Predatory behaviour of the social orb-weaver spider,Geratonephila burmanica n. gen., n. sp. (Araneae: Nephilidae) with its wasp prey,Cascoscelio incassus n. gen., n. sp. (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) in Early Cretaceous Burmese amber

The present work shows predatory behaviour of the social orb-weaver spider, Geratonephila burmanica n. gen., n. sp. (Araneae: Nephilidae) against a parasitic wasp, Cascoscelio incassus n. gen., n. sp. (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) in Early Cretaceous Burmese amber. An adult male and juvenile of G. burmanica in the same web provide the first fossil evidence of sociality in spiders. The spider is characterised by a pedipalp with a hemispherical tegulum, a subtegulum curved at 180°and an apical spiralled embolas-conductor bent approximately 45°at midpoint. The male wasp is characterised by an ocellar tubercle, 12-segmented antennae with a feeble five-segmented clava, thick sensilla trichodea curvata with rounded ends on the claval antennomeres, a short uncus, a short post-marginal vein and a nebulose radial sector (Rs) vein extending from the uncus to the costal margin of the forewing. This is the first fossil evidence of spider sociality and a fossil spider attacking prey trapped in its web.     

Facieplatycauda pratti gen. n., sp. n. and Two New Species of Myxobolus (Myxosporida)*

Synopsis. Facieplatycauda pratti gen. n., sp. n. and Myxobolus kozloffi sp. n., from the Klamath Lake sucker, Catostomus luxatus (Cope), are described. The new genus is placed in the family Myxobolidae between Henneguya and Myxobolus. The spore valves beyond the sporoplasmic space are broad and long but not attenuated as an inverted triangle as in certain species of Myxobolus with tails, or of Henneguya with sometimes bifurcated tails. An organism resembling Myxobolus insidiosus (Wyatt & Pratt) was found in the muscle of the body of Salmo clarki (Richardson). Differences in spore structure and site of infection suggest this is a subspecies of the previous form which should be designated Myxobolus insidiosus clarki. A previously unreported species of Myxobolus from Cottus aleuticus (Gilbert) is also described.     

Pleurambus strongylus n. gen., n. sp. (Coleoptera: Belidae) in Dominican amber

A new genus and species of belid weevils, Pleurambus strongylus Poinar and Legalov, n. gen., n. sp. (Coleoptera: Belidae) in the tribe Allocorynini is described from Dominican amber. Belid fossils are quite rare and the new species is the first fossil member of the family from the Neotropics. This discovery suggests that belid diversity in Hispaniola during the Tertiary was higher than at present since no extant belids have been reported from the West Indies.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DF79FF39-634D-4BD7-AD0B-F5FB3BBE1081     

Doratomantispa burmanica n. gen., n. sp. (Neuroptera: Mantispidae), a new genus of mantidflies in Burmese amber

A new genus and new species of mantidflies, Doratomantispa burmanica n. gen., n. sp. (Neuroptera: Mantispidae), is described from Burmese amber. Diagnostic characters of the new genus are small body size, trichosors present around entire wing margin except basally, protarsus 5-segmented with paired, simple claws but no aroleum, profemur bearing six cuticular spines, inner surface of protibia with row of peg-like protrusions, Sc meets R₁ in region of pterostigma, costal space greatly narrows toward wing apex, with 16 veinlets in costal space on front wing while costal veinlets on hind wing are replaced by trichosors and CuP absent in hind wing. The abdomen of the mantidfly is filled with large spheres resulting from a possible rickettsial infection. Phoretic heterostigmatid mites are adjacent to the wings of the fossil.     

Paleorhodococcus dominicanus n. gen., n sp. (Actinobacteria) in a faecal droplet of Triatoma dominicana (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) in Dominican amber

Paleorhodococcus dominicanus n. gen., n sp. (Actinobacteria) is described from a faecal droplet of Triatoma dominicana (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) in Dominican amber. The fossil can be distinguished from the species of the closely related extant genus Rhodococcus Zopf 1891 by its spherical–ellipsoidal cocci forming substrate filaments with elementary branching, the clustering of coccoidal elements, the short filaments bearing reduced side branches and its occurrence in a faecal droplet of the extinct triatomine bug, P. dominicanus. This is the first fossil record of an Actinobacter, which shows that these organisms formed symbiotic associations with insects by the mid-Tertiary.     

Vetuformosa buckleyi n. gen., n. sp. (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae; Vetuformosinae n. subfam.), a new subfamily of mayflies in Early Cretaceous Burmese amber

A new subfamily, genus and species of mayflies, Vetuformosa buckleyi n. gen., n. sp. (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae; Vetuformosinae n. subfam.), are described as the first representative of the family Baetidae from Early Cretaceous Burmese amber. The female fossil is characterised by unusually long antennae, two pairs of gonostyli representing a primitive appendiculate ovipositor, sensory patches on sternites 8, 9 and 10, protuberances on the egg chorion and the absence of a costal projection on the hind wing. This is the first documentation of such long antennae and a primary ovipositor in the Ephemeroptera.     

Protoresinacarus brevipedis gen. n., sp. n. from Early Cretaceous Burmese amber: the first fossil record of mites of the Family Resinacaridae (Acari: Heterostigmata: Pyemotoidea)

A new genus and species of mites, Protoresinacarus brevipedis gen. n., sp. n. (Acari: Heterostigmata: Pyemotoidea), is described from Early Cretaceous Burmese amber. This represents the first fossil record of a member of the family Resinacaridae. It is represented by 21 phoretic females adjacent to an adult mantidfly (Neuroptera: Mantispidae). This is the first record of phoresy of pyemotid mites on members of the insect order Neuroptera. The fossil mites differ from extant members of the family in possessing distinctly shorter legs I, which do not reach beyond the apex of the gnathosoma, and by the long setae v ₁, v ₂ and c ₂.     

Dominibrentus leptus,n. gen., n. sp. (Curculionoidea,Brentidae, Cyphagoginae,Dominibrentini, n. tribe), a straight-snouted weevil in Dominican amber

A new tribe, genus and species of straight-snouted weevils (Dominibrentus leptus, n. gen., n. sp., Dominibrentini, n. tribe; Coleoptera: Brentidae; Cyphagoginae) has been described from Dominican amber. The new taxon is characterised by compressed, ventrolateral concavities on the prothorax and abdomen and lateral concavities on the metathorax for reception of the legs. This is the first representative of a straight-snouted weevil in amber.     

Bicalcasura maculata n. gen., n. sp. (Curculionoidea: Dryophthoridae) with a list of weevils described from Dominican amber

A new genus and species, Bicalcasura maculata n. gen., n. sp. (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea: Rhynchophorinae: Dryophthoridae) is described from Dominican amber as the first fossil member of the Tribe Diocalandrini. The new genus is characterised by procoxae located in the middle of the prothorax; a thick, short and strongly curved rostrum with the scape not reaching the pronotum; a weak extension of the rostrum in respect to the antennal attachment; slightly elongated fifth ventrite; narrow (not bilobed) third tarsomere and a pair of apical spurs on the protibiae. This set of characters separates the fossil from the extant genus Diocalandra Faust, 1894, the only other member of this tribe. A list of weevils (Curculionoidea) described from Dominican amber is included.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D25F7915-3C49-4E22-A37C-F574F573C67D     

Paleotrichius dominicanus n. gen., n. sp. (Coleoptera; Cetoniidae), a flower beetle in Dominican amber

A new genus and species of flower beetle, Paleotrichius dominicanus, n. gen., n. sp. (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae: Trichinae) is described from Dominican amber. The new taxon is distinguished from all other New World trichines by the combination of the shape of the clypeus, pronotum, protibia, the femoral and tibial armature, the mesosternal process separating the middle coxae, the distinct strial pattern on the elytra and the approximate claws. The beetle may have been quite colourful and a strong flyer attracted to flowers. The larvae most likely developed in decaying hardwoods in the Dominican amber forest. This is the first amber representative of the family Cetoniidae.     

A mid-Cretaceous trichomycete,Priscadvena corymbosa gen. et sp. nov., in Burmese amber

Priscadvena corymbosa gen. et sp. nov., is described from thalli and sporangia emerging from the oral cavity of a click beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae) in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. The fossil contains several features unknown in extant Trichomycetes including a click beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae) host, spiny, aerial thalli with the entire thallus bearing numerous small uninucleate globular spores and stalks attached to the oral cavity of its host. Based on these features, P. corymbosa gen. et sp. nov. is placed in a new family, Priscadvenaceae fam. nov., and new order, Priscadvenales ord. nov. The new morphological and behavioral features of the fossil add to the diversity of the trichomycetes as currently defined.     

Etude Ultrastructurale du CiliéKuklikophrya dragescoi gen. n., sp. n.*

SYNOPSIS The cortical infraciliature of Kuklikophrya dragescoi gen. n., sp. n. is composed of double kinetosomes. Each kinetosome has transverse fibers. The anterior transverse fibers are associated with a sheet of dense material and the posterior transverse fibers are directed toward the posterior part of the body. The posterior kinetosome of a pair has only a short protuberance in the position of the kinetosomal fiber. The cortex has a well developed alveolar layer and a thick ecto-endoplasmic boundary. A distinctive characteristic of the buccal ciliature is the circumoral ciliature whose infraciliature is made up of pairs of cilia-bearing kinetosomes. The antero-posterior polarity of the paroral segment is in inverse relationship to that of the remaining ciliature of the organism. The adoral and preoral ciliary organelles consist of 2 rows of kinetosomes, each of which bears postciliary fibers. A frame of nematodesmata surrounds the cytopharynx which is supported by microtubular bands which impart to it a very specific laminated appearance. The “phagoplasm” is formed by “vermicelli”-like vesicles. The micronucleus is found in the perinuclear area of the macronucleus.     

Thalassomermis megamphis n. gen., n. sp. (Mermithidae: Nemata) from the Bathyal South Atlantic Ocean

Thalassomermis megamphis n. gen., n. sp. (Mermithidae: Nemata) was extracted from sediment collected off the coast of Brazil at a depth of approximately 1,000 m. Although the food of this new nematode is unknown, the reduction of the stoma and esophagus and presence of a trophosome indicate that it is parasitic in its juvenile stages. Thalassomermis megaraphis n. gen., n. sp. is assigned to Mermithidae because of its similarity to that family in the appearance of the cephalic sensory receptors, the long and tubular vagina, and copulatory muscles of the male extending posteriorly throughout most of the length of the tail. Thalassomermis megamphis n. gen., n. sp. differs from all other members of Mermithidae by the large, lenticular, intracuticular amphidial fovea with coiled, emergent terminal filaments as well as the small amphidial aperture situated over the center of the fovea.     

A new genus of moths (Lepidoptera: Gracillarioidea: Douglasiidae) in Myanmar amber

A new genus and species of moths, Tanyglossus orectometopus n. gen. et sp. (Lepidoptera: Gracillarioidea), is described from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber. Autapomorphies for the new genus are small size (body length of only 0.9 mm), long proboscis greater than body length, presence of ocelli, 3-segmented porrect labial palps, 5-segmented curved maxillary palps, no eye cap, lanceolate wings with reduced venation and a body and wing covering of several types of scales. Based on the available characters, the fossil is placed in the small, aberrant family Douglasiidae and represents the first fossil member of this family. This study adds to our scant knowledge of the diversity of Mesozoic Glossata.     

New Genera and Higher Taxa of Septate Gregarines (Protozoa,Apicomplexa)*

SYNOPSIS The following new taxa of septate gregarines are established: METAMERIDAE fam. nov. includes genera Metamera Duke, Deutomera Bhatia & Setna, and Cognettia gen. n., the last with the type and only species C. legeri (Cognetti de Martiis); family GREGARINIDAE Labbé includes Degiustia gen. n. with the type and only species D. hyallela (Batten & DeGiusti); Cirrigregarina gen. n., with the type species C. spissa (Henry) and another species, C. kamenote (Hoshide); and Molluskocystis gen. n., with the type and only species M. pterotracheae (Stuart). Family HIRMOCYSTIDAE (Grassé) includes Arachnocystis gen. n., with the type species A. arachnoidea (Devdhar & Gourishankar) and 3 other species A. nitida (Geus), A. oribatidae (Geus), A. scutovertexi (Erhardová). Family ACTINOCEPHALIDAE (Léger), subfamily Actinocephalinae (Léger), includes Chilogregarina gen. n., with the type species C. striata (Léger & Duboscq) and 3 other species C. brasiliensis (Pinto), C. dujardini (Schneider), and C. stella (Léger).     

Nematode (Nematoda: Mermithidae) and hairworm (Nematomorpha: Chordodidae) parasites in Early Cretaceous amber

The present report describes a mermithid nematode (Nematoda: Mermithidae) and a gordiid hairworm (Nematomorpha: Chordodidae) from Early Cretaceous Burmese amber dated at 100-110 million years. The mermithid, Cretacimermis protus sp. n., is emerging from a biting midge (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) while the hairworm, Cretachordodes burmitis, gen. n., sp. n. had already emerged from its host. These rare specimens represent the first fossil mermithid parasite of a ceratopogonid midge and second oldest described nematode and the earliest known and only Mesozoic fossil of the phylum Nematomorpha. A list of previously described fossil mermithids is included.     

Molecular Phylogeny and Taxonomy of Two Novel Brackish Water Hypotrich Ciliates,with the Establishment of a New Genus,Antiokeronopsis gen. n. (Ciliophora,Hypotrichia)

Two novel brackish water urostyloid ciliates, Anteholosticha paramanca sp. n. and Antiokeronopsis flava gen. n., sp. n., isolated from the Shenzhen Mangrove Nature Protection Area on the coast of the South China Sea, were investigated using live observation and protargol impregnation techniques. Anteholosticha paramanca sp. n. is characterized by its spherical yellowish cortical granules arranged in lines, shortened midventral complex and three transverse cirri. Morphogenesis is similar to that in Anteholosticha manca. The new genus Antiokeronopsis is diagnosed by having a continuous adoral zone of membranelles, frontal cirri arranged in a bicorona, midventral complex composed of midventral pairs only, one marginal cirral row on each side, the presence of frontoterminal and transverse cirri, and the lack of buccal and caudal cirri. The type species A. flava sp. n. is characterized by its elongated body shape, brown to yellowish body color and two types of cortical granules. Small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequence data justify the classification of both species. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that A. paramanca clusters with Bakuella subtropica within a clade that includes two other Anteholosticha species, while Antiokeronopsis groups within the core urostylids and is most closely related to the well‐known genera Pseudokeronopsis and Uroleptopsis.