Palearctic elements in the old world tropics: a taxonomic revision of the ant genus Temnothorax Mayr (Hymenoptera,Formicidae) for the Afrotropical biogeographical region

Four new Afrotropical species of the ant genus Temnothorax are described and illustrated, all from Kenya. Based upon high resemblance to taxa known from the North African and Iberian territories of the Mediterranean region, these new tropical elements are placed into known Palaearctic species complexes. Specifically, Temnothorax brevidentis sp. n., Temnothorax mpala sp. n. and Temnothorax rufus sp. n. are placed in the laurae species group, and Temnothorax solidinodus sp. n. is placed in the angustulus species group. Two already known Temnothorax species from the region, Temnothorax cenatus (Bolton, 1982) and Temnothorax megalops (Hamann & Klemm, 1967), are also placed into the laurae species group based on the high number of shared morphological characters. Diagnoses for the African representatives of laurae and angustulus species groups of the Afrotropical biogeographical region are provided. A key to workers of the six Temnothorax species known to occur in the Afrotropical biogeographical region is provided, as well as diagnoses of morphologically similar myrmicine genera.     

A new parasitoid of Bazaria turensis (Lepidoptera,Pyralidae): Campoplex bazariae sp. n. (Hymenoptera,Ichneumonidae)

A new solitary endoparasitoid of the larva of Bazaria turensis Ragonot, 1887 (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) in Qinghai province, China, Campoplex bazariae Sheng, sp. n., belonging to the subfamily Campopleginae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), is reported. Illustrations of the new species are provided.     

A new sharpshooter genus for Sphinctogonia lingula Yang & Li (Hemiptera,Cicadellidae, Cicadellini) from China

A new genus, Sphinctogoniella, is described to accommodate Sphinctogonia lingula Yang & Li, 2002, its type species from China. Sphinctogoniella lingula (Yang & Li, 2002), comb. n. is re-described and illustrated. Differences between the new genus and Sphinctogonia Breddin, 1901 are tabulated.     

Mestus cruciatus,a new delphacid species from southwest China with some remarks on the genus (Hemiptera,Fulgoromorpha, Delphacidae)

A new delphacid (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Delphacidae) species, Mestus cruciatus sp. n. is described based on specimens from Yunnan Province, China. Habitus photos and illustrations of male genitalia are provided. The Mestus species and phylogenetic arrangement of this genus is discussed. A key to the species of Mestus is also provided.     

Kakuna taibaiensis sp. n. and a newly recorded species of Dicranotropis (Hemiptera,Fulgoroidea, Delphacidae) from China

One new species of the delphacid genus Kakuna Matsumura, Kakuna taibaiensis Ren & Qin, sp. n. is described from Mt. Taibai in Shaanxi Province, China. Dicranotropis montana (Horvath, 1897) is reported for the first time from China. Habitus photos and illustrations of male genitalia of the two species are given.     

Denopelopia amicitia,a new Tanypodinae from Brazil (Diptera,Chironomidae)

A new species of Denopelopia from Brazil is described based on adult male and pupa. The male of the new species can be distinguished from all other species of the genus by the genitalia and fore-tibial spur morphology. The pupa is very similar to those of Denopelopia atria, but it can be distinguished by the absence of distinct constrictions in the respiratory atrium of the thoracic horn. Generic diagnosis to male and pupa of Denopelopia is emended and keys to male and pupae of known species are provided.     

The genus Trachionus Haliday, 1833 (Hymenoptera,Braconidae, Alysiinae) new for China,with description of four new species

The genus Trachionus Haliday, 1833 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Alysiinae, Dacnusini) is reported for the first time from China. The genus is represented by four new species from Shaanxi province (NW China), which are described and illustrated. An identification key to the species in China is presented, a key to the genera of the Trachionus group and notes on the relationships with other Palaearctic species are added.     

A new species of Labidocera (Copepoda,Calanoida, Pontellidae) collected from Okinawa,southwestern Japan,with establishment of five Indo-West Pacific species groups in the L. detruncata species complex

Labidocera churaumi sp. n. is described from Okinawa, southwestern Japan. The female of the new species differs from other congeners in genital compound somite with right postero-lateral and left antero-lateral processes. The male is distinguished from other congeners by the structure of the fifth leg. This new species is assigned to a newly proposed species group, the Labidocera madurae species group, within the Labidocera detruncata species complex. In this species complex five Indo-West Pacific species groups are recognized (cervi, detruncata, gangetica, madurae, and pavo) and defined on the basis of difference in sexual dimorphism.     

Lepidasthenia loboi sp. n. from Puerto Madryn,Argentina (Polychaeta,Polynoidae)

Among polychaetes, polynoids have the highest number of symbiotic species found living with a wide variety of marine invertebrates, including other polychaetes. Lepidasthenia Malmgren, 1867 and Lepidametria Webster, 1879 were regarded as synonyms but belong to different subfamilies, although both have species associated with thelepodid or terebellid polychaetes. In this contribution Lepidasthenia loboi sp. n. is described from several specimens associated with the thelepodid Thelepus antarcticus Kinberg, 1867, collected on a rocky shore near Puerto Madryn, Argentina. Lepidasthenia loboi sp. n. can be confused with Lepidasthenia esbelta Amaral & Nonato, 1982 because both live with Thelepus, are of similar sizes with similar pigmentation patterns, and have giant neurochaetae. However, in Lepidasthenia loboi sp. n. all eyes are of the same size, cephalic and parapodial cirri are tapered and mucronate, the second pair of elytra is larger than the third, the ventral cirri arise at the base of parapodia such that they do not reach chaetal lobe tips, and neuraciculae are tapered. On the contrary, in Lepidasthenia esbelta the posterior eyes are larger than anterior ones, cephalic and parapodial appendages are swollen subdistally, the second and third pairs of elytra are of the same size, the ventral cirri arise medially such that their tips reach the neurochaetal lobe tips, and the neuraciculae have falcate tips. Some comments about other genera in the Lepidastheniinae, a simplified key to its genera, and a key to Lepidasthenia species with giant neurochaetae are also included.     

The genus Gymnetron from China with description of pre-imaginal stages of G. miyoshii,G. auliense and G. vittipenne (Coleoptera,Curculionidae)

There are four species of Gymnetron in China recorded to date including Gymnetron miyoshii Miyoshi, 1922, Gymnetron villosipenne Roelofs, 1875, Gymnetron auliense Reitter, 1907 and Gymnetron vittipenne Marseul, 1876, of which the last two are new country records. The pre-imaginal stages including eggs, mature larvae and pupae of Gymnetron miyoshii, Gymnetron auliense and Gymnetron vittipenne are described and illustrated. In addition, their diagnostic characters (larvae and pupae) are discussed and differentiated, and notes on some of their biological parameters are provided. Potential ecological impacts between Gymnetron weevils and their host Veronica spp. also are provided.     

A new polystomatid (Monogenea,Polystomatidae) from the mouth of the North American freshwater turtle Pseudemys nelsoni

Based on material collected from Pseudemys nelsoni (Reptilia: Chelonia: Emydidae) during a parasite survey of the herpetofauna around Gainesville, Florida, USA, Polystomoides nelsoni sp. n. is described as a new polystome species. This parasite was found in the oral and pharyngeal region of the host. In a sample of nine Pseudemys nelsoni, three specimens were found to release polystome eggs. One turtle was euthanized and dissected and found to be infected in the oral region with 19 specimens belonging to an as-yet-unknown Polystomoides. This is only the fifth Polystomoides recorded from the Nearctic realm. This species is distinguished from known species by a combination of characteristics including marginal hooklet morphology, body length and haptor dimensions.     

Description of Telamoptilia grewiae sp. n. and the consequences for the definition of the genera Telamoptilia and Spulerina (Lepidoptera,Gracillariidae, Gracillariinae)

The new species Telamoptilia grewiae, reared from leafmines on Grewia biloba (Malvaceae) is described with details on adult and immature stages. The larval head and the pupa are described for the first time in Telamoptilia Kumata & Kuroko, 1988, and are illustrated with scanning electron micrographs and line drawings. Photographs of adult habitus, wing venation, male and female genitalia, as well as host plant and mines are provided. The apomorphic adult and larval characters of the new species in Telamoptilia are discussed in relation to the recognition of the genera Telamoptilia and Spulerina Vári, 1961.     

Description of Parvocalanus leei sp. n. (Copepoda,Calanoida, Paracalanidae) in Western Korea,with comments on the taxonomic position of Paracalanus arabiensis Kesarkar & Anil, 2010

A new species of paracalanid calanoid copepod Parvocalanus leei sp. n., is described from specimens collected in shallow waters of Western Korea. The new species is closely similar to Parvocalanus arabiensis (Kesarkar & Anil, 2010), Parvocalanus crassirostris (F. Dahl, 1894), Parvocalanus latus Andronov, 1972, and Parvocalanus scotti (Früchtl, 1923) in having two short terminal spines on the distal segment of the fifth leg and a similar rostrum in the female, but can be readily distinguished from its congeners by the body size, relative length of antennules, segmentation of endopod of leg 1, and pattern of ornamentation of spinules on legs 1 to 4 in the female. The taxonomic position of Parvocalanus arabiensis and the validity of the genus Parvocalanus Andronov, 1970 are also discussed.     

Description of a new species of Petrolisthes in the Indo-West Pacific with a redefinition of P. hastatus Stimpson, 1858 and resurrection of P. inermis (Heller, 1862) (Crustacea,Anomura, Porcellanidae)

The porcellanid crab Petrolisthes hastatus Stimpson, 1858, has been traditionally viewed as a highly variable species with a wide distribution in the West Pacific. For more than a century there has been taxonomic confusion of this species with morphologically similar taxa, some of which were synonymized with Stimpson’s taxon. We redefine Petrolisthes hastatus, resurrect Petrolisthes inermis as a valid species, discuss the status of Petrolisthes tenkatei De Man, 1893, and describe a new species as Petrolisthes elegantissimus from Indonesia.     

Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus sp. n. and an updated key of the chaerilid scorpions from China (Scorpiones,Chaerilidae)

A new species, Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus sp. n., is described from Xizang, China. The present new species is distinguished from its congeners by a body length of 32−40 mm, carapace with the anterior margin straight, chela with length/width ratio average of 3.3 in males (3.2−3.4, two adults), and 2.5 in females (2.3−2.6, nine adults), eight or nine (eight usually) rows of denticles on fixed and movable fingers of pedipalp chelae, five pectinal teeth in males and three or four in females. To date, the chaerilid species fauna of China consists of nine species. An updated identification key to Chaerilus from China is presented.     

Status of Exosphaeroma amplicauda (Stimpson, 1857), E. aphrodita (Boone, 1923) and description of three new species (Crustacea,Isopoda, Sphaeromatidae) from the north-eastern Pacific

Exosphaeroma amplicauda (Stimpson, 1857) from the west coast of North America is reviewed and redescribed and revealed to be a group of closely related species. A neotype is designated and the species redescribed based on the neotype and topotypic specimens. Exosphaeroma amplicauda is known only from the coast of California, at Marin, Sonoma and San Mateo Counties. Exosphaeroma aphrodita (Boone, 1923), type locality La Jolla, California and previously considered nomen dubium is taken out of synonymy and re-validated. A further three species: Exosphaeroma paydenae sp. n., Exosphaeroma russellhansoni sp. n., and Exosphaeroma pentcheffi sp. n. are described herein. Sphaeroma octonctum Richardson, 1899 is placed into junior synonymy with Exosphaeroma amplicauda. A key to the Pacific West Coast Exosphaeroma is provided.     

Three new species of the Stenus cirrus group (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae) from Jiangxi,South China

Three new species from Jiangxi, China, are described and illustrated: Stenus wugongshanus sp. n., Stenus mingyueshanus sp. n., and Stenus songxiaobini sp. n. A previously published key to the Chinese species of the Stenus cirrus group is modified to accommodate the new species.