Beetles that live with ants (Coleoptera,Carabidae, Pseudomorphini): A remarkable new genus and species from Guyane (French Guiana), Guyanemorpha?spectabilis gen. n., sp. n.

Among the extensive collections currently being made in Guyane (French Guiana), adults of a large and colorful species of pseudomorphine were encountered. The adults present, for the first time in the Western Hemisphere, elytra with a marked color pattern, and in addition a size considerably beyond that of the rest of the members of all other known genera in the Western Hemisphere. Both of these attributes, however, are well known in the Australian pseudomorphine fauna. This new species is described and illustrated and a revised key to the Western Hemisphere genera is included. The type locality of Guyanemorpha spectabilisgen. n., sp. n. is Guyane,Risquetout, PK20, 4.916°N, 52.516°W, 12m altitude.     

Bakkeius moragai n. gen. et n. sp. and Pojmanskia riosae n. gen. et n. sp. (Trematoda: Digenea: Brachylaimoidea) in birds from the Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica

We describe 2 new species of leucochloridiid-like brachylaimoid digeneans parasitizing a variety of birds in the Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica, each of which we assign to a new genus. According to Pojmanska's (Pojmanska, T. 2002a. Superfamily Brachylaimoidea Joyeux & Foley, 1930. In Keys to the Trematoda, D. I. Gibson, A. Jones, and R. A. Bray [eds.]. CAB International and The Natural History Museum, London, U.K., p. 31-36.) key for the Brachylaimoidea, we are unable to place either species in any family. One species most closely resembles members of Leucochloridium by having well-developed suckers, lacking an esophagus, and having cecal shoulders, gonads at the posterior end, and the genital pore at posterior end of body but differs by having symmetrical testes, a posttesticular ovary, and a terminal genital pore; thus, we propose the genus Bakkeius for it. The second new genus resembles members of Michajlovia by having ventral genital pores but differs by having extracecal uterine loops in the forebody, a cirrus sac containing the pars prostatica and seminal vesicle, and gland cells surrounding the genital pore; thus, we propose Pojmanskia for it. These new genera must currently be treated as incertae sedis according to Pojmanska (op. cit.); however, we feel that future phylogenetic analyses will require emendation of the family diagnosis for Leucochloridiidae to include those taxa with terminal and ventral genital pores and with preovarian testes.     

Myoretronectes paranaensis n. gen. et sp., a new freshwater genus of the family Retronectidae (Turbellaria, Catenulida) from the Paraná, Argentina

Myoretronectes paranaensis, gen. et sp. n., from lotic sandy bottoms of the Paraná river, Argentina, is described. The establishment of the new genus is based on the presence of a non-ciliated pharynx, a discrete oesophagus, and a strong muscle system surrounding the distal pharynx. A new emended diagnosis of the family Retronectidae is presented. Myoretronectes paranaensis apparently cohabits with the oligochaete Narapa bonettoi Righi & Varela, 1983 and the copepod Parastenocaris sp.     

Temnothorax pilagens sp. n. – a new slave-making species of the tribe Formicoxenini from North America (Hymenoptera,Formicidae)

A new species of the ant genus Temnothorax Forel, 1890 – Temnothorax pilagens sp. n. is described from eastern North America. T. pilagenssp. n. is an obligate slave-making ant with two known hosts: T. longispinosus (Roger, 1863) and T. ambiguus (Emery, 1895). A differential diagnosis against Temnothorax duloticus (Wesson, 1937), the other dulotic congener from the Nearctic, is presented and a biological characteristics of the new species is given.     

A new species of genus Syntactus Förster (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Ctenopelmatinae) with a key to Oriental and Eastern Palearctic species

A new species, Syntactus jiulianicus Sun & Sheng, sp.n. belonging to the tribe Pionini of the subfamily Ctenopelmatinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), collected from Jiangxi Province, China, is reported. Illustrations of the new species and Syntactus delusor (Linnaeus, 1758), Syntactus minor (Holmgren, 1857) and Syntactus varius (Holmgren, 1858) are provided. A key to the species of Syntactus known from the Oriental and Eastern Palaearctic Regions is given.     

Compositae of the Guayana Highland—XII. Siapaea liesneri (Eupatorieae), a new genus and species from Amazonas,Venezuela

Siapaea liesneri is a new genus and species of Compositae tribe Eupatorieae. Features most important for recognition as a new genus are the glabrous, convex to conical receptacle; the appressed-pubescent, weakly expanded style base; and the pappus reduced to an annular callus or, less commonly, with one bristle. The genus is provisionally placed in Ayapaninae.     

Polychaos centronucleolus n. sp. – a new terrestrial species of the genus Polychaos (Amoebozoa,Tubulinea) with nontypical nuclear structure

A new species of the “proteus-type” naked amoebae (large cells with discrete tubular pseudopodia) was isolated from tree bark sample of a birch tree in the surrounding of Kislovodsk town, Russia and named Polychaos centronucleolus n. sp. (Amoebozoa, Tubulinea). Amoebae of this species have a filamentous cell coat and a nucleus with a central compact nucleolus. This type of nucleolar organization has not been previously known for the genus Polychaos. A sequence of the 18S rRNA gene of this strain was obtained using whole genome amplification of DNA from the single amoeba cell, followed by NGS sequencing. The analysis of molecular data robustly groups this species with Polychaos annulatum within the family Hartmannellidae. Our results, together with the results of our previous studies, show that the taxonomic assignment of “proteus-type” amoebae species is becoming increasingly complex, and the taxonomic characters that can be used to classify these organisms are becoming more shadowed.     

Cyclops heberti n.sp. and Cyclops singularis n.sp., two new species within the genus Cyclops (‘strenuus-subgroup’) (Crust. Copepoda) from ephemeral ponds in southern Germany

Some of the species within the genus Cyclops O. F. Müller, 1785 can only be determined exactly by combining different methods and techniques. Based on the comprehensive analysis of morphometrical data, some populations in periodical ponds near Lake Constance were examined for their pattern of chromatin diminution and were compared by enzyme electrophoresis. These studies provided evidence of two new species. Together with C. furcifer Claus, 1857 and C. vicinus Uljanin, 1875 one of the ponds (‘Litzelsee’) was inhabited by four Cyclops species. In addition to morphological differences and distinct electrophoretic characteristics, C. furcifer and the new species differ in the timing of their chromatin diminution: C. singularis in the fourth, C. heberti in the fifth, and C. furcifer in the sixth cleavage. The qualitative course of chromatin diminution is rather similar in all three species. The same combination of three Cyclops species (without C. vicinus) was also found in an older sample (1990) from another ephemeral pond near Lake Constance. A close genetical relationship between the three species seems probable.     

A new species of the genus <Emphasis Type=\"Italic\">Coccophagus</Emphasis> Westwood (Hymenoptera,Chalcidoidea, Aphelinidae) inhabiting ants’ nests (Hymenoptera,Formicidae) in Malaysia

Coccophagus brachypterus sp. n. is described from Malaysia. The new species differs from the closely related C. silvestrii Compere in the black hind femur and blackish largest part of hind tibia. The new species is also characterized by shortened fore wings with the apices not reaching the abdominal apex.     

A new species of the genus Falconius Bolívar, 1898 (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae,Scelimeninae) from Vietnam

Falconius tschernovi sp. n. is described from Vietnam. The new species is closely related to F. dubius Günther, 1938 from Malaysia (Borneo) and F. guangxiensis Zheng et Jiang, 1997 from China (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), but differs from both in the presence of two pairs of additional lateral keels on the disc of the pronotum, in the armament of the fore femur, in the narrow hind femur, and in the coloration of the hind tibia.     

Armatalona gen. n. – a new genus of subfamily Aloninae (Anomopoda, Chydoridae), separated from genus Alona Baird, 1840

The little-known cladoceran Alona macrocopa Sars, 1894 and four related species differ from the majority of the genus Alona by unusual morphology of antenna and postabdomen. Only two species of the five, A. macrocopa Sars, 1894 and A. imitatoria Smirnov, 1989, are found to be valid. The species A. abbreviata Sars, 1895, A. duodontha Henry, 1922 and A. guernei Smirnov, 2001 are proved to be the synonims of A. macrocopa. The detailed morphology of appendages of A. macrocopa and A. imitatoria is studied for the first time. Analysis of morphology of the macrocopa-group reveals numerous characters clearly separating it from other species of Alona despite the wide diversity of this genus. Unusual morphology of the antenna, and the female and male postabdomen does not allow placement of the macrocopa-group in any other genera of Aloninae. So the new genus Armatalona gen. n. is suggested. This new genus is the highly specialized marginal genus of Aloninae, closely related only to the Australian endemic genus Pseudomonospilus Smirnov, 2001. The morphology of Armatalona gen. n. and its place within Aloninae are discussed.     

Thecamoeba astrologa n. sp. – A new species of the genus Thecamoeba (Amoebozoa,Discosea, Thecamoebida) with an unusually polymorphic nuclear structure

Thecamoeba astrologa n. sp. was isolated from a plant litter sample. This species has a complex locomotive morphology, to a certain extent intermediate between the striate and the rugose morphotype. The shape of the actively moving cell is similar to that of striate thecamoebians, such as T. quadrilineata. However, in a slow movement, they can be easily confused with rugose species, like T. similis. Thecamoeba astrologa normally has peripheral asterisk-like nucleoli, which are unique among known thecamoebids. However, the structure of the nucleus is unusually variable during the growth of the culture and in some cases may become almost a vesicular one. The phylogenetic analysis based on the 18S rRNA gene sequence shows that this species belongs to the clade of thecamoebids, consisting of species possessing vesicular nuclei. This finding indicates that the structure of the nucleus derived from a single or few observations (as it usually happens in faunistic or ecological studies) may not be a reliable character of a thecamoebid amoeba. In some species nuclei may be highly polymorphic and dominating nuclear structure may depend on the age of the culture. Nuclei with constantly or temporarily peripheral nucleoli are now known in both major phylogenetic branches of the genus Thecamoeba.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Foxtosognus rarus</Emphasis> gen. n., sp. n.—A new genus and species of copepods (Copepoda: Calanoida) from the abyssopelagic zone of the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench

A female of Foxtosognus rarus gen. n., sp. n., a new genus and species of copepods, is described from the abyss of the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench. The new genus is placed in the family Arctokonstantinidae, whose diagnosis is emended and supplemented with the following characters: mandibular basis with one to two setae; mandibular endopod one without setae; maxillular distal basal endite plus endopod with two to four setae or without setae. The features that distinguish Foxtosognusgen. n. from other representatives of this family are as follows: mandibular palp with a long endopod segment one, endopod segment two with seven setae, and exopod segment five with two setae; maxillula with distal basal endite lacking setae and separated from endopod bearing three setae; maxillular precoxal arthrite with seven to eight setae and exopod with four setae; maxilliped syncoxa without setae on precoxal endites and endopod of three segments. The genera Sognocalanus and Foxtonia earlier included in the Spinocalanidae are herein transferred to the Arctokonstantinidae.     

Desulfurella acetivorans gen. nov. and sp. nov. —a new thermophilic sulfur-reducing eubacterium

A new type of thermophilic cyanobacterial mat, rich in elemental sulfur and containing large numbers of sulfur-reducing bacteria able to utilize different growth substrates at 55° C, was found in the Uzon caldere (Kamchatka). One of the largest groups among these organisms were acetate-oxidizing sulfur-reducing bacteria, numbering 10⁶ cells · cm^–3 of mat. The pure culture of a sulfur-reducing eubacterium growing on acetate was isolated. Cells of the new isolate are Gram-negative short rods, often in pairs, motile, with a single polar flagellum. The optimal temperature for growth is 52 to 57° C, with no growth observed at 42 or 73° C. The pH optimum is 6.8 to 7.0. The new isolate is demonstrated to be a true dissimilatory sulfur reducer: it is an obligate anaerobe, it is unable to ferment organic substrates and it can use no electron acceptors other than elemental sulfur. Acetate is the only energy and carbon source, and H₂S and CO₂ are growth products. No cytochromes were detected. The G+C content of DNA is rather low, only 31.4 mol%. Thus, morphological and physiological features of the new isolate are quite close to those of Desulfuromonas. But on the grounds of a significant difference in the G+C content of DNA, the absence of cytochromes and because of its thermophilic nature, a new genus Desulfurella is proposed with the type species Desulfurella acetivorans.     

Two new species of genus Ateleute Förster (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae) with a key to the Oriental species

Three species of Ateleute Förster 1869 belonging to the tribe Cryptini of the subfamily Cryptinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), collected from Jiangxi Province, China, are reported, of which two are new for science: Ateleute ferruginea Sheng, Broad & Sun, sp. n. and AAteleute zixiensis Sheng, Broad & Sun, sp. n. One, AAteleute densistriata (Uchida, 1955), was previously known from China and Japan. A key to the species of genus Ateleute known in the Oriental Region is provided.     

Thecamoeba cosmophorea n. sp. (Amoebozoa,Discosea, Thecamoebida) — An example of sibling species within the genus Thecamoeba

A new species Thecamoeba cosmophorea n. sp. (Amoebozoa, Discosea, Thecamoebida) was isolated from leaf litter collected in the surroundings of Saint-Petersburg (Russia). This species resembles T. quadrilineata in light-microscopic morphology, but has certain morphological differences and significantly differs in 18S rRNA gene sequence. We performed a direct comparison of this newly isolated species with the Thecamoeba strain isolated from leaf litter in East Siberia (Russia) and identified as T. quadrilineata both at the morphological and the molecular level. There is no type strain of T. quadrilineata, and the type material on this species is represented with the stained slide by F.C. Page that he designated as neotype in 1977. The sequence of the 18S rRNA gene of this species deposited in the GenBank belongs to the isolate identified as T. quadrilineata by Rolf Michel in 1998 and deposited as CCAP 1583/10 strain. Hence we cannot be entirely sure that morphological and molecular data on T. quadrilineata belong to the same amoebae species. The use of molecular data for reliable species differentiation is getting obligate even within the amoebae genus Thecamoeba, which until recently was believed to be among few genera of naked lobose amoebae allowing morphological identification of species.     

Vilobia,a new genus (Compositae—Tageteae)

The new genus,Vilobia, is described and its position within the Tageteae is discussed. The type species from Bolivia,V. praetermissa Strother, is described and illustrated.