a crucial regulator of asymmetric cell division, inscuteable (insc) throughout lineage progression of 4 neuroblasts (NB1-1, MP2, NB4-2, and NB7-1). Notch-mediated cell fate specification defects were cell-autonomous and were observed in all neuroblast lineages even in cells born from late ganglion mother cells (GMC) within the lineages. We also show that Dl functions non-autonomously during NB lineage progression and clonal cells do not require Dl from within the clone. This suggests that within a NB lineage Dl is dispensable for sibling cell fate specification. Furthermore, we provide evidence that kuz is involved in sibling cell fate specification in the central nervous system. It is cell-autonomously required in the same postmitotic cells which also depend on Notch function. This indicates that KUZ is required to facilitate a functional Notch signal in the Notch-dependent cell for correct cell fate specification. Finally, we show that three neuroblast lineages (NB1-1, NB4-2, and NB7-1) require insc function for sibling cell fate specification in cells born from early GMCs whereas insc is not required in cells born from later GMCs of the same lineages. Thus, there is differential requirement for insc for cell fate specification depending on the stage of lineage progression of NBs.     

The life cycle and host specificity of Psychodiella sergenti n. sp. and Ps. tobbi n. sp. (Protozoa: Apicomplexa) in sand flies Phlebotomus sergenti and Ph. tobbi (Diptera: Psychodidae)

Two new gregarines in the recently erected genus Psychodiella (formerly Ascogregarina), Psychodiella sergenti n. sp. and Psychodiella tobbi n. sp., are described based on morphology and life cycle observations conducted on larvae and adults of their natural hosts, the sand flies Phlebotomus sergenti and Phlebotomus tobbi, respectively. The phylogenetic analyses inferred from small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) sequences indicate the monophyly of newly described species with Psychodiella chagasi. Ps. sergenti n. sp. and Ps. tobbi n. sp. significantly differ from each other in the life cycle and in the size of life stages. The sexual development of Ps. sergenti n. sp. (syzygy, formation of gametocysts and oocysts) takes place exclusively in blood-fed Ph. sergenti females, while the sexual development of Ps. tobbi n. sp. takes place also in males and unfed females of Ph. tobbi. The susceptibility of Phlebotomus perniciosus, Phlebotomus papatasi, Ph. sergenti, Ph. tobbi, and Phlebotomus arabicus to both gregarines was examined by exposing 1st instar larvae to parasite oocysts. High host specificity was observed, as both gregarines were able to fully develop and complete regularly the life cycle only in their natural hosts. Both gregarines are considered as serious pathogens in laboratory-reared colonies of Old World sand flies.     

Les faunes de mammifères Miocènes du Haut-Armagnac (Gers,France): Les Gliridés (Mammalia,Rodentia)

Gliridae's populations found i twelve quarry in theGers (from «Zone d'Estrepouy to «zone de Sansan) are described and figured in this paper. Their phyletic relations are precised and a paleoecological approach is suggested. One new taxa of provable lineage (Paraglis infralactorensis nov. sp.) is created.     

Pachyseris inattesa sp. n. (Cnidaria,Anthozoa, Scleractinia): a new reef coral species from the Red Sea and its phylogenetic relationships

A new scleractinian coral species, Pachyseris inattesa sp. n., is described from the Red Sea. Despite a superficial resemblance with some species in the agariciid genus Leptoseris with which it has been previously confused, P. inattesa sp. n. has micro-morphological characters typical of the genus Pachyseris. This genus, once part of the Agariciidae, is comprised of five extant species and is widely distributed throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific. It is currently incertae sedis as a result of recent molecular analysis and appears to be closely related to the Euphylliidae. A molecular phylogenetic reconstruction including P. inattesa sp. n., the genus type species P. rugosa, and P. speciosa, all present in the Red Sea, was performed using the mitochondrial intergenic spacer between COI and 16S-rRNA. The results confirm that P. inattesa sp. n. is a monophyletic lineage closely related to the other Pachyseris species examined.     

New species of Palaeobolbomyia Kovalev and Ussatchovia Kovalev (Diptera, Brachycera, Rhagionidae) from the Callovian-Oxfordian (Jurassic) Daohugou biota of China: Biostratigraphic and paleoecologic implications

Three new species of fossil snipe flies (Insecta, Diptera, Rhagionidae) from the Daohugou Formation of Chifeng City in Nei Monggol Autonomous Region (= Inner Mongolia), northeastern China are described as Palaeobolbomyia sinica nov. sp., Ussatchovia robusta nov. sp. and Ussatchovia gracilenta nov. sp. They represent the first records of the genera Palaeobolbomyia Kovalev and Ussatchovia Kovalev in China and have implications for stratigraphic correlation of the formations in which they are found. Although the precise age of the Daohugou Formation is currently unresolved, it is most likely Callovian-Oxfordian (latest Middle Jurassic-earliest Late Jurassic) rather than early Middle Jurassic (late Aalenian-early Bajocian) or Early Cretaceous.     

Revisión del género Diacodexis (Artiodactyla, Mammalia) en el Eoceno inferior del Noreste de España

Most of the material review in this paper was included in the work of Sudre et al. (1983), some other provides from new sites. Two new species of primitive artiodactyls are described here: Diacodexis corsaensis n. sp. and Eygalayodon isavenaensis n. sp., which is considered the most plesiomorphic form of the subfamily Eurodexeinae and probable derived from Diacodexis corsaensis n. sp. It is for the first time that a representative of the Eurodexeinae is found in the Iberian Peninsula, where they might originate.     

Diversimorbus metrosiderotis gen. et sp. nov. and three new species of Holocryphia (Cryphonectriaceae) associated with cankers on native Metrosideros angustifolia trees in South Africa

The Cryphonectriaceae includes important tree pathogens, especially on the Myrtales. During a routine disease survey in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, a fungus resembling the Eucalyptus pathogen Holocryphia eucalypti was observed on native Metrosideros angustifolia (Myrtales). The aims of this study were to identify the fungus and to expand surveys for fungi in the Cryphonectriaceae on M. angustifolia. Fungi were identified based on DNA sequence comparisons and morphological features, and their pathogenicity was tested on M. angustifolia under field conditions. Based on morphology and multigene phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data from six gene regions, we describe a new genus including a single species and three new species of Holocryphia (Cryphonectriaceae) from M. angustifolia. These fungi are provided with the names Diversimorbus metrosiderotis gen. et sp. nov., Holocryphia capensis sp. nov., Holocryphia gleniana sp. nov., and Holocryphia mzansi sp. nov. We also revise H. eucalypti, the type of the genus, to include only isolates from Eucalyptus in South Africa. Research results indicated that H. mzansi may undergo host shifts between different tree genera in the Myrtaceae. Inoculation tests showed that isolates of all the newly described species can cause lesions on the branches of M. angustifolia, indicating that they are all pathogens of this tree.     

A new species of Golunda (Rodentia, Muridae) from the Late Pleistocene of Indian Himalaya

The youngest fossil Golunda (Rodentia, Muridae) is described from the Late Pleistocene fluvio-lacustrine deposits, exposed at Dulam (Bageshwar), Kumaun Lesser Himalaya, India. The age of fossiliferrous horizon is estimated as 31,000 yr BP. A new species, Golunda dulamensis nov. sp. has highly derived characters, e.g., antero-posteriorly stretched molars, upper molars with more length and less width, stephanodonty, cusps in M₃ strongly inclined backward giving the molars a very stretched aspect, and metaconid and entoconid in M₃ forming almost straight lingual row of the cusps. G. dulamensis nov. sp. is most similar to present day G. ellioti but differs from the later slightly by larger size, a thin connection between t₄ and t₅ in M¹, and comparatively larger entoconid and very weakly developed antero-labial cusp in M₃. We suggest that highly specialized molars of G. dulamensis nov. sp. and present day G. ellioti are derivable through G. kelleri. We also propose that Golunda migrated from Asia to Africa, not from Africa to Asia as was thought by earlier workers.