A new species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stathmopoda</Emphasis> (Lepidoptera: Stathmopodidae) closely related to the persimmon pest, <Emphasis Type="Italic">S. masinissa</Emphasis>, from Ryukyu Islands,Japan

A new species of the genus Stathmopoda from the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, is described. The new species is associated with Diospyros maritima Blume and is very similar to S. masinissa Meyrick, which is a notorious pest of persimmon, D. kaki L., in Japan and Korea. The adult external features, wing venation, and male and female genitalia of both species are illustrated and compared in detail.     

A new species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Triodontus</Emphasis> (Coleoptera,Scarabaeidae, Orphninae) from Southern Madagascar

A new scarab beetle species of the endemic Madagascan genus Triodontus Westwood, T. hanskii sp. n., is described from a specimen collected in Southern Madagascar. The new species differs from similar Triodontus species with two medial pronotal tubercles and simple last abdominal sternite in a distinctive shape of the parameres. The type specimen of the new species originates from the southernmost remnant of indigenous rain forest of the island.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Passiflora cristalina,</Emphasis> a striking new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Passiflora</Emphasis> (Passifloraceae) from Mato Grosso,Brazil

A new red-flowered species of Passiflora, P. cristalina Vanderpl. & Zappi, is described from the tropical rainforest of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The species is illustrated and its affinities with related species are discussed, and a key to the species of supersect. Distephana to which it belongs is provided.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cardiospermum cristobaliae</Emphasis> (Sapindaceae,Paullinieae), una nueva especie de Minas Gerais,Brasil

A new species, Cardiospermum cristobaliae (Sapindaceae, Paullinieae), from northern Minas Gerais, Brazil, is described, illustrated, and compared to its putative closest relative, C. urvilleoides. The new species belongs to section Cardiospermum. Also, characters of the foliar epidermis and pollen grains are described. The somatic chromosome number 2n = 24 is reported. A key to the South American species of the section is provided.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Stylosanthes falconensis</Emphasis> (Leguminosae,Papilionoideae, Dalbergieae), a new species endemic to Venezuela

During a revision of Venezuelan species of Stylosanthes Sw., two quite distinct specimens were found. After a detailed survey of the literature and herbarium material, it was concluded that they belong to an undescribed species. The new species Stylosanthes falconensis Calles & Schultze-Kr. (belonging to section Styposanthes Vogel), endemic to the Sierra San Luis in the State of Falcón, is here described. An illustration is provided and the differences between the new taxon and Stylosanthes hamata (L.) Taub., a closely related species, are presented.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dictyochaeta multifimbriata</Emphasis>, a new species from Taiwan

A new species of the dematiaceous hyphomycete genus Dictyochaeta was collected on a dead twig in Taiwan. It is characterised by solitary conidiophores and reniform, non-septate conidia with several setulae at each end. The species is compared with other species having non-septate, setulate conidia and is described as Dictyochaeta multifimbriata.     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eriotheca</Emphasis> (Malvaceae,Bombacoideae) from Bahia,Brazil

A new species of Eriotheca (Bombacoideae, Malvaceae) is described and illustrated. The species, Eriotheca bahiensis, is known only from Bahia, Brazil in southern Bahian forest (floresta pluvial dos tabuleiros) and is probably restricted to that habitat. A key including the new and morphologically similar species is also presented.     

Known and two new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhytisma</Emphasis> (Rhytismatales,Ascomycota) from China

Three species of Rhytisma are described based on recently collected specimens from the Anhui province, China. Rhytisma anhuiense is a new species causing a serious tar spot disease on Rhododendron simsii. Rhytisma yuexiense is a new species, which develops its stromata only on fallen leaves of Rhododendron ovatum. Rhytisma himalense on Ilex fargesii is a known species and probably widely distributed in China. Including the two new species, 11 species of Rhytisma are known from China which are presented in a key.     

A new Antarctic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Osthimosia</Emphasis> (Bryozoa,Cheilostomata, Celleporidae) with dimorphic zooids

Osthimosia chaotica sp. nov., a new celleporid cheilostome bryozoan, is described from samples collected in the South Shetland Isles and the Antarctic Peninsula. It differs from other Antarctic and Subantarctic species of the genus Osthimosia in the absence of vicarious avicularia, the characteristic development of its peristome and the reduced size of the primary orifice of the ovicelled zooids compared to those of autozooids. The occurrence of sexual polymorphism in the Bryozoa is discussed. The new species lives on laminar and filamentous algae.     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chamaecrista</Emphasis> sect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chamaecrista</Emphasis> ser. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Flexuosae</Emphasis> (Leguminosae,Caesalpinioideae) from Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais,Brazil

A new species, Chamaecrista truncata, from southeastern Brazil, is described, illustrated and compared to its putative closest relative, C. parvistipula. The new species belongs to Chamaecrista sect. Chamaecrista ser. Flexuosae which is characterized by asymmetrical leaflets with palmate venation, quadrangular stems and axillary peduncles. Additionally, the venation pattern of the leaflets and the different types of stipules observed within this series are shown.     

A new species of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Siteroptes</Emphasis> (Acari,Heterostigmata, Pygmephoridae) from European Russia

A new species, Siteroptes longisetissimus Khaustov et Ermilov sp. n., is described from European Russia (Nizhnii Novgorod Province). The new species differs from all the congeners in the presence of very small oval stigmata and in the absence of setae v on femora III and IV. A key to families of the superfamily Pygmephoroidea is provided.     

An ethnobotanical survey of the Agter–Hantam, Northern Cape Province, South Africa

The use of a rapid appraisal methodology, followed by a new approach that we refer to as the Matrix Method, has revealed a wealth of traditional knowledge on useful plants amongst people of Khoi–San decent in the Agter–Hantam, Calvinia district, Northern Cape Province of South Africa. The data include 14 new species records of useful plants; 20 new vernacular names and 99 new uses for 46 of the plant species, showing that Khoi–San ethnobotany is still incompletely recorded and that there is an urgent need to document this wealth of traditional knowledge before it is lost forever. This article also introduces two new terms — the Ethnobotanical Knowledge Index (EKI), a quantitative measure of a person's knowledge of local plant use (value between 0 and 1), and the Species Popularity Index (SPI), a quantitative measure of the importance or popularity of each species (value between 0 and 1). In the Agter–Hantam, the EKI varied from 0.20 to 0.93 in older people but even young children had EKI values of 0.27. The best known and most popular indigenous useful plants in the Agter–Hantam are Aloe microstigma (a new species record, with a SPI of 0.97), Hoodia gordonii (SPI = 0.94), Microloma sagittatum (0.94), Sutherlandia frutescens (0.92), Quaqua incarnata (0.92) and Galenia africana (0.85). The new quantitative method will allow for direct comparisons of the preservation of traditional plant knowledge and the importance of various plants species in different communities.     

Symbiotic association between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanderia secunda</Emphasis> (Cnidaria,Hydrozoa, Solanderiidae) and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Medioantenna variopinta</Emphasis> sp. nov. (Annelida,Polychaeta, Polynoidae) from North Sulawesi (Indonesia)

A mimic scale-worm was found associated with the athecate hydroid Solanderia secunda, commonly found on reefs of the NW coast of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The species resembled Medioantenna clavata Imajima 1997, which was originally described without any reference to a symbiotic mode of life and later reported to be living on a solanderiid hydroid both in Japanese waters. A detailed morphological analysis led us to consider the Indonesian specimens as a new species, namely Medioantenna variopinta sp. nov., which is congeneric with the Japanese species. The new species differs from the type material of M. clavata as it has elytra with one prominent finger-like papilla and all neurochaetae with unidentate tip, instead of an elytral lump and both unidentate and bidentate neurochaetae on segment two. In turn, the Japanese worms associated with Solanderia are here referred to our new species. Two morphological features in M. variopinta sp. nov. are rather unusual among scale-worms. One of them is its extremely high level of bilateral asymmetry and antero-posterior variability in elytral distribution and the other one is its elongated, upwardly directed nephridial papillae. The morphology and geographical distribution of the host together with the known characteristics of the symbiotic association have also been highlighted.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Scleria rubrostriata,</Emphasis> a new species of Cyperaceae from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

A new species is here described: Scleria rubrostriata A. C. Araújo & N. A. Brummitt, a herb from the Atlantic forest of Espírito Santo State, south-eastern Brazil. A key to the sections of Scleria and to the American species of Scleria sect. Schizolepis is provided, and an illustration of the new species and comparison to similar taxa are given.     

Morphology,taxonomy, ecology,and distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyclotella choctawhatcheeana</Emphasis> prasad (Bacillariophyta)

A study of the widespread centric diatom Cyclotella choctawhatcheeana has revealed the variability of qualitative and quantitative morphological diagnostic features, as well as the presence of initial cells, and allowed us to obtain new data on the ecology and distribution of the species. On the basis of original and literature data, the diagnosis of the species is emended. The conspecificity of C. tuberculata, which is common for waterbodies of the former Soviet Union, with C. choctawhatcheeana, which is new for the flora of Russia, is confirmed, making it possible to bring the first species into the synonymy of the latter. The study of samples of C. caspia from the Caspian Sea which are similar in morphology and ecology allowed us to define the variability of some features of this species and its relationship with C. choctawhatcheeana and to evaluate its taxonomical importance for some of them.     

A new species of the interstitial genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neopetitia</Emphasis> (Polychaeta,Syllidae, Eusyllinae) from Tenerife,with modified acicular chaetae in males

A new species of Neopetitia San Martín, 2003 is described from intertidal and shallow subtidal soft-bottom stations on the eastern and western coast of Tenerife, Canary Islands. The new species is characterized by the presence in males of a modified acicular chaeta in chaetiger 11. A discussion of known species of the genus is presented.