Brachylaima succini sp. nov. (Trematoda: Brachylaimidae) from Succinea lauta,an amber snail in Hokkaido,Japan

Through a continuous survey of trematodes in land snails of Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, we have discovered four species of the genus Brachylaima (Trematode: Brachylaimidae). Among them, Brachylaima ezohelicis, Brachylaima asakawai, and Brachylaima lignieuhadrae have already been described. Each of the three species is a strict specialist in selecting a particular species of land snail as the first intermediate host. In this report, we propose the fourth species, Brachylaima succini sp. nov., based on ecological, morphological, and phylogenetic considerations. Sporocysts and metacercariae of the new species were found exclusively from Succinea lauta, which is known as an amber snail indigenous to Hokkaido. Phylogenetic trees of nuclear 28S rDNA and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) demonstrated it to be distinct from the other sympatric species. Although metacercariae of the new species possessed unique morphological characters, adult worms experimentally raised from the metacercariae were similar to those of B. ezohelicis and B. lignieuhadrae. Natural definitive hosts of the new species are unknown, but the existence of common cox1 haplotypes from far-distant localities suggests a possibility that birds are involved as the definitive hosts. Findings of amber snails coinfected with both sporocysts of the new species and Leucochloridium perturbatum also support the involvement of birds.     

Revision of genus Melamphaes (Melamphaidae): Part 4. Multi-raker species: M. ebelingi, M. occlusus sp. nova, and M. nikolayi sp. nova

In the fourth part of the revision of the genus Melamphaes (Melamphaidae) multi-raker species (20 and more rakers at the first gill arch, rarely 19??in M. ebelingi) with eight soft rays in the ventral fin are considered. In this species, temporal spine is absent, there are 15 rays in the pectoral fin, and there are 11 to 12 abdominal vertebrae. M. ebelingi inhabits tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean. A new catch of this rare species in the northeastern part of the ocean is reported. The new species M. occlusus is described from one specimen from the subtropical part of the southwestern part of the Indian Ocean. Still another new species, M. nikolayi, is described from one specimen from the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean (subtropical waters). A table for identification of 15 multi-raker species of the genus Melamphaes is provided.     

Lamprops donghaensis sp. n. (Crustacea,Cumacea, Lampropidae), a new species from Korean waters

A new species of Cumacea belonging to the genus Lamprops Sars was collected from the East Sea of Korea. This new species resembles Lamprops comatus Zimmer, Lamprops carinatus Hart, Lamprops flavus Harada, Lamprops pumilio Zimmer, Lamprops tomalesi Gladfelter, and Lamprops obfuscatus (Gladfelter) in lacking lateral oblique ridges on the carapace and lateral setae on the telson. The new species, however, is distinguished from its congeners by having a dorsal concave groove and a lateral rounded depressed area on pereonite 2. The new species is fully illustrated and compared with related species. A key to the world Lamprops species lacking lateral ridges on the carapace is also provided.     

Sistotrema subconfluens sp. nov. (Cantharellales,Basidiomycota) from Changbaishan Nature Reserve,northeastern China

Sistotrema, typified by S. confluens, is characterized mainly by its urniform basidia mostly with 6–8 sterigmata as well as by a monomitic hyphal system, oil rich hyphae and smooth basidiospores. The species of this genus have various hymenophore configurations and basidiospore shapes. During a field trip in 2011, two specimens with urniform basidia were collected from Changbaishan Nature Reserve, northeastern China. After careful morphological and molecular studies, they are described and illustrated here as a new species, S. subconfluens. The new species shares a terrestrial habit, stipitate basidiocarps and poroid hymenophores with S. confluens, besides urniform basidia. These characters make the two species different from all other species of Sistotrema with resupinate basidiocarps on wood. Sistotrema subconfluens differs from the type by having larger basidiocarps, shorter basidiospores and consistent poroid hymenophores. In phylogeny inferred from nuclear large subunit rDNA, the two species were sister taxa but clearly separated. The difference of internal transcribed spacer sequences between the two species was 3.6%.     

Ingolfiella maldivensis sp. n. (Crustacea,Amphipoda, Ingolfiellidae) from coral reef sand off Magoodhoo island,Maldives

A new species of marine interstitial wormshrimp, Ingolfiella maldivensis, is described from coral sand on the inner and outer reef off Magoodhoo island, Faafu atoll, Maldives. Six females were found and compared to other species from the Maldives and those bordering the Indian Ocean and beyond. Morphological resemblance ties it to a species from the Caribbean island of Curaçao. Both species are found in shallow sublittoral interstitial spaces.     

Phylogeny of Phaeomollisia piceae gen. sp. nov.: a dark, septate, conifer-needle endophyte and its relationships to Phialocephala and Acephala

Dark, septate endophytes (DSE) were isolated from roots and needles of dwarf Picea abies and from roots of Vaccinium spp. growing on a permafrost site in the Jura Mountains in Switzerland. Two of the isolates sporulated after incubation for more than one year at 4 °C. One of them was a hitherto undescribed helotialean ascomycete Phaeomollisia piceae gen. sp. nov., the other was a new species of Phialocephala, P. glacialis sp. nov. Both species are closely related to DSE of the Phialocephala fortinii s. lat.-Acephala applanata species complex (PAC) as revealed by phylogenetic analyses of the ITS and 18S rDNA regions. Morphologically dissimilar fungi, such as Vibrissea and Loramyces species, are phylogenetically also closely linked to the new species and the PAC. Cadophora lagerbergii and C. (Phialophora) botulispora are moved to Phialocephala because Phialocephala dimorphospora and P. repens are the closest relatives. Several Mollisia species were closely related to the new species and the PAC according to ITS sequence comparisons. One DSE from needles of Abies alba and one from shoots of Castanea sativa formed Cystodendron anamorphs in culture. Their identical 18S sequences and almost identical ITS sequences indicated Mollisia species as closest relatives, suggesting that Mollisia species are highly euryoecious.     

Viola lilliputana sp. nov. (Viola sect. Andinium, Violaceae), one of the world's smallest violets, from the Andes of Peru

A new violet species of Viola Sect. Andinium, Viola lilliputana, is described from a single dry puna locality on an extensive intermontane plateau southeast of Cerro Palla Palla in the high Andes of Ayacucho Department in southern Peru. This diminutive rosulate violet is evidently among the smallest in the world and probably one of the smallest terrestrial dicots. It belongs to a distinctive species group with pinnatifid leaves that is endemic to central and southern Peru, including V. hillii, V. membranacea and V. weibelii. The new species is similar to V. weibelii in its large, strongly adnate stipules, elongate leaf lobes and dilated unappendaged style with ventral stigmatic orifice. It differs conspicuously from all other members of the pinnatifid-leaved group in its conduplicate leaf blades, straight, mostly nonoverlapping, oblong-lanceolate to broadly elliptical lobes with obtuse to rounded apices, and large basally fused pedicel bractlets. Despite many new collections of vascular plants from the high Andes of Peru and northern Bolivia in recent decades, this distinctive new species is still known only from its type locality, collected on the Iltis-Ugent expedition from November 1962 to January 1963.     

Cyphastrea kausti sp. n. (Cnidaria,Anthozoa, Scleractinia), a new species of reef coral from the Red Sea

A new scleractinian coral species, Cyphastrea kausti sp. n., is described from 13 specimens from the Red Sea. It is characterised by the presence of eight primary septa, unlike the other species of the genus, which have six, ten or 12 primary septa. The new species has morphological affinities with Cyphastrea microphthalma, from which it can be distinguished by the lower number of septa (on average eight instead of ten), and smaller calices and corallites. This species was observed in the northern and central Red Sea and appears to be absent from the southern Red Sea.     

Erysiphe havrylenkoana and E. prunastri var. japonica: a new species and a new variety of Erysiphe sect. Uncinula (Erysiphaceae, Ascomycota)

A new species and a new variety of Erysiphe sect. Uncinula are described and illustrated. Erysiphe havrylenkoana is a new species found on Nothofagus alpina and N. obliqua in Argentina, and E. prunastri var. japonica is a new variety collected on Prunus maximowiczii in Japan. Erysiphe havrylenkoana differs from E. nothofagi, E. patagoniaca and E. magellanica in having unique helicoid appendages, brownish from the base to the beginning of helicoid part, spirally twisted at the center and straight or not spiral at the upper part with uncinate to circinate tip. The phylogenetic analyses of rDNA sequences clearly showed that the spiral pattern of helicoid appendages is an important morphological character to delimit species among Nothofagus powdery mildews. Erysiphe prunastri var. japonica is distinct from E. prunastri var. prunastri parasitizing hitherto Prunus species from East-Central Asia to Europe by having mainly eight asci per chasmothecium and smooth, rarely septate appendages.     

Yanliaoa, an extinct genus of Cupressaceae s. l. from the Middle Jurassic,northeastern China

Yanliaoa is a common fossil in the Middle Jurassic of western Liaoning, eastern Inner Mongolia and northern Hebei Province, China. It is an important element of the Yanliao biota. The genus was established by Pan in 1977 for fossil plants from the Middle Jurassic Haifanggou Formation in Xiasanjiaochengzi, western Liaoning Province, and in present paper, the genus Yanliaoa is studied based on new material. Pan never designated a type specimen and his fossil material cannot be located. We designate a type specimen here for Yanliaoa, so that the genus name Yanliaoa remains valid. Yanliaoa sinensis Pan emend. Tan et al., is found in the same locality and formation as the lost specimens, Y. sinensis of Pan, 1977. Yanliaoa daohugouensis n. sp., a new species with epidermal anatomy, is from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou, Inner Mongolia. A holotype is also selected from the new material for this new species. Characters of the leafy shoots and ovulate cones of Yanliaoa are emended. The epidermal anatomy of this genus is described for the first time. Compared with other extant and extinct species of Cupressaceae s. l., the current species can be distinguished from any known species both by the leafy shoot characters and its epidermal anatomy. It further indicates that Yanliaoa is an extinct and endemic conifer found in the Middle Jurassic of northeastern China.     

Larinus berti sp. n. (Coleoptera,Curculionidae, Lixinae) from North Africa

A new species, Larinus berti sp. n. is described from Morocco and assigned to subgenus Cryphopus Petri, 1907 (Curculionidae: Lixinae; Lixini). Diagnostic characters of the new species are large size, elongate-ovate body, bisulcate sub-quadrangular rostrum, triangularly raised dorsum of rostrum, flat subgena and submentum, Y-shaped apodeme of sternite VIII of female and thin nodulus of spermatheca.     

Fomitiporia pentaphylacis and F. tenuitubus spp. nov. (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota) from Guangxi, southern China

Two specimens of Hymenochaetaceae were collected from Guangxi, southern China, during a recent field trip in August 2011. They are described and illustrated here as two new species, Fomitiporia pentaphylacis and F. tenuitubus, based on a combination of morphological and phylogenetic (ITS and nLSU sequences) data. The two species share subglobose to globose, hyaline and thick-walled basidiospores with strongly cyanophilous in cotton blue and dextrinoid reaction in Melzer??s reagent. These characters are typical for Fomitiporia, differing from other genera in Hymenochaetaceae. F. pentaphylacis resembles F. pusilla in field by its minute basidiocarps, but F. pusilla has distinctly multiple tube layers and smaller basidiospores. F. tenuitubus is similar to F. erecta in both macro- and micro-morphological features, except its larger basidiocarps, smaller pores, and slightly shorter basidiospores. In the phylogenetic perspective, the two species nested within the Fomitiporia clade, but were separated from other sampled species as well as from each other.     

An unusually rich scuttle fly fauna (Diptera,Phoridae) from north of the Arctic Circle in the Kola Peninsula,N. W. Russia

64 species of Phoridae, in 6 genera, are reported from the Kola Peninsula, north of the Arctic Circle. The new species Megaselia elenae and Megaselia kozlovi are described. 33 species of Megaselia, only known from females, are given code numbers. Keys to the species of all the females of Megaselia and Phora are provided; and also a key to the males European Megaselia species with a notopleural cleft.     

Baylisascaris potosis n. sp., a new ascarid nematode isolated from captive kinkajou,Potos flavus,from the Cooperative Republic of Guyana

We describe a new nematode species, Baylisascaris potosis n. sp., isolated from captive kinkajou, Potos flavus, from the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. The nematode was found in fecal specimens, identified morphologically, and confirmed genetically. The new species is similar to Baylisascaris procyonis, Baylisascaris columnaris, and other Baylisascaris species, but is distinguished by the position of the male phasmidial pole. Nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequence analyses confirmed that the new species is phylogenetically distinct from all the members of the genus Baylisascaris, and groups with B. procyonis and B. columnaris. This nematode is the 10th species assigned to the genus Baylisascaris.     

Morphological,Molecular, and Differential-Host Characterization of Meloidogyne floridensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae), a Root-Knot Nematode Parasitizing Peach in Florida

A root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne floridensis n. sp., is described and illustrated from peach originally collected from Gainesville, Florida. This new species resembles M. incognita, M. christiei, M. graminicola, and M. hispanica, but with LM and SEM observations it differs from these species either by the body length, shape of head, tail and tail terminus of second-stage juveniles, body length and shape of spicules in males, and its distinctive female perineal pattern. This pattern has a high to narrowly rounded arch with coarsely broken and network-like striae in and around anal area, faint lateral lines interrupting transverse striae, a sunken vulva and anus, and large distinct phasmids. Molecular data from ribosomal IGS illustrate that M. floridensis n. sp. is different from the mitotic species M. arenaria, M. incognita, and M. javanica. Data from RAPDs confirm it and suggest that this new species lies in an intermediate phylogenetic position between the previous species and the meiotic species M. hapla, M. fallax, and M. chitwoodi. Differential host tests based on annual crops and on Prunus accessions are reported.     

Mixacarus (Phyllolohmannia) pectinatus sp. n. (Acari,Oribatida, Lohmanniidae), a new species of oribatid mites from India

A new species of oribatid mites (adult and juvenile instars), Mixacarus (Phyllolohmannia) pectinatus sp. n., is described from India. The new species differs from the majority of species of the subgenus in the absence of distally dilated setae and narrower leaf-shaped setae on dorsal and ventral body sides.     

Xylodon subflaviporus sp. nov. (Hymenochaetales,Basidiomycota) from East Asia

Xylodon subflaviporus (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota) is described as a new species collected from tropical and subtropical regions of East Asia. This new species is characterized by resupinate basidiocarps, a poroid hymenophore, pseudodimitic hyphal system, nodose-septate hyphae, four types of cystidia (capitate, acicular to cylindrical, subulate to ventricose, and apically-encrusted), and thin-walled, colorless, smooth and ellipsoid basidiospores. Bayesian, Maximum Likelihood and Maximum Parsimony algorithms were used to construct phylogenies inferred from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA. Morphological and molecular studies, along with intercompatibility tests, confirmed the independent status of this species. Also, based on morphological and molecular evidence, six new combinations of Xylodon are proposed to accommodate species originally classified under Hyphodontia s.l., i.e. X. bubalinus, X. chinensis, X. mollissimus, X. nongravis, X. reticulatus and X. subtropicus. A key to known species of Hyphodontia s.l. with poroid, irpicoid or raduloid hymenophores is provided for the convenience in identification.